Chapter 14: No Moments Wasted
(Barely managed to get this done before bedtime. Going to crash now. Enjoy the new chapter. Love to all, Spunky)
Toshiro sat in a garden swing, one leg curled beneath him and the other hanging down, with toes extended, pushing the swing to move it, while he watched his grandmother and her attendant happily tending a colorful array of roses. He breathed slowly, savoring the quiet.
It's going to be chaos, going back. Byakuya warned me that it will be more crowded than when we came down for the wedding. We'll be riding Ikazuchi and Tetsuya will have a full noble guard unit around us. It's gonna be crazy.
"Are you all right, Shiro-chan?" Grandma asked suddenly.
Toshiro blinked in surprise at the question.
"Fine, I guess," he answered, biting at his lip and rubbing his baby bump absently, "I'm just a little nervous about how crowded and loud it will be, going back."
Grandma smiled.
"You know that Byakuya said it would be fine to delay the trip for another day or two, if you are not up to it now."
"Eh, better to go now, I suppose," Toshiro sighed, his lips pouting slightly, "The babies are only going to get bigger, and I'll keep having nausea and dizziness. It's all normal. It's just that when I'm in a crowd, everything feels worse."
"Well," the old woman said, brushing her hands on her apron, "there is still plenty of time to go and take a nap before you leave."
"I can dress you quickly, when it is time to go," Akio chimed in from behind him, "Grandma is right. You look rather pale."
"I always look pale," Toshiro said irascibly, "I'm fine. I just…wish we were already back at Sakura no Kaiyou."
"You're just anxious, dear," Grandma chuckled, "Why don't you let Akio-kun make you some tea?"
"Ah, hell, fine!" the young man grumbled, "I'll have some tea and a nap, even though I won't be able to sleep at all."
He started to climb off the swing, then felt a strong, radiating pain go through his insides. He heard garbled voices around him, but the light seemed to have faded and a cloudiness fell over his vision. He put a hand to his throbbing belly and managed to hiss out Akio's name. He remained conscious long enough to feel his attendant's arm wrap around him, then everything went quiet and deep grey.
Like Byakuya's eyes.
He drifted in and out of awareness, registering the feeling of his senseless body being lifted and briefly hearing familiar voices.
"I'll go and bring Byakuya-sama!" Torio's voice said urgently, "Akio, stay with him!"
He felt Tetsuya's soft hands touch his face and loosen his clothing.
"I know what this is. We need to take him to Urahara-san immediately!"
Toshiro felt his body being lifted again, and carried to where he sensed Arashi's strong presence.
Tetsuya climbed onto the stallion and waited as Toshiro was handed into his arms. He set kido bindings to hold him in place, then nudged the stallion into a dead run.
"It will be all right, Toshiro-sama," Tetsuya assured him as he guided the galloping horse into the precipice world, "I am sure that Urahara-san will be able to help you."
Toshiro tried to answer, but couldn't make his mouth move. A strange, tingly feeling ran over his unmoving body, and he felt another strong pain.
Oh god, this is really bad, isn't it?
He could still feel the slow intake and exhale of his breaths, so he focused on that and the little flicker of the babies' vibrant souls.
What happened?
I was tired and cross, but I didn't feel like anything was wrong. The pain was sudden and sharp. It almost immediately overwhelmed me. And for all that Tetsuya is telling me it will be okay, I know it's serious. If it wasn't, he would have sent for a healer instead of moving me. What is this? Why is this happening?
He felt Tetsuya's hand rubbing the baby bump and the slow infusion of a small amount of reiatsu into the area.
"My reiatsu is not as effective as that of the babies' father," Tetsuya's voice said, clearing somewhat in Toshiro's spinning mind, "but it will sustain you until we can get you to Karakura Town."
"Wh-what's happening?" Toshiro managed, cracking his eyes open for a moment and taking the worried look on Tetsuya's determined face, "Am I going to lose the babies?"
"Please try not to worry about that," Tetsuya answered soothingly, "Urahara-san is the best, handling this sort of thing. You and the babies are strong. You will be all right."
"But, what's…what's wrong?"
The light became blinding as the stallion reached the exit point, and the senkaimon opened into Urahara's underground training room. They burst through, and Arashi skidded to a stop as flash steps sounded, and Kisuke appeared, alongside Tessai.
"The shop's still a mess," Kisuke said quickly, "Bring him over here."
The kido holding Toshiro on the horse shattered and Tetsuya handed him quickly down into Tessai's strong arms. He was carried to a cot that had been set up next to a jumble of computers and monitors.
"You're lucky not everything was destroyed," the shopkeeper muttered, "otherwise, this would be a lot harder."
"What is it? What's happening?" Toshiro demanded weakly, his ears beginning to ring loudly again.
Kisuke looked down into his hazy eyes and nodded.
"The spirit chamber has to expand a bit as the babies' reiatsu matures and swells some. The amount of swelling and the position of the spirit chamber can interfere with your spirit core. Multiple reiatsus complicate things even more. I just need to create space between the two."
"S-surgery?" Toshio stammered, shivering at the sudden icy feeling that penetrated his chest.
"It's gonna be okay," the shopkeeper assured him, glancing over his shoulder, "Tetsuya, I want you over here, by me. Infuse the area while I work. As soon as Byakuya arrives, have him take that part over."
"Hai," Tetsuya answered hastily.
Toshiro's eyes began to cloud up again, and the last thing he saw was an oxygen mask being placed over his face.
"Just relax now. Everything's going to be okay," Kisuke promised.
But he couldn't believe it enough to let himself drop off until Byakuya's flash step sounded, and his husband's scent reached him.
"Anata."
He's scared.
Byakuya is scared.
He could feel that the hand that took hold of his was shaking.
I know why. He already watched his wife, Hisana, die in front of him. I'll be damned if I am gonna do that to him again. I just have to hang on…breathe…heart has to beat. And you…you, little ones, you're staying with me.
He began to fade out, only catching small bits of the hushed conversations going on around him.
"...reached sentience. The clan considers the life of the heirs over…"
"I don't care!" Byakuya exclaimed, "The consequences don't matter. You keep Toshiro alive!"
"But he could…"
"I know."
Toshiro was sure he had never heard Byakuya's voice sound so emotional.
"He may hate me. I will take the risk. I love him too much to let him die when he can be saved."
"And your baby?" Kisuke asked sympathetically.
"You know this is killing me," Byakuya managed more softly, "You have to try to save them both."
"I don't know if I can."
"THEN, FIND A GODDAMNED WAY!"
"Wait," Tetsuya interjected, "There may be a way I can help. Toshiro and I both command water and ice. I can mingle our reiatsu and try to alter the position of the spirit chamber that way."
"What do you think?" Byakuya asked quickly, "Kisuke, will it work?"
"I don't know," Kisuke said anxiously.
"Tetsuya, quickly!"
Toshiro sank back down into blackness for a time, losing track of everything but the sound of his heart that continued a slow, steady beating. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself warmly tucked into Kurosaki Ichigo's bed. He blinked in surprise at the realization and turned his head to find Byakuya curled up against his side.
"Byakuya," he whispered.
His husband's eyes opened, and instantly, he spotted the signs of intense worry, red eyes, weary features and a very slight tremor in the arms that held him.
"You are awake," Byakuya whispered sleepily, running his fingers through the long, white strands of Toshiro's hair, "I wondered how long it would be."
"How long was it?" he asked, dreading the question both men knew he had to ask.
"You've been asleep for nearly a week," Byakuya answered.
"And I'll bet you haven't slept a wink," Toshiro accused him gently.
"I slept some of the time," Byakuya assured him.
Toshiro took a steadying breath.
"The babies?" he asked, closing his eyes.
"Alive," Byakuya answered, curving a warm palm around Toshiro's pale face, "We almost lost both you and the babies. If not for Tetsuya's sacrifice…"
"His sacrifice?" Toshiro asked, sitting up.
"Move slowly," Byakuya chided him.
"But, Tetsuya!"
"He is all right," Byakuya assured his anxious husband, "It is just that he mingled your reiatsu and attempted to reposition the spirit chamber. He was successful, but the strain on his body was horrific. He has been unconscious ever since. Urahara Kisuke is caring for him at Sakura no Kaiyou, because he was stable enough to move. Ichigo offered to let you recuperate here, because we did not dare move you any farther."
"I must've been dying for Ichigo not to make a fuss about me stealing his bedroom," Toshiro chuckled, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.
He looked down at his notably larger belly and grinned.
"So, you're still with us, eh? Good, because I wasn't going to let you go anywhere."
"And I was not letting you go anywhere," Byakuya added, nuzzling his cheek, "You gave me a terrible scare, anata. I thought I was going to lose all of you."
"I know," Toshiro acknowledged, turning his face into Byakuya's shoulder and breathing in his husband's sweet, calming scent, "I'm sorry."
"You did not do a thing wrong."
"Are you sure?" Toshiro asked, guilt spreading through his insides, "There has to be some reason this happened."
"The problem of the spirit chamber interfering with a male shinigami's spirit core is common among the breeder males. In fact, in addition to injury, this is why Tetsuya lost his child many years ago."
Byakuya sighed and hugged Toshiro tightly against him.
"I think that the memory of that pain is what made my cousin so desperate to help you. If the loss of his own child could save yours, then maybe some of his pain from the past could be shed more easily. Tetsuya did not want to see you carry that pain. I would not want you to suffer that kind of pain. I am glad that Tetsuya could help you. I am glad that you, Tetsuya and the babies are all going to be fine."
"We are going to be all right now," Toshiro assured his nervous partner, "You can stop worrying so much."
"Do not be ridiculous, anata," Byakuya chided him, kissing him on the neck and nipping at his earlobe, "I will always be concerned about what happens to you and our children."
"I worry about you too," Toshiro admitted, "I'm glad you care, but I'm not used to seeing you look afraid of anything. Not even that big quincy bastard, Gerard."
"I fear plenty of things," Byakuya confessed softly, "But most of all, I fear losing the second chance that I have been given with you."
"We're not going to lose this," Toshiro promised, reaching down to rub his baby bump, "We're going to be okay."
He gave a longer sigh and burrowed into Byakuya's strong shoulder again.
"Grandma's probably pretty worried," he said a moment later, "We should get word back to her that the babies and I are all right."
"It is already done," Byakuya assured him, "I sent Akio back to inform her, as soon as Kisuke said that you and the babies were out of danger. He has gone and returned. Torio and Akio are here, and will see to any needs we have."
Byakuya paused as footsteps sounded on the stairs outside of Ichigo's bedroom.
"Kuchiki-san, I've brought lunch for you," Yuzu's friendly voice called out as the girl tapped on the bedroom door, then entered bearing a tray loaded with food.
She skidded to a stop, staring at Toshiro for a moment.
"Shiro-chan is awake!" she shouted, "Karin-chan, Shiro-chan is awake!"
"It's Kuchiki-Hitsugaya taichou!" Toshiro snapped.
"Kuchiki-Hitsugaya taichou," Karin repeated, peeking in through the door at the two men, "Who can even say that?"
She looked at Toshiro more closely and shook her head.
"Man, I just can't get used to you being pregnant like a girl," she snickered.
"I'm not pregnant like a girl!" Toshiro shouted, earning an amused look from Byakuya, who had accepted the food tray from Yuzu, and was attempting to get his fuming spouse to notice his offer to share, "I'm a guy, and there's no mistaking that!"
"It is good to see you in such high spirits so shortly after waking up," the Kuchiki leader said in a relieved tone, "But you should try to remain a bit calmer. The excitement is not advisable just yet."
"Well then, they should stop provoking me," Toshiro said shortly, snapping at a bite of hot food his smirking partner offered him.
"Not like a pregnant girl, he says?" Karin said under her breath as she headed out of the room again, "Right."
"I can make you some food too, Shiro-chan," Yuzu offered, "It looks like you're as hungry as Kuchiki-san."
Toshiro arched an eyebrow at Byakuya.
"Kuchiki-san?" he repeated, "That's a little casual, isn't it?"
Byakuya shrugged.
"Given her hospitality and excellent cooking ability, I found I did not mind the informality."
"So, do you want a tray of your own, Shiro-chan?" Yuzu asked.
"Yeah," Toshiro said, smirking as he stole another bite from Byakuya's tray, "I'm starving!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Ichigo sat in a chair beside Tetsuya's bed, watching through worried eyes as Kisuke examined the unconscious shinigami, assisted by a concerned looking Hanataro. The two exchanged a few quiet words and Kisuke entered information into a file with Tetsuya's name on it.
"So?" he asked anxiously, "Kisuke, is he gonna wake up soon?"
"He does seem to be improving," Kisuke assured him, "His body just got a pretty good shock, connecting like that with Toshiro's to reposition the spirit chamber and stabilize everything. I think if it hadn't been for the similarity in their powers, and the compatibility of their reiatsu, we'd be looking at a much less rosy situation."
"I don't think being out cold for a week counts as a rosy situation," Ichigo said unhappily.
"Hey, it beats him being dead, right?" the shopkeeper offered.
Ichigo looked from Kisuke to Hanataro, then back to Tetsuya's sleeping face again.
"Right," he agreed, "And uh, thanks for taking such good care of him, both of you."
"It's no problem," Hanataro said cheerfully, "I hope he wakes up soon. I know you've been anxious."
"He'll be okay, Ichigo," Kisuke said reassuringly.
"Yeah, I know. I just want him to wake up."
"He will," Kisuke promised, "Just keep him comfortable, and as soon as those big blue eyes of his open, you start stuffing him with as much food as he'll eat."
"I will," Ichigo replied, leaning forward and resting his head on Tetsuya's shoulder as the two left the room.
He sighed sleepily and ran his fingers through the ginger spikes of his hair.
"I love you," he whispered, kissing Tetsuya's soft lips and caressing his cheek, "I love you so much. I'll be right here. I'm gonna stay right here with you, okay?"
Ichigo's breath caught and he felt a little burning in his eyes, when Tetsuya shifted in his sleep.
"Ichigo," he breathed sleepily.
"I'm right here," the Shiba heir answered quickly, squeezing his hand.
Tetsuya's wide blue eyes opened and struggled to focus on him.
"T-toshiro-sama?"
"He's all right," Ichigo answered, caressing Tetsuya's face, "Babies are okay too. Byakuya wanted you to know he's in your debt. What you did was really amazing. I'm just glad you came through it okay. Are you feeling all right now?"
Tetsuya nodded and curled closer to Ichigo.
"I'm just still sleepy," he yawned.
"Well, you've been asleep for a week already," Ichigo said, playing with the fluttering strands of his hair, "You've gotta be starving. I'll get you something to eat."
Tetsuya's hands tightened on Ichigo and he shook his head firmly.
"Stay with me?" he whispered, starting to drift off again.
"I will," Ichigo promised, "Tetsuya, when you wake up all of the way? I'm going to have your cousin marry us."