Chapter 2: Morning After

Hey there…King, a low hissing voice called in Ichigo's still drifting mind.

He felt cool metal and stone under his resting body and opened his eyes to find himself curled up on one of the sideways buildings of his inner world. But while he was accustomed now to the odd tilting feeling and the strange echoes of his zanpakuto's voice, it was unusual to find his inner world so warm and cozy.

He caught the faint scent of cherry blossoms in the air.

Ichigo sat up, rubbing his eyes, then he blinked several times and looked around.

"Byakuya?" he breathed softly.

He scowled as he heard Shirosaki's harsh laugh and he turned his glare on the white hollow spirit.

"What the hell do you want?" he snapped at the pale spirit.

"Heh, I just felt like congratulating you," Shirosaki taunted him, smirking devilishly, "That was quite a conquest last night. Who would've thought that prissy little flower prince would be such a feisty little demon between the sheets, although…there were really no sheets, just lots and lots of pillows."

"Ugh! Shut up, and don't you dare insult Byakuya like that."

"Who's insulting him?" the hollow objected, still smirking, "He's as good in bed as he is with that pretty sword of his, and I never felt such a perfect, tight little man pussy…"

"I said, shut up!" Ichigo yelled.

"I thought he might faint when he saw your eyes change and he knew I was there too…"

"I SAID, SHUT THE HELL UP AND DON'T DISRESPECT BYAKUYA!"

"Take it easy, King, you're gonna bust a vein. There's nothing to get up in arms about. Say what you want, but the flower prince lost to us. And you know what they say. To the victor goes the spoils. Though, I didn't mind sharing him with that red-haired monster. He's gotten stronger since we broke him."

"Do you ever shut up?" Ichigo sighed, wrapping his arms around his bent knees and resting his head on them, "I don't think of either one of them that way, and you know it."

"Yeah," Shirosaki said, shaking his head and letting out a frustrated breath, "It's a damned pity too, but if you wanna sit around here moping instead of enjoying all o'that sweet, tasty ass…"

"Ugh! You're disgusting," Ichigo huffed, closing his eyes and running his fingers through the riled ends of his ginger-colored hair.

His mind wandered through the events of the night before as the pale hollow spirit continued to snicker and smirk at him teasingly.

I think after fighting Aizen, all of us are still trying to get back onto firm ground. We all know the facts. Aizen was a bastard and he did a lot of damage, but now he's in Muken. Everyone's safe. I am going to eventually lose my powers, but that sacrifice is buying peace and safety for everyone.

I can live with that.

His mind was invaded again with the memories of Byakuya's soft hair and skin, his wider and gentler eyes during their lovemaking and the way the usually stoic and distant noble had touched him.

Byakuya doesn't come right out and say it, but I could feel how much he respects me, how grateful he is for what I did to protect everyone. I know there's no future for us, but it was amazing to share that time with him. I'll remember it forever.

And Renji…

A little chuckle escaped him as he recalled the spirited battle to please Byakuya.

We argue a lot, but he's really sexy. I've always wanted to touch his tattoos, but we're always arguing, so even though there's some good sexual tension, we haven't done anything about it before. It took Byakuya to ignite what was there…kinda like the three of us were pieces of a puzzle that all needed to be together.

"Byakuya," he whispered, visualizing the beautiful noble again.

I hope he doesn't regret what we did.

"If you want him, why don't you just go to his bedroom and tell him?" Shirosaki teased him, "One night is great, but another would be…"

"Shut up!"

The hollow crossed his arms and his glowing eyes narrowed.

"What'sa matter? You afraid he won't wanna let ya between those soft, creamy thighs again?"

"I already told you, stop talking that way about Byakuya! Look, I know it was a one time thing and I'm losing my powers anyway, so nothing more is happening."

"You're overthinking this, as usual," the hollow sighed.

"No," Ichigo said, his mind calming, "I don't have to think and I don't need you to remind me of what I already know. Byakuya's a shinigami and I'm a human. He's noble and I'm not. The day is coming when we won't be able to see each other anymore, so there's not point in worrying about it anyway. I'm okay with it…all of it, and I'm grateful for the time we had last night. I really am."

Shirosaki scowled.

"What the hell'd you say?"

"I said I'm okay with whatever Byakuya decides to do about what happened. If he thinks it was a mistake, we'll let it go. If he feels confused about it, we'll figure it out, and if he finds it in his heart to love me…then for the time we have left and even after, when we can't see each other, I'll love him back."

Ichigo's eyes slid closed and he sighed softly, missing entirely the sad look that had come over Shirosaki's face.

Y'know, I'm really going to miss you when the time comes that you can't hear me anymore, King.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji groaned and stirred in half-sleep as he began to come awake again. He suffered a moment of complete confusion as he felt the soft lumpiness of pillows under his flopped body.

"Wha'th'fuck?"

His eyes slid halfway open and he found his face buried in a patch of ginger hair that smelled enticingly earthy and a little sweet. Shifting slightly, he realized his naked body was still trapped in a tangle with Ichigo's.

Oh kami…he thought, remembering, last night was insane.

He froze for a moment as Ichigo shifted, mumbling in his sleep.

"Mmmmmm, Byakuya…"

The redhead's eyes widened as more of the previous night's events came back to him. He grabbed Ichigo's shoulder, shaking him urgently.

"Wake th'fuck up!" he snarled, flinching at the pounding in his head that he was only now noticing. Ichigo groaned, wincing at the light in the room.

"Wha'?"

Renji wasn't sure if he wanted to puke, cry, or scream.

"Ichigo! C'mon, wake up! Do you realize what the hell we did last night?!"

Amber eyes blinked at him slowly, then the idiot smiled like it was a holiday.

"Yeah, it was great!"

Renji scrubbed both hands over his face in frustrated disbelief.

"Are you shitting me?" he mused incredulously, "Damn it, Ichigo!"

"What?" the substitute asked, shrugging, "Didn't you have a good time, Renji?"

"A good time?" the redhead stormed, "I mean, of course I loved being with Taicho…B-Byakuya that way, but…"

"Byakuya looked like he was fine with it all," Ichigo reasoned, "Hell, he's the one who suggested we all get drunk together."

"Yeah, did you think that maybe he just meant getting drunk?" the redhead demanded, "I don't think he went into it expecting to get chopsticked! Kami, I hope Taicho is okay!"

"Don't you think you're worrying too much about this?"

"I can't believe that happened! Fuck,fuck,fuck! He's gonna get in trouble with the elders! He's supposed to be with someone noble like him, making babies and shit."

He staggered to his feet, frantically searching for his clothes. Fuck, why were there so many pillows? He'd just found his hakama when another thought occurred to him, and he nearly whimpered.

"He's gonna transfer me! There's no way he's gonna want to have me anywhere near him after this!"

Still sprawled on the floor, Ichigo frowned up at him.

"Dude, chill."

Renji sneered at the ginger acting so casual about this mess.

"'Dude, chill', he says! Screw you, strawberry - last night is gonna be Byakuya's biggest regret ever, and I was part of it! Besides, you're chill enough for three people!"

Ichigo scowled, climbing to his feet.

"Hey, watch it!"

Renji snarled as he balled up his hakama and hurled them at the younger man's head.

"You watch it! The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt that man, and what the hell do I do? Get him drunk and seduce him without a second thought!"

Ichigo shook his head.

"Renji, Byakuya was the one who started it all. Don't you remember? We checked in every step of the way. He wanted us as much as we wanted him. And we were careful. I don't think we hurt him."

A feral sound tore out of Renji's throat at the sheer dumbassery he'd just heard.

"I meant his feelings, you stupid shit! He's not the type of person to do casual one-night stands! But last night can't happen again cause of the whole noble heirs thing, so... I don't know, but he's gotta be hurting and confused, and he probably feels used and taken advantage of, and humiliated and - "

Ichigo swept in, covering his mouth.

"Seriously, you need to calm all the way down. Byakuya will decide what he wants. It's fine, okay?"

Renji's eye twitched violently as he shoved the shorter man's hand away from his mouth.

"You heartless bastard!" he hissed, his eyes starting to burn at what he was sure was the most callous attitude he'd ever encountered, "How dare you not care?! Byakuya deserves better than a one-night stand!"

To his furious horror, his friend shrugged casually.

"Who th'hell said I don't care? I didn't say that at all. I just said that I'm fine with whatever he decides."

Okay, apparently it's time to reevaluate that 'friend' label.

This asshole…

Renji shoved the substitute Soul Reaper as hard as he could.

"He doesn't get to decide! Didn't you fucking hear me earlier? He's obligated to give his clan heirs, you son of a bitch! He doesn't have a choice!"

Ichigo stumbled, a flash of black and gold flaring in his right eye as he steadied himself. When he spoke, a sinister echoing hiss underscored the warning tone of his voice.

"Renji, you need to stop."

Renji almost flinched, probably would have if he wasn't so pissed at the moment. But right now, he didn't give two shits about that lunatic hollow inside his companion. All he cared about was that his beautiful, perfect captain had been defiled by his own hands not twelve hours ago. How could he have given in to his perverse desires? He was no kind of man, taking advantage of someone who was drunk and likely already in a messed-up mindset with all the pressure the Elders constantly put on him in every aspect of his life.

How could I do that to him?

Renji reeled sharply with a sense of vertigo as his mind supplied memories of the morning before, when he'd overheard Byakuya and his cousin speaking right after a meeting of some sort.

His captain's strained voice caught his attention as he took his prescribed short walk. He'd chosen the gardens of the manor he was recovering in, hoping not to disturb anyone.

"They can't decide this for you, watashi no itoko. I will not allow them to - "

Renji heard Tetsuya's voice interrupt softly, his tone respectful and slightly coaxing.

"Byakuya-sama, I will be fine. It is alright, because I'm glad I can grant you this path rather than you being forced into a loveless marriage We both know you don't want that. The reason the elders agreed to this is because they understand it too. In their own way, they were trying to compromise!"

Renji felt his eyes widen at those words, unintentionally moving closer to the bower separating him from the older men. Byakuya's voice came again, low and full of pain that tore through Renji's heart like a jagged blade.

"Tetsuya, I will not force you to bear my heir."

Renji bit his lip as he peeked through the branches in time to see Tetsuya embrace the noble leader firmly.

"You are not forcing this, Cousin. I am so honored I can do this for you. Tonight, as the council said. Tonight, I can use my breeder ability to help you secure the future of the clan. Your own future as well, as they will no longer seek to marry you off. It will all be alright, Byakuya. I promise it will!"

"You cannot make such a promise," Byakuya said, reeling, "Tetsuya, I feel you are already shaking at the thought."

"I am…"

"DON'T TELL ME YOU ARE FINE!" the noble leader shouted.

Tetsuya froze and Byakuya looked as shocked as his cousin did.

"I am sorry," he said more softly, pulling Tetsuya closer again, "Watashi no itoko, I am so sorry!"

Renji stared as his captain leaned his head on his cousin's shoulder and began to tremble. Emotions roaring inside him, Renji turned away, grateful that his injuries made his reiatsu significantly easier to keep under control.

"Oh gods... Taicho..." he mouthed voicelessly.

He'd escaped the garden, soon finding Ichigo and throwing himself into verbal sparring with the ginger so he wouldn't think about what he'd overheard. It'd been hours later into the evening when his captain had shown up, berating them for their loudness. It'd been far too easy to accept his presence, then the challenges that had devolved into what amounted to an extremely passionate mistake.

Renji sucked in a trembling breath, hearing Ichigo saying his name. He raised his eyes to see the younger man in front of him, still looking so fucking nonchalant that what came next happened with an ease that should've alarmed the redhead.

He lunged at his friend with a feral cry, hauling back a fist. He hated himself and the situation, and it was an extremely simple matter to add Ichigo to that list for not taking either of them seriously.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo cursed as he ducked Renji's fist, the redhead punching clean through the thin wood. He came back up, aiming for the bigger man's ribs. At the last moment, he remembered Renji's extensive injuries, managing to shift his own punch to graze his friend's side.

Renji still grunted in pain, turning to keep his worst injuries out of reach. Ichigo glanced at Renji's face and froze.

The strong features were pinched with pain and distress, the glint of tears shining in tortured auburn eyes.

He's hurting bad.

The bigger man swung again, but Ichigo was so wrapped up in the torment on his friend's face that he almost didn't notice. He realized Renji was aiming for his jaw just in time for Shirosaki to surge inside him, a hoarse, screaming laugh escaping his throat as he caught the fist.

Renji didn't seem to care or even notice that he'd been caught, only making an angry, ragged sound and swinging his other fist. Ichigo easily caught that one, as well. Then he forced his hollow spirit back until he was more in control.

"Renji, c'mon. Don't do this."

The redhead made a wounded sound as his eyes flared with the power of his reiatsu, shoving forward to knock Ichigo backwards. His bare back hit the pillows on the floor, Renji's bigger frame following him down. Once again, his hollow screamed, and in a matter of moments, he had gotten the redhead on his back, straddling his naked hips. Nearly desperate for a way to get his tormented friend to stop fighting, Ichigo leaned down to crush their lips together.

Renji stiffened under him, his eyes blazing as he started to struggle.

"GET OFF, YOU BASTARD!" the redhead howled.

Ichigo only kissed him harder, forcing his tongue into his distressed friend's still objecting mouth and taming Renji's scathing appendage with his own.

"Stop it, okay?" the substitute pleaded between their hard, biting kisses, "I'm sorry."

Renji remained tensed for a moment longer, glaring into Ichigo's more sympathetic gaze, the angry red glow fading from his mahogany eyes in shock.

"Ichigo…"

Ichigo kissed the shinigami lieutenant roughly, then raised his head an inch to stare down at the man below him. They were both panting raggedly, their bare, half-hard bodies pressed together.

"Th'fuck, Ichigo?" Renji whispered, his voice confused and almost dazed, but still brimming with the same pain that darkened his eyes.

Ichigo longed to erase that pain, to show Renji it really would be okay, that last night wasn't the end of the world. Slowly, he shifted his hips, grinding lightly against the bigger man.

Renji's eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath before growling and rocking his hips up under Ichigo, who released the redhead's hands. One latched onto his hip and the other shot up to fist in the hair at the back of his head. They ground together harder, both of them rocking their hips into the rhythm as their members leaked slick fluids on Renji's belly.

"F-fuck!" Renji swore again, writhing against the body that held his down, "FUCK!"

"S'okay," Ichigo mumbled around another mouthful of the riled redhead's tongue, "let it out. I can take it."

Looking down into Renji's bloodshot eyes, he leaned to the side, then rolled off of the redhead and onto his back.

"We're friends, right?"

It was a credit to Ichigo's strength that he didn't make a sound as Renji sank into his hastily prepared body. He spread his legs wide, ignoring Shirosaki's angry hiss in his mind.

Shut up.

He needs this.

Renji's fingers laced together with his, holding on crushingly as he loosed his anguish in a torrid rush of fast, hard thrusts. Ichigo moved with him, absorbing each physical shock and carefully covering his friend's mouth with his own to mute the sounds of his misery.

I've got you, Renji.

It's gonna be okay.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya walked slowly, his tall black spirit steed following quietly, observing him with worried eyes as his master silently replayed the recent conversation with his cousin and pondered the likely outcome.

"Love has a will of its own, you say?" Byakuya repeated distantly as the two sat together on the Kuchiki leader's bed, "Tetsuya, what you sensed happening was the farthest thing from love. What I allowed, and even encouraged to happen…was just another incidence of me breaking the rules…even after I swore not to. But then, Ichigo is gifted at luring me into indulging in what I desire…what I wish, rather than what I should do, isn't he? Renji's no better. Days ago, I nearly killed him with my power, but tonight he looked so vibrant and wild, he lured me over that line again easily."

He sighed and burrowed into Tetsuya's shoulder, shuddering.

"It isn't love exactly, but the two of them are free to do the things I long to do. Last night, faced with the prospect of doing something to you that could hurt you, I reached out to that wilder instinct and indulged it. I know because of your connection to me, you were aware of what was happening. I apologize for any distress it might have caused you."

Tetsuya shook his head firmly.

"The only distress I felt was that I was worried for you. Not just because of the recklessness of your actions, but because of what I sensed when you let them…"

Tetsuya paused, paling as his mind was assaulted with memories of the horrible abuse he had suffered during his years in the secret noble's prison.

"Watashi no itoko," Byakuya breathed caressing his hair and raising himself to meet his cousin's eyes, "I promise you, they did nothing I did not want them to. I was perfectly safe with them."

"I know," Tetsuya assured him, "If there had been any doubt, I would have stopped them. You were safe, Byakuya-sama. That was not my cancern. What I sensed that I need to tell you…is that…"

The two paused, frowning and turning their heads to look across the gardens at the tea room where the Kuchiki leader had shared intimacy with the two younger men.

"Hmm," Byakuya sighed wearily, "it seems hard to discern the difference between when they are having relations and when they are fighting."

He let out a piqued breath, shaking his head.

"What was I thinking?"

Tetsuya gave him a tremulous smile.

"You were sparing me," he whispered gratefully.

"No, it was not just that," Byakuya confessed, "I was not being selfless. It was no favor to you to leave you sitting about, sensing what I chose over my duty to the family. I was thinking only of avoiding my guilt."

"Please, don't say things like that," Tetsuya pleaded softly, "You only felt guilty because of me."

"Because of what I was expected to do to you," Byakuya acknowledged, "No one has touched you since I freed you, and you are in no way ready to be used like that!"

"I…"

"Tetsuya, you are dear to me. I would rather die than hurt you."

A shiver went through the half-noble's body and the stallion walking along at his shoulder brushed his muzzle against his cheek.

"It's okay, Arashi. I am all right…just…worried about something."

I never told him. In the end, I couldn't find the words. When the time came, they were stopped in my throat.

Byakuya-sama is a breeder male.

No one knew all of this time, probably because breeder males are only identifiable during their first pregnancy.

Last night, those two men…impregnated him.

As focused as he was on his troubled thoughts, he failed to hear his stallion's warning hiss in his mind and he ran headlong into someone whose soft hands gripped his shoulders and whose kind eyes found his as the man made a sound of surprise.

"Why, Tetsuya, are you all right?"

Tetsuya gave the older man a mortified look, breaking free of him and bowing apologetically.

"Ukitake taicho, I'm so sorry!" he gasped.

"Now, now, it's all right," the white-haired man chuckled, "But you look like something is wrong. Is there…anything I can do to help?"

"I…"

He tried to refuse, but found the facts of the situation overwhelming. Seeing his distress, Juushiro pulled him close again and Tetsuya hugged him back reflexively.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered miserably, "I don't know how to help Byakuya-sama!"