The sun was already half risen when Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Byakuya returned to Sereitei after their night experience in the real word. They were both tired, exhausted, feeling wet and happier than ever. They planned to go change their clothes, get some sleep and go back to work that day, before piles and piles of paperwork become their daily terror. Renji directed his steeps to his own division room, but Byakuya suddenly pull him from one sleeve and without facing the redhead ordered:

" Come with me."

Renji jaw dropped a few inches. He never expected his Taicho to invite him to the Kuchiki state, but then again he never expected his Taicho to do the things he did in the last 24 hours.

"Are you sure? I mean..."

"Renji I'm to tired to give explanations. The answer is yes, now come and stay quiet."

Renji had already been at the mansion to visit Rukia, but the place always made him feel awkward and tense somehow. When they arrived their destination, Byakuya leaded a tense Renji into his own room, making sure not to be heard by any of the servants. The room had a concentrated scent of Byakuya's, witch had the power to immediately sooth Renji. This house is not so cold and creepy after all. As Renji contemplated the room, Byakuya was busy opening the doors to the gardens, and carrying a chair outside the doors. Then he disappeared beyond some small doors in the room to come back with towels and two silk kimonos, one black and the other pearly white. Handing the black one to Renji he said softly:

"Put this one, then put your hakama in that chair outside. It should be completely dry by the time we got up."

" Thanks Bya, I...", but Byakuya was already striping his hakama in front of Renji with such dignity yet already blushing that Renji stop talking. Byakuya closed his eyes as he rapidly passed the towel in his own skin and put on the white kimono. He then realized Renji was staring like if there where no tomorrow, with a grimaced look in his face.

" Abarai fuchotaicho, are you going to do as I said, or are you just going to stare?", a slight smile in his lips, " Or maybe you are too tired and need my help?"

" Oh no, I don't. As good as the offer may sound I want you to stare at me too."

" I do not have the habit of staring, Abarai fockutaicho. I sometimes observe."

" Right, let's see about that."

Renji started to untie his hakama belt, very slowly, meeting Byakuya steady gaze with a fiery one and a devious grin on his lips. The redhead was being so seductive that Byakuya was finding it difficult to sustain the gaze, and control the blushing. But he would no break. He would not divert his eyes from his provocative fockutaicho. Renji should be blushing by now, cause striping was not exactly his other day job, but he was trying to feel confident. Besides it was amusing how Byakuya's pale skin was turning all shades of red. Renji was getting used to that, to that vision of a flushed Byakuya that only him, the street rat got to see.

As the superior part came off, the dark hair shinigami was no longer meeting Renji gaze but was "observing" the black markings in his lutenant toned body. As the rest felt to the floor, Byakuya inhaled deeply.

" Gotcha, you're staring!", Renji grinned, as he rub his torso in the towel an put the black kimono over his body.

" Yes, indeed. But now we really should get some sleep."

After putting the clothes outside they both went for the bed. Byakuya turned himself facing the garden as usual, only now Renji was in the way. Renji pull him to himself, and Byakuya smiled with happiness, resting his head on Renji's chest.

****

The sun was high in the sky when they both woke up. Byakuya was the first to wake but he just stay still, resting his head on the other thorax, feeling the strong heartbeats of both of them, inhaling that scent that had consumed his soul only a few hours ago and listening to the priceless sounds of a sleeping Renji. He's noisy even when he is sleeping. The heir of Kuchiki clan smiled has he noticed that his room had been silent for too long. He himself had been silent for too long. Afraid to speak openly, afraid to sing, afraid to cry, afraid to love. Afraid to listen to the sounds of life. Afraid to listen another's heart. In the last 24 hours Renji had made him emit sounds he had forgotten a long time ago. Now he wanted to sing to Renji, to talk of every thing with Renji, to feel the silence along with Renji. He wanted to listen Renji coming, Renji talking about the stupid things he always talked about, Renji sleeping, Renji, well being that lovely loudmouth he was. Now that he had given his heart and his soul to a red haired devil he wanted to speak, hear, smell, taste and feel everything, he wanted to "devour" life.

"Ya devour", he mused to himself remembering the previous night.

The sound woke Renji. The younger man could feel the scent of sakura petals in those white sheets, could feel the scent coming from the slender body still embracing him. It was almost like his dream, except that was better. Better than to be under a sakura tree at the Kuchiki manor listening to a Byakuya play piano, was to be in a bed impregnated with sakura scent at the Kuchiki manor sleeping embraced with the said Byakuya. And to see the sakuras and listen to the summer wind and to the birds in the garden outside. Definitely much better. Renji smiled.

"Morning love."

" I believe is noon.", and Byakuya put a small kiss in Renji chest before get sitting on the bed looking at Renji "Did you sleep well?"

" Yeah, but I'm hungry. "

Byakuya rolled his eyes.

" You are always hungry."

" True, true", Renji smiled, but immediately his smile disappeared. He looked tru the open doors, his mind wondering "Ne, Kuya, I…"

" Dosta?"

" What are…I mean… you and I from now on?"

Byakuya closed his eyes and sighted deeply.

" I guess we are what they call lovers"

" Yeah, you damm right we are! ", Renji grinned, "But…you wanna keep it secret, don't you?"

" You do?"

" No! I mean…only if you wanna to. I don't mind, although I would like to say to every soul in Soul Society and living world…the hell in Hueco Mundo too, that I love you and you are mine. I just guessed by the way you were so careful this morning that you didn't want anyone to know."

" If I didn't want that, I wouldn't have invited you to sleep with me in this house. I was only careful because I respect my servants sleep, albeit what you might think. I won't like it if you go publish it in Sereitei news, you know I like discretion, but you don't need to hide it. Besides Rukia already knows."

Renji just blush at the memory of being busted by Rukia. Byakuya said that everything was alright, but he still felt like he should talk to her, to explain, to know what her feelings on the matter truly were.

"Yeah, but does she know that it's for real? I mean, does she really understand and accept this?"

" You can ask her yourself. After all she's been behind that door about half hour now, considering to enter or not. Isn't that right Rukia?"

Slowly a very red Rukia opened the door. Looking everywhere in the room except the bed she then bowed and started apologizing:

" I'm sorry nii-sama, please forgive me nii-sama. I didn't mean to intrude."

" I want to ask you a favour."

Rukia and Renji's jaws dropped wide open.

" I want you to have lunch with us, but I also need that you inform the servants that we are having a special…permanent… "guest", one that actually likes to eat. Oh and tell then to make more sweets and some food with no spicy."

Permanent "guest" was all that remained in Renji's mind for the next ten minutes. As for Rukia, she enthusiastically accepted the task, more energetically than when she talked about Chappy.

*****

The food set on the table was making water rise in Renji's mouth. But he was trying to pick small itens and eat with the composure he always showed at taichos dinners and meetings. Besides Byakuya was so formal even when eating. Renji was staring as Byakuya picked up a small piece of sushi and place it in the centre of his mouth with perfect, fluid movements. Rukia made a imperceptible sight to Byakuya, witch lead to the noble dismiss the servants.

" Renji, now that are only the three of us in here…in family…you may eat as you like."

Renji froze staring at Byakuya. Family…eat as you like

" What do you mean, Bya?"

" He means that you can eat the way you eat when you are alone and with friends baka! Which means eat in that animal way of yours, like you're always starving!"

"That's cause I'm always starving baka!" and saying that he stare at the food with a renew interest. " Man, this looks good, and smells good, let's see if…humm, humm, yes, it tastes , humm, delicious, not good as Bya course, but damm, humm…oh, what is this flavour, Kuya, Rukia you go ty thi…"

Byakuya was just too red and shocked, and getting a litle bit excited to say anything. Rukia just closed her eyes embarrassed.

" Yes nii-sama he likes to talk even when he is eating."

" Kuya try this."

" I already know the flavour Renji."

" Did you ever mixed it with Soya sauce?"

" No, I haven't."

" Then you don't know the flavour, please try it!"

Byakuya stomach was about to burst open, he really wasn't used to eat that much, but Renji could be very persuave. The noble was now considering if saying that the redhead could someday cook for him was a good idea. But he knew that the idea of Renji spread on a kitchen table was good. Definitely. But there was still one small thing that he needed to do before going back to work.

" Renji, come with me, there's something I need you to see."

Byakuya conducted Renji tru the labirynt of Kuchiki manor to a closed and guarded door. After dismissing the guards, Byakuya turned to Renji, a sad and serious look on his face.

" Renji, as you are probably aware by now, I would like that after work today you returned here, as a matter of fact I would like for you to come live with me, but there's something about this house that you need to know. "

Renji embrace Byakuya tight and looked him strait in the eyes smiling.

" To live with my demanding, cold, prissy taicho, despite the fact he has a shrine to his first and only female love in the house? The hell YES! Just promise me when I die you are not going to put my picture surrounded by candles. If you must make then sakura scent candles."

" Stop saying that sort of things, you are not going to die!" there was panic in his voice.

" Shhh, I don't need to see it, it's something that belongs to you only, and I'm not going to leave you, even if I happen to die", and Renji crushed his lips on the other's man. I'm sorry Hisana, but now he's also mine.

I'm sorry Hisana, but now my heart also belongs to him.