Chapter 6: Naked

"This place is amazing!" Renji sighed, looking out from the table they occupied on the open deck on the second level of the beach house, "Last time I was here, the hardest part was leaving."

"I always feel that way," Tetsuya said, exchanging glances with Byakuya.

"If not for his devotion to my protection, I think Tetsuya would never leave this place," Byakuya added.

"I love the ocean," Tetsuya sighed, "I sometimes stay beneath the surface for hours."

"You do?" Renji mused, giving him a confused look, "You're into scuba diving?"

"W-well, not exactly," Tetsuya answered.

"We will show you now if you have had enough to eat," Byakuya offered.

"So, that stuff about waiting a half hour after eating…?" Renji joked.

"Does not apply to us," Byakuya finished, rising from the table and leading the other two men back into the house.

They followed Byakuya into the bedroom, where three attendants awaited them.

"I thought there were two attendants," Renji remembered.

"I contacted the household and had our attendants' younger brother join us as well. He is in training to serve the family as his older brothers do," Byakuya explained, "Renji, you already know my attendant, Torio. This is Tetsuya's attendant, Koji, and that is their youngest brother, Akio, who will attending you."

"I guess you drew the short straw, kid," Renji joked good naturedly, smiling at Akio.

"Oh no, Abarai-san!" Akio objected, his green eyes widening, "It is an honor to attend you. You are well respected by our family."

"Thanks," Renji said genuinely, "but do we really need help changing into swimsuits?"

"You miss the point," Byakuya said, standing calmly as Torio removed his clothing, "We are not attended because we are helpless to do things. We are attended because our families know and respect the weight that leadership places on us. Attending to the little things helps to free us to pour our full energy into the protection of our family's safety and honor."

Renji smiled, flushing slightly as he realized that both Byakuya and Tetsuya were stealing little glances at him.

"That does make sense," he reasoned, "I guess I just never thought about it that way."

"The attendants who serve our leading family," Byakuya went on, "must be completely loyal, committed to their service and powerful enough to defend their leader and his loved ones."

Renji frowned at Byakuya curiously.

"But I've never even seen Torio carrying a sword," he mused.

"Part of what makes our attendants so important to the clans is that they operate quietly, almost invisibly within the family, to provide assistance to their leaders, to give support of whatever kind is needed, while safekeeping and defending the honor of those they serve. They do not make a show of their powers because we do not want others to know how capable they are or to be able to anticipate them."

"That makes a lot of sense," Renji agreed, "It's kinda like what you told me about why the taichous, or…most of them…"

"Zaraki taichou excepted," Byakuya interjected, giving his head a little shake.

"Right," said Renji, "The taichous let their subordinates handle what they can and stay in shikai unless their greater powers are needed as a last resort."

"Exactly," Byakuya affirmed, "Part of what gave Aizen Sousuke such an advantage in deceiving us is that he was so cautious about anyone learning what his true power was."

"So, I guess I'd better be careful what I say to Akio-san here," Renji chuckled, "or he might just decide to teach me a little lesson, eh?"

"I am here for your care and protection, Renji-san," Akio said firmly, stepping back as he finished setting the redhead's swimsuit in place.

"Thanks," Renji said gratefully.

Renji fell in with Tetsuya at Byakuya's side and the three flash stepped to the balcony, then down onto the beach beneath it. They moved forward, their feet sinking into the warm, soft sand as they approached the water's edge.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said quietly.

The blue-eyed man nodded briefly and Renji felt a little swell of power surround the three of them. He watched in surprise as Byakuya and Tetsuya began walking into the water, wearing no breathing equipment of any kind.

"Hey uh, didn't you say something about staying beneath the surface?" he asked, frowning.

Byakuya nodded.

"You will remember that Tetsuya's power involves manipulations of water," he reminded the redhead, "Tetsuya is able to breathe under the water, and he can extend that ability to us, provided we do not stray too far from him. Come, Renji."

"Whoa," Renji breathed, following the two into the water, then taking up a position on one side of Tetsuya as the three began to swim beneath the surface.

Renji marveled at the strange feeling of being able to suck the water in like air, but not feeling any sort of discomfort. And he discovered that Tetsuya's power gave them clear vision beneath the waves, allowing the three to enjoy the lovely beds of coral and colorful fish in the shallows, then sweeping views of tall underwater plants and gaping canyons that opened up underneath them in the deeper water. Renji blinked in surprise as Tetsuya's voice sounded, almost as though he was speaking into the redhead's ear.

"We can also speak underwater," he informed Renji.

"This is amazing!" the redhead said appreciatively, "And you're right that it's peaceful. I can see why you like it so much."

The three men moved out further into the water, watching a pod of whales, then diving down with their reiatsu lighting their bodies so that they could swim among the waving plants, angling downward to explore a sunken ship on the sea floor, then joining a group of dolphins that sped wildly, skimming along the surface. By the time they sought the shore again, Renji was nearly exhausted, but felt a deep exhilaration that kept him smiling long after they had retired to the beach house for the evening. They stumbled out of the water, feeling the weight of gravity again as they made their way to the beach house baths to rinse away the fine sand that clung to their skin.

"That's some ability you have," Renji said appreciatively, smiling at the contented look on Tetsuya's face and the more relaxed feel of Byakuya's reiatsu, "I almost didn't want to crawl back onto the beach at the end."

Tetsuya tilted his head back, letting the hot water run down his slim body and sighing contentedly.

"I always feel that way," he confessed softly, standing quietly as Koji washed the unruly waves of his hair, "It's so quiet in the water, so peaceful. And I love feeling weightless."

"Yeah, it felt good," Renji agreed, "until I got back on land. Now I feel kinda seasick."

"That should go away quickly," Byakuya assured him, "But if it doesn't, then I can probably apply a kido effect that will stabilize your senses to alleviate that feeling."

"Sounds good to me," Renji chuckled, "I don't know about you two, but I feel much more relaxed."

"Good," Byakuya said approvingly, leading Renji and Tetsuya to a moonlit lounging deck, "It is time that we spoke more about Tetsuya's situation and what we might do to assist him."

"I'd like to start by beating the living daylights outta that guy who hurt him," Renji suggested.

"While that is not advisable at this time," Byakuya said calmly, "we need to be sure that Tetsuya is protected."

"And you too," Renji added, earning a nod of agreement from Tetsuya, "Let's not forget that even though he attacked Tetsuya, he was actually in that room thinking that you would be there, Taichou."

"And while he wouldn't have dared to hurt Byakuya the way he hurt me, his intentions certainly weren't good."

"You can say that again," Renji said emphatically, "So we probably need to stick together."

"It will be easy enough while we are here at the family retreat, but when we return home, we will need to have a plan in place," Byakuya reasoned, "Tetsuya will be staying at the division, as will you and I, Renji."

"Sounds great to me," Renji chuckled, "The a/c's broken in my apartment again, so my quarters at the sixth are a lot more comfortable anyway."

"I was thinking that the three of us could spend time together in the evenings, relaxing and addressing Tetsuya's discomfort. Although I do not dare approach a therapist, I have consulted some useful written sources. I think that if we work slowly, Tetsuya should grow more comfortable with physical intimacy."

"I don't know," Tetsuya said uncertainly, "I will try, of course, but we have already tried so many things. I don't understand why it's so important to you when you could let me go and just be with Renji-san. He is a handsome partner and he will have no insecurities when it comes to meeting your carnal needs."

Byakuya slipped his arms around Tetsuya and glared sternly down into his troubled blue eyes.

"I am not leaving you," he said firmly, "and you know better than to suggest that you can be replaced in my life, Tetsuya. While I absolutely share your interest in Renji as a romantic partner, in no way does that alleviate the desire I have for you."

Tetsuya startled and his heart fluttered anxiously as Renji arms embraced him from behind, while Byakuya's continued to hold him from the front.

"We want you to feel safe here," Renji breathed into Tetsuya's ear, making a blush rise on the soft skin of his earlobe, face and throat, "Do you feel safe with us?"

"I do," Tetsuya assured him, closing his eyes and relaxing in the other two men's arms, "I feel perfectly safe here."

"And do you feel loved?" Byakuya asked, lowering his head slightly to meet Tetsuya's warm, hungry lips.

"I always feel your love with me, Byakuya."

Byakuya held Tetsuya's face in his hands, smiling down at him.

"We are just a few steps from feeling that safety and love through intimacy. But we will start with getting more comfortable with each other. This is especially important because we are inviting Renji to join us. I had Torio and Koji bring out a lounging bed that we can lie on to look up at the moon and stars."

"That sounds beautiful," Tetsuya said, smiling back at him.

Tetsuya's smile warmed as Byakuya's hands dropped and pulled free the ties at their waists.

"We will do this naked."

"I like the sound of that," Renji said, grinning.

"But there are rules," Byakuya explained, "We may touch, kiss and caress, but without any form of penetration. The focus will be on learning each others' bodies."

"I feel like you two have kind of a head start on me," Renji laughed, dropping his yukata and climbing onto the lounge.

Byakuya and Tetsuya took up positions on either side of the bared redhead.

"Tetsuya and I will put our focus on you and you are free to reciprocate accordingly," Byakuya directed him.

"Sounds great," Renji said, relaxing against the pillows and watching as Byakuya and Tetsuya exchange glances and leaned across him to kiss each other, before turning their attention to the lovely, bold array of dark lines on Renji's body. Byakuya's graceful fingers first traced the large markings on the redhead's muscular chest, while Tetsuya's lighter touches followed the markings on Renji's ankles and calves, slowly moving upward as Byakuya worked his way downward. And if the touch of their roaming fingers wasn't enough, he began to feel sweet, wet touches of their tongues as their devouring mouths followed the trail their hands had taken.

"O-oh!" Renji sighed, "You know, if you're not gonna be penetrating me, then I sure hope you're not gonna just tease me to death here."

"There is no rule against us pleasing you, just no penetration," Byakuya informed him, "And do not forget that you may be touching us as well."

Renji smiled widely, sinking his fingers into Byakuya's silken hair, marveling at being allowed to do something he had never dreamed his beautiful taichou would let him do. Light breaths of sakura and fine leather mingled in the air around them and Renji breathed in deeply, moaning contentedly as Byakuya moved on to explore the finer markings on his soft belly, while Tetsuya moved upward, placing his hands on the redhead's inner thighs and spreading them for better access.

"I thought we were supposed to be helping Tetsuya," Renji managed dazedly.

Byakuya returned to Renji's mouth and invaded it passionately, then kissed his way to the redhead's ear.

"It is good for him to have the focus off of him and to have no fear of penetration," the noble whispered, "And this is giving us the chance to learn what your preferences are. For example, I have learned that your abdomen is very sensitive."

"Ah…!" Renji gasped, "You're not gonna…"

He caught his breath sharply as Byakuya launched a brazen assault of hot, sensuous, wet strokes along the markings on his belly. His hips rose off the lounging bed as Tetsuya's playful tongue swept teasingly along his soft inner thigh. Renji felt intense heat blossoming in his nether region and peeked down at the two, watching hopefully as they both moved gradually closer to the place he most wanted to feel their touches.

"So, you said no penetration?" Renji asked.

"None," Byakuya said firmly, "But do not worry, Abarai. I am sure that Tetsuya and I can please you sufficiently without it."

Renji started to answer, but had the breath stolen from his lungs as Byakuya and Tetsuya exchanged knowing glances, then attacked his flushed nether region together. The slight sting of their fingernails gripping his thighs mingled dangerously with the sweep of their voracious tongues along the satin flesh of his most sensitive places. In moments, his ears were ringing and he was sure his heart would pound right out of his chest. He gave an agonized groan of surrender, releasing violently and writhing senselessly as the two nobles more slowly savored his yielded essence, then crawled up to indulge him in barrage of open mouthed kisses before curling up on either side of him and resting their heads calmly on his shoulders.

"Talk about seeing stars," Renji sighed, "You two are amazing!"

He felt the heat and pressure of their own, as yet unreleased passions and his smile widened.

"But don't think you're getting away without me returning the pleasure," he added, turning suddenly and trapping Tetsuya beneath him.

He fastened his mouth on Tetsuya's rubbing insistently against him as Byakuya took up a position behind him and between the redhead's thighs, rubbing against his bare bottom and lower back. The heavy friction and the rhythmic movement of their entwined bodies brought them swiftly to completion and left the three men pleasantly undone. They gasped and panted harshly in climax, then collapsed into a sweaty tangle, splashed with their mingled essences and glowing softly in the bright moonlight.

"I could stay out here all night like this," Renji sighed sleepily, curling around Tetsuya and hugging him from behind like a teddy bear.

Byakuya curled up against Renji's back, sliding a hand around his waist to caress his warm privates.

"It is warm enough," Byakuya agreed, "and there is a coverlet at the foot of the lounge in case it grows colder during the night."

"Perfect," Renji whispered, tickling Tetsuya's soft belly and kissing the back of his neck.

The three drifted off to the touch of cool breezes and the rushing sounds of the waves that rolled onto the shore. For several hours, they slept peacefully under the stars. As the moon began to set, Tetsuya fell into a deeper sleep and began to dream.

He woke to find himself alone under the stars, looking up at a strangely moonless sky. He sat up slowly and looked around, extending his senses, but finding them useless. He reached down and rubbed his rounded belly, his heart racing with anxiety as he tried again to sense Byakuya's or Renji's reiatsu. He climbed carefully to his feet, then walked back into the dark bedroom, reaching out a hand to turn on the light. He gasped in surprise and dismay as a strong hand grabbed his and a large, dark shape filled the doorway.

"Who…are you?" Tetsuya panted, peering into the darkness, "What are you doing here?"

The bigger man shoved him backwards, sending him crashing down onto the bed, then he trapped Tetsuya's body beneath his and slid a wicked looking knife out of his clothes.

"You and that mongrel inside you are going to die!" Tatsuo's cruel voice hissed.

Tetsuya screamed as the knife rose and came down.

"No!" Tetsuya screamed, tearing free of Renji's arms and sitting up suddenly, "No, don't!"

"Whoa!" Renji exclaimed, carefully holding back touching him as Tetsuya panted and blinked, trying to make sense of the change in the scene in front of him, "It's okay. It was a dream."

"We are right here," Byakuya added, extending a hand as Tetsuya scrambled over Renji and sought Byakuya's strong embrace.

"We aren't going to let anything happen to you," Renji promised, running gentle fingers through Tetsuya's tumbled hair as he took steadying breaths and gradually calmed.

"I am…s-sorry," Tetsuya apologized, coloring, "I dreamed that he came here and he was trying to stab the baby and me."

"We aren't going to let that happen," Renji said, kissing the side of his throat and rubbing his back.

"Renji is right," Byakuya said firmly, "Kuromori Tatsuo is never going to touch you again."

"But you know that if he learns about the baby, there is no way that he will let it be born!" Tetsuya exclaimed, "He will come after me!"

"Hey," Renji said bracingly, squeezing Tetsuya's hand, "you just remember, we're not letting you out of our sight from now on. If that guy tries anything, Taichou and I will be there. We'll stop him."

"You don't understand the hatred that he and others like him feel for people like me," Tetsuya insisted, burying his face in Byakuya's shoulder, "They will want to kill me like they killed Hisana-sama!"

"Tetsuya," Byakuya whispered, holding the younger Kuchiki against his shoulder and looking at Renji with worried eyes, "Renji and I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise you that we will not fail to protect you!"