AN: Ok, folks, it's high time I continued this story! I'm sure I told this a hundred of times, but no harm in telling this one more time: I really enjoyed writing this story as much as I enjoyed reading your reviews, even if I don't get to reply to all of you. I hope you won't mind me! ^^' I hope you enjoyed this as well, since I tried to make this as much funny as serious, as shallow as profound, as different and unique as I could. Next chapter will be the last. :D

Now on with the story!

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A Vibrant Display of a Thousand Kisses

Chapter 7: A Useful Thing Military Taught Us

After a couple of days, Renji recovered from his fever. Ever since their lovemaking, he had been thinking about his options with Byakuya. He could easily just shrug and remain with his captain till the end of the following month, but since the emotions were involved, very, very intense and unexpected emotions, he decided that it would be better for both of them if they separated earlier. So that's what he told Byakuya that particular afternoon, while sitting together and playing their usual game of chess, as if nothing had happened at all.

Naturally, Byakuya would always act as if nothing was wrong, but that wasn't the best approach on each occasion. Renji's musings would often go around that, examining, evaluating the possible damage and damage already done, calculating in his mind as if making a war strategy. Never in his life had he thought harder, he thought. Everything he had ever done was to feel and act according to his instincts. That was the way he was when it came to his childhood, when he stole food and water, when he befriended Rukia. That's how he had acted when their friends died, when Rukia was adopted, when he turned against his archenemy, who was now his soon-to-be-former lover.

The atmosphere was serious, each move done in the greatest silence. It appeared that it didn't take Byakuya any particular effort to beat Renji. 'Concentration. Patience.' Byakuya's lines about chess and its usage in real life were running through the redhead's brain. 'Do I possess them?' he asked himself. He wanted to pick the right moment to end it all for both of them. He wasn't sure if Byakuya loved him and how he would handle the news, but he knew for certain that he himself had enjoyed their two months of acting as a real couple who had been head over heels for one another, living together, sharing the burden of day-to-day life as well as joy. But, in the end, Renji decided, what was the difference if they broke up now or a month later? It was inevitable anyway. So he cleared his throat, ready to start talking, but unexpectedly, Byakuya interrupted him.

"I didn't read the contract." he said out of the blue. Renji looked at him in confusion, not sure if he followed him right. But Byakuya let it slowly get to him.

"But...You said you had." was all Renji managed to say, not used to the fact that Kuchiki Byakuya knew how to lie and that he had lied to him several months ago.

Not even bothering to look at him, looking at the chessboard as if concentrated on his next move, Byakuya spoke again. " Sometimes, after all that paperwork, even captains get tired. I thought that her contract was just a mere formality, so I never cared to actually read it. Only then when she came to tell me about the...adult video we needed to film, did I read the contract. I could not object. Both our signatures were there, so we were left without choice. That is when I requested your presence about the details." he was telling this in such a calm, unnatural tone, and Renji mentally smirked. Kuchiki Byakuya was now forcing himself to be indifferent.

Renji never dared to entertain himself with the thought that Byakuya had signed the contract despite its content. It was less likely that he had just carelessly ran his eyes over it, not even bothering to read every letter of every word in every single line. But if he knew anyone better than anyone else, that was Byakuya. He had worked with him long enough, had been thinking about him long enough, spent some time with him, seen him without his mask (he had learned that his superior was the most sincere when fucked hard into the mattress, or when fucking him hard, when holding each other, or simply, turning the backs to one another). Every breath had its meaning, every blink of those tired, silver eyes, patterns on his body that moving sweat drops had made. Everything had its secret code and Renji knew that, at least there was something deeper than it appeared. Call it exaggeration. But he wasn't blinded by love, so it is highly likely that he had even just a slightest clue about how one Kuchiki Byakuya functioned. And now he knew that his lover wasn't indifferent about them, that maybe he had enjoyed their time together. And by saying this all of a sudden, he knew that he didn't regret even a smallest thing.

Except that Renji knew as well that once when they got back to Seireitei, all their magic would disappear, Byakuya would force himself to be his old, lonely self, so isolated, ruthless. And that equaled defeat. Undeniable defeat. A battle he was bound to lose. So pointless. So fucking pointless. So there were the times when he wanted to fuck it all up, to burn the place, to hurt Byakuya, to hurt himself, to hurt Seireitei, or to burn all nobility. Such waves of despair would rush through his body and vanish just the same, leaving him empty and drained, without any options on his side. A sad Renji was never a good thing, because it was in his nature to be cheerful and be the Seireitei's main mascot in Karakura, alongside Don Kanonji and several others.

"I think that this all is your plotting, Captain. With all due respect, that's my opinion. You liked 'A Vibrant Display of a Thousand Kisses'. So lethal as your bankai." Renji stood up, still looking at the chessboard. ."So you signed the contract. So you shielded us. So you made me come here. And then you came. As always, I observed you, that's how I knew. But you never cared to pay attention." he turned around and headed upstairs. It took him more than he thought it would, to say it out loud, in as little words as possible, and leave, once again, defeated, enraged, ashamed...sorrowful, and so damn bitter. Byakuya never dared to follow him.

But a bag over Renji's shoulder half an hour later did catch him by surprise. He knew. He understood. But Renji's lips moved anyway, in order to explain.

"It will be better this way." was all Renji said. And then he left.

Byakuya wondered where he had gone. But he was too much of a coward to follow. Terrified by his own revelation, he just sat there, immobile, with his eyes closed, posture arrogant as always. He was a coward, just hiding behind all that power. Just a weakling when it came to his own happiness. He never knew how to claim it.

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Renji knew where exactly to seek the shelter. On his way there, he knew he had done the smart thing. There was one extremely positive thing that he had learned at the Academy, and that was to save whatever could be saved. He just wanted a bit of his pride to be saved. He was not to lose again to that raven haired shinigami. Never again.

Next station was Ichigo's house.

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TBC...