Work Text:
In a spacious office almost at the top of one of the many high rise office buildings crowding Karakura Town’s business sector a middle aged man in a light brown suit was treading a nervous path behind the expensive wood of his desk. The man, one Tetsuhiro Satou, was an accountant, a good one. He’d be the first to admit that he was in this line of work for its security and regular hours, although with his newest employer that all seemed to have changed. Since he had fallen in with Karino Enterprises Satou’s working hours had lengthened considerably, his new employers having a penchant for late night meetings.
Satou paused in his pacing to run a hand through thinning brown hair. He turned to the glass panel that served as the back wall of his office and leaned his shoulder against it to stare out into the city. The work was certainly lucrative, he mused, even if waiting for the transaction calls were nerve wracking.
Moments later he let out a sigh and pushed away from the window – he was too restless to stay in one place for too long – to take place behind his desk. He spent seconds watching the telephone before his hands rose to his neck to loosen his restrictive tie and then travelled to his front, to smooth over the expensive cotton of his shirt. His suit jacket had long since been discarded and was hanging haphazardly over the back of his heavy, leather desk chair.
Normally Satou was not a nervous man, in fact he had achieved his position because he did not let nerves influence his work, but what they were doing was extremely risky. To move large sums of money without the Gotei 13’s knowledge was quite a dangerous game, even if there had thus far been no single indication that anyone had caught on. Since tonight was to be the largest sum transferred to date Satou felt that, in the security of his office, his nerves were allowed to show. With a sigh the man picked up the documents lying on his table and started to peruse them half heartedly, never quite able to draw his attention away from the silent telephone.
His reverie was broken when the double doors at the far end of the room clicked open. With a frown Satou pushed against his chair’s armrests and raised himself halfway upwards. Thinking it was his over-zealous secretary not having heeded his directive to go home Satou started speaking sharply. “Ayame, I thought I told you…” He cut off as the left side door swung fully open. In the doorway, framed by the soft lights coming from the waiting room he could just make out a tall silhouette.
Then the man stepped through the threshold moments later and his features were thrown in sharp relief by the fluorescent lights in Satou’s office. Long, black hair was drawn back from a fine boned, expressionless face and hung in a braid down his back, almost exactly in the middle of two broad shoulders. The young man, perhaps in his late twenties, was clad in a well fitting charcoal suit. His right hand was tucked behind him as he closed the door with his left. By now Satou was completely out of his chair. His anger at the intrusion was fuelled by sheer bravado in the face of this new, strangely menacing presence. “Who are you? What are you doing here? If you don’t leave I will call security!” He closed his mouth abruptly when the black haired man finally took his right hand from behind his back. He was no farther than a metre from the desk now and he gestured to the leather chair with his unoccupied hand. “You will not. Sit.” Satou gulped and quickly did as he was told, almost toppling the chair in his haste. He eyed the pistol with its lengthened muzzle with a tightening in his chest that surely signified bubbling terror. His eyes flickered between the man’s face and the gun that was held loosely against his thigh. It seemed like a careless grip, but for some reason Satou had no doubt that it could be swung up and used in a matter of seconds.
The oppressive silence wasn’t doing anything to lessen his fear. So the older man tried to fill it. “I don’t know what they are paying you, but we can double it, I promise. I can give you anything you want!” The man’s face didn’t change in the face of the rushed pleading instead he delivered his own line in a clipped tone that mirrored his expression. “I was ordered to deliver a message.” The utterance bounced off the big room’s walls and was followed by Satou breathing out loudly in relief.
So the gun was just for show.
The brunette almost smiled, that was good. He sat forward in his chair and managed to calm his laborious breathing enough to paste on an attentive, even genial, expression.
The coughs from the silenced pistol was echoingly loud in the silence and Byakuya Kuchiki watched disinterestedly as the man’s face turned shocked for no more than a few seconds before going slack.
When the newly deceased body began to slump forward the pistol was drawn backwards and the silencer unscrewed with and folded into a soft cloth taken from a suit pocket. Ignoring the dead man now slumped onto the desk Byakuya exited the office. He closed the door behind him softly and picked up the briefcase standing near the door. The case was placed onto the secretary’s desk near the left wall of the waiting room and clicked it open. With fast, practised movements he disassembled his weapon and stored the parts in separate compartments of the case’s lid.
With the gun stored and hidden the dark haired man straightened and adjusted his cuffs before picking up the closed briefcase and heading for the door. Byakuya allowed himself one last sweep of the waiting area and when satisfied by what he saw took the short corridor that led to the emergency staircase and the outside world. In the distance he could hear, just before the door with its disabled fire alarm swung shut, the shrill ring of a telephone.
The hour was late and darkness had fallen long since. Despite that, it was into a steady flow of homebound employees that Byakuya slipped when he stepped from the shadows at the side of the building. In his suit, the slender man blended remarkably well with the rest of the crowd and that being as it was, he allowed the chattering masses to carry him away from his target and straight into a street not many blocks away. This was the start to the city’s entertainment district and was lined with bars and clubs. It was a regular, unsurprising, destination for the working masses after their long work days were over and just where Byakuya needed to go. As the street got longer and more sophisticated places were giving way to cheaper dives frequented by broke students and general lowlifes the flow of people started to trickle into a dribble. By the time he reached a particularly rowdy bar, its small blue neon sign flickering sporadically above the door, he was almost the only person in the street wearing a suit. Byakuya made a left turn into an alley just past the place and mounted a set of black metal stairs hugging the wall in the shadows of the building. The stairs led to a surprisingly sturdy door that opened into a set of rooms above the bar.
The multiple locks securing the door were quickly unlocked and moments later the black haired man stepped through. Just inside, without bothering with a light, he slid bolts home and snapped latches in place before toeing off his dress shoes in the short hallway preceding the kitchen-living area. Finally he made his way, still without light, through the main room with its sparse wooden furniture and into the single bed room on the other side.
Byakuya removed his suit and tie and hung them neatly in the small wardrobe. He grabbed a pair of worn jeans – that might or might not belong to him – thrown over the back of a chair shoved under the rickety desk in the corner of the room and pulled them on quickly. Then he took a seat on the rather neatly made bed and took a slim black phone from his white button up’s pocket. He ran through the contacts list until he reached the number of one Urahara Kisuke.
Urahara was the manager for the Kuchiki family within Seireitei, the building in central Karakura housing the entirety of the Gotei 13’s administration, and a general pain in the lower extremities. Byakuya put the phone to his ear with the air of one doing something intolerable and listened to the dial tone with an air of suppressed annoyance. When the irritating Blonde answered blearily on the fifth ring Byakuya’s mouth thinned into a tight line. Of course the moron was sleeping when others were working. He stated his name abruptly and Urahara sounded decidedly more awake when he heard who was on the other end of the line. “Byakuya-chan! How’re things?” Byakuya closed his eyes against the irritation he could feel welling up in him and quickly reported the status of his mission. “Very good, very good. I’ll report it so to the council. I’m sure the rest of the deceased Satou-san’s colleagues will think again before cutting us from their dealings, eh?” The man said with a small laugh to which Byakuya answered with a noncommittal hum. He did not really care and wished the call would finish so he could go greet Renji. Seconds passed slowly, in silence, until finally the other man seemed to get the message. “Ah yes, I will contact you when the council has the need again. Until then, please enjoy your rest with Abarai-kun, ne?” Byakuya didn’t bother allowing his irritation levels to rise any higher and instead he pressed the end call button without warning and buried the phone under a pillow. A minute later he was stepping back into the shoes he’d left at the door. This time his destination was no farther than the bar underneath the small flat.
Byakuya stepped through the threshold and into the bar’s smoky interior. He threaded his way through the small tables and booths that crowded that bar’s floor with an ease that suggested he had been there enough times to have memorised the path, which was true. At one end of the crowded bar a single stool stood in a small circle of empty space, as if everyone knew to avoid it and all the regulars did. Byakuya slipped onto it and fit his long legs snugly under the counter, satisfied to note that no one had presumed to take his place.
Then he waited.
It wasn’t long until he drew the attention of the broad shouldered red head working the bar alongside an equally broad shouldered Ginger. When the 22 year old came to a stop opposite Byakuya he cast him a quick grin and wordlessly removed the expensive bottle of whiskey held under the counter for the older man’s exclusive use. He poured two shots over clinking ice and pushed the glass in Byakuya’s direction before storing the bottle and picking up a polishing towel. Tonight the man’s coveted red hair was pulled up into its customary spiky ponytail and he was wearing a black tank which clearly showed the stylised tattoos covering his neck and torso. His long legs were clad in dark denim and mostly hidden by the work apron tied around his slim hips. His clothes, however, drew only a momentary glance from Byakuya and instead his gaze was drawn to Renji’s face. “What happened?” He asked after he’d taken his first sip of the burning golden liquid. Now his eyes followed the path of Renji’s hand as it travelled up towards the purple lump below his left eye. The younger man’s lips twitched into another grin and he half shrugged quickly. “Just a difference in opinion between me and the Strawberry.” He said as he screwed the towel into a recently washed glass. Byakuya nodded once and took another sip.
They stood in companionable silence, a pocket of peace in the midst of the bustling bar, with Byakuya steadily drinking his single malt and Renji polishing glasses. The atmosphere was soothing. At least until there was a roar from the other side of the room that signified that the Strawberry – Ichigo to everyone without a death wish – was not satisfied with Renji’s impromptu break.
“Hey Pineapple freak! Get your ass over here or I’ll have to come fetch it!”
Renji made a flapping motion with his hand without looking to see if his co-worker acknowledged it. Then he slipped Byakuya’s money into the till and looked up to catch the other’s gaze. “Are you going to…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but the older man was perceptive enough to understand his question. “I will be going home.” He said calmly and pushed the empty glass across the counter. Looking down as he slid from the bar stool, he missed the smile that the statement elicited from the red head. In their personal code ‘home’ stood for the small apartment they shared above the bar. “Hey, you don’t have to wait up. I have a test in a few weeks so I’ll probably get started on that when I finish my shift.” The black haired man was already preparing to leave, but looked back and nodded once at Renji’s words. Then, just as he was about to take his first step homebound, another sound from Renji made him pause and cast another look backwards. “Yes?” He asked in response to the amused expression on the red head’s face. “You’re wearing my jeans!” Renji chortled a little more as his exasperated lover finally left without bothering to respond to the ridiculously satisfied expression Renji was sporting.
It was somewhere in the early morning hours that Byakuya woke to the steady scratching of pen on paper. He blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the minimal light cast by the small desktop lamp and adjusted his position until he could lie and watch Renji’s expression of fierce concentration comfortably. The red head’s hair had come loose, or perhaps been loosened, from its tie and every now and then Renji had to pause in his studying to shove an errant piece back behind his ear, yet he didn’t seem annoyed enough with it to actually tie it back up. Byakuya watched his profile languidly. It was not often he got the opportunity to watch Renji being so serious. The little time they had together was never exactly spent quietly. Even someone as emotionally stunted as he admittedly was could revel in these moments. Still, secretly Byakuya admired Renji’s diligence. The guy was a 4th year medical student and when he wasn’t working shifts at Karakura General he worked in the bar below their apartment to pay off his studies. It was a big step up in the world from the boy who’d been born to a Rukongai stripper and her violent, lowlife boyfriend and Byakuya knew, better than anyone, how hard the younger man was still working to get away from that past. Thinking about Renji’s past had the contemplative man think back towards their first meeting, now almost 9 years ago.
After the city’s legitimate government system had finally collapsed in an atomic cloud of corruption and fraud, the Gotei 13 – a council made up of a representative from each of the city’s 13 crime families – had become the sole governing force in Karakura Town. The Kuchiki clan, with a history of violence and bloodshed as long as Karakura’s existence, had integrated with the new regime with little trouble. Under its rule the clan become the main enforcers for the whole of the city. Except perhaps the underground and outlying regions of Rukongai, because no one had any hope to enforce a law there. Thus, while each family was responsible for their own division of the city the Kuchikis had been given the role of maintaining the Gotei’s peace and furthering its interests.
Within the family itself the main branch had been remained to serve a more ‘exclusive’ function while the branch families and sworn followers were to fill the leg breaking, debt collecting capacity. It was into the severe environment of the main family that Byakuya Kuchiki was born – a prodigy even in a family as prestigious as the Kuchikis. He’d killed his first mark at the age of ten and had unknowingly started the kind of legend that older, more experienced family members talked about in hushed voices while casting awed glances in his direction.
Byakuya himself did not understand their admiration. He could understand their appreciation of his skill, but not the high regard they seemed to hold his person in. It was a duty, he thought frequently throughout his teenage years. Killing wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed or detested, but it was what the family required of him and Byakuya had been raised to place duty to the family as his highest priority.
That particular afternoon 18 year old Byakuya was sitting in one of the sitting rooms overlooking the expertly cultivated gardens of the family estate. He was dressed in a simple black yukata and was sitting on the bare tatami at the low table in the middle of the room reading the newspaper and drinking his afternoon tea. He had just moved on to the social section of the paper when the tranquillity was disturbed by the sound of two voices squabbling in harsh whispers. The first he immediately recognised as belonging to Rukia, his father’s second wife’s 13 year old sister. The girl had been boisterous and brash since the first moment he met her and nothing had changed since her adoption into the Kuchiki clan. Yet today, she seemed more forceful than usual as she struggled to convince the other voice – male, although also young – to enter the room with her. With a sigh that was no more than a puff of early autumn air Byakuya put down his newspaper next to his tea cup and walked over to the door. He slid the screen door to one side and was met with the sight of two thirteen year olds wrestling in the hall in front of the door. “It’s nothing, you moron, he can help you with your dad, we just have to ask him!” Rukia was panting out and struggling to maintain a wrestlers hold on the red haired boy beneath her who was doing a decent job of breaking the grip. Byakuya kept himself completely still as he watched them.
“Rukia?”
His question, although posed softly, had the children stop their tussle immediately. Rukia’s eyes widened in surprise and the red head seemed to feel this was the perfect time to twist out from underneath her. It resulted in another almost tussle, but Rukia seemed to keep the presence of mind not to take up the struggle again, not at her brother’s feet in any case.
“I was enjoying my afternoon tea.”
Byakuya said mildly when the two had finally untangled themselves and were both sitting with their legs tucked under them in the hallway. Rukia had the decency to look guilty and mumble a half hearted apology, but the red head was staring at him unabashedly. Byakuya couldn’t fathom the look on his face – it didn’t seem to be the simple admiration or sometime jealously that clouded the gazes of other family members – and he didn’t really try, but he was rather curious as to who the boy was, after all Rukia was not in the habit of bringing friends home. “You are?” He finally asked although he was looking at his sister. “Nii-sama, this is Renji Abarai. We’ve been in the same school since preschool.” Byakuya waited patiently for Rukia to continue when she cut off hesitantly. His eyes flicked back to the boy’s face for a moment before looking back at the dark haired girl expectantly. “He, uh, has a problem.” Byakuya would have commented sharply on her sudden bumbling, indecisive way of speech, but before either of them could open their mouths the boy had shot out his hand and clamped it around her upper arm. “There’s no problem, Kuchiki-san. Sorry to be a bother!” The red head got to his feet swiftly and dragged a surprised Rukia along with him. Byakuya watched as they all but ran down the hallway and he could hear Rukia growl angrily. “Let go, you idiot! Did we really just disturb my brother just so you could back out?”
It was not as if he was particularly interested in their discussion, but nonetheless Byakuya stayed by the door and listened for the disappearing boy’s answer. “He shouldn’t have to, okay?” It’s my problem, how can I ask something like that of him!” Byakuya stood in the doorway a moment longer before he blinked once and shut himself back in the sitting room. That ‘he shouldn’t have to’ was something no one had ever said to him and even as he sat down again and took up his newspaper Byakuya didn’t quite understand how the child could have taken one look at him and seen something entirely different from everyone else.
For the 13 year old Renji’s part, he had taken one look at the delicately sculpted features of Rukia’s older brother and fallen irrevocably in love. In that moment he forgot every single thing Rukia had told him about her cold, rigid brother and suddenly couldn’t bring himself to ask this ethereal man in front of him to perform any kind of violent act. As he dragged the fuming Rukia away from the black haired man he vowed to himself that he’d learn to endure his problems silently and when he was good enough he’d come back here and take the other man’s burdens on himself as well.
“I’ve found a career!” Seventeen year old Renji Abarai, freshly returned from another round of detention, dumped his worn book bag on the ground next to his desk and slid onto Rukia’s table with total disregard for anything important that might have been on its surface. With a growl Rukia scrambled for the chemistry notes she had been making in study hall while Renji served his punishment. After smoothing out the crumpled folios she gave the red head a angry glare and shoved him to the ground. Renji had a moment to look surprised before he landed at his best friend’s feet. On the ground and after having slammed his head on the table next to Rukia’s during his descent Renji blinked rapidly to clear his jostled thoughts. He started to glare up at the short, dark haired girl, but before he could meet her smirking face, his own scowl transformed into a sly grin. “I can see your panties.” He sang loudly causing half of the class to whip around in their seats to stare at them. Suddenly he was rolling onto his side with a groan when the blushing girl kicked him forcefully in the stomach.
“Baka!”
“Pervert!”
“Pig!”
She yelled aggressively and accentuated every insult with a kick to his kidneys. Around them the, now disinterested, class continued eating their lunches as usual. They were long used to the two friends, had lately even stopped bothering to place bets and now only raised their voices to continue individual conversations over the screaming.
Finally Renji held up his hands in surrender and Rukia reluctantly let him off the hook. She even held out a hand to help him up, although her scowl didn’t lessen. Once on his feet Renji bowed in formal apology before sliding back onto the now empty desk and regaining his excited expression. With a roll of her eyes Rukia held out her hand for the pamphlet no doubt scrounged from the school councillor’s office while receiving his latest lecture. Renji passed it to her with childlike glee and Rukia smoothed the crumpled, glossy paper out so she could read the title. Giving the small booklet a quick once over Rukia raised her disbelieving expression to meet Renji’s happy one.
“A doctor?”
She asked finally and grimaced a little when the red head nodded enthusiastically. Rukia waited another minute to see if Renji would come out and admit it was just a joke, but when that idiotic expression remained on his face she realised that the other teen was actually serious. With the realisation came the biggest urge to laugh and just like that the short girl burst out into peals of laughter. She was laughing so hard she didn’t notice Renji’s expression falling until her own mirth had subsided to occasional giggles. When she finally looked back at the red head he had crossed his arms over his chest and was pouting grumpily. “Renji? You can’t have been serious?” The boy mumbled something bad temperedly and Rukia could just make out. “Why the hell not?” She snorted at the question and held up a dainty fisted hand. “Well, for one, you’re an idiot.” One finger shot up before she continued. “Two, you have no mooooooneeeeeey,” with the dragged out word a second finger shot up. “Thirdly, you’re not credit worthy and no one is going to loan you any. Fourthly, you have the attention span of a gnat.” The third and fourth fingers shot up simultaneously and Rukia sighed before lowering her hand. “Need I continue?” Renji grumbled something else under his breath, but this time she couldn’t quite pick out the words. Looking over the boy, that had been her best friend for most of their lives, she suddenly felt bad. Her friend had hunched his shoulders and looked terribly defeated under his customary scowl. She sighed softly and her own shoulders sagged a bit. It seemed like he had been really serious for once. “Okay, look, I’m not promising anything, but if you’d like we can study together and maybe we can get you to qualify for the course as well as a scholarship.” Rukia screeched a little when she was suddenly glomped by 70kg of happy teenager, “I said maybe!” She yelled into his ear, but it seemed to have no effect and she resigned herself to humour his sudden lovable streak.
It was only after Renji had let her go and they were both sitting at their desks that Rukia got an inkling of a suspicion of the boy’s motives. She turned sideways in her seat so as to scrutinise him closely. “This hasn’t got anything to do with that silly obsession you seem to have with Byakuya nii-sama, does it?” She had found out about it a few years ago, mainly from seeing the red head’s face go all lovestruck at the mention of her brother’s name and then by threatening to kick his teeth in if he didn’t tell her. Renji raised his head from its resting place on his forearms and had the grace to at least look a little guilty. “It’s not an obsession,” his words were prim and his expression lofty, “But it may be part of a plan.” He finally admitted in the heat of Rukia’s glare. Rukia blew out a heavy breath that made the long piece of hair hanging down her forehead flutter. It just wasn’t worth telling him again. He should have realised by now, her older brother did not feel those kinds of things. “Baka Renji,” She finally muttered, but didn’t rescind her offer. If Renji wanted to get out of the hellhole that was his life then she wouldn’t be the one to deny her help.
“The blue one, not the red one! Do you get it, Renji? Not the red one!” Renji blew out a puff of cold air to keep from yelling at Rukia that YES! He got it, he’d heard the first 20 times. He jerked his thin jacket closer to his body and wrapped the scarf tighter around his neck. He was still holding the phone against his ear and he could hear Rukia speaking to Ichigo, Renji’s flat and classmate, in a softer tone. Feeling spiteful because they got to be inside and cosy and he had to be the errand boy he moaned at Rukia. “Remind me again why the hell I’m going to your house to pick up your textbooks.” His faced flickered into a smile as he heard Rukia growl through the phone. “Because, Abarai,” She started, speaking slowly and dragging out her vowels, “You’re on your way to the apartment and Ichigo and I are already here. It’s practically on your way. Besides, the men at the gate know you and it’s less hassle than going myself.” The red head sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes of course, please treat me like your slave while you and that damn Strawberry shack it up.” He muttered under his breath. Though he guessed it was still loud enough for Rukia to hear because she cursed him loudly and put the phone down in his ear.
Renji grinned to himself and stuffed his phone back into his bag. He was happy for her, he really was, it wasn’t just anybody who could take on a girl from a clan full of warriors, but Ichigo, although from a middle class family, had violent tendencies and his own loud mouth and seemed just the match. The red head was glad to be able to say that he had introduced them. Although, to be honest, the three of them had just kind of fallen together on the first day of class. The scowling Ginger had been the only person brave – oblivious – enough to sit next to the tattooed, obviously-from-a-bad-part-of-the-city red head in a class full of upper middle class, prospective physicians. True, they had pretty much beat the crap out of each other in the parking lot after class because of some sort of misunderstanding that Renji had long since forgotten, but he had still invited Ichigo to lunch with Rukia and him. It was, after all not every day that you met someone who would take a right hook to the face and moments after still lie about it to campus security. Anyway, Renji had cast one calculating look between the two, already bickering, acquaintances and realised that when the Strawberry eventually got around to asking Rukia out they would be a very happy couple.
Then, finally, 10 months into their first year as university students and four months since Renji and Ichigo had started sharing a shitty one bedroom apartment in Karakura Town proper, the idiot had asked Rukia out while hanging over a toilet bowl after a particularly rowdy night at a nearby bar. Needless to say Rukia had kicked the shit out of the inebriated Ichigo before warning that if it wasn’t the best date she’d ever had she would castrate him and plant his head on a pole in front of her house. Ichigo had made sure to do her justice.
Since then all had been rosy for the happy couple. Except of course that the one bedroom apartment you shared with another was not the best place for romantic trysts. Especially if the other flatmate was the couple’s best friend. Renji knew this and he did his best to give them some time alone, but there was only so much a broke student could do when he wasn’t working or studying. Nevertheless, Renji had never forgotten how much time and effort Rukia had spent on him during their last two years of high school, in fact it was so much that what she had said earlier was true, even the men guarding the Kuchiki family estate recognised him on sight. So he sucked it up and allowed Rukia to boss him around when it seemed that she wanted her boyfriend all to herself, it was the least he could do. Besides, he added in the privacy of his own head, the Kuchiki estate was where Byakuya-san lived and Renji had never been able to give up the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the older man. Yes, Renji was still hopelessly in love with the man, despite Rukia’s frequent grumbling warnings for him to give up on her brother.
Throughout his musings his feet had continued to carry him toward Rukia’s huge home and before he knew it he was standing in front of the gate. All it took was a single wave to the two men in the little booth by the gate and the heavy steel frames began to slide open. Renji continued up the driveway until he was finally in front of two different guards and finally the front door. At the door he was greeted with a young maid dressed traditionally in a kimono of muted colour with the Kuchiki family crest on the back. He immediately recognised the girl as one of Hisana-san’s bodyguards and resigned himself to a greeting with the head of the clan. Renji held back a sigh – because that would have been just rude – he’d hoped he could slip into Rukia’s room quickly and leave with the book, but no such luck. He followed the maid to one of the sitting rooms at the back of the house much like the one he had first met Byakuya-san in. Not expecting the older man to be at the house, Renji was surprised when the door was opened to show Rukia’s sister and the dark haired man calmly waiting inside. Byakuya-san wasn’t wearing the light yukata he seemed to prefer at home so Renji could deduce that he’d recently returned from being
‘Out’, as Rukia had dubbed it tersely the first time stupid 17 year old Renji had asked where the other man was going.
While his brain was busy elsewhere Renji automatically greeted the two adults in the room. He was invited to step inside by a smiling Hisana-san, who had taken a liking to him from the first day Rukia had introduced them. It was something to be grateful for, the short girl had told him, in this house only Byakuya-san’s voice carried equal weight. Besides that, the fragile, dark haired woman was like the gentle mother figure Renji had never had and normally he enjoyed her company greatly, but today Renji just wanted to get back to the apartment with its crappy central heating and his pile of blankets. So he declined Hisana-san offer for tea as politely as he could and explained his errand to her with the
excuse that Rukia needed the book to study that evening. He was surprised for the second time that evening when Byakuya-san stood from his seat and addressed his stepmother.
“I will take Abarai-kun to the room.” Renji was a little speechless by the statement and couldn’t find his voice quickly enough to tell the dark haired man that he knew where it was. By the time he got his mouth working Byakuya was already standing at the door calmly waiting for him. Renji cast a quick glance towards Hisana-san who waved him towards the exit and with a quick nod and hasty goodbye he scrambled up to follow the other man.
Renji remained half a step behind the slightly taller man as he followed him through the house. He was so lost in watching the graceful way Byakuya-san moved that he almost didn’t hear the question when it was directed at him. “I have seen little of Rukia these past 2 months, is she doing well?” Renji quickened his pace ever so slightly. “Ah, yes, sir, she’s doing fine.” Byakuya-san nodded once to acknowledge his answer and spoke again. “Your own studies are progressing well too, I expect.” The question was unexpected. Renji hadn’t known that Byakuya-san even knew he was studying. “Yes, as well as can be expected.” Renji laughed a little and resisted the urge to rub the back of his head.
They had reached the residential wing of the huge house before Byakuya-san spoke again.
“Are you lovers?”
The question was posed in a completely flat tone of voice and Renji stopped completely when it fell from the other man’s lips. He stared at the back of Byakuya-san’s head when the other man also paused and watched as his body went rigid with realisation.
Byakuya didn’t dare turn around when the realisation dawned on what he had just asked. He didn’t know what had possessed him to do such a thing. It was so out of character that before now it was unconceivable to think that he would ever ask something so invasive. “We’re not.” He heard Renji say in a strangled tone of voice and opened his mouth to apologise for the lapse in manners. Instead it was as if something else had taken control of his voice. “Then it is an unrequited love…or do you enjoy being the girl’s errand boy.”
Renji had to force himself to speak at all. He had never before realised exactly how snarky the black haired man could be, but then he’d never had anything remotely like a conversation with him. He desperately wanted to say something about Ichigo, but Rukia had asked him to keep it quiet so he tightened his lips in silence and stood in the hallway behind a stiff Byakuya-san. He barely caught the murmured, “Of course,” uttered by the other man before he resumed leading the way to his sister’s room.
And before he could stop himself – he so desperately wanted to erase what had just happened – Renji had grabbed the older man’s left wrist and pinned the surprisingly light body against the wall. “It’s not Rukia. It’s never been Rukia.” His own voice sounded hoarse and dimly Renji wondered if he’d finally lost his mind: manhandling someone who could kill him in any number of unexpected ways. That is, until he took it a step further and crashed his lips onto those of the man between him and the wall. He put every ounce of love and desire he possessed into that one swift, bruising lip lock and finally came to his senses as the taste of mint flooded his wandering tongue.
When he jerked away from the lips he’d moulded himself against he couldn’t help noticing the state the beautiful man beneath him was in. Byakuya’s hair was slightly tousled from where Renji had dug his fingers in to bring their heads closer for the kiss. His glistening lips were parted ever so slightly and as Renji watched the tip of his tongue swiped at the inside of his bottom lip. There was the faintest of blushes on Byakuya’s cheeks, nothing more than a light dusting of pink, but the overall effect was stunning. It was as if the whole of Byakuya’s expression was saying: “You did this, are you going to take responsibility?”
Renji gulped once and meant to apologise, but when he opened his mouth something entirely different spilled out. “Do you…” He had to stop, swallow and start again. “Do you want to take this somewhere else?”
It was like an alternate reality. As if he had plunged through some kind of magical rabbit hole and was with a Byakuya whose demeanour knew something other than stoicism. These were the thoughts racing through Renji’s mind when they tumbled through a nearby door and into a room decorated in gray and white. Before Renji could process it completely he’d helped the black haired man out of his suit jacket and tie and was busily doing the same with the white shirt. When the annoying garment was also strewn in the vicinity of the dresser Renji rocked back onto his haunches and stared.
Byakuya was prone on the futon his hair like a dark halo around his head and his face not having lost that faint blush. His eyes were half lidded as he waited for Renji to continue the assault to his torso. When it seemed that the red head needed some encouragement Byakuya raised a pale, long fingered hand and tugged at Renji’s hair tie. The tiny smile that suddenly graced his features as he watched red hair cascade down Renji’s shoulders was enough incentive for the younger man to throw a leg over the slender body at his side and bring their lips together for another kiss. This time Renji quested with his tongue and was rewarded with a slight parting of the other’s lips. He took his time exploring thoroughly and committing each crease and crevice to memory.
Who knew, there might never be a repeat performance and Renji needed to do everything he craved during this single opportunity. That being said, he wasn’t quite sure how far he was allowed to go and wasn’t exactly inclined to stop now and ask. So he teased and nipped and sucked his way down every inch of Byakuya’s creamy skin, scarred and marred by years of physical training. He allowed himself the indulgence of placing small dark bruises all over the muscled torso, down a toned stomach and even on slim, jutting hipbones.
All the while Byakuya lay still beneath him. Occasionally he would run a hand through the lush red hair that tickled his bare skin, but mostly he lay watching the eager Renji with a bemused expression and a slight hitch in his breath. The thought crossed his mind the younger man had a surprising amount of experience, but then Renji slipped his lips over his arousal and he didn’t think anything at all.
It took all of his, considerable, self restraint not to thrust up into the heat that was teasing him and in the process he let slip a half gasp that almost made the red head orgasm. Renji tipped his head back and met Byakuya’s grey eyes with his own smouldering ones.
“Byakuya-san, don’t move, okay?” Renji murmured hoarsely as he rose to him feet and made for the adjoining bathroom. Byakuya did as the red head asked and didn’t move a muscle. He briefly wondered what Renji was looking for and why he hadn’t just asked the man to whom the bathroom belonged, but then he shrugged it off. The boy seemed to have a certain idea of how this was supposed to go and Byakuya really was content not to interfere with his plans. When Renji finally emerged from the bathroom Byakuya tilted his head lazily to the side and got his first glimpse of naked, tattooed skin. Unknowingly, he licked his lips in anticipation of feeling it in contact with his own.
Renji drew the black haired man’s legs out and knelt between the spread limbs. Byakuya had raised his head and was hazily watching the other man’s actions. Dimly he registered that it seemed that he was to be the bottom, but that didn’t lessen his expectation of the event that was to follow.
Renji listened for the next delicious gasp as he once again took Byakuya’s head into his mouth and was not disappointed. While he was teasingly suckling on the erection in his mouth he started to draw small circles around the other man’s entrance with one slippery finger. This time the groan was audible. “You are teasing me,” the black haired man’s normally mild voice sounded breathless and Renji couldn’t help fisting his own erection at its quality. He smiled slightly in response before he slipped a gel coated finger inside Byakuya’s body and watched as the man’s hips squirmed of their own volition.
Byakuya wasn’t sure if he liked these ministrations that seemed to give his normally obedient body a mind of its own, but he had to admit that Renji’s fingers felt good as they teased his insides and began stretching his passage. The red head’s hands teased, twisted and fluttered over his body much like his tongue had earlier and Byakuya felt the beginnings of an orgasm build up in his lower body.
Except, Renji seemed intent on keeping him teetering on the edge without actually bringing him over and finally Byakuya was forced to raise his head and look at the red head whose only purpose seemed to be to drive them both insane. He could feel beads of perspiration trickle down his thighs and could see the same evidence of exertion of the younger man’s face and chest.
Ultimately Renji asked, “Byakuya-san, do you want it?” Byakuya’s expression held traces of perplexity at the question. “I’ve never…aah!” His eyes grew marginally wider as the blunt head of Renji’s erection pressed against him. And then it was inside and although Byakuya felt that there wasn’t enough breath in his lungs he felt the need to speak. “I’ve never wanted anything.” He finally panted out and watched a heavily breathing Renji lean forward over him as he worked the rest of himself into the tight passage. His words made the tiny hairs on Byakuya’s neck stand straight as they brushed past his ear. “Do you want something now?” He stilled inside the older man and waited a while before suddenly pulling
out and plunging back inside.
Byakuya didn’t scream or thrash around, but the quietly gasped “YES!” and the hands that clutched at his shoulders made Renji harder than anything ever had.
Renji watched the tired body in his arms with adoration. He had never in his life thought to see Byakuya-san so completely vulnerable, but it seemed that even dark haired man lost his rigidity when so tired out. Now that Renji had the time he turned the older man’s words over and over in his mind until realisation struck like a slap to the forehead. His cheeks heated up needlessly as he contemplated if Byakuya-san could indeed have been a virgin. Now, that would just be too good to be true. Renji cleared his throat as quietly as he could and tucked the naked body closer to him as he cover them both with the comforter.
//
Byakuya blinked awake in the earlier morning hours. At first he only stared at the red head wrapped around him in disbelief. There had never been anybody he could trust enough to fall asleep in their presence and now this red headed brat had come along and done it so easily. Byakuya scowled in irritation at the complicated feeling in his chest and did the only thing he could think of. He rolled out of the other’s grasp and slipped off the futon. He’d take a shower and by the time he came back he would know how to handle the situation.
//
Renji awoke the moment Byakuya slipped into the adjoining room. Here was another person who slept lightly in the presence of others. Renji wasn’t naïve enough to think that last night had meant anything to the dark haired man, despite his confession in the throes of pleasure. He also knew that the best course of action would be to get dressed and be ready to leave when the other man came out of the shower. So he did exactly that. He dressed swiftly and was more or less presentable and waiting nervously by the bedroom door when Byakuya-san stepped out of the bathroom also already fully clothed. They looked at each other for long seconds before Renji’s nerve broke and he cast his gaze downwards.
//
Byakuya was oddly displeased when the boy avoided his gaze and all thoughts of handling this encounter as a one night stand flew out of his head. He stalked over to the red head and cleared his throat to draw the other’s attention. “Has it always been me?” He dared to ask before he lost his own nerve and was awarded by a surprised stare that had him twist his head away and cross his arms in a defensive motion.
“Yes!” Renji almost yelped and then, in the silence that followed, realisation struck. “Byakuya-san, may I…may I call on you again?” The gaze remained staring off into the distance but his low words were unmistakeable.
“If you wish.”
QQ
Renji wandered into the apartment still in a daze and was met by the amusing sight of Rukia and Ichigo sleeping on the couch and looking decidedly cramped. He meandered into the kitchen to get a drink of water and when he returned to the living room Rukia was awake and glaring at him from her position in front of the other man. “Where have you been, you baka! I spent half the night calling you!” She growled in a harsh whisper and Renji awarded her with a faint smile. “I got busy.” He said and didn’t seem to want to elaborate on the cryptic statement. Instead he started towards the bedroom. Almost at the door he turned back to Rukia who, judging from her expression, was clearly worried about his attitude. “I forgot your book, sorry.” He murmured although the faint smile never left his face. “I’m going to bed now, get the Strawberry to take notes for me, yeah?” He nodded once towards a still sleeping Ichigo and uttered a tiny thanks before closing the door behind him.
QQ
Byakuya watched as Renji put the pen down and rub his tired eyes. His own gaze took in the alarm clock’s flashing 3:30 am.
“Come to bed, Abarai.”
The red head looked up quickly. His surprised countenance showed that he’d had no idea Byakuya was awake. Then he flashed the black haired man a quick smile. “Sounds great, but I’ve still got a ways to go, unfortunately.” Byakuya could see the fatigue in the other man’s posture and although he had no wish to keep the red head from his work enough was enough.
“I do not like sleeping alone in this bed.”
It was manipulative, he knew. Renji could never resist doing what he asked when he made his preference known. He watched Renji’s eyes flicker to the alarm clock before a tired little smile grew on his face. He ran a hand through his hair and pushed the chair back. “I suppose I can just put in a little more effort tomorrow.” He finally murmured and rose to flop next to Byakuya on the bed. Byakuya smiled in satisfaction and feeling generous, he covered the red head’s suddenly boneless body with their blankets. Under the heavy comforter it didn’t take Renji long to find Byakuya’s body and curl up around it. In minutes they were both asleep.