Chapter 3: Cooking
(In Aizen's bedroom in Hueco Mundo)
"You are shivering," Byakuya observed, snuggling closer to the Seireitei's most notorious criminal, who looked much less threatening, beaded in sweat and glazy-eyed, "You shouldn't have gotten out of bed, or expended so much energy on physical pleasures while so ill."
"It's your fault," Aizen accused him in a seductive tone, "You were the one who crawled naked into my bed and teased me with stories of wicked, beastly pleasures. You should be ashamed of yourself, my love."
"Oh, believe me, I feel tremendous guilt every time I allow your subordinate to capture me and I end up surrendering to you. Still, I cannot seem to help myself. Despite all of your wickedness, I love you rather helplessly, Aizen Sousuke."
"And you think I am any less enamored?" Aizen asked, smirking and letting his fingers trace the lovely lines of the noble's comely face, "But we're getting distracted again. You were describing the beautiful imprisoned Byakuya and how he tempted that poor, hapless beast by doing menial chores, then getting naked and taking a shower. It's so strange how such ordinary things become extraordinary when you are doing them."
"You are just biased," Byakuya noted dryly.
"You are just sinfully attractive, my love," Aizen chuckled, pulling the noble in for several long, penetrating kisses.
He marveled at how, even after sating their lust a few times, Byakuya's eyes looked no less lustful and wanting than they had before.
You are a creature of such passions as one would never expect from you, Aizen mused inwardly, Fascinating...
"Ah," Byakuya sighed, gently evading as he tried to open the noble's yukata again, "but you want me to finish the story, ne?"
"Yes, of course," Aizen answered, smirking, "Go on."
"Very well.
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The beast watched closely as Byakuya finished his bath and slipped into a simple yukata and it amazed him how a man used to such wealth as a noble son was could so easily accept looking like a poor man...and still looking as lovely as though adorned in expensive clothing and precious jewels. He yawned sleepily and looked longingly at his freshly made bed, but felt a rumble in his belly and knew he had to sate his hunger if he was going to sleep at all. Realizing also that he didn't know where the kitchen was, he walked to the nightstand and lifted the small brass bell, then rang it to see what would happen.
Byakuya's eyes widened slightly and his body tensed as footsteps sounded outside his door. Then, the door opened and Byakuya sucked in a surprised and unsettled breath. For, before him stood a stunning, silver-coated fox who walked on his hind legs like a human, who had carefully slitted eyes and a sly smile. The fox's smile widened at seeing his surprised reaction and he made a little growling laugh.
"You rang?"
"Y-yes," Byakuya said, recovering slightly, "The beast...erm...m-master said that there were servants here to help me. S-surely, you are not one of them. You are so...!"
"Yes, I am his servant," the fox informed him, "but how nice of you to look up to me."
"Well..."
"My name is Gin."
"That makes sense," Byakuya said conversationally, "It means silver, does it not?"
"Yes, the master likes things simple," Gin said, smirking, "although I do wonder he calls you by name then and not just hostage. Oh, excuse me, lovely hostage!"
He made another growling chuckle at the blush that rose on Byakuya's face and throat.
"Oh sorry, I have flustered you. Now then, lovely hostage..."
"Byakuya."
"Very well, Byakuya. What do you need?" Gin asked.
"I am rather hungry," Byakuya confessed.
"You look more tired than hungry, Byakuya dear," Gin observed, "but I'll tuck you in later, I suppose."
"I can cook for myself," Byakuya explained, "but I don't know where the kitchen is."
Gin frowned.
"A noble son cooking for himself?" he asked disapprovingly, "I won't hear of it. We have menials more menial than myself for such things. You needn't lift a finger, my lovely, just stay right here..."
"But I really wanted to get to know..."
"...and PRESTO!" Gin said, throwing the door open and revealing two young women dressed in short, revealing white dresses, each with one eye covered with a strange, bony mask, "This is Loly and Menoly."
He nodded to the two.
"Give the prince his meal."
Gin gave the flustered captive a wink, then left him with the two young women. He watched them silently as they wheeled the food cart into his room, then glared at him meaningfully.
"Oh, thank you. That will be all."
"Sure thing, prince," Loly teased him, "Hope you enjoy your prison rations."
The two looked at each other and giggled as Byakuya moved to the cart and lifted the tarnished silver covers over his meal to reveal a plate full of rocks, a cup of filthy water and a small bowl of something that looked like cabbage soup, but was cold to the touch.
"What's wrong," Menoly demanded, "Why don't you try it? Too good for peasant food, rich boy?"
"If that's so," snapped Loly, overturning the cart angrily, "you can just starve for all we care!"
The two turned out of the room and walked away laughing as Byakuya gazed down at the mess, then with a sigh, began to clean it up. He emptied the cup of dirty water, cleaned it and filled it with fresh water from the sink, then moved back to the fallen cart and righted it. He dropped the rocks off the balcony into the dead gardens below and salvaged two mouthfuls of the cold and slimy soup from the fallen bowl. He needed several more mouthfuls of water to rinse the horrid taste from his mouth and sadly, his stomach was still aching with hunger as he laid down and looked out through the balcony doors, up at the stars and the pretty, white moon. He sang softly to the moon and stars to ease his melancholy and to make himself sleepy, and drifted off as the beast watched curiously to see if the bad treatment would make him despair. But the singing seemed to soothe him and even though he looked sad, he didn't look crushed.
Curious, the beast left his room and after sending Gin to punish the two menials for their poor treatment of his guest, he walked to Byakuya's room and slipped inside.
The moon shone brightly across the bed, bathing the sleeping noble's body in celestial brightness and making him even more enchanting. Aizen wanted so much to touch his beautiful face, to stroke the lovely skin while laying kisses on his blushing throat. He wanted to peel away Byakuya's yukata and..."
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"Oh my," Aizen chuckled, taking Byakuya's hand and sliding it down his lightly sweating torso to brush against his piqued genitals, "You've done it again with your lovely descriptions. You are a gifted storyteller indeed to lure me with only your voice!"
He tackled the flustered noble and kissed his protesting mouth several times before releasing him to continue his narrative.
"I think you know what will happen if you continue to tease me," he chuckled warningly.
The edges of Byakuya's usually stern mouth turned slightly upwards as he went on.
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As much as the beast wanted to touch and kiss his lovely captive, he didn't want the man to be any more upset. So, before going further, he exited the room and went to the kitchens, where he had his staff (except for the two ladies who were serving time in the cell Byakuya had inhabited, of course) prepare a large, hot meal. Then, he returned to Byakuya's room and brought the food inside. He leaned over Byakuya and blindfolded him so that he could not see, then touched his face gently to wake him.
Byakuya jumped awake and sat up, shivering as a hand captured his before he could rip the blindfold away.
"Keep it on," a male voice hissed softly, "It is for your protection."
"Why?" Byakuya asked anxiously, "Who are you?"
He paused as something was brought to his lips and started to turn his head away, but a hand captured his chin and he was offered something again. With little other choice, he accepted the bite of food into his mouth, expecting it to be awful as before. But instead, the morsel radiated wonderfully and he sighed in contentment as he devoured it hungrily. The beast smiled and continued to feed him, watching the pretty lips smile as they closed around each tasty bit.
"This is delicious," Byakuya said appreciatively, "Thank you. But will you tell me, why were those girls so cruel? Are a lot of the beast's servants like that?"
"Only some," Aizen sighed, "and you should know that the master punished them for their behavior. They will not be helping you again."
"I'm glad. But...on the other hand, why are you being so kind?"
Aizen smiled.
"Because most of us here are only monstrous on the surface. It is just the need to look beneath the surface that confuses people."
"Is that why you have covered my eyes...Beast?" Byakuya asked, smiling.
"My form makes you fearful," Aizen confirmed, "When we are like this, you are much more calm."
"But why do your hands feel different this way? They don't feel like the clawed hands I saw with my eyes. Are you really a beast at all?"
"Why don't you tell me?" Aizen suggested, feeding him a bite of something sweet and fruitfully decadent.
"What is that?" Byakuya whispered as the sweetness filled his mouth, "I don't usually enjoy sweets, but this is...!"
"Ambrosia," Aizen supplied in a seductive tone, "The food of the gods. Is this better than cold cabbage soup?"
"Much better," Byakuya said gratefully, accepting another bite.
"Ah, but some has smeared onto your lips," Aizen said, leaning forward to lick the stray bits away.
Byakuya froze as Aizen's tongue swept across his flushed lips, then a warm, hungry mouth fastened on his. His breath left him at the way it felt, not like the kiss of a monster, but like that of the prince of legend...that had the power to weaken the knees and make the heart pound to the point of bursting. And before he quite knew what he was doing, he returned the beast's kiss, opening his mouth to let himself be sensually tasted.
"Aren't you worried I will devour you?" Aizen asked, filling his mouth with sweet ambrosia and sharing it in a long, succulent exchange.
"If I must die at your hands, it wouldn't be the worst way," Byakuya said, blushing, "I've never been kissed like that. And it's strange that such a kiss could come from the lips of a frightening beast. Tell me more about yourself. I saw that this must have been a beautiful, rich place before. What happened to you?"
"I can't tell you," Aizen said solemnly.
"And of all the things in the castle, why is only that one sakura tree unscathed?"
"Ah, that's right. You saw it when you broke in. But...I cannot explain that. It is forbidden. I can give you no answers, Byakuya...only small pleasures. I am sorry, but this is how things are now."
"But there must be some hope."
Aizen realized the direction of Byakuya's thoughts and, rather than have him earn the ire of the being that had cast the spell, he stopped the young man's words with hard kisses and let his hands run up and down his captive's slender torso, watching intently the enchanting swell and color it brought to Byakuya's exposed privates. He spread bits of ambrosia down the length of his body and fed on it slowly, smiling as Byakuya moaned and thrashed beneath him, sinking his fingers into Aizen's lovely mane of brown hair. From blushing throat down over white breast and pausing to tease the pink buds, then sliding down to his ambrosia filled navel and sucking the sweet morsel away. He continued downward, pausing as he reached that even more sweet place he longed to invade.
But we cannot make love until he can see me.
"Why did you stop?" Byakuya panted softly, "B-beast?"
"My apologies," Aizen said, pulling free of him, "You are a true temptation."
"Where are you going? I want you to stay. I am lonely without anyone here!"
Aizen smiled sadly and touched his face gently, sweeping the blindfold away and watching as Byakuya's eyes widened in reaction.
"You still see a beast, I know. Maybe...perhaps when you really see me, I can stay with you."
Byakuya slipped out of bed, ignoring that his yukata was still opened and his naked body exposed. He approached the beast slowly and reached a hand out to touch him. His dark eyes widened in surprise.
"But before, you felt human, like me!" he said in a shocked voice.
"You were looking through different eyes," Aizen explained, "When you can look through your human eyes and not tremble like you are now, then..."
He disappeared suddenly, leaving Byakuya staring and wondering if he had really been there at all. Looking around his room, he was stunned to find no sign of the wonderful food that now filled him inside.
"I know it was real!" he whispered, "It had to be!"
The mystery swelled around him so that he couldn't shut his eyes. Unable to sleep, he closed his yukata and crept to his door. He listened for a moment, then slipped out into the hallway, peering into the darkness to watch for any guards that might be concealed there. But he seemed to be alone as he made his way to the place where he had stolen into the castle. Although he knew it was forbidden, he wanted to see the tree again. He knew it must have something to do with the beast's condition and what had happened to the ones in the castle, so he stole into the garden and stood beneath it, admiring the glowing blossoms and reaching out to touch a slender branch.
"NO!" the beast's voice roared, and Byakuya felt a strong arm wrap around him and pull him away, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME HERE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE?"
"I just wanted to..."
"GET OUT!" the beast howled, "How dare you try to touch it!"
Byakuya stepped back, his face white with terror as the beast advanced on him. As he moved, a piece of the rotting wooden walkway gave way and he tumbled over backwards, crashing to the floor and losing consciousness. The beast watched in horror as blood leaked out from under his head and he couldn't tell if the young man was even still breathing. He lifted Byakuya's limp body and raced back through the castle, calling to his healer and then he laid Byakuya carefully back in his bed in the tower room. He watched anxiously as the healer examined the young man and carefully bandaged his wound.
"Will he be all right, Szayel?" Aizen asked.
"He will be unconscious for a while," the healer said, frowning, "But he should be fine once he wakes. And you should be more careful with him if you want there to be any chance of..."
"I know. You don't need to say it. It was just...if he had touched the tree..."
"Yes, I am aware...but this was careless. Perhaps one of the reasons that we ended up like this in the first place."
"You may go," Aizen said tersely, watching with glowering eyes as the healer left the room.
He moved to the bed and laid down next to the unconscious captive, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest and listening to the soft sounds of discomfort and loneliness that escaped his slightly parted lips. He caressed the bits of satin black hair that spilled out from under the bandage the healer had wrapped around the young man's head and he offered Byakuya's unfeeling lips a small brushing of sympathy.
"You must be careful," he whispered into Byakuya's unhearing ear, "You must not break the rules that I give you. You must submit fully for your own protection, otherwise, I might just kill you."
He kissed Byakuya's soft, sad lips again and curled up beside him, holding him as he recovered and only leaving as he began to wake.
I didn't mean to hurt you, but you could have ruined everything. You are my last hope. You saw how many petals have fallen.
We don't have much time...Byakuya.