Chapter 2: Pathways to Love

Tetsuya stirred softly in Renji's arms, and as the redhead entered the young man's room a step behind Byakuya, his pretty sapphire eyes opened and fastened on Renji's. He blinked and squinted, as though trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Gomen nasai," he said, giving the redhead a curious look, "but, who are you?"

"This is my fukutaichou, Abarai Renji," Byakuya informed the young man.

Renji set Tetsuya back on his feet and Renji and Byakuya watched as Tetsuya slid back into the bed and settled against the pile of pillows behind him.

"Greetings, Abarai-san," Tetsuya said politely, "Byakuya-sama has told me a lot about you. I am sorry that we did not make our acquaintance under better circumstances."

"That's all right, Tetsuya-san," Renji assured him, "It's nice to meet you. Except for Rukia, I don't really know any of Taichou's family, so it's nice to get to do that."

Tetsuya's comely face took on a tormented expression.

"What you must think of me," he said softly, looking down and his hands, where they rested on the blankets, "I know that I look as though I've lost my mind, but..."

Byakuya sat down next to Tetsuya and took the younger man's hands in his. Renji gave him a supportive smile.

"You look plenty sane enough to me, Tetsuya-san," he said bracingly, "I don't know much about your situation, but it sounds like you've been through a rough time. Go easy on yourself, okay? Get some rest and I'm sure you'll feel better."

"That is wise advice, Cousin," Byakuya added, as a young male attendant appeared with hot green tea.

"Arigatou, Akio-kun," Tetsuya said, accepting the tea and taking a sip.

He paused and gave Byakuya a sad look of acceptance.

"They've put something in it to make me sleep," he said softly.

"Only to ensure that you rest comfortably, Tetsuya," Byakuya reassured the younger man.

Tetsuya went quiet, but nodded briefly.

"I understand, Byakuya-sama."

Renji stood silently behind Byakuya as the noble watched Tetsuya continue to drink the tea he had been given.

"Do you remember anything this time?" the clan leader asked quietly.

Tetsuya nodded, and his blue eyes blinked slowly.

"I was asleep in here, when I felt eyes watching me. I opened my eyes and there was...someone leaning over me...looking down at me, while I slept. I wanted to call out, but the person touched his fingers to my lips and I couldn't speak. At first, I thought that he had done something to me, but I think it was just the shock of seeing what appeared to be Naoki's face, there in the darkness. He turned and started to go...and I...called out to him. But he wouldn't stop. He ran out of my room and I could sense the direction he took. I followed, and found myself there, at the prison."

Tetsuya bit his lip gently and tears came into his wide gray eyes.

"Byakuya-sama," he whispered, "I am losing my mind, aren't I?"

Byakuya looked back at his cousin, at a loss for words.

"Hey," Renji said calmly, "I told you, you look sane enough to me. And trust me, I'm from Inuzuri, and there's a whole lot of crazy people in that place. So, I know what I'm talking about here."

"Renji..." Byakuya began.

"Taichou," Renji said quietly, "Tetsuya-san seems to me to be a smart, sensitive kind of person."

"Yes..."

"And I'll bet if I asked you, you would tell me that you trust his perception of things, most of the time. I mean, he doesn't seem to me like someone who is 'out there,' mentally."

"That is true, but...what he is describing...someone could not have gotten into Tetsuya's room without the guards seeing, without the person's reiatsu being sensed, or there being traces of it here. I sense nothing."

"I did not sense him, even when he stood over me and I could see that he was real," said Tetsuya, "But how could that be? There just isn't any way of explaining..."

"Maybe not," said Renji, "but...someone I know, who is a whole lot smarter than me told me after all of Aizen Sousuke's nonsense that when what you see defies all explanation, you shouldn't abandon your belief that there is an explanation. You should amend your tactics and look at the situation in a different light."

"Yes, but..."

"You haven't been having hallucinations before this all started, ne?" Renji asked.

"Well, no," said Tetsuya, "But I did have nightmares and problems adjusting..."

"Which anyone would have had after being locked up and mistreated for a long time. This is just my opinion, but I think you're pretty damned 'with it' for a guy who thinks he's lost it. But worrying about it isn't really going to help you right now, so you should listen to Taichou and try to get some rest now. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I do a better job of solving problems while I'm asleep."

Byakuya gave Renji a look of gratitude as Tetsuya nodded in acceptance and leaned back against the pillows again. Byakuya took the doctored tea from his hand as Tetsuya blinked sleepily and started to drift off.

"Thank you for that," the clan leader said quietly, "I didn't know what to say to calm his fears. Tetsuya has many doubts and fears, and this situation has been very taxing for both of us. I am glad you relieved him of his fears so that he could settle down and rest."

"I think you should do the same, Taichou."

"Hmmm?"

"Well, obviously you care a lot about him, and that means that while he's sleeping, you're likely to just be worrying or working endlessly on the pieces of the puzzle."

"And is there anything wrong with that?" asked the noble, releasing Tetsuya's now limp hand and standing, "Should I not use every waking minute to get to the bottom of this? My cousin is in torment, and if I do nothing to help him, he may well become completely incapacitated. I do not want that to happen, so of course I am going to give the matter my full attention."

"Right," Renji agreed, "But, it's kinda like when we're up late planning battle strategy. There's a point where you've looked at the pieces from a lot of angles, and you just need to let your body rest and regroup while your subconscious mind keeps turning things over."

"You are probably right," Byakuya sighed, running his hands over his face, "But enough of that. It is very late and we have to work in the morning. Would you like to join me in the bathing room before bed?"

"The...bathing room?" Renji said, looking at him blankly.

Byakuya gave him a tired smile and turned him in the direction of a small building near the end of the main wing of the manor. Renji followed, his eyes curious, as Byakuya led him to the little building and then inside. He came to a stop, just inside the door, staring.

The room laid under a tempered glass ceiling, and the lights were left off to let the moon and stars illuminate the chamber naturally. White surfaces within the large bathing pool that dominated the room, glowed softly all around. Renji scented a variety of flowers, and could see that much of the chamber looked like an extension of the lovely gardens outside of it.

"Wow..." he mused softly as Torio and Akio entered the room and approached them.

"Koji, will you please assist Renji?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes, Byakuya-sama," the attendant answered.

He turned to Renji.

"If I may assist you with undressing, sir?" he asked politely.

Renji paused, blinking at the sight of Torio undressing Byakuya.

"Uh...sure," he said, feeling less than certain.

A blush came onto his skin as the youth bared him and deepened as Koji stepped aside and undressed down to a small wrap around his waist.

"Hey," Renji objected, "Why do you get to wear that and I have to be naked?"

He was surprised to hear Byakuya emit something that sounded suspiciously like a short laugh. Renji forgot his objections about his nakedness as a fully undressed Byakuya walked out into the pool, followed by Torio, to a set of warm waterfalls on the far side of the pool.

"Sir," said Koji, distracting him away from the sight for a moment, "There are soaking pools, or I can bathe you under the waterfall as well."

"Ah...um..."the redhead stammered, coaxing a smile from the waiting attendant, "right. I'll just...go and join Taichou."

"As you wish, sir," Koji said, falling in behind him as he waded out to join Byakuya.

He almost jumped out of his skin as Koji's warm, soapy hands first touched him. An instant smile found its way onto Byakuya's lips and Torio cleared his throat softly and looked away for a moment.

"Sorry about that," Renji said, blushing, "Just, I don't usually have someone doing that for me."

"That's all right, sir," said Koji, amiably.

Renji stepped back under the water and let his thick red hair loose from the hair tie he wore, then let the water soak into it and tried not to think about the fact that Koji's warm, soapy hands were sliding all over his bared body. But he forgot his own discomfort, watching raptly as Byakuya wet his hair and then stood quietly as Torio worked a lather onto his skin.

The youth's hands passed over Byakuya's muscular shoulders, tightening to offer a gentle massage as he slowly washed the area. They slid down his slender white back and over his lovely white bottom, teasing an almost jealous flicker in the redhead's reiatsu as he watched. Then, he realized that as Torio was bathing Byakuya, Koji's hand worked the same magic on his tall, lanky form. And as much as it made him want to blush with the youth's hands touching him, Koji's hands remained diligent and respectful as they bathed him, making him relax and even enjoy the relaxing sensations of the deep muscle massage.

His eyes slid nearly closed, but remained open a crack, watching as Torio finished Byakuya's back and bottom and worked his way around to the front. He went into a pleasant daze, watching Torio's hands slide over the noble's fine carved clavicle and shapely pectorals, then down over his ribs and onto the soft belly. He tried not to stare and worked fitfully to tame his reiatsu as Torio paused.

"With your permission, sir."

"Proceed," Byakuya answered softly.

Renji swallowed hard and his heart throbbed at the sight of the attendant's hands that, keeping their touches light and respectful, gently bathed the clan leader's notably flaccid privates.

"With your permission, sir?" Koji said, startling the redhead out of staring.

He bit his lips, blushing furiously.

"Eh...I think I'll handle that part, myself," he said, then flushed a deeper red as he considered the words he'd used.

"As you wish, sir," said Koji, lowering his hands and waiting as Renji bathed his piqued member and bit down on his tongue to bring himself fully back under control.

He breathed a contented sigh as he stood next to Byakuya under the gentle fall of water, rinsing away the lather, watching the noble out of the corner of an eye, and smiling as he realized that Byakuya was stealing glances at him as well. He drank in the sight of the beautifully naked and much more relaxed looking noble as he followed Byakuya back to the edge of the pool. They stood quietly as the attendants carefully dried them off with thick, warmed towels, then dressed them in what had to be the softest and most comfortable yukata that had ever touched Renji's tanned skin.

They left the bathing room and walked back along the wooden walkway to Byakuya's bedroom door.

"Koji will show you to your guest room," the noble said, blinking sleepily.

Renji felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of leaving Byakuya's company, after having enjoyed their first kiss and the pleasantness of bathing together.

"Are you going to be able to fall asleep now Taichou, or would you like me to help you with that?"

Even though the walkway had been darkened, he could see the sudden blush his words caused to rise on Byakuya's fine, white skin.

"You want to help me fall asleep?" the noble asked, glancing at the two attendants and excusing them wordlessly for the night.

He looked up into Renji's red-brown eyes affectionately.

"I would be pleased to accept, but...I feel it is not right to accept, when I am not yet ready to...proceed."

Renji let out a soft laugh.

"I didn't mean that, Taichou," he told the curious noble, "It's just something I learned while I was a kid. Rukia and I used it to help the little kids in our group fall asleep when they were scared or sick."

"Ah," said Byakuya, glancing into his candlelit bedroom, "I see."

But Renji still sensed a hesitance.

He smiled disarmingly.

"It's okay if you're not comfortable with that, yet. I'll just say good night, then."

He started to turn away, but was stopped by a slender hand that came to rest on his shoulder. Renji froze, hardly daring to breathe.

"Wait."

Everything seemed to go still and silent around them.

"I am sorry if I offended you," Byakuya went on, "It is just that...with the exception of my wife, I have never been intimate with anyone, female or male. My attraction to you came as a surprise to me, and...I will need time to...adjust. It..."

Byakuya was stunned into silence as Renji turned and claimed his lips in a sweet, chaste kiss.

"You don't have to explain," he said easily, "It's fine."

"It is?" the noble inquired softly, "Or are you merely being accommodating?"

Renji grinned and shrugged.

"Aren't you the one always telling me that patience is a virtue...and one that I should learn to employ, now and then? Was that you or some other brilliant taichou?"

"That was me," Byakuya said, a small smile gracing his lips, "You just...normally don't tend to embrace such things as patience."

"Yeah, you're right," Renji admitted, "And if you came on to me, I would go to bed with you tonight."

Byakuya flushed and went silent.

"But...because of the respect I have for you, if you invite me in to help you fall asleep, I will do that, and only that. I give you my word. Unless maybe it's not my self control you're worried about."

The noble frowned.

"I assure you, I am quite in control of myself," he said, an edge of annoyance in the words.

His lips tightened.

"Well, then, if I have your word, I will trust it. Come."

Renji smiled, but didn't answer. He followed Byakuya into the room and watched as he climbed into bed. Then, he sat down beside the reclined noble and smiled down at his somewhat uncertain expression.

"I'll say good night now, because in a few seconds, you're going to be asleep," Renji explained, giving him a warm, lingering kiss on the mouth.

"Very well," said the noble, "Good night, Renji."

"Good night, Taichou."

Byakuya tried to attend to what was happening, but after a few light, comforting touches on his face and fingertips, everything around him seemed to melt away, and he fell asleep within seconds. And although he ached all over to slide underneath the blankets and curl his body around Byakuya's, Renji sighed softly and started to get up.

Then, he froze, remembering that Byakuya had excused the attendants for the night.

So how the hell am I supposed to find my way to a guest room?

He couldn't stop the smile that found itself on his lips. Shaking his head, he turned and slid down beneath the covers, wrapping himself around the sleeping noble and burying his face in a pillow of sakura scented hair.

Oh gods...I have died and gone straight to heaven! thought the redhead, If I die in my sleep or if I misunderstood him and he kills me for this...it will have been worth it!