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Pride	By : honeyMellon Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male > Renji/Shuuhei Views: 888 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: No underaged beings, humans or otherwise, are involved in this work of fiction. Bleach and all its characters belong to Kubo Tite, I just "expand" them for fun. I do not make any profit from these work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
The boys are back! So I couldn't resist posting this chapter up as well, since I have it ready.

Chapter 4

It was now a whole week since Kuchiki-taicho fell sick. Renji heard that Unohana-taicho had made a quick visit to the Kuchiki manor last night. He felt a pang of worry for his captain, but he refrained himself from making another trip to see Kuchiki-taicho. Embarrassing himself like that in front of the Kuchiki heir once was enough to make him want to stay away from the manor forever. He settled for consoling himself that if anyone could heal the captain, it would be Unohana-taicho.
"Oi!" Shuuhei's voice snapped him out of his wandering thoughts. He looked at Shuuhei and noticed the concern in his lover's eyes.
"Sorry, I was just thinking..." Renji said with an apologetic grin, scratching the back of his head. They were lying next to each other on Renji's bed, fingers laced behind their heads.
"About your Taicho, I can tell." Shuuhei said, looking at Renji with a raised eyebrow. "I think you should visit him again. It's common courtesy."
Renji groaned. "I told you how that first visit went. I really don't need to go through that again."
"I'll go with you, how about that?" Shuuhei offered.

The two men paced in front of Byakuya's room, waiting for the servant who had gone in to inform the ill captain that he had guests. It was evening, and the wind was starting to become a little chilly.
"His garden is beautiful," Shuuhei commented softly, tugging at Renji's sleeves.
"No, you're beautiful," Renji teased with a grin, followed by an "oof!" when Shuuhei punched him in the chest.
Renji was going to give Shuuhei a slap in the rear when the door suddenly opened and the servant stepped out. His hand that was already halfway there froze for a moment before he pretended to adjust his robes. The man nodded at the two vice captains and stepped aside to make way for them. Shuuhei snickered at Renji as they entered the room, and Renji hissed back in mock annoyance.
Then they saw Byakuya and stopped in their tracks.
The 6th squad captain's face was gaunt and covered in a sheen of sweat. Dark shadows under his eyes indicated that the man hadn't had any rest despite being confined to the bed for a week. His black hair was stringy and stuck to his cheeks and forehead, but he was apparently too sick to care enough to brush them away.
"Taicho!" Renji gasped in alarm. Was this really his captain? The man in front of him looked nothing like his strong and proud captain. This man looked so...frail. But the most alarming thing were the man's eyes. Those usually calm grey eyes were red, glazed over from tiredness and... Renji frowned. There was something different in those eyes. No, it wasn't just tiredness, he decided. It was...something he couldn't quite identify. If he must describe it, he would say...perhaps a glint of madness.
"What is it?" Byakuya asked in a raspy voice. He was too tired to speak in his usual formal way. He really didn't want any visitors but he didn't want to have to turn away two vice captains, that would have been too impolite for a noble like him. He figured they'd have the tact to keep the visit short anyway. His eyelids were heavy but he still managed to catch the brief exchange between Shuuhei and Renji at the entrance. An odd flash of anger flared in his mind again. What is wrong with me? He thought in confusion, but he was too groggy to think any further.
Shuuhei stepped to his side and said gently, "We just wanted to see how you were, Kuchiki-taicho." His voice was kind, but Byakuya flinched. What's this? Why is he speaking to me in such a patronizing tone?
"Do you like what you see, then, Hisagi-fukutaicho?" Byakuya asked. As the words left his lips, he was shocked at the spite in his voice, but as usual he forced his face to remain neutral.
Shuuhei was taken aback. Sure, Kuchiki-taicho was not the most sociable of men, but he was a courteous one, albeit a little aloof. This was certainly unusual.
"Taicho!" Renji protested and stepped in front of Shuuhei. He instinctively shielded Shuuhei's body with his own, as if to protect him from a predator. And obviously right now he regarded Byakuya as one.
Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Protecting your woman, Abarai?" Despite himself, he found himself spitting out those words. He was stunned, unable to comprehend what just happened. Why would he say something like that?
Renji's face immediately darkened, and his scarlet eyes narrowed. "I will assume that you're delirious from your illness, Taicho," Renji said between clenched teeth, struggling to keep his temper controlled even though he felt like socking his captain in the jaw.
"Che." Not trusting himself to speak anymore, Byakuya simply scoffed and looked away. Then he was suddenly seized in a fit of coughs. By the time he was able to breathe normally again, his face was flushed and sweat trickled down along his hairline.
Shuuhei's features softened. "Please take care of yourself, Kuchiki-taicho," he said, maintaining his politeness even though he still felt the sting of the man's insult.
Byakuya closed his eyes and remained silent, his face still turned away from the two men. Taking this as the cue of dismissal, the two vice captains turned and left the room; Shuuhei feeling slightly offended and confused, Renji barely containing his anger.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Renji pounded his fist onto the table, his face red from anger. "I told you that we shouldn't have gone to see him! The guy has gone fucking mental!" A low growl escaped his throat.
"Calm down, Renji." Shuuhei placed his palm over Renji's fist, his voice low and soothing. They were sitting in Renji's quarters, having just come back from the Kuchiki estate. "The man's really sick. I'm sure he doesn't mean it."
Renji rolled his eyes. "You have to stop being so nice, Shuuhei. I know you always place others before yourself, and I know you always think the best of people, but this isKuchiki Byakuya we're talking about. The man doesn't just simply say stuff, you know?"
Shuuhei frowned. "Exactly. Something doesn't seem right here..." he said thoughtfully.

Back at the Kuchiki mansion, Byakuya's eyes were tightly shut but you could see the movements of his eyeballs underneath the lids. His head made tiny movements as if he was having muscle spasms in his neck. Sweat dotted his forehead and nose, and his breaths were quick and shallow. The man was unconscious, but images kept flashing in his mind, images that he could not control.
Hisana... His deceased wife's face appeared, her delicate lips curled up in a loving smile. Then that image was immediately replaced by another, this time her face was flushed and her breathing were quick...soft whimpers escaped those lips as she arched her back. Byakuya instinctively reached out his hand to her, but like a cloud the image dissipated. His hand jerked back in alarm as another face appeared. Fierce tattoos extended from thick eyebrows, narrow scarlet eyes stared up accusingly, the mouth held back in a snarl. And the hair...fiery red hair that looked just like flames...

Renji's busy being pissed, but Shuuhei is beginning to sense that something's off! What's Byakuya's problem? Find out in the next chapter! ^.^
Let me know how the pace is going so far...am I too slow? Too fast? Hope nobody's losing interest!
- 3
- 4
- 5
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