Chapter 4: Balances
(I was on the road yesterday, so couldn't finish this up until today. :) I have many more updates on Kenpachi stories on the way. Have a lovely day. Cheers, Spunky)
Byakuya felt the deep haziness enveloping his mind begin to recede, and he woke to find himself tucked into a soft, comfortable bed within the newly constructed palace. But while his only real desire was to dig more deeply into the blankets and go back to sleep, he felt a warning throb in the depths of his belly and was forced to abandon the bed in a mad dash for the nearest bathroom. He expelled the contents of his stomach violently, vaguely noting that even his vomit was made of shades of silver, then he staggered to his feet and rinsed his mouth before stumbling back to the bed and lying down.
He rolled his eyes in annoyance as a rumble of hunger went through his insides, and he found himself longing for home, where his family's housekeeper and cook, Matsuko, would certainly have prepared him whatever of his favorite foods he might have desired. He couldn't help but imagine his favorite meal of thin slices of beef in a savory ginger sauce, spread over thick, sticky rice and served with perfectly made tea. He blinked in surprise as the door to the king's suite opened suddenly.
"Is that you, you…" he began, thinking it was of course, Kenpachi come to initiate the next mating.
But rather than revealing the huge golden form of the eleventh division taicho, it was only a large tray of food that floated through the door and moved to hover over Byakuya's lap. Byakuya stared for a moment at the delicious food that seemed to have been constructed from his vision of what he wanted. Tentatively, he took a taste of the food and he groaned in bliss in that it was even better than he had imagined. He attacked the meal almost viciously, flushing slightly at his own urgency about doing so.
But it is not my fault exactly, he reasoned, The forces working inside me are very strong.
He finished the meal in a few minutes, then sighed longingly, wishing for seconds. A very small smile touched his lips as the image of the emptied tray flickered and the tray was suddenly refilled. Without hesitation, he dove on the additional food, polishing off the second serving as quickly as the first. He blushed at needing a third serving, a fourth, then dessert, but reasoned that the immense forces burning inside him required extreme amounts of energy the food provided. He burped loudly as he finished eating, then set the tray aside and collapsed on the bed again. He was nearly asleep when he heard heavy footsteps approaching the room.
Oh, if this was not necessary…
The door to the king's suite slammed open and Kenpachi's eerily beautiful golden form filled the doorway. His glowing golden eyes scanned the room, coming to rest on Byakuya's slender, silvery body. The golden man's lips curled back into a hungry grin and he flash stepped to the bed, where he tackled the noble before he could react. The two tumbled across the bed together and crashed clumsily to the floor, where Kenpachi's big fingers hastily sought Byakuya's entrance.
"Don't even let me climb back on the bed…" Byakuya complained, flinching and taking hissing breaths as his nether region was swiftly prepared, then roughly invaded.
The floor creaked and Byakuya's body reeled at each powerful, grinding thrust as Kenpachi's gilded body writhed in an oddly enthralling dance atop the noble's trapped form. He meant to look away, but found his eyes repeatedly drawn back to Kenpachi's tall, shining form.
I suppose he can't help acting this way. I was not acting like myself when I demolished four servings of food and barely held back from eating with my fingers. The power being bound to make the king is transcendent. Neither of us can hold back or resist while under its influence.
And…
Byakuya had a moment of something that felt strangely like affection, and his hands slid down his comrade's lean, undulating form, curving around his bottom and inviting deeper penetration.
He looks so…different this way.
He would have been loathe to admit to the fascination he felt, and soon enough, the moment of unexpected beauty passed and Kenpachi stilled atop him, expelling the scathing reiatsu into his body so forcefully that Byakuya's vision dimmed and he sank almost immediately down into blackness. He remained silent and unmoving for how long, he wasn't sure. When he began to wake, he felt that he was back in bed and strong arms were holding him.
"Sorry about that, Kuchiki."
Byakuya opened his eyes and found his gilded mate holding him and gazing down at him intently. He glared up at the bigger man, starting to say something nasty, but froze in place at the look of genuine concern that Kenpachi was wearing.
"Damn," the bigger man swore, "are you all right? Didn't mean for that to happen, but that bastard gets hungry and just takes over."
"Why are you apologizing?" Byakuya chided him, "You know very well that if you ever tried to touch me like that without my permission, I would remove that monstrous equipment of yours. I agreed to this. Apologies are unnecessary."
"Huh," Kenpachi huffed, "Where I come from, you do something that hurts someone, you're supposed to apologize."
"Where you come from, the women eat their young without apologies of any kind," Byakuya snapped scathingly.
Kenpachi chuckled and smirked at him.
"That make you feel better? Insulting me like that?" he asked.
"Somewhat," Byakuya sighed, groaning as the heat in his insides pulsated painfully, "but I am unable to fully enjoy it, as the liquid fire that you expelled into me is burning my insides."
"Well, then let me see if I can do anything to…"
"Get your hands off of me!" Byakuya exclaimed, pulling away, "You are not touching me when the ritual does not demand it!"
"Hey, dumbass, I'm only trying to make it feel better. I can…"
"Stop, you moron!" Byakuya hissed furiously, swatting his hands away, "It is enough to have you brutalize me repeatedly for the purpose of reincarnating the king. You are not…"
"HEY!" Kenpachi snarled, grabbing Byakuya and holding his power stripped body so tightly that he couldn't move, "Just shut up and hold still. The ones in the prism told me that the mating would hurt you and that I could relieve some of the pain and help you render the reiatsu by rubbing your belly and giving you a little juice."
"You are not…"
"Not that kinda juice," Kenpachi snickered, "This kind."
Byakuya stiffened in his comrade's grasp, but had to admit, to himself anyway, that the bigger man's hands and the light flow of soothing reiatsu did ease the discomfort he felt. He went quiet and relaxed in Kenpachi's strong embrace, avoiding the bigger man's amused eyes and silently promising himself, he would find a way to eventually get revenge of some satisfying kind someday. Kenpachi watched as Byakuya fell asleep, his heart flickering in his chest at the lovely sight and soft feel of the noble's resting body. He ran his fingers through Byakuya's thick, silver hair and breathed in his flowery scent.
I've always kinda liked looking at him. I didn't see many pretty things, growing up where I did, so I get fascinated by them. I don't feel good about being used like this, but touching him is…
Kenpachi paused in his thoughts, glancing down and noting that his thoughts were making him aroused.
I should probably not do that. Byakuya's pissed enough about me doing it with him when we have to. I think he'd blow a gasket if I asked him to have sex just for us. Pretty, stuck up thing that he is? Yeah, he'd just throw it back in my face and tell me off. There's no way he would…
Kenpachi's thoughts scattered like Byakuya's bladed petals as he realized that the noble had awakened and was looking up at him with a surprised expression. Without thinking, Kenpachi bent slightly and touched his lips to the slighter man's, fully expecting them to curl into a sneer and expel some horrid words and threats in his direction. He was stunned when, not only did Byakuya's lips stay soft and pliant, but the noble hesitated and started kissing him back. They kissed several times and Kenpachi felt the throbbing between his thighs increase until the sensation became moderately painful. But just as he was gathering the nerve to suggest something more intimate, Byakuya stiffened and his expression became pained.
"You all right?" Kenpachi asked.
Byakuya tore free of him and ran to the bathroom, where he feel onto his knees retching. Kenpachi sighed and limped after him, trying to ignore the vicious ache in his aroused loins as he curled his arms around the discomfited noble and gently infused his belly with more calming reiatsu.
"Is that any better?"
Byakuya sighed wearily, blinking to clear the spots that danced in front of his silvery eyes.
"Somewhat, but I do not think I can stand," he admitted, flushing slightly at the words.
I hate showing weakness in front of him, but my powers are gone and my body feels like all of the strength has drained out of it. I know it is just that my whole matrix has been committed to making the new king, but it is strange to feel helpless.
"Don't worry about it," Kenpachi answered, lifting him into strong, muscular arms.
I do not even have my physical strength. Everything is gone.
He laid, still and silent, in the bigger man's arms as he was carried back to the bed and tucked in. In the back of his mind, he realized that clouds had covered the skies outside the large, glass balcony doors and rain was falling.
I wonder if this is how it is supposed to go. I almost feel like something could be wrong. But how would we know if it was?
"You're getting into your head again," Kenpachi said suddenly.
Byakuya startled at noting that his golden counterpart was lying on the bed beside him.
"You do that a lot."
"When one is tasked with great responsibility, some amount of worry is normal, even expected. It is critical that the reiatsu be placed and rendered properly or the…"
"Yeah," Kenpachi interrupted, "I know all of that. But I don't think the powers that be woulda picked us if we weren't up to the job, do you?"
Byakuya gazed back at him quietly for a moment.
"I suppose you are right," he answered, breathing slowly through a nagging pain that radiated in his belly.
"You need another belly rub?" Kenpachi asked.
"I will be fine," Byakuya yawned, lying down and turning away to look at the falling rain.
Some part of him registered that Kenpachi wasn't leaving the bed, and that his comrade was watching him with curious eyes.
"Is this making you miss Hisana?" he asked, startling the noble with the question.
Byakuya turned to look back at Kenpachi.
"I always miss my wife," he replied solemnly, "These days that we have been here mark the only days since her death that I have not both visited her grave and prayed for her at the family shrine."
"Not like you have a choice, being up here with me like this."
"No," Byakuya agreed.
"I figured that was one reason why you've been snapping at me. It must be hard to not be able to honor her the way you want to," Kenpachi commented.
Byakuya frowned.
"It is interesting to hear you speak of honor in that way," the noble replied, "For one who comes from a place where things like honor are rare."
"There's honor and respect in the low Rukongai," Kenpachi corrected him, "It's just that we express it differently than you princes and princesses do."
"Oh?" Byakuya inquired curiously, "How is that? Are you making a reference to having killed Unohana taicho in cold blood? Is this your idea of honor?"
Kenpachi huffed out an amused breath.
"Well, I didn't really want to kill her, but that's the way the Kenpachi tradition works. You know about traditions."
"I do," Byakuya agreed, his frown deepening, "and I know that not all traditions are good ones."
"Good…bad," Kenpachi sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, "It's all relative. If you kill a bad guy, it's good. Killing a good guy is bad. Killing a Kenpachi is how you become the next Kenpachi. Yachiru was happy to die that way. You should've seen the shit-eating grin on her face as she died."
Byakuya gave him a discomfited look.
"I think I am glad I was spared the honor," he said, shaking his head, "I prefer to remember that she was a skilled healer and a kind person."
"But you know that, deep down, she was a bloodthirsty killer, just like me," Kenpachi reminded him, "You must have been told her history. I know your family is in charge of keeping the Seireitei's history. Old man Yama woulda made sure that something like that got recorded in your archive, right?"
"He did," Byakuya admitted, "But I was hesitant to fully accept that the woman I knew had a side that was so…violent."
Kenpachi shrugged.
"She was keeping a low profile until I was ready to be raised."
"So, the person I knew was a lie?" Byakuya asked, feeling an odd touch of sadness at the thought.
"Naw, she could be a good person too. She didn't just go around killing anyone. Like me, she loved a challenge. She wanted a strong enemy to fight."
He studied Byakuya's troubled expression and smiled.
"Don't overcomplicate things," he advised his comrade, "She was good to you. She liked you. Remember her like that. And I'll remember that she was a beautiful swordsman and fighter."
"You have an interesting way of looking at things," Byakuya mused.
"Are you surprised?" Kenpachi asked in a teasing tone, "You think that us low Rukon rats are supposed to be simple?"
"I am finding that nothing is simple."
Kenpachi started to answer, then flinched uncomfortably and reached down to pull the king's prism out from within his clothing. Byakuya gazed intently at the prism, his mind troubled as he pondered the colorful facets. He felt the heaviness of the soul king's power as Kenpachi placed the prism in front of him and set his hands on either side, slowly drawing the raw reiatsu into himself.
"Does that hurt?" he asked.
His gold enshrouded companion gave no answer. His golden eyes remained completely focused on the prism and the power continued to flow out and into Kenpachi's massive body.
I did not really need to ask if the exchange was painful. I know it is. He is suffering great pain when he draws out the king's reiatsu for rendering. When this process ends, it is likely that he will suffer serious aftereffects, as I will also. I know that he was given no choice, just the same as me, but…when I see him suffering to bring balance and peace back to our worlds, I feel…
His thoughts were interrupted as the reiatsu collection was completed and Kenpachi set the prism on the nightstand. His head tilted back and he breathed in through his nose, then his head turned and his glazed, golden eyes fixed on the noble.
This is just the king's hunger, the king's need. It is not Kenpachi, he reminded himself as the golden man pinned him easily and opened his clothing, I wonder if Kenpachi remembers anything after. I wonder if he feels anything about what he is being used to do to me. I did notice when we were talking and when he was comforting me that he was extremely aroused. Oddly, though Kenpachi is usually very direct about such things, he did not use the opportunity to tease me about it or to ask me for anything in return for the comfort he was giving me.
I am curious.
He reached up and cupped his hands around the golden skinned man as Kenpachi's fingers impatiently worked at preparing him, then the bigger man's hand pushed his thighs apart. This time, Byakuya focused on his comrade's eyes and moved with him, trying to evoke some sort of connection with Kenpachi. His spirits sank slightly at the cold, impersonal look he received in return as the forces within the prism controlled Kenpachi's powerful movements. Byakuya loosed an unhappy sigh, closing his eyes and bracing inwardly as Kenpachi's body stiffened, then shuddered, releasing the torrent of fiery reiatsu into Byakuya's shaking body.
It seems to grow more powerful and forceful every time we are together. Normally, I would rely on my own strength to endure, but I am without anything, just a receptacle to capture and render this power, shaping it into the new king. I do not understand. Why us? I can understand Kenpachi being chosen to draw the reiatsu. Whoever does that must be powerful. But, why me? I have power equal to Kenpachi's, but that is lost here. I have a loyalty to the king. Maybe that is the reason. But it just seems that anyone could…
He realized suddenly that Kenpachi's golden eyes were looking down into his, and he felt an icy shaft of fear, realizing that the former kings were studying him closely.
Why?
Are they disappointed?
Am I doing something wrong?
The bigger man's eyes blinked and he began to regain his awareness. Kenpachi woke to find himself still on top of Byakuya and joined with his body.
"S-sorry, Kuchiki, I'll just…" he began, starting to pull free of the noble.
He was frozen in place and struck dumb as Byakuya tightened his thighs around Kenpachi and sought his mouth for a hard, penetrating kiss.
"What was that for?" Kenpachi mused, looking into Byakuya's piqued eyes, "I thought you didn't like me."
"I do not like some things about you," Byakuya answered, "Just like you do not like some things about me. But…we are in this together."
Byakuya kissed him again and moved his hips slightly, earning a aroused groan from his golden comrade.
"You shouldn't do that," Kenpachi warned him, "Even though I just ejaculated, it was the king's reiatsu, not my own seed. I'm horny right now, and I'm not going to be able to turn you down if you tease me."
"I am not teasing," Byakuya said, frowning and pushing his hips upward to grind against Kenpachi's, "We may be the king's pawns, but we are also people with our own needs. If you do not want to make love to me, then feel free to say no."
Kenpachi grinned devilishly and moved with the noble.
"Well, I'm already here," he chuckled, nuzzling under Byakuya's soft, silver hair to nip at his vulnerable throat.
He made a deeper sound of arousal and moved his hips more urgently, smiling wickedly at how Byakuya's movements increased in intensity to match his.
"Damn, Kuchiki! I think my dick's gonna melt!"
He panted harshly, sweat misting on his forehead as their virulent movements brought the two to a thunderous climax. Kenpachi's reiatsu swelled around his golden form, glowing brightly as he groaned and loosed his release.
Byakuya's teeth gritted as he awaited the heavy burning that the exchange of king's reiatsu usually gave him. A sound of surprise escaped him at the feelings of warmth and connection that blossomed between the two of them. The two indulged in a barrage of enthusiastic kisses, then dropped off into a long, contented slumber, curled around each other. Byakuya was cognizant for only a moment as he felt the king's presence touch his sleeping mind.
You need to be cautious, the king warned him, Your heart is critical to the making of my new form. It would not be good if it was broken.
Byakuya opened his eyes and fixed them on the man snoring noisily in his arms.
"If my heart was broken," he whispered, "But…Kenpachi seems…"
He felt an icy twinge in his insides as he reached out and touched his comrade's sleeping face.
What was the king telling me?
Could he have been warning me…that Kenpachi could die?
