Hello! Sorry for the late update, in all honesty, I have postponed this because I've just been having a really crappy time in RL, and I was worried that it would reflect on my story... I will go back to regular posting, promise! Thank you so much for the favorites, follows and reviews, they keep me going honestly!
This is a chapter I am so excited for, because things finally get a little steamy! I loved writing this chappy! :)
xXx
Byakuya was sitting at his desk, absorbed in his Dorfman play. I approached him and shouted his name, but he took no notice of me. He simply continued to read his book with gusto, his eyes running across the pages swiftly. Eventually I gave up trying to get his attention, when suddenly a tall, ebony haired female walked in. It was her. My ex-girlfriend.
She was holding something; it took me a while to fully comprehend what it was. It was my body.
Blood was flowing profusely from an open wound in my chest, where Zabimaru was sticking out, as though Excalibur in the boulder. Byakuya finally looked up and approached my corpse, before reaching out and pulling Zabimaru out of my body in one swift motion.
Suddenly, my dead body began to float, towards the sky, out of her arms. I began to transform, into a being I could not describe. My face was a white mask, with beads of black for eyes. My skin grew black as though my tattoos were spreading, my fingers became talons, and a hole formed from Zabimaru's stab. The last thing was the echo of a mournful howl from the creature I had become...
xXx
My eyes flew open and I gasped for air. I blinked severally and looked around the room. Sunlight was streaming in softly from the open balcony door. My breathing was still erratic and my heart was pounding away in my chest. Suddenly the room grew too stuffy, I needed to get out.
I stalked to the balcony door and took a deep breath, closing my eyes and rubbing them harshly. The memory of the nightmare had flittered away, and I had no memory of it now. So, why did I feel so scared? Why feel so empty? My heart was thumping in my chest so hard I was sure I had just completed a triathlon.
I walked out onto the balcony and towards the terrace. Looking down at the ground, I gripped the railing and with all the might I could muster, I raised my eyes to the sea that stretched before me. Yes, it starts with looking up, always look up, I thought.
The sea was calm and at low tide, with a few fisher men heading towards the small puddles that fish probably got trapped in once the sea retreated. Heaps of sand could be seen, between few glittering puddles of water. The sun rose and set a warm glow across the sky. I closed my eyes and took a breath, before my meditation was cut short by the sound of movement across the shoji door.
I turned my attention to the slightly parted shoji. I recalled Byakuya stating that if I needed him, I could go over. I did have a nightmare, but was that excuse enough? I shook my head and turned back to the sea.
I heard grunts and the shuffling of feet from across the sliding door, and suddenly my curiosity was aroused. Besides, it was not like standing there was going to help me remember my nightmare. I shivered at the thought anyway, but all thoughts were dispelled when I peeked over shoji, where I was met with a surprise.
In a concentrative stance was Byakuya, with a jō at arm's length from his body (1)
His face dripping with sweat, his chest heaving heavily as he gathered his breath. With one swift motion, he swung the wooden stick, and gracefully did a turn, returning to his previous stance, just in the other direction.
I smiled at him as a wave of nostalgia came over me, recalling my days at the dojo. My heart seemed to constrict as I watched Byakuya, moving with ease and fluidity that I knew I could copy, and probably do better. Not to say that Byakuya wasn't brilliant, but I knew my strong young body could do so much better; I laughed internally.
Byakuya mustn't have noticed me, because he continued his routine for several minutes before stopping with his back to me. He began to reach for the hem of his shirt and decided then to remove his shirt, which was drenched with sweat. I averted my eyes and swallowed hard. He didn't know I was there, but me standing there like a voyeur wouldn't bode well if he turned around to find my gawking at him. But why did I so badly want to look? I sighed and knew that I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. But what was supposed to have been a peak, turned into a full blown stare.
His broad muscular shoulders reminded me of river valleys, with sweat winding its course through strong muscular partings. They tensed and relaxed as he folded his shirt meticulously and then without warning he turned to me. I held my breath. I bit my lip. I expected a shout from him to telling me I was a creep. But no, he did not see me; his hair was a veil in front of his face, falling over his shoulders. I followed his hair like a trail to the rest of his torso. It was perfectly sculpted.
He was lean, with eight perfect squares of pure muscles adorning his stomach, ending at the bottom in a V-shape, leading to unknown wonders. I felt my face heat up at the thought, and goose bumps form on my skin. Why was I thinking about that? I decided that it was time I left, before my mind got ahead of itself. I tried to leave discreetly, but to my horror bumped into the shoji, thus betraying my presence.
"Renji" he said my name huskily, looking up at me. He pushed his raven hair aside and continued, "You know, you shouldn't be watching me like that"
My heart stopped beating for a moment, and sweat began to form at my brow. I blushed and said, "Sorry, Byakuya-san, I was just…"
"Yes, I know what you were doing. You shouldn't be watching me"
"I can explain" I began, feeling my palms moisten and my throat catch. He smoothly raised his hand to silence me and said, "No need to, I understand"
"You do?" I asked, gaping at him like a fish. He smiled slightly, and said, "But of course. You probably miss practicing like this. You should join me"
I stood in awe, and he raised an eyebrow. Shaking myself inwardly, I watched as he walked into his room and came back out with a second jō. He came towards me, and I could smell his sweet musky scent and feel the heat of exertion radiate from his perfectly built form, I held my breath. He pushed the jō into my hand and stepped away. I weighed it in my hands, savoring its ideal weight and length.
"I couldn't bring Senbonzakura, so I settled for some local jō. They are just as easy to practice with, just use different techniques though, but they help me stay in shape" he said, feeling very talkative, which he often seemed about weaponry.
I continued to admire the weapon, as he took hold of his own and said,
"Shall we begin?"
I nodded.
"I'm sure you had some training with Zabimaru, so you know most basic forms?" he didn't let me respond, "So the starting stance is always the same, so let's start there and then follow my lead"
I got into the stance, my legs separated; my knees bent, back straight, elbows shoulder high. And then he swung, as did I, he took a step forward and kicked, I did too. Swung again, I imitated, jab, and I copied. He grunted then and pursed his lips.
"Let's do something harder then"
After twenty minutes, his exercise was proving strenuous and difficult. Then came a time that he performed one move and I tried to imitate. I failed miserably. I tried it again. He stood back and watched as I struggled. He sighed with impatience. I removed my shirt which was completely soaked in my sweat. This was getting on my nerves, and I could feel my own irritation boiling to the top.
"No, no you're not holding yourself right, that's why you can't get it. Don't use the jō like it is some foreign object. It is just like a katana, an extension of you. Here, let me show you"
He came behind me and grabbed the jō, placing his hands over my own, so we were holding it together.
"Now, move like this. Don't be so tense. Squat lower, you will be stronger that way"
I moved lower, straightened my back more. I could feel his body pressed against my own. I took a deep breath, as he helped me swing the jō, his muscles curling around my own. This proximity made my body heat up even further, I was sure I was running a fever at that point. My mind went racing, and my body began to betray me. To distract myself from the sudden hardness, I focused more on the action of jō.
"That's it. You are strong Renji" he said taking away his arms, "You just need to fix your posture a little more" he said, adjusting my shoulders, "Relax" he whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes as his hot breath was on my wet skin.
I turned my head slightly to look at him, and hadn't realized how close he was. His nose was just inches from my skin, and he looked at me, thinking.
"You let me touch you"
My eyes widened with realization, "So I did"
"You know I would never hurt you?" he said, his voice guarded. I nodded and set the jō aside.
"I know that… now" I said turning to him fully. His black hair was damp and clinging to his body, hanging around his long eye lashes that acted as canopies for his beautiful silver eyes, which seemed blue in the warm weather.
I stared into his eyes, and took a deep breath it. His lips were soft and pink; suddenly his wet pink tongue peaked out and ran over his lips. He licked them slowly and took a deep breath in. I felt myself harden once more and bit my lip. I contemplated and then drew back. I couldn't handle it.
He turned away and said, "We're done for today, we must hurry to breakfast now, let me get Rukia. See you soon, Renji"
"Thank you, Byakuya-sama" I said, bowing my head slightly and walking past him to my balcony and into my room.
xXx
We went out for dinner again, this time ending the meal with wagashi (2). I licked my fingers greedily and laughed at Rukia's jokes, all the while watching Byakuya sip his tea slowly. He made deliberate movements, each one calculated. He picked a tsubaki mochi (3) and ate it delicately, closing his eyes to savor the flavor.
This man had become an object of my fascination, and despite the events that had occurred over the past few days, he had maintained my sanity, without him even knowing it. I wondered if he knew that it was because of his subtle ways that I was sitting there with him, far from any thoughts of abuse or suicide. I felt my insides tingle as he wiped his mouth and I picked up another dessert.
He opened his eyes to catch me staring. In a moment of sheer panic, I stuffed the wagashi in my mouth and swallowed without a second thought. I choked and heaved as Rukia handed me a cup of tea. I downed it and coughed. Rukia burst into peals of laughter and I joined her. Then suddenly another sound joined ours. We turned to find Byakuya giggling softly with us.
"Renji-san, last I checked your esophagus is only half the size of that mochi" Byakuya sighed, shaking his head. He looked at me and the smile disappeared, but the light never left his grey eyes. I took deep breath as I picked up a mochi and ate it slowly this time, savoring the subtle sweet flavors and contemplating my relationship with Byakuya.
"Renji-san?" Byakuya said, sipping his tea.
"Hmmmmm?" I said with a stuffed mouth.
"Please join me in my room after dinner" he said. I looked back at him and nodded, suddenly feeling apprehensive, another night with the noble…
xXx
So what do you think? let me know!
1; a stick used in combat, shorter than a bo (the stick Donatello of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles uses)
2; a Japanese display of confectionary treat, served at a tea ceremony.
4: It is a type of wagashi eaten in winter, made of gelatinous rice with sugar; it's like a little rice cake.
If the above info is wrong, let me know! I get my stuff twisted all the time!