Chapter 17: Fight Fire with Fire

Ichigo felt a little blush on his cheeks as the door to his room opened, and he felt Byakuya's presence and heard his light step as the Kuchiki leader crossed the room.

"I'm glad you're back safely," he said warmly, sliding a hand down to loosen his yukata for their bonding, "I hope those old farts didn't give you too much trouble."

Byakuya sighed wearily as he sat down on the bed beside his common law spouse.

"They gave me no more trouble than usual, although normal for one of our family meetings…"

Ichigo smiled.

"I get it."

Byakuya blinked in surprise as Ichigo's hand slipped into his and an almost forgotten feeling of connection stirred deep in his chest.

What is this? He is only making the best of things, isn't he? He is only letting go of the things that separate us for the sake of our child, right?

But the emotion beneath his touch…Ichigo?

"You seem tense," Ichigo noticed.

"Do I?"

"Yeah, so if you wanna talk to me about it, you know, I'll listen."

The stirring in Byakuya's chest pushed into his heart, which quickened as he laid his hands on his spouse's bared belly.

"Th-thank you," the noble said softly, "I am not sure if me talking about it would make any real difference. We are here, and you can't cross into Soul Society right now to beat the Kuchiki elders into submission."

"Nope," Ichigo agreed, shaking his head, "I can't do anything at all to solve your problems, but a wife is supposed to try to at least comfort and support her husband, right?"

"You are not a woman," Byakuya said sternly, "The archaic wording of our contract does not change that fact. You are a man, and I desire you the way you are."

The noble's breath caught as Ichigo's warm hand rose to curve around his face.

"You desire me? Really?" he asked.

Byakuya lowered his eyes, a conflicted look on his face as he struggled for the right words to say.

"Ichigo…"

"Stop," the shinigami substitute said calmly, keeping his hand on Byakuya's flaming cheek, "You're about to say something to push me away, but I'm not gonna hear it. I asked you if you desire me, and the way you're leaning your face into my hand answers me better than your lying lips ever will."

Byakuya started to pull away, only to be yanked down onto the bed and swiftly trapped beneath the younger man's body. As he stared up into Ichigo's angry, unseeing eyes, his mind screamed that he should disentangle himself, but before he could move, Ichigo dropped onto his chest.

"The thing is, your lips can't tell any lies if they're covered with mine!"

He closed the distance, crashing his hot, frowning lips into the reeling noble's forcefully.

This bold collision of our energies, this growing flame between us…even not fully understanding the bond we made, Ichigo is reaching through it and feeling the contents of my heart. Baka, don't you understand? Lies are useless to me now when I am with you. You feel the truth in me and there is no lying to you.

I am falling in love with you…or maybe I was always in love with you, since your sword cut through the heavy bonds that held me back from protecting my sister. I tried to tell you what that meant, but I didn't know how. Still, I think you've come to understand…and I cannot resist you at all anymore!

Ichigo broke their kiss for a moment, his chest heaving and his blind eyes sparking.

"Byakuya," he said in a lower, almost growling voice that seemed to travel like electricity through the Kuchiki leader's trapped body, "I wanna…"

He paused, biting at his lips and flushing.

"It is more than clear what you want," the noble said, guiding Ichigo's hand to the tie at his waist, "As your husband, I am willing."

"Heh," Ichigo laughed, "I was right. You do desire me."

"Of course I do," Byakuya chided him, "Do you really think our resonance would have been strong enough to create a child if that was not true? I am drawn to you. I have been for a long time, although I was convinced before that I had to resist those urges."

"You don't need to resist them anymore," Ichigo assured him, "but ah…I haven't ever had sex. I mean, I know how it works, but I've never done it."

He didn't have to see to feel Byakuya's rare, fleeting smile.

"I am sure that the man who mastered bankai in three days can certainly find his way through something as primal as sexual intercourse," the noble chuckled, "Do as you will with me."

"Did you just make a joke? Byakuya…!"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Byakuya hissed, covering the substitute's mouth with his fingertips, "Make love to me, if that is what you want, Ichigo."

"You want it too?" Ichigo managed around his husband's fingers, "Are you saying I can…fuck! I think I'm dizzy."

"Shut up and make love to me, before I change my mind!" Byakuya snapped.

"S-sure," Ichigo stammered, a jolt going through his awakened loins as Byakuya hand found his and brought his fingers to the noble's lips, which kissed them with a tenderness that he wouldn't have expected. Then, Byakuya's mouth opened and sucked the rougher digits inside that hot, wet orifice, where they were bathed generously in his saliva. Ichigo slipped his fingers out of his husband's mouth and traced his way down over the noble's bared chest and soft belly. He followed their trail with small, biting kisses on that sweet, perfect flesh, breathing in his gentle, sweet scent. He grinned as he felt Byakuya's fingers sink into his hair and felt the pounding of the noble's racing heart beneath his flesh.

I'm not the only one. Byakuya feels it too. I don't know how or why this happened, but there's no denying I do feel the connection between us, and given a choice, I choose to be with him now!

Byakuya felt the questing touch of Ichigo's fingers and he opened his clothing fully and spread his thighs. He felt Ichigo's hand pause and tremble slightly.

"Ichigo?"

"Are you sure this is okay with you?" he asked, "Have you ever had a male lover?"

"No."

"Heh, so it's kind of like the blind leading the blind," Ichigo joked.

"That is a terrible thing to say," the elder man chided him.

"Well, it's true," Ichigo laughed.

"Ichigo," Byakuya said, his deep voice almost purring, "please try to focus. You have to prepare my body to receive your…"

"I know!" the younger man snapped, cutting him off abruptly, "Sorry, I was just…I mean, I know because they talked about gay relationships in sex education at the college."

"I was referring to your size, not your lack of experience," Byakuya replied calmly.

"Hey!" Ichigo complained, his face flushing a darker pink, "Can you stop saying things like that? I can't concentrate when you do that."

"My apologies," Byakuya answered, "I did not mean to fluster you. Please continue."

"First, I want you to tell me something," Ichigo countered, bringing his lips close to Byakuya's again, "Tell me what you desire about me."

He smiled at the hissing breath the noble drew in at the question and the small but pronounced shiver in the slender, vibrant body that laid beneath his. Byakuya's hands reached up to cup his face gently.

"I desire that which also infuriates me," he whispered, brushing his lips against Ichigo's, "That stubbornness that will not accept no for an answer and that strong will that defies everything, even, at times, death. All of this in a body so striking that I cannot look upon you without feeling riled."

"You make me furious sometimes too," the younger man admitted, lifting his hips to position himself between his husband's creamy thighs, "You say shit I know you don't mean and you do things that you don't wanna do. You try to act cold, but I know before entering you right now, that you're not cold on the inside, Byakuya."

"Do you?"

"You can be," Ichigo managed, his heart skipping at the feeling of his hardness pushing slowly into Byakuya's dampened entrance.

He's so hot inside! I feel like I'm gonna melt.

He groaned delightedly as he felt the noble's smooth hands wrap around his bare bottom, encouraging his slow, short thrusts as he joined their bodies. He paused, buried in Byakuya's body and reeling at the seething heat, only regretting that he couldn't see the beautiful Kuchiki leader's face reacting as his husband's ministrations began to undo him.

"Your body feels more relaxed now," Ichigo noticed, "Are you okay? Can I move?"

He barely held onto his composure as Byakuya gave in with a shuddering sigh and began to move his hips, grinding hard into each of Ichigo's hard, powerful thrusts. And even more erotic was the mingled effect of burying his face in the soft, sweet smelling flesh of his husband's throat and shoulder, and listening to the sexy moans that escaped the usually stoic and quiet Kuchiki leader.

I wanna see him.

I want so bad to see his face!

Even without his sight, the wonderful feel of that other raging body writhing against his, the slight pain of their hard, biting kisses and the warm, masculine scent that their lovemaking loosed, had him panting hard and nearing climax. He felt Byakuya's body quiver and heard the noble give a shuddering sigh of surrender. His name tumbled from Byakuya's lips, and a feeling like freefalling carried him over into hard, gripping throbs of release. He sank down on top of Byakuya, breathing hard and fast, his head spinning and his ears ringing loudly.

"God, you're amazing," he managed softly.

His heart fluttered in his chest as he felt the little rumble of Byakuya's soft laughter and he felt the light pressure of the noble's warm hand squeezing his.

"And you are even more so, Kurosaki Ichigo."

XXXXXXXXXX

Uryuu groaned softly as he emerged from a deep haze of sleep to find himself naked and still entangled with Abarai Renji.

Ugh, what was I thinking?

We just started making out on the sofa, then one thing led to another and we were having sex. We did it there a couple of times, then we fell off, onto the floor and crawled to the bed like a couple of animals. What happened in the bed was no less beastly. I lost count of how many times we did it. Sometimes I started it, sometimes he did, and he didn't mind switching roles either. I think we might have even had sex while half asleep.

He barely held back a little sound of amusement as he recalled.

Renji complained we'd done it so many times that his last orgasm was a dry one. I think mine was also. I guess once we gave in, there was no holding back for either of us. Renji didn't look like he had any regrets.

Uryuu's slim fingers dug into the bedding.

Neither do I.

I don't care that Renji is a shinigami anymore. He is a good and loyal friend and I would give my life to protect his. I know Renji would die to protect me too. The feelings in us are mutual. I know my father is going to be furious. I just hope that he doesn't decide to take that out on Renji. Maybe…I should go and talk to him.

He started to wriggle, trying to escape the lanky redhead's tight embrace, but only succeeded in causing one cinnamon eye to open and fix on him.

"Where d'ya think you're going?" Renji grunted, "I don't think I'm done with you yet."

Uryuu scowled.

"Don't you think you need to ask me if we are done? As I recall, this was a two-sided…affair."

"Hmm," Renji huffed through his nose, releasing the slighter man and sitting up, "Are you having some regrets now?"

Uryuu drew and released a long, slow breath.

"No, I don't have any regrets. You?"

"Hell no. We made a choice and did what we wanted. We're both adults. It's fine, right?"

Uryuu winced inwardly at the image of Ryuuken's disapproving face that popped into his head.

"Yeah, it's fine," he agreed.

"Good," Renji chuckled, giving him a lopsided grin, "cause if you liked that, I've got more where that came from."

Hot, rough lips found the frowning quincy's and Renji dragged him back down, sliding a hand down to capture their morning erections.

"Mmph, do you ever stop?" Uryuu complained, trying to push away, "If you'll recall, there's a lot going on here. Ichigo is still in trouble, and…"

"And he's probably still sleeping if your loud voice didn't wake him up yet," the redhead teased.

"Get off me! I need a shower. Ugh, you do too. Now, stop it!" Uryuu snapped, shoving him away.

He climbed out of the bed and crashed unceremoniously to the floor, his head spinning wickedly as he looked up at the ceiling and Renji's concerned face peeked over the edge of the bed at him.

"Are you all right, there?" he asked.

"Oh, fine," Uryuu answered sarcastically, "I was just admiring the ceiling. You're in my way."

"Man, you wake up grumpy, don't you?" the redhead snickered, climbing off the bed and tugging the groaning quincy to his feet, "C'mon, let's go take that shower."

"I can take a shower by myself," the quincy argued stubbornly.

"Aw c'mon, you're barely on your feet. Since it's mostly my fault, the least I can do is be a gentleman and scrub your backside for you."

"Oh, now you say you want to be a gentleman, huh?"

"Okay, maybe I just wanna see you naked s'more. Can you really blame me? You're fucking beautiful!"

Uryuu's face melted instantly into a look so surprised and unexpectedly vulnerable that all levity left the redhead and Renji stared wordlessly as the quincy struggled for something to say.

"Y-you think that I'm…?" he managed finally.

"You're beautiful," Renji repeated with a perfectly serious tone as he slid his arms around Uryuu and planted a long, tender kiss on his mouth, "Now, whaddya say? Can I take a shower with you?"

"Yeah, okay," the quincy answered dazedly, "It's fine."

My father is definitely, absolutely going to kill me for this, and I can't have a single regret, Uryuu mused as he let himself be backed towards the bathroom with Renji's hot, red mouth attacking his all of the way, Yes, Renji is a shinigami, but not all shinigamis are like the ones who hurt our family and killed Souken.

Uryuu waited silently, watching as Renji turned on the shower, then stepped in, the dark markings on his back moving hypnotically. The redhead turned back and extended a hand and Uryuu didn't hesitate this time. He stepped in under the hot spray and curled into Renji's arms, meeting his flushed lips again, then he sank into that blazing mouth for a longer exploration.

He called me beautiful, and maybe in a way, I am. I'm pale and more fragile looking, as the quincies tend to be. Renji is beautiful in a more feral way…tall and sturdy with striking red and black over golden tanned skin. Everything about him exudes strength, which makes sense when you consider where he came from.

We're about as different as two souls could be, and yet, who we love and what we protect are the same. And that's why this is…

His thoughts were swept away suddenly and the red-headed warrior moved forward, pushing him back against the water slicked wall of the shower and lifting him. Uryuu's slim legs wrapped around Renji's waist tightly while the redhead lowered him slowly onto his thick erection. The quincy's fingers curled into the long, wild strands of autumn colored hair and pulled, eliciting a deep, rumbling growl in the shinigami's proud chest. And for the next several, breathtaking minutes, all thoughts of their troubles, their worries about Ichigo, their many differences and who would approve or disapprove, all disappeared amongst the storm of their unleashed passions.

I love that Renji is so many things that I'm not. I love that we're different in most ways, but the same in all of the ways that mattered. I don't know why it took so long for me to see all of this. Renji and I have trained alongside each other for awhile now. I should have become aware sooner, but however long it took, I'm glad we're here now.

No matter what Ryuuken thinks of this, I know that it's right.

Uryuu felt himself reaching the ends of his endurance and he gave in with a quaking sigh as Renji growled and began his own release.

"I love you."

Damn it!

I said it out loud! Uryuu scolded himself, There's no way we're ready for…

"Love you too," Renji grunted, holding the slighter man's bottom firmly as the two gave in to a barrage of finishing kisses.

Maybe it's okay to just say it. It's the truth, after all. My father would complain that giving myself to a shinigami was a weakness, but I don't feel weak in Renji's arms. Right now? I feel like nothing in the three worlds can stand against us. Whatever rises up against us…is going to go crashing down again!