Chapter 3: The Recognition

"I hate to wake him," Renji said softly to Koji, looking into the bedroom, where Tetsuya laid, sleeping on his side, with a warmly swaddled Naoki resting beside him and Kisho and Michiko cuddled up next to their new sibling on the other side, "But, Tetsuya would be royally pissed if I didn't say goodbye."

"You're right about that," Koji agreed, smiling at how contented his master looked, resting alongside his babies, "He does take that very seriously."

"Yeah, well he's entitled," Renji sighed, "If anyone's had hard lessons in the fact that we never know how long we have together..."

"Oh, Renji-san, don't talk that way!" Koji exclaimed, "The very idea, after all we've all been through."

"You won't get an argument from me," Renji agreed, "But at least things have been peaceful for the last year while he was carrying Naoki. After what he went through with the first two, he deserved an easier time with our third."

"You can say that again," Koji said, nodding.

"All right," Renji said, smirking, "I'm goin' in. If you hear babies crying, you'll know I was too loud."

"Very well. And...have a safe journey, Renji-san. Come back to us safely."

"Sure thing."

Renji stepped quietly into the room and moved to his lovely spouse's side, then leaned over him a touched the younger man's face lightly to wake him.

"Tetsuya."

The noble's sapphire eyes cracked open and looked up at him sleepily, then blinked and gained more coherence. Renji felt a twinge of deep affection at the sad look they took on as Tetsuya realized why he was there.

"Renji...you are leaving, then?" he said softly.

"Yeah," the redhead answered quietly, "I've delayed it for as long as I can. Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Tetsuya chided him gently, lacing his fingers together with Renji's, "I am just happy that you were here when I had Naoki. And not just 'here.' You delivered him, yourself!"

The noble sighed contentedly.

"I couldn't have asked for a better way for our Naoki to enter the world."

"Well," Renji said, smirking, "Some might think that calling delivering a baby in a field a little bit crazy, but yeah...it was really something special. Just like you are. Hey, do me a favor?"

"Hmmm?" Tetsuya queried, looking up at him quizzically.

"Take care of Taichou for me. Byakuya gets kinda uptight when I leave. But, you know that."

"Yes," Tetsuya said, lowering his eyes, "And I will try. But you know he is likely to sleep at the division and politely avoid me while you are gone. To be honest, as much as I know he loves me, he really only lays hands on me when you are with us."

"Tetsuya, that's not t-"

"But it is," Tetsuya insisted, "It's not that I am complaining, truly. but he is very fixed on it being the three of us, when I am involved, though I know that he sleeps with you alone at the division sometimes. But it's okay to admit it, really. After all, Byakuya-sama and I would not be together, if not for you. We had plenty of time to develop amorous feelings for each other while we were younger and he did not yet know you. But we never did. You are the one who brought us together. You are what holds us together."

"Hey," Renji said, laying a hand on his cheek and stealing a warm kiss, "Don't talk like that, okay? Byakuya loves you every bit as much as he loves me. But, you know him. He's quirky. But he wouldn't have married you if he wasn't honestly interested in you."

Tetsuya wanted to object, but didn't want to make their parting any worse than it was, so he sighed and nodded resignedly.

"You're probably right. I am just being overly sensitive. My hormone levels are coming slowly back to normal, but the healer did say that I would have some mood swings."

"Really?" Renji laughed, "Didn't notice that at all. Nope!"

Tetsuya swatted at him, then inhaled in surprise as Renji swept him into a long, penetrating kiss of parting that left him blushing.

"You behave yourself," the redhead warned him jokingly, "And I don't want it getting back to me that you were mooning about thinking that Byakuya doesn't love you. That's bullshit, and you know it."

"Of course, Renji," Tetsuya said, capitulating, "I don't know what came over me. Have a safe trip and come home to us soon."

"You bet," Renji said, kissing the babies, then Tetsuya a last time, before taking his leave.

He left the house and walked through the quiet streets to the sixth division. Byakuya looked up as he entered the office, radiating both happiness at seeing him and regret that he would be leaving.

"Good morning, Renji. I trust you are well-rested and ready for your mission?"

"Yeah. I just said goodbye to Tetsuya and the kids."

"Ah, I know that he is still being affected by hormone levels. Is he all right?"

"Yeah, he's not real happy with me going. He never is. But, he's fine. Just..."

Byakuya arched an eyebrow and nodded in the direction of the chair by his desk. Renji sat down, nibbling at his lips and considering what to say.

"What is it?" the clan leader prompted him, "Something is bothering you?"

"Yeah, kinda," Renji admitted, "But I may be worrying over nothing."

"But you said that Tetsuya was fine."

"Yeah, he's okay. It's just...he's worried about something. And even though I tried to reassure him, he seems unsettled."

"About?" Byakuya asked, looking concerned.

"Well, you know that there was a you and me before there was a you, me and Tetsuya. It's history. And Tetsuya pointed out that you and he were close since you rescued him as a teen, but you didn't become lovers on your own."

Byakuya took a breath and lowered his eyes.

"It's also on his mind that sometimes you and I are together here, but when I leave...in his words, you 'politely avoid' him."

"What did you tell him?" Byakuya asked in a guarded tone, his gray eyes meeting Renji's again.

"I told him that it was nothing to worry about," Renji explained, "And he seemed to go along with that. But...I need to know from you. Was I telling him the truth?"

Byakuya went quiet for a long moment, looking back at the papers on his desk, then up at his spouse again.

"Do you think that I would have married my cousin if I did not love him?"

"I didn't say that," Renji insisted, "I just meant that..."

"I love Tetsuya," Byakuya said, cutting him off, "And when I say that I love him, I mean carnally as well as heart-wise. And I do not only love him when it is three of us. I..."

He paused as a hell butterfly appeared.

"Damn," Renji sighed, "Time to go. I wanted to finish this conversation."

"I will talk to Tetsuya when I return home tonight," Byakuya promised, "Do not worry. I will see to him."

"Good," Renji said in a relieved tone, "You know how it kills me, thinking that you or Tetsuya might be in pain."

"I know. And you worry too much. I thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"No problem," Renji said, slipping his arms around the noble and sinking into his mouth for a long, farewell kiss, "I'll send a hell butterfly to check in when I get there."

"Be careful."

"Heh, now that doesn't sound like my Taichou," the redhead chuckled.

"I am not coming out there to save your skin if you do something stupid and get yourself into trouble."

"That's more like it."

Renji lifted his pack onto his shoulder and left the sixth division, then walked purposefully to the central senkaimon. He passed through the precipice world without incident, and emerged in the world of the living, dropping down into Kisuke's underground training area. He spotted Rikichi, waiting alongside Kisuke and a concerned looking Ichigo.

"What's going on?"

"It's the team you were going to meet," Kisuke said worriedly, "Rikichi said that their listening post lost contact. As per instructions, they sent an undercover officer to check on them."

"And?" Renji said, a sick feeling rising in his belly.

"They're dead...all of them."

"What?" Renji gasped softly, glancing at Rikichi for confirmation.

Pale faced and unable to speak, the youth nodded.

"Did...? Were you able to bring them back?"

"No, sir," Rikichi whispered.

"He barely escaped," Kisuke said, frowning deeply, "They had to have been ratted out. They were well established and on guard. Renji, we have to go into the area to secure what information we can, but we don't dare send less than two taichou level fighters."

"That's why I'm here," said Ichigo, "I'm gonna go with you."

"I want to go too!" insisted Rikichi, "I will stay back and be careful. I promise. You know that Kuchiki taichou would want you to take a subordinate officer as support."

"No," Renji said, shaking his head firmly, "I want you to go back and make a full report to Taichou. Then, get some rest and bring an investigation team as soon as they are assembled."

"But...!"

"Just do it!" Renji snapped, turning with Ichigo towards an opening senkaimon, "Taichou needs a fast report on this. Go!"

"Gah!" Hai!" Rikichi said in an exasperated tone, heading for the central senkaimon, "But I'm coming back as soon as they're ready."

Kisuke watched with concerned eyes as the young men disappeared, then summoned a hell butterfly.

"Kuchiki taichou, Rikichi-san is on the way back to you with an emergency report on the Villa Team. They were attacked by enemy operatives. All were killed. Renji and Ichigo are en route to secure the site for the investigative team. I will monitor them."

He looked back in the direction that Renji and Ichigo had gone.

"Be careful, kids," he whispered, "These guys mean business."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya tucked Michiko, Kisho and Naoki into bed, then left them under the care of their attendants and walked back to the bedroom he shared with Byakuya and Renji. Disappointment gnawed at his insides over the fact that, as had become the pattern, Byakuya had not returned from the sixth division for dinner after Renji's departure. He fended off the petty question of whether the two had been intimate without him before Renji left.

That is not important.

He looked into the bedroom and sighed, unable to face spending the night alone. He considered bringing Naoki back into the bedroom for company, just to not feel so alone, but was stricken with a surge of stronger emotion and decided to abandon attempting to sleep. Instead, he slipped out into the gardens, and found himself on the cool, quiet trail, that led to the waterfall and lake.

Byakuya used to enjoy walking up here with me, nearly every night. I understood, of course, when Renji came into his life, that things would change. But, to my surprise, we were still able to take those long walks together. And he would share with me about how Renji made him so content. I remember how happy I was that he had found someone to love him. And I was stunned when I was drawn in with them.

I wondered back then if they were just including me because I had their children. But they seemed very much in love with me. Renji cannot seem to keep his hands or eyes off of Byakuya and me. One of us, the other, or both, he is carnally voracious. I feel like he might just devour me, and I could die happily in his arms.

Byakuya likes to watch Renji play with me, then to join in suddenly and overwhelm us. His touches are more practiced, almost methodical, relentless as they undo us...

He felt a jolt of arousal at the thought, then an ache inside that it could be a long time before he would feel either man's touches again. He tried looking up at the stars and full moon to distract himself, but his heart longed and his body ached painfully to be touched. He considered touching himself, but abandoned the notion almost as it occurred to him. The only time masturbation was really enjoyable to him was when he did it to arouse his lovers. When he was alone, it only reminded him of his loneliness. And at that particular moment, Renji's leaving, coupled with his recent pregnancy and topped off with Byakuya's abandonment of him undid him easily.

"Damn it..." he muttered, completely unable to stop the tears that rolled down his pale cheeks and dripped onto his yukata, "Why can't I just go back to normal? This is bad enough without..."

"Tetsuya?"

He kept his head turned away as Byakuya joined him, so that his husband wouldn't see the dastardly tears.

"Welcome home, Byakuya," he said softly, feeling a guilty twinge at having misjudged his cousin.

He brushed the tears away, trying to conceal the action as Byakuya sat down next to him, but caught his breath in surprise as his tear-dampened hand was captured and brought to Byakuya's soft, warm lips.

"Good evening, Tetsuya," Byakuya greeted him, "I wasn't sure I would find you here. You did not inform Koji you were coming up here."

"I-I'm sorry. I just...needed some fresh air."

He took a slow, bracing inhale as Byakuya's arms wrapped around him and the clan leader looked down into his still teary eyes.

"Are you all right?" the clan leader asked.

Tetsuya blushed.

"Renji talked to you, didn't he?" he asked, his heart pounding, "That's why you are..."

Byakuya stopped him with a long, powerful kiss.

"You and I seem to have a communication problem, Tetsuya," he said, as their lips released each other's, "Yes, Renji told me that he had talked to you. He was worried about you, so he spoke to me. And I am glad that he did. What he said, suggested to me that we were misunderstanding each other."

"Eh, how, exactly?" Tetsuya asked, frowning in confusion, "I did not mean to be accusing, but..."

"But you interpreted my actions to mean that I was not interested in you if Renji was not present, ne?"

"Well," Tetsuya said hesitantly, "How else would one interpret you not sleeping in our bed alone with me when Renji is away?"

Byakuya smiled and captured Tetsuya's face in his hands.

"Please do not misunderstand this, Tetsuya. I love you, and I very much enjoy being with you sexually. And I am being completely honest in saying that it is not the Renji is not here that has made things awkward between us."

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"Then, what is it? What have I done? Whatever it is...!"

"It is not your fault. It is just in the way you and I are together when we are alone."

"I don't understand. I am...different with you when Renji is not here? How?"

Byakuya slipped his arms around his cousin again, kissing him until the fear left his eyes, then going on.

"Before Renji became my husband, you and I were teens together. But, even though it was never spoken, you and I did not act as equals. You always deferred to me."

"You were the heir," Tetsuya said simply, "And now, you are my leader. It goes without saying that we are not equal."

"But, Tetsuya, we are also married now. And what that means is that, when we cross that threshold into our bedroom, all of those differences disappear, and we are equals. You have seen how Renji defers to me as his taichou, but when we are together sexually, he tends to lovingly dominate. Yet, he also has times when he wants to be dominated...in a loving way, of course."

"That makes sense," Tetsuya answered, looking steadily into Byakuya's eyes.

"Yes. Now, when you are with Renji, you have noticed, I am sure, that I am as interested in watching you as in joining you. Have you ever wondered why?"

Tetsuya bit at his lip gently and shook his head, making Byakuya's smile widen.

"When you are with Renji, you look happy, Tetsuya. You abandon everything else and you are completely focused on the giving and taking of love. You do not hesitate to let yourself be penetrated by him, and you surprise him sometimes by becoming more dominant."

Tetsuya shifted uncomfortably, but Byakuya only held him more tightly.

"You see it now, don't you? The difference in the way you and I interact?"

"I..." Tetsuya said, blushing more brightly.

"You are not doing anything wrong. But...you are holding back with me. You are always dutiful and attentive, and you defer to me in everything. But that is not love, Tetsuya. That is subservience. And while it serves you well as a subordinate clan member..."

"It makes you dislike being with me?" Tetsuya whispered, tears filling his eyes again.

"Not at all," Byakuya assured him.

"Then, why do you avoid me?" Tetsuya half sobbed, "If being with me was satisfying..."

"Being with you is very satisfying," Byakuya said, interrupting him gently, "In fact, it is so very satisfying that I want to completely relax with you. And often, when I am not with you, I daydream about us making love...just...differently."

"D-differently?" Tetsuya said, looking confused again.

"No more words," Byakuya said, shaking his head and reaching for the ties at their waists, "Let me explain this in a different way."

Tetsuya waited quietly while Byakuya undressed him and loosened his own clothing, then he moved forward to slide onto his cousin's lap. Byakuya's hands stopped him, and Tetsuya gazed at him questioningly. He held the younger man slightly away and initiated a slow barrage of warming kisses, reaching over to capture Tetsuya's hands, then placing them on his body and encouraging them to explore him. Tetsuya felt a jolt go through his body, and his hands shook gently.

Touch me.

Caress my skin.

Explore me.

And as he made his hands move, he felt Byakuya's hands begin to touch him the way they always did. He closed his eyes and loosed a sound of relief and contentment, burying his face in his cousin's hair, and letting his hands move more freely.

He is right.

I do hold back with him.

I thought that I was being 'respectful,' but I was really being subservient.

No wonder he was avoiding me...

"That feels wonderful," Byakuya breathed hotly in his ear, "Now...make love to me, Tetsuya. This time, I want to feel your strength."

Tetsuya froze for a moment, feeling the boundary about to be crossed and his heart pounding madly at the thought.

I have never taken him before.

But, it is time to take that step.

Byakuya...

He surged forward suddenly, a move he had used to subdue Renji numerous times, but was surprised by a sudden shift in Byakuya's body that made him lose his balance and flop gracelessly onto the ground.

"B-byakuya!"

"Well," the clan leader said, smirking, "I said that you should take me. I did not say that I was going to make it easy for you. You underestimate me. I have seen you use that move repeatedly with Renji. Did you think I would not remember?"

"Hmmm," muttered Tetsuya, turning swiftly, "Do you remember this move?"

He shoved his cousin off the ledge, then dove after him, slicing down into the cold lake beneath the cliff and plunging into its darkened depths. Blue light flared around his body, lighting and warming the water around him, and he quickly located Byakuya nearby, and swimming towards the shore. He followed, moving at an angle to catch up, then pulled him down under the water and moved close to him to allow him the ability to breathe.

Byakuya's hands gripped his shoulders tightly, and Tetsuya read an edge of uncertainty in the gray eyes that watched him. Smiling, he invoked his shikai, conjuring multiple waterforms in his image that playfully attacked Byakuya from every imaginable direction with hungry touches of soft lips, nipping teeth, searching fingers, and delightfully probing tongues. The beautiful onslaught of sensations enchanted the clan leader, making him freeze for a moment as Tetsuya's love wrapped all around him at once, holding him in place, Dozens of hands held him suspended in the water, safe in Tetsuya's embrace as his cousin slowly prepared him. Byakuya nearly saw stars as he wrapped his legs tightly around the younger man as Tetsuya positioned himself, then entered his elder cousin's body.

He didn't expect to hear his moans sound in the water.

But they commenced in a softly echoing fashion, adding to the surreal feel of the waterforms that held him as Tetsuya made love to him.

"Is this something like your daydreams?" Tetsuya whispered, his voice echoing as well.

"I couldn't have dreamed of something so beautiful. Tetsuya, you are...exceptional!"

He found that he couldn't speak as the pleasant kisses, touches and caresses continued, and Tetsuya's powerful movements brought him quickly to the edges of bliss. He looked up appreciatively at Tetsuya's waterlit form, falling in love with him all over again as he loosed the last of his inhibitions and threw all of himself into bringing Byakuya to a stunningly lovely climax. There was something wildly erotic about the sounds of their orgasmic cries as they ricocheted about in the water, repeating several times until they faded slowly into the normal swish of the riled water around them.

They floated aimlessly then, kissing and holding on to each other, as they very slowly rose to the surface, then floated lazily to the shore. They walked back up to the top of the cliff and dressed, then started back to the manor, holding hands and talking quietly.

"Do we understand each other now?" Byakuya asked, smiling at him.

Tetsuya smiled back shyly.

"I believe we do. I am sorry for misinterpreting your actions, Byakuya."

"You shouldn't be sorry for that," his cousin chided him, "We should both be sorry for not speaking our wishes. Had we done that sooner, there might not have been any misunderstanding."

"You are right," Tetsuya said sheepishly, "I feel very stupid for doubting you. I will not do that again."

"Good," Byakuya said, slowing, then stopping as a hell butterfly approached him.

"What's this?" Tetsuya queried, staring and feeling an odd, frightened twinge inside.

The twinge deepened into an icy chill as Urahara's voice rose out of the hell butterfly.

Kuchiki taichou, Rikichi-san is on the way back to you with an emergency report on the Villa Team. They were attacked by enemy operatives. All were killed. Renji and Ichigo are en route to secure the site for the investigative team. I will monitor them.

"Renji!" Tetsuya exclaimed breathlessly, mentally calling for his mount as the frightening dreams he had been having flashed suddenly across his mind.

"Tetsuya, what are you doing?" Byakuya cried, "You just had a child. You are not...!"

"I'm going to Urahara's," Tetsuya called out as he flew onto his stallion's back, "You do what you need to do. I will wait for you in the living world!"

"Tetsuya!" Byakuya called after him.

He shook his head as Arashi burst into flash steps and disappeared.

"Reckless...he is getting to be more like Renji every day. Those two..."

He engaged his own flash step and headed at top speed to the sixth division.