Chapter 3: The Harem

Byakuya's eyes opened and blinked lazily and he sat up slowly, enjoying the coolness of morning and the touches of sunshine that came in through the open doors on the balcony and fell across his bed in soft patterns. As the king's Hogosha Taichou, he wasn't used to indulging in rising at such a late hour, but although he did feel somewhat unsettled about visiting Kisuke again and being subjected to the oddball inventor's dubious procedure for whittling down his list of suitors, the idea of having time to enjoy a late morning walk in the king's garden and to be alone with his thoughts for a while was decidedly attractive.

He slipped out of bed and into his large, private bathing chamber. His servant appeared immediately and undressed him, then donned a small wrap around his waist and followed the noble out into the hip deep water. Byakuya waded out to the lovely rock waterfall on the far side of the room and stood beneath it, letting the warm water pour down over his soft, pale skin. His mind wandered contentedly as his attendant's hands moved over his bared flesh, and he found himself thinking again about the questions that Urahara had asked him. As invasive as they had felt at the time, he wondered now about his answers. He hadn't truly cared too much, at the time figuring that the whole thing was rather ridiculous and would not…could not be the way to finding the person of his dreams.

My lover would not be one who would ever do something of the nature of this contest. Some mixture of pride, humility and decency would keep him…or her…from ever engaging in such a display. I do wonder, if I met that perfect person, what would he or she be like? What do I really value in a lover? What do I really crave?

He tried again to think about what it was that had made him love Hisana. She had had a kind heart, soft, sweet skin, a lovely smile that made him feel warmth and love. She had been calm in the face of everything that Inuzuri and later, noble life, had thrown at her. But perhaps her most endearing characteristic and the one he missed the most, was how even when they disagreed on something, they never became angry with each other. He always felt her love with him, even when they had their differences.

And yet, he thought, smiling, there was value in an occasional good brawl.

"What the hell are you doing, Taichou? You coulda fried me with that blast!" Renji yelled, "Are you crazy?"

"Not at all," he replied, sending another kido blast at his subordinate and following it with a flurry of strikes with his hands and feet, "I am simply impressing upon your stubborn posterior the need to move faster if it does not wish to feel my wrath."

"Ow!" yelled Renji.

"Calm your reiatsu," he went on sedately, "You cannot sense a candle in a room that is ablaze, ne?"

"A blazing…oof…room on fire would be…OW!…less painful than this. And less distracting!"

"I am a well known opponent, Abarai. I know you have the power and the knowledge to do what I have asked. Now, you will put forth your best effort or I will simply beat you until you are unconscious."

"Gah!" yelled Renji, his reiatsu lighting around him, "Not if fucking…knock you out…first, T-tai…chou!"

Finally…thought the noble, smiling inwardly.

Renji's anger blossomed all around him, turning into raw power, a beautiful wave of heat and fury that blazed across the training grounds and closed in on Byakuya. He knew before he moved that even his flash step wouldn't get him completely clear, but it felt good, he thought, having such power touch him, lift him off his feet and send him flying out of control. He waited for his body to make contact with something…either the ground or the wall of the building he had been standing in front of.

But to his surprise, the heat flaring around him suddenly disappeared, and strong arms and a stronger body captured him, slowed him and brought him gently to the ground on his feet. Renji stared at him, understanding rising in his eyes.

"I get it now, Taichou. I understand."

Their faces were close and Renji's glinting red-brown eyes enchanted him.

"Good," he said quietly, his lips quirked upward, "You have advanced to taichou level, Renji. I will be forwarding my recommendation to Soutaichou for the next round of promotions."

The surprise and mixed emotions, coupled with the dirt on Renji's sweating face made him nearly irresistible. It took everything in him not to lean forward and kiss the rough, flushed lips and to invade that attractive red mouth.

"Thank you," Renji said, gratefully, "With all of my heart, thank you, Taichou."

"Go and change," Byakuya said, lowering his eyes, "We are finished for now."

He watched silently as Renji walked back into the sixth division headquarters.

"You are welcome," he whispered, "And thank you, Renji…for everything."

Yes, he thought, his friendship with Abarai Renji had shown him that even confrontational relationships could be marvelously fulfilling, and that love didn't have to be physical in nature to resonate deeply.

Though I still feel an ache inside that we never did step over those tight boundaries and taste physical love together.

But in the end, while he had wanted to with all of his heart, he had felt that to put bindings on such a young, beautiful and free spirited man would be somehow wrong. So he had instead, enjoyed the splendor of the red haired warrior as he was, walking the more difficult path of modesty and decorum, rules and regulations, while his heart had fluttered and raged beneath his breath, calling him stupid for letting Renji get away from him.

"But it would have been selfish…" he breathed, not realizing he was speaking aloud.

"What was that, Kuchiki taichou?" asked Torio, pausing in his work, "I couldn't quite hear you, sir."

Byakuya realized suddenly that he had become aroused while thinking of Renji, and was glad that the warmth of the water had caused a flush on his pale skin so that Torio would not realize that he was blushing. He cleared his throat softly.

"It was nothing. Please continue."

He used mind over matter to calm his riled length as Torio's hands began to address his genitalia. He remembered he had hated to be washed by the attendants in his earlier, more innocent days. Now he just appreciated the dedication and affection Torio expressed as his longtime attendant bathed and dressed him. He was aware, of course, that many nobles and royals engaged in casual sex with their attendants, but it had never crossed his mind to use Torio in that manner. The younger man was kind hearted and attentive, and wholly devoted to pleasing him…just not in that manner. Or if he was of such a mind, he certainly never allowed it to surface.

"I am finished, Kuchiki taichou," Torio said, bringing him out of his reverie, "Would you like for me to dry you now, or do you wish to remain here longer?"

Yes, Torio is well acquainted with all of my idiosyncracies…

"Ah, I would stay, but I must dry off now if I wish to have time for a walk in the gardens before I have to meet Urahara-san."

"Of course, sir," Torio said, moving to the edge of the bathing pool and picking up a towel. Byakuya left the water and stood quietly as Torio dried him, then walked into the dressing area and waited until the attendant returned to him with a comfortable kimono. His mind drifted as he was dressed and drifted further as he took his leave of his attendant and left via the balcony, flash stepping down into the gardens and walking along the quiet trail. He walked slowly along the trail, listening to the soft crunch of the sand under his feet and the sounds of morning birds. The sweet scent of flowers surrounded him, drifting on the soft breezes.

If I could have anyone walk with me today, who would that person be?

Several people came to mind…Renji, of course, his devoted cousin, Tetsuya, Hisana (were she still alive), or even the more annoying, but still enjoyable Yoruichi. Another, more dubious option popped into his mind for the barest of moments and he tried to force it away, but was assaulted with the memory associated with him.

"Come, let's take a walk together, Byakuya."

"Aizen Sousuke," he said haughtily, "The last thing I want to do is to walk anywhere with the likes of you. And if I must be in your company, it wouldn't be to walk with you, but to kill you!"

"Oh, what lovely sentiments!" Aizen purred, checking his bindings briefly, "But if my Byakuya doesn't wish to go walking, perhaps we should try to think of something more…stimulating?"

"Take your hands off of me, you beast!" Byakuya objected.

He struggled within his bonds, getting nowhere, of course, but at least satisfying himself that he had put up proper resistance. Aizen's mouth found his and invaded it hungrily, forcing his mouth open wide and taming his angry tongue with one that was hot and, despite whose it was, delicious and sweetly erotic. He tried, and almost managed to keep himself flaccid, but Aizen's body came to rest on top of his, and teased him with warmth and maddeningly arousing friction, which he offered, then gently withheld to further rile him.

"Oh, you did miss me, didn't you?" Aizen breathed in his ear, licking the pale shell and then sucking on his earlobe.

"Not at all," Byakuya hissed back, barely keeping the delighted shiver out of his voice, "Wretched…mmmmmph…t-traitor!"

"You lie so beautifully," Aizen said, blinking slowly and brushing his fingers against the noble's flushed throat, "One would think you actually hated this."

"I do hate it," Byakuya said, frowning, "And I despise you!"

"I don't think so…"

The friction returned, heavy and enthralling as Byakuya held on to his crumbling barriers and wondered if this would be the time when Aizen would just take him. But as always, the former taichou looked affectionately into his dark eyes and gently finished him with a relentlessly stroking hand while finishing himself and letting his release pulse out onto their bared bodies. They were quiet for some time after, but then Byakuya made himself break the silence and ask the question that burned in his mind.

"Why do you do this? You never ask for anything…and you never really take anything I'm not willing to part with."

Aizen smiled and brushed the hair away from his face.

"I like playing with you," he said, blinking slowly, "I would only become serious if you wished it as well. I may be somewhat of a scoundrel, but I will not take someone who is not yet in love with me."

"And you don't think I am?" he asked softly.

"No," Aizen said, kissing him, "You are just lonely…and that is why you keep letting me capture you. If you fall in love with me someday, then perhaps, but for now, this is an amusing game."

The games had stopped, of course, when he had been promoted to Hogosha Taichou, and he hadn't seen Sousuke since. He didn't find himself longing for the sexual touches as much as the intimacy of their verbal exchanges and the excitement and challenge of being stalked and aggressively courted.

"Everyone likes a bad boy," he sighed, pushing the thoughts of Aizen Sousuke away.

"Ah, there you are!" said Kisuke, "I've been looking all over for you. We're ready for the first real fantasy…and it's a lovely one, I promise."

"And there will be no unwelcome malfunctions this time?" Byakuya asked dryly.

"Ah, no," Kisuke promised dutifully, "I made a few adjustments and worked out the kinks last night. We are good to go."

"Fine," said the noble, turning to follow the scientist back to his laboratory.

He wasn't sure he really wanted to enter the simulator again, but Kisuke pushed him inside and he had no choice but to sit down and sink into the fantasy that rose around him.

He found himself in a different sort of castle…one shaded in light, earthy colors and warmed by a desert sun. He walked down a long hallway and came to a large, sparkling golden curtain over a doorway. Figuring that he really had nowhere else to go, he pushed it carefully aside and moved forward.

He found himself in a large room that was a grander version of his own bathing room. Except that the colors were different, and instead of having Torio to attend him, a row of scantily clad, veiled women awaited him. He recognized the fourth division fukutaichou almost immediately by her being taller than the rest, and the shade of her hair that peeked out from beneath her veil.

"So this is Kotetsu fukutaichou's fantasy?" he mused, "Or could it be…?"

He froze as an unveiled woman entered the room.

"Welcome Kuchiki taichou," Unohana Retsu greeted him.

"Wh-what is this?" Byakuya asked, "Is…this your fantasy?"

"Well," said the fourth division taichou, "Yes, in part. But there were so many applicants that the Shinigami Women's Association applied as a single entry. And we decided that the best way to give you access to all of us at once to compare our…charms…was to prepare a 'harem' themed fantasy, where we would all pleasure you and you would see each of our 'talents.'"

"T-talents…?" he stammered, shocked at the suggestion, but at the same time, enchanted by the lovely surroundings.

Unohana took one of his hands and Isane took the other, and the two led him forward to a warm indoor bath, much like his at home.

"But I've already…"

He broke off as Unohana's stunning blue eyes fixed on him and her smile warned him not to resist. But as two more veiled women came forward, a terrifying though came to mind.

"Is one of you…Rukia?" he asked, blinking.

One of the veiled women stepped forward and removed her veil. Byakuya stared at her, incredulously.

"Rukia? You are…attracted to…me?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Rukia's eyes went wide and she blushed furiously.

"Well, Nii-sama," he stammered nervously, "You aren't really related to me, except because you were married to my sister, and in some societies, bereaved spouses often married their former mate's…"

"Stop right there," Byakuya said, stepping closer.

He looked down into her wide, frightened eyes and touched her face gently.

"You are my sister. You may have become so because of Hisana, but we are bound in that relationship, just the same. But…if you insist that you must do this, then I will grant you a single kiss, and you will see that we are not meant to be."

He closed the distance, wrapping his arms warmly around and lowering his face to hers. He almost laughed as Rukia fainted before his lips even lightly touched her cheek. He handed her off to another veiled woman and then returned to Unohana taichou.

"Now then…" he said, glancing at the other women, who he was surprised to see looked nervous and fidgety, "Unohana-san, what is wrong with them?"

"Oh they are fine," the healer assured him, "It is just that if you overpowered your own respectably powered sister, then how can they hope to handle such a kiss as yours. If the mere touch of your lips can induce unconsciousness."

"Ah," Byakuya said, looking amused, "And are you likewise minded?"

"No, of course not," Unohana said, taking hold of him and bringing their lips together.

He had to admit that he did enjoy the feeling of having her arms around him…and the softness of her lips rubbing warmly against his. But just as he was beginning to really consider her as a partner, the door crashed open and a tall white-clad man burst into the room. Unohana taichou stepped back in surprise and the other women in the room squealed in fright.

"Wh-what?" cried Isane, dragging another veiled woman behind a sandstone column, "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"What are you talking about?" said the man, giving them a wicked smile, "This is a harem, ne? This harem belongs to me! I am…"

Byakuya stepped forward, realizing belatedly that he had no sword.

"Aizen Sousuke, I don't know how you invaded this simulation, but you will leave NOW!" he snapped.

"What are you saying, impertinent one?" Aizen asked haughtily, "But you are out of uniform…someone dress my favored love slave properly…now!

An 'Aladdin' styled poof sounded and Byakuya blushed as the veiled women disappeared and he found himself alone in the room with Aizen Sousuke and scantily clad in a very revealing female slave's outfit.

"How dare you!" he hissed as Aizen moved forward and trapped him against the wall, "Get away from me, Aizen, or I will…mmmph!"

He found it impossible to object as the former taichou's hands forced him back against the wall and kido ropes wrapped around him like long, dancing snakes, sliding provocatively along his skin. Aizen's mouth fastened on his, effectively silencing him as the man's hands slid down his bared abdomen.

"Oh, you are lovely, my Bya-hime!"

"Argh! Don't you EVER call me that!" the enraged noble snapped, "Release me at once!"

"Ah, I don't think I will," said Aizen, giving him a sly wink, "You know, this being a simulator, we could actually have sex…and you would remain physically virgin…"

"Only your sick mind would dream of that!" the noble fired back.

"And if I continue invading these simulations, we could have sex many times, but each time would be your 'first deflowering!' How enchanting!"

He struggled ferociously as Aizen attacked the soft skin of his throat, his hands roaming over the large amounts of soft flesh left uncovered by the slave uniform. He caught his breath as Aizen's hand slipped beneath the too short skirt and slid along his inner thigh. Byakuya flushed a deeper pink as a jolt of excitement distracted him out of responding angrily to Aizen's attentions.

It's not so much that it's him…it's just that…to be…wanted…passionately like this, to be pursued so relentlessly! If only he wasn't such a wicked man…but…then it wouldn't be…Sousuke…oh my kami! I have such a weakness for him!

He felt his resistance begin to crumble and ceased to fight Aizen's hands as they touched him more sensually, and his kisses hardened.

"Be cautious, my Bya-hime," Aizen warned him, "Remember, you know better than to give in to the likes of me…"

He stared wide-eyed at the other man's affectionate eyes and felt his barriers shatter.

Suddenly, a huge explosion shook the room and the wall across from them crumbled and collapsed.

"Taichou!" yelled Renji, bursting into the room wearing a white house guard's uniform that managed to be extremely appealing, as much for what it gently obscured as for what it revealed.

"Renji?" Byakuya said, shaking his head, and reminding himself that he was in a fantasy, "I didn't know that you had responded…"

"I didn't," said Renji, shoving a surprised Aizen aside.

"What do you think you're doing Renji!" Aizen said, raising his reiatsu threateningly.

"Hey…get outta here!" Renji said, gruffly, "Kurotsuchi taichou hacked your relay. You can't hurt a fly now. In fact…"

He gave Aizen a derisive glare.

"You know…maybe I should show you what Kurotsuchi taichou suggested I do if I came across you harassing Kuchiki taichou!"

He raised a glowing kido ball around his hands and prepared to launch it, only to find that, for the moment, the scoundrel had disappeared.

"You okay?" he said to a flustered Byakuya, releasing him from the snakelike kido bonds.

"I'm…fine," Byakuya assured him, looking up into his former fukutaichou's red-brown eyes, "Renji…it's been…a long time."

"Yeah," the redhead agreed, "I'm sorry, Taichou. I can't stay. But you don't have to worry about Aizen for awhile. Kurotsuchi taichou has some things prepared for the next time he tries to break into the simulation."

"Th-that's…good," Byakuya said, still gazing up at the redhead, "Renji…I am…sorry that I thought that you would…would be part of something like this. It must seem…disgraceful to someone like you to have me think that, even for a moment. I am sorry."

"Hey, no harm done," Renji said, trying not to notice just how much of the noble the slave outfit revealed.

"Renji, are you…aroused?" Byakuya asked softly, looking down.

"Ah…well, you're dressed in that and standing there, looking up at me with those eyes and…who the hell wouldn't be…ah…erm…"

"I'm sorry," the noble said, stepping away, "I shouldn't have asked that. It's just that…Renji, when I was your taichou, there were…things that I didn't say to you. I thought them often enough, but I…I didn't know how to tell you. Renji, I…"

"Oh hell, no!" gasped Renji, "Not now!"

Byakuya blinked in surprise as Renji disappeared, and he found himself back in the small, cramped simulator. The door opened and Urahara peeked in.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, "I guess there are a few kinks. I'll work on it some more and send a hell butterfly when I'm done."

He left without answering, and walked slowly back to his room, still feeling Renji's hands lightly touching him and his former subordinate's voice asking a question he had asked many times over the course of their association.

"You all right, Taichou?"

"Of course I am. Who do you think you are talking to?"

Renji had always laughed, but now he wondered what the redhead really felt. And he wondered why it was so important to him. His heart ached softly at how he had betrayed the tiny flare of hope that Renji was an applicant. It was embarrassing to know that Renji now must realize that he had feelings for him…as unrequited as they might be.

"Not that it matters," he said softly, stealing out into the King's Gardens and touching his fingers to a large, red flower, "You are in the Seireitei, and you are no longer my…subordinate…"

He wanted to believe they were still friends, but he had felt too worried that he would say something stupid and reveal his feelings…or that Renji would realize what he felt and would…

"No, Renji would never be hurtful," he whispered, "He would be exceedingly gentle even in breaking my heart."

He stroked the petals of the red flower longingly, then turned away and flash stepped towards the palace.