A/N: This chapter takes place during their first mission together. I will be taking a small break from this story so that I can write one for a friend (some more Ulquihime smut for her b-day ^_^). But don't worry, I'll be back with more of these two before you know it! Please let me know what you think guys, your reviews and messages help keep me motivated to write more!
It was just for one night, that's what he kept telling himself as she dragged him along through the crowd around them. They had come to an understanding with one another and he had agreed to let her take him out dancing, but now he was wondering just what he had gotten himself into. Looking around the dark, crowded nightclub, he could see people everywhere, bodies writhing and grinding against one another to the beat in a fashion that was bordering on obscene. Distracted as he was, she lead him without resistance, straight to the bar, holding up two fingers at the bartender. The man wasted no time in pouring two shots, grabbing two beers and bringing them over to her, not even trying to hide the fact that he was outright ogling her. Before she could reach into her pocket, he had produced his own money, leaning forward over her shoulder and paying for the drinks.
The look on the other mans face changed to a look of disappointment when he realized they were there together, but she seemed oblivious, handing him a shot and raising her own in a toast. "To your first time in a nightclub." She chimed, clinking her glass against his before tilting her head back and downing the liquid. He followed her example, but was caught off-guard by the strength of the alcohol, his throat burning unmercifully as it made its way to his stomach, and he could feel his face screw up in response. "That my friend, is what they call whiskey. It's much stronger than what you're used to I'm sure." She said with a giggle."Indeed." His voice rough for a moment. The golden liquid must have been very strong, he could already feel his cheeks heating up from just that one small shot, and he hoped that she didn't plan to make him drink many more. Of course, that was wishful thinking, and he knew it.
They came to a small table for two and she motioned for him to join her. "I want to give you a chance to get used to the people and the noise before I get you out on the dance floor." She said over the thumping music, leaning towards him to help her voice carry. He nodded in response as his eyes drifted around the place, taking in the sights and sounds, that ever stoic look on his face, but those gray hues showing curiosity. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she'd be in a place like this with Byakuya Kuchiki, Hell must have frozen over as soon as he'd crossed the threshold. Ever since she'd yelled at him, he'd become much more willing to go along with her suggestions, finally understanding that she was heading up their mission for a reason, but getting him to agree to go dancing? She couldn't believe that he had said yes, let alone that she hadn't had to beg him either.
Now she was ready to get out on the floor, after grabbing another drink of course, and dance her ass off. Teaching him to dance was going to either be really easy, or the hardest thing she'd ever done, she was going to have to keep an eye on her alcohol intake until she figured out which one. Finishing her beer, she flagged down a waitress and ordered another round, shots included. "This time it's Tequila. Here, lick your hand like so." She said, licking her own and pouring salt on it. He looked a bit confused but did what she said, taking the shot just as he was instructed. His face didn't pucker up as bad as it had with the whiskey, but it was still entertaining to her to see his face change at all. "So do yo know how to dance at all?" She questioned, he was watching a couple close to them and he seemed like he wasn't sure what to think.
"I am trained in traditional dances, but I do not know anything about dancing in this world at all." He replied, his voice having to be a little louder than normal so that she could hear him. This was fun? Shouting over loud music and people? Oh well, he might as well get this evening over with, standing and holding a hand out to her. "It does not seem like it will be too hard to pick up. Shall we?" Helping her to her feet. "Of course! This is the best part of the night!" She shouted, with a bright smile. Her hand still in his, she lead them out into the mass of people on the dance floor, moving to the rhythm and turning to face him. Immediately, she began to sway and swing to the beat, her hips moving in ways he did not know a body was capable of. He was caught off guard for a moment, and simply stood there staring at her, until she grabbed him and placed his hands on her waist, effectively pulling him close to her in the process.
It had been decades since he had been so close to a woman and with the alcohol beginning to flow in his system he didn't try to fight it or complain, choosing to enjoy the moment. She was right, they were in another world and he could be who he wanted to be here, he didn't need to worry about his reputation preceding him, so tonight he would go with the flow and see where she would lead him. Being lead was not something he normally allowed, but for some reason, he trusted her no matter how ill-advised that might seem. "Just follow my hips, try to move yours in time with me, we'll start slow." She said, arms coming up around his neck, causing her breasts to press into his chest. This close to her, he could smell her perfume and the shampoo she used, and she smelled wonderful, like red currant and vanilla, not too sweet but also not flowery. Her eyes were glowing in the black lights along with her blonde hair and she looked otherworldly, he could admit that she was a very beautiful woman, and with her curves against him like this, he could understand why most of the male population back home fawned over her.
He was a fast learner, but she was amazed at just how quickly he picked up the movements. Before she knew it he was keeping pace with her, and just when she was about to get lost in the moment, he asked her if she needed another drink. She chose to stay out on the floor while he went to the bar and used the time to sort herself out. There was no doubt that Byakuya was attractive, down right gorgeous even, one didn't become the most sought after man in Soul Society on wealth alone, but there was no way that the two of them could ever be anything but friends. For starters, their personalities were too different. Then there was the little matter of her being from the Rukongai, while he was a noble. She was surprised that he hadn't made a fuss about their proximity when they'd first started dancing.
Why was she even thinking about all of this? She was letting herself get caught up in his looks and the feel of his body grinding with hers and that was something she was going to have to keep in check. It wouldn't do to end up one of those girls with a crush, ready to throw herself at him if he seemed even slightly interested. No, Rangiku Matsumoto was not that kind of girl, she had her choice of the men back home, and even here in the world of the living, but she already had a man. Sure, things with Gin had been strained and difficult lately, but she was sure they would get through it somehow. Deciding not to kill her own buzz, she shook those thoughts away and closed her eyes, letting her body move to the beat on its own as she got lost in the sound. A few minutes later she felt an arm snake its way around her waist, assuming it was Byakuya she continued to dance with her eyes closed, until the arm pulled her close with a little more force than she was expecting. She didn't recognize the face in front of her, and tried to gently push the man away from her.
Making his way back through the throngs of people, drinks in hand, he realized that he was actually having a good time, no matter how unbelievable it might seem. He was ready to learn more and let the beat take him away. He had not believed her when she said that the music could make one forget their troubles and carry you away to another place, of course he was sure the liquor was helping with that too, but he'd never felt more relaxed and carefree in his life. Rangiku was definitely an interesting woman, and he was curious to see what else she would teach him about this world, and about himself as she had stated she wished to be his friend and help him discover himself. Spotting that long mane of blonde, he was about to call out to her when he noticed there was another man all over her. For a moment he thought that she was dancing with the man of her own choice, but her body language quickly alerted him that it was not the case.
"I'm sorry, but I'm here with someone. You need to let me go." He heard her say as she pushed on the mans chest. "I don't see no one...come on little lady, I promise I'll show you a good time." His hand sliding down from her lower back to her backside, where he proceeded to give it a firm squeeze. At this point he had seen enough and stepped up to them. "Excuse me, just what exactly do you think you are doing with my date?" He asked calmly, waiting for the man to turn his attention away from her. "She ain't yer date 'nymore...get lost." A wave of his free hand as if to dismiss him. Grabbing it out of mid-air, he started to bend the mans fingers backwards. " I believe the lady informed you that she was here with someone, you have no right to be touching her without her permission, so I suggest you let her go and move on, before I start breaking these." Twisting the digits back a bit farther.
She couldn't lie, this situation was not unusual for her when the hour grew late and people were drunk, and she was perfectly prepared to handle it on her own. But before she could do anything further, Byakuya was there, looking like he was really going to break the mans fingers. The hand on her ass let go as the arm around her waist released her. "Fine, alright, alright." The man said in pain. Byakuya let him go and watched him slink back off to the bar. "Are you alright?" He asked, turning to her with a strange look in his eyes. "Yeah, thanks. I could have handled it though." She replied. " I know. But I could not just stand by, and I thought it would be better if I proved to him that you are in fact here with someone." Handing her a fresh drink and placing his hand on her waist. "Now, where were we?" Gently pulling her close again. Unable to argue with that, she shook it off and went back to dancing with her "date". She shouldn't have been so surprised at how good of a dancer he turned out to be, a man like him was good at everything after all, there was no room for failure for a nobleman.
Once he had the hang of it, she let herself get lost in the atmosphere around them, the lights, the music, the alcohol, and the feel of a tall, hard body against her own. He lost himself in it all as well, and he ended up dancing behind her, his hands on her waist and her ass grinding into him to the beat. Singing along to the songs she knew, she put one arm up and tangled her fingers into his hair, she'd always been curious to know if it was as soft as it looked, and she was not disappointed. He lowered his face to speak in her ear, his breath tickling her neck. " I hope this is not too forward...but you smell lovely this evening." He whispered, and she could tell he inhaled against her hair lightly. She felt herself flush before leaning her head back against his shoulder and whispering back. "Thank you for the compliment." His head turned to look at her, and she got lost in his gaze. Both of them continuing to move, but neither looking away, she felt like there was a haze in the air and couldn't force herself to break away from him, this was getting dangerous. She could see his eyes on her lips and he seemed to be unconsciously leaning towards her. No! This couldn't happen, she had Gin, and besides, he was drunk. She couldn't let him do something he would regret, whether he remembered it or not.
When their eyes met, he found that his thoughts became muddled, his instincts and hormones fighting for dominance over his logical thought. Her lips looked so inviting, parted slightly and a delicate pink in color, and he imagined that they would taste sweet. He hadn't even realized that he was leaning in, with every intent to claim those lips, until she suddenly pulled away, turning her body so that she was facing him again. Giggling nervously, the look in her eyes was one of shyness and embarrassment and he felt bad for what he was about to do. What had come over him? He hadn't felt the urge to kiss someone for a very long time, it had to be the liquor making him act without thought. She had Ichimaru, he could not interfere with that, in fact, it would be catastrophic if he were to bring home a woman like her anyway.
"Should we grab a final drink before the night is over?" He asked, changing the subject. She seemed relived at that, and they made their way back to the bar. Despite having attempted to kiss her without realizing it, he was feeling amazing and now understood why this was something she liked to do often, it was a great stress reliever. Pulling up a stool at the bar, he had decided he was done with the dancing, his legs would be sore at this rate as it was. Instead of going back to the dance floor alone, she began to dance next to him, and when he turned his body, leaning his elbows back on the bar, she pushed his knees apart and danced between his legs. Watching her move, he could tell that she was handling her liquor better than most people there, including himself, but she was still pretty drunk, evidence in the form of her grinding herself against his lap and leaning back to press her whole body against his, twisting and undulating in ways that had his own body reacting. Oh no, no this could not be happening. He refused to let the sexual tension get the best of him, and began to think of ways to calm his now awakening member, before it was standing at full attention. "Think, think, think. something that is not attractive...Aunt Jin naked...ugh, eww." He thought to himself, that image making him feel like he wanted to vomit now, perhaps it had worked to well.
She was getting a bit carried away, but it had been too long since she had someone to dance with her, or let her dance on them as it were. For a moment she could have sworn she felt him getting hard from her ass in his lap, but nothing ended up happening, so he was either not attracted to her or he still had control of himself. She assumed it was that latter, of course he was attracted to her, who wasn't? So it had to be that even drunk he was able to hold himself back. Last call was announced and she turned to him, placing her empty bottle on the bar behind him. "Let's get going. Things are pretty much done for the night. We can go get some food to soak up some of the alcohol." She suggested. "That sounds like a good idea. Lead the way." He replied, his deep voice in her ear as he stood to follow her. "I hope you had some fun tonight. I think a chance to relax was good for you." She said as they left the club. The fresh air felt good as the temperature outside had cooled, a light breeze blowing her hair around. "I did. Thank you for bringing me along." He replied. "Anytime. Thanks again for helping me with the jerk, the look on his face was priceless when you yoked him up like that." Laughing at the memory. "Anytime." A small laugh escaping him as well.
Wow, that was something she never though she would hear, let alone see the way his mouth turned up into a smile, and now she was determined to make him do that more often. They stopped to eat some food at a small 24hr joint before making their way back to their room, and she hoped that he would want to continue their friendship once the mission was over, because he was actually a lot of fun once he loosened up. "I believe that when in this world, I would like to always be like this. As if I am just a normal person, with no worries or cares, simply enjoying my life." He spoke as they entered the lobby of the building they were staying at. "I think that's a great idea. Why don't we make a deal, anytime we are here, that's what we'll be...normal." She replied. "Deal." His response. She was seeing another side of Byakuya Kuchiki, and she liked it a lot. Who knew, maybe their new friendship would last longer than she originally thought. There was no way for her to know at that time, that they would become much closer than friends in the coming years, and that her life was going to be changed forever by the man at her side.
