Martinet's foible, III. part
Renji cradled his head like that would hush the pounding in his skull and shut out the light that poured through his eyelids. He wrinkled his forehead, searching for clues as to what had happened yesterday.
Images of Hisagi, Iba, Kira and other members of that club flashed before Renji's eyes, just to be replaced with Byakuya's grey eyes, the pale skin and those elegant, pleasure-giving fingers.
"Shit!" Renji groaned, rolled on his stomach and pressed his face into the pillow, the dull ache in his lower body an obviousindication of what happened.
So, he had slept with a man, and even if that man was Byakuya, as long as he could blame it on alcohol it wasn't too tragic, especially when he rarely said no to pleasure, but to moan and demand more like a wanton slut - worse, like a wanton and love-struck slut in heat was more than Renji could take. He had made such a fool of himself. Again. He mumbled into the pillow: "I'm never drinking again."
The mattress beneath him moved and a cold hand touched Renji's shoulder, then, slid over Renji's back before something soft pressed against his shoulder blade.
Renji stiffened.
"Are you awake?" Byakuya's voice was soft and low.
Renji bit in his lip, hating how his lower body reacted to Byakuya's closeness, to that gentle sound that he had never expected to hear, let alone be directed at him, and the warm breath against his skin. He tried to ignore the light brush of fingers, the feeling of intimacy that descended over them like a blanket and the urge that demanded that he turn and wrap his arms around Byakuya's shoulders. Shit! His hand curled. What was happening to him? He was a stray dog accustomed to disapproval, shouts and kicks, too old and too wild to be domesticated, and he certainly wasn't ready to become Byakuya's pet, to wag his tail whenever his master gave him a little affection. But he wanted the affection, oh, how much he wanted the affection, the love, the approval, the circle of arms that would always be there. For him. Only for him. He exhaled a shaky breath. Where did that come from?
"Renji." Byakuya's hand became bolder in its exploration; it slid under Renji's body. "I know you are awake, there's no point in pretending."
Renji sucked air into his lungs as Byakuya's fingers touched his abdomen and a bolt of lust shot straight to his groin. He pushed Byakuya's hand away and with his fingers holding the sheet before him, he jumped up, away from Byakuya, away from the bed.
"Renji?" Byakuya lifted himself into a sitting position. He patted the spot beside him. "Come back."
His taichou was beautiful in the light grey yukata, with his black hair tousled and with a light flush dusting his cheeks, Renji couldn't help but notice. He shifted uncomfortably. "What are you doing here?"
"This is my room."
"What?" Renji looked around. His gaze slid over the big bed resting on a platform in the middle of the room, with a nightstand on each side of bed and a long bench at its the end. There were also two cabinets and the fusuma with the image of the mountain that led to the bathroom, a familiar sight from Renji's previous visit.
"How? How did I get here?" He narrowed his eyes at Byakuya, and crossed his arms. The sheet slid down and Renji caught it at the last instant before it would have revealed his semi-hard flesh. He silently cursed.
"I arranged transportation, how else?" Byakuya said. "Now, come here."
"No." Renji stepped toward the sliding door that led out to the hallway, spotting a wooden chest by the bench. Even his clothes were here. He went toward it, opened it and pulled out his well-worn white yukata.
"Stop being so stubborn." Byakuya moved to the foot of the bed and reached out for Renji.
Renji moved out of the way and straightened. He put on his robe, quickly tying the sash around his waist. What now? He scratched his neck. This was so awkward. Should he just leave? Escape while he still could? He looked at Byakuya's hand that fell down. Should he just turn around and walk toward the door like he did the last time? He turned toward the door, his stride a little clumsy.
"Is this how it's going to be?"
Renji looked over his shoulder, seeing the annoyance and tension in the tilt of Byakuya's head. That wasn't good. He turned straight ahead and his step accelerated as he opened the door, ready to rush down the hallway.
"Fine. Have it your way." Byakuya said. "Bakudo, Number 4, Hainawa."
Yellow ropes wrapped around Renji's limbs, tying them against Renji's body. He crashed down on the floor. His jaw tensed. "What the fuck?"
Byakuya went toward him and towered over him, his gaze hard and his lips in a narrow line. "I told you before. I will not allow you to run away anymore."
#
"So boring." Renji in rolled from his belly onto his back and put his hands under his head. "It's your own fault, you shouldn't provoke me," he imitated Byakuya's voice in falsetto, the argument that happened two days ago fresh in his mind. He just wanted to go out drinking with the gang and since Byakuya was against his going out, always hissing that Renji just wanted to see that man – what was with that? What man? - Renji had tried to sneak out. Of course the guards that Byakuya appointed to 'look after' Renji got Renji before he even managed to get to the mansion's walls, even though he used the flash steps.
"Are you still pouting?"
Renji bent his neck backwards, his eyes trailing up Byakuya's legs and torso, to stop on the emotionless face. Should he be smiling because Byakuya kept him locked in this house like he was some kind of animal? He couldn't even do his job as fuku-taichou anymore. It was a wonder nobody made a fuss about it, but he guessed that as long as Byakuya managed Renji's duty nobody minded his absence. "Hmmm." He directed his gaze at the ceiling.
"I see." Byakuya pushed his hands in the sleeves of his kosode. "Would some sweets or sake put you in a better mood?"
Trying to bribe him with food, Renji didn't like that. "Stop treating me like I'm a child."
"Then stop behaving like one." Byakuya's burning eyes were on Renji, waiting on Renji's reply, but when there was none, his gaze darkened. He turned on his heel and left the room.
Renji sighed. He was so sick of it, of the quarrels, of the uneasiness and irritation that was always lingering between them. He tried to be patient, not to snap and to hold himself back without losing himself under Byakuya's constant demands and orders, and his annoyance when they weren't obeyed. He rolled onto his side. But the nights, the nights were different, full of carnal delight with Byakuya drawing him into fervid bliss and lifting him to heights he had never before experienced. He loved those nights.
Maybe he wouldn't be so 'stubborn' if Byakuya would stop behaving like he was his pet; the way he kept him locked in the house, away from his friends, and treated him like he was an object obvious evidence of Byakuya's pet treatment. The only thing missing was a leash and a collar with Byakuya's name as the owner on the tag.
Damn! No matter how things changed, he was still just a dog howling at the moon, hoping for affection and love where there could never be any. Renji curled into a ball. Knowing that hurt. So much.
He didn't know how long he lay there, just feeling sorry for himself – he was so pathetic lately. He took a deep breath. He needed to talk to somebody or to at least have a moment away from Byakuya and this house that was suffocating him, pressing down on him and wringing the joy out of his life. His fingers dug into the mat. "I'm fucking drowning here."
His fingers slipped into a slot.
"What?"
Renji pulled himself on his knees, his fingers following the rift until he touched a small clamp; he pressed against it and after a small click he was able to lift the flap. He stared at the hole that led under the floor. Secret tunnels. How had this happened? He frowned. A story Ichigo told about his visit to Kuchiki's manor came to his mind. Yachiru! That little pink-haired troublemaker. Renji chuckled.
He took his zanpakuto, which lay in the corner, smoothed the edges of his yukata and climbed into the hole, determinate that he would come back before anybody even noticed he was gone. He just needed some fresh air.
Keeping the layout of the house in his mind, he crawled through the tunnels until he found himself out in the open, a stone's throw away from the manor. He put some distance between himself and the house, not concerning himself with the fact that he was barefoot.
He thought about his friends, searching among them for the person he could talk to about the things that were bothering him, but at the end he discarded all of them. Nobody would understand, not when Renji had until now shown a happy façade, and besides maybe he wasn't ready to show his weakness to people when he hadn't came to terms with it himself yet, not to mention that those asses hadn't even come to visit once since he had been forcefully moved into Kuchiki's house. He found a narrow alley, sat down on the pavement and leaned his back against the building. Maybe he should just go back, find a dark corner and have a heart-to-heart talk with his zanpakuto, which lately had become an almost daily occurrence.
"Hey!"
Renji looked up to see an orange head staring down at him from the roof top. He snorted. Just his luck.
"I thought I could feel a familiar reiatsu." Ichigo reappeared before Renji.
"What are you doing here?" Renji pulled his knees against his chest.
"Looking for you." Ichigo crouched down. "Where have you been lately?"
"Are you an idiot or something? By now everybody knows that I'm living in Kuchiki manor."
"I didn't mean that." Ichigo said. "Every time that I drop by, you are nowhere to be found, and Rukia complained that you two were still not speaking, that she hadn't seen you in a while even though she was in the Kuchiki estate quite a few times. It's like you have isolated yourself from everybody. You don't even go to the barracks anymore." He leaned his hands on his knees. "The others are worried about you too; they said that whenever they try to see you, Byakuya always turns them away for one reason or another." He propped his chin on his hand. "And today when I went to the Kuchiki house, they threw me out when I asked about you."
Renji hung his head, his braided hair sliding forward, and scratched his neck. So that's how it was; that douchebag was even trying to cut him away from his friends. Why?
"Renji, what's going on?"
Renji looked up. "I don't know."
"Are you being kept there against your will?"
Renji frowned; he was, sort of, but Ichigo wouldn't understand the situation. He didn't even understand it. Somehow he knew that Byakuya's actions didn't aim to hurt him, even though every time Byakuya pushed his will on him it made another cut on his heart. Maybe Byakuya was struggling with the whole situation like Renji was? Or at least that was what Renji told to himself every time he lay spent and sated between the cold sheets, with Byakuya's warmth against his back, hoping that the fragile connection and understanding that tied them together in those moment would still be there in the morning. But they never were.
So, should he lie to Ichigo? He didn't want to, he had already spouted too many lies about his happiness already.
"And what are you doing sitting here?"
Renji gave Ichigo a sour smile. "Taking a breather."
"From what?"
The better question would be from whom. Renji silently sighed.
"What are you two doing?" A dark shadow blocked the sun that lit the narrow space between buildings.
"Byakuya." Ichigo greeted.
"Taichou?" Renji's eyes widened. He had only been gone for less than half an hour. How could Byakuya have noticed? Or found him?
"Kurosaki Ichigo, how long are you going to address me without the proper suffix?" Byakuya glared at Ichigo, a storm raging around his still silhouette.
"You still call him 'Captain?" Ignoring Byakuya, Ichigo leaned over Renji. "Isn't that a little weird? You are sort of married."
"Shut up." Renji pushed Ichigo away.
Byakuya took a step forward. "And since you have no business here, you should leave. Immediately."
"I'm not leaving." Ichigo stood up and crossed his arms. "I came here to hang out with Renji and until Renji tells me to leave, I'm staying."
Renji pulled himself up and put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. It warmed his heart that Ichigo cared enough to stand up for him, but the thing Renji needed was to stand up to Byakuya himself, not just to act like a spoiled child testing Byakuya's patience. "Go home, Ichigo. And don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Over his shoulder Ichigo gave the redhead that stubborn look he had whenever he fought.
"I don't need you to fight for me." Renji groaned as he recognised the look in Ichigo's eyes. "I'm not a fucking damsel in distress."
Ichigo's gaze measured Renji from top to toe. "You don't look the part either."
"Are you trying to make me mad?"
"You two, stop ignoring me." Byakuya's cold voice cut into their bickering.
"Look, Byakuya, I'm not going anywhere." Ichigo said.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes, the air around him crackling.
"Don't make him mad," Renji more whispered than said as he moved to stand in front of Ichigo. He could deal with an annoyed Byakuya, he was used to it by now, and as much as he took a wicked pleasure in provoking Byakuyato to get just a little bit even, he never tried to awaken rage in him. Angry Byakuya was scarier and deadlier than Kazeshini on a rampage, and something that Renji avoided at all costs.
"Renji, return to the manor. I'll address your disobedience later."
"Is he for real?"
"Yes," Renji groaned. "Taichou, go home, please. I'll follow you as soon as I have a short talk with Ichigo."
Byakuya frowned, and if looks could kill, Renji would be lying dead on the ground. "I will not repeat myself."
Ichigo sidestepped Renji. "Why are you doing this? Treating him like he's your servant or slave."
"You are meddling in affairs that don't concern you," Byakuya said, his voice even, his posture seemingly relaxed, but his grey eyes burning with suppressed anger.
"Renji is my friend. He does concern me." Ichigo said. "Just because you managed to deceive him into a Joining, that doesn't mean you can –"
Renji covered Ichigo's mouth. "Damn it Ichigo, don't provoke him."
With eyebrows low over his eyes, Byakuya drew his sword and lifted it, the tip of the katana pointing at the sky. "Chire..."
"Shit," Renji hissed. He jumped up, pulling Ichigo behind him.
...Senbonzakura." Byakuya's blade dispersed into thousands of slender blades.
"Why did you have to say that to him?" Renji felt the need to punch Ichigo's face, but he was too busy avoiding the blades, jumping here and there, pulling Ichigo by his collar behind him.
"Is true, isn't it? He deceived you and he's treating you like a slave." Ichigo pried Renji's fingers away from his kosode. He pushed Renji away and moved aside just before a wave of blades could hit them.
"It's not exactly like that," Renji shouted as he moved alongside Ichigo. And he was telling the truth, it wasn't like that. It was complicated and messy and, yeah, Byakuya had deceived him and he had been treating him like a slave, but, Renji couldn't quite explain it, it wasn't like that.
"It looks like that to me and you shouldn't tolerate it." Ichigo said before he changed his direction and jumped sideways, the blades missing him by a mouse's tail.
"Maybe," Renji said, but Ichigo was already out earshot, the pink, deadly cloud close at his heels. Why was it only following Ichigo?
"Getsuga tensho."
Renji turned to see energy blast from the tip of Ichigo's blade and crash down on Byakuya.
Byakuya sidestepped the blast that made a narrow and deep hole in the ground and in the wall of the building behind Byakuya. The cloud of pink flew to him forming a sword. He turned his katan tip to the ground and released it. "Bankai."
The blade fell down, diving into the pavement as if it were water and the energy turned the area even darker, with two rows of a thousand giant blades emerging up from the ground.
Renji didn't have to look at Ichigo to know that he was in his bankai form too, Ichigo's shout of "Bankai" being a good enough indication. "Damn, this is going too far." He had never expected that of the three of them, he would be the voice of reason. What was this Soul Society coming to? He rushed down toward Byakuya. "Taichou, please stop with this."
"Renji, get out of the way!" Ichigo yelled.
"Renji, why are you still here? I told you to go home. Do I really need to repeat myself?"
"Come on, taichou." Renji almost pleaded. "He didn't mean to insult you, and he's sorry if he did."
"Don't speak for me, Renji. I haven't done anything wrong. He's the one being unreasonable, not even allowing you to spend some time with your friends."
"You don't really want to fight with Ichigo." Renji hadn't moved his eyes from Byakuya; he stepped closer to him.
"You just want to be with that man. I will not allow it," Byakuya said.
"Shit!" Renji just knew what was about to follow, but he was damned if he would let his friend get hurt because of him or let Ichigo get out of control and hurt Byakuya because of some minor misunderstanding that had made Ichigo believe that Renji needed to be saved. "Bankai." Renji's sword transformed into a skeletal snake.
"Chire Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." The large swords scattered and their sharp fragments surged toward Ichigo.
Renji flash jumped to Ichigo, pulling the snake with him. "Hihio Zabimaru. Maru." Zabimaru wove its body around Ichigo and Renji just as the deadly fragments made a clumsy turn, a few of them slicing the skin on Renji's arm anyway.
"Renji!"
"Are you crazy?" Ichigo yelled pushing him aside.
"Shut up." Renji looked at his bleeding arm, at the shallow, stinging cuts on his skin.
"You are an idiot." Ichigo threw his hand in the air. "I can beat Byakuya, I already did it, while you can't. And you are the one trying to save me!"
"Can you just shut up!" Renji tore the edge of his shitaki and wove it around his arm. "I know that, okay. I know that, it's just..."
"Just what?"
"I don't want you and Byakuya fighting. You are my friend and ..."
"Renji!" Byakuya's voice could be heard through the skeletal segments.
"I don't want you to be hurt." Renji said. "And I know you can take him – I just don't want him to be hurt either."
Ichigo sighed and slumped down on the ground.
"Renji!"
"What are you going to do with him?" Ichigo nodded toward Byakuya's voice.
"Renji, if you are doing something with that man, I won't forgive you!"
"I don't know." Renji furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know what his problem is. I mean..."
"He's sounds like he's jealous."
"Yeah, right. You have the same crazy ideas Rukia does."
"Renji, please." Byakuya's voice was so low that Renji could hardly hear it.
Renji could feel Byakuya's hands touching Zabimaru, sliding his palms against the smooth texture of the segments, and the nudges of Byakuya's reiatsu like he was trying to push his way in. He knew the pain when Zabimaru got cut or crushed, but he had never been able to feel the touch against his zanpakuto before.
"What crazy ideas?"
"She said that he's in love with me." Renji stepped toward where he could hear Byakuya's voice through the wall of Zabimaru's body. He put his left hand over the place where he could feel Byakuya's palm on the other side.
"Renji," Byakuya whispered, but Renji could hear it as if Byakuya stood beside him before Byakuya's reiatsu withdrew, telling Renji that Byakuya was leaving.
"What if she's right?"
"She couldn't be." Renji still held his hand against Zabimaru.
"That's a funny thought. Byakuya being crazy about you." Ichigo smirked before the corner of his lips straightened. "But he did sound sort of desperate just now. And how he quickly pulled out his sword... so not like the cold and composed Byakuya that I know."
Yeah. With his head strangely empty, Renji withdrew his hand and pulled his reiatsu out of the snake, which disappeared in a shimmer, leaving behind a normal looking katana, which compared to the brown hilt that widened into a snake tail seem so much lighter in Renji's hand. He saw people rushing in his direction, and to avoid them he jumped up and in flash disappeared from the alley and the devastation of the buildings that carried the damage from Ichigo and Byakuya's small fight.
"Where are you going?" Ichigo appeared beside Renji.
"Home."
"You mean to Kuchiki manor?"
"Yes." Renji nodded. He needed to go home – who would have thought he would ever call Kuchiki manor that? – to see what that touch and that strangely tender voice had really meant. And he needed to see if there was an even small possibility that Rukia was right. As impossible as that sounded, it would explain Byakuya's behaviour just now and... A soft smile played on his lips. That would mean that all that happened between them was just a misunderstanding.
Wait! Renji stopped, his lips narrowed. What about the Joining? If Byakuya had feelings for him wouldn't he have told him about them before the Joining?
"What?" Ichigo asked.
"Nothing." Renji shook his head before he focused on Ichigo. "I'm glad you came, you know... but..."
"I'm not wanted anymore?"
Renji smiled and scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well..."
"I understand, sort of." Ichigo said. "You are such an idiot, being with him for more than a month and by the look of things you two haven't even had a decent conversation."
Under normal circumstances Renji would have grabbed Ichigo's collar and yelled: 'Who are you calling an idiot?' But Ichigo was right, but not about the idiot part, and not that Renji was ready to admit that. "We talk."
"Yeah, right. He probably orders you around and you either obey him or ignore him."
That was – too true. Renji didn't know what to say back.
"I'm right?"
"Shut up." Renji started to move toward the Kuchiki house again.
"I can't believe it. I'm right." Ichigo followed him.
"Shut up."
"It's okay." Ichigo patted Renji on his shoulder, a grin on his face. "Just go and have a good talk with your... master."
Renji reached out for Ichigo, but the cheeky brat was too quick for him.
Ichigo chuckled, waved goodbye and went on his way.
Renji, for a moment, watched Ichigo's back before he continued his stride toward the house. He used Yachiru's tunnels to get back into Byakuya's part of the house. He looked through the rooms to find Byakuya in the bedroom kneeling on the pillow before the opened fusuma looking out in the garden.
Renji stepped into the room, slid the door closed behind him and put Zabimaru in the corner beside the pedestal on which Senbonzakura lay.
"I dismissed the guards," Byakuya said without turning around. "You are free to leave this house."
Renji stepped toward Bykauya and stopped just behind him.
"That man was right. I have been treating you like you're my slave. I apologize."
Byakuya's voice was even, his shoulders square, and his posture seemed relaxed, but Renji could see the slight tremor in Byakuya's hands before he laced his fingers.
"I hope you will find it in you to forgive me for my behaviour," Byakuya said. "I can't nullify our Joining, but I can approve your transfer from the sixth division. I'll sign the papers tomorrow."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Isn't that what you want? Isn't that the reason you either ignored me or argued with me, and tried to get out of this house?"
"Byakuya." Renji for the first time called his taichou by his name, delighting at the small flinch of Byakuya's shoulders. "Why did you want the Joining with me?"
"Because I could."
Renji rolled his eyes. Well, that spoke volumes. He stepped before Byakuya, annoyed when he saw that cold mask on his taichou's face. "To gain more influence?"
"No." Byakuya didn't look up. "Of course not."
"Then why?"
"I wanted you. I've always wanted you." Byakuya's brows furrowed. "I still do."
What was that supposed to mean? Did that mean Byakuya wanted him as an object? Renji didn't like that, not one bit. He silently sighed. This was like trying to get seconds at Uruhara, and damn, he didn't have patience for that. He resisted the urge to turn away, to just leave without knowing. It would be so easy, but if he did, he would always regret it. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid." Byakuya looked up, only his eyes betraying his uneasiness and the storm inside. "I was afraid that if you knew, you would try to stop me. And you did, but at that point I couldn't stop myself anymore. As long as I could have you, tie you to me, I didn't care anymore if you were willing or not. I was determined that I would change your mind, that you would like me in that way, but... you fought with me every step of the way, and instead of our relationship getting better it got worse."
Renji kneeled down before Byakuya.
"I just wanted to hold on to you, wanted to spend time with you, but there were so many people taking you away from me..." For the first time, Byakuya's voice cracked and his gaze dropped down to his hands. "I was so happy when I learned about your adoption into the Kasumioji family, but after the Joining nothing went the way I planned. I made you miserable. I apologize."
Renji stared at Byakuya, whose posture still seemed relaxed and at ease – his taichou was good at that – but there was something fragile in the curve of Byakuya's neck, at the way his hair fell down over the side of his face. He was a proud man, Kuchiki Byakuya, a very proud man, and to be apologizing for his behaviour to Renji... for Byakuya, that had to be almost like bearing his soul. Renji wanted to reach out for him, to touch him, to wrap his arms around him and tell him that he wasn't going anywhere. But there was still something he needed to know, to hear those three words; they were there between the lines, but Renji needed to hear them clearly, and it seemed that he would need some additional patience to drag them out of Byakuya. Damn. "Byakuya."
Byakuya looked up.
"I'm not going to go easy on you. You speak of wanting me, but those are not the right words if you want me to stay."
"You are prepared to stay?"
"If you say it."
"Say what?"
Renji groaned; this was getting more difficult than getting seconds at Uruhara. "You know, express your feelings like a normal person would."
There was silence for a few moments before Byakuya levelled his gaze with Renji's. "I lo – like you. Very much."
That would have to do, Renji guessed, because just hearing 'I like you' from Byakuya's mouth was a miracle in itself and if he wanted to hear 'love' from those pink lips, he would probably have to wait forever.
"Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Yes." Renji nodded and touched Byakyu's face. "I like you, too, you know."
"You do?" Byakuya said, then his eyes slid onto the sloppily wrapped bandage that protruded from the sleeve of Renji's kosode. "I did this?"
"It's nothing." Renji pulled his hand away.
"Keikatsu."
The scratches itched as they closed up. "It was really nothing." Renji pulled the bandages off and examined the skin.
"I wish I could erase everything else as easily as this and we could begin again."
"Why would we want to do that?" Renji inched closer to Byakuya until his knees touched Byakuya's. "I already like you, didn't you hear me say that?"
"Yes, but..."
"But nothing." Renji cupped Byakuya's neck and pulled him closer. He captured Byakuya in what should have been a quick kiss, but which, after Byakuya wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer, turned into a voluptuous feast.
#
It was warm, too warm and the sheets were annoyingly damp, but Renji wouldn't have moved for anything. He rolled onto his back and put his hand over Byakuya's arm that was wrapped around his waist, a satisfied sigh escaping from his throat. Life was good.
Byakuya moved higher, he put his head on the pillow beside Renji's, and as he half-leaned against Renji's side, his fingers absently stroked Renji's palm. "Renji."
"Huh?"
"Should I wait before I engaged you in a coupling? I haven't forced you to do anything that you didn't want to, have I? "
Renji couldn't help himself, he started to laugh.
"Did I say something funny?"
"Well, your choice of words is quite traditional, isn't it?" Renji smiled as he half-turned toward Byakuya. He buried his fingers in black silken hair. "And no, you haven't forced me."
"Good."
They lay there for a few silent moments, just enjoying the presence of each other and the small caresses that they bestowed upon each other.
Renji broke the silence. "Hey."
"What?"
"You do know that it's not going to be easy?" Renji said, and when Byakuya just stared at him like he hadn't the faintest idea what Renji was talking about, he continued. "You and me. We are so different. You are too proper and everything you do is thought out, while I'm too spontaneous and have a big mouth."
"But that's why I like you." Byakuya's nose touched Renji's. "You are like a fire, beautiful and warm and even dangerous, and if you burn me, I'll just heal myself and continue to bask in your heat. And as long as you listen to me there won't be any problems."
Renji's hand stilled. "You don't really expect me to obey you outside of division, do you?" He had thought this was sorted out when Byakuya apologized for his behaviour. Say no, say no.
"It would have been nice," Byakuya said. "But no, I don't expect that you would obey me, maybe just not oppose me as much as you did in this last month. And when I said 'listen to me,' I was implying more about etiquette when dealing with my family."
"Oh, okay. I can do that."
"Even if you can't." Byakuya leaned closer, his breath caressed Renji's cheek. "I'm used to you being a handful."
Renji wanted to reply and protest being called a handful, he really did, but when those lips touched his cheek and kissed their way toward his mouth, and delicate hands slipped under the sheet to caress his body, all coherent thoughts flew out of his head. Not that he really minded that, when a fever heat crashed down on him and swept him into an abyss of raw rapture. Yeah, life was good.
The end