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Bitten	By : KiraDouji Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 6498 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Title:
Bitten

Rating: MAPP: R, Fiction Ration: M

Pairing/Character/s: Byakuya x Renji

Disclaimer: The author holds no license of nor
makes claims to any of the characters, concepts, or story the above originated
from in any way. The characters are used without permission of the original
creator for the sake of entertainment only. No profit is gained from the
writing found hereafter, nor any personal credit taken for the character
designs, personalities or concepts stemming from the original story used. All
situations below, unless otherwise stated, have no bearing on the creator�s
original work, and are solely the creation of the author based on personal
interpretation of the above mentioned works or are parodies exempted from
copyright laws. It is the responsibility of the reader to observe all warnings
before proceeding to the fiction below, as it may contain any number of situations,
themes, ideas, views, or lifestyles not suitable for those under the age of 18
or which may be contrary or offensive to the beliefs of some. In the event that
the following is the author�s original work, or contains an original character,
the author holds the copy write and should be contacted before either is used
or distributed in any way. All questions and comments concerning the written
work or otherwise can be made directly to the author.

Warning/s: Spoilers
for the Bleach manga from chapter 140 on, the Bleach anime episode 51 and up.

Word Count: 7,804

Summary: Sequel to "When The Moon Reaches Back", in
which the rumor mill spins, Byakuya is visited by an old acquaintance, Renji
learns the pain of friendship and value of alcohol (or is it the other way
around?) and life goes on.

Author�s Note: This story has
been mulling about in my mind since the beginning of my ByakuyaxRenji series. Mainly,
this is just events as I see them playing out. I can�t imagine Byakuya and
Renji getting along perfectly right from the get go, and this is an extension
of that thought process. Renji always came across as a very protective and
generally outward and honest person to me, while Byakuya is more of an inward
person with similar qualities. This portends many a great battle, as we�ve
already seen so far in the manga. Renji would step right into the relationship,
whereas Byakuya would be careful and still rather closed off to him. This means
that while Renji has lowered most emotional defenses, Byakuya has only raised
them, thus conflict and chaos ensue. Thank goodness there�s some voice of
reason in that damn noble�s head ;P.

Bitten

�No sword bites so fiercely as
an evil tongue.�
- Sir Philip Sidney

He hadn�t
thought of the event for days, usually having more pleasant thoughts to fill
his mind, but come to think of it, maybe it hadn�t been such a good idea to go
for the opening. Of course, he hadn�t exactly been betting on a trip to the
Fourth Division for anything worse than a few slashes or bruised bones, so it
only made sense that word got around the division fast. But the one thing that
never crossed his mind was that news of it would ever leave Division Four. This was part of the reason why, after all the
years he�d known Ikkaku, Renji never once thought that a simple offer of drinks
would turn into such an inquisition.

�Well don�t
start dyin� on me �cuz of a simple question!� Ikkaku reprimanded, smacking the
red head on the back to help him choke down the sake lodged somewhere between
his lungs and his stomach. �Can ya� or can�t ya�? Oi! I never knew ya� had such
a damn problem keepin� your alcohol! Che!�

Renji
glared at the Eleventh Division�s third seat and shoved the man�s arm off him
to regain his normal breathing pattern. �Where th� hell�d you hear that?� He
grumbled, and then coughed one last time, the foul liquid finally going where
it was intended.

Ikkaku just
grinned mercilessly at him. �I�ve got my sources.�

�Meaning
you shook down some poor Fourth Division brat until he could babble in full
sentences,� Renji supplied with a grimace, taking a needed swig of sake.

�So what if
I did?� Ikkaku snickered, most likely reminiscing the moment if his face was
any gauge. �An� anyway, ya� still haven�t answered me! Can ya� or can�t ya�?�
He pushed.

For some
reason, Renji felt reluctant to say anything. His auburn eyes lidded partially
and he looked to the side as he groused, unable to find a reason for his mood. It
felt weird. Shouldn�t he be bragging about it? Then again, the only person he�d
really wanted to show was Kuchiki Taichou, and damned if he hadn�t already done
just that. Well, if attacking counted as showing. ��Yeah, I can.�

�Geez,
don�t get too excited now,� Ikkaku muttered, not comprehending Renji�s lack of
enthusiasm for an achievement he by all means should�ve been celebrating. �So
how long?� he pressed, trying to pull Renji�s attention back.

The Sixth
Division vice captain sighed at the memory and turned his gaze back to the other
shinigami. �Since the day of Rukia�s execution.�

Ikkaku�s
eyes widened, �Why didn�t you tell anyone? Shit, Renji! It�s fucking Ban Kai!
That�s captain level-�

�I know
what level it�s supposed to be!� Renji snapped suddenly, overly angry at the
simple comment but not nearly buzzed enough to blame the alcohol. �I fucking lost Ikkaku. Would you go braggin� about
that?!�

There was a
long, tense pause, and then, �� You fought with it?�

�� What the
fuck were you told?� Renji queried darkly, upset he�d let something slip that
he didn�t need to. He and Byakuya hadn�t mentioned the incident to anyone� since Renji had placated a
rather anxious Hanatarou by explaining what had happened.

�Che, calm
down,� Ikkaku returned sharply. �All heard was that ya� got messed up
practicin� it! I didn�t know you�d already fuckin� achieved it.� He grinned again suddenly, �So who�d ya� fight?�

�I swear,
Madarame, you say anything, a fuckin� hint,
and I�ll give you a fuckin� personal
showing,� Renji growled lowly, leaning closer for effect.

�Okay,
okay, lips�re sealed!� Ikkaku grinned eagerly, shoving Renji back to his own
seat. �So tell me already!�

Downing
another swish of alcohol, Renji sat back against the nearby wall and frowned.
He sighed finally and replied, �Kuchiki Taichou. We fought back just before th�
execution was s�posed ta� happen and he beat my ass into the ground. I�m not
proud of it.�

Ikkaku
sniggered at the last comment and sat back as well, glancing up at the ceiling
ponderously. �So ya� must�ve just gotten it when ya� fought, eh? Not trained
well enough?�

Renji
snorted derisively, �Not battle ready,� he answered, smirking in spite of
himself.

�And now?�
Ikkaku looked down and across again, focusing on Renji.

The red
head grinned then, letting a little of his friend�s previous enthusiasm slip
in. �It�s a lot better.�

Ikkaku
started to grin back, �And�?�

�An� what?�
Renji relaxed a bit, sinking against the wall more.

Ikkaku gave
a frustrated growl, �And when�re ya� applyin�?! I got money on this, man!�

Renji
blinked stupidly for all of a second before lurching forward, �You WHAT?!�

Pure
instinct allowed Ikkaku to clamber out of the way fast enough to avoid
collision. �The fuck is wrong with ya�?!�

�What do
you mean you�ve got money on when I apply? How many others know?!� Renji was
positively seething at this point, a reaction so incongruous to what Ikkaku had
expected that the third seat cold only stare in confusion for a good minute
after the outburst.

�I, uh� I
guess� all the vice captains, the first ten chairs of Eleventh, most of Fourth
and at least some captains?� He ventured, finally.

�And they
all think I�m pushing for captain?� Renji continued, slightly calmer.

Ikkaku
nodded.

Renji
sagged and pushed himself back against the wall. �Fuck.�

Ikkaku
blinked. �I think I missed somethin��

�I�m not
trying for captain, Ikkaku.� Renji clarified.

�There�s three seats open, don�t be stupid,
Abarai!�

�I�m being
perfectly reasonable!� Renji raged. �You think a fucking �Ban Kai� means a damn
thing to captains?! So what? They mastered
their Ban Kai: mine�s not even fucking finished yet! Regardless of whether I�ve gotten more
powerful, there�re still a million other things I need to do to fill an empty
seat! Do you have� Do you even know
anything about what that position means aside from fighting?�

�Calm the
fuck down, Abarai!� Ikkaku snapped,
moving back to his previously vacated spot. �I�m not some idiot who thinks
things like Kenpachi Taichou happen all th� time, so sit yer ass down and take
a drink before I shove it down yer throat.�

Slightly
mollified, Renji begrudgingly grabbed another bottle of sake and slumped into
his seat again, downing a long swig immediately.

�Now I
don�t know what�s got ya� all worked up �bout this, and I�m not gonna try an�
guess,� Ikkaku continued, reclining with his own dish of sake which was being
used more for gesturing purposes than drinking at the moment. �But just think a
sec. We�re three captains short and out of those divisions, how many ya� think
could be looked after by their vice-captains?�

�� How�s
Hinamouri doing?� Renji asked quietly.

�Eh, don�t
really know much about �er. I heard some of the lieutenants saying she was
still basically outta commission, though.� Ikkaku mumbled, waving his drink. �She�ll
prob�ly be outta it for a while.�

�And Kira��
Renji sighed and drank more. �I�ve known him since the Academy, but damn he�s
messed up right now.�

�Yer
implyin� he was right in the first place,� Ikkaku pointed out. Renji glared.
�All right, all right, look, my point�s this: Hisagi�s prob�ly the only one
capable of taking over his division, and Yumichika�s pretty sure the guy
doesn�t have a Ban Kai. Considerin� he took the bastard out with his shikai, I
believe him.�

�So yer
point�s that because the vice-captains of Three, Five, and Nine are either
still in shock or probably don�t meet one of the requirements, I should ask to
be considered because I can Ban Kai.� Renji summarized, looking at Ikkaku for
affirmation.

Ikkaku
sighed. �Yer makin� this harder than it needs to be. I honestly don�t see
whatcher so upset about. Ya� lead fine, ya� train fine, and ya� get your
paperwork done quick enough to run off every few days. That�s already better
than Kusajishi-fukutaichou.�

�She�d kick
yer ass if she heard that,� Renji smirked.

�Yeah,
well, she ain�t gonna hear that, is she?� the other shinigami challenged,
glaring back.

Renji
sighed, �I guess not, though it�d really be worth watchin�. Anyway, if I
applied, who�d help Kuchiki Taichou?�

�Che, I dunno,
yer third seat? Why�s it matter?� Ikkaku muttered, leaning forward a bit to
watch his friend. �You used ta� talk about becoming a captain all the time-�

�I said I
was gonna surpass Kuchiki Taichou,� Renji grumbled, �and I still haven�t done
that.�

Ikkaku
cursed under his breath and leaned back again in exasperation. �I give up.�

��bout
time,� Renji muttered. Ikkaku snorted and drained his sake dish. �� Sorry �bout
your money.�

An empty
sake bottle hit the wall next to Renji�s head.

~*~

�This many
meetings already and still no replacements?�

�Give it
time, we�re still recovering-�

�And three
of our divisions are leaderless.�

�There�s
simply no way to appoint anyone as yet without lowering the requirements for
the captain rank. We�ll have to make due with the vice captains until then. I
hear Division Nine is holding together admirably.�

�What about
Abarai-kun?�

Byakuya
looked to his left, arching a surprised eyebrow at the ever flamboyant Kyouraku
Shunsui. �What about Abarai?� he queried back. A few other captains glanced
over when he echoed the question. The reverberations of shifting cloth and
quick feet faded to a murmur in the large hallway leading from the meeting
chamber.

Kyouraku
shrugged loosely, tipping his hat up a bit. �He�s an excellent officer,
wouldn�t you agree, Kuchiki Taichou?�

�And only
two months into his term as my lieutenant,� the noble replied neutrally.

Hitsugaya harrumphed,
�What does that have to do with it? I skipped lieutenant.�

�You
believe Renji should ask to be considered for one of the positions?� Byakuya
continued.

The smaller
captain shrugged. �Why not? He can at least try.�

�True,�
Ukitake murmured from a little farther to the right then smiled at his fellow
captain. �He�s done fine work so far, and he�s the only lieutenant I know of
capable of holding Ban Kai. Unless we have another Toushirou-kun hidden
somewhere, he would be the obvious choice for promotion.�

The other
eyebrow rose at that, Byakuya�s dark gaze moving instantly to Unohana.

�My, word
certainly travels fast,� the woman commented serenely, �especially when one
asks that it not. Don�t you agree, Kuchiki-sama?�

�Mm,� the
nobleman offered wordlessly.

�Ah? You
didn�t know?� Ukitake ventured, attempting to decode the other man�s response.

�I was not
aware that it was public knowledge,� he replied finally.

�When your
secret is known by those who are preyed upon, it is common knowledge.� Soi Fong
offered the proverb curtly and then added, �He may be an excellent officer, but
he will remain an adjunct until he
decides to become something more. We
should be focusing on our own jobs in order to better accommodate our loss
until we return to full strength. Speculation at this point is moot.�

~*~

�� So how
was your day, Taichou?� Renji grimaced a bit at his own tone of voice, but was
willing to put up with it, if only to break the obstinate silence that lingered
between them.

Byakuya set
his cup carefully on the table, letting his critical gaze rest on the other
shinigami for a long moment before replying, �Informative.� Despite Renji�s
casually reclined form, it was easy to tell that the other man was far from
relaxed. He oozed repressed energy and something the elder could only discern
as mounting stress or agitation in the way he kept fidgeting. �And yours?�

�Meh, I had
to run basic training with a hangover,� the other man caviled and pushed
himself into a more proper sitting position.

�That can
be easily remedied by not spending the night drinking until you can�t stand,�
Byakuya offered.

�I could
too stand!� Renji protested for the sake of argument.

Byakuya
merely arched a single eyebrow.

�Bah!
You�re impossible, you know that, Taichou?� It would have had more affect if he
wasn�t grinning. He was gifted with a slight upturn at the edges of the noble�s
lips, which would have been more appreciated if the rest of the man�s demeanor
reflected the emotion. Renji shook his head at the man next to him, smirking at
the incongruencies still very much apart of the other. Even in the safety of his
own apartment, door locked and windows shuttered, the noble was slow to return
Renji�s relaxed air.

Silence
descended once more; Renji unable to come up with further conversation topics
and his captain seemingly preoccupied with a thought he didn�t care to share
just yet. The tension was creeping in again; making the red head wish, not for
the first time, that he could somehow divine the source of such things as his
companion chose to keep to himself and allow fester unsaid between them. With a
sigh, he rose effortlessly to his feet and made for the kitchen and a refill
for their tea when his captain�s smooth baritone suddenly broke the silence.

�Wait.�

Renji
paused, standing next to the man and turned to face him more completely.
�Taichou?�

�Please sit,�
Byakuya continued and looked up at him. Renji plopped down where he was without
thinking, his gaze settled on the other man. �Apparently, there have been some�
rumors as of late concerning your chances of promotion-�

Not again� Renji sighed loudly, �Taichou, I-�

�Let me
finish,� Byakuya interrupted, waiting just long enough for the other man to
close his mouth before continuing. �I don�t know what decision you may or may
not have come to, however I would hope you would� inform me of it before taking
any actions regarding it.�

�What makes
you think I�m even considering it?� Renji replied, a little miffed at the
direction the conversation had immediately taken.

�Why
shouldn�t you? If you consider the competition, it�s not an impossible
enterprise,� Byakuya countered in a carefully calculated tone.

�If I��
Previously neutral auburn eyes narrowed suddenly as Renji snapped back to his
feet and stalked to the other side of his living room, jaw clamped tightly as a
sluice gate before a flood. When he reached the other end he paused, closing
his eyes and took a deep breath; visibly trying to calm himself.

�Renji-�

�Stop. Just
stop.� It was all Renji could do to keep malice from the sharp command.
Spinning on his heel, he stalked back to the other side of the room, snatched
Zabimaru from the floor and headed for the door. �Don�t wait up,� he managed
civilly and forced himself to leave before he could say something he�d regret
later.

~*~

The gash
was horribly jagged even though the blade held a clean edge. Renji panted
slightly, staring at the rent Zabimaru was still embedded in. Then wrenched the
sword free of the half destroyed tree trunk and with an angry growl sliced at
the other side. The pattern continued on, interspersed only with harsh thoughts
and intelligible growls. Of course
something had to happen! Renji would have sworn that someone �up there� enjoyed
screwing with him if he wasn�t technically already �up there� and fairly
certain that it was somehow his own damn fault. Like everything else. He hacked
at the tree with renewed vigor, shaking so hard that a particularly hard swing
managed to lodge his zanpakutou far enough into the wood for him to lose his
grip and stumble for balance before giving up and landing roughly on the
ground.

�Damnit,
damnit, damnit!!� He slammed his fist sideways against the tree, and suddenly
slumped loosely against it like a rubber band stretched so thin that it finally
snapped.

�Damn
what?� A familiar feminine voice demanded from behind him.

Renji
sighed and banged his head against the tree, eyes closed and not turning
around. �What the hell, Rukia? Any
normal person would understand th� concept of leavin� a guy alone when he�s
beatin� a tree!�

�Hn, you�re
just upset it was me instead of Ni-sama,� Rukia huffed, crossing her arms even
though Renji wasn�t watching.

�Rukia-�

�Oh no �
it�s fine! I understand! Lover boy can�t be bothered to visit or even say �hi�
to his old friend~ It�s okay, I�m sure you have much better things to do.
Ni-sama must keep you busy, after all � ah, or is it Byakuya now?� She grinned
mercilessly down at him.

�I�m not in
the fucking mood, Rukia-� Renji
growled before he was interrupted again.

�Oh? Renji,
you�re brooding,� she snickered and
nudged him with her right foot, enjoying the frustration rolling off her old
friend in waves. �What�s wrong? Couldn�t pull Ni-sama away from paperwork?�

�Damnit,
Rukia, would you lay off?!� Renji snapped, finally moving to glare over his
shoulder. �If I�d known you�d be easy enough about me an� yer brother to
fucking badger me this much I never
woulda� let ya� find out!�

Rukia
paused, and then frowned down at the other shinigami hunched quite miserably on
the ground in front of her. �What makes you think I wouldn�t be?�

Renji
grumbled under his breath and finally stood up, running a hand over the top of
his hair as he turned around to face his rather diminutive friend. �Why are
ya�?� he countered, �I didn�t expect ta� tell ya� �cuz I thought it�d be a little�
awkward.�

�Yeah,
well, the most �awkward� part was how I found out, so that was pretty much
covered,� Rukia muttered, fighting down a blush by glaring up at Renji instead.
�But it actually makes things easier for me now,� she continued on valiantly,
glare eventually softening when she wasn�t trying so hard not to blush.

Renji
sighed and nodded lightly, understanding most of what she wasn�t saying. It
seemed like another Kuchiki trait she�d adopted over the years: it felt like no
one in that house ever said entirely what they wanted to get across. It didn�t
really help make his day any better, though. It was hard to believe how good
he�d felt just a few days ago considering how complicated things were now.

�So what are you doing out here, anyway?� Rukia
prodded, dragging him out of his unpleasant thoughts. �Ni-sama told the staff
not to make him dinner tonight: I assumed he was going to be with you.�

�He was,�
the red head grumbled, wondering how the hell Rukia managed to pin point the
exact problem without even knowing what it was in the first place.

Oh boy. �Two days? Two
days?! That has to be a record!�
she exclaimed, somewhere between disbelief and cajoling.

Auburn eyes
looked to the sky as if searching for some blessed help for once. The sky stayed
unhelpfully unchanging. Renji muttered under his breath and dropped his gaze.
�It ain�t my fault,� he defended immediately, �he�s the one who fucking pissed me
off.�

�What the
hell�d you argue about? Paperwork?�
Rukia asked, mystified. She couldn�t think of a thing that would have ended up
with Renji this upset and not at fault as well.

Renji
stared. �You didn�t hear?�

�Hear
what?�

If she
really was the only person who didn�t know, he was going to hunt down Irony and
punch her. Hard. �� bout my Ban Kai?�

Rukia
looked more than a little confused, obviously not connecting the two trains of
thought to the same conversation. �Of course I heard about that.
Ukitake-taichou asked me about it during lunch. What-�

Renji cut
her off. �Wait � what did he ask you about?�

�He wanted
to see if I knew anything about when you achieved it and if you were planning
to� do� anything�� she trailed off, a possible connection suddenly occurring to
her. �You�re not applying are you?� she demanded incredulously, looking
intently up at him.

Renji threw
his arms up in exasperation. �Why does everyone think that I should?!�

�Uh�
because it makes sense?� Rukia ventured. When she received no immediate
response she added, �And if you�re not, how does this have anything to do with
you and Ni-sama getting into a fight?�

�We didn�t fight,� Renji ground out.

�Then why
are you out here brooding like you were?!� she shot back in annoyance.

�I�m not brooding!� he insisted.

�So the
tree just pissed you off?�

�Rukia-�

�Or is this
some sort of weird �Ban Kai� training that I should inform the rumor mongers of
so they�ll have something else to tag on to �Did you hear Abarai-��

�I�m not
fucking good enough!� Renji bellowed suddenly, stopping Rukia mid-sentence.
�I�m not fucking good enough and he knows it! He�s known it ever since he
fucking beat me the first time and he sure as hell knows that I�m still not good enough! He knows and he still told me to apply, because maybe
they�re just fucking desperate enough
to take me anyway!�

Rukia�s
eyes widened at the outburst, �Renji-�

�He�s not stupid, Rukia! He knew exactly what he
was saying! �You�re not good, but you�re good enough.�� Renji�s voice cracked and he spun around, violently
slamming his fist into the tree Zabimaru was still embedded in, needing to
expend some energy before he burst.

It took her
another moment of deafening silence to recover from the sudden verbal
explosion. She shook her head lightly, trying to make sense of everything she�d
been told and slowly began putting the pieces together. �Renji,� she began,
putting a hand on his left arm, �that can�t be right. It doesn�t make any
sense-�

He laughed
harshly, �Don�t fool yourself, Rukia, there aren�t many different ways you can
take, �if you consider the competition�!� His imitation of his superior officer
managed to make the mocking quote sound haughty while maintaining his simmering
rage.

�But why
would he want you to leave?� she
pressed, grabbing his arm tightly enough to tug him around to face her. �That�s what doesn�t make sense. He
couldn�t honestly mean that, Renji, think for second! Anyone who knows you, knows something like that would piss you
off.�

Renji
frowned down at her. �That makes even less
sense. Why would he purposely tick me off?�

She punched
him. Honestly, was he really that
senseless? �Oi! Are you even listening here?!�

�-the
hell?! You fucking punched me! I�m standing here freakin� confiding in ya� and you punch
me?! What the hell, Rukia!� Renji
snapped, rubbing the left side of his face.

�Well if I
can�t talk sense into you, I�ll beat it in!� She flared. �Now shut up and
listen! Are you applying to be a captain?�

�I already
told ya� I�m not!� he barked indignantly.

�And the
best way of ensuring you don�t consider it would be implying you wouldn�t get
the position based on your ability!�

Renji
paused. In a strange, twisted way, it made horrible, horrible sense. �� He told
me to apply to make sure I didn�t?� he canvassed confusedly.

Rukia
nodded.

�That� is
fucking devious.�

Rukia
sighed and massaged her temples. �It�s who Ni-sama is, Renji. Can you really
imagine him just asking you to stay?�

Renji
exhaled slowly, and then shook his head slightly. �I shoulda� figured that
out.�

�No
kidding,� Rukia muttered.

The red
head ignored the commentary for the moment, choosing instead to lean back
against the tree he had previously brutalized and cross his arms thoughtfully. ��
Leaving Sixth Division just means we�d see each other a little less,� he stated
finally. �That can�t be the only reason he�s against me applyin�.�

�Of course
not.� Rukia crossed her arms again and rolled her eyes at the denseness of her
companion. �You really need to get better at this, you know, I�m not playing
therapist for you all the time.�

�If you�re
not going to be helpful, leave.� An eyebrow twitched.

�Do you
have any idea how old he is?� Rukia posed.

�� No.�

�How about
how long he�s been in the Gotei 13?�

�Can�t say
I�ve asked.�

�How long
he was a vice-captain?�

�Nope.�

�What about
the Kuchiki clan?�

Renji
shrugged, �What about them?�

�Do you
know how many of them ever made captain?� Rukia prodded.

�� I know
he�s the strongest leader the clan�s had,� Renji half answered.

Rukia
sighed. This was going to take a while. �If it took you years beyond years to
obtain something and someone else managed to do the same thing in a fraction of
the time, wouldn�t that make you feel a little inadequate?�

�� I think
you�ve got that a little backwards, Rukia,� Renji muttered.

�Oi, do I
have to punch you again?� she growled
threateningly. He glared. �Just think about it. Even if he could blame the
promotion on lack of competition, he still knows as well as anyone else it�d
only make you that much more determined to surpass him that much earlier.� She
paused to let that sink in.

Renji
straightened and turned around to yank Zabimaru out of the tree. �Even if
that�s true, I don�t see why I always have to be the one to settle,� he growled
lowly and turned back around. �Why am I the one that has ta� figure everything
out, eh? Why�s it up to me to do anything about it? What the hell happened ta�
meeting someone half way?� He demanded.

Rukia
blinked, not having expected that response.

�So what if
he�s upset about it? I�m fuckin� pissed over the whole damn thing and it never
would have been an issue if he had just listened to me from the beginning!�
Renji continued bitterly. �So thanks for th� pep talk an� all, but I think I�d
rather drink to my fucked relationship� �least sake doesn�t punch me in the
face.�

~*~

�� It�s blue.� Renji eyed the drink doubtfully,
seriously reconsidering his decision to leech his friend�s alcohol supply.

�Of course
it�s blue: I couldn�t just give you any bland
drink, what kind of friend would I be?� Yumichika huffed over the counter as he
went to mix more of the liquid.

�A sane one?�
Renji muttered, dubiously picking up and examining the tall, thin glass filled
just below the brim with cobalt blue liquid, and topped with a perky little
pink umbrella.

Yumichika
sighed dramatically and poured a second glass. �Just drink it� you might
actually like it.�

Alcohol was
alcohol� right? The red head slipped the umbrella out of his drink and placed
it on the counter before knocking back the tall glass in one long draught. The
fifth seat muttered something about how coarsely he was treating such a
beautiful drink, but Renji was too busy attempting to discern the decidedly fruity taste that over powered the burn
of alcohol in his mouth. He swallowed and tossed a rather confused look across
the counter. �What th� hell was that shit?�

�You didn�t
like it?� Yumichika fairly pouted.

Renji
grumbled. �Alcohol ain�t s�posed ta� taste like fruit!�

�Perhaps it
was too delicate for your palate,� the other man pondered out loud, glancing at
the other bottles of assorted alcohol and whatever turned alcohol blue in front
of him.

�Less blue
shit, more alcohol,� Renji grunted.

�Fine,
fine, you needn�t be so rough about it.� More clear liquid was added to the mix
which was then shaken and poured into the same glass.

Now it was
light blue. Renji tossed it back, wincing when the hard alcohol hit the back of
his throat, and swallowed with a grin. �That�s more like it.�

�If you
keep going at that rate, you�ll be useless in an hour,� Yumichika sighed as he
made another drink for his friend.

�That�s the
plan,� Renji answered brashly, but without any real enthusiasm. He leaned
forward on the counter, swinging his empty glass around slightly as he watched
the preparation of another drink.

�� Are you
going to tell me why?� Yumichika asked softly, carefully keeping an eye on the
vice-captain lounging unhappily on his counter.

�Bad day,�
Renji groused.

�So you
mentioned,� Yumichika continued, pouring Renji another glass worth of the light
blue mixed drink. The red head hadn�t needed to mention it, of course, since
the look on his face alone had been enough to make the fifth seat come between
him and drinking himself into a coma in some run down Rukongai pub, which was
simply too repugnant an action to allow. But, Yumichika had yet to get the
reason for said bad day out of the stubborn man. �How bad?� he tried.

Renji drank
a little slower this time, obviously undecided as he watched his
friend-turned-bartender. �Really bad.�

It couldn�t
be more obvious that he needed to talk to someone, nor more obvious that he
didn�t think he could. Yumichika shook his head lightly and continued the
interrogation and mixed drinks, knowing the combination would eventually make
his friend spill his heart out. �Worse than losing?�

�Worse than
achieving ban kai, immediately losing your next fight even with it, nearly
dying twice, nearly having half yer
friends die, nearly losing your only family, almost watching the end of
Seireitei, and failing to prevent any of it.� It might have been an exaggeration,
but he was beyond making an accurate analysis, and he felt like making a point.

Yumichika
winced slightly and tipped off Renji�s glass. Okay, so maybe it was worse than
he�d initially thought. What was it that Renji wanted so badly to forget that
he was willing to drink himself into coma and shirk his duties for the next few
days by not showing up at work because of it? For as long as he�d known the
vice captain, Yumichika could never remember a time when the man had seriously
considered ditching his responsibilities. Now, on top of that, Renji was
equating today, which the fifth seat was fairly certain had not heralded any
near disasters, to the day he knew Renji
considered to be the worst day he�d ever lived through? Surely this couldn�t
all be blamed on those rumors about Renji�s intent for promotion. Ikkaku had
said the red head was unnecessarily angry about them, but even that couldn�t
explain the frustration and pain weighing down the shoulders of the man across
from him.

�You sound
like a man who just learned his love was unrequited,� Yumichika commented
wistfully.

Renji
stared at him for a moment and then downed the rest of his drink and looked
away.

Yumichika
arched a gracefully feathered eyebrow. Had his commentary drawn closer to the
source than his previous ponderings? �You�re seeing someone?� he asked calmly,
despite being desperately curious. Renji in a real relationship: this he had to
see.

�Sort of,�
came the gruff reply. The tall glass was shoved towards him, even though Renji
still wasn�t looking at him.

He refilled
it. �Sort of? How can you be sort of seeing someone?�

�It�s
complicated, I�� The red head sighed and finally turned back to him, seemingly
sedated by the topic of conversation. �Look, just forget I said anything: it
probably won�t even matter by tomorrow anyway.�

Yumichika
furrowed his brow in confusion and thought, frowning lightly. �Why do you say
that, Renji?�

�It�s all
fucked up.� He downed the rest of his drink fast and passed the glass back to
his host, leaning on the counter more as the alcohol finally starting to kick
in. �I don�t know. I finally found somethin� � and I probably just screwed it
all up. He�s the one who pissed me off, but somehow, it�s gotta be my
fault. �Cuz the world would fuckin� end if it wasn�t my fucking fault.�

Yumichika
filled the glass again, silently watching his friend nurse the drink. That
Renji was involved with another man didn�t phase him much, he�d known the vice
captain long enough to know his preferences. It was one of the charming things
about Renji: he understood that beauty could come in many forms. No, what
really surprised him was the emotion the red head had so obviously invested in
the relationship already. It had to have been nearly brand new. Renji, while
being stubborn enough not to reveal with whom he may have been involved with,
was absolutely horrible about keeping the fact that he was in relationship a secret. At least, that was the case between
the two of them. His other friends might be dense enough not to notice, but
Yumichika could read him easily.

�Ne,
Yumichika��

The fifth
seat blinked lightly and turned his full attention back to his friend. �Mmm?�

�Do ya�
think I�m good enough ta� be a captain?� Renji asked quietly, obviously deep in
thought.

�� Why do
you ask?� Yumichika questioned instead of answering.

�Everyone
keeps sayin� it makes sense, or that I should be promoted, or whatever because
some fucking fourth division whelps couldn�t keep their mouths shut,� Renji
muttered. �And I just- I mean, being able to Ban Kai doesn�t mean I should be a captain. I know that! So
why�d they have ta� bring it up? Why�d they� why�d Kuchiki Taichou even have to
mention it? He could�ve let it be. He knew, Yumi, he fuckin� knew it wasn�t good enough � I�m not
good enough and he still brought it
up! He still had to fuckin� say it.�

Yumichika
tried to catch up with the rapid change of topics. �You�re upset because
Kuchiki Taichou told you not to apply?� he hazarded.

Renji shook
his head furiously, �He said I should,� his demeanor soured more as he straightened
in his chair. ��cuz I�d have little to no real competition and there�re three
fucking seats, so it�s a good fucking chance.�

The more
some things were explained, the less sense they made. Yumichika frowned again
stopped mixing another drink, voicing his thoughts almost immediately. �I
thought the two of you� had come to terms?� It was his understanding that the
captain and vice captain of the sixth division were finally getting along. So
then, why would the noble say something like that to Renji?

�Oh yeah,
we�re getting along famously,� Renji
replied, folding in on himself again, leaning on the counter for support. �So
well, in fact, he felt like fuckin� messin� with me just ta� keep me around.
Damnit!� The loud thud of a fist meeting the wooden counter top accented he
swear. �Why do I have ta� fuckin� decode
him? Yer jus� not supposed ta� pull this kind of shit!�

Yumichika
watched with wide eyes as Renji seemed to crumble in front of him, bending over
the countertop and sagging on to it. He didn�t need anything more to put the
pieces together, but the end result was still startling to say the least.
Calmly, he placed his hand on the forearm Renji wasn�t resting his head on and
asked only, �What did you do after he said that?�

�Nothing,�
Renji mumbled into the counter top. �I left before I said somethin� � I � �

�You didn�t
want to get into a fight,� Yumichika surmised. Renji looked up then, a little
surprised. �But it will only get uglier the longer you stay away from
confrontation, Renji.� The red head grunted slightly, acknowledging but not
wanting to at the same time. Yumichika shook his head lightly. �What happened
to your spirit? It�s not like you to run from a fight.�

�I�m not running-�

�Yes you
are,� Yumichika cut in sharply, catching the auburn gazed and holding it. �And
the longer you do, the worse things will become. You have the right and
hopefully you haven�t lost your will to demand better. If you think you�ve been
wronged, be upset, Renji! But most of
all do something about it! Being
afraid of breaking what you already have is only going to cause more stress.�
Renji turned away then, tensing up again. Yumichika held tighter to his
friend�s arm and made him turn around again. �You haven�t finished your drink.�

Renji
paused for a moment, watching Yumichika as if waiting for something else to be
said. When nothing came, he relaxed in his chair and nodded lightly, taking the
glass again.

~*~

A slight
breeze dried the thin layer of ink, and placed a single sakura petal on the
paper. Byakuya slowly arched an eyebrow and set his brush aside carefully.
There were no open windows or doors, nor was his desk anywhere near his private
garden, but he didn�t need that knowledge to identify the gentle waves of
spiritual energy that wafted about the room, carrying the faint scent of
blooming sakura with it. He gently plucked the petal from the paper in front of
him and observed it instead of turning around. �It has been a long time since
you�ve manifested.�

�It has
been a long time since I could breathe enough to,� a gentle voice answered its
inflections and tone neither distinctly masculine nor markedly feminine.

The noble
considered the small, velvety gift in his hand, noting the way the petal curved
and the subtle changes in color and texture towards where it had been detached
from its flower. �You can now?� he asked quietly.

�I
preferred the rain to the ice,� it replied, waves of energy rippling gently
forward as it drew near. �But I preferred the fire to both.�

Byakuya let
himself be buffeted by the familiar power, and closed his eyes to feel the new
warmth in the ancient strength. �Fire can be more dangerous than both.�

�More
dangerous than anything,� it agreed amiably. A pair of faintly glowing arms
encircled his shoulders, its ethereal touch tugging gently against his pristine
white haori. The combined sensations of enduringly powerful spiritual energy
wrapping around him and a body resting against his own acted as gentle sedatives
to his tense form. �We burn to feel the power of life. Let me be consumed in
fire, that I may know the warmth of happiness again.�

�Your
riddles should remain that,� Byakuya only answered, his voice barely traveling the
distance between them.

�I never
spoke riddles; you merely grew to understand true meaning,� the voice spoke,
barely a whisper against his ear.

�Then I am
faulted again,� the noble replied steadily. �Is that what you wished to show
me?�

A gentle
chuckle floated past him. �Water still parts before you, lest it hinder your
path. Turn such determination inwards again. Grant me the heat of your soul as
I grant you the edge of mine. I ask no more than that.�

Dark eyes
opened part way, watching the shadows bend across the wall in front of him. �You
do not make requests,� the shinigami observed quietly.

�I did not make requests,� the being
corrected gently. �Yet have I spoken since you mastered me?�

�You said
you could not breathe, would that not also imply a lack of speech?� Byakuya
countered.

�I was
drowning when you won me, yet still I spoke.� The arms tightened their embrace
as if in warning. �I have been frozen since; you expect me to ignore the first
fire to light my world since then?�

�Rekindle
it, then?� he queried softly.

�If it were
already extinguished, I could not be here to commune with you,� the voice
answered. �Do not let it fade away.�

~*~

The main
room of Renji�s apartment was the cleanest it had ever been. Everything that
had a place was in it; everything that didn�t was in some other room. He�d even
managed to find a spot for the plant Yumichika had insisted on giving him to
�enliven the understated beauty of plain walls and tatami mats�. Whatever that
meant. In fact, the only thing seemingly out of place were the stacks of paper
piled around his all-purpose table which the red head was using as a substitute
to the desk he daily excavated from layers of a never ending stream of
paperwork. The sheer amount that had accumulated over the last two days alone
would have been baffling if Renji didn�t already know that it was due to the
slack a sudden lack of three captains and two vice captains caused. It was
because of all this work and continued relapses into thoughts he�d rather be
rid of that he didn�t notice the familiar reiatsu until it quite literally
walked through his front door.

Renji�s
head jerked up at the sound of his door opening, already partially standing
when he registered who it was that was calmly closing the door behind them. ��
Kuchiki Taichou�� he trailed off, letting the suddenness of the moment fade a
bit before he continued, �Oi! You could at least knock!�

Byakuya
turned around again only after ensuring that the door was once again locked and
said only, �If I had knocked, you could have avoided letting me in.�

�� Th�
freakin� point of closin� a door is ta�
keep people � that door was locked!� Renji stuttered, half irrationally angry
and half simply shocked.

�Not very
well.�

�That ain�t
the point!� Renji exploded, still far too upset from both the previous day�s
events and that morning�s resultant hang over to try to seem calm in the least.
�If I don�t want to talk ta� ya�, it�s my choice to slam the damn door in yer
face!�

�Is that
why you avoided work today?� The noble questioned calmly, his gaze never
straying from the other man.

�I wasn�
avoiding work,� Renji growled lowly
and gestured to the low table in front of him, �I was avoidin� you.�

�And if I
allowed you to continue to do so, what good do you expect to come of it,
Renji?� Byakuya asked, still calm, but letting his voice drop the demanding
tone it usually carried.

�Then maybe
I�d be able ta� think of something ta� tell ya� rather than bein� pissed about
some else you did like walkin� in
here like ya� own th� place when you know damn well that I�m still pissed at
you!� Renji rounded the table, closing the distance between them suddenly and
grabbed his captain by the haori, momentarily gratified by the slight widening
of the man�s eyes at the action. �It ain�t right,� he continued, lowering his
voice. �Don�t tell me I�m �worth it� if I ain�t worth your respect. Don�t
fuckin� think you can play with me like that and don�t you dare think that I�m gonna just leave. I said that I wasn�t gonna to apply: I ain�t gonna lie to ya� and I
don�t play games. I respect ya� too much for that. At least give me the same in
return.�

For a long
moment, no response came. Byakuya�s expression shifted slightly from mildly
surprised, past his previously aloof mask, to something more natural which held
more than merely one emotion. ��You�re right.�

Renji
blinked and loosened his grip a bit, not sure he�d heard right.

Byakuya�s
lips twitched up at the corners, watching Renji�s reaction. He meanwhile
brought his hand up to Renji�s wrist, intent on dislodging his lieutenant�s
hold on him. �That is why I did not want to give you the chance to shut me out.
I should not have said what I did: I came to rectify that.�

�You��
Completely ignoring his captain�s subtle attempts to remove his hand, Renji
tightened his grip again and grinned. �You�re damn right.� With another sharp,
unexpected tug, he was gifted with a last brief look of surprise skittering
across the noble�s features before he claimed the man�s lips in a deep and
demanding kiss.

Unexpectedly,
Byakuya returned the kiss almost immediately despite his initial surprise.
Renji smirked and broke the kiss early, unwilling to let the moment pass
without teasing his captain at least a little. �Miss me that much, Taichou?�

�� If I
said �yes��?� The noble answered, epicurean in a moment.

Renji
returned the look, hooking his hand around the knot on the front of Byakuya�s
sash and using the leverage to pull the other man close. �We wouldn�t make it
to th� bed.�

�I
shouldn�t answer, then.�

~*~

He hadn�t
really had a chance to notice before, but there was something infinitely
gratifying about the way his captain�s spirit energy would simmer at a low
thrum for a long while after they�d lain together. It was like an unconscious
purr, brushing against him occasionally as it rumbled on contently. Renji
smirked at the thought, trailing his fingers lightly down his companion�s neck
absently.

�You�re
grinning,� Byakuya pointed out, speaking for the first time since they�d made
it to the bed.

�Mm� just
thinkin�,� Renji murmured, shifting his gaze to meet the other man�s easily. He
adjusted his position a bit, supporting his head with his right hand and let
his gaze slide appreciatively over the rest of the noble�s body as well.

�What
about?�

�You.�

�You find
me amusing?� Byakuya queried softly, his voice pointedly lacking any
accusations.

Renji
smirked at him and dipped his head to gently kiss the man�s neck. �I like your
reiatsu right now.�

The noble
contemplated that as he tilted his head to the side a bit, allowing Renji
better access. �What about it?� he finally asked in return.

��s like
you�re purrin�� The red head sighed in response, trailing his lips up to nip
gently at a soft earlobe.

The reiatsu
shifted momentarily, but then continued on as it had been, the only
acknowledgement Byakuya gave to the statement.

Renji
sighed and pulled back enough to look at his companion. �What�re you thinkin�
about, Taichou?�

An elegant
black eyebrow arched at the blunt question. It was amazing how easily his
lieutenant had picked up on his moods. On some level, even a bit disturbing to
the normally solitary man. After a moment�s consideration, however, he found he
didn�t mind nearly as much as he thought he should. �Senbonzakura was
whispering.�

Renji gave
him an odd, almost confused look. �Your sword?�

�Yes.�
Byakuya�s lips twitched into an almost smirk.

� � Yer
sword talks to you during sex?�

�After,�
the noble corrected, growing more amused at the way Renji�s expression went
from confused to something close to paranoia.

�� An�
that� doesn�t bother you?�

�No.�

Renji
muttered something under his breath and tried to relax against his pillow
again. �If Zabimaru ever did that � che, too freakin� weird.�

�Why is
that?� Byakuya turned to face his companion, a hand gently tracing the dark
outlines of tattoos.

Renji smirked
at the small gesture, and replied, �Maybe it�s different for ya�, but I don�t
think I could have a serious after sex conversation with a baboon if I tried.�

Byakuya
smirked faintly. �Senbonzakura is� an interesting conversationalist. If it
weren�t for their words I might not have pursued you today.�

�Your sword
beat some sense into ya�?� Renji grinned, far beyond amused at this point.

�I don�t
recall Senbonzakura ever �beating� me,� Byakuya drawled, �but it was quite
insistent that I not sit passively this time.�

�I�m glad
you didn�t,� Renji stated softly, leaning forward to catch Byakuya�s lips in a
firm but gentle kiss. The noble returned it easily, his hand stilling against
the designs covering Renji�s chest.

�As am I,�
Byakuya breathed as they parted.

***
Omake

The
original line was:

� Renji smirked at the small gesture,
and replied, �I only know what Senbonzakura feels like, so maybe it�s different
for ya��

What my
beta did with this sentence:

� Renji smirked at the small gesture,
and replied, �I only know what Senbonzakura feels like when its implanted into
me, so maybe it�s different for ya��

Which leads to this fun little scene:

Renji: Ack not there!

Byakuya: Oh? ::jabs::

Renji: Don�t impale me~

< �Impaled� >

Renji: @_@ � Look what you�ve done!

Byakuya: You didn�t seem that upset last time.

This is why
editing is a good thing.

***
Reviews

lovegeta:
I�m glad you enjoyed the story! It�s hard to find full blown lemons with these
two, unfortunately. I chalk it up to how fun they are outside of the bedroom
too J

nickel: Yay! I�m loved! I hope this piece lived up to your
expectations!

Kinmik:
Oh! I hope I didn�t make you cry! ByakuyaxHisana is
so sad to write. L
Hopefully this cheers you up ^_^

Shadowweaver: Yeah, it really is hard to picture Byakuya as anything like �normal�,
but we know that deep down he�s really a good guy, if a bit jaded. I always
have a hard time writing him in character for this series because a lot of the
situations he�s put in inspire reactions that we haven�t seen him have yet.
Most of it is drawn from how he seemed to have acted with Hisana and what we
know of his motivations. Anyway, I tried to show more of his inner thoughts
with this story, and the next half will probably focus a lot more heavily on
him, as I�ve noticed I tend to write from Renji�s point of view and would
rather get inside Byakuya for a bit. I�m glad you noticed all the little things
I added to my previous stories J it does an author good to know people pick up on
them. I tried to continue with that here.

theMICEmen:
Rukia is my little plot device. ^_^ I hope she�s well done in this story too,
as well as the additional characters I added to the cast.

Viciouscallisto: Thank you for your review! I like to think that this story continued
on with the good characterizations.

Tina: None
in Russian? With this fanbase? :O Well I�m glad to
help with all your ByaxRen needs!

Ayachan:
Thanks! That line is actually what inspired the whole story, and it just came
to me one night reading through some good ByaxRen in
the LJ community.

Heather:
Praise! I always try to make my sex scenes a) realistic and b) non-porno, I�m
very glad to hear that my work in that area is appreciated! If you think you
like Byakuya�s character now, go catch up on the manga ;). Just about
everything I�ve done with his character is based on something he�s said in the
manga, relating to either Rukia or Hisana for the most part. He�s all thorns
and ice on the outside, but that�s just what happens when someone feels like
they need to protect themselves from the world, which is more or less how
Byakuya ended up at the end of his marriage. It�s hard to get past the
barriers, but I can easily see Renji beating his way in and making himself at
home ;)

Kittyblue:
*blush* Wow, that�s a really nice review, that�s so much. I hope this story
lived up to your expectations.
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