'Healing the Moon'
Warnings: Language, drinking, mentions about past abuse, flirting *waggles eyebrows*
*Hey Spunky! Here I am! lol*
Chapter 14: Bonding
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((Byakuya felt himself tense and saw Renji's shoulders stiffen as Shuuhei's silver eyes widened, all 3 of them realizing that Shuuhei not asking about the 'secret relationship' was starting to arouse suspicion.
Then the scarred lieutenant brushed away Kenpachi's hand, sitting up with a curious, amused look in his eyes. "I just had to think of what questions I wanted to ask."
Byakuya heard Renji mutter, "Oh shit." under his breath as Shuuhei grinned, that wicked smile aimed at his Alpha.))
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Renji knew he was in for it now. Shuu could be more perverted than just about any other pack member, and he was afraid of what he'd ask, especially since his friend knew he'd be asking about Byakuya. "Reaper, babe, I'm sorry I was teasin' you."
No good; there was a devious gleam in the sky-silver eyes. Shuu wouldn't betray their secret, but was going to give him hell. "I have at least 2 questions, Firefly darling. The first one has 2 parts. Have ya seen him naked, and how does he look?"
Renji heard the murmurs of approval from his pack; they wanted to know this, too. Remembering that Byakuya had openly encouraged him to answer the questions, he took a deep breath. "Yeah, and every fuckin' inch of him is so perfect. He's gorgeous, head to toe."
Shuu tilted his head, bright silver eyes full of curiosity. "Which side of you does he bring out more?"
Again, murmurs of approval followed his Beta's words, the others wanting to know the answer to this question, as well. Renji glanced past his friend to meet dark platinum eyes. His partner appeared calm, even in light of the personal questions.
Impatient fidgeting brought his attention around to the table and his other friends leaning over from the adjoining booths. "He brings out my 'heads' side most of the time, without even trying. But he does incredible with my 'tails' side, too. He can work that perfect balance of being authoritative without being mean about it."
He saw the dreamy looks in his friends' eyes, and chuckled as he thought of something else. "He likes when I talk dirty to him. And with some encouragement, it turns out he's surprisingly fluent in dirty talk, himself."
Appreciative noises responded to his words, then Ichigo threw another of those wadded-up napkins at him. "Dammit, Ichi, that's getting annoying. Can't just say 'hey' to get my attention?"
The substitute Soul Reaper shrugged, then asked quietly, "You said he hasn't ever been in a relationship with a guy before?"
Renji shook his head. "No, he hasn't. Why?"
The teen leaned further over the dividers between their booths, glancing around at the rest of the pack before meeting his eyes and speaking softly. "You said he gives great head, but how's he that good at it if he's never been in an actual relationship with a guy?"
Renji stiffened defensively, realizing what a mistake he'd made.
Toshiro spoke quietly. "He's kinda got a point, Ren. The only reason half of us are good at stuff like that is cause we were forced to-"
Renji shot to his feet and planted his hands on the table, feeling his riatsu slipping as he spoke in a low voice. "Don't."
The pack went silent for a few moments, then Kenpachi muttered, "Son of a bitch. You got yourself someone who's been hurt. That's some pretty big fuckin' information, Renji. No wonder you're all defensive over your relationship. I bet this is the real reason you're takin' it slow and why we're not allowed to know who he is."
Renji had to struggle not to look at his partner and apologize, fearing what he'd see in those dark eyes that had held such trust in him. He'd fucked up, and now his friends knew he was with someone who'd been hurt. If they ever went public with their relationship, everyone here would know that Byakuya had been violated.
Slowly, he sat back down, staring at the wooden surface of the table without seeing it. He knew he'd just fucked up in a way he couldn't undo, and felt too horrible for words. After an awkwardly quiet moment, he heard Toshiro ask in a gentle tone, "This isn't something we were supposed to know, huh?"
He shook his head, then Kenpachi spoke softly. "We get it, Ren. You know the deal; if any of us gets with someone who's been through that shit, we can tell them about the pack and what most of us have been through."
Yumichika curled up tighter on Ikkaku's lap. "One of the worst things about it is feeling alone, like nobody could understand."
Kira spoke up in his quiet, timid way. "He needs to know he's not alone, and that you wouldn't treat him like that."
Renji sighed, keeping his eyes down. "I hope he already knows that I wouldn't do anything like that. So far, it seems like he trusts me, but I'm worried that I'll fuck up, unless I already did by letting you guys figure it out."
Ichigo frowned. "Well, it's not like you just went out and blabbed to a bunch of total strangers. It's more like, you accidentally told a support group that they've got a new anonymous member."
Rangiku tilted her head, speaking in a gentle tone. "Yeah, I don't think this has to be a bad thing. We might be able to help, simply by understanding."
Renji sighed again, deeply upset with himself. "And what if he didn't want others understanding? He'd never told anyone else, but he trusted me to know, and in the space of 5 fuckin' minutes, I manage to let that shit out."
He lowered his head to rest it on the table, heart aching as he imagined what his moon must think of him right now. He felt like he might cry or throw up any second, maybe both.
Then he head that voice, that soft, accepting voice. "Renji? Might I offer my opinion on this?"
Renji lifted his head an inch to meet dark amethyst eyes that didn't hold anger as he whispered, "Sure, Byakuya. If you got something to say about this, I wanna hear it."
The fact that their guest had spoken up had caught the attention of the entire pack, and now they were all listening intently as the ravenette spoke softly. "I think their points are valid. You did not intentionally reveal your partner's past, and as Ichigo said, it is not as if you told strangers."
Renji hesitated, unsure if Byakuya was really ok with his fuck-up, or if the noble was just trying to keep him from losing his shit in front of his friends. He replied quietly, "He trusted me with his story, though."
Byakuya tilted his head, then glanced around, addressing the pack. "I didn't hear a story, just that Renji's boyfriend has been hurt in the past. Did anyone else hear a story?"
When everyone shook their heads, Byakuya met his eyes again. "See? I imagine he trusted you with the details of what happened to him, which you have kept to yourself. Therefore, his trust in you should remain intact."
Then his secret partner smirked. "Or, if you're really that worried about his reaction, just tell him that the only reason you said anything is because you were seeking the advice of your friends- your family, so that you can help him as possible." The pack apparently approved of this, as they cheered their guest's words.
Renji smirked, trying to hide his immense relief that Byakuya truly seemed alright with the pack knowing. "I've been in this relationship for less than a week, and you're suggesting I lie to him?"
His secret partner shrugged, then held up his finger and thumb less than an inch apart. "A tiny, itty-bitty, harmless white lie. If he finds out and doesn't like it, you are more than welcome to tell him that a slight deception was my idea. Would you rather him think you were trying to help, or know you accidentally screwed up?"
Renji found himself chuckling. "Well, I already told him I'm a screw-up, and he didn't really believe me, but I guess a few days is kinda soon to be giving him proof, huh?"
~X~X~X~X~
Byakuya nodded at his partner's words, glad he'd been able to calm the younger man. When Ichigo and the others had figured out that Renji's partner had been hurt, he'd seen the devastation in his partner's eyes and sensed his riatsu becoming unstable.
He had pinpointed the reason, and done his best to reassure Renji without being suspicious. After all, he knew that the Rukon Dog would have never intentionally revealed his secret, and it had simply been an innocent mistake that Ichigo had been sharp enough to catch. He hadn't even realized that Renji talking about their activities could come back like that.
He truly wasn't upset that the Rukon survivors knew, so he'd been as honest and reassuring as he could. Now Renji seemed vastly relieved, while some of the pack members were sending him looks of appreciation that he'd been able to calm and cheer up their Alpha. It was easy to see how devoted these people were to his lieutenant, and honestly, their response to finding out Renji's partner had been hurt touched him.
Without even knowing who this person was, the group was concerned and becoming rather defensive over him.
Toshiro folded his arms on the table, teal eyes narrowed dangerously. "Well, if your story is gonna be that you were trying to help, are we allowed to ask about this? Not any details 'bout what he went through, just some basics, like where the bastard that did this is."
Kenpachi added in a low growl, "Or where we can find him."
"How do we get our hands on him?" Ichigo snapped.
The threatening words and tones against his abuser comforted Byakuya, and he could sense Renji trying to monitor his reactions as the redhead replied to his friends quietly. "We can't do anything about it; the sick fuck's already dead. And look, guys, I'm not really sure what we're allowed to talk about, even if it is to help. But... since you already know... I think I can tell you that my boyfriend did get to see that bastard die."
A positively happy murmur ran through the listening pack at these words, and Yumichika smirked as he purred, "Now that is a beautiful thing. I'm sorry he went through what he did, but it is nice that he got to see that, and know he wouldn't ever be in danger again."
The group went quiet for a minute, and Byakuya realized that their responses were just as comforting as when he'd told his partner his secret, and Renji had been filled with such defensive rage on his behalf. He could sense the same helpless fury thrumming through the air now, from people who didn't even know this was about him.
After a few moments, Kenpachi cleared his throat, then asked carefully, "Does he have a reaction if things get too... intense? We've all had 'em, so we understand that."
Byakuya watched as Renji hesitated for a long moment, as if unsure whether to answer, then gave a tiny nod. "Yeah, he... his reaction is the panic, where he freezes up. It's only happened once, but it scared the shit out of me; I thought I'd seriously fucked up. He looked... frightened of me. Afterwards, he felt bad, and said he knows I wouldn't hurt him."
Sympathetic noises rose from the group, then Toshiro sighed. "So he reacts like me and Shuu used to? Actually, a few of us had the panic reaction. Damn, that's rough, not being able to move... It helped me to be in a place I was comfortable in if anything intimate was gonna happen. Maybe that'll help him?"
Renji nodded slowly. "I do try to make sure he's always comfortable, whether or not there's anything naughty going on."
Byakuya sipped his fire sake as the group nodded in approval, touched by the fact that they did still seem concerned for their Alpha's partner.
Ichigo tilted his head, then threw yet another wadded-up napkin at Renji. The crimsonette growled, "Dammit, did you stockpile those? Throw one more fuckin' napkin at me, Ichi, and I swear I'm coming over there to shove 'em where the sun don't shine."
Byakuya watched as Ichigo grinned at the Rukon Dog. "That's better. You were starting to act like a pussy. So you're with someone who's been hurt- dude, you and most of this fucked-up little family have been violated at some point. So he freezes up if things get too intense too fast. You're missing the big picture. You've been together less than a week, and from what you've said, you have great make-out sessions, you've seen him naked, and he's given you head, and I'm pretty sure you didn't even tell us everything you've done together. Sounds like you two are doing pretty fuckin' good. That's one strong boyfriend you've got if he's able to make progress that fast."
Renji smiled, replying softly, "He is strong, and I'm so proud of him, it hurts."
The orange-haired teen laughed. "Much better. Hell, I'm impressed by this guy already. All that in just a couple days? Shit, you were being nice to me for like a month, and what happened the first time we kissed?"
Byakuya watched with interest as his partner made a pained face. "You lost your shit and kicked me in the nuts. Then that lunatic hollow of yours was raving at me for scaring his king."
Chuckles filled the air, even as other pack members offered their own experiences of trying to move on from their pasts. It had been long enough that they were able to view the awkward memories with fondness and even a little humor.
Yumichika piped up from where he was nestled on Ikkaku's lap. "Me and Ikkaku were living together for a year before he saw me naked. I remember crying cause at that time, I was so self-conscious from what I'd been through." The 5th-Seat turned his head to kiss his bald companion on the cheek, murmuring, "I'm sure I looked a mess from crying, but you were still the first person in my life to make me feel beautiful."
Byakuya listened, chest tightening as he realized these people had long since achieved a strength he had yet to find. How long would it take for him to be like them?
Ichigo gestured at the 3 booths containing Renji's family as he smiled at the redhead. "See? We ended up alright, and so will your boyfriend. Besides, he's got you, Renji. You'll take care of him, and help him when he freezes up, and whenever he is ready to go all the way..."
As the substitute Soul Reaper trailed off, Renji smiled, and Byakuya saw the cinnamon eyes flick to him for just a heartbeat. "Whenever he is ready, I'm gonna make it the best night of his life."
Byakuya felt a blush trying to warm his cheeks, but he managed to quell that reaction, knowing there would be time to blush for the crimsonette later. Renji's words had brought cheers from the pack, and as they settled, Kenpachi stood and leaned past Ikkaku and Yumichika to kiss the Rukon Dog on the temple in a comforting way. "Sorry we upset you earlier. You wanna tell us some more sweet good stuff?"
Renji grinned at his friends. "He likes my cooking."
Laughter erupted around the booths, Shuuhei saying, "Well, out of all of us, you're the best cook."
Ikkaku chuckled. "Best cook? Firefly's the best at a lot of shit."
Byakuya felt the small smile on his face as he drank his fire sake, and he could tell his smile had been noticed, though nobody mentioned it this time. Then Toshiro asked, "Hey, Byakuya, how much of that sake have you drank?" He shrugged, and the smaller Soul Reaper grabbed the bottle to shake it. "Gods, you've almost finished it! How are you not fucked up?"
Byakuya tilted his head as interest filled everyone's eyes. "I was trained to handle alcohol. I can get a 'buzz', but I have not been able to actually get drunk in... let's see... it's been 75 years since the last time."
Immediately, at least 4 people were vying for his attention. Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Kenpachi, and Rangiku all seemed fascinated by what he'd said, leaning closer to him.
Shuuhei asked, "So you can't get drunk?"
Byakuya shrugged. "I imagine I could if I drank enough of it, but I am not sure how much that would be."
Wicked grins spread over the four faces, and he heard Renji say, "Oh shit, you just fucked up, Taicho."
Kenpachi waved his Alpha off. "Shut up, Ren. And you're not supposed to call him 'Taicho' here."
Shuuhei nodded vigorously. "Exactly. Byakuya was told the rules, he knows we're equals here. Right, Byakuya?"
He nodded back, smiling at his partner's best friend. "Right, Shuuhei."
Ikkaku grinned at him. "You know, Byakuya, we'd love to help you find out how much it takes to get you drunk."
He felt his eyes widen as Rangiku squealed, "Yes! Have a drinking contest with us, Byakuya!"
He started to shake his head. "I doubt I'd stand against you."
Kenpachi snorted. "C'mon, ain't none of us been 'trained' to handle alcohol."
Byakuya tilted his head. "That may be true, but I also don't drink as often as you guys."
Kenpachi grinned in his insane way, that challenging look back in his eye. "Oh, is the Ice Princess afraid to drink with the big boys?"
~X~X~X~X~
Renji stiffened as Kenpachi challenged his partner, and he started to protest. "You guys cut it-"
He stopped when Byakuya lifted a hand, saying, "It is ok, Renji." The ravenette looked back to the members of the pack that were inviting/challenging him to the drinking contest. Renji saw the calm confidence all over the noble, feeling pride swell inside him.
Byakuya replied to Kenpachi's challenge casually. "Perhaps the princess just doesn't want to embarrass the big boys by drinking them under the table." A chorus of taunting 'ooooh's rose up from the rest of the pack, supporting their guest's words.
Ikkaku laughed. "Holy shit, they're on his side! Let's do this!"
Renji watched as his pack rearranged themselves for a few chaotic moments, then settled. Shuuhei had somehow managed to shift so Byakuya now sat by him.
His partner now sat to his right, followed by Shuu (who looked kinda smug that he'd been able to get them next to each other), then Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Rangiku- all the competitors lined up. The left side of the booth was taken by Yumi, Toshiro, Ichigo, and Kira. Everyone else was either in one of the adjoining booths to watch over the dividers, or standing at the end of the table.
Renji asked under his breath, "You sure 'bout this?"
His partner nodded, murmuring, "Yes, very sure. And don't distract me; I need to focus right now, honey."
On the other side of the ravenette, Shuu's head snapped up at the endearment, obviously surprised to hear it. Nobody else had heard, being too busy ordering drinks for themselves or for the contest.
Renji grinned and gave his partner a subtle wink. "Alright, I won't distract you, but I know how to distract Reaper."
Shuu's silver eyes narrowed. "Nuh-uh, go 'way, Ren."
Renji smirked evilly as he leaned in front of the noble to whisper to Shuu. "Just imagine a Byakuya sandwich, babe. Don't that sound delicious?"
Shuuhei stared at him. "Ohhh, gods, it does. Well played, asshole. There went all my focus."
Byakuya smiled. "That was mean, Renji. And what makes you think I want him thinking of me like that?"
Renji grinned. "Oh, trust me, he already was. Probably has been since he found out; I'd bet anything his nasty little mind has been coming up with all sorts of fun things the three of us could do together. Right, babe?"
Shuuhei was blushing, looking anywhere but at them. "Dude, shut the fuck up." while Byakuya seemed very amused.
They'd kept their voices low to avoid being heard. Then the drinks arrived, and bottles of fire sake were set in front of the 5 competitors.
As the Alpha of the pack, and not competing himself, Renji was the officiant. He stood and addressed the 5 people to his right. "Ok, you throw up or pass out, you're done. The last one able to lift the dish to their mouth wins. Any last words?"
Byakuya tilted his head. "I said I didn't know how much it'd take to get drunk, but I never said how much I've tried. When Hisana passed away, I drank 10 bottles of sake, 5 bottles of wine, and 5 bottles of some shit I still don't know anything about besides it was alcohol and came from Kiskuke Urahara. I drank all of this by myself... in a matter of hours... and was still able to walk in a straight line and speak quite clearly."
Renji felt his eyes widen as his partner's competitors reacted. "Holy shit! - Gods, is he serious? - Did he just cuss? - Never mind that, we might be in trouble!"
Byakuya shrugged, smirking at the others. "I did try to refuse this contest. Remember that."
Then the sake began flowing, and the contest was on.
Renji watched in awe as Byakuya tossed his head back, downing dish after dish in a smooth, swift rhythm. Every few dishes, the noble took a deep, steady breath, then resumed his drinking. The other competitors were drinking while trying to watch the Kuchiki heir.
After a while, Ikkaku set his dish down, slurring his words. "Fu-uck. Yeah, 'm good, 'm out. Hey, Yuuumi, baby, I tell ya that you look fuckin' fiiiine t'night? 'M gonna do things to ya later."
Yumichika giggled. "Oh, I bet you are, you brute."
Renji grinned as he announced, "Ikkaku's out! And Rangiku ain't lookin' so good!"
The voluptuous woman scowled. "Wha'ever, I'm... I'm fine!" A few dishes later, she had passed out, face-down on the table. Toshiro leaned over to adjust her head, muttering, "She's gonna smother herself with her own tits one of these days."
Renji said, "Two down!"
He watched as Byakuya shifted against Shuu's side, raising his dish to hide his mouth as he purred, "Shame on your Alpha for revealing how easy it is to distract you." Under the table, Byakuya slid his leg against Shuu's and laid a pale hand on his knee.
This resulted in Reaper yelping frantically. "Shit! I'm out, I'm out!" The scarred lieutenant didn't have a way to escape, since Kenpachi, a wasted Ikkaku, and an unconscious Rangiku all sat between him and the way out of the booth. Shuu scrambled to get his feet on the seat, then crawled right over the table to tumble into Ichigo's lap. Laughter rang out at Shuu's antics, nobody realizing that Byakuya had done anything.
Renji grinned at his devious partner as he announced, "Just Byakuya and Kenpachi left."
The noble and the barbarian continued drinking, eyeing each other. Soon enough, Kenpachi began lagging, his movements becoming slower and less precise, while Byakuya was still composed, downing the sake like water.
20 minutes of this, then Kenpachi grinned and waved his empty dish. "Tha' was fun. You got me, By- Bya- Byaki... tha' wasn' right... Bya-ku-ya. Thanksya for drinkin' with us."
When Kenpachi set his dish down, Renji smiled and nudged his partner. "Stand up and take another. You win." He smiled proudly as the ravenette stood and took his victory drink among the cheers of all of his friends, including the ones that had lost to their guest.
As Byakuya sat back down, Renji caught sight of Kenpachi shifting closer to the noble with a bemused look. "Heya, princess. I wanna tell ya b'fore I sober up an' realize how very stupid this is, I'm really glad ya came out, an'... an' you look really pretty t'night."
Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise, and Renji was ready to do something drastic, like crawl right over his superior to get between him and the huge Soul Reaper.
Kenpachi tilted his head at the Kuchiki heir. "Don' look at me like tha', princess. Ain't gonna do nothin' to you, just tellin' you that you're pretty. Like you didn' know tha'."
Kenpachi shifted in the seat, leaning against the ravenette with his head on a slender shoulder as he murmured, "Relax, ain't gonna bite ya. Just... wanna rest for a minute. Room's spinnin'."
Renji could see the surprise on his partner's face as Byakuya took a moment to process the situation, then replied softly. "Alright, you can rest if you want. But where is Yachiru? She has been gone for some time."
Kenpach shifted on the seat and used his feet to push Rangiku and Ikkaku out of the booth, then laid his head on Byakuya's thigh. The bigger captain gave a whistle that sounded like a bird call, and a moment later, the pinkette appeared and began to giggle. "Kenny, did you drink too much?"
The 'invincible' Soul Reaper nodded, stretching out on his back and patting his chest. Yachiru scrambled to the spot, curling up on the warrior's chest like a kitten.
Seeing that Kenpachi's head was still on his partner's lap, Renji felt a territorial wave of possessiveness roll through him. That was his spot, dammit!
Byakuya seemed startled to find himself in these circumstances, but accepting of them. After a moment, with the whole pack looking on, the noble lifted his hands, using one to gently stroke Kenpachi's hair, the other to rub Yachiru's back. Both relaxed into the attention, obviously soothed by the contact.
Unable to stay too jealous, Renji smiled as he watched the ravenette doting on both the biggest, roughest member of his pack, as well as the smallest, most innocent.
Renji's heart warmed to see his partner bonding with his family.
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Awww, ain't that adorable?