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“You wanted to see me, taicho?”
The redhead stood just outside of his office looking vaguely uncertain. As well he should. Byakuya had called him away from last-minute wedding preparations for an urgent meeting. At least, that’s what the butterfly relayed. It truly was urgent, but not in the way his lieutenant was probably thinking.
“Yes, come in,” Byakuya replied. “Close the door.”
His heart thundered in his chest so loudly he feared Abarai might actually be able to hear it. He could hardly believe he had worked up the gall to do this in the first place, because it was directly against everything he stood for, noble reason be damned. But he’d ignored the pining of his heart for too long to stay silent for an eternity.
Yes.
Tomorrow Abarai Renji was set to wed his sister in a ceremony paid for by the Kuchiki estate, and Byakuya intended to talk him out of it.
“Is everything alright, taicho? You look like you’re about to pass out,” Renji asked, stepping closer to the desk he sat behind.
He didn’t dare raise his eyes to meet the caring gaze he knew he would see. “I’m alright. Please, sit.”
“Is everything alright? You’re scarin’ me a bit,” Renji said with a nervous chuckle. “I’d prefer to stay standing.”
“Very well. Abarai, we’ve worked together for over two decades now,” he started, steeling his voice against wavering uncertainty. “There is no one in the three realms that I trust more than you.”
“I, um, thank you, taicho,” Renji stuttered. “By now I hope you know I feel the same.”
“Do you?” Byakuya asked, looking finally.
Renji’s amber eyes narrowed in confusion. “I’m not following. Where are you going with this?”
Byakuya’s eyes closed again and he took a deep breath before rising from his seat and walking around his desk to stand before the wild and beautiful man with whom he’d fallen hopelessly in love.
“Renji, tomorrow you are to be wed to my sister…” He stopped short when his voice wobbled, betraying his nerves. He placed a hand on the desk to steady himself.
“Taicho?”
“Please, give me a chance to change your mind.”
Renji’s breath audibly caught in his chest. “What?” he whispered hoarsely.
Byakuya swallowed before repeating. “Give me a chance to change your mind about marrying Rukia.”
He raised his eyes to look Renji in the face, straightening to his full height. Fear and confusion swirled around his lieutenant’s head and silence stretched between them.
“Do you,” Renji started before furrowing his brow and looking him in the eye. “Do you think me unworthy of marrying into the Kuchiki family?”
Byakuya inhaled sharply. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Then what do you mean? Why don’t you want me to marry Rukia?”
“I can no longer pretend to support your relationship and could not live the rest of my life knowing I did nothing to try and dissuade you from this union because I would much rather you be marrying me .”
The words tumbled helplessly out of his mouth. His hands trembled where they were clenched into fists by his sides as he held his breath, anxiously anticipating the rejection he was sure would follow.
“Well shit.”
Byakuya refused to meet his gaze, the blood in his body running cold at Renji’s aptly concise description of the situation at hand. He wanted to regret saying anything, knowing he had just ruined two decades of the best partnership he’d ever had, as well as severed his relationship with his sister. Surely, Renji would apply for a transfer as soon as the festivities ended, after relaying this conversation to his new bride, and Byakuya would be left on his own once again.
But he simply couldn’t bring himself to regret it. He knew he’d regret staying silent while the second great love of his life married his sister infinitely more.
He didn’t expect to feel Renji’s hand cupping his chin, lifting it to peer into his eyes.
“You really mean it?” Renji asked seriously, studying his grey eyes for answers. “You want to marry me?”
Byakuya swallowed hard and nodded as best he could with his head in his hands. “Indeed,” he replied grimly.
With a throaty chuckle, Renji leaned in and pressed their lips together. It took Byakuya a moment to process what was happening before he began to kiss back. Abarai’s lips tasted like sake and pickled plum, no doubt having just come from dining with his sister. His tongue darted out to chase the flavor. Renji parted his lips and met Byakuya’s tongue with his own, brushing up against it, sending tingles down his spine.
He pulled back, pressing his hands against his lieutenant’s firm tattooed chest. Renji grasped one of his hands and rested his forehead against Byakuya’s, breathing heavily.
“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Renji questioned.
“I feared losing you as a lieutenant, and when Rukia announced your engagement, I resolved to set my personal feelings aside to support your union… but I regretfully couldn’t suppress the yearning of my heart any longer.”
“Taicho,” Renji said, cupping his face in his hands. “I love Rukia, it’s true. She has been my family for as long as I can remember. But I have been in love with you from the moment I became your lieutenant.”
Byakuya couldn’t help the relieved chuckle that came from his mouth. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Renji scratched his sideburn with a nervous laugh. “That’s the thing: I did try. Twice.”
“What? When?”
“The first time was when you were in the Squad Four infirmary after your fight on Sokyoku Hill, but Ichigo interrupted by bursting through the window.” He laughed at the scowl that overtook Byakuya’s face. “The second time was just after you cut down Koga. That time, you cut me off, and I assumed it was because you knew what I was going to say and didn’t want to have that conversation in front of Rukia.”
“I cut you off in that instance because you were attempting to hold a conversation on the battlefield while our confederates struggled to force the Menos into submission,” Byakuya said, arching his brow in annoyance.
“It was the wrong time to try and confess, I get it, but I was feelin’ real overwhelmed in the heat of the moment and you looked so goddamn confident and attractive while fighting him that it just sorta overwrote every other thought in my brain,” Renji rambled, his cheeks turning red. “But when you didn’t ever bring it up, I assumed that you either had no interest in getting involved with me, or that you didn’t really know what I was trying to say, so I decided that just serving at your side was good enough, and Rukia asked me if I wanted to marry her not long after.”
Byakuya nodded as he spoke and sighed. “Rukia.” It wasn’t as though he’d forgotten about her, but he had done his best to avoid acknowledging the role that she would play in the future of their situation. “What are we to do?”
“Well,” Renji said. “The wedding is off. Obviously.”
Byakuya let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “How should we go about informing her of this decision?”
Renji stepped away and sat on the edge of Byakuya’s desk, earning him an icy glare. “See, I don’t actually think she’ll be all that heartbroken. She’s hopelessly in love with Ichigo, but that won’t work until he dies or gets killed, which with his track record is unlikely. That’s also assuming the berry doesn’t fuck off to Hueco Mundo with his demon cat.”
“Are Kurosaki and Jaegerjaquez romantically involved? I thought he was with the Inoue girl.”
“They were, but that situation got a little… weird after he killed the fourth Espada. I guess Orihime had fallen in love with the creepy fucker while in captivity. Ichigo’s giving her some space, but his flavor of space is apparently weekly brawls with Grimm under Urahara’s shop. According to him, things get a little heated, and not in a battle-y sort of way,” Renji explained. “Regardless, I’m Rukia’s second choice, and she’s mine. She… also knows how I feel about you.”
Byakuya lowered his brows. “She does?”
“Well, yeah. She was my best friend before we were engaged, so I told her everything and asked her for advice when it came to you.”
That relieved the weight on his heart significantly. Despite his annoyance at his lieutenant’s treatment of his desk, he stepped closer and touched his chest gently. “Dare I let myself feel hopeful that this could all work out?”
“It’s gonna work out, taicho. I have no doubts about it.”
“Your resolve is strengthening my own, Renji,” he replied, moving his hand up to touch the red hair that had always mesmerized him. “And when we’re alone, you may call me by my given name.”
Renji’s face pulled into a cheeky grin before pressing a kiss to his lips. “I might continue to call you taicho from time to time, Byakuya,” he said in a low tone. “I find it pretty damn sexy.”
Byakuya rolled his eyes before smiling up at his lieutenant. This certainly played out far better than he’d anticipated, and the future looked brighter already. He knew they would face significant backlash from the clan, but no matter the adversity, they would face it together as a united front as they did with everything.
So maybe his heart was meant to find peace after all.