Chapter 26: …and Hatred
(Thanks going out to RedRobin, Lolli-pop and chibisueri, and everyone else who has been reviewing. I am going through reviews and PM's and catching up now, but wanted to let you know here too, how much I appreciate all of you. Take care...and happy reading!)
Renji shifted uncomfortably, turning first onto one side, and then onto the other and wincing as one of his overly stretched abdominal muscles cramped in protest. He tried using the method that the clan healer had suggested, and imagined the most peaceful, serene place that he could remember, transporting himself there, and breathing slowly through the pain.
"Are you all right, Renji?" Byakuya asked, his eyes blinking sleepily, "You look like something hurts. Are you having those pains again?"
"Yeah, a bit," Renji admitted, "but the clan healer said that it is just that my abdominal muscles are not liking being overly stretched, so they cramp. He said that if it was labor, my reiatsu would be flaring."
"And your reiatsu seems unaffected, though you seem quite uncomfortable. Is there something I can do?"
"Oh, hell, I don't know," Renji sighed unhappily, "I can't tell if I want a belly rub or a back massage. But it hardly matters since neither one will get my pot belly out of the way so that I can sleep normally again. Makes me wish that I could levitate so nothing would be in the way when I try to roll over. I mean, I know I'm not as big as a pregnant human woman, but if Unohana taichou thought that this wasn't significantly larger, then I have a few things to say about that…"
Byakuya smiled patiently and offered him a kiss, then coaxed him onto his side and rubbed gentle circles on the redhead's round, tattooed belly. Renji sighed softly in relief and tried to drift off again, but grunted and whimpered uncomfortably a few minutes later as another cramp woke him.
"Oh…" he moaned, "How the hell do I stop this! It feels like someone tied that fucking muscle in a knot."
He fell silent again as Byakuya's palm ran over his abdomen, located the place where the pain was, and gently infused the area with soothing healing reiatsu.
"Oh my kami…" groaned Renji, "Thank you, thank you, thank you…oh…that's so much better."
"I am glad I could help," Byakuya said, yawning, "Now, try to sleep. It's nearly morning."
And Renji really did try. But as soon as the cramp in his belly subsided, his stomach began to rumble hungrily.
"Oh damn it…" he huffed, wiggling out from under Byakuya's limp, heavy arm.
He slipped his legs over the edge of the bed and climbed to his feet, teetered for a moment, then started to walk out of the room. He paused and rolled his eyes as he caught sight of himself in a full length mirror.
"Oh gods…I want to destroy that stupid mirror…"
He forced himself to keep walking and moved into the inner hallway. He heard soft noises coming from the kitchen, and peeked inside. He yelped in surprise as pale hands took hold of him, dragged him inside the kitchen and pushed him back against the wall. He found himself looking into a startled pair of sapphire blue eyes.
"Ah…Renji-san!" Tetsuya exclaimed, stepping back and releasing him so quickly that he lost what meager balance he had and started to fall.
Tetsuya caught him, mid-fall, and returned him to his feet, then stepped back again, smiling.
"What the hell was that about?" demanded Renji, "You almost scared this kid out of my insides! Are you trying to send me into labor?"
"I'm so sorry, Renji-san," Tetsuya said, trying not to laugh, "but my Tomio was just here, and I thought that he changed his mind about going back to bed and…I only meant to waylay him with kisses."
"Eh, it's okay," Renji said, turning towards the refrigerator and taking out a jar of quartered pickles, "I won't take offense."
He took one out of the jar and slipped it into his mouth as Tetsuya sat down at the table to finish the chocolate pudding he was eating.
"So," said the redhead around a mouthful of pickle, "How big is your baby bump? I mean, you don't look any bigger to me, but your clothes are kind of loose, so…"
Tetsuya smiled and placed a hand on his abdomen, weighing down the fabric that covered him and exposing a small, but very noticeable rounding on his belly.
"It's not so big yet," Tetsuya said, rubbing the bump, "but you didn't really start to show for a while."
"I sure as hell do now," complained the redhead, finishing the pickle and stealing glances at Tetsuya's pudding.
The blue-eyed shinigami's smiled widened, and he reached over and took a spoon from one of the drawers and handed it to Renji.
"Go ahead," he invited the redhead, "I'm not going to be able to finish it all, anyway. And I might be after one of those pickles in a moment."
"Help yourself," Renji said, pushing the pickle jar towards him.
Tetsuya laughed softly as Renji took advantage of the moment when Tetsuya was selecting a pickle spear to steal his bowl of pudding. He slipped the pickle into his mouth, just as the light turned on and Byakuya and Tomio walked into the kitchen.
"Pickles and pudding?" Tomio mused.
"Mmhmm?" Tetsuya said, nodding, "It satisfies that craving for sweet and salty all at once, ne Renji?"
"He's got a point there," Renji said, taking a bite of pudding.
Byakuya and Tomio exchanged amused glances and sat down at the table.
"I do not suppose either of you is interested in actually sleeping at all tonight?" sighed Byakuya.
"You can go back to bed," Renji said, grabbing another pickle spear and dipping it into the pudding, then taking a bite, "Tetsuya's here to keep me company. And besides, I think you're probably bored by now, hearing me piss and moan about my cramps, bloating, cravings and not being able to sleep. Tetsuya can't sleep any more than I can, and he's on the way to being as fucked up as I am, so we're in good company."
"Ah, I see how it is," Tomio said, smirking, "I mean, Byakuya-sama and I couldn't possibly understand what you're going through, ne? I guess you have to be pregnant to understand?"
"I think we understand them quite well, actually," commented Byakuya, taking a pickle from the jar and taking a bite.
"Yes," agreed Tomio, accepting the pickle jar from Byakuya and selecting a pickle, "It's perfectly normal for our pregnant spouses to act as though they have taken leave of their senses. It will go away when they deliver."
"And then their normal irregularities will return," Byakuya finished.
"Wha-? Normal irregularities?" said Renji, looking offended, "What the hell do you mean by that?"
""Taken leave of our senses?" said Tetsuya, his reiatsu flaring softly and his blue eyes flashing.
"Oh dear," sighed Tomio, "Only a couple of weeks and the honeymoon is over…"
"It is if you call me crazy," said Tetsuya, standing and turning towards the door.
He caught his breath as Tomio's arm wrapped around him, stopping him. Tetsuya continued to frown as Tomio pulled his hair back over one shoulder, and kissed him at the smooth juncture of neck and shoulder. The frown remained on Tetsuya's lips, but he turned in Tomio's arms and hesitantly accepted a warm, open-mouthed, apologetic kiss.
"What are you doing that for?" he asked in a soft, wounded voice, "I was just eating pickles and chocolate pudding. It must taste horrid to you."
Tomio smiled contritely.
"Well, then, it's only what I deserve for hurting you, ne?" he said, kissing Tetsuya again.
"How come you're not apologizing?" Renji asked, studying Byakuya as the noble chewed quietly on the last bit of the pickle he had taken and watched Tomio and Tetsuya.
"I was thinking," the clan leader said, glancing back at him, "that I would save my apology for when we were somewhere more private."
Renji's eyes widened and he caught his breath in surprise as Byakuya's hand found his under the table and squeezed it gently.
"Oh, that's an invitation I can't refuse," he said, dropping his spoon and standing.
"Then you'll forgive me for teasing you?" Byakuya asked, moving to join him and slipping an arm around him.
"That depends on what you do for your apology," Renji answered, smirking and grabbing a last pickle as they passed the end of the table.
"Well, it looks as though Byakuya-sama and Renji-san are off to bed," commented Tomio, "Would you like to go lie down with me for a bit before the sun rises?"
"Actually," said Tetsuya, "I think I would like to watch the sunrise with you. There is a lovely place in the meadow beyond the waterfall."
"It sounds wonderful," said Tomio, "but isn't it still a bit too cold for that?"
"So we'll wear warm clothing," said Tetsuya, smiling, "and we can bring a few horse blankets from the barn to sit on."
"I like their idea," Renji said, looking up at Byakuya, "We ought to do that sometime."
"You can join us," offered Tetsuya.
"But I thought you would be…apologizing," said Renji, "We don't want to…"
"Nonsense," said Tetsuya, "You should come and enjoy the sunrise. There will be plenty of time for our spouses to apologize when we return."
"And if nothing else, we get a little bit of payback watching them freeze their asses off, while our hot flashes keep us warm," chuckled Renji, "I'm in. What about you, Byakuya?"
"If it will convince you to get some rest eventually, then I am willing," said the noble.
The four returned to their rooms to change, then met in the gardens. Two house guards appeared from out of the early morning shadows to act as escort to the foursome. They left the gardens and walked along the silent forest trail.
"I'm surprised that Arashi hasn't come out to greet us," commented Tetsuya, "but he may just have decided to remain in the barn, where it's warmer."
"Intelligent horse," commented Byakuya.
"It's kind of spooky around here with the mist hanging in the air," said Renji, "Pretty, but kind of spooky too."
He nudged in closer to Byakuya, enjoying the warmth of his spouse's body where it touched his and the affectionate shine in the noble's eye as he glanced at Renji, then looked back at the path ahead of them.
"I wonder if we'll be able to see the sun rise," mused Tomio.
"Oh, this will burn off quickly," said Tetsuya.
"I suppose you've slept outdoors enough to know better than me," Tomio replied.
"I love the outdoors," laughed Tetsuya, "I have ever since I was freed from the prison. I actually think that if not for Byakuya-sama's attempts to civilize me, I might have just become a rover and spent my life wandering the three worlds with Arashi."
"I can see that in you," said Tomio, giving him a squeeze, "I have a feeling that you and I are going to have some interesting adventures, once our child is born."
"I think we will," agreed Tetsuya, "Our little one is likely to be an independent sort, if he or she is anything like me."
"Well then," Tomio said, smiling affectionately, "It is a good thing that I enjoy high spirits in the people I love."
They stopped talking as they reached the barn, and Tetsuya left them to collect the horse blankets. He returned a few minutes later with a sleepy looking Arashi at his side.
"Would you like to ride with me, Renji-san?" Tetsuya asked, "As much as I enjoy the walking, I have to admit that my lack of sleep is catching up with me."
"Do you want to do this another time?" asked Tomio, looking concerned.
"No," said Tetsuya, "We're practically there, and I really want to see the sunrise. I promise you, I'll sleep afterward."
He climbed up onto Arashi's back and waited as Byakuya helped Renji up behind him. Arashi walked slowly along the trail that led from the top of the waterfall, down a set of long switchbacks, and ended at the beginning of the big meadow. They crossed the meadow and settled near a stand of oak trees, lying down on the horse blankets and snuggling close to each other as the sky began to brighten over them.
"This is lovely," Tomio said appreciatively, as slim shafts of light began to break through the mist and shone down on the long, dewy grasses.
Renji sighed contentedly and leaned into Byakuya's embrace.
"This is…really incredible," he said, smiling and watching closely as the swirls of crawling mist thinned and dissipated, and the sun broke through.
"I think I'm ready to fall asleep right here," Tetsuya yawned, "I am so comfortable…"
"Me too," agreed Renji, settling more deeply into Byakuya's arms and enjoying the peaceful, contented look on his husband's handsome face.
They lingered in the meadow until well after sunrise, the two pregnant shinigamis dropping off to sleep as the sun fell over the long grasses and warmed everything around them. Tomio and Byakuya held their sleeping lovers and enjoyed the tranquility of the morning until much later, when Renji stirred and groaned, and his stomach rumbled noisily.
"Kami…" he moaned, opening a hazy, red-brown eye, "I think this kid never stops being hungry. I guess we don't have to worry about him or her having too little of an appetite…"
Byakuya smiled and left him resting on the blanket, and returned later with a handful of wild berries. Renji accepted some gratefully and Byakuya handed the rest to a slowly waking Tetsuya.
"Arigato, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, accepting the berries and devouring them quickly as an amused Tomio watched, but judiciously refrained from commenting.
The edge taken off of their hunger, the two pregnant men mounted Arashi and the foursome began the trek back up the switchbacks to the top of the waterfall. Renji noticed a look of curiosity on Byakuya's face as they reached the top of the waterfall.
"What is it?" he asked, looking around.
"The guards," Byakuya said quietly, "They remained here, at the top of the waterfall, overlooking the valley. I wonder that they would have left without telling us that they were going."
He frowned, scanning the area around them.
"I don't sense anyone in the area," he went on, "but I think we should return to the manor as quickly as possible. This doesn't sit right with me."
All four kept their senses extended as they moved on past the top of the waterfall, making their way through a stand of sakura trees that rained pink petals as the soft breezes riled the branches. Byakuya raised a protective kido shield around them, and he and Tomio drew their weapons and kept them ready as they moved on in the direction of the barn.
"I don't sense anyone around the barn area," Byakuya said as they reached the building, "but I think we should not linger here."
We'll just take the blankets inside and then we can go on to the manor," said Tetsuya, turning Arashi towards the barn.
"We'll stay together, just in case," said Byakuya, following.
They passed through the open doors and into the building, where Tetsuya slid down off of Arashi's back and left the others for a moment to return the horse blankets to the storage room. He walked back towards the others, his brow furrowing in thought as he noticed the barn doors were beginning to close. A small movement caught his eye and his head turned. His eye fell on two bound and apparently unconscious men, lying in one of the closed stalls.
"Byakuya-sama!" he hissed, pointing to the closing doors.
He flash stepped forward, raising his hands and summoning a hard kido blast that blew the doors back open, but as he moved forward, with Tomio joining him, a warning rumble broke through the barn and the reiatsu rose dangerously around them.
"Get out of here!" cried Tetsuya, calling a strong shield into place around them.
Byakuya placed himself in front of Renji as the two ran for the doors. The four had nearly reached them when the reiatsu around them exploded and fire began to spread in a deadly blossom all around them. Byakuya wrapped his body protectively around Renji's, pink petals rising up in defense as Tomio took hold of Tetsuya and dragged him to the floor. Behind them, Arashi screamed and reared, an explosion of water erupting from his nose and mouth, and striking the spreading flame of the explosion. The shock wave struck the stallion, throwing him off his feet and sending him rolling away as it broke against the shielding of the downed shinigamis.
The barn creaked and shifted ominously, as Byakuya and Tomio shattered their shielding and crawled alongside their pregnant spouses to the doorway. But just as they reached it, another explosion ripped through the barn. Byakuya barely managed to hold onto Renji as both were thrown heavily into the wall. Across the walkway, Tetsuya's body was thrown into Tomio's and both men crashed to the floor. The force of the blast, sent a final shock wave through the shattered building, breaking away the last of the supports holding it up. All four men and the struggling stallion shielded desperately as the building gave way and began to come down on them. With a final, enraged scream, Arashi blasted the falling beams with ice blades, reducing the impact on the trapped shinigamis, but not able to stop it completely. A falling beam struck the stallion and he dropped to the floor, going still as the last of the debris rained down on top of him.
The area around the barn went deadly silent, as the manor alarms rose up in the distance.
(Just a note to readers who worry about the turn the story is taking. I admit, it is turning angsty, but trust me when I promise that this will have a happy ending. Byakuya and Renji have some growing to do, but they will achieve happiness with each other in the end. So hang on through the bumps and trust Spunky.)