Title: Covenant
Series: Amaranthine (third in series; sequel to Nexus and Apotheosis)
Author: Akuni
Universe: Bleach
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: M for 'Much Smut' (NC-17)
Pairing: Renji/Ichigo (Note: I always write them reversible)
Spoilers: read through Soul Society, Arrancar, & Hueco Mundo Arcs
Warnings: By this point, everyone reading this story should know that this is futurefic, with all that that implies – character development, interpretations of events not yet seen in canon, etc. There's more talk of the war with Aizen, and mentions of character deaths during the war.
Word Count: you wouldn't believe me if I told you yet ;)
Summary: Three years after Ichigo began a rewarding life as a full-time shinigami captain, an unexpected challenge changes things for everyone, and Ichigo and Renji face their biggest trials yet.
More info and author's notes on chapter 1.
Chapter 29 – Desolation
Ichigo lost track of time as he walked through the desert of Hueco Mundo. The endless night confused his internal clock, and it didn't help that he needed to rest every few hours to keep himself as alert and energetic as possible under the circumstances to deal with the hostile forces he encountered. All of that left him without a clear idea of how much time had passed since he'd begun his trek. His best estimate – and it was a barely better than a blind guess – was that it had been about two weeks.
There was no way to tell which way to go. He hadn't the first clue where he was, or which direction he'd been thrown. The only thing he had to go on were vague, intermittent feelings of 'that way'. With nothing else to go on, he went with his instincts and followed the almost subliminal pull.
It had been pure luck that he'd dropped into a sparsely populated sector after the explosion. It wasn't until the second day of his journey that he'd had the first of many fights against wandering Hollows, inevitably drawn to him as he wandered through their territories.
This one was a relatively ordinary Hollow. Ichigo skidded to the side, dodging a wild swing from a skinny tentacle. As the Hollow brought the long appendage back for another strike, Ichigo was ready. He restrained the battle cries that he instinctively wanted to give, and swung Zangetsu silently, lopping off half of the tentacle as it lashed toward him.
The Hollow's shriek covered the pained grunt that escaped as Ichigo leaped and carved a neat line down the centre of its mask. Ichigo dropped back to the ground, breathing hard, watching as it disintegrated.
He wanted to collapse, to rest, but this area wouldn't be safe for long. Fights in Hueco Mundo always made ripples in the energy, announcing the combatants' location to any creatures nearby who cared to sense it.
Ichigo pushed on. Two weeks. Feels like forever. Ichigo propped Zangetsu against his shoulder and forced his weary body to keep moving, keep going forward. I'm never gonna hear the end of it when I get back. Rukia will give me hell for worrying everyone, and my father and sisters will be right beside her. And Renji'll gimme shit for takin' so long and makin' 'em all wait.
As he imagined his friends' reactions, realization seeped slowly into his consciousness. They're probably not even there anymore. Which means…
Ichigo steeled himself for the pain as he refocused his energy inward. Working with Zangetsu and the Hollow, he'd managed to get many of his wounds to heal, at least enough that they wouldn't slow him down too much. But the internal injuries were only half-healed at best, and his spiritual senses still hadn't recovered – and probably wouldn't, until he got out of Hueco Mundo and away from its unstable energy.
Ichigo struggled not to cry out as pain flared down his limbs and stabbed into his gut. And then in an instant it was gone, dulled to bearable levels as the buildingscape appeared around him.
Zangetsu and the Hollow were there waiting.
"It's been too long," Ichigo said wearily, slumping to the ground, letting his zanpakutou rest beside him and flexing the cramps from his hands. "They won't have kept the gate open this long." It was an affecting thought. The idea that the others were there, but just far away, had been an unconscious comfort, he realized. But after so long, he had to accept that the others were, in all likelihood, no longer there waiting.
Now he felt alone.
Anxiety slithered through him uncomfortably. Alone, in Hueco Mundo. Critically injured and lost beyond anything he recognized. Locked away from everything that mattered to him.
Worse, he had no idea how he was supposed to get out of Hueco Mundo without the gate. Despair threatened, but he shoved the bleakness away; he didn't have time to feel sorry for himself. If the gate wasn't open, then he was going to have to open it himself after all. But…
"Maybe I don't have to go all the way back," he mused, tilting his head back to stare at the cloudy sky. "We put up a lot of gates on the way to the trap. It wouldn't be as easy as the regular spot, but it's a helluva lot better than tryin' to open a new gate alone."
Ichigo knew he probably could open a new gate alone, though it usually took an entire kidou team. But that was if he was at full strength, well-rested and healthy – and he'd be utterly drained for days after. Right now he was about as far from all of those things as he could be, and still be alive. Undead! Ichigo heard the tired joke in Renji's voice in his mind, and he smiled despite the situation.
"So all I gotta do is find somewhere we had a gate open before. That shouldn't be so hard, we had tons of gates open during the—" He broke off, and swallowed. Ichigo tore his gaze off the sky and looked at Zangetsu and the Hollow, who were still watching him quietly.
"During the war, we used gates a lot," he said slowly, sitting up straighter. "And so did Aizen." Ichigo licked his lips. "In fact, there's one place where his forces opened gates pretty often."
The words hung unspoken in the air. Las Noches.
Zangetsu took a step toward him. :Ichigo, that's… it would be incredibly dangerous.:
"Do I have any other choice?" Ichigo countered. But then he slumped again. "But I don't know where that is, either. I'm just going 'that way' because… because that's all I've got to go on."
:Sometimes we don't know why we know things. Only that we do.:
Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, well that doesn't help me now."
:We're running out of time,: Zangetsu agreed. :We can't do this indefinitely.:
(If you get near Las Noches, you'll know,) the Hollow put in flatly. (Believe me, with what went on there, there'll be traces of it a long, long way off. And there'll be no mistaking what it is.)
"Good. Then I'll deal with that if I get close," Ichigo decided. "Once I sense any trace of Las Noches, that'll mean I'm close to familiar territory again…" He voice faltered a bit at the end. "Guess that means I'm really far off now." He stared at his silent companions for a moment before picking up his zanpakutou again and pushing himself back to his feet.
"I'd better walk faster, then."
§
"Raaah!" Renji whipped Zabimaru around and launched an attack straight at the pack of waist-high Hollows that had been chasing him. The serrated blade tore through three of them at once, ripping them in half with ease. The other two leaped back and began circling warily as their companions disintegrated.
Damn, missed! Renji gritted his teeth and checked the time. Only two more minutes before he missed the window, before Kira's contact in the Research and Development Institute had to activate the alarms again. And the next window wasn't for another ten hours, so he couldn't afford to miss this one.
Thankfully his opponents were weak. Renji yelled again and charged the nearest Hollow. Surprised, it tried to dodge, but it was too late. Its mask shattered as Renji brought his blade down on it full force.
The last Hollow let out a screech and took a flying leap at him just as he turned to face it, knocking him to the ground. "Sonuva bitch!" Jagged little teeth sank into Renji's leg right below the knee. Renji snarled and dropped Zabimaru heavily on its head, cracking the mask and crushing its skull.
:Quick, open the gate!:
Renji scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain shooting down his leg. Focusing intently, he opened the gate as fast as he could, and threw himself into it with thirty seconds to spare.
Renji was met on the other side by a Hell butterfly carrying the expected message from Kuchiki Byakuya. He sent it back with confirmation that he'd be along shortly.
Feels like such a waste of time! Renji tried not to limp as he made his way to the 5th Division headquarters. The bite on his leg stung, and he wanted to clean and dress it before he showed up at the Kuchiki mansion.
:Yeah but it's good for ya.:
Nice try. I know you'd rather be out there, too.
:Still, someone's gotta take care of you, since you suck at it. Dinner and a sleepover is the price ya gotta pay for that. Maybe if you're lucky, Rukia will even braid your hair. You used to like that.:
Shut up, asshole! Renji grinned to himself as Zabimaru continued baiting him all the way to his office. It was hard being without Ichigo, and it was just plain weird learning to be friends with Kuchiki Byakuya – it was good to know some things were still the same.
§
How many days had it been now? Ichigo'd stopped trying to keep track. He'd never thought about it before, but there were so many artificial time cues in a person's life. Meals and sleep, that's how I used to judge time without a watch.
Ichigo's feet dragged in the sand; he couldn't find the energy to pick them up properly. It was time to rest again, but something tugged him forward, something tenuous he couldn't grasp, something he could only sense if he wasn't trying. Like the stars he could only see out of the corners of his eyes, the faint feeling of something slipped from his grasp if he tried to focus on it.
So he let it draw him forward, not chasing it but following it. He had no idea what it was, but he knew he had to reach it.
Then it was gone. The sensation of anticipation vanished, and Ichigo fell to his knees, gasping for breath that wouldn't come. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't go on any more without a rest. Ichigo crawled into the space between two crystalline outcroppings and passed out almost immediately.
§
"Maybe we should settle this right here," Renji suggested, slipping his fingers into Ichigo's sash and tugging lightly.
"Dunno if that's such a good idea," Ichigo countered slyly. "You know you always get carried away."
Renji snorted a laugh. "Me? Hah! Last time it was your fault, if ya remember."
"Oh yeah?" Ichigo grinned as Renji leaned back against the wall and hauled him in close by his sash. Their mouths crashed together hungrily as their calloused hands pushed aside their robes to slide over smooth skin.
Hands slipped into the loose uniform pants with the same ease as the tongues slipping past the willing lips. It wasn't a particularly comfortable place, and it definitely wasn't very professional, but that fact alone made encounters in the office such a fun activity.
Renji had both hands working busily inside Ichigo's pants, pressing himself against Ichigo's hip, when Ichigo pulled out of the kiss abruptly and grabbed his wrists.
"Wait, Renji," Ichigo panted. "We got time…"
"Well, in that case…" Renji pulled his hands out of Ichigo's pants and had their sashes untied in seconds. Ichigo bit him on the ear, drawing out a groan that Renji muffled hastily.
"Can't resist," Ichigo murmured.
"Then don't." Renji shifted readily as he was turned by the shoulders. Both of Ichigo's hands slid around him from behind and massaged their way down his torso; his warm, smooth lips lingered on the back of Renji's neck as his teasing hands ran further down.
Ichigo leaned against his back, and Renji let the wall support them both as his lover pushed their pants down. He turned to look at Ichigo curiously. "Ichigo, what—"
Ichigo offered two fingers up to Renji's mouth, smirking a little as Renji's eyes widened in sudden understanding. Renji licked his lover's fingers, relishing Ichigo's shiver as he sucked them into his mouth, curling his tongue around them sensuously. All the while, Ichigo's eyes held his steadily, their desire growing stronger.
"Ohh, this's gonna be good." Renji turned and braced himself against the wall, breath catching when spit-slick fingers slid over him but not inside. "Go on," he urged.
"Just wait," Ichigo chuckled. Renji tilted his head and watched impatiently as Ichigo fished a bottle of unscented lotion from the bottom drawer of Renji's desk. "No reason to do this the hard way," Ichigo said as he spread the cool lotion over them both.
Renji breathed out slowly as Ichigo carefully pressed into him. He heard his lover taking deep, calming breaths, holding himself back despite the passion rising between them. "Damn that's…" His breath hitched again when Ichigo shifted forward.
"Oh yeah." Ichigo's hands dug into his hips as he pushed in the rest of the way. "Ok?" he asked, quivering slightly.
Renji splayed his hands wide against the wall, every nerve tingling, his body demanding more as he was finally completely filled. "Move, please!" he groaned, not surprised to hear his voice was thick with desire. The groan deepened and grew louder when Ichigo withdrew slightly before thrusting back in quickly.
Ichigo's hips moved in an easy rhythm; Renji rocked back with each thrust, and Ichigo inhaled sharply as their bodies slapped together with his wordless demand. He locked his throat tightly around a cry as Ichigo obliged, thrusting into him hard and striking inside him just right. A small sound escaped despite his best efforts, and Renji was confused when instead of encouraging his lover, Ichigo's movements slowed.
Renji began to protest, but Ichigo cut him off. "Wait." Ichigo took another steadying breath as he stopped. "Got a better idea." He pressed a kiss to the back of Renji's neck before he pulled away and stepped back.
Renji pushed off the wall and turned. "What?" he panted.
Ichigo grinned. "Get on the desk."
Renji smirked as widely as he could as he sat on the edge of the desk. "This'd be easier if I just bent over the desk," he offered, shifting back to make room as Ichigo knelt over him.
"But then I wouldn't be able to watch you." Ichigo leaned down and captured his lips, muffling their gasps as he moved back into position and re-entered him swiftly. The pleasure engulfed them again, and Ichigo's moan was lost in Renji's mouth.
Heat and need surrounded them as Ichigo moved faster, bodies pressing as close as they could increasing the friction on the arousal rubbing between them. Renji dug his heels into Ichigo's back, pulling him in deeper.
Ichigo was breathing hard as he drove into him. "So damn…tight like this, want you to…nngh…wanna feel it, c'mon Renji!"
Renji was shaking all over, closing his hands hard around Ichigo's shoulders, blunt fingernails digging in as he bucked. "Harder," he gasped, letting his head fall down against the desk, and the world went white as Ichigo shifted. "More, faster…oh fuck right there yeah gonna come Ichigo—" The breathless litany broke off as his body spasmed, his release shooting hot and sticky over them both.
Ichigo let go with an explosive breath, following him into orgasm. Pleasure tore through them, weakening their control and disrupting their rhythm. Ichigo's arms nearly gave out, dropping him lower onto Renji, and Renji pulled him down even more as they rode it out together…
§
A pulse of lust-laden reiatsu washed over the two figures sitting watchfully outside the bedroom in the guest quarters. Rukia gasped aloud at the love and desire filling the room. The groan that rose from the sleeping man was only a pale echo of the heated energy, but the uninhibited sound brought the heat rushing into her face.
"He… he's dreaming," Rukia whispered. About Ichigo, she finished silently, unable to voice the rest of the thought to the person seated next to her. She'd never felt anything like that before, despite the amount of time she'd spent with them. The passion, the intensity… she knew they loved each other, but the difference between knowing it and feeling the depth of it was indescribable.
When there was no response, she risked a glance to the side. Byakuya sat next to her, back straight, hands folded in his lap. He hadn't moved, and didn't seem nearly as affected by the sudden burst of emotion filling the room.
"Most likely," he said calmly. Byakuya's gaze swept over her, and Rukia fought to compose herself. To her surprise, she felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she hastily wiped it away with a trembling finger.
"Sorry Nii-sama, it's just…" Just what? She couldn't explain it.
Byakuya shook his head, and gave her the smallest of smiles. "Apologies are unnecessary," he told her. "It's not something most people ever experience. It can be unsettling."
Rukia looked at him curiously. "You knew?"
Byakuya simply nodded. "I sensed it once before, inadvertently." She bowed her head, understanding his reluctance to elaborate.
They sat in silence for a few minutes as the impassioned energy in the room gradually faded. Just when Rukia thought she'd pulled herself together, another soft noise from her sleeping friend drew her eyes back into the other room.
Renji turned over in his sleep, mumbling something unintelligible. His arm stretched out to the other side of the bed, searching briefly before curling around the empty bedding and falling still.
The sight tore her heart; Rukia fisted her hands in her lap, and blinked furiously at the fresh tears that rose in her eyes. Then a smooth hand covered both of hers, warm and gentle, and she could only barely see through the tears that fell unchecked on the pale fingers.
§
Omake
-Chapter 29-
Rukia: -sniffles-
Byakuya: -gives handkerchief-
Music
♫ 'Desperation' – Steppenwolf
♫ 'Here Without You' – 3 Doors Down
(Two songs for this chapter, for obvious reasons.)
