Chapter 16: Rediscovery
(For Alabirdie, who I know has been waiting eagerly for this one to be updated! Love, Spunky)
Byakuya stood silently within his assigned guest room, looking out the window, into the swirling grayness of the protective rift. In his mind, flashes of memory replayed, moving him from the moment of his and Renji's first joining to their second meeting, their initial enmity, then their gradual binding.
All along, my feelings about Renji have been complicated. I loved him at first sight, that time in the Rukongai, but I feel even more, knowing him for all that he is.
But I wonder what will happen now...
That Rikichi and Miki will be inducted into the clan is a given, as long as we are successful in ending the threat that Orochi represents. And we will do that. I just wonder what Renji will desire of me after that.
Can we take what we felt back then and make it real?
He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft tapping on the door.
"Taichou?"
Byakuya felt his heart quicken and hesitated.
Is this the right time?
He moved to the door and opened it. Renji stood on the other side, dressed in a silken, rust colored yukata that warmly accentuated the bold markings on his skin and made Byakuya's already swift heartbeat intensify.
"Renji," he greeted the redhead.
He noticed the tea tray in Renji's hands and stepped back to allow him to enter. Renji walked across the room, bypassing the small table and chairs, and placing the tea tray on the nightstand beside the bed as Byakuya closed the door.
If that isn't a signal of his intent, I don't know what is.
How should I answer?
He thought carefully for a moment then moved to the dressing area and positioned himself in front of the mirror. Keeping his eyes carefully lowered, he reached up and removed the kenseiken, then set it carefully aside. He registered the sound of approaching footsteps as he went on to remove the fingerless gloves that he had rarely ever removed in Renji's presence. His naked hands reached for the edges of his haori, but were captured just short of touching it by warm, rough hands. His eyes closed and his heart raced faster as those rough fingers teased the soft skin of his inner wrists, a place where no one ever touched him. His mind spun and he grasped for something to say, but as though they had sensed his will, Renji's hot lips deprived him suddenly of the need to say anything at all. He sank into a kiss warmer and sweeter and more wanting than any he could remember.
It took him a moment to realize that his haori had been removed and set aside, and that Renji's hands had begun to work at the ties that bound his uniform and Renji's handsome yukata. He pulled them slowly free, baring Renji's golden tanned chest that was written all over in dark, bold lines and contrasted beautifully with his own that was unmarked and lily-white. His eyes couldn't help but travel downward over the redhead's more finely tattooed belly and further to rest on his flushed and very aroused genitals.
Kami, that is tattooed also!
"You can touch them if you want to," Renji invited him suddenly, bringing an instant flush to Byakuya's lovely face and pale throat, "My tattoos, I mean. You look like you want to."
"I do," Byakuya admitted, finally finding his voice again.
He lifted one hand and first traced the markings over each glaring cinnamon colored eye, then traced the lines along the back of the redhead's neck as Renji's hands continued to undress him. He busied himself with the bolder markings on the redhead's shoulders and chest, while Renji's hands deprived him of his top and began to work him free of his hakama. Renji's darker flesh flinched as Byakuya's fingers brushed against a dusky, erect nipple, and a very soft growl escaped the fiery-eyed man. Heat seemed to flash all over Byakuya's lighter skin at the sound, and his fingers trembled slightly as they slid down over the soft skin of Renji's slim belly, enjoying a slow exploration of the finer markings, while the redhead moved closer so that their bared bodies were nearly touching.
"I've dreamed of this forever," Renji whispered into his ear, deepening the flush on Byakuya's body, "even when I didn't know it was you who came to me in the Rukon. I think I fell in love with you that first minute I walked into the room with you. You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and on my life, you still are!"
Byakuya gave a quick inhale as a silken blue yukata fell around his shoulders. He slipped his arms into the arm holes and left the front scandalously open, his heart racing so fast it felt dizzying. Renji stood perfectly still then, as though waiting. Taking the hint, Byakuya closed the distance between them and brought their naked flesh into contact. His head turned slightly so that his softer cheek brushed against Renji's rougher one, exciting a warning tickle in his belly as they began to move slowly towards the bed, exchanging deep, penetrating kisses all of the way. Byakuya barely felt himself drop onto his back. He registered the motion of the bed as Renji joined him, then felt the question in the redhead's dark eyes that gazed heatedly down at him. A sweet shiver ran down his spine at the wanton heat in the other man's expression and Byakuya's body trembled slightly as he answered by parting his thighs invitingly.
He wondered if there was a place on his body that wasn't blushing or if his heart could pound any faster, as Renji's lean, muscular body settled on top of his and the redhead nuzzled his cheek affectionately.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Renji breathed into his ear, "You could get pregnant this time, ne? Should we use a protection charm?"
"Only because there are hard battles left to fight before we can officially be wed. But soon, yes, I will offer you the same joy you have given me. For now, just as I was allowed the beauty of knowing you, I want you to discover me, Renji!"
Renji nodded breathlessly and withdrew two protection charms, pausing to infuse them with his reiatsu before slipping one around Byakuya's neck and one around his own.
"You arrived well prepared," Byakuya commented, the ghost of a smile touching his fine lips.
"I wouldn't be able to look my taichou in the eyes if I didn't," Renji joked, smiling so warmly, Byakuya felt it all of the way to the tips of his toes, "We've waited a long time for this. I want it to be perfect."
"How could it be anything but perfect?" Byakuya whispered, "I look at you and all I see is perfection."
"I'm not close to perfect," Renji chuckled, "You know that better than anyone, Taichou."
"But you are," Byakuya insisted, capturing the redhead's face in his hands and gazing deeply into Renji's aroused eyes, "I think you know me better than anyone, and you have let me know every part of you. The little things have ceased to matter and all I can see is how we were made for each other."
"You really think so?" Renji asked softly.
"If I did not, I wouldn't have opened the door."
"You knew how much I wanted you," Renji concluded.
Byakuya gave him a rare, genuine smile that melted the redhead's throbbing heart.
"You aren't the most subtle person, Renji. But I find that you're most beautiful when your honesty forces your emotions to the surface and you cannot hide them. I am denied that kind of freedom in my expression, so I treasure that in you."
Renji grinned.
"You find your own way to express what you really think. Sometimes I miss it, because things get by me, but I know it's there. I see you, Taichou."
Byakuya lowered his eyes almost shyly.
"It is good to be seen."
"I don't just want to see you now," Renji whispered, nuzzling his cheek, "I want to know all of you...the most secret places that no one knows."
A light sheen of sweat broke out on Byakuya's fine skin as he met Renji's voracious eyes again.
"Touch me, Renji," he breathed, "my heart is open to you."
He lost his breath all over again as Renji's hungry, biting mouth clamped down on his again, his hot tongue plunging inside and tasting thoroughly every inch of the smooth surfaces, then returning to the surface to trace his soft, almost smiling lips. He covered Byakuya's lovely face in gentler kisses, then made a line of devouring kisses along the side of his throat. And as they kissed, their searching hands roamed freely, Renji's rougher ones enjoying the petal soft expanses of Byakuya's paler flesh, then pausing to tease the flushed, pink nipples, while Byakuya's fine nails raked along Renji's muscular back, exciting pleasant shivers of intense arousal, before the noble's hands opened and caressed his tattooed bottom, gently urging him to move.
Renji moved his hips and fresh throbs of arousal assaulted his senses at the feel of stunning contact between their bodies and the soft, sweet exclamations Byakuya made at being touched in a way he never had been before. Flickers of surprise registered in his chest and belly as he offered his fingers and that usually stern mouth that rarely dared to express what the handsome noble was thinking, opened in acceptance, then caressed each digit sensuously, bathing them in saliva. He lingered on the last as Renji slowly extracted it, his eyes going smoky and lustful as Renji shifted his body slightly and began a slow and very thorough preparation.
Byakuya's breath caught sharply at the initial feeling of invasion. For a moment, he held his breath altogether, not daring to move.
"Relax," Renji panted softly into his ear, his voice husky with barely restrained desire, "Trust me."
"I trust you."
He let his breath out slowly, closing his eyes and letting his back arch slightly in acceptance as Renji found that most sensitive place inside him that had never been touched and stimulated the area gently, making the usually stoic noble's eyes widen and his mouth open into soft exclamations of intense arousal. He kissed his way down Byakuya's restlessly writhing torso, honing in on his hungry privates and treating him to a breathtaking exploration that brought him swiftly to the ends of his endurance.
"Renji!" he gasped, feeling his control slipping, but then feeling himself suddenly held back by Renji's firm hand.
He wasn't sure what words escaped him or if he just emitted passionate sounds as Renji's hot mouth enslaved him and set his mind reeling with blinding need, until all that mattered was their joining and all he wanted was the completion he knew he could only ever find with this one person.
"Renji, for kami's sake!" he managed in a shaky voice, making the redhead chuckle sweetly as he held the noble poised at the edges of bliss and moved into position to finally enter him.
He flinched at the first touch and was instantly met with Renji's warm breath on his cheek and a whisper of encouragement. Renji nudged his thighs further apart and attacked his mouth as he pressed forward, devouring the mingled sounds of discomfort, longing and aching need. A surge of relief passed over him as his body was breached and lovingly possessed, then Renji paused, letting him catch his breath and nibbling gently at his throat.
"You're so beautiful, Taichou," the redhead whispered, "I love you!"
"I love you too. I've loved you since that first day. It is good now to be with you and to be in my right mind, Renji...no illusions, no manipulations, just our own desires. We are no longer the boys we were then, but I think it's better now. I want you to give me everything, Renji...no holding back, no being cautious...just..."
His words ended in an unrestrained exclamation of pleasure as the redhead's powerful hips moved, causing a strong recoil in the noble's body. They fell wordlessly into a flurry of hard, passionate thrusts, lacing their fingers together tightly and sharing a barrage of voracious kisses. Renji's wild red-brown eyes met smoky grey that watched closely as the tattooed man's body danced handsomely atop his.
The kind of beauty he has differs greatly from mine. It is a more feral sort of beauty, but I love that it burns so hotly that it seems like nothing can hold it back. I've always thought Renji was an enchanting man, and as much as his impatience and recklessness trips him up, it also makes him the man he is. And that is the person I love...
Byakuya's mind reeled at the overwhelming beauty of watching Renji's powerful undulations shock his slighter body and feeling his pleasure intensify until it threatened to overflow. He felt a sensation like being suspended on a high precipice, then like falling from an incredible height, only to be captured in blinding waves of bliss that left him helpless in Renji's strong arms. He felt the redhead's body stiffen and begin to shudder, then throbs of intense heat melted him inside. Renji collapsed onto his chest, panting hard and stealing slower kisses as the heat went out of them and their bodies slowly calmed.
"That was wonderful, Taichou," Renji whispered appreciatively, "You were really great."
"Would you please use my name when we make love?" Byakuya asked, touching his lips and watching as Renji licked them teasingly, "You're not acting as my fukutaichou now. You are my lover, Renji."
Renji grinned.
"Okay, I'll try," he chuckled, "but I'm so used to calling you Taichou, that just comes out more easily than...Byakuya."
"You will get used to it," Byakuya assured him.
"All right. If you say so...Byakuya."
The two rested quietly, looking out the window into the stolid grey of the rift and exchanging more soothing touches.
"So, what happens now?" Renji asked softly.
Byakuya took in a slow breath.
"We heal, we train, then we go back and confront my cousin," Byakuya answered firmly, "but we must be cautious. Orochi has time while we are here to set the stage for our confrontation."
"So he'll have home field advantage. I get it," Renji acknowledged.
"He will challenge my leadership," Byakuya explained, "and do not expect he will hold back. He will use whatever he has to, to validate his opposition. And if enough of the elders see things as he does, if they hold my past actions against me, then the vote will go Orochi's way and his challenge will be accepted by the council."
"What happens then?" Renji asked, "Do you fight?"
"To the death," Byakuya said softly, "And as much as I want to see Orochi pay for his crimes, I don't favor killing him. It is a waste of his talent, and as rare as such power is, even among the greatest of the noble clans, all means should be taken to protect it."
"But not if that means he'll kill you, right Byakuya?" Renji said sternly, "I know you won't like doing it, but you might have to kill him."
"Yes. And if that is necessary, I will."
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"You're looking better," Kisuke said approvingly as he carefully examined the area Orochi's attack had breached Tetsuya's slender body, "I don't think you'll suffer any permanent damage, but like Rikichi, you're going to have to recover your powers slowly, gradually. Don't rush things."
"I don't know how you say that with everything that's on the line."
"Hey," Ichigo said gently, "Rikichi's got to recover too, and Arashi also. Byakuya's got to make his plans."
"And while he does, Orochi will be twisting the minds of the elders with no one to oppose him. Every moment we spend here gives him a better foothold."
Ichigo smiled and shook his head reprovingly.
"But you know Byakuya's not going to let that guy beat him. Byakuya's strong, and he's got something worth fighting for. You need to trust him, Tetsuya. I know that for a long time, you had to rely on only yourself. That was really hard, I'm sure. But you have friends here now, people who will stand up for you and Byakuya."
"But you can't fight his battle, Ichigo...and even a strong person like Byakuya-sama can lose a battle. He lost to you."
"That was different," Ichigo reminded him, "Byakuya lost because his heart wasn't in that fight. He was going against what he believed that time. This time, his heart is in the right place and he's fighting for what matters most...the people he loves."
He smiled warmly.
"You know you're one of those people."
"You are too, Ichigo," Tetsuya said softly, "He has a great deal of respect for you."
"And what about his favorite cousin?" Ichigo asked, slipping a hand into Tetsuya's and squeezing it gently, "What does Kuchiki Tetsuya think of me?"
Tetsuya swallowed hard and blushed furiously. He felt a soft jolt inside as Ichigo's fingers slid under his chin and raised it so their eyes met.
"It's okay for you to have a life of your own now," Ichigo said solemnly, "You've lived to protect Byakuya's boys for all of these years, but now that he knows, you're not alone anymore in doing that. You can build happiness of your own...and...I hope that you'll consider making me a part of that."
He leaned forward and met Tetsuya's lips lightly, looking into the noble's widened sapphire eyes. His smile warmed even more as he felt Tetsuya's arms encircle him and the two surrendered to a longer, more penetrating kiss.
"Do you think Byakuya will let me date you?" Ichigo asked, smirking.
"I don't think he'll stand in your way. As I said, Byakuya-sama respects you...and I...more than respect you. I like you a lot, Ichigo. I think I could fall in love with you."
"Good," Ichigo chuckled, stealing another kiss, "cause I think I fell in love with you the minute I first saw you!"