Warnings: Mature content, angst, and if you like Byakuya I'm sorry but I made it less bad, it could have been worse to be honest!

Meg: Okay this chappie made me feel a little bad so I'm warning you about angst now...
Shi: Feel happy, I took the time off my break from studying to help write this!
Kyu: *pouting* I didn't get much chance to help... My specialty is the funny or happy stuff...
Shi: But that's why I love y- I mean we love you... Yea I mean we! *turning bright red*
Meg: Okay then *sweatdrop* well I don't own Bleach, but I do own this plot...
Kyu: *pink cheeks* Enjoy the story!

Renji sat back, groaning as he shoved paperwork to the side of his desk. This was taking forever, and it was all stupid complaints from one place or another. One of Ukitake's divison got in a fight with one of Renji's division and both Byakuya and Zaraki's divisions got involved, resulting in a huge bar fight. The damages had to be paid for one way or another and everyone was claiming it wasn't their divisions fault. The Head Captain was bound to be displeased.

The rest of the paperwork he had done involved random bits and quips between seated officers and unseated officers within his division, and he couldn't help but want to bash people's heads in at the moment. Sighing he stood up and popped his back, grabbed Zabimaru, and marched off. His trek was short lived, seeing as that as soon as he was outside of the 5th's quarters and into the streets of Seireitei, he walked right into Rangiku, who – like Rukia – didn't take to kindly to the way he had acted towards Ichigo.

"Abarai-taichou!" She yelled, not giving him time to recover. "How dare you treat Ichigo-kun in such a manner! I remember the time when you could barely be separated and you ended that! You did enough to that poor—"

"Rangiku-san. Shut up." Renji snarled vehemently, interrupting the blonde woman's tirade. "You know absolutely nothing of what went on between us and I expect you to act like it."

"Oh-ho!" She glared at the red head. "Then explain it to me, taicho."

Huffing in rage, Renji grabbed Matsumoto and dragged her off to the 11th, where he grabbed Ikkaku and Yumichika. He threw the three into Ikakku's room and told them to stay put, before he Fast Stepped away to grab Hisagi and Rukia.

"Alright, shut up all of you." He snarled. "Rukia you already know this so just stay quiet but I'll probably need you."

The room was quiet as they stared, shocked, at the red head's shaking form. Even with his head hanging everyone could see the barely visibly drip of tears down his cheeks.

"Renji… Don't do this to yourself." Rukia whispered, her eyes cast down. "Nii-sama might hurt you…"

"No… It's okay… He's long past that point…" Renji choked. "He doesn't care about this anymore… He got what he wanted… Payback for being close to you then leaving you. Even if that changed to the wish only to see me go farther in my career…"

"But you didn't leave me Renji! Just because you and Ichigo—"

"Rukia… I'll be fine. He did what he thought was right at the time." Renji didn't once lift his eyes from the floor. The room stayed silent through the exchange, however many worried to curious glances were passed between the other four occupants.

"I… I loved Ichigo… I still do…" Renji started off, in a quiet whisper. " I don't know when it started, it might have been the first time he beat me in Soul Society, or when we trained to get our Bankai together… But whenever it was, it was fast and quick. We didn't get together until after Aizen was defeated… I… He and I got drunk, and things came out we didn't know ourselves… But afterwards… We were happy… We were unbelievably happy.

"Life couldn't have gotten better for us, but you know what they say… once you're at the top there's no place to go but down… And that's just what happened…" Renji fell to his knees and Rukia rushed to him, the tension in the room so tight you could feel it. Still shaking, Renji continued on. "Kuchiki-taichou confronted me, while I was still his lieutenant. He came out of the shadows…"

He walked down the quiet streets of Karakura town, after just leaving Urahara's shoten. He couldn't be any happier. He just finished his mission, he was informed that there was an important matter to discuss the next time he was in Soul Society, and he was going back home to his beautiful, orange haired lover. As he was passing an alley a dark figure grabbed him and shoved him backwards into a dumpster.

"What the fu—" Renji started, until a hand was slammed over his mouth.

"Abarai-fukutaicho." A calm, emotionless voice stated. "You will be promoted to captain and under no terms are you to reject this promotion."

"Kuchiki-taicho…" Renji's startled, muffled, gasp came from behind the cool, pale hand over his mouth.

"You will go home and tell your lover…" The voice whispered in his ear, as Renji felt a lick slide over the shell of his ear. "That you have been promoted. You will break up with him, telling him that he will only hold you back, that it was fun while it lasted. You may even tell him you've found someone better than he is…" Each sentence was punctuated with a sensual touch or caress, or a soft grind of hips.

Kuchiki Byakuya leaned back from Renji, lust clear in his eyes. Renji stiffened, unable to break the hold on him that his captain had. "After that, you will be mine. For the second time."

Renji fought to get away but his captain had too good of a hold. "You shouldn't fight me. I can make the same thing happen to your ex-lover." Renji saw an emotion almost imperceptible pass behind those black eyes. Only later would he realize that it was guilt.

Renji couldn't continue reliving that experience. He fell against Rukia, gasping for breath as sobs overtook him, his reiatsu flaring multiple times.

"That's why he broke up with Ichigo… Nii-sama failed an attempt at courting Renji-kun after that… He was trying to keep Renji from being held back by a human lover… But 4 years ago he couldn't do it anymore and broke down and told Renji… Renji only told me a few days ago, after he had said something stupid to Ichigo…" Rukia trailed off, having ran out of things to say.

The room was silent for a few moments, until Rangiku noticed the exhausted look in Renji's eyes. 'I can't imagine what that took out of him to tell us…' Rangiku sighed softly and nudged Ikkaku, who took the hint.

"Renji… The spare futon is in the back room… Come here and sleep it off…" He went over to the surprised and startled red head, dragging him off to the back room.

"Why didn't he go back to Ichigo after that?" Rangiku whispered, to make sure Renji didn't hear.

Sighing, Rukia replied just as softly, "Because he didn't feel like he was good enough for Ichigo anymore. He couldn't expect to be welcomed after what he said, even though it was forced…"

"I'm going to beat the bloody pulp out of Kuchiki-taicho…" Hisagi growled.

"No… Don't… Renji wouldn't want that. That's why he didn't turn him in." Rukia sighed. "Besides… You'd be the one in the infirmary Shuhei-san."

Shuhei growled in response and crossed his arms over his chest, just as Ikkaku walked back into the room, an unreadable expression on his face as he spoke, almost worriedly.

"I've never seen Renji like this. I never thought he'd be the one to let something like this happen to him. I just… It makes me mad!" He finished the statement almost vehemently. The whole group just sighed and a couple of them stared off to the room that Ikkaku had come out of. Through the crack in the door, only Rukia caught the soft shaking of the supposedly sleeping redhead's shoulders. She thought to herself, with concern, 'These two… I can't fathom what's going on…"

'Aibou! Wake up!'

Ichigo blinked and sat up, taking in the fact that he was sitting on the side of a building with ease. "Shiro? What do you want?" Ichigo said, slightly startled at the sight before him. Zangetsu stood, holding Shirosaki up as he slumped, panting and gasping.

'Aibou! They're back! I can sense them while you're asleep! They… They're coming for you!' Shiro collapsed and was absorbed back into Zangetsu's flowing coat.

"Zangetsu…. What was that about?" Ichigo asked startled.

: I don't know… All he said was he had to talk to you and he was a mess. It looked like spiritual pressure that was doing that to him but… I don't know for sure. It sounds serious. : The old man said in a monotone.

"I… How do I warn the others? They'll want to know why I know something's coming… But… What's coming?" Ichigo mused, worry evident on his ever-scowling face.

: I don't know, Ichigo, but you should get your rest until the hollow can tell you. : Zangetsu had an uncharacteristic hint of anxiety in his facial expression just before Ichigo was shoved out of his inner world.

Gasping Ichigo sat up, panting slightly. He could vaguely sense the spiritual pressure, but not enough to determine who or what it was. However, what was the most clear, was the fact that this spiritual pressure was not from Soul Society. His only thought as he slumped backwards was, 'This isn't going to be pretty... but what's going on?'

A/N: Ick I hated doing that to Renji but it was neccessary to the plot! I love y'all, kisses xD

By the way, read and review, it inspires me to write more lol.

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