Chapter 29: Circling

Cool morning light flowed through the window and into the fourth division healing room where Kuchiki Byakuya laid sleeping. And at his side, Abarai Renji dozed with watchful, half-closed eyes, his head resting on the pillow next to Byakuya's, his body wrapped in a generous supply of bandages, and the light sting of battle still on his skin. It felt good to know that this battle was over and won, and the aches and stings were an ironically pleasant reminder that he was still alive and kicking…as was the man lying in the bed.

It had been close…too damned close…

Because despite outward appearances, Byakuya had taken the greater damage…and true to form, most was carefully concealed and on the inside. In comparison to Renji, Byakuya's body wore fewer bandages. In fact, the only bandages on him were the ones wrapped carefully around his arms, from elbows to palms…a reminder to Renji of just how desperate he had been to escape his confinement in the first division…to break free and to go to the one he loved…the one he loved enough to die for.

It was another ironic fact that while all of Renji's wounds had been gotten in battle and were placed on his body by their enemy, Byakuya's wounds had all been self-inflicted. The wounds to hands and arms, a reminder of the desperation that led him to throw himself hysterically against the door, walls and seals that had enclosed him so he could free himself to see to Renji's protection. And from what Renji had seen when passing that place in the first division where Byakuya had been held, the room they had sealed him into had paid dearly for the privilege of confining him. That made him smile.

But the damage to both the room and Byakuya's arms paled in comparison to what he had done to himself on the inside. Under the careful supervision of Unohana taichou, Renji had been allowed to view what Byakuya had done to himself on the inside in his fight to escape the first division. The sight of the badly burned internal organs, flesh and bone…and worse, the sight of his nearly blackened spirit centers, through which he had channeled the incredible amounts of power Renji had witnessed, was a poignant testament to just how much this man loved him. Byakuya hadn't just been willing to die for him. He had been willing to release the full fury of his uncontrolled power, to nearly blow his own body to pieces, just to be able to reach Renji and to throw himself between his lover and the Sokyoku. Renji wasn't simply deeply flattered, nor even just amazed and gratified…Renji was left determined that as soon as the noble woke, they needed to have a serious talk about his reckless over-protectiveness. Byakuya, he decided, could do well enough sacrificing himself in an extreme situation, but he didn't have to feel the need to sacrifice himself at every opportunity. Renji chuckled inwardly, thinking about just how far he would get, trying to make that argument.

He studied Byakuya's quiet, peaceful expression and watched the slow, steady rise and fall of his breathing. The deep, tranquil, healer induced sleep would need to last through the day and one more night before he would see the dark, smoky eyes open and blink sleepily, before he would hear that calm, quiet voice again and before the two would be freed to walk back through the streets of the Seireitei to their home.

Kuchiki Manor…

It was a place that Renji had only even set foot in two or three times before. He remembered the warm, earthen colors, the feeling of comfort wherever a body made contact with the furniture…and the almost celestial, otherworldly gardens that made Renji feel as though just walking in them made him stand a bit taller and breathe more deeply, feel more alive. And he didn't have to have ever seen Byakuya's bedroom to know that the furniture was warm in color, that the doors into the garden were nearly always open, and that the bed he slept in was sinfully soft and comfortable.

That he would ever live in such a place…

But they were married now. Not that either had spent one damned minute thinking about the full implications of that. They had never gone through the simple, preparatory steps of pair bonding. But they had, it seemed, managed to build a firm foundation anyway. For years, they worked side-by-side, gaining a deep, thorough knowledge of each other. They had had their share of quarrels and Byakuya nearly always won…mostly because he was taichou, but also because he was usually (Damn it!) right. Even so, each had learned over time to listen to the other, to know what was needed and to resolve conflict as quickly and amicably as possible. They hadn't actually ever gone on a date, but what could be more beautiful, Renji thought, than the nights far from home on the battlefield, when instead of using tents, they had chosen to sleep under the stars…and how Renji would find Byakuya sleeping on his stomach and would loose his red hair and lie down with his head resting in the small of his taichou's back…looking up at the stars. And sometimes, when he was too worked up to sleep, Byakuya would tell him stories…myths and legends of the stars overhead…and he would sit and listen voraciously, hanging on every word. That, he decided, was better than dating.

There was no particular time that he could point out as 'when they fell in love.' Love, for them, was a long, slow fall…something deeply beautiful that had happened so naturally and gradually, that they didn't know that they didn't even know that what they had gotten themselves into was love.

But they were in it now…

They were in for all of it now…the sharing of space, the give and take, the raising of children, the easing of each other's hurts, the slow deepening of their love over time…all of it. And Abarai Renji couldn't wait for that. He planned to savor every minute. Because he couldn't have dreamed of a better future.

When, as a child, he ran up and down the dusty, poor streets of Inuzuri, he'd had no idea that the one he would love was somewhere not so far away, being captured and gentled, forced into a mold…that years later, they would meet, but that his first instinct would be to hate the powerful man who took his best friend away from him. He couldn't have anticipated that while he watched Byakuya so carefully, hoping to someday surpass him, that he instead would begin to open a deep connection with him…and that, inexplicably, Byakuya would let Renji approach more closely than others, let Renji see him more clearly, let him realize that Byakuya was nothing like the person seen at the surface. That fact, he realized, made it all of the more difficult when they came to the battlefield as enemies in the fight over Rukia's fate. Because at that point, they not only knew how to damage each other physically, they knew how to strike wounds on each others' hearts. And in the aftermath of that, Renji had realized that even though he had fought against the ones trying to save Rukia, Byakuya's heart had not been in winning. Torn between his late wife and dead parents, he had simply been caught in the crossfire of their desires, never once considering where his own heart would have led him…because by then, it was far too deeply submerged. And that awful realization was what brought Renji to the healing center after…to see that their wounds were mended…that the conflict was resolved…and that despite all that had happened, he was ready to forgive and forget and move forward. But that left the ball in Byakuya's court. Renji had been completely surprised when his beleaguered taichou had indicated a desire for the same.

It had been extremely difficult those first few weeks after…for him to see the regret in his taichou's eyes, to see the sadness that would appear at times and then be just as quickly hidden again. But slowly, things had resolved themselves and he and Byakuya had become comfortable with each other again. But this time, something was different. Their actions were the same, but they meant more. When Byakuya placed a corrective hand on his arm or leg during training, the touch was slightly more lingering, more warm. And when Renji brought him his tea, there was a moment of electricity between them when their hands touched in the exchange…and that had happened often. And often as they worked, one or the other would look up, their eyes would meet and there would be a moment of warm acknowledgment. So much happened in those small, simple moments that Renji had never noticed before.

And he had to laugh inwardly at how he had bemoaned the fact that Byakuya made it so difficult for him to see the closeness, to see the affection. Now that his eyes were fully opened to the beautiful, complex person he had married, the signs of Byakuya's affection were glaringly obvious to him. And as they moved forward, he intended to appreciate everything. Something in Byakuya's more recent demeanor suggested to Renji that he would not be alone in that endeavor.

The door opened behind Renji, making him raise his head and turn. He smiled as a much bandaged and pale-looking Tetsuya settled into the chair beside his. The blue-eyed elder looked exceptional for one who had taken so much damage, but then again, that did seem to be a Kuchiki family trait.

"How is my cousin faring today?" he asked quietly.

"He's getting a lot of rest. They really did a good job of putting him out. I think Unohana taichou was determined that he would rest and not be dragging himself back to Kuchiki Manor, blustering about how he was 'fine.' This way, there's no argument. In fact, I think this was the only way they were going to win the argument."

"Smart healers," commented Tetsuya, still smiling.

Renji found himself really beginning to like the youthful elder. He knew that, in general, the council was not pleased that their leader had bonded with a peasant…and a male peasant at that. But they had had to admit that first, they had already once agreed to accept a peasant as his wife…and then there was the fact that Renji had not only assisted them in getting Byakuya to produce an heir, but the heir they had produced had all of the markers of one who would become a very powerful shinigami one day. Some of the council members, he was sure, would continue to look down on him. But not Tetsuya. Their cooperation in the battle against Soutaichou had caused them to connect. In actuality, all of the elders respected what they had seen Renji do…but this one, this noble whose connection with Byakuya needed to remain strong, had realized right away that there was much to like about Abarai Renji. And within the confines of his position, he was finding many ways to express it.

"How are the rest of the council members doing?" Renji asked, studying Tetsuya's bandages.

The noble chuckled softly.

"Everyone will be fine…a bit banged up perhaps, but it is good to get out of the council chambers and take sword in hand to defend the important things. We have agreed that meetings will be suspended for the rest of the week."

"Ah," grinned Renji, "probably a good idea."

"We do need to meet in the near future to plan a proper wedding reception…now that it is clear you will not be executed. Certainly, our leader's wedding is an important occasion and although the council was privy to the actual ceremony, the larger portion of the Kuchiki family was not able to take part."

"And you think they'll want to?" Renji asked, tilting his head quizzically.

"Oh," said Tetsuya with a knowing expression, "They are going to be very interested in you, Abarai-san."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps you and I should meet before that lovely occasion so I might give you some advanced knowledge of the family members you will meet and what nuances you might employ to best address their unique personal eccentricities."

Renji grinned good-naturedly.

"Are you offering to give me inside information? That's a little bit scandalous, isn't it?" he asked, chuckling.

"Hmm, perhaps. And most likely, my cousin will offer you the same before the fact, so it's probably unnecessary. But, I must confess that I find that your company is rather enjoyable…especially when you are armed," Tetsuya answered, smirking.

"Why? Because I damage myself almost as much as I damage my enemies?" Renji laughed.

"Actually, I very much enjoyed seeing your ban kai release. Quite a powerful creature, your skeletal snake. I worried you might actually cook Soutaichou, rather than cleanse him!"

"Do the two of you mind," Byakuya said softly, opening one gray eye to observe them, "I am attempting to allow healing to take place."

"Hey," Renji said sharply, "Who said you could wake up? You're supposed to be out until something more like tomorrow morning!"

"Abarai, I am…"

"Don't even start, Byakuya. Unohana taichou gave me a first-hand look at just how bad you tore yourself up inside this time. Get some sleep, or I swear, I'll get those healers back in here and have them use enough kido to leave you sleeping for a week!"

"How quickly marriage changes the dynamic, ne Cousin?" Tetsuya said pleasantly.

He stood and started for the door.

"Well, I imagine that the two of you have much to talk about, what with your wedding reception to plan…Abarai-san's clan acceptance ritual, Beniko's family introduction. With all of the celebrating, it may be necessary to combine some occasions, ne?"

"Wait," said Renji, furrowing his brow, "What's all this about a ritual introduction? I already did blood rites and a handfasting…there's more?"

"Oh yes, much more, Abarai-san. But I'm sure that my cousin will advise you. Or if not, I would be willing to assist."

"Great…thanks…" Renji muttered as the chuckling noble disappeared out the door, "Byakuya…"

He turned back and realized that his life partner's eyes were closed again and he appeared to have gone back to sleep.

"Oh yeah, now he wants to sleep," Renji said affectionately.

He gazed at the noble for a moment.

"I am going to make you explain that acceptance ritual…" he muttered, sighing, "They'll probably have me do something really bizarre, like…like…dress me in my underwear and have each one eat an olive from my navel…or some weird shit like that!"

He glanced out the window and missed the fleeting smirk that graced Byakuya's sleeping face.

"But I guess whatever it is…I'll just have to bite the bullet and swallow."

He shrugged dismissively.

"I guess you're worth it."

He closed the distance between them and started to sit down again, but noticed that it actually looked like Byakuya had moved over enough so that there was now room for two in the bed. He turned back to the door and locked it, then crossed the room slowly, resting his eyes on the peacefully sleeping noble. He slipped beneath the covers and pulled Byakuya close.

The noble shifted slightly to settle into his embrace. The dark gray eyes opened and regarded him sleepily for a moment.

"I guess you're worth it, too…" he whispered.