Clinging To Hope Chapter 2: The Silk We Treasure, a bleach fanfic

Warnings for this chapter include a partial sex scene and lots of suggestive sexual references.

Japanese Translations:

Taichou: Captain

Fukutaichou: Vice-captain

Kidō: Demon Magic

Zanpakutō: Soul reaper's sword (means soul cutter)

Onigiri: Rice cakes that have different flavours and usually shaped into triangles

Ryoka: Intruder

Bento: Japanese lunchbox

Shikai: first stage/ partial release of a Zanpakutō

Bankai: Full stage release of a Zanpakutō

Central 46: A group of forty sages/elders and six judges which serve as the highest form of government in the Soul Society.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 2 - The Silk We Treasure

The delicious smell of food wafted along the halls of Squad Thirteen's barracks. The sound of pleasant humming emanated from the Captain's quarters. It was an easy day for the squad. Almost everyone was outside in the sun, practising kidō or training with their Zanpakutō's. The offices were pleasantly cool and quiet, much to the delight of the older captain. He was feeling unusually good; his chest had yet to bother him. On top of that, the Captain's meeting was over, another little miracle, so he set his thoughts solely on the impending arrival of his lover.

It had been hard to watch Shunsui walk away. In some ways, the Soul Society was a cruel place. He had no doubt that if their relationship was revealed, Central 46 would create new laws against such relationships the very same day. This action would not only condemn them and their relationship, but also those of all the other men and women in the Soul Society, who were most likely hiding similar relationships for the same reasons. Jūshirō loved Shunsui with all his heart and there were no words to describe how lonely he was, especially at night. He was going to cherish every minute of this lunch with his lover.

Jūshirō slid open the doors in his office, which lead to his private lounge. All the Captains had private quarters, where they recuperated from long hours of work. They included all the necessary facilities, like a bathroom, kitchen, and a place to sleep if for any reason a Captain could not return to his home. They also included areas for storage and recreation. Jūshirō had decorated his lounge in a traditional Japanese style, complete with rice paper sliding doors, gentle colours, and of course, lots of plants, to which he tend regularly. In one corner stood a majestic bookcase and a very comfortable looking armchair, where the older Captain did most of his reading.

He did not linger in the beautiful room, however. Instead, he continued on to the bordering kitchen to add the finishing touches to the simple meal he had prepared for himself and Shunsui. He expertly chopped some herbs finely and mixed them into a tasty dressing of olive oil. He allowed it to sprinkle over the colourful salad of peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber slices and inhaled the invigorating smell as he tossed it all lightly with two wooden spoons.

Satisfied, he turned his attention to the fish. Two fillets of marinated fish were ready to come out of the pan. He first ripped up medium pieces of lettuce which he used to cover two long black dishes. He laid the fish on them and finished off the plates with halved cherry tomatoes.

Last but not least was the rice. He rolled handfuls quickly into triangular cakes known as onigiri before arranging them neatly on a square dish. He adorned it with a sprig of parsley and began moving all of the plates onto heaters so that everything would still be hot when his lover arrived. As he looked at the dishes, a sense of pride and satisfaction surged within him. He had to admit the food did look good, and he knew Shunsui loved his cooking.

Just as he placed the wooden spoons in the sink, the sound of merry whistling reached his ears from outside his main office. He perked up, knowing it was Shunsui. He heard the sound of a door closing and footsteps, as he laid the last of the dirty cooking utensils in the sink.

"Jū-chan?"

His heart was pounding. The door began to slide open. He couldn't breathe.

He turned just in time to see his taller lover enter the room, his pink kimono billowing softly with his movement. He finally allowed that breath to be released, but in a whisper of his lover's name, it was almost as if he was dreaming.

"Shunsui." It was so soft, so tender.

He stared almost hungrily at the vision of his lover standing calmly at the door. His chocolate hair draped over his right shoulder, his eyes gently fixed on him, and his chest rising steadily with every breath. Jūshirō couldn't help it; he crossed the room before Shunsui had a chance to respond. He reached out and allowed his fingertips to touch the fabric of Shunsui's kimono as if assuring himself that this wasn't one of his fantasies and that his lover was really standing before him. His eyes which had been fixed on his fingers shifted upwards, once again locking with the taller captain.

Without saying a word or breaking eye contact, Shunsui wrapped a hand around Jūshirō's and held his lover's hand above his own heart. His other hand extended and tucked a stray strand of silvery hair behind his lover's ear, Jūshirō's breath hitching as he did so.

Shunsui's hand tightened around Jūshirō's as his other hand travelled further, weaving itself in those silky strands. He uttered his name in a needy murmur before pressing his lips against Jūshirō's.

Their lips met in a motionless embrace where time seemed to stand still. The kiss reminded them of what it felt like to feel warm lips against theirs. It was firm, neither partner pulling away. Their closeness allowed their reiatsu to blend and become one.

Shunsui parted his lips just slightly, almost requesting silently that Jūshirō do the same. The tip of his tongue flicked forward, tasting Jūshirō, willing him to play his game. Jūshirō didn't need any more encouragement and allowed his own tongue to meet his lover's in a fleeting caress. All restraint between them dissolved when Jūshirō felt a little tug on his hair. The taller Captain used this opportunity to pull Jūshirō closer and deepen the kiss. Jūshirō let a deep hum of approval escape him and gripped his lover's kimono in his fist, loving the feeling of that precious, pink silk.

No one had ever found out why Shunsui chose to wear that kimono, but Jūshirō knew why. It was because it had been his gift to Shunsui when they had first started their relationship. It was Shunsui's way of telling the world that he belonged to Jūshirō, and that was why Jūshirō loved it. Every time he saw the pink silk worn by his lover, he felt a stab of possessiveness and he loved knowing Shunsui loved him enough to flaunt it every time he went out, even though others didn't comprehend the kimono's true significance.

Sighs and murmuring breaths found their way from their throats, as their lips moved in slow deliberate patterns, allowing their tongues adequate time to explore each other's mouths. It really had been too long. The subtle flavours and textures began to reawaken for the two of them and both found themselves unwilling to relinquish the sensations washing through them.

Jūshirō unclenched his right hand from the beautiful kimono and allowed it to slowly trace the expanse of his lover's chest, coming to rest on his left shoulder. Their kiss slowed to a halt. Jūshirō rested his head against Shunsui's chest and Shunsui affectionately kissed his forehead. Jūshirō felt Shunsui's lips curve into a smile and he looked up inquisitively.

"I guess that means you're happy to see me, Jū-chan?" He chuckled. Jūshirō revelled in the little endearment of his name, the secret one no-one knew about.

"Do you even need to ask, Shunsui?" His charming smile lit up his face and Shunsui couldn't resist stealing one last kiss before releasing him.

The delicious smell of food wafted once more toward the two men, who had temporarily satiated their need for one another. Shunsui made his lover laugh by giving an appreciative sigh of approval after inhaling the mouth-watering aromas around them. Still laughing Jūshirō retrieved some chopsticks which he handed his lover with mirth still shining in his eyes. His obviously hungry lover enthusiastically accepted them by giving him a loud kiss on the cheek before grabbing the plate of rice and flash stepping into the lounge.

Jūshirō raised a hand to his forehead and released a mock exasperated sigh at Shunsui's antics before taking the plates of fish and following his lover into the next room. Shunsui was already seated and was eying the rice impatiently, his chopsticks clicking. He smiled sheepishly up at his lover, who gave him a look which said; 'not a chance!' Shunsui sighed and got to his feet.

"Yare, yare. You always see right through me, Jū-chan." He left to get the last of the food and Jūshirō set to work on the drinks. A minute later, both men were sitting on the floor cushions, preparing to eat.

"I can only hope it tastes as good as it looks, Jū-chan." He smiled innocently as Jūshirō shot him a saddened look. A cheery grin somehow broke through as the white-haired man couldn't maintain his frown.

"You wound me, Shunsui." The hand he had dramatically laid across his forehead fell gracefully to his knee as he reached out for his own set of chopsticks. "I thought you liked my cooking?"

Shunsui, who had been just about to pick up a small piece of fish with his chopsticks, paused in his actions to stare at his still smiling lover.

"Jū-chan, if it wasn't for your cooking, I don't know what I would do. Seriously, Nanao is a perfectly capable Fukutaichou, but she cannot, and I mean cannot cook. That ryoka girl has better cooking skills than she does, unfortunately for her." He grinned and his eyes twinkled at his lover. "I'd be skin and bones without you and the secret bento's you send me, Juu-chan," he added mournfully.

They both laughed, enjoying the atmosphere immensely. Jūshirō silently reflected upon the pleasant change to his usual working day, which he normally spent pining for the man sitting adjacent to him. He caught himself quickly before he began to brood on their unfortunate circumstances. No. Today he would lavish all of his attention onto his partner and not bring down the fantastic atmosphere in the room by thinking of anything else.

Shunsui couldn't help but notice the few seconds where Jūshirō went quiet. He knew that he was probably thinking about their situation. He had no intention of allowing that to hinder them today. Who knew how long it would be until they were together again? Instead, he decided to pleasantly distract his lover.

He allowed the piece of fish he had been itching to eat to enter his mouth. His eyes flew open when the tender morsel melted on his tongue, enhanced by the sweet taste of Mirin, Japanese sweet wine. He now had a new reason to love Jūshirō.

"My, my, Jū-chan. You've outdone yourself." He said with awe evident in his voice. He held another piece on his chopsticks and offered it to his lover, who at this point had only eaten pieces of salad. "Here you have to try it."

Jūshirō glanced at the piece of fish held firmly by Shunsui's chopsticks. He was pleased that he tried out the new recipe and he decided to be bold. He smiled at Shunsui's thoughtfulness. With his palm flat, facing upwards, his fingertips lightly touched Shunsui's hand. He slowly raised the proffered hand of his lover and gave a loving smile before opening his mouth to accept the piece of food. His eyelids fluttered shut as he allowed his tongue to curl around the thin pieces of wood, before sliding the fish off them with his lips. A purr of pleasure at the taste rose from his throat as his eyes opened to inspect the impact of his actions.

Shunsui's mind went into a pleasure induced stupor. Did Jūshirō even know what his actions reminded him of? All he could think of was Jūshirō's rosy lips wrapped around a different part of his body. He could still feel the spot where he had felt a jolt of electricity when Jūshirō had touched him. He paused in his thoughts before his mind went down that particular path. It wouldn't be good if that happened, though a lust possessed piece of his mind was screaming for him to ravish his naughty lover senselessly. That particular thought, however, woke him from his stupor; had Jūshirō done it on purpose? A glance confirmed his suspicions when he saw Jūshirō trying his best not to look guilty.

Jūshirō watched Shunsui during the five seconds it took for him to go from shocked to aroused and then to understanding. He resumed eating and mildly commented as he took another piece of fish.

"You were right, Shunsui. It was very tasty. It was a good thing you shared it with me." He fought down the urge to burst out laughing at the look on the taller Captain's face at his merciless teasing. He knew exactly what Shunsui was thinking about and he didn't blame him; Shunsui knew very well how talented he could be with his lips.

Shunsui completely snapped out of his pitiful train of thoughts, silently congratulating his smaller lover for how he had handled the situation. He caught Jūshirō's attention once again and smiled.

"Nicely done, Juu-chan. Nicely done."

As both men continued to eat, a game of merciless teasing had ensued due to Jūshirō's actions. Now they were both determined to see how far they could push the other to find out who would break first under the pressure.

Though the white-haired Captain had taken the first point, Shunsui quickly reminded him that he was not to be taken lightly. He had slowly turned the tables on his lover and teased him by seductively licking his fingertips after taking a bite from a piece of onigiri. He had accentuated the action with a moan of satisfaction at its delicious flavour. It had made Jūshirō blush deeply, reminding him of how Shunsui sounded while in throes of passion. But Shunsui had no intention of stopping there; he wanted to finish what Jūshirō had started.

Shunsui held out a halved cherry tomato for his lover to eat using his fingers instead of his chopsticks. Jūshirō, refusing to lose, lowered his lips to Shunsui's hand, not caring when a tiny amount of juice trickled down his chin as he nipped the piece away from his lover's fingers.

Shunsui's breath caught in his throat. He felt more blood rush south when his lover's teeth began grazing his fingertips. He didn't pull his hand away though. He allowed his lover to finish chewing the tasty piece of food. His skin tingled however as his lover's lips immediately returned, suckling each fingertip, effectively cleaning away the juice from the tomato and soothing the pain caused by his teeth at the same time. He loved it when Jūshirō acted so provocative and naughty. It turned him on immensely.

Jūshirō could feel the intense feelings building between them and saw the lust smouldering in Shunsui's eyes and he didn't know how much longer they would be able to continue like this. He almost lost it when Shunsui decided to retaliate by pulling him close almost as if he were going to kiss him. Instead of kissing him, Shunsui proceeded to lick, suck, and kiss him from the corner of his lips down to his chin, to clean away the juice there. Jūshirō couldn't help but give a soft moan. Encouraged, Shunsui stayed away from his lover's lips and continued a downwards trail with his lips, still sucking and nipping lightly at the pale flesh.

Their bodies were much closer now but Jūshirō wasn't complaining. Those lips felt amazing on the column of his throat and he felt familiar tingles beginning to build up inside him. He allowed his head to tilt to the side, giving Shunsui plenty of room to explore. Shunsui's left hand rested on his shoulder, holding him in place while his lips continued to tease and taste the sensitive skin. He couldn't resist the noises spurring forth from his lover's lips and sought to produce more. He knew just how to do it.

He used his other hand to tuck away the hair on Jūshirō's left shoulder. Jūshirō's skin burned where Shunsui's fingertips had been and he opened his eyes to look at his lover through his lust-filled eyes. They both knew where this was headed. He could feel Shunsui's need reach critical levels; perhaps they had teased each other a little too much. Regardless of that fact, it had been a few weeks since the last time they had been together though on that occasion, their meeting had not resulted in anything of a sexual nature. They believed sex was only part of a relationship and a healthy relationship wasn't supposed to be based on sex; it just one of the perks.

But looking into his lover's beautiful brown eyes, he couldn't deny the burning need he saw there, nor could he deny his own rising passion. Leaning back, he lowered himself onto the floor, easing Shunsui into a comfortable position where he was hovering above him, with both hands beside his shoulders. He saw Shunsui's brief confusion and dissolved it by whispering the magic words while gazing into his lover's eyes.

"Make love to me, Shunsui. Wear nothing but the kimono."

He heard the gasp of delight spill forth from Shunsui's lips before they descended onto his own. Shunsui gave himself over to his lover intent on worshipping his body with everything he had to offer. Shunsui would never insult his lover by giving him anything less than his all.

Byakuya left the training grounds of the Thirteenth Division with his eyes narrowed and a heavy frown. At the beginning of his visit, he had been very impressed by the skills the Squad had displayed, and was able to easily pick his sister out of the crowd. Despite the current training being a simple Academy refresher course, her form was excellent, though he expected no less from a Kuchiki.

During a brief interlude, Sentarō went inside one of the office buildings, while Kiyone arrived to take over the training. With eyes narrowing in confusion, Byakuya watched Kiyone speaking to his sister, but when she began to lead the training despite Kiyone's presence, the Sixth Division Captain found himself genuinely surprised and not in a good way.

This was the scene that greeted Sentarō upon his return to the training grounds. Byakuya watched as he strode purposefully towards Kiyone, clearly confused, and the more he looked, the two Third Seats appeared to be embroiled in an argument. With her arms crossed, Kiyone eventually left, leaving Sentarō to supervise the Squad.

Byakuya released himself from his thoughts, as he found himself outside the door of the Captain's office. He didn't see anyone in the nearby offices when he had passed but didn't press the matter. It was not his concern. He knocked once on the door and waited. He was surprised when he was not immediately asked to enter. As the seconds ticked away, his curiosity grew and his fingertips grazed the doorknob, only to find the door had not been properly closed. With a small push the door swung silently open to reveal an empty office.

Byakuya stepped inside, his feet making no sound. His eyes briefly noted the tidy desk, where the paperwork was neatly organized. Sunlight flooded the room from behind the desk and the window sills were decorated with beautiful potted plants, adding a sense of life and color to the room. Another step and he was directly in front of the desk. A folder with the insignia of the Eighth Division was the only file to be seen, which reminded the noble man of the captain's meeting earlier on. He laid his documents next to it and turned to leave, having completed his business. He wondered briefly where his previous mentor was, before dismissing it.

A soft whimper caught his attention just before his foot crossed the threshold. Just as he was about to think that he imagined it, it was quickly followed by another and a sharp gasp. Byakuya turned slowly on his heel and eyed the rice paper doors. He knew they led to Ukitake's private quarters and he found himself reluctant to even consider entering them since he knew they were just that: private. He could not enter without the express permission of the Captain who owned them; that was the rule.

A deep groan ripped through his resolve. He knew it was wrong and he hated breaking rules, but he couldn't help the fear he felt. What if Ukitake was having one of his attacks? He knew the most common symptom was coughing, but from experience he knew the illness also included periods where the Captain's chest simply tightened in pain, making breathing difficult. Torn he made a decision. He would only peek. If the captain was okay, he would leave and no one would ever know of his presence. On the other hand if he was in need of medical attention, his indiscretion would be quickly overlooked. He cringed. He knew peeking was childish, beneath him and very uncharacteristic of him, but damn it, he was worried. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and slid the door open silently, just an inch. What he saw however was the last thing he would ever have expected.

Ukitake lay on his back completely naked with Kyouraku Taichou above him. Byakuya suspected he was just as naked though their modesty was covered with the pink kimono that he was associated with. Though he was a master of self control, his hand flew to his mouth in shock and he found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene before him.

Kyouraku had one hand embedded in Ukitake's hair, kissing his neck while his hips moved in slow, steady thrusts. Ukitake's hands clung to his shoulders, enjoying the sensations being produced by Kyouraku. It was obvious to Byakuya that this wasn't a one time thing; they had most definitely done this before. He watched as Kyouraku sucked and nibbled in all the right places, drawing the appropriate response from the man below him. It was also quite clear that Kyouraku seemed to care more about Ukitake's pleasure than his own, though he did seem extremely content with what he was doing.

Kyouraku continued his motions with Ukitake visibly on the verge of release. The passion was palpable. The dishes on the table lay forgotten as a cry ripped itself from Ukitake's lips as Kyouraku thrust particularly hard that time. Byakuya held his breath unconsciously as Kyouraku steadied his stance, rose on both hands and began murmuring encouraging words to his lover. His thrusts were quite obviously deep and hard and Ukitake's head was thrown back in rapture. He was so close; Byakuya didn't have to be an expert to know exactly what was happening. A deep rumbling purr from Shunsui brought Byakuya back down to earth. He didn't want to infringe on them and he decided to do the honorable thing.

Having gotten his answer, he resealed the door as silently as he could. He decided, having seen the apparent love they held for one another, he had no right or reason to disturb them. If they were happy and it didn't interfere with their work, then who was he to stop them? He closed the outer office door and made his way down the deserted corridors. He wondered why they had never told anyone that they were lovers; but then again, Byakuya never had heard of there ever being a gay couple among Captains before. But knowing those two, there was definitely a good reason for keeping it a secret. He had great respect for Ukitake and Kyouraku. They were the first two Captains to ever graduate from Yamamoto's Academy and two of the most skilled swordsmen he had ever met. They lived their lives according to the law and had always served the Soul Society to the highest level of their beings from what he had seen.

Oddly, as his shock wore away, he found he was not disgusted or angry. In fact, he harbored a sliver of envy since they were so clearly perfect for each other, now that he thought about it.

Jūshirō sighed contently as he lay in Shunsui's arms. He felt his lover shift from their loving embrace and kiss his forehead softly. He heard him speak gently.

"I think I'll head back; I don't want anyone wondering where I've disappeared to." From the tone of his voice, as he finished speaking, it was understandable that Shunsui hated to have to say it or leave at all, but they had been together for more than two hours and it was beginning to border on risky. Jūshirō nodded and knew it wasn't Shunsui's fault. But he was happy, and he was not going to complain. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself and that was enough for him.

They kissed tenderly knowing it would be their last for some time and they then made quick work of taking the plates to the kitchen. Later they made their way to the office where Jūshirō intended on seeing his lover off when a fresh pile of files caught his eye. Shunsui watched as he opened one and saw the elegant signature sitting at the bottom of the page. When his face paled in horror Shunsui was immediately by his side to comfort him. When he saw it, he froze.

Kuchiki Byakuya

The look on Jūshirō's face said everything; he had to leave. Now. This could mean all manner of trouble for them. Damn it!

He knew!