Chapter 7: I Hate Loving You
(A late, but heartfelt birthday gift for dear Wolfy! I hope you had lots of food, fun and laughter today…good friends and loving family. Enjoy the chapter! Love Spunky)
Aizen Sousuke's brown eyes flared with pent up anger and annoyance, and his reiatsu sparked as he left the main house and stepped out into Kuchiki Manor's gardens without having managed to breach the protections of Byakuya's celebrated archive.
I expected that the archive would be well protected, but it is surprising that even with my level of ability, I was repulsed. I realize now that the archive must be protected by something created by the soul king. As such, it will take more effort to get inside. That does not mean it can't be done.
He paused, glancing in the direction of a distant footstep, where is narrowed eye found Kisuke slipping into Kuchiki Tetsuya's bedroom. His lips quirked and a measure of his frustration and anger drained away as he edged closer, cloaking himself in illusion to that he could watch what was about to unfold.
Within the bedroom, Tetsuya stood within the dressing area, moving almost silently so as not to wake his attendant in the next room as he slipped out of his house guard's uniform. He reached for a comfortable sleeping yukata and began to wrap it around his slender body, only to freeze a moment later as warm, strong arms curled around him from behind and Kisuke's sexy whisper tickled his earlobe, making him catch his breath and flush instantly.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to take advantage of you or anything. Sorry I caught you naked again, but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed our tea and conversation earlier."
Tetsuya's lips transitioned to a trembling smile.
"I enjoyed it too," he whispered back.
"Hmm, now I don't know if it would raise some eyebrows here, but I thought that it could be pretty amazing to watch you fall asleep while…"
"Kisuke-s-san…"
"I told you I'm not gonna try anything," Kisuke added hastily, "It's just that…it's been a long time since I watched someone…someone I feel close to like this fall asleep. That's all. Really."
The smile faded from Tetsuya's lips, but he made no move to extract himself from the shopkeeper's embrace. Instead, he relaxed slightly, turning his head to meet Kisuke for a slow, tender kiss.
"I also have missed falling asleep in the arms of someone I felt close to," he confessed, "And as long as you understand that I am not yet ready for more than that, you are welcome to stay."
It was a situation in which, if it had been anyone else, Aizen would have done his best to make his former lover break that vow.
But this is Tetsuya, and if he is to continue to be of use to me, I must keep his environment stable and happy. At the same time, I will keep Kisuke focused on him, so he will be less likely to detect my presence.
He continued to watch closely as Kisuke kept an arm wrapped around Tetsuya and the two walked out of the dressing area, exchanging gentle kisses. They crawled into the large, very soft bed and Kisuke curled around Tetsuya's back, enjoying how the moonlight streamed in through the open garden doors, lighting the ends of the younger man's hair in a lovely midnight blue hue. Tetsuya's sapphire eyes closed and he nuzzled Kisuke's cheek.
"Please do remember that I have only given you permission to watch me fall asleep," he warned his smiling partner, "Byakuya-sama may have realized that our resonance needs to be addressed, but…"
"I get it," Kisuke chuckled, "I'll slip out of here once you're asleep, and I won't let him see."
Aizen's brown eyes blinked slowly as he watched the exchange, and he thought he might have felt the softest burn in his heart at how his former lover had moved on.
But the truth is that my interest in Kisuke was only about gaining access to his research back then. I did not love him, though he did have his moments…
"Kisuke-san," Tetsuya's voice said, distracting Aizen out of his thoughts, "earlier, while we were having tea, I answered your questions about my Naoki and my cousin, Orochi…"
"Yeah, sorry if I seemed too nosy or anything. I was just trying to get to know you better."
"Of course," Tetsuya agreed, "and I want to know you better as well. While my position as Byakuya-sama's bodyguard gave me access to much of your personal information, there was nothing that suggested a prior relationship. You said that you had a prior relationship and it sounded as though it ended badly. You don't have to talk about it if it is too painful, but…"
"Hmm," Kisuke sighed, nuzzling closer to Tetsuya's warm back and breathing in his sweet scent, "you know, Tetsuya, I haven't ever admitted to anyone that I was even involved in that romance. I don't know quite why I was able to speak about it to you, but it may be our resonance that made me feel like the time was right to let it out to someone."
Tetsuya's hand slid down his side and he laced the slim fingers together with the shopkeeper's as Kisuke continued.
"It was another scientist…don't worry, it wasn't that maniac, Kurotsuchi," he chuckled.
"I wondered for a moment."
"Yeah, in a way this one was better, but in some ways, he was much, much worse. I'm known for being the guy who thinks of everything. I can look at a problem and tell you every which way that problem can go. I can come up with solutions for all of'em."
"That is why, even though you were banished after the incident with the vizards, Central 46 and the Gotei 13 continued to work with you on some things," Tetsuya recalled.
"Yeah. I was good at what I did…at anticipating and responding. But, there was one person who slipped through my guard, someone I failed to look at closely enough, so I didn't catch on when he indicated a personal interest in me."
Tetsuya bit his lip gently, holding back saying anything, even though he immediately spotted the hint of uncertainty in Kisuke's voice.
"No, I guess it might be more accurate to say, I didn't want to see it. It was there all of the time, on some level, but I was…in love…or maybe I just really wanted to be. Kami, sometimes, I just don't know what came over me."
Tetsuya sighed sympathetically.
"Sometimes it's hard to know why there is resonance between certain people."
Kisuke gave his younger partner a little smirk.
"You talking about us?" he asked, "You don't still think I'm gonna hurt you, do you, Tetsuya?"
"Oh…no, that's not it at all," Tetsuya assured him, "I was actually referring to my resonance with my cousin, Orochi."
"Ah, the snake charmer," Kisuke said dryly, "Quite the wicked bastard."
"Yes," Tetsuya agreed, "but he was the only one who could pass himself off as a sympathizer to the ones who ran the prison I was in."
Tetsuya's blue eyes took on a sad shine.
"He could have been a hero to me. When Byakuya sent him into Itamigiri as a spy, he certainly could have chosen to help me and not to hurt me…but Orochi is…"
"He's a sneaky, conniving, slithery bastard," Kisuke growled softly, tightening his hold on Tetsuya ever so slightly and bringing his younger partner's smile back at his protectiveness, "I know Byakuya has wanted to kill him more than once over the years."
"He was awful," Tetsuya agreed, "but he seemed to have some sort of strange fascination with me. He enjoyed hurting me himself, but he wouldn't let anyone else touch me. He warned me never to let anyone else love me, or they would meet a much more slow and painful death than my Naoki did while we were escaping."
Kisuke peeked over Tetsuya's shoulder, catching his eye.
"Well, don't you worry one bit about me. I know a little about sneaky, wicked bastards."
Tetsuya's smile warmed sweetly and he met the also smiling shopkeeper for a tender kiss.
"I feel like you really do understand."
"More than you know," Kisuke affirmed, his smile fading, "Cause, the guy who got me to let down my guard? The one who made it past all of my defenses and used me to get to my research was none other than Aizen Sosuke."
Tetsuya stiffened and his breath caught sharply as Kisuke sighed and sagged slightly.
"That didn't make its way to Byakuya's personal bodyguard and head of house security?" he asked sadly.
"No," Tetsuya answered a bit breathlessly, "No one had a clue about that."
"Nope," Kisuke said, his frown deepening, "not even me."
"Kisuke," Tetsuya said softly, finally abandoning the smallest of honorifics he had clung to, "I'm sorry."
"What've you got to be sorry for?" Kisuke chided him.
"For what he did to you," Tetsuya explained, "and for bringing up something so painful for you. And, having to go and see him, face to face, can't have been easy for you."
"Not really, no," Kisuke sighed, kissing his way along the side of Tetsuya's soft, pale throat, "but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? And believe me…he may have fooled me once or a few million times while we were in love, but I don't love him now, and if he ever tries anything, I'll be ready for him."
Outside the garden doors, Aizen bit back a little laugh.
"Keep thinking that way," he teased in a hissing whisper, "Keep thinking you are safe. The past is closer than you think…"
His face wore a satisfied smirk as he watched Tetsuya roll onto his back and loose the tie at his waist, leaving his bared flesh open to the surprised shopkeeper's attentions. Kisuke's eyes widened and looked down into the younger man's for a long, heated moment before he carefully laid the folds of Tetsuya's yukata back in place.
"K-Kisuke?" Tetsuya stammered, looking horrified that he'd made a terrible mistake.
The shopkeeper smiled tenderly and fed him a long, penetrating kiss before pulling free of him and standing to look down at his sweetly confused expression.
"You aren't going to just be someone I use for my comfort, Kuchiki Tetsuya," he said reassuringly, "I'm keeping my promise for tonight."
"You don't have to. It's really all right."
Kisuke curved a palm around the younger man's flushed cheek and kissed him on the top of the head.
"You're precious to me already," he whispered longingly, "and I can't wait to make love to you…someday, when we're ready for that."
I don't think so, my old lover, Aizen mused, taking a step towards the open doorway and gathering his power, I think you need to be fully distracted right now, so I can get in to that archive and get what I want.
But just as he began to move again, the house alarms began to ring and a warning to the household sounded.
Attention! Attention! Central 46 prisoner escape. The villain, Aizen Sosuke has escaped Muken. All taichos and fukutaichos will meet immediately at the first division to receive orders.
Aizen gave a ragged sigh and stopped short of interfering with the two men in the room, who were hastily dressing.
Ah, my time is up, I suppose, but there are other places to look for what I need. Onward I suppose.
He flash stepped away as Byakuya and Renji stumbled out of Byakuya's bedroom, still pulling their uniforms on and wearing confused expressions.
"What the hell? Aizen's escaped?" Renji hissed, "How the fuck? Are you hearing this, Taicho?"
"I am," Byakuya groaned, swaying dizzily as he worked to collect himself, "I don't know if this is real or if I am still dreaming."
He held a hand to his head as Renji watched sympathetically.
"I am never touching that sake of your again!" the Kuchiki leader snapped, "That is the devil's nectar, Abarai!"
"You sure weren't complaining when you tied me up and had your way with me last night," the redhead giggled.
"S-stop laughing and let's go! Aizen's escaped," Byakuya seethed, "We must not let him get away!"
Aizen's lips curved into a smile as he left Kuchiki Manor, cloaked in the illusion of a local vendor's assistant known to make deliveries in the area. It became even more smug as he headed towards the edge of town, listening to the excited chatter about his escape from Muken.
"Do they have any idea how he got free?"
"None! I heard that he was there one moment, then he just disappeared."
"But how is that possible? No one's ever escaped from the lowest level before!"
"Maybe it's because the prison was damaged in the war?"
He made his way into the woods, pausing for a moment as the smell of smoke reached his senses. The smell grew stronger and the smoke thickened as he headed through the trees until he spotted the fully engulfed cabin that had once been his and Gin's private love nest. A hell butterfly flitted out of the inferno, its fluttering wings smoking as it approached him.
What in the world?
The insect suddenly caught fire, loosing Gin's message as it expired.
"Oh, Sosuke, so sorry. It…looks like I've burned our dinner. Why don't you go back and look for some scraps at Kuchiki Manor? Oh wait, don't tell me, you already had plenty with that red-haired mongrel. No worries, then. I'll find something to eat and we can catch up later. Maybe we can roast some marshmallows in the flaming ruins of this place. I think it got the ending it deserved, ne? Abarai Renji? Really, Sosuke?"
Damn it, Gin.
Though it isn't completely surprising. Our love has always been incendiary, hasn't it?
This is not the end, my dear little fox.
It is just the beginning.
XXXXXXXXXX
Gin held Cherry under one arm as he stomped angrily through the thick growth of trees, heading away from the burning cabin he had left behind.
I wonder how long it will take him to get my message. I suppose it was spiteful, especially considering that I did leave him in Muken, knowing he'd be abused by the guards after I left, but if he did have sex with my zombified body, without my consent. The list of our grievances just keeps going back and forth, doesn't it? It should have ended when Sosuke killed me, but I wasn't lucky enough to have a peaceful death. That freak, Kurotsuchi had to turn me into one of his damned test subjects.
Sosuke killed me.
Even knowing I had tried to end him, Central 46 threw me to Kurotsuchi to abuse after my death.
Sosuke used my dead body, and even though he brought me back to life, all he's done is to cause me more grief.
The worst thing is that there is nowhere to run now. Sosuke and I are bound together by fate…
The shaky fingers of one hand reached up to play over the pendant that Aizen had given him.
There is this, too. I have no choice but to support him while he renews his assault on the soul king. It's the only way to get what I want. Unfortunately, there are still ways that this whole thing could go wrong. Still, I am here now, and I am alive. It will be awhile before he catches up to me, so…
Gin turned suddenly at the sound of a twig snapping and found the tall, black Arabian stallion following him.
"Well, you're back, Arashi," he sighed, "I'm a little busy right now, trying to figure out somewhere to go."
Why did you burn down the cabin back there?
"Hmm, I'm not sure how to make you understand," he explained, "I was angry with someone."
Angry enough to destroy a building with someone's possessions in it? Arashi mused, Your anger must have been great for you to do something like that.
"Yes, well, betrayal will do that to a person," Gin said dryly, "although, I should have expected it from him. After all, he's betrayed everyone else. Why stop with me, especially when I betrayed him too."
Then, if he betrayed you and you are angry, do you need time and a safe place to clear your mind?
Gin blinked in surprise and looked more closely at the stallion.
"You know," he said slowly, "I do think a calm, safe place for thinking would be good, but…there is someone I need to talk to. It's someone I cannot approach, because everyone pretty much thinks I'm dead and I want it to stay that way."
But you have someone who you want to know?
"Yes," Gin answered, "Her name is Matsumoto Rangiku."
Arashi nodded.
The fukutaicho of the tenth division?
"You know her? Good. Will you please bring her here, Arashi? And…can you make sure that no one will know. I am still considered public enemy number two, at least, so she could get in trouble."
I will carry you to my master's thinking place and I will bring her to meet you.
Gin frowned, scratching his chin.
"You do know I am a criminal, right?" he asked the horse, who looked back at him quietly for a moment, then nodded again.
You did commit many crimes, but my master said that you were trying to get something back for your friend that was stolen. Is Matsumoto Rangiku that friend?
"Yes," Gin replied, his voice softening, "Yes, she is."
She is kind to my master and to me. I do not think that someone who would protect her would be a truly evil person.
"Well, as much as I appreciate your trust, maybe you'd better be cautious around me anyway. I'm up to my ears, involved with Aizen Sosuke, and that isn't going to change anytime soon. It's probably better for you if you don't get between us, you know what I mean?"
The horse's blue eyes blinked.
Do you mean…you do not want my help? he asked.
"You can help me," Gin chuckled, "Just…watch your back. Even if I'm not truly evil, I do get into lots of trouble."
Oh, Arashi snickered as Gin climbed onto his back, so you are rather like me.