A/N: Sorry, minna! I didn't mean to skip a week. I've been having some health issues. Random out of nowhere pain that's only eased by heavy painkillers that put me to sleep the first couple of times I take them. Hopefully things are on the mend now. Silva and I are working on some new stuff. Though I don't know if you Bleach folks will like it. It's all One Piece. Anyways, don't fret. We haven't abandoned Bleach, just taking a detour through pirates for the time being. Warning for smut towards the end, but then if you've been following along so far, you already know what kitsunes are like. lol Enjoy, ja ne!

Pillows and blankets flew across the room, one of them smacked the previously sleeping, red-haired tiger in the face. He sat bolt upright blearily, blinking at the cushion that now rested in his lap. "Wh-what?!"

His mate stormed across their bedroom to the just-barely-bigger-than-a-closet down the hall, trailing several blankets and at least three pillows. In his wake, the kitsune left a chaotic assortment of other bedding materials strewn about the floor where they'd been pulled out of the linen closet. Renji scratched his head and frowned a bit.

"Gin…love…" He made his way to the doorway of the not-closet. "Th' priestesses take a lotta pride in makin' sure those blankets 're clean and folded nice fer us, y'know."

"So? Nesting. Doesn't matter."

The fox grumbled, curling over his belly to stretch another blanket across a gap in the already mounded pile of soft materials. He paused, tilting his head to observe his work, then growled loudly and started throwing things about the tiny room again. It was all piled in the middle of the floor, but on top of several layers of futon mattresses. Over the last few days, the silver-haired male had taken to snatching even the King's blanket. Fortunately they were approaching Midsummer, so it wasn't like the materials were needed, but this was getting ridiculous to the tiger's way of thinking.

Renji took a step into the room to take a hold of the last pillow in the kitsune's hands only to be growled at. He frowned, "Look, I'm not sayin' ya should stop completely, but at least come cuddle fer a bit? I gotta get goin' at the end of the week."

"Still?" Gin pouted. "It's always work, work, work wit' you! All ya ever do anymore is work! I never git ta see ya, and when ya are home, ya never want me ta do anythin' for ya. All ya wanna do is sleep an' cuddle."

It probably wouldn't help him, but the redhead couldn't avoid adding, "And sex. I let ya Feed from me as often as ya want."

All he got was an aggravated growl-shout, and a pillow shoved in his face as the fecund kitsune stormed past him. He was left blinking, rather lost. What had he said this time? Two weeks ago the vulpine had been all sunshine and smiles, with cheerful responses to everyone, even that blasted nue that kept hanging around at the edges of everyone's senses. Now though, since he started nesting, he was surly, uncomfortable and downright cold to all who crossed his path, and War couldn't help feeling like it was all his fault somehow.

He stumbled, still half-asleep, out of the East building to the kitchen. Slumping into a seat, he didn't even notice he was still clutching the second pillow to hit him until he had to let go of it to grasp the cup of coffee the appliance set in front of him. He smiled at the little formerly-inanimate object gratefully, downing half of the cup in one go. He shuddered at the bitter taste, but it woke him up, which was the point.

"P'rfec'…" Came a mumbled voice from the doorway.

Looking up the redhead saw Conquest holding his head, squinting against the lights. His turquoise and jade ears lay out flat to either side, and his tail hung limply almost dragging on the floor. Even his yukata looked tired as it draped across his shoulders, hanging open as though it didn't even have the energy to keep itself closed in spite of the knot in the sash.

"Ya look like shit, Grimm." Renji frowned.

"Really? I hadn't not'ced." The panther slurred, sliding into the chair opposite the tiger. "C'n I haff that?" He pointed at the pillow.

"Uh…" The redhead looked at it, then at the blunette and handed it over, "Sure, I guess…s'long as Gin don't want it back." As the other feline exhaled slowly, sinking into the soft cradle, using the table to hold himself up, Renji asked, "So, what's wit' you?"

"Dunno," Conquest shrugged, "M'head's poundin'. How come yer in here? Ain't ya us'ally holed up wit' yer fox 'til dinner these days?"

"Trust me, I wanna be, but he's all…" War made an ineffectual gesture with his hand, taking another drink of his coffee. "He's nestin' an' I try ta help but he don't want me 'round, I swear."

The panther snorted, "I doubt tha'."

"No, really, ev'ry time I try ta get him ta spend some time wit' me, he just growls at me. I'm a bit lost. Gimme a horde o' barbarians tryin' ta overthrow their neighbors fer th' rights ta th' river they already own an' I know 'xactly what ta do ta sort it out with minimal impact on th' world. But this…pregnancy thing…" The tiger shuddered, his ears pinning back.

"Well, I ain't much better at this whole relationship thing, but Ichi says that if he's feelin' ov'rwhelmed he gets snappy. So I'm s'posed ta…oh fuck…" Grimmjow frowned without opening his eyes, "I'm s'posed ta…uh…go ta him, 'nstead'a him comin' ta me, cuz he don't us'ally know he's ov'rwhelmed 'til I do."

Renji ran a hand through his hair, loose from its typical ponytail at the moment, "I could try I guess."

"S'worth a shot, 't least, righ'?" The panther mumbled, burying his face in the pillow. He didn't even notice the Second leave the room, as he whimpered softly to the appliances. "Now, if I could just make th' mem'ries stop."

Outside, in the warm summer sunshine, Gin was pacing back and forth under the sakura trees along the outer edge of the East building's garden. His mate just didn't get it, and why couldn't he just understand for once? It drove him crazy. He didn't want to stop everything he was doing to just lay around with his tiger all the time, but they were running out of time. War would be heading back out in a couple of days, and the King only knew when the redhead would be able to get back…what if he missed the birth!? Involuntarily the fox whimpered.

Then he stopped, glaring at a shadow not fifteen paces from him. "You!" He spat.

The nue stepped out into the sunshine, allowing himself to be seen for the first time in total. He was large, about the size of a small horse, and bulky, with powerful shoulders and corded arms that bulged with muscle. His heavy knuckles and the gentle bow to his back spoke of the immense time he'd spent plying his craft. His ruff was thick, and pearly white with broad purple stripes. His crimson eyes, set deep in the wizened baboon face, narrowed as the snake's head arched up over his shoulder to hiss at the kitsune.

Silver ears pinned back against his hair and baring his teeth, the expectant male stalked right up to the dream-weaver, "Look you! I have enough on m' plate at th' moment wi'out havin' ta worry 'bout lookin' over m' shoulder fer you ev'ry time I want some time ta think by m'self! So bugger th' hell off, an' I won't turn yer tail inta a squeaky toy!"

Gin had never heard a snake gulp before, but this one did, as its eyes went wide, "Sssaru…he meansss it…he'll…aah!"

The kitsune leaned in for emphasis, freezing electricity sparking in the otherwise almost-too-hot air, and snapped his vicious canine teeth at the reptilian appendage. It cowered, unable to handle direct confrontation the same way the baboon half could.

"Please stop intimidating my tail. I will leave. With your newfound ability to shake off my nightmares, I am useless here. Thus, the order I was given no longer applies." The baboon stepped slowly to the side.

Outright running would be as bad as standing his ground, as that would turn his vulnerable back to the angered vulpine, but simply backing away would be seen as the preamble to a chase, regardless whether he turned or not. As one magical beast to another, it simply wasn't intelligent to provoke either any further. Frozen, blue eyes followed the nue's movements until he stepped into a shadow and through the Veil.

The Jester didn't care where the dream-weaver went, as long as he wasn't being bothered any longer. So he gave a subtle shake, freeing slivers of ice that had developed in his fur as his power rose, and re-settled his hackles. The kits promptly informed him that they had not appreciated their momma stretching himself the way he had by squirming, pushing against his spine, ribs, and the back of his belly button all at the same time. It prompted him to bring a hand around to caress his belly, and put a smile to his face.

"This is why I usually watch from a distance, Gin-san."

Whipping around in confusion, the fox blinked a few times at the presence of the King sitting on the roof of the East building with a one leg drawn up, the other hanging off the edge, swinging gently. The orangette had a smile on his face where he rested his cheek against the palm of his hand, the elbow of which was in turn resting on his raised knee.

"The others seem to think you're powerless now that you're expecting. I think they've forgotten the kitsune you were before you became my Jester." Ichigo's voice was wistful, as though he wasn't exactly speaking of Gin at the moment. "It's why I've kept my distance. I know you can handle yourself. And others." He laughed.

"Uh…thanks, Denka?" The vulpine was still a bit shocked. He hadn't even known that the King was concerned, what with the way the monarch had been wrapped up in his project with the priests.

The orangette waved at him, and hopped down to the ground, nimbly. "Ichigo, if you could. I hate all that title and worship nonsense the priests pile on me."

"But yer th' King." Gin insisted, a small frown creasing his brow.

The younger male gave a joyless laugh. "Yeah. I am. So? Doesn't that mean my desire is law?"

The kitsune seemed to pick up on something the King didn't say as his smile returned in full force, and he teased. "Hai. Ichi-kun."

"Much better." Ichigo smiled again. "Now, how about we celebrate your victory over the pest with a sneak peek at what I've been working on?" The kitsune's tails wagged and the King led them to the chapel.

Renji nodded to himself, fists on his hips, surveying the not-closet. He'd brought their own bedding from their actual bed in to be used on top of what his mate had already arranged. He'd moved two of the futons to line the back walls, then piled a row of pillows in the corner where the floor met the wall so there was support for one's lower back. The rest he used to create a barrier between the door and the center of the room with space just wide enough for someone to kneel against the wall nearest the hallway. Several blankets were hung on the outside wall to block drafts, and the rest were bunched haphazardly around the interior of the nest. Nodding again he tried to swallow the ball of nerves that had settled in his stomach.

Would Gin like it? Would he be upset that the tiger had messed with his nest? Would he even say anything or would he just push War out of the room so he could tear everything down and start over? Everyone knew the Second was about conflict, but did he have the negotiating skills to handle making peace with his emotional mate? He wasn't entirely sure himself, but if nothing else this should prove that he cared and wanted to do more than just cuddle, right?

"What have ya done?"

The redhead couldn't stop the bottle brush of his tail as his mate blinked at him from the doorway. He was standing in the middle of the nest, and under the head-tilted ice blue neutral gaze leveled at him, he shifted a little nervously.

"Is it okay?" He asked, unconsciously curling in on himself.

Gin blinked, "It's…"

Horrible? Awful? Dreadful? Renji could hear the adjectives echoing through his skull, and his heart sped up even more than it already was.

"It's…" The kitsune tilted his head to the other side.

Ugly? Hideous? Violated?

"It's…" Another blink.

By now, the tiger had his tail in his hands, ears folded down into his hair, and looking off to the side. He couldn't stand to see the expression on his mate's face when the fox finally decided his attempt was disgusting and worthless.

Then out of nowhere he had an armful of pregnant Jester, and was landing on his, often bruised, tail in the blankets. He dared to smile a bit, and was kissed soundly. When the usually smaller male let him up for air, he out-right grinned.

"Ya like it then." He stated.

"Like it? Aiko, it's perfect! How'd ya know what I wanted?" Gin was all over him, purring and nuzzling and tails wagging.

The tiger shrugged, "I dunno. I just did what I know ya like ta do ta th' bed."

"Oh, Tora!" The kitsune was kissing him again, and crying.

Then War felt his mate's hands pulling at the belt of his kosode, pushing the fabric away and heat began to pool in his stomach through the fox's kisses. An amazing effect because the more aroused the Jester got the colder the air became around them, but his touches and kisses were like an accelerant to the perpetual fires of conflict that burned at the core of the Second's being. It never failed to immediately bring him to hardness and feeling the way Gin's belly brushed against his own, fur on skin, soft-yet-firm precious cargo pressing into the gently dipped plane of corded muscles, had him bucking gently to capture more touch between them.

He rolled them over in the blankets, shedding his hakama while he was at it, so he could worship the amazing creature that was his mate. Gin squirmed as the tiger ran his hands down the fox's sides, and cantered his mouth across the junction of neck and shoulder, all around the Mating Mark. A moan that could have come from either of them was absorbed by the blankets and cushioning when Renji pressed his index finger up, under his lover's tails and into his entrance, already slick in preparation of being used for birth in the next couple of months.

Gin ground his hips against the sensation, eyes closed tightly, and his member beginning to leak freely. The redhead leaned back to stroke it, spreading the precome around the glans and caressing the knot that usually was kept at bay by the kitsune being in control of the entire situation. In no time it seemed War had added his other fingers, and his silver-haired lover was gripping the cushions beneath them, a mewling mess of arousal and need.

"Talk ta me, foxy boy." Renji kissed up the sensitive swell of their kits. "Tell me who loves ya." He removed his hand to line himself up with the twitching tunnel.

"Nnyah! Rrrenjiii~!" The Jester purr-moaned, pressing his sphincter against the flared and barbed glans his mate presented for him.

"That'sss rrright." The tiger entered him, with slow deliberate strength, filling him completely with a guttural noise of pleasure that rumbled above his normally slender lover in all the right ways.

The rhythm was almost as gentle as the first time they'd made love, back when War had just Awakened, and Gin was literally fucking the human out of him. But this was more intense, as their hips met, individuality lost to the moment, and power between the two built gently, swirling in the corners of the room. This was about connection, and though it never failed to make Renji's tattoos glow, this sex was less about the magic and more about their souls. They were meant to be, and it was obvious in the way the larger of the two caressed and stroked the smaller as he was impaled on the tiger's cock.

"Gin-koi…Mmm gonna…come wit' me?" He asked pressing his cheek against the fox's, his words whispered into one of those large, silver-furred, conical ears.

Apparently that was all the kitsune needed between the hand on his manhood already and the way he was submerged in War's own arousal, because the fox gave a sharp bark-like noise, spurts of blue-white cream erupting across both of their stomachs. His tunnel tightened around the invading length, milking the feline's climax from him as surely as if he'd used his mouth instead.

"AH!" Renji cried out, and the glow from his tattoos was sucked through his cock.

Gin twitched a second time, the kind of false-climax he normally associated with Feeding, but he wasn't the one drawing on his mate's magic. Both looked blearily at the Jester's rounded belly and at the same time placed a hand on it. The kits had just initiated their first Feeding.

The kitsune's pride couldn't have been more obvious as his lover held him close, pulling out and cuddling happily with a deep, throbbing purr. The redhead's strong hand ran across the swell of their kits in a steady, if gentle, rhythm that matched the content curl of the tip of his tail.

After a few minutes of incredibly comfortable silence, War asked, "So…ya really like it?"

"Baka!" The sleepy fox snorted. "Of course I do! I said it's perfect, di'n't I?"

"...Then I got un'more presen' fer ya," the tiger replied quietly, one finger crooking.

A flicker of red darted over to his kosode, which rustled as the pocket was turned inside out, and a small black, velvet box flew over to be caught in his hand. He held it carefully in his palm and flipped the lid open with his thumb to display the ring inside.

"I been carryin' it 'round wit' me since New Year's lookin' fer th' right time ta give it ta ya." He admitted with a small blush.

The vulpine tilted his head and blinked at it. "But...we're already mated. Ya Marked me. What's th' ring for?"

"Humans don' recognize no matin' Marks," War replied, a blush staining his climax-reddened cheeks. "An'...an' I wan' every'un ta know yer taken. Tha' yer no' vulnerable ta sleazebags," his lip curled, "an' if any'un goes tryin'a hit 'r touch on ya, there will be retaliation." His voice was stronger by the end, a low growl underlining that there would be some very serious consequences indeed. "I couldn' help wit' th' damn nue, but I c'n at least keep ya from bein' bugged by humans this way."

"Aww...Aiko!" Still fairly high from his climax, Gin nuzzled under Renji's chin. "O' course, I'll wear it. I knew ya liked paradin' me 'round."

He snatched the ring from the box and put it on, then just like the human women did with their shineys, he held out his arm to admire it, the way it glittered in the lamp light. With a smile the redhead reached out and moved the ring from where the kitsune had donned it to the correct finger. The Jester just shrugged, grinning with a small blush.

Renji purred, nestling his head in the curve of his lover's shoulder to also admire his mate's new trinket. His...husband. Yes. He felt fully justified in calling him that now. He had a ring and everything. Abruptly, his own ring finger felt oddly bare, but he dismissed it. Gin didn't even really know any human traditions, let alone follow them. He'd get over this weird naked feeling.