Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Kaleidoscope	By : severuslover Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3200 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and I make no money what so ever from writing this

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
A/N: Goddam long chapter. I won’t bore you with how writing this felt like solving equations in a storm while floating on a piece of plastic in the ocean surrounded by sharks smelling the blood gushing from my brain. I’ll put this here *walks away*

I’ve got 3 Ren/Bya fics in mind. Two multi chaptered one one shot. Look out for those.

*JePi Thanks for the review! Long reviews make me happeh. I make you a nice long reply after i rest my beck x_x. This chap killed me. *hugs*

Renji sat at the edge of his bed, fuming. A little more and smoke would be coming from his ears. He got up and wriggled the door knob again, just to remind himself that he wasn’t dreaming two minutes ago. Yip, still locked. How’d this happen you ask?

The day had been going perfectly fine – Renji displaying more than his usual amounts of awkwardness at lunch, Kuchiki ignoring it and catching up on paper work – until Ayasegawa had walked in and whispered something into Byakuya’s ear which changed the man’s expression completely. It was unreadable, but he could sense a slither of irritation.

He then relayed to Renji, in no uncertain terms, that he would be receiving a very important guest for dinner and that Renji was to remain in his room. His dinner would be brought to him.

Renji cocked his head at the command – not request – feeling like the embarrassing uncle that told really bad jokes so he would be shut away to save everyone involved the humiliation. Ayasegawa – who would’ve smiled snidely at this, seemed unusually peeved for some reason.

On a certain level, he understood. He was by no means dignified and this guest could be a business partner or something, but couldn’t Kuchiki slap a suit on him, tape his mouth shut and introduce him as a part time slave?

All that paled to the fact that he felt he needed to go so far as to lock the fucking door! Did he really think of Renji as so classless that he didn’t want anyone to know he associated with him? Did he think he would sneak out even after being told not to?

Anger outweighed hurt.

Pacing the room, he kicked the carpet several times in frustration.

He was trying to recall his forgotten knowledge of lock picking when he heard a faint song. Looking around quizzically, it took him a whole twenty seconds to remember was the ringtone of his cell.

He rifled through the drawer of his side table until he found it, marveling at this long forgotten piece of technology. In the seconds spent staring at it, it had stopped ringing. Oh right, you were supposed to answer these things right?

When he checked his missed calls and saw Rukia’s number he was about to dial her, but it begun to ring again. He was quicker on the uptake this time.

“Hello? Rukia?”

“Renji?” she breathed. He could hear the joy and relief in her voice and it made him smile. It also made him feel guilty about neglecting her. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, how are you?”

“Idiot! Why haven’t you called?! Do you know how worried I was!?”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly at how concerned she indeed sounded. God he was a horrible person. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy…trainin’ and stuff.”

“Too busy to give a friend a call?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“I know. I’m an asshole for not calling. Sorry. I’m glad to hear your voice though.” This was true but not enough to make up for being a dick. He knew that. He had no excuses.

He heard he muffled a sniff. Shit.

“Goddammit, I’m really sorry. I don’t deserve you as a friend…”

“No you don’t,” she laughed playfully.

“Oh, hey did you like the flowers? Bet you were surprised huh.”

“What flowers?”

“Hello?”

“… important…. so don’t ….”

“Hello, Rukia? You’re breaking up. Hello?”

“Renji can you hear me?” She sounded frantic.

“Yeah but something’s wrong,” he yelled into the phone.

“This is important… Renji…”

“Rukia?” He took the phone from his ear and looked at the screen. The battery icon was blinking red, ‘Battery too low for radio use’ flashed across the screen.

Fuck. This was not helping his bad mood. He exhaled loudly and started throwing things around in the drawer looking for the charger. He wanted to call her back as soon as possible. It seemed like she had something important she wanted to tell him.

His ears pricked up at a sound from outside. He stopped what he was doing, holding his breath and listening as hard as he could, angling his head to the window. He heard it again, the sound of a car door closing.

Hurriedly he plunged the room into darkness, the moonlight the only source of light. He eased the curtain back slightly to peek outside.

A woman was bending over, apparently looking for something in the back seat of a sleek champagne colored car. The view wasn’t a bad one – view meaning her well rounded bottom as she shimmied around. The skin tight, painted on quality of her dress helped matters as well.

When she stood up the lights that lined the driveway shone on her silhouette. Not enough for him to make out her features but he didn’t need to. Voluptuous best described her figure. She exuded confidence and sexuality as she walked, her dress clinging to her, the low neckline barely containing her ample chest. She sauntered across the driveway and out of view, the clicking of her heals still resounding.

Renji was still in a state of disbelief.

Was this the so called important guest Byakuya was talking about?

While he was up here pining away and questioning his worth, he wanted to dance the horizontal hula with some big boobied woman?!

Renji wasn’t fucking having this. At all. No one that came to discuss business would dress like that!

Even if he had to go down there and do everything short of pissing on the table while they were chowing down on expensive steak, he wasn’t having it.

He stripped his bed of all the linen, tying them together to construct a make shift rope. To make it long enough he also added pieces of clothing and some curtains off the windows. Ayasegawa was going to flip his shit but everything be dammed at this point.

Was this Kuchiki’s twisted way of reaffirming his sexuality? After last week’s – in Renji’s opinion – near kiss, he couldn’t contain his embarrassment. Every time he was in his presence he acted like a virginal high school girl who was meeting her crush, blushing and fidgeting with anticipation of when he would accidentally touch him inappropriately. He couldn’t meet his eyes without smiling stupidly. Sad really.

Kuchiki ever the iceberg - when he wanted to be – treated Renji with the utmost in normalcy. There was no change to his attitude towards him, no indication that anything had transpired.

Renji angrily flung the makeshift rope through the window after securing it to one of his bed posts. The bed was so heavy it didn’t budge an inch when he tested it, pulling on the knot to see if it would hold his weight. He exited through it back first, precariously securing his feet within the crevices of the brick façade. This would’ve looked mighty suspicious to anyone in the near vicinity.

Thankfully he was a bit in shape after all the manual labor and made relatively quick work, dropping down the last few feet right on his bum.

Rubbing his backside he crept around from the side of the house to the front. Looking through the window of the dining room, he expected to see the two culprits quietly batting eyes at each other by candle light, but all he saw were the angry eyes of Ayasegawa glaring at him.

“What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Renji shot back, not forgetting that they were the ones who had to explain themselves. He was the victim here.

His unceremonious climb through the window earned him a disapproving half snarl. “I thought Kuchiki-shi made it clear that you stay in your room?” he hissed, clearly every bit of angry as Renji was.

Renji just may have over stepped last boundary. “Yeah well I’m not just gonna stay put while Kuchiki gets hands on experience from that big boobied woman.” He was simmering down, deciding it was best not to match tempers with man servant right now.

Ayasegawa raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him. “Hmm? And what does what Kuchiki-shi does in the privacy of his own home have to do with you?”

His face turned red. “Nothing.” He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets. What did it matter to him? A guest. An apprentice.

Ayasegawa huffed. “Your stupidity amazes me sometimes.” He flicked him on the nose.

“Oww!”

“Wipe that pathetic look off your face. Follow me. I’ll show you Kuchiki-shi’s dinner guest.”

“Where are they? There’s another dining room?” He wouldn’t be surprised. A couple months here and he was sure he still had not seen half of what this house had to offer.

“Not quite,” Ayasegawa replied. Renji noted he was a bit more dapper than usual if that was possible. His gloves were whiter than normal, shoes polished till they could be used as headlights.

The walked to the far end of the house and Ayasegawa opened a door that led to what normal people would call a backyard; only for Kuchiki it should be called a national park. Tall trees rose up to form a thick forest. They walked for a short distance along a stone path lit by small lights, which cut through the trees. Moonlight reflecting off the stone but casting shadows between the trees made it beautiful and creepy at the same time.

“You’re not trying to lure me out here to make me mysteriously disappear are ya?”

“Quite the active imagination you have, Abarai-kun.” Renji heard the smile in his voice. It made him shiver.

The path split; Ayasegawa taking the left where the trees were beginning to thin out. Renji craned his neck to see if he could find where the right path went, but a structure was rising up in front of him caught his attention. He was led to what looked like a green house. He could see that it was larger than a traditional green house. It was nearly as big as the Kuchiki mansion.

Soft lighting flickered from inside, behind the dark outlines of plants. They slipped through a back door and into a catering area with a long table stacked with cutlery, glasses and serving utensils. Four huge refrigerators lined the back wall. A room adjacent to the one they were in was a hotbed of activity, swirling dresses of frantic maids scurrying around. Three chefs were tossing food in frying pans and four more were dicing vegetables like their lives depended on it.

Though it seemed to be made all glass from the front, theses backrooms were brick. Renji, still in awe of the place, continued to look around with interest.

“What’s going on?” It seemed to be too much commotion for a small dinner. This place is strange.

“Have a look.” Ayasegawa motioned to large doors on the opposite side of them.

“You sure?”

The butler shrugged. “Just a quick look can’t hurt. Then I’ll take you back.”

He walked over and knelt down, opening the door just enough for him to see through. The entire room was covered in flowers of all colors. It was striking. The minimal lighting coming from hanging lanterns, allowed the moonlight shining through the glass roof to set the somewhat romantic atmosphere. It was love at first sight. A large table had been set in the middle where Renji could see the big boobied woman plus ten more people.

“I didn’t know Kuchiki liked flowers so much.”

“He had it custom built for … a dear friend.”

Renji noticed the exclusion of a name. Had he been a stronger man he would have enquired for whom it was built. But he wasn’t. So, if and when a time came where he wouldn’t feel entirely queasy with jealousy, he might ask again.

“I thought Kuchiki – san said he was having a guest? How did it turn out to be so many people?”

“Because my dear Abarai-kun, there are two types of people in this world. People with manners and etiquette bred into them from generations of nobility, and people who call and imply that there will be one guest for dinner and bring eleven people!” Ayasegawa was shining a wine glass into oblivion. Ah so this was why he was so annoyed.

“Careful you’re gonna break that. Also, what kind of view do you have of the world? According to your logic the world is made up of pigs who barged into your house or mannerly folk who call before barging in.”

He let out a sigh of relief. Deep in his stomach a knot unclenched itself. Byakuya wasn’t alone with that woman.

“Why were you so worried about who he was having for dinner?” Ayasegawa appeared over his shoulder startling him. He handed him a glass of wine and set down two benches for them to sit.

“W- Who was?” he shouted.

“Shh, or you’re going to be heard.”

“I really wasn’t. Really. I just thought…”

“Don’t think you can get away so easily Abarai –kun.” Ayasegawa sneered, leaning in close to him. They both looked on as the dinner progressed. Chit chat was being exchanged in small conversations around the table, mingling with the clinking of glasses and silverware on the plates.

He picked out Byakuya sitting at the head of the table. He pressed closer. For a man that was always dressed to the nines, he looked a bit fancier. Usually he’d have his shirt buttoned right up till it was a danger of strangling him, but a few buttons of this one were left undone for a less uptight feel. He never wore black, but he should more often. It made him look exquisite and brought out his pale eyes. His hair was slicked as usual but a few embellishments around his hair line and a wavy lock in his eyes made him cast a sideways glance at Ayasegawa.

“You dressed him didn’t you?”

“Yes. Why?” he questioned innocently.

“Nothing.” He just looks even more kissable.

“Who are they anyway?” Renji asked downing half his glass and hoping to throw Ayasegawa off the topic of Kuchiki which was painful in more ways than one.

“Starting from next to Kuchiki-shi on his left is, Kira Izuru – kun. He’s an up and coming artist known for his uh… gloomy works.”

Renji could see that. He didn’t exactly look like the happiest camper on the bus, his golden hair covering almost all of his face.

“Poor thing. It been pointed out to me that he’s so sad because he was molested at a young age.”

“What?!” Renji gasped. Who tha fuck told you that?

Ayasegawa tsked, shaking his head. “He’s looking for love in all the wrong places though. He has eyes for the man to his left with the silver hair.”

Ayasegawa could be right. He kept under looking the man even as he ate his vegetables. Renji could spot that look of yearning from a mile away. He knew it too well.

“Looks a little…. Peaky…”Renji commented on his frailty and dark circles under his eyes.

“Sitting next to him is, Hitsugaya Toshiro.”

“Huh? Never heard of him.”

“Some call him a child prodigy. At fourteen he’s mastered the art of ice sculpting. They are truly something to behold, I must admit.”

The boy with green eyes that looked like they had seen the world appeared far older than fourteen.

“There is a bit of skepticism if he does them himself or if someone else does. He always does them in private and never lets anyone in…” Ayasegawa was leaning into him, placing his hand by his mouth like the neighborhood women discussing the new promiscuous lady in town. He was enjoying gossiping way too much.

“The woman next to him – ”

“Yeah…”

“– is the lady you thought Kuchiki-shi was on a date with and came down in a jealous fit,” he grinned.

Renji blushed. “Don’t tell Kuchiki that!”

“She’s Matsumoto Rangiku, the fiancé of the man sitting next to her, Ichimaru Gin.” Now that he could see her face Renji appreciated how beautiful she was, but she also looked sullen. Ichimaru Gin had a face Renji could only describe as fox-like, his mouth turned up in a smile. He was exchanging conversation with a man at the end of the able, excluding the date that was next to him.

“Looks like Kira’s got a fight on his hands. Who’s the brown haired guy?”

“He – ” Ayasegawa left the doorway to pour himself some more wine and to refill Renji’s glass. “– is Aizen Sosuke. The man who was supposed to be the only guest. Why’d he have to do this now? Kuchiki-shi was doing so well recently…” He mumbled under his breath. Renji assumed he’d meant that Byakuya was no longer confining himself to his room.

“His date’s name is, Inoue Orihime,” he said dismissively.

“He and fox man don’t look like they like each other very much.” Though they were talking he could feel a murderous aura emanating from their fake smiles.

“They don’t. Their respective art galleries are locked in battle for the top spot. They put on a show, vying to see who can outdo each other with their female companions instead.”

“Hmm, Aizen’s opted for the younger model,” Renji laughed. Orihime looked like Matsumoto’s younger sister; similar hair color, curvy bodies, chest size and penchant for tight clothing. But where Matsumoto had the sultry allure of an older woman, Orihime had the charm and glow of youth.

“Hmpf. Everyone knows they’d much rather have each other than their expensive dates.” Renji raised his eyebrows.

“Ehhh…” Oh god now he was acting like a gossiping housewife.

The butler had brought the bottle and was steadily pouring, and finishing just as quickly, glass after glass.

“Gin abuses Matsumoto- san regularly, but she stays because she and his accountant are steadily draining him of his assets. Aizen – san over there, has a little knack picking up prostitutes and forcing them to wear silver wigs. Guess he likes the color of a certain someone hair.” Ayasegawa smacked his lips with delight.

Renji spit out the wine he was in the middle of sipping. “How the hell do you know that!?”

“Orihime – san’s bill for the night is going to cost him a pretty penny.”

There was no mistaking the contempt in his voice as he spoke of Aizen. Renji was steadily becoming more and more afraid of this man if he could snoop around and find out information like this. There was no way someone just pointed these things out to him. He would die if they found out about the job he took when he was younger and art wasn’t paying the bills.

“Coming around we have Dr Szayel and his wife Retsu-san who is a respected psychologist. He’s the top cardiologist in the country. Not surprising that no one has found out the he steals medication and is hopeless addicted.

The gentleman next to them not looking at his food when he eats is Starrk – san. Guess who he works under at the hospital? While Szayel – san slips off into his little world Starrk and his wife have been having an affair for years. They don’t even try to hide it anymore.”

“You’re kidding!”

“No. Take a look.”

Renji could only see the back of their heads but there was no mistaking Retsu’s hand resting a little too far up the man’s leg.

“He doesn’t know something that obvious?!” But then again, truth hides in plain sight.

Renji finished his fifth glass. “And here I thought my life was dramatic.”

“The last two –” he had now lifted the bottle to his head to drain it. Renji should stop him any time now right?

“Oi… don’t you think you’re drinking too much?”

“Nonsense. Those two are Cifer Ulquiorra and Kurosaki Ichigo.”

“I know him.” Renji could only see the top of his bleached head. “His paintings are similar to mine and yet everyone praises them. I hate him,” he said viciously.

Ayasegawa laughed. “You’ll hate him less when you hear this. His father bribes critics. In actuality they think its mediocre too, just like yours.”

“You wanna start a fight?” Renji grabbed his collar.

“He and Cifer- san hate each other. Contrasting styles. He’s into those… eh… dark type things.”

“I know. That shouldn’t stop them from getting along. Opposites attract.”

“Not for everyone.”

“Random question, what’s your first name?”

“Why do you want to know?” He got up to retrieve another bottle from the fridge.

“Well we just drank together. I’d like to think we’re friends now.”

“Don’t think that because we aren’t. It’s Yumichika.”

“Can I call you, Yumi?”

“No.”

Renji was talking but his attention was solely focused on one thing and now that he had a moment by himself he could stare a bit. Byakuya was not even putting up the appearance of being entertained, just staring off into the distance blankly, food untouched.

He wondered what the man was thinking at that moment. Was he thinking about him? Did he think about the fact that they almost kissed as much as Renji did?

“Don’t be stupid,” he said out loud, shaking away the thoughts. “What did Aizen want anyway?” He asked when Ayasegawa sat back down.

“Probably just wanted to sniff around to find a new piece of gossip.”

Keeping with Yumi’s pace Renji also began to drink more than he knew he should. The butler continued to regale him with the sordid details of the lives of these upper crusts. Pretending to be all and mighty and doing more dirt than Renji had dug in his short life.

He was about to ask Ayasegawa a detail about the rumor mill once more when he shh-ed him loudly. He quite ungracefully leaned closer to the door and pressed his eye to the crack. Renji did the same.

The buzzing of conversation made it difficult but it was apparent he was looking at Aizen who was whispering something to Orihime. She nodded, got up and exited the room.

Ayasegawa sprang up and left through the back door from which they had come. The words nosy and bitch floated back, followed by a string of words he didn’t know the man knew.

Renji would’ve gone too see how that transpired, but undressing the man he was crushing on in his head sounded more promising. So he did that instead.

His head was spinning slightly, his blood boiling. Not drunk, just that pleasantly warm sensation alcohol gave.

“Kuchiki- san, you’re acting quite the poor host.” Aizen raised his voice to let it carry across the table, louder than necessary.

The sudden quiet was jarring. Renji didn’t even have to try to eaves drop. He couldn’t see the faces of the ones who were backing him but from what he could see, everyone was looking at Byakuya.

His teacher was giving one of his patented polite glares to the man sitting at the end of the table. They gave off quite the air, sitting at opposite ends of the table, two opposing figures about to but heads.

“Am I?”

“What kind of host doesn’t even indulge his guests in conversation?”

“My apologies. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves without my interjection. If you wish, you’re welcome to.”

Aizen smiled. “Though you say that, the look on your face says otherwise. Am I perhaps too old for your tastes?”

There were several raised eyebrows and quiet gasps of shock. Renji didn’t understand the meaning of this.

“A sensible man would not put much stock in idle gossip, Aizen-san.”

“True. What isn’t gossip – ” he steepled his fingers in front of him, elbows on the table, “– is the fact that you haven’t submitted anything to the gallery of worth in a while.”

Renji stood up abruptly, his bench falling over.

“True. The last couple of things I saw were very… lackluster. Very much unlike his usual style,” Gin added with an evil smirk.

“Maybe he’s lost his talent. It happens you know,” said Szayel conversationally, his body jerking unnaturally.

Renji looked to Byakuya, expecting him handle these haughty naysayers with a few well placed insults and a boot to all their asses.

Incredibly he faltered. Byakuya didn’t respond.

Did these things bother him? A man like him? But – Renji had to remind himself no matter it may appear sometimes – he was still human. His Kuchiki senses were tingling. Despite the low light, he was not imagining the hurt in his eyes. They had touched a nerve. How dare these fuckers! Something in him wanted to protect this man, rush to his aid and save him.

Time to piss on this table. Or something like that. There was no denying these were important people that Byakuya had to deal with on a day to day basis. He had to handle this with delicacy.

Alcohol numbed the stupidity of his idea. Not even Ayasegawa’s voice hissing in his head not to go in there would stop him tonight. Shit, he’d already ripped down his curtains and escaped from his bedroom spy style. He had nothing else to lose here.

He pushed the jacket he was wearing off his shoulders a bit, made his vest askew, pulling it halfway out of his pants and wrinkling it, and pushed his pants down low. With trepidation he messed up his hair – what? He liked how shiny it had gotten now that it was under man butler’s care. Taking the half empty wine bottle, he readied himself for his opening performance.

He stumbled through the door falling backwards. “Whoops! Oh, fuck. Shit. I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Cursing loudly, he made a show of getting up. Slurring, eyes unfocused, he blinked at the shocked faces, eyes on him with varying expressions of conceit and disgust.

He wanted to laugh. He didn’t dare look Byakuya’s way in fear of the glower he would receive.

“Kuchiki –sannn when did so much fuckin’ people get here,” he slurred, stumbling around the table to dangle himself over each of them. He took Orihime’s free seat, throwing his hand around Gin’s shoulder and leaning across to his date. “Ooh, nice tits. How much did you pay for ‘em?”

Matsumoto was aghast. The man called Starrk stifled a laugh across the table.

“How dare you!” She shouted when he tried to poke them with a finger, her face twisted in anger.

“Next time you steal fox man’s dough see a better doctor babe.” Hah! That’s for trying to steal Byakuya.

The smile from Gin’s face disappeared making him quite scary.”I beg your pardon.” He pushed Renji off roughly.

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Renji raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t want cha to beat the shit outta me like ya do her.”

Matsumoto filched when he said this, her hand unconsciously flying to her neck. She swallowed, looking at her plate in embarrassment. Maybe I went too far?

“You have no right to say that! Who are you anyway?” It was the voice of Kurosaki Ichigo. Renji had nothing against him personally but if he wanted to include himself well…

Renji squinted as if unable to see him properly.

“Is that you, Kurosaki- san?”

“Do I know you?” Ichigo asked haughtily.

“Nope. We coulda been friends but I think people who throw cash at a problem are the bottom of the barrel. You ca cover shit with money but in the end it’s still a steaming pile.” He hiccupped and slumped forward on the table. There were several gasps and a snicker.

“I wouldn’t laugh if I were you Starrk-san.”

“Know your place,” Retsu snapped, her calm demeanor gone. God she was menacing. He wouldn’t like to bump into her in a dark alley.

“Know my place? All you here wanna play posh and have more dirt on you than the people you call low lives. You think you’re so much better huh. Where’s your place? Oh yeah, with your legs spread under Sta – ”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Aizen commanded. Retsu had slammed her fists on the table and stood up, her husband looking at her curiously.

He sat up and turned to face Aizen, the real target of his anger.

“You’ve rudely interrupted our dinner and spewed rubbish. But we don’t know who you are. It’s common courtesy to introduce yourself.” His eyes shined maliciously.

“Abarai, Renji.” His drunken act was coming undone

“Abarai… I think I’ve heard that name before. Somewhere in the gutter.”

“Was it when when you were there picking up whores?”

Aizen face was dangerous.

“And where would you hear something like that?” he asked calmly but staring him dead in the eye with murderous intent.

“Oh nowhere,” he said loudly so everyone of them – mainly Gin – would hear. “It’s just I have a friend in the gutter who mentioned your fetish for silver wigs.”

Aizen looked to Kuchiki until it was clear that he would not be inserting himself or admonishing Renji.

“You have quite the guard dog Kuchiki-san. But neither I nor any of the guests here came to be insulted in this way. I think we should leave.”

Everyone pushed their chair backs without the hint of grace or poise they showed before. Orihime – san walked into the room in shock, followed by a harassed looking Ayasegawa.

“What happened?” she asked. No one answered.

Aizen remained seated a bit longer, locked in a glaring match with Renji.

“Are you Kuchiki-san’s newest apprentice,” he asked.

“What’s it to ya?” Renji stuck his chin up, daring him to say something bad about his teacher in front of him.

“Let’s hope your loyalty pays off,” were his ominous parting words as he too left, dragging a puzzled Orihime by the elbow.

Ayasegawa looked at them for an explanation and then at Renji with nothing but malevolence. “Why the fuck am I in here?” he asked the question for him. “I’ll explain later. If I have the chance.”

“Ayasegawa smoothed his hair down, still glaring. Renji shook his head to assure him he wouldn’t let Byakuya know the details of their night.

“I’ll show the guests out,” he said, clearing his throat. Byakuya didn’t see his half wobble. Renji snickered.

Renji sighed heavily. Might as well get it over with.

He sat next to him at the front of the table.

“Ok, on a scale of one to ten how pissed are you?”

His face didn’t show it but Renji knew he was annoyed. Or he thought. After all he’d told him to stay in his room. Not only had he not stayed in his room, he also potentially fucked up Byakuya’s business relations.

Renji squeezed his eyes shut like a kid about to be scolded, waiting for the dreaded words get out of my house. But they never came.

“I’m… not angry.”

“You’re not?! Come on, I disobeyed you. Aren’t you gonna shout or kick me out?” Why the hell was he begging for punishment?

He held his forehead in his hands. “I have a headache.”

They were already at the main course in the meal and predictably his was untouched. Renji doubted he ate any of the first three courses.

Everyone had left the kitchen. The desserts for the dinner party were in the fridge chilling. It was Ayasegawa’s job to bring them to the guests. Renji got an idea.

“Can I… can I cook something for you? I swear it won’t be poisoned or gross... I used to be a chef.” He slapped his forehead. This is why you don’t drink anymore. Stop saying stupid things.

“I didn’t know that?”

“Yeah, so wait here, I’ll make something quick. Ok?”

He got to it without waiting for an answer.

This was Renji’s chance to prove himself. Taking deep calming breaths he tried to think of something Byakuya would like to eat or would eat for that matter. Dessert was a surety. He’d do his favorite; chocolate lava cake topped with strawberries. This would take over an hour in preparation, cooking and cooling time so he started that first. Rifling through the fridge, taking a look at the ingredients available he decided on a quick soup. You couldn’t fail with soup right. Neutral territory. He was so nervous he’d started drinking wine from the bottle – he’d soon be drunk for real – and poured some in the soup for good measure.

Half way through he started to over think it. His eccentric teacher might not eat this. What would he do? He eyed salmon and prepared it with a simple recipe he’d remembered. He had to eat one or the other.

It was an hour and a half since he started. That was way too long to keep some one waiting – to keep Byakuya waiting. Sweating profusely, running back and forth, he was dizzy and sure he looked nothing like an elegant gourmet chef.

He was in a strange mood. He threw his jacket on the floor. He’d never put so much thought into making a meal for anyone. But he’d been doing that lately, giving a hundred and ten percent in anything that he did for this man. What did that mean?

Tired of these enormous impersonal tables, he used a smaller one from the back room with two wooden stools he’d been sitting on, and placed them in a little corner filled with Amaryllis and Carnations.

He set out his dishes on the table and led an awaiting Kuchiki to his little corner. The man looked at the casual setting then back at him before sitting down. It screamed intimate, the small table allowing only a few feet in distance, semi darkness in a cozy corner. Byakuya sat rigidly straight and Renji slouched over the table.

Something in his eyes still looked pained and he was still holding his head. Renji tried to ignore it.

“Try something,” he urged.

Byakuya looked down at the food set out before him, the moonlight shining so brightly they didn’t need additional light.

He obliged Renji, who fully expected him to take a small sample, compliment him – or not – and courteously refuse the rest.

“Oh… um what you’ve got here is a creamy potato and mushroom soup, poached salmon with a spicy ginger sauce and dessert of lava cake,” he said with flair to his voice.

Renji watched eagerly as Byakuya dipped his spoon in the soup and brought it to his lips. He licked his lips and swallowed.

“Hm.”

“Hmm? That’s all. Glad I broke my back to do that,” Renji replied sarcastically laying his head on the table.

“It’s not bad.”

Renji smiled when amazingly he ate another spoonful. He was actually eating his food! Or so close to starvation that it was this or die.

He’d wanted to be close to him the entire night and now he was, but he wanted to be closer. Much closer. The alcohol intensified the tingles running through his skin. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, content in watching the other eat.

“That Aizen guy is a piece of work. You shouldn’t tolerate shit from him. Just kick him out,” he said suddenly. He realized this still bothered him. No wonder Ayasegawa hated him.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Hell yeah it is. It’s obvious he just wanted to rile you up… piece of sh – ”

“He owns a very prominent gallery that showcases my work. He has many acquaintances in the art society. Collectors, buyers. It’s… wise to be well connected with him.”

“I wouldn’t care who he knew. I’d still kick his ass.”

“Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeves as you do.”

“I know. I’m the only one allowed to wonderful.”

“No pretension… is a good thing.” The sides of Byakuya’s mouth turned up ever so slightly.

“I think you just smiled.”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin, placing it neatly on the table.

Byakuya reached for his dessert. Renji gawked. “You… ate all of it?” He hadn’t even noticed he’d ate all two of the dishes. He could now die without regrets.

He numb, feeling braver than usual. The moon, the closeness, he wanted to push the boundaries a little more. Watching him eat the cake, slowly savoring it, made him want to taste it too. Taste him.

“You’ve got … uh…” Renji reached across the table, tentatively placing his thumb next to Byakuya’s mouth. “Something on your face there…”

Byakuya paused.

There was nothing there of course, but Renji continued to stroke his skin as if wiping away something. His finger eventually drifted to the man’s lips and then across them, his gaze locked on the path it was taking. One, then two, then three, pulling at his lower lip.

They felt so wet and soft against his skin he knew he would be sorry tomorrow. If he was going to pay a high price anyway he might as will get his money’s worth.

Without removing his fingers, he closed his eyes, inclining his body the rest of the way, until their lips touched. He moaned softly. The kiss was delicate; it made his heart race a mile a minute. He wanted to feel more but he wanted to stay here with this feeling of their lips pressed together. He was convinced that nothing would ever feel as good as this. He could smell the dark chocolate on his breath. Was he brave enough to deepen it, to taste it? He didn’t have a chance to find out.

He felt Byakuya pressing his hand against his chest, pushing him away. He just breathed him in, the smell chocolate, of his skin, of his cologne. He dreaded opening his eyes. The reality would be too much to handle with the way he was feeling. He’d just dug his own grave.

He felt him move away completely, and opened his in time to see him heading to the door.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck! Kuchiki-san! Byakuya, wait!” He nearly knocked over the table in his effort to catch up with him. He felt faint. Oh yeah, he didn’t have dinner. He left before Ayasegawa could deliver it to his room.

He made it to the door right behind him and embraced him in a tight hug, stopping him from opening the door. Renji swallowed, his brain imploring him to STOP NOW, but the feel of him…

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he repeated, yet as he did so nuzzled his face against the man’s ear. His inhibitions were gone right now. He would blame it on the liquor. “I’m sorry.” He planted a small kiss on the other’s ear. “I’m sorry…” and on his jaw, “I’m so sorry,”all the way down his neck, his hands a firm grip on his chest and waist.

He was incoherent, full of lust and going too far, a firm reminder of why he no longer drank in excess of what he could handle. In his head he pleaded for Byakuya to push him off and storm out. Slap him in the face and remind him of his place at his feet.

He grinded himself against him and moaned at the feeling. It was the jolt that made him stop and pull away.

“S-Sorry, I think I’m drunk.” He let out a laugh bordering on crazy, tripping over his feet. “Oh god.”With a hard tug to his hair, he dug his fingernails into his arm till he saw spots. He turned around and left Kuchiki standing there, too afraid to look back.

*faints*
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