Chapter 2: Adoration
(Thanks a million to my good buddy, SesshomaruFreak for her help with this chapter!)
Renji rose early the next morning, but found upon leaving his quarters, that Byakuya had already gotten up, gathered what materials he needed from the office, and headed back to Kuchiki Manor. Frustrated, he checked his desk and found a note from his captain.
Renji,
I am going to need you to take care of things in the office for a day or two. I am attending to some important family issues, and I will be working from home. If you could please stop by the manor briefly this morning, I can talk with you about a few things. I apologize for the short notice, but…something unexpected has arisen.
"Hmm," Renji mused, rubbing his chin, "I wonder what's up."
He left the headquarters of the sixth division and headed to the noble's estate, curious about what might be happening.
I wonder if this has anything to do with whatever it is that he does on Friday nights.
He reached the manor gates quickly and nodded to the house guard on duty.
"Mornin' Tsutomu."
"Good morning Lieutenant Abarai," the guard answered cordially, "You may enter. Lord Kuchiki will meet you in the gardens."
"Got it."
He passed through the gates and crossed the courtyard, then he stepped into the lovely gardens, where he immediately spotted Byakuya and a worried looking attendant exiting one of the bedrooms. Byakuya laid a hand on the forearm of the attendant.
"Koji, I want you to remain at Tetsuya's side today. I know that Michio has said that he will recover fully, but he nearly died last night."
Oh my god, Renji thought, feeling an anxious jolt inside, the captain is really close to his cousin. I also know that Tetsuya is as strong as a Gotei captain. That's why he was made Byakuya's bodyguard. What could have happened to him? Did he get hurt? Was he attacked by something? Is he sick?
"Do not leave Tetsuya alone," Byakuya said firmly.
"Of course, Lord Byakuya," Koji answered, bowing, "I won't leave his side today."
Byakuya nodded and turned to find Renji standing on the walkway.
"Ah, Renji."
"I came as soon as I got your note, Captain," Renji replied, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but hear, did something happen to your cousin?"
"Yes," Byakuya confessed softly, "Tetsuya was…attacked."
Renji didn't miss the odd look that crossed his superior's face for a moment, then disappeared just as quickly.
I've seen that look before. There's something serious on his mind. He's feeling bad about something. Maybe he feels guilty for Tetsuya being in harm's way because he wants to protect him. That's possible. But maybe there's more to it…
"I'm sorry to hear that," the redhead said sincerely, "You weren't hurt too, were you, sir? I mean, I know Tetsuya protects you, so…"
"I was not with Tetsuya at the time when he was injured."
"Oh. Do you know what happened? Who did the attacking?"
Byakuya paused, looking uncomfortable for a moment.
"We have no information about how it happened, only that my cousin was in a fight with some kind of hollow and he either killed it or…or just managed to escape it. He staggered home and collapsed. He was unconscious so quickly that he wasn't able to tell us anything. Fortunately, the hollow did not seem to infect my cousin's body with any poison or harmful reiatsu, but Tetsuya has not awakened since he arrived here."
"Did you call me here to help you investigate or something? I can…"
"No," the noble said firmly.
Renji blinked in surprise, but Byakuya continued as if he hadn't noticed.
"I have assigned the investigation to our house guards. They will take care of the matter. I just need you to keep me apprised of anything that happens at our headquarters. I know you are off today, but if you could check in and relay anything important."
"It's no problem, sir," Renji assured him, "I already took stock before I left and gathered some things I thought you'd want. There's a lot of stuff to go through. You want me to help you work on it?"
Byakuya frowned at the magnitude of paperwork the redhead had brought and he sighed.
"I can manage."
"But your cousin," Renji objected, "If I help you, you'll get done in half the time."
"I do not want you wasting your day off, doing work for…"
"I wanna help. I didn't have anything special planned anyway, so…"
Byakuya gave him a curious look and he drew in a slow breath, considering.
"I imagine you are right about it taking less time to complete," he admitted, glancing back in the direction of Tetsuya's bedroom, "Very well then. We can work in my study."
Renji followed the noble through the door, and the two knelt on either side of the low table in the leader's study. A picture set on the table caught his eye and he looked more closely, admiring the image of a teen-aged Byakuya, dressed in his hunter green and black training clothes and sitting astride a tall, black Arabian stallion Renji knew to be his cousin's. A shyly smilingTetsuya sat in front of Byakuya, dressed in shades of blue that complimented his lovely, but slightly sad looking sapphire eyes.
"Is that you and Tetsuya?" he asked, noticing that Byakuya was watching him curiously.
"Yes," the noble confirmed, "It was taken a short time after I led the raid that emancipated the prisoners of the illegal noble's prison where Tetsuya was being held. For some time after his arrival, my cousin was too traumatized to speak, however, it was on the day that this photograph was taken that Tetsuya broke his silence…to make his pledge to always protect me. His sword had only just manifested and he did not yet know its name, but he carried it into the council hall and laid it at my feet in front of the elders, then he knelt and bowed in front of me, and he swore to devote his life and his powers to my protection. The elders sensed that Tetsuya's blade was not a fighting blade, but was a healing one. They tried to object, but that was when the blade's spirit emerged and she promised that she would lend her strength to Tetsuya, so that he could fight when it was necessary. The elders started to protest, but I touched Tetsuya on the shoulder and accepted before they could say anything."
Renji grinned widely at the thought.
"I bet those old geezers were pretty steamed about that, weren't they?" he chuckled.
"Yes," Byakuya affirmed, "Not only did a number of them look down on Tetsuya for his mixed noble and peasant blood, some still doubted any healer could be the kind of protector that a powerful heir would need. From the beginning, Tetsuya proved them wrong. He put all of his strength into learning everything that I could teach him, and when his strength wasn't enough, his heart took over."
Byakuya picked up the picture and looked into Tetsuya's eyes for a moment, then he set it down again and sighed softly.
"The elders were surprised enough when Tetsuya passed every challenge to become one of the house guards, but they were stunned beyond words when this shy, half-wild mixed blood boy achieved bankai."
"It must have been amazing to see that," Renji mused, recalling his own passionate bankai training.
"Nothing has made me prouder," Byakuya confessed, "and his achievement quieted all of the objections. No one questioned anymore whether Tetsuya was a proper protector, although some of them still look down on him. They just do so more quietly. I believe that kind of thinking to be very short-sighted. As Tetsuya has proven, and as you, yourself have shown, a person's heart and will to succeed are more important than what blood runs in their veins."
"I'm glad you see that," Renji said sincerely.
Renji couldn't stop the blush that broke out on his face and throat as Byakuya gave him a rare smile, and the noble's next words made his knees feel weak.
"Well, you nearly killed yourself on more than one occasion, testing yourself against me, Renji. Each time, you have grown exponentially. The day will soon come when you will be able to break my sword."
"Not that I want to anymore."
Byakuya's head cocked slightly in a gesture so adorable to Renji that it set off little flutters in his belly.
"Why not?" he asked calmly.
"Well," Renji said, frowning thoughtfully, "because…you're my captain."
"I was your captain before."
"Eh, yeah, but you know, I…I was…I had the wrong idea about you. I thought that you…"
"No, you had the right idea, I am afraid," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "I took Rukia from you, thinking that I was more capable of protecting her than you were."
"Well, if you wanna be honest, neither one of us protected her as much as Ichigo did."
"The point is, I doubted you, and I kept on doubting you. You could have given up trying to show me, but you did not."
Byakuya glanced at the picture again, then he turned his gaze back onto Renji.
"Like my cousin, you have a tenacious nature and you do not give up. I have great respect for Tetsuya's and your high spirits."
"You do?"
"Yes," Byakuya said firmly, "and I expect that you will continue to train your hardest, and that you make it your goal to best Senbonzakura."
"Man, I never thought I would hear that from you," Renji laughed.
"And I never thought that a child of the low Rukongai would ever hear those words from me. You see, I did not consider myself to harbor the prejudices that many of the elders do, but I have found that prejudices are not always straightforward. In any case, my eyes are open now, and I believe I have proper expectations for you."
"Well, I'll do my best not to disappoint you then," Renji promised, smiling good-naturedly.
The two men turned their attention to the pile of work on the table and exchanged amused glances.
"This…is gonna take awhile," Renji chuckled, "Okay, let's do it."
He respectfully insisted on taking the reports and forms that he could fill out on his own, leaving Byakuya with a little less than half of the work.
Not wanting his superior to regret agreeing to this, Renji buckled down immediately, ignoring the alluring scent of the older books and ink and the soft breath of sakura that underpinned it all.
Over the next few hours, Renji took careful note of frequent frowns and the tightness around the noble's eyes that spoke of quiet frustration. By early afternoon, most of the work was finished, except for a few signatures.
Renji heard Byakuya sigh as he signed the last few pieces. He bit his lip, peeking around the stack of finished papers. The older man looked exhausted and stressed out.
"Captain?"
Calm grey eyes lifted to his, and he cleared his throat. He hadn't meant to say anything out loud.
"Uhh, forgive me if this sounds rude or something, but you look like you could use a nice long massage."
Byakuya raised an eyebrow.
"A...massage?"
Renji nodded, venturing a smile as he kneaded the air with his hands in demonstration.
"Yessir. A massage. It'll help you relax, your body and mind. You'll feel a lot better, trust me. It'll also help you sleep tonight."
Byakuya hesitated.
"I should really keep an eye on Tetsuya..."
Renji nodded in understanding.
"I totally get that, sir. But Koji and security are watching him, right? And you won't be able to help him at all if you - "
He cut off abruptly at the sharp look he got. He cautiously finished his sentence, unconsciously hiding his body behind the papers.
" - if you don't take care of yourself, sir. You've told me that yourself, that umm, an empty cup cannot fill another, right?"
Byakuya didn't respond for a long moment, prompting Renji to make a couple of suggestions.
"We can go check on your cousin first, and again when we're done. And you can leave all your clothes on, okay? That way it's not weird or improper or anything."
Finally, the noble gave a slight nod and rose, waiting for Renji to scramble to his side before walking out. Surprised that his offer had actually been accepted, Renji stayed quiet as they moved to Tetsuya's room. Byakuya paused outside the room, where a house guard was stationed.
"Have you seen or sensed anything of concern, Jun?" asked Byakuya.
"No sir," the guard answered, "It's been quiet."
"Very well."
Upon stepping inside, Reni was stricken at once with the light scents of sakura and fine leather, and the simple but elegant furnishings. Tetsuya laid sleeping in the large bed near the center of the room with his sword on a cherry wood stand on the wooden chest across from it. Even sheathed and sleeping, a soft blue glow radiated around the blue-handled blade and Renji could sense the watchful spirit housed within.
As they entered, Byakuya's eyes looked in the direction of the sword and Renji read something in them that looked like guilt. The noble quickly turned his attention to the attendant sitting beside the bed.
"Has there been any change, Koji?" Byakuya asked softly.
The attendant looked up at them with a regretful expression.
"I am sorry, sir. He is sleeping more comfortably now, but he is still not waking."
Byakuya nodded, gazing silently at the still form on the bed for a moment before turning and slowly walking through the inner bedroom doors into the hallway, and back towards what Renji assumed were his superior's own quarters.
Sure enough, they came to a suite of rooms set apart from the rest of the manor, connected by a short walkway.
Renji held his breath as he stepped in, awestruck by the subtle yet profound sense that these rooms indeed belonged to Byakuya. From the sweet and spicy scents, to the dark polished wood furnishings, to the soft cushions on the floor and the sakura motif on some of the wall panels, the place screamed 'Byakuya'.
The older man started to turn towards the back rooms, then paused, looking uncertain.
"Do we have to do this in a bedroom, or...?"
Renji shook his head, sensing something close to discomfort. He saw a wide padded lounge in a corner, not in easy view of anyone outside.
"No sir, not if you don't want to. That spot there would be fine, and nobody could really see."
Byakuya nodded in approval, moving to the lounge. Renji followed, nodding respectfully.
"Okay, Captain. If you lay on your stomach, I can sit on your legs for rubbing your back and arms, and we can go from there."
Byakuya nodded and laid down on his belly. Taking a deep breath, Renji carefully straddled the noble's slim thighs and reached out, smoothing the silky printed yukata over sleek muscles. Slowly and carefully, he pressed his palms a bit harder in the same smoothing motion.
A quiet sigh of relief rewarded him, and he smiled as he used his fingertips to firmly trace Byakuya's shoulder blades, then his muscles.
"How's that feeling, Captain?"
A short groan escaped to answer him when he used his thumbs to gently dig at the noble's lower back. He then ran the heels of his hands up either side of Byakuya's spine, finally getting a response to his question.
"That feels...good. As you said, it is relaxing. How is it you know how to do this so well?"
Renji's lips twitched, unsure whether to smile or frown.
"I...used to work at a place that offered massages, back on the streets. I did it to support Rukia and our friends."
Byakuya was quiet a moment, then asked softly, "Did it pay well enough?"
Renji swallowed, unconsciously massaging harder as the memories swept by his mind's eye.
"Kept us from dying of starvation for a long time. I could afford some food on my usual salary, but I had to...do other stuff sometimes to afford more food or other things we needed, like blankets or medicine."
He winced at his honesty, lightening his touch and smoothing the expensive yukata again.
"Sorry, Captain. You didn't ask for my life story."
The older man hummed softly.
"But perhaps it is something I should have asked about before."
"Why?"
Byakuya sighed, turning his head to meet Renji's dark eyes.
"We are friends, are we not? I should have cared to ask about something that helped make you the man you are today."
Renji blinked, continuing his gently firm caresses.
"Oh. Okay, I guess. If you asked, I'd tell you."
His superior hesitated before speaking in a near-whisper.
"Renji, when you needed extra food or other supplies..."
Renji took a deep breath, letting it out shakily.
"The place I gave massages was actually at a brothel. When we needed extra stuff, I'd tell my boss, and he'd take me to meet high-paying clients that wanted a lot more than a massage."
The noble was quiet for a long time, then spoke in a careful tone.
"But you could then get what you needed, correct? How old were you?"
Renji sighed, focusing on massaging before answering.
"Well, my boss got the lion's share of the payment, so...say we needed one blanket, right? I might need to see two or three clients to afford it. As for my age...you don't wanna know."
He sensed tension ripple through his companion's body, and spoke soothingly.
"Need to relax, Captain, otherwise this massage will be for nothing."
Slowly, the smaller Soul Reaper relaxed under him.
"I'm sorry, Renji."
Renji frowned slightly.
"I don't need pity, Captain. I'm not the only kid who suffered down in the low Rukon and I'm not the first to have to fight my way out. I did what I had to, that's all."
The reply was firm, yet gentle.
"I was not pitying you. I was trying to express a simple regret that you had to face such things, and at what I can only assume was a young age. Did Rukia know the lengths you went to shelter her and provide her comfort?"
Renji shook his head, moving his hands to knead Byakuya's shoulders and upper arms.
"Nah. I mean, she knew about the massages, but not the other stuff. Even to this day. And I'd appreciate it if it stayed that way."
His superior nodded.
"Your secret is safe with me, Renji. But...that does mean you were facing those things alone, does it not?"
"Yeah."
It went quiet again for quite some time as Renji massaged his captain. Finally, Byakuya broke the silence.
"Seeing as how you confided in me something deeply personal, I would return the favor."
Renji blushed, glad Byakuya couldn't see his face.
"That's okay, sir. I mean, you asked."
"That did not obligate you to answer."
"Oh."
Byakuya seemed to contemplate his next words carefully.
"Renji, as the heir to a noble family, I have always had a target on my back, even as a child."
Renji began to tense at the thought.
"Has anyone ever tried to...?"
Byakuya nodded slowly.
"There have been several attempts on my life over the years, more than I care to count. One of my earliest memories involves a man breaking into my room and attacking me in my bed. The guards arrived before he could do any damage, but it still made an impression on me."
Renji forced himself not to tremble in disgust and rage. Then his captain continued speaking.
"It has been a long time since I've actually been afraid of being targeted. Having Tetsuya at my side has protected me from that. But there are few with whom I truly feel safe. But when I am with Tetsuya…and when I am with you...you make me feel safe, Renji."
Renji froze like a deer.
"You...what?"
"When you are nearby, I am not as worried about someone trying something. I could handle it alone, but if you are there, I would not have to. Does that make sense?"
Renji nodded slowly.
"Yeah, Captain, it does. Like if I'm with you, you don't have to be as concerned with keeping yourself safe."
"Precisely."
"To me, those moments of feeling safe are precious, so I am grateful to you for giving me that."
Renji didn't know quite how to answer, so he let the emotion he felt seep into the care with which his hands continued their work. In the comforting quiet and soothed by his subordinate's hands, Byakuya drifted off to sleep. Renji smiled and climbed off of the lounge and left the room, heading back to Tetsuya's room, where he nodded to the guard and entered to find Koji gently cooling Tetsuya's face with a damp cloth.
"Hey," Renji greeted the attendant, "you're Koji, right?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Abarai, sir," the attendant answered respectfully.
"It's Renji," the redhead chuckled, "Look, I was wondering. Captain Kuchiki said that Tetsuya staggered home from wherever he was attacked. Where did he come in?"
"Hmm," Koji said, frowning, "I think from the back. He came in the back gate."
"And uh, where is his horse? Was he with Tetsuya?"
Koji nodded.
"They were together, but when Tetsuya is injured, eh…it's hard to explain."
"It's okay," Renji assured him, "So, the horse isn't here."
"No sir."
"Okay, thanks."
Renji left the room and paused as he reached the guard at the garden doors.
"Heya, do you think it would be a problem if I take a little walk around? I just need to stretch my legs a little."
"You are Lord Byakuya's guest," the guard replied, "He assured us that you are to be trusted."
"Thanks."
Renji first walked around the gardens, working his way slowly to the back gate. He looked around, extending his senses as he opened it and passed through, onto a wide, soft dirt trail.
Okay, let's see what Tetsuya's trail can tell me.
His face set with determination, he started down the trail.