'Healing the Moon'

*Here you go, Spunky! Enjoy this, but the 'bone' is the next chap lol*

Chapter 16: Back Home

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Previously, on 'Healing the Moon'
((Rukia paused; then again, she would never look at yaoi the same way again! Renji and Byakuya... ahh damn, her nose was bleeding.))
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Renji smiled as he and Byakuya flash-stepped over the buildings. When they reached his street, he caught his partner's arm, stopping their flash-step. "Hey, baby, we're close. Walk with me?" The ravenette nodded, and they walked up the street.

Renji slid his hand down the slender arm, gently catching his superior's hand as they walked. Byakuya glanced down at their joined hands, then up at him, giving him a shy smile as the smaller hand tightened on his.

They hadn't been able to talk while using flash-step, so Renji circled back to their last topic, still bursting with pride and happiness over how everything had gone tonight. "I really am proud of you, baby. When you first got there, and Kenpachi totally challenged you, your response was perfect! I didn't expect you to answer like that."

The noble smirked up at him. "Oh, when I said that the tower was stuffy and even a princess can get bored? "

He nodded, grinning at his companion. "Yeah, that was great! I knew you'd be fine, but I wasn't expecting you to fit in like you've been a part of the pack for years. You were magnificent, Byakuya."

The smaller Soul Reaper tilted his head. "Like I've been part of the pack for years? I really did that well?"

Sensing that Byakuya needed reassurance, but unsure why, Renji stopped and tugged on the hand he held, making his superior stop as well. "Baby, you did perfect. I could seriously explode, I'm so proud. Why is this buggin' you so much?"

The older man hesitated, then glanced aside and whispered, "I knew tonight was really important to you, Renji. It felt like meeting your family, and I... I was quite nervous. I wanted to do well."

Touched that tonight had meant so much to his beautiful moon, Renji pulled him close and hugged him tight. "You did great, Byakuya, I swear. I really didn't mean for you to feel so pressured, though."

His partner shook his head, nuzzling his chest. "I know, honey. You didn't make me feel like that; I put the pressure on myself beforehand, but once I got there, I was a lot more comfortable. Shuuhei and Toshiro helped."

Renji was surprised to hear a soft laugh as Byakuya continued. "When Shuuhei first saw me outside the bar, and sent Toshiro in, he said you'd shit a brick when you saw me."

He chuckled, guiding the ravenette towards his front door. "I damn near did. You look amazing." As they reached his door, Renji positioned himself behind the noble, laying his hands on the slim waist and leaning close to murmur into a delicate ear, "Guess who gets to try their new key?"

He watched as Byakuya reached into the pocket of his hakamas and pulled out his key, then unlocked the door. They stepped in, Renji reaching over to flip on a light. He saw the pleased little smile the ravenette wore as he slipped his key back into his pocket. Renji set the bag of leftovers on the bar, smiling as he watched Byakuya lean against the back of the couch. "You know, I also wanted to tell you- that was an awesome drinkin' contest. You... damn, you were amazing!"

Byakuya smiled, looking pleased with himself. "That was actually quite fun. Oh, speaking of drinking... you've been drinking all night, yet you don't seem inebriated."

Renji shook his head. "Nah, 'bout half my drinks were water or fruit juice. I don't like to get real drunk anymore."

His partner tilted his head curiously, and he elaborated in a quiet voice. "Last time I actually got wasted was back when I was in the Academy, and I... I almost did something awful to Shuu. I almost hurt him, but thank the gods, I realized what I was doing before I went too far. I swore I wouldn't get that drunk again. The most I get now is a good buzz, that's it."

The noble was watching him with wide eyes, and he sighed. "Please don't look at me like that, Byakuya. I know it's really fucked up, alright? We were already good friends, and I thought I'd screwed that up. I felt so bad that I avoided Shuu for 2 weeks, feeling like the scum of the earth and figuring he'd either be mad at me, or worse, scared of me. He ended up having to literally corner me so he could tell me he wasn't mad or scared, and that he knew I'd only acted like that cause I was drunk. A few months after that is when we started... working on getting to friends with benefits."

To his surprise, his partner smiled. "He considers you his best friend, he told me so. Outside the bar, he was telling me that I could sit by him since that was as close as he could get me to you without suspicion. I was having trouble with the idea that someone you've been with was trying to get us close, instead of being jealous. He said you're his best friend, and he really wants us to work out. He wants you to be happy, and he wants me to be happy with you, as well."

Renji found himself chuckling, relieved that his story hadn't freaked out his partner. "Yeah, sounds like Shuu. He's a good guy." He turned to the bag of leftovers, pulling out his surprise. "Got this for you. I know you can't get drunk, but you still seemed to enjoy it."

He set the new bottle of fire sake on the bar, smiling at his guest. Byakuya smiled back as he moved to his side. "For me? You don't want some?"

Renji shrugged. "It's a bit spicy for me, and 'sides, it's strong. I believe I just told you a story that illustrated my desire to not get drunk."

He watched as his partner damn near pouted. "It's no fun to drink alone." Then the steel eyes narrowed mischievously. Byakuya took the cap off and drank straight from the bottle, then gently caught Renji's jaw, pulling him close for a kiss.

Surprised, but totally willing to kiss his captain anytime he wanted, Renji obeyed, angling his lips over his partner's. The soft lips parted under his, so he deepened the kiss, only to find that his devious guest hadn't swallowed all the sake. It was only a little, but the unexpected move was sexy as fuck.

Renji hummed in approval of the bold maneuver as he drank from the ravenette, lapping and suckling the fire sake that had been tempered by the sweet taste of his moon. When he'd plundered the spicy alcohol, he broke the kiss, tenderly licking and kissing the older man's lips and chin, where he'd managed to smear some of the sake in his enthusiasm to get it from his superior.

As he cleaned the mess he'd made, he murmured, "That was so sexy, baby."

He heard a soft laugh. "Yes, I get the feeling you liked that... a lot."

Hearing the amused tone, Renji lifted his head to see that their positions had somehow shifted. He now had Byakuya backed up against the bar, his arms braced on either side of the smaller Soul Reaper, and had pinned the lithe body with his own. What the fuck... how had this happened?

Forgetting that Byakuya had not been upset about this, a sense of wrongness and guilt struck him that he'd unconsciously trapped his broken moon in such a way, and he started to pull back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

He was cut off by the noble shaking his head. "Don't apologize, Renji. I... would you think badly of me if I said I liked it, and that I want you to stay right here, just like this?"

~X~X~X~X~

Byakuya saw the surprise in the dark amber eyes as his partner absorbed the words, then shook his head, whispering, "I'd never think badly of you, Byakuya, promise." Slowly, the bigger Soul Reaper shifted to trap him against the bar again, and he sighed contentedly, feeling safe with the Rukon Dog pressed close to him.

Renji tilted his head, asking softly,"You really like this, baby?"

He nodded, leaning up to press a kiss to the strong jaw. "I do. It makes me happy when you're close to me. I trust you, Renji, and you make me feel safe."

The crimsonette smiled, lowering his head to nuzzle him. "Good. I want you to feel safe with me. I don't think I should drink any more, though."

Byakuya nodded and set the bottle on the bar, nuzzling back. "That's fine, honey."

The warm auburn eyes met his, and Renji smiled. "I liked what you carved on the table. Was that for us?"

He nodded again, lowering his eyes to his partner's bared upper body. Renji had only worn a pair of snug black jeans to the bar, and gods, he'd been hard-pressed to ignore his urge to touch! He lifted one hand, letting his fingers trace the wicked black spikes that framed the carved stomach.

A soft growl rewarded him, then Renji spoke in a rough voice. "You got a different look on your face... thought it calmed you or something when you messed with them."

Realizing that he hadn't told Renji the difference, Byakuya smiled up at his companion. "They relax me after I cum, honey. Before release, they make me feel very different."

The younger man tilted his head, then the coppery eyes widened. "Oh, they make you frisky?" He nodded, and Renji grinned at him, blushing slightly. "Well, that's ok, baby. I like that, and it's a reaction I'm more used to. But either way, you can focus on them as much as you want."

Byakuya felt his own cheeks warming as he let his fingers dance over the ebony designs. "They're beautiful, Renji. I think you're beautiful, inside and out."

Pleasure filled the warm honey eyes as Renji smiled almost shyly. "Really? Thank you, Taicho. Means a lot to me that you think so."

The redhead leaned close, kissing his temple, then the edge of his ear as he whispered, "You're beautiful, my Byakuya." He shivered at the sensation of teeth grazing his earlobe, and the bigger Soul Reaper chuckled softly. "I like when you do that, you know. Means you like what I'm doin'. Shiver for me, baby."

The teeth caught his earlobe, tugging gently, and Byakuya shivered violently as tingles raced down his spine. He didn't realize he was digging his fingers into Renji's waist and trying to pull him closer until his companion murmured, "I ain't goin' nowhere, Taicho, promise. And I don't think we could get much closer, not without removin' some clothes."

Surprised by the words, Byakuya realized he was holding the Rukon Dog's body tightly against his own. He released the lean waist, gently rubbing the spots where he'd been digging his fingers. Renji stayed close, keeping him pinned against the bar as he smiled reassuringly. "You didn't hurt me. Feels really good that you want me as close as possible. You sure you're ok, being trapped like this?"

Byakuya nodded, glancing at the muscular arms braced on either side of him. "I might not be able to get out, but I'm quite sure nothing can get in, either, and that's what I like about it. I don't really feel trapped, I feel protected, like you're shielding me."

He felt his cheeks heating up at his admission, thinking his words made him sound weak. "Not that I need protecting- "
He cut off as Renji lowered his head and began nuzzling his neck. "Trust me, I know better than anyone that you don't need to be protected, Byakuya. You're so strong and you're dangerous as fuck. Only a fool would think you actually need protection from anything. But, it's not a bad thing to want that feeling sometimes, like you don't have to worry about keeping yourself safe. It's ok to like that feeling of being protected... that doesn't make you weak."

Reassured and comforted, Byakuya allowed himself to relax, absorbing the feeling of safety as he lifted his hands to broad shoulders. The bigger Soul Reaper shifted, and when warm, gentle lips touched the spot right behind his earlobe, he couldn't stop the soft whimper he made.

Renji gave a deep, growling hum in response, and the powerful arms closed around him as gentle, reassuring kisses were feathered from his ear, along his jaw to his lips. His aching body throbbed when his partner began a tender invasion, kissing him deeply and thoroughly, as if Renji was memorizing every detail of how it felt to kiss him.

Byakuya could feel himself drowning in the sensation, but it felt so good. Oh gods, it felt so good! He needed more... more of this... more contact... more of his beautiful, protective Renji. For the first time in his life, he wanted to be vulnerable to someone, and the realization took his breath away even as he decided he didn't care.

His hands moved on their own, one capturing his companion's braided hair as the other slipped between them to untie his haori. A sound akin to a snarl vibrated through their kiss as one of the arms around him loosened, a big hand joining his to jerk the tie of his haori loose.

As the silky garment fluttered open, the crimsonette's hand pounced, running over his chest as though desperate for the feel of his skin. The wicked fingers ghosted over his nipples, and the oddest little squeaking sound forced itself from his throat when an electric current of tingly pleasure shot from his nipples straight to his cock.

Renji groaned roughly into the kiss as he deliberately repeated the action, capturing a nub between two fingers and giving a light tug. Byakuya whined at the unexpected pleasure, shifting against his lieutenant's rock-hard body to try and relieve the pressure in his own.

Suddenly, the warm mouth left his, and the teasing hand settled over his pounding heart. "I'm sorry, Byakuya."

Stunned and confused, Byakuya panted as he blinked up at the younger man, not understanding why his lovely attention had been taken away. "Wha-what? Why are you apologizing? Why the hell did you stop?"

The dark auburn eyes held his as his partner spoke softly. "I decided earlier, that I'd prove the intimate stuff ain't what's most important to me. I decided while we were still in the office, that I'd prove it tonight. Just reinforced my decision when everyone kept wantin' to know about naughty stuff. I really do love you, Byakuya, and I need you to know I'm not in this so we can eventually go all the way."

Still somewhat confused, Byakuya tilted his head. "Renji, I know that. You haven't been rushing me or pushing me to go that far or anything; I know you're willing to wait until I'm ready."

The redhead sighed and took both his hands in his own. "Sorry, I know I'm not explainin' this well. It's not just that I'm willing to wait. Yeah, I want you to be ready cause that'll mean you're ok. But, even if you're never ready to go all the way, I'm still gonna want to be with you. That's what I'm tryin' to say; I still wanna be your boyfriend even if you never wanna cross that line... hell, even if you decided you didn't wanna do any other intimate stuff anymore, I'd still wanna be with you if you'd let me."

Barely able to believe what he'd just heard, Byakuya stared up at the bigger Soul Reaper. This was what had been going through his partner's mind all night? Wanting to prove that the sexual things they did didn't really matter in the scheme of their relationship?

He was what mattered, not his body.

Having already come to the conclusion that this man was a very physical creature with one hell of a sex drive, Byakuya was touched that he'd make such a sacrifice just to stay by his side. "Oh, Renji. Are you saying that as long we can stay together, you'd basically be willing to go the rest of your life without sex?"

The Rukon Dog shrugged, smiling at him. "Love makes people do crazy things, baby. Yeah, I'm fine without sex if it means I can have you in my life. Besides, we have fun doing just some low-key intimate stuff, right?"

Then Renji tilted his head thoughtfully. "Though I should warn you, if you didn't wanna do that stuff anymore... I'd still wanna be with you, and I wouldn't cheat on you, but I'd probably be jerkin' off a lot."

Byakuya began to chuckle as a forlorn, long-suffering look crossed his partner's face, and he felt the tension ease out of himself. The seriousness of the conversation had increased the tension left over from earlier, but now that he knew everything was ok, the tenseness faded.

He laughed even harder at the teasing look his partner sent him. "Oh, does that thought amuse you, Taicho? Me giving myself carpal tunnel syndrome if you ever cut me off? Gods, you do got a mean streak, dontcha?"

Byakuya shook his head as the tension-relieving laugh faded, smiling up at the first person to make him laugh in decades. "Not to worry, honey. I don't see myself cutting off the 'low-key' stuff. I happen to be a pretty big fan of everything we've done so far."

Renji tilted his head, a look of pride and satisfaction flaring over his strong features, though he was obviously trying not to look smug. "Really? You mean that?"

Byakuya smirked up at the bigger Soul Reaper. "Let me put it this way; there is nothing we have done that I would not be willing to do again."

~X~X~X~X~

Renji damn near purred at the bold, beautiful words his superior spoke, pleased that the intimate aspects of their relationship had been making his partner happy. "That is very good to hear, baby. I'm sure you know that I agree, yeah?"

The noble nodded, somehow looking shy and sexy at the same time, which sent both Renji's desire and protectiveness into overdrive. Then Byakuya began speaking softly. "And I believe Toshiro said there are 100 fun things to do without going all the way. While I imagine that number may not be entirely accurate, his words make me think there is more than what we have already done."

Renji grinned and shrugged, trying to hide the eager rush the older man's words had caused in him. That had sure sounded like a curious tone in his captain's voice... "There is quite a bit between here and there, and some variety on the stuff we have done. Any particular reason you brought that up, baby?"

The smaller Soul Reaper blushed lightly. "I...umm... well, I can be curious if I damn well please! Don't be difficult, Abarai."

With a soft laugh, Renji kissed his partner on the cheek, gently nuzzling him. "Hai, sorry, sorry. I wasn't tryin' to be difficult. You have every right to be curious, and I'll tell you anything you wanna know."

Just then, he noticed something a little different about the way the Kuchiki heir smelled. There was still the sweet cherry blossom scent, but... Renji tucked his face against his superior's neck and inhaled deeply, chasing the faint addition to his moon's scent.

He heard Byakuya giggle as a slender hand playfully pushed at his shoulder. "That tickles! What are you doing? I know you like the way I smell, but damn!"

Renji lifted his head, blushing as he wondered how the noble would feel about his discovery. He met the bright steel eyes and murmured, "You still smell like sakura, but you... you also smell like my pack. You were around them long enough to pick up their scent, and sake, too. You still smell like you, but... you also kinda smell Rukon."

The platinum eyes widened as Byakuya tilted his head, then a soft smile curved his lips. "You have an extraordinary sense of smell, honey; I had not noticed that I was carrying their scent. So I smell Rukon, hmm? I get the feeling you like it, but I also get the feeling that you were hesitant to tell me because you weren't sure how I'd react."

Renji shrugged, smiling sheepishly at the older man. "Sorta. I worry 'bout weird shit sometimes."

The ravenette leaned up and placed a sweet kiss on his lips, whispering, "Obviously. You're an amazing person, Renji Abarai, and you shouldn't doubt yourself so much. I like you the way you are."

Renji almost giggled at his companion's words. "You know, I think that's the first time you've actually said you like me. That sounded real nice, baby."

The silvery amethyst eyes met his as Byakuya said softly, "I do like you, Renji. I... I actually like you quite a bit. You are quickly becoming very important to me."

Seeing the blush rising on pale cheeks, Renji leaned his head down to rest his cheek against his guest's. They stayed like that for a bit, just holding each other, Renji reveling in his partner's words and enjoying the faint Rukon smell on his high-born boyfriend.

Then he felt the smaller Soul Reaper shift and heard a tiny noise of discomfort. He lifted his head and took a small step back, unsure of why Byakuya had made that sound. He watched as his partner moved one hand to his lower back, a slight look of pain on his face. "Baby, you ok? What's wrong?"

The noble smiled and shook his head, though there was still a tightness around his eyes. "I'm fine, honey. My back hurts from the captain's meeting, but I've been rather distracted ever since, so it's just now bothering me."

Renji tilted his head, wanting to help. "I can give you a back rub if you want."

His captain readily agreed. "Ok, that sounds good. Thank you, Renji."

He shrugged. "You ain't gotta thank me just yet; wait and see if it'll actually help. Let's get changed into something more comfy first. Jeans are not the most comfortable thing to wear."

Renji saw his superior's dark eyes flick down his body appreciatively. "Maybe not, but those do look good on you." He chuckled and did a little spin to give his partner a 360* view. The snug black jeans and the black silk ribbon Yachiru had braided into his hair were all he was wearing, and he loved the way Byakuya was looking at him right now.

He turned and flicked his braid haughtily. "You stay here, I'll go get something comfy to wear for the night." He sauntered towards the hallway, purposely sashaying his ass, and he felt those warm steel eyes on him until he was out of sight.

He went into his bedroom and changed into a pair of lounging hakamas, then grabbed a smaller pair for his guest and one of his bottles of lotion. He went back out to the living room, tossing the lotion into the couch-nest and handing over the lounging hakamas to Byakuya. "Here you go, baby. If you're not hungry yet, I'm gonna put the leftovers away real quick."

The noble shook his head. "I'm not hungry yet."

Renji turned and began putting up the extra food he'd brought from the bar. As he moved around the kitchen, he glanced over his shoulder to see that instead of going to the bathroom to change as he'd expected, Byakuya was changing in the living room, putting his outfit straight into his bag. Renji stared for a moment, then quickly averted his eyes.

He'd been serious about proving that he wasn't just with his partner for the naughty-type stuff, but it was hard not to abandon that attempt and just see what could happen. After all, the Kuchiki heir had certainly seemed down for a little action earlier when they'd been making out. He wanted to kick himself for stopping that, but it really was important to him that his broken moon know he'd meant what he said. He could control himself and his libido... hopefully.

It hadn't helped that the adorably curious ravenette had brought up the possibility of more stuff. Damned if he wasn't ready to teach his inexperienced partner any-fuckin-thing he wanted to know! He finished putting everything away, then went back out to the front room to find the older man rubbing his lower back with both hands.

The sight made his heart ache; here he was, thinking naughty stuff while his boyfriend was in pain! Geez, if he didn't watch it, he was gonna end up being a really shitty partner for his precious moon.
He crawled into the nest, saying, "I'm sorry you're hurtin', baby. I'm gonna make you feel better." He picked up the bottle of lotion and tilted his head thoughtfully. "Ok, stretch out on your stomach, and I'm gonna sit on your thighs."

His superior shifted to obey, laying face-down with his arms folded under his head. Renji crawled into position, straddling Byakuya's thighs and carefully settiling his weight on them. He put some lotion in his hands, rubbing them together to warm it up a bit. He was surprised to hear his companion say quietly, "You know, I've never gotten a back-rub before."

Renji tilted his head, unable to stop his teasing smirk. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle since it's your first time."

He was delighted to hear a soft laugh, even as a flush spread over the pale skin. "You are such a bad man, Renji."

He laid his lotion-covered hands on his partner's lower back, carefully kneading the tense muscles he found there. He heard a relieved sigh, and he asked, "You always hurt after meetings?"

The black hair shifted as Byakuya nodded. "Even routine captain's meetings, the ones we have every Friday, make me tense. And even though it's boring, you have to stand still, which only increases the tension."

Renji managed to smile, though the thought of Byakuya hurting every Friday for all the years he'd been a captain without anyone to take care of him was sickening. "Yeah, I couldn't do that; I'd be fidgeting."

He continued gently working the tense muscles, but they were only relaxing a little bit. Carefully, he ran his fingers along either side of the noble's spine, stopping when he heard a tiny whimper. "Right there? That's the spot?" he asked, and Byakuya nodded.

As tenderly as possible, he examined the area with his fingertips. It felt really damn tight here, and the muscles he'd already managed to relax started tensing up again. He realized what was bugging his captain, and he placed the heel of his hand on the spine, saying, "Let out all your air."

As the ravenette exhaled, Renji leaned forward, smoothly shifting his weight onto his hand. He felt and heard the 'pop' that rang out, and Byakuya's head snapped up with a gasp as the entire slender body shivered. Renji grinned in satisfaction. "That better, baby?"

His partner's head dropped back down to his folded arms with a murmured, "Gods, yes. Much better, thank you. That felt incredible."

Renji continued rubbing the muscles, pleased when they easily went slack and stayed relaxed. "That was the problem; you just needed your back popped. Don't you ever do that?"

His superior mumbled, "Not on purpose. It pops sometimes by accident, but that doesn't feel nearly as good as what you just did."

Renji gently ran one hand up the Kuchiki heir's spine. "Then I bet the whole thing could use it." A shiver answered him, and he placed the heel of his hand between the older man's shoulderblades. "Breathe out."

Byakuya obeyed, and Renji leaned into his hand, earning another satisfying 'pop' that made his guest moan. He repeated the process until he had popped the entire spine. At this point, the smaller Soul Reaper was completely relaxed and making tiny noises of relief and happiness.

Renji smiled and began massaging Byakuya's entire back, kneading and caressing every inch. A content sigh drifted into the air, followed by a deep moan of pleasure when he dug in and massaged harder. "Ohhh, gods, Renji. That feels sooo good."

Renji's attention faltered as his mind took those words to a dirty place. He'd been doing his best not to think naughty thoughts, wanting to focus on helping his partner. Unconsciously, his touch lightened, his fingers trailing over the pale back as he admired the way his darker tanned skin contrasted with that porcelain flesh.

Byakuya... his moon was so beautiful, so strong, so smart, on top of being funny, vulnerable, and brave. Gods, he was in love with the most perfect person he knew. And like he needed any more incentive at the moment, the smell of his lotion on the Rukon-scented noble was... interesting, to say the least. Realizing how off-track his mind was getting, he frantically tried to rein in his thoughts, mortified that he hadn't been able to stay in line for 10 freakin' minutes.

Renji felt a deep, burning blush spread over his cheeks as he became aware of the fact that his body was not only hard as a rock, but, due to his position sitting on Byakuya's thighs, was pressed up against the bottom curve of the smaller Soul Reaper's perfect little ass.

x

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Renji's such a naughty boy! In all fairness, he did intend to behave, and Byakuya's really sexy lol.
How does Byakuya feel about this? Tune in next time!
By the way, there may be some big moments for our boys in the next chap. What kind of moments? I repeat, tune in next time!
Mwahahahaha!