Chapter 2: History Rewritten

Byakuya waited until he sensed the man next to him was sleeping deeply, then he slipped out of their bed and crept across the room on silent feet, carefully repressing his reiatsu as he moved. Once he reached the dressing area, he discarded the semen stained yukata he wore, and he used a damp towel to remove the sticky evidence of what had taken place earlier. He left the bedroom through the garden doors and stepped out onto the wooden walkway.

Immediately, he was stricken with the realization that…

S-someone should be there.

He gasped and reeled for a moment as an image flashed in his mind of a slender, delicate looking young man with wide sapphire eyes and a gentle smile that resonated strongly, as though he should have been well known to Byakuya. Almost instantly, the image was gone again, and Byakuya stood, alone and shivering on the walkway beside the misted gardens.

Who?

"Byakuya-sama?"

The Kuchiki leader gathered himself and turned to face the waiting attendant.

"Yes, Torio?"

"Sir, why didn't you wake me? I should have…"

"It's…all right, Torio," Byakuya assured him, "I wanted to be alone to think a bit."

"Oh," Torio said, coloring and bowing his head, "I am sorry for disturbing you."

"It is fine, Torio."

"I will go now, but please call for me if you need me, sir."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Torio."

Byakuya watched as his attendant disappeared back into the house, leaving him alone again on the walkway. He turned to look out into the gardens again, his brow furrowed and his confused mind trying to recreate the flash image he had seen before. But as much as he strained himself, he couldn't grasp the little teasing bits of what felt like memory, but…

…couldn't possibly be…

I remember what happened before. There shouldn't be people erased from that, although there could be some events that had to change besides just the obvious ones. It boggles the mind to think of it.

Shaking his head, he forced the thought away and continued down the walkway to the front courtyard of the manor. He passed the curiously watching house guards without comment, heading onto the street and turning in the direction of his division.

The entire idea of the soul king erasing or adjusting, not just memories, but…people? And why would someone need to be erased?

"Good evening, Kuchiki Taicho," a female officer called out as she passed him.

"Good evening," he responded, barely cognizant of the exchange.

I wonder…

The thought nagged at him as he continued on his way through the busy streets in the fading light of early evening. He reached the sixth division headquarters, breathing a sigh at having a distraction to take his mind of his new life and the troubling changes he could and couldn't remember.

"Taicho?" Renji said questioningly, as Byakuya opened the door and entered the sixth division office, "What are you doing back here? It's your wedding night, ne? You've been looking forward to this for a long time. I would have thought that you and Aizen taicho would be curled up for the night and thinking about your upcoming honeymoon."

"My…?" Byakuya began, "Oh…yes, well, I…"

"That's my Taicho for you. Can't leave work at work and let himself enjoy life," the friendly redhead chuckled, "There's always that one more thing you have to do, huh?"

"Yes…yes, I realized that I…had a couple more things to do here and…"

"Hey, just tell me what it is and I'll take care of it," Renji assured him, "That's why you have a fukutaicho, ne?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"It's something I have to do myself."

"What?" asked Renji.

"Renji," Byakuya went on, desperate to change the subject, "You are…taking this all rather well. I mean, after what happened only yesterday, that kiss we shared. You must be…"

Renji smiled and shook his head gently.

"Hey, it was a wonderful moment, and I was really, really flattered, Taicho. You mean a lot to me too. But you didn't know then that we were about to find him, so yeah, you kissed me and we were maybe going to start something. But I know how devastated you were when everyone thought it was Aizen, Gin and Tousen who betrayed us."

"Wh-what?" Byakuya asked, blinking.

"I mean, who would have known? Who would have ever imagined that those demons could have abducted three taichos and impersonated them like that without anyone, not even Yamamoto Soutaicho suspecting? That was some really scary gigai technology they used…stealing and using their powers? Making us all believe we were fighting them? It's just lucky that Urahara-san figured things out and they killed the demon impersonating Aizen taicho. I just hope that they can find the other two, you know? Hollows are enough of a concern, but demons from the spirit dimension? You and Aizen taicho should keep your guard up. Ichimaru taicho and Tousen taicho too."

"But…"

"Oh, sorry to have to leave you, Taicho, but I have to get going. Rukia and our friends and I are all going out tonight in Karakura Town…sort of our own celebration of the real end of the war, you know?"

"R-right," Byakuya said, nodding briefly, "Please give my regards to my sister and..."

He paused, blinking in confusion.

"Erm, enjoy your visit."

There was that feeling again! The feeling that something isn't right…someone…

"I will, Taicho," Renji said, smiling and opening the door, "And you get back home and enjoy your wedding night. After all, it's not every day that your dreams come true."

"…or your nightmares," Byakuya breathed, watching Renji disappear out the door.

He gave a flustered sigh and dropped into his chair, then picked up the report on top and scanned it carefully, his brow furrowing.

"Taichos Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen were located in the depths of the prisons of Las Noches, surrounded in a restrictive kido and with their bodies and their reiatsu heavily obscured. Abarai fukutaicho and I ascertained from available evidence at the scene (the prisoner's log and other attached written documents) that they must have been abducted from the Seireitei well before their alleged betrayal.

"And this is my signature," Byakuya mused, "But…"

He caught his breath as the scene appeared in his mind as if it was memory.

"Be cautious," he warned the search team, we don't know what we are going to encounter here. This section of the prisons is said to have housed the most powerful of Aizen's prisoners. It is our duty to release any shinigamis we find here. Come, Renji."

"Hai, Taicho," the redhead said, flash stepping after them.

The search team spread out, and he and Renji surveyed the prison log briefly, then followed a set of corridors down to the deepest level. They destroyed the heavy, sealed door that led into the cellblock and walked in through the billowing dust. Only three cells appeared to hold any prisoners.

"It doesn't say who they are," said Renji, checking the log book, "but they've been here since before Aizen's time as leader of the hollows."

"They may be shinigamis who witnessed something, but who the demons thought would be useful," Byakuya surmised.

"Yeah," agreed Renji, "You're probably right."

Renji moved off to the right and Byakuya moved to the door on the left, looking in through the tiny, dirty viewing window, then blowing the heavy, sealed door off its hinges. He stepped into the room and turned on the lights, illuminating the pale, restrained and unconscious man on the bed in the room. He didn't recognize the face, but as he grew closer, he sensed the presence of masking spells. He gathered his reiatsu and smashed through them, then gasped as he realized who he was looking at.

"Oh my kami, Urahara-san was right!" he whispered, "Sousuke!"

He freed the bound man and leaned over him, infusing him with healing reiatsu and calling his name urgently. The other man's eyes blinked slowly and opened. They came to rest on Byakuya, and he gave the noble a weak, but grateful smile.

"Byakuya," he whispered, "Somehow, I knew it would be you that would find me!"

Aizen's arms wrapped around him, and Byakuya's fingers sank into his hair.

"Are you all right now, Sousuke?" he asked softly.

Aizen's smile strengthened.

"I am now, my love."

"Ugh," Byakuya muttered, surprised at the intensity and realness of the 'memory' that had been placed in his mind, "Though it does make sense of everything that happened."

He was drawn out of his thoughts as a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and Aizen's scent touched his senses. Byakuya was suddenly confused at the odd emotion that ran through him, the desire to turn into the man's arms and return the gentle kiss that Aizen planted on his neck.

It must be because of the alternate memory planted in my mind, he reasoned, stiffening as Aizen turned him and began a gentle, but annoyingly insistent assault on his mouth.

"What are you doing here," Byakuya managed between the deluge of hard, penetrating kisses, "I am working."

"Come now," said Aizen, smiling against his protesting lips, "It is well past working hours, and it is our wedding night."

Byakuya scowled as Aizen pushed him backwards, onto his desk, then pushed in between his thighs and attacked his mouth again. And although his instinct was to pull away, he felt something odd in Aizen's kisses…something that failed to register as cockiness and fell somewhere closer to relief and honest desire. He pushed the man away roughly and placed his hands on the edges of the desk to brace himself as he lowered his head and tried to clear his mind. Something dark and fireshot tore through his mind so quickly that he captured only a frozen moment.

He rested, smiling and completely naked in Aizen Sousuke's warm arms, the heat of the man's release still burning inside him. Aizen's fingers moved slowly through his hair and Byakuya could hear the fast, steady pounding of their hearts as they beat together.

"Aishiteru yo," he heard himself whisper, "Aizen taicho."

Aizen smiled and started to answer, but the two naked shinigamis sat up together as an alarm began to shriek. Aizen looked into his eyes, the smile gone and his eyes dark and serious.

"Stay here. Do not move from this room until I come back for you."

"Oh!" Byakuya gasped, placing both hands in the sides of his head as sharp pain exploded inside him.

He felt cool fingertips touch his cheek and Aizen speaking his name in a voice that was filled with concern. The man's strong arms caught him as he slumped and started to fall. He was lifted and carried into his quarters and laid in his bed. A wet washcloth cooled his face, and he sighed softly and started to drift off, but as his mind whirled in slow circles near the edges of sleep, Aizen's voice reached him again.

"Rest now, my love. You struggle too hard against the barriers. It is not time yet for the full truth to come back to you. It is there inside us both, and he won't stop it from returning. But it cannot be forced, and you will only destroy yourself if you continue this. Relax…let go of it. Just let it go, Byakuya. Trust me."

He felt then, the touch of Aizen's power, the presence of Kyoka Suigetsu, and then a sharp release of tension. He drifted off to sleep in Aizen Sousuke's arms, his mind spinning gently into oblivion.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Good morning Taicho," Renji said quietly from the doorway, "Would you like some tea?"

Byakuya sat up, then put a hand to his head to stave off the instant headache it caused. He sat up, rearranging the pillows behind him and nodded briefly.

"Yes, tea would be good, Abarai, arigato," he said, leaning back and rubbing his eyes.

He looked questioningly around the room as Renji walked out and made his way down the hall. He couldn't sense Aizen Sousuke's presence anywhere in the division office, but seemed to find it somewhere in the area of Kuchiki Manor.

"But…he was here. Last night, he was here. I remember…" he whispered.

He tried to remember what had happened between them and couldn't seem to remember anything beyond Aizen putting his arms around him and kissing him.

"So how did I end up here alone?" the noble mused, "Did he leave? Did I kick him out?"

He tried again to remember and failed.

I can't remember anything…

He thought he might have remembered feeling the presence of Kyoka Suigetsu. And that realization made his reiatsu flare with indignation.

Did he…come here and…use that damned thing to…to take advantage of me?

"Bastard!" he hissed, startling Renji as the redhead returned to his room.

"Taicho?" Renji queried, looking at him oddly.

"M-my apologies," Byakuya said quickly, climbing out of bed, then blushing as he realized that he was completely naked and Renji was flushed pink and trying to look unaffected.

"Just…leave it on the nightstand," he managed, flash stepping to the closet and grabbing the first yukata he could reach. He wrapped it around himself and stepped out of the closet, pausing as Renji turned his head to look at him and his blush deepened.

"I'm sorry," Byakuya said, looking down at himself, "Is something…wrong?"

"N-no," said Renji, "Not at all, Taicho. It's just that, well, I never saw you wear that shade of red before. It looks really good on you. Where did you get that? Was it Aizen' taicho's wedding gift?"

He looked at the yukata again, blinking.

I don't remember having this made…

He caught sight of the embroidered lettering on the pocket and scowled.

Aizen Byakuya? It must have been him…

"Yes," he answered shortly.

He found a pair of sandals and slipped them onto his feet, then started out of the room.

"Are you going somewhere, Taicho?" asked Renji, gazing at him in confusion, "What about your tea? Taicho?"

He left Renji staring after him and flash stepped back to Kuchiki Manor, moving swiftly to keep from being seen in the scarlet red yukata. He blazed through the entry gates in a red and white blur, then turned towards his room. Aizen's voice stopped him just short of it.

"Why, Byakuya, you came back," he said, smiling congenially, "I was hoping that you would. And I see you found the wedding gift that I left for you."

He disappeared out of his chair and reappeared a short distance away as a kido blast erupted from the noble's hands and struck the small gazebo, where Aizen had been sitting and enjoying his breakfast. The gazebo disappeared into splinters and shattered glass, and Byakuya flash stepped towards the frowning Aizen, calling his zanpakuto into his hand.

"You bastard!" he snapped, as Aizen's weapon appeared and crossed his, "How dare you use that devil's zanpakuto to take advantage of me!"

"To…take advantage of you," said Aizen, looking mildly surprised, "Byakuya, what are you talking about?"

"You came to the sixth division last night!" Byakuya said angrily, "You started kissing me, and…"

He paused, trying hard to remember what had happened next…how he had left the office and ended up naked in the bed in his quarters.

"I sensed Kyoka Suigetsu! You used that thing to hypnotize me, and you…!"

Aizen shook his head.

"I didn't have sex with you," he said solemnly.

"Yes, you did!" Byakuya insisted, not knowing quite what made him so sure that was what had happened, "I know you did! Why else would you have used that damned zanpakuto on me!"

Realization touched the other man's eyes for a moment, and Aizen smiled at him.

"I must confess," he said, looking at Byakuya between their crossed swords, "I did come to your division…and I did want very much to have sex with you. I rather enjoyed our first time as a married couple, and I was hoping that you would be amenable to another coupling."

Byakuya's face registered disgust and his anger deepened until his reiatsu raged around him.

"You!" he hissed again, his body shaking with rage.

"I didn't have sex with you," Aizen said again, his smile fading slightly, "although I would have very much enjoyed doing so. However, you seemed…unwell last night. So I undressed you. You look so lovely without your clothes…"

Byakuya tried to pull his weapon away so that he could slash at Aizen again, but found that their swords were locked too tightly together.

"I put you in your bed, and I did watch you sleep for a while. I may have touched you a bit. How could I resist, ne? But I did not have sex with you. I realized that marrying me had to have been a shock for you, and that you leaned a bit on the champagne, probably because of the tension. I didn't think that you would appreciate me being there when you woke up, so I left you there and came back here…and spent the rest of the night dreaming about being with you. I didn't take advantage of you, Byakuya. We may be married, but I wouldn't resort to rape just to be with you sexually."

"As if I would be able to tell if you did," Byakuya said, the anger fading somewhat, and being replaced by something closer to unhappiness, "How is one to know what you would or wouldn't do? You have a zanpakuto that you can use to twist my mind however you want to. But…I know the truth about you. Maybe everyone else has forgotten, but I still remember!"

Aizen gave him an odd, troubled look, then sighed briefly and nodded.

"I see that there will be no convincing you, so I won't try anymore. I told you the truth. I came to the sixth division and was trying to convince you to go to bed with me. You became ill and I undressed you and put you in bed. I did use Kyoka Suigetsu, but only to help you sleep. I didn't…and I won't take advantage of you."

Byakuya glared into his eyes for several long moments, then slowly relaxed his arms and lowered his weapon. Aizen smiled at him and sheathed Kyoka Suigetsu, then wrapped his arms around Byakuya and kissed him before he could react. He released the stunned noble again and looked back at the shattered remains of the gazebo.

"I suppose we should ask for something more to eat…but it looks like we'll be eating inside," he commented, as Byakuya sheathed his sword.

He watched in silence for a moment as Byakuya flash stepped back to their bedroom.

I am sorry to keep you in the dark, Byakuya, but for now, I must.

But soon…

He waited a moment longer, then flash stepped in the direction that his noble mate had gone.