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When The Moon Reaches Back	By : KiraDouji Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 4988 -:- 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
- 1-When The Moon Reaches Back
- 1
Title:
When The Moon Reaches Back

Rating: MAPP: NC-17, Fiction Ration: MA

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: 8,074

Summary: Sequel to "I Feel You". Fear is a strong
motivator.

Author�s Note: The title comes from the story Byakuya tells Renji
about how the monkey always reached for the moon but no matter how he tried, he
only ended up at the bottom of the lake after chasing it's reflection instead.
Obviously, the comparison is Renji as the monkey and Byakuya the moon.

The original scene for this story has been stuck in my head for ages and
just now escaped. The dialogue is based around Urahara's
teaching technique when he was training Ichigo. "Your sword speaks to me
only of abused fear." It reminded me very strongly of that one page spread
before/during Renji's big scene with Byakuya which read
"I
have always been afraid...

always been pretending to follow you closely,

always been pretending to sharpen my teeth,

when the truth is, I am...

scared to death just treading on your shadow."

I mentioned before that I didn't think Byakuya could fall into another
relationship without somehow healing before or because of it. This theme
carries over from my previous stories of the two. I also want to point out that
due to the nature of Byakuya's loss and the absolute torture he put himself
through to keep both of his conflicting oaths, I don't believe he would have possibly been open to another relationship with anyone until after the Soul Society arc, which finally puts some sort of closure to that section of his life. That having been said....

When The Moon Reaches Back

�Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.�

- Mark Twain

Renji couldn�t
remember exactly how he�d ended up in this position. Maybe it was because of
the alcohol he�d already had making his head pleasantly woozy, or perhaps it was
the still damp, warm breeze that is slowly drawing him to sleep. Either way, he
couldn�t quite figure it out; and while he was sure he should have been more
attentive at the moment, the Sixth Division�s vice captain just couldn�t focus
on the situation no matter how hard he tried. Because even though he�s
absolutely certain that it should be strange and unusual to be at ease leaning
against a sakura tree in Kuchiki Byakuya�s private garden drinking sake with
his captain who sat just to his right leaning against the same tree, Renji just
couldn�t bring himself to care about the absurdity of a moment he was enjoying
so much.

For the
past few hours, Byakuya�s voice had thrummed softly in the evening air. It was
probably the most it had been used for quite some time, Renji had thought
briefly about an hour into his captain�s quiet retelling. It had started simply,
that much he remembered. The offer of sake after he�d been invited outside, his
suggestion to sit for a bit, the beginning conversation of Division Six�s
recent work which had led them quickly to still far too recent events. There
was an obvious pause when the topic was breached, or rather, when each new
topic was breached.

Renji
remembered, too, how surprised he�d been to find that the sake had loosed
Kuchiki Taichou�s inhibitions enough to continue their conversation on from the
discussion of the damage done to the Court of Pure Souls through the obvious
segue of those who had caused the damage, directly into the matter of Rukia�s
brush with death. His voice hadn�t altered no matter how many topics he�d
changed to since then. Its monotony kept Renji spellbound to the unfolding
story: listening to each tale as if he were dreaming it. He could remember
adding things in here and there, but exactly what he�d said escaped him at the
moment, so he took another sip of his sake and continued listening.

Kuchiki
Byakuya, on the other hand, was very much aware of every word that came out of
his mouth. He wasn�t the kind to drown his thoughts in sake and then spill over
at the slightest nudge, but the day had been long and the work intensive. And,
much as he was loath to admit it, the previous day�s events had dangled in the
back of his head through each and every headache the day had brought. The
conversation replayed in his head when he tried to do paperwork, and Renji�s
rain drenched profile sneaked in when he was giving orders or dealing with the
newest fiasco that the intense rains had brought. No matter how he looked at
it, he just couldn�t see the offer for anything but what it was.

It made him
think of the days he�d spent in the Fourth Division recovering from his fights
with Ichigo and Gin. Each day was a struggle to wake up again, but he�d forced
himself to each time he felt the sun on his eye lids. Each day, his lieutenant
would sit in the chair by the wall and talk. He�d talk about anything, tentatively
at first, but with more and more emotion when he saw that it wasn�t bothering
the stoic noble. Byakuya had never said anything aside from what was needed to
keep the other man going, and they hadn�t spoken about it since, but those days
were the first time in years he�d actually been grateful for company.

�I told you before, Taichou. You�re so used to being
alone. You don�t need to be.�

Byakuya was
starting to see in Renji what had made Rukia decide to be apart of his family.
It was simple, and rough just like the street rat it came from, but it was also
warm, and warmth was something he hadn�t felt in a long time. Renji�s offer had
been friendship: the companionship of the lonely, so to speak. He knew that
Renji was far from alone, that the man often hung out with his old team members
or the other lieutenants, but he also knew that Renji didn�t look at Rukia the
same way he did before. There was still affection and loyalty, still worry and
care, but the love had been muted somehow. The yearning was gone, and with it
an awkward distance had grown. And so, Renji was without a family again,
intentionally or not, giving it up to the Kuchiki home once more.

For some
reason that just didn�t seem right.
Renji had too much passion to be forced to devote it in only one direction. In
ways, it seemed like his dedication to becoming stronger, to eventually beating
his captain was nothing more than an outlet for his intense energy. Byakuya
knew, of course, that it wasn�t merely an outlet � nothing the man put the
entirety of himself into could be � but he also knew it was the only passion
his vice captain had left. That for all the man�s casual attitude and exuberant
disposition his features could so easily turn serious and sad, his eyes so
easily reflect the pain Byakuya rued how easily shown in his own gaze. His eyes
slid left so that he could catch his lieutenant�s profile again and he
belatedly realized that somewhere amidst his own ponderings, he�d stopped
talking.

Tension
tried to slide back into place as it was want to when neither of them spoke. It
was hard, sometimes, to remember to make the effort to keep it at bay. Despite
all that had happened, there was still such a distance between them. Byakuya
hadn�t expected much else, to be honest: such things usually took a long time
to overcome, but still� it was something that nagged him every now and again on
the rare moments when they were together and nothing was being said. Now that
he had stopped talking, though, he couldn�t find the words to start again.
Instead, the sixth division captain took advantage of the pause to observe his
subordinate, who hadn�t moved since they sat down.

Renji had
instinctively reclined against the tree in a rather casual position, his left
leg bent so he could rest his arm on it. His right hand sat on his lap, holding
an empty sake dish he hadn�t bothered to refill again. He was still in his
uniform for the most part, Zabimaru off his hip but not far away on the ground.
He�d undone the outer tie of his robes when they�d first entered the garden, so
now both his black gi and the white cloth beneath it were open enough to show
some of the tattoos on his torso. Renji had since found a hair tie again, so
the unruly red mass was tightly bound in his usual high pony tail. His visor
like sunglasses weren�t yet replaced, so he had substituted with the equally as
common white clothe tied like a headband around his forehead. His eyes were
open, gazing up at the foliage above them and the night sky beyond that, but it
didn�t look like he was actually seeing any of it.

�� Ne,
Taichou�� Renji�s deep tenor broke the silence suddenly.

�Yes,
Renji?� Byakuya answered in his normal manner, turning forward once more.

Renji
paused for a moment, as if rethinking what he was going to say. The silence
stretched out; Byakuya could almost feel the uncertainty radiate from his
vice-captain as the man finally settled on a thought. It was strange, since
Renji usually didn�t show any weakness around him if he could get around it at
all. Eventually, the other man just sighed, shifting in his spot as he
seemingly rethought what he was going to say and instead asked quietly, �Why�d
you do it?�

Following
his lieutenant�s train of thought seemed like something that would take him a
longer time to master than his ban kai. �Why did I do what, Renji?�

�Why did
you become a captain?� Renji dropped his head down again, chuckling a little
nervously under his breath. �I mean, I just don�t get it. You�re the only one
in your family to have ever gotten this far and you�re � it�s amazing,
Taichou,� the man�s voice shuttered a bit, making it harder to hear what he
said, but he continued. �But you�ve never said anything about why you pushed yourself so much. It was
easy for you to join the Gotei 13� it would have been just as easy to stay that
way. Then it�s almost� almost outta the blue that you became a captain.�

Byakuya
turned to his left again, this time with more of his body than just his head,
noting that Renji�s position had changed to a taunt mimicry of defense. He
frowned slightly, wondering not for the first time what was going through his
subordinate�s mind. �I did what was expected of me-�

Renji�s
somewhat harsh laugh cut him off. �Don�t give me that bullshit, Kuchiki
Taichou; you know I know better than that.�

�Abarai-�
the noble began again, but was again cut off.

�There was
no one left to expect anything of you, Taichou,� Renji continued more quietly
this time. �I remember the day you became a captain. It felt like no matter how
hard I chased� you just kept getting farther away. But there was no one there
breathing down your back to become better, there was no one encouraging you to
keep expanding your power, so the only person who could have made the decision
to try� was you.�

The captain
of the sixth division frowned again and allowed himself to lean against the
tree, this time on his left side, so he could watch his vice-captain�s
reaction. �I did it because I needed to,� he began softly, watching as Renji
relaxed, hearing the truth in his words. �I needed to become better than what I
was� it hadn�t been good enough.�

Renji
leaned back again, this time with his eyes closed and though he had relaxed a
bit at his captain�s words, he was still tense. �I can�t imagine you ever not
being good enough, Kuchiki Taichou,� he spoke softly, a slight tremor in his
voice, �but I know the feeling. I told you before� that the reason I fought so
hard for Rukia was because I� I was terrified of losing her, and you already
know that I want to surpass you, but that�s not the whole reason.� He took a
somewhat shaky breath and opened his eyes again. ��cuz the truth is, Taichou,
no matter how close I get� I�m still just scared to death.� Renji hazarded a
glance back at his captain, adding quietly, �I guess I was just hoping there
was a chance you might�ve been scared too.�

The heir to
the Kuchiki clan remained silent for a long moment, digesting everything that
had been told to him. His expression didn�t change, but he sat up slowly and
turned so that he was facing his lieutenant completely. �Having no fear only
makes one a fool or defeated,� he stated finally, �Continuing on despite fear
is true power, Renji, and that�s exactly what you have done.�

Renji
straightened a bit, surprised by his captain�s words and somewhat embarrassed
by the hidden compliment: the noble had never complimented him before. He
opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it sheepishly, unsure of how he
should answer. He hadn�t even expected to say that much, and so hadn�t
anticipated that kind of reply. Instead, the best he could do was meet his captain�s gaze unflinchingly.

�And, to
answer your real question: yes, I have been afraid. I was scared when my
parents passed away. I was frightened when Hisana took ill. And I remained that
way for years after she left me as well,� Byakuya continued, his voice taking
on a tone Renji had never heard before. I seemed� fragile, but somehow still
stern and determined. �I was terrified of again being placed in a situation I
couldn�t do anything about� and I am afraid of what I�m about to do.�

�Kuchiki
Tai-� Renji tried to question, but was cut off by his captain�s lips suddenly
covering his own. Auburn eyes widened in surprise, but then slowly recovered
from the initial shock and slid half way shut. His arms moved of their own
accord and grabbed the front of Byakuya�s gi, pulling the other man closer. As
if following some unseen queue, their lips parted simultaneously to deepen the
kiss. He wasn�t thinking anymore, because if he did he might have to come up
with a reason or excuse for his or his captain�s actions and he wasn�t sure he
wanted one.

They broke
slowly, but didn�t pull away. Renji�s grip tightened, bunching the pristine
white material of Kuchiki�s captain over-coat. He leaned forward suddenly,
pulling his captain against him as he did, so he could hide his face against
the crook of Byakuya�s neck and avoid whatever expression it was that had
spread across his captain�s face. More than anything, he didn�t want the other
man to see what was written on his own, because now he was more frightened than
ever.

~*~

For some
reason it made things easier. For some reason, seeing his captain the next day
went much smoother. For some reason, talking to him and joking around a bit
came effortlessly. Nothing really changed, but somehow it was different.
Kuchiki Byakuya was still the same cold noble he always was and Renji, well, he
knew he knew he seemed to be the same, but there wasn�t any tension left in
him. He was terrified underneath it all: didn�t know what it could mean or how
it could progress, but for some reason it just didn�t bother him as much
anymore.

And when
Kuchiki Taichou decided to cut off the day�s work in the afternoon, Renji
didn�t have to ask to know it was because his captain had chosen to step up his
training a bit. And somehow, it was easier to strike out at his captain way out
in the middle of nowhere, Hihiou Zabimaru spun out over countless yards around
him, a wall of swords constricting his movement. Somehow, it was easier to
attack. Somehow, he wasn�t hesitant to slash or block. Somehow, the fear in him
didn�t matter anymore.

When
Byakuya announced the end to their practice long after the sky had blackened,
both ban kai�s still solid and straining against each other even as their
controllers paused, Renji didn�t feel as disappointed as he usually did. He
grinned and joked that, yeah, it�d be a good idea since he�d probably need yet
another uniform if Kuchiki Taichou kept slashing him like that. To which his
captain had suggested he be more concerned with learning how to avoid said
slashes than replacing his clothing. Renji had released his ban kai with a
heartfelt laugh and agreed, but thought maybe Kuchiki Taichou had agendas other
than teaching him how to dodge. When said captain suggested they return to his
residence to eat, bathe, and perhaps find the truth of that, Renji had to grin,
because he was finally starting to see the subtleties of Kuchiki Byakuya�s
moods and couldn�t help appreciating them.

And so an
hour later saw them finishing a rather large, traditional meal on the tatami
mats of one of the many rooms in the Kuchiki estate that Renji hadn�t quite set
to memory yet. As per their upbringings, Renji spent most of the meal with a
rather relaxed sitting position, talking expressively in-between eating and
complimenting the chef. Why didn�t they serve stuff like this to the Gotei 13,
anyway? Because it was far too expensive for that many people, Byakuya had
quite calmly informed his companion, never breaking his seiza for a moment as
he slowly and gracefully consumed his portion of the delectable dinner. He did
mention, though, that Renji could probably give his cook some tips on how to
make stir fry. Renji somehow managed to keep a blush down, and muttered
something intelligible despite the warmth that spread through him at the
compliment. He was still getting used to those.

Byakuya
carefully set his chopsticks on the wooden rest in front of him and elegantly
rose from his refined sitting position. Renji looked up at him curiously, still
finishing his tea. �Taichou?�

�Join me
for a bath?� He offered casually.

Coming from
any of his friends it wouldn�t have stood out. Renji swallowed his tea and set
the cup down, stretching as he stood up. �Sure thing, Taichou.�

Without
another word, Byakuya turned and left the room. Renji followed silently,
looking around as they entered another desolate hallway so he could try and
memorize yet another part of the grand estate. In the end, he decided it really
wasn�t worth his time, as it wasn�t likely that he�d ever be wandering around
without his captain. For some reason, that thought was rather comforting. They
stopped at a door halfway down a short hallway that ended in a doorway. Renji
took note of it, because every other hallway either led outside or to a
ridiculously huge room with the door open.

A soft waft
of steam drifted out when Byakuya opened the door and walked in, glancing back
for the first time since dinner to watch Renji follow him in. The first area
was moderately sized for a simple cleaning area. There was a small shelving
unit against one wall which held lidless baskets of towels and another next to
that in which all the baskets seemed to be empty. Renji pondered this as he
swept his gaze across the rest of the room.

�There are
two ways into the bath,� Kuchiki Byakuya�s deep voice interrupted his
subordinate�s thoughts suddenly as the noble selected both an empty basket and
one with a few towels in it. Renji blinked at him. Byakuya fought down a smirk
and gestured to the other end of the room which had a noran covered doorway
identical to the one closer to their side. �Take your time,� he added and
turned on his heel, taking the closer doorway and disappearing behind the long
noran.

Renji
shifted in place for a moment before following Byakuya�s lead and taking one of
each basket and pushing aside the other noran. A short hallway later, he found
himself in a room much like his own back at his apartment. The flooring was
wooden, as were the single stool and box of various soaps set in the middle of
the room. There was a heated tub nearby with a bucket next to it and the whole
room was filled with a light steam that wafted off the water in the tub. All
and all the room was comfortably familiar, while at the same time showing
little bits of the noble home it belonged to in such details as the type of
wood used and the craftsmanship within.

Renji set
the two baskets down and quickly stripped, guessing the empty basket was for
his clothes. With each piece of clothing removed, he took stock of the injuries
received that day. There were three shallow slashes on his left arm and four on
his right, all of which were closing relatively quickly do to some spot
application of whatever ointment Kuchiki Taichou had handed him. His right
stomach had a good nick in it, but he was steadily ignoring that with relative
ease. Removing his gi had also enlightened him to a few �scratches� on his back
that should probably be cleaned soon. The hakama came next, under which Renji
was glad to find no new injuries had sprouted up. The gash in his left leg
acquired a few days earlier was healing well, and although there were a few
scrapes here and there, nothing looked like it needed more than a good
cleaning.

The
lieutenant of the Sixth Division filled a bucket full of hot water and sat down
on the stool in the middle of the room, wondering why it was the better his
captain and he got along, the more wounds he seemed to accumulate. With a sigh,
he dipped a wash cloth into the bucket and started a vigorous scrub. Nothing
really stung noticeably until he added a little soap and used a longer towel to
get his back. It wasn�t anything he couldn�t ignore, but still hurt a good bit.
Renji grumbled a few obscenities. When he trained alone he�d never managed to get his back. He worked his back anyway, rubbing the towel over the wounds
until they were either thoroughly clean or numb, whichever came first. Finally
satisfied that they wouldn�t bother him again, he rinsed with the rest of the
water in the bucket and undid his hair tie.

A refilled
bucket quickly emptied over his head and he took a moment to search through the
box of soaps to find some sort of shampoo. Eventually landing something that
smelled faintly of sandalwood, Renji refilled the bucket and sat down again,
briskly rubbing the soapy concoction into his scalp. It felt surprisingly good.
Better than his stuff at any rate. The full bucket next to him was quickly
utilized to rinse out his hair, and as he squeezed out the excess water from
the rinse, he noticed the red mane had grown again. For a moment, Renji
contemplated cutting it, but then decided against it. If it ever needed a trim,
his captain would likely end up fulfilling that task during one of their spars.

With that
thought curling his lips, Renji grabbed the two baskets, one full of clothes
and the other now only half full of towels, and took the second exit indicated
by a noran simply marked with a �ゆ�.
The next room that greeted him was somewhat large for what seemed to be a
rather private bathing area. A bath more resembling indoor hot springs was built into the floor of the
room, taking up most of it from the middle outwards. The entire room was lined
by tiled walls, an unbroken row of small windows topping each one. A light
breeze drifted in from some of the open windows, but didn�t cool the room by
more than what felt nice.

Frowning
slightly, Renji noted that he was the only person in the room. It seemed odd
because he was sure that he�d taken longer than needed cleaning up. Not being
able to do anything about that, however, he just found some stands set aside
for his baskets, set them down, and grabbed a medium sized towel before making
his way over to the bath in the middle of the room. There seemed to be a bench
built into the side of the tub, which lined it entirely. Using this as a step,
Renji entered the wonderfully hot water, wincing a bit when certain wounds were
scalded, and noted absently that there seemed to be some sort of mineral mix in
the water as well. With a content sigh, he leaned back against the side of the
tub and set his head on the bunched up towel he�d brought with him.

It was hard
to tell how much time passed before he felt the gentle swish of displaced
water, but it had to be at least another few minutes since he�d gotten in.
Renji cracked an eye open and then sat up a bit, surprised. Byakuya was already
mostly in by the time his lieutenant had opened his eyes, but it was neither
the relaxed expression he held nor the fact that he had chosen to sit fairly
close to Renji that had startled the red haired shinigami. It was simple yet
stark absence of five small yet very significant pieces of white. While it
answered his questions concerning why the captain had taken longer than him �
surely the complicated head piece would take a while to unweave from his hair �
the fact remained that Kuchiki Byakuya never
appeared without his kenseikan. It was a subtle but potent admission that he
considered this to be private.

Renji
slowly leaned back against the edge of the bath, unsure whether that was a good
thing or not. He thought it would be harder thinking of Kuchiki Byakuya as
anyone other than the powerful heir to the Kuchiki clan, but he was finding it
surprisingly easy. Easy or not, however, the effect was only helped along by
the fact that his captain looked undeniably� sensuous with his hair down and still wet enough to stick to his
neck and shoulders. Some of the raven tresses still managed to feather the
front of his face even without the help of the kenseikan, the color contrasting
alluringly with the noble�s pale skin. Renji closed his eyes and leaned back
before his wandering eyes could add much more than that.

It wasn�t
too much later that the wondrous sensation of lips ever so lightly brushing his
neck caused Renji to crack an eye open again. It looked like his decision to
not act earlier had not been appreciated. With a smirk, Renji leaned his head a
bit to the right and opened both of his eyes just enough to watch his captain
take advantage of the new expanse of skin. The brush of lips continued followed
by the addition of teeth tracing a path up his neck until the other man paused
to gently tug on the bottom of his ear. Renji let a soft sigh of pleasure
escape then and turned his head back towards his companion to catch those
wandering lips in a deep kiss.

Byakuya
gave a soft rumble of approval and tilted his head to better return the kiss.
He turned his body so that he was more completely facing his vice captain,
sliding his right knee on to the bench against the other man�s thigh and broke
the kiss. A free hand snaked around his neck, and abruptly forced him down into
another kiss, this one more heated than the last. He could feel Renji smile
against his lips, amused at being able to catch his captain off guard. Byakuya
let his hand drop down to Renji�s shoulder and tightened his grip there,
simultaneously pushing the other shinigami against the edge of the tub and
forcing his head down, all but demanding control of the kiss.

Renji broke
away then, panting softly for lost breath. Warmth pressed in on him even as it
started to grow inside him. His captain pressed closer, unheard words ghosting
past his ear that made him turn his head enough to look at the other man. An
unseen hand trailed down his side and skidded across his stomach, the muscles
there clenching automatically. Using the hand still buried in the hair at the base
of Byakuya�s neck, Renji changed the angle at which he dragged the other man
closer and pressed his lips to the exposed Adam�s apple, immediately parting
his lips just enough to suck gently on the skin there. He felt a shiver run
through the other man and grinned against his neck. Pealing his lips away
slightly, Renji let his teeth drag along the sensitized flesh all the way to
where neck met shoulders and paused there to alternate nipping and soothing the
juncture.

A soft gasp
giving way to an equally quiet moan escaped Byakuya�s lips, his grip on Renji�s
shoulder tightening. His free hand ghosted up the taunt muscles of Renji�s
torso until it brushed over a nipple and paused there to tease the responsive
nub of skin. The mouth trailed to his shoulder and when he twisted, the sharp
pressure of teeth digging into his skin sparked through him. Byakuya in turn
smoothed his fingers along the sensitized skin, soothing and stimulating at the
same time. Renji�s teeth were quickly replaced with lips again, mimicking the
gesture received by relaxing the bitten skin. Byakuya�s hand slid from Renji�s
shoulder to the nape of his neck, fingers threading through the thick red hair
for a good hold before forcing his head back enough for his captain to catch
his lips in a rough kiss.

Renji
didn�t have a chance to fight this time, Byakuya�s skilled tongue quickly
making him both incapable and unwilling to push for control. With a low moan,
he relented, letting himself be pushed against the wall of the tub by the
noble�s warm body. Then suddenly, the heat and weight shifted off him and the
lips vanished from his. Renji blinked his eyes open in confusion, glancing up
and to his left to catch sight of his companion as he carefully climbed out of
the water.

�Taichou?�

Byakuya
turned and passed Renji a towel, �My room is just through that door,� he
answered, gesturing to the only door left which rested snuggly in the nearest
corner. �I assume you would prefer it to a bath?� The noble didn�t let the tone
of his voice change much, but the look he was giving the other man said enough.

Renji took
the offered towel and climbed out as well, not being able to keep a chuckle
down. His captain was the only person he knew who was prim enough to ask before
continuing and yet commanding enough to make it sound like an offer of comfort.
With a shake of his head, and feeling slightly more relaxed than before Renji
answered, �Yeah, Taichou, I�d like that.�

His only
reply was a slight inclination of the head and Byakuya turning to lead the way
through the doorway. Renji followed, drying himself quickly as he went. Shortly
thereafter they stepped into a spacious yet still very private sleeping area.
There were sliding doors on the other end of the room as well, which despite
being closed gave the impression that they led only to another inner chamber,
rather than a hallway. Renji wasn�t interested in the room as much as the
person in it and as such didn�t really take notice of much else. Especially
since his captain had pulled him aside the moment they walked in. Even being
the kind of person that generally went with the flow of things, Renji had to
smirk against Byakuya�s prying lips, equal parts amused and curious at his
captain�s ability to slip so easily in and out of propriety and seduction.

He opened
up again, nipping and tugging Byakuya�s lower lip until the elder ran his
tongue along Renji�s pliant lips. Relenting the lower
lip left Renji victim to another oral assault that shot through his veins, an
almost electric feel sizzling in its wake. A moan escaped his throat as his
hands raised instinctively to clutch at the hair near the nape of Byakuya�s
neck and in a sudden surge of energy snapped the other man closer so that their
bodies were finally flush against each other. Drawing from this new leverage,
Renji tilted his head slightly and fought the overwhelming urge to simply melt
by meeting Byakuya�s tongue with his own just as fiercely. This time it wasn�t
hard to notice the tremor that flew through the other shinigami before a pair
of strong hands gripped his waist quite firmly and just as quickly as his
previous movements, guided them away from the wall.

Renji broke
away a moment later to catch his balance and reorient himself. A large, fairly
thick futon brushed his heel, making him glance down at it. Well, he should
have expected his captain to be that traditional, but, honestly, a bed would
have been more comfortable. He eyed the oversized pillow and contemplated a way
to get Byakuya on the mat first. Surely the other man would be much more
comfortable to lie on. Without warning, Renji suddenly found himself falling
towards the futon, and, more importantly, the hard wood floor. A surprised yelp
escaped his lips the moment he stopped, mere inches from the material and was
lowered the rest of the way down.

He turned
and glared at Byakuya. �Ya� didn� have to swipe out my foot, Taichou!�

An
elegantly arched eyebrow answered his indignation. �You always let your guard
down: you really should work on it.� Kuchiki had lowered himself with Renji so
that he was now straddling the other man�s right leg while leaning over him,
his own right leg still tangled with the one he�d tripped. Dark eyes sparkled
challengingly down at Renji, very similar to how they looked during spars, but
with a much deeper intensity now.

Renji found
himself captivated by that gaze, warmth searing his veins again without thought
to the rough treatment just a moment before. Lips brushed his own again, but
then slipped off to tease the edge of his jaw with half touches and soft nips
that continued down his neck; occasionally falling prey to the directed lines
of his tattoos, occasionally pulling away to forge other paths. Renji closed
his eyes and moaned softly, simply enjoying the sensation. His hands wandered
up Byakuya�s arms, coming to rest on lean upper arms such that he could feel
each shift in the muscles as the noble slid lower on his body, adjusting his
position and shifting his weight accordingly.

Byakuya�s
lips found their way to the slopes of skin previously sensitized by his hands
and paused there to tease the responsive nubs, intent on drawing out more of
the breathy gasps and deep moans he�d managed to siphon from his lieutenant
already. The hands on his arms clenched tightly when he scrapped his teeth
across the skin and dug into his muscles when he bit gently. Keeping the other
man preoccupied with that, Byakuya shifted his weight to his left and slowly
moved his right hand down the side of Renji�s body, just barely touching the
skin, eventually curving around the inside of his leg, brushing slim fingers up
the inside of his thigh. Renji shivered lightly, and moved his leg to the side
a bit, bending it enough to put his foot on the floor, but was otherwise still
preoccupied with what Byakuya�s mouth was up to. With a smirk well hidden
against a well toned chest, Byakuya slipped his hand farther up and under
Renji�s scrotum and rubbed gently.

Auburn eyes
flew open, a sharp cry of pleasurable surprise flying from his lips. �Taichou-�
Another, firmer stroke broke the words into a moan and caused Renji to arch up
into the caress. His grip on Byakuya�s arms increased almost painfully and he
closed his eyes again, laying his head back as each gentle stroke and tug
lanced a fiery bolt of pleasure through him until his seared nerves could do
nothing but respond to each touch and feeling Byakuya elicited and nothing
else.

Byakuya
continued the slow caresses, having pulled back just enough to watch the
reactions they caused. Only when Renji�s muscles began to quiver from the
stimulation did he slide his hand up to teasingly brush the erection. A faint
gasp issued from reddened lips, auburn eyes slowly opening again when the touch
stayed faint and eventually disappeared. Renji took a moment to catch his
breath before sitting up slightly when he felt the warm weight above him shift
mostly off. Byakuya returned a moment later, though, with something that looked
vaguely like a bottle of body oil. With a few precise touches and softly
murmured words, he directed a slight shift in position that soon had him seated
between Renji�s legs.

Byakuya
carefully opened the small glass vial and poured some of the viscous liquid
into the palm of his right hand before setting it aside and leaning over Renji
again, his weight on his left arm. He made to dip his hand lower, but was
stopped by Renji�s hand around his wrist. He paused and glanced up with an
arched eyebrow.

Renji sat
up just far enough to balance himself and pushed his captain�s hand back with a
smirk. �I�m not gonna break, Taichou,� he teased, deftly moving the oil laden
hand back to Byakuya�s own erection. Before the other man could reply, he
pressed his lips to the noble�s and curled his hand around the one he held,
slicking the flesh in their combined grasp. It wasn�t very long, however,
before the grip was reversed, Byakuya�s hand wiping around to grasp Renji�s as
the elder once more commanded control of the kiss and pushed to the other man
back down to the futon.

They broke
the kiss together, Byakuya lowering himself to his elbows while Renji moved his
arms up around the other man�s shoulders and arched his hips up a bit. The
noble�s lips were back on his neck and fervently drawing his pleasure out in a
new distraction before Byakuya slowly rolled his hips forward and entered him
in one long thrust. Renji panted lightly to catch the breath he�d lost when the
sensation hit him. Almost immediately, his legs clamped around Byakuya�s waist
and he moved back against the intrusion, moaning lowly at the pain spiked
pleasure now burning his senses.

Byakuya
established a slow pace, drawing out the pleasure and lengthening the
sensations before urged into a quicker tempo at Renji�s insistence. He slid his
knees up closer, establishing sturdier balance before changing the angle
slightly and thrusting deeper to accommodate his companion�s whispered urgings.
Almost immediately Renji�s legs tightened around him, a staccato cry of
pleasure accompanying the movement. His own low moan joined Renji�s this time,
as the sensation of muscles tensing around him sparked through his system.
Byakuya leaned forward again, dragging Renji�s errant lips into another deep
kiss even as he thrust hard into him, enjoying the sensations of the other man
around him and gasping against his lips.

Renji
pulled him in, brought him closer; heated him to the core. Each touch blazed
through him, each kiss forged a battle he was all too willing to join. Byakuya
had made sure of each move, every kiss and caress, but now found himself
falling prey to the reckless energy of his companion. Finally, as they broke
their recent kiss and Renji�s voice was free to ghost his hearing, he let that
energy overtake him, driving deep into the taunt body below him, each wordless
cry a spike to drive him on. It wasn�t long before one cry rang louder than the
others and he felt rather than saw Renji�s climax through the tensing of the
muscles that clung him. The added stimulation rocked through him, urging him
faster and deeper until the world itself seemed to stop, its inertia instead
slamming into him and throwing him over the precipice of release.

He blinked
sluggishly, allowing his breath to slow as his mind finally descended to his
body once more, and his eyes readjusted to the low light of the room. The
sensation of fingers running through his hair was what finally brought his
senses back, and he shifted a bit to lift himself by his arms again and look
down at his companion. Renji smirked lazily up at him and pulled his hand out
of Byakuya�s hair, but remained silent. Byakuya dropped his head for a chaste
kiss and then rolled to the side, picking up the wash cloth he�d brought in
from the bath. He turned back, sitting up a bit more to clean them both before
relenting to Renji�s tug and laying down again, bringing the blankets up with
him.

~*~

Renji
slipped quietly into the hallway, making sure to slide the door shut behind
him. He hastily readjusted the slippery silk house robe he�d managed to find
and tightened the sash again. His tired muscles protested weakly when he
started walking down the hallway, joined adamantly by some sharp jabs of pain
from the cuts he�d ignored earlier as well as other places that hadn�t hurt in
a long time. As usual, he ignored it all and kept walking down the dimly lit
hallway, not quite sure where in the large home he was or where, particularly,
he was going.

The thing
was, he�d simply never let himself fall asleep: his mind just kept going and
despite or perhaps because of everything that had happened he was still a
little� confused. When he was confused, usually, he hit stuff. Well, he worked
out, and if he was lucky could convince someone to spar so it was like hitting
things, and he always thought better when he was fighting or at least moving,
so it worked out best in the end. He couldn�t quite do that this time, though.
If he hit anything in this house, he was pretty sure he�d owe more than he was
worth no matter what it was, and the only person who he could think of sparing
was asleep and damned if he was going to wake Kuchiki Taichou from the slumber
of the sated.

Which,
really, only left walking, and since he hadn�t been able to locate his basket
of clothes, he was forced to do so in a thrice damned robe that kept moving and
sliding every time he moved. No wonder his captain hardly seemed to move when
he walked! That aside, his mind was really only stuck on one thought: now what?
The most unnerving thing was not knowing if he should
stay. Kuchiki Byakuya was a fickle combination of propriety and defiance, and
Renji wasn�t quite sure where he fit in that. It was fine back when they were
just captain and lieutenant: then he could easily fall under the rules of
propriety (not that he knew the particularly well) and that was that. Now,
though� now it was a matter of whether Byakuya meant to keep this under wraps.

Despite
what most might think, Renji wasn�t exactly the type of guy to go around
announcing who he was involved with: he was simply too protective. That aside,
his captain was far more private than he was, which left him to question if the
man intended for him to simply pretend everything was not what it had just
become. That one was a little harder to sort through, since this faucet of
their relationship definitely fell under the defiance category. Renji knew he
wasn�t the first person Byakuya had taken into his life whom his family
wouldn�t exactly approve of, yet still had to let slide because of his
captain�s position, but somehow that knowledge didn�t help the situation much.
He wasn�t an adoption and he wasn�t a fianc�, hell, he wasn�t sure what he was, but he was pretty damn certain it
wasn�t �proper�.

So was he
supposed to stay or go? Was he supposed to sneak out before the servants woke
up or stay defiantly in the Kuchiki estate � in the head of the clan�s own bed
� until they left for work in the morning? Did it matter to him? Oh hell yeah;
he wanted to just go lay back down on the surprisingly comfortable futon and
sleep, thinking be damned. �But he was too far in now not to care. What a mess.
He ran a hand through his hair and grumbled.

�� Renji?�

Renji�s
head snapped up at the familiar voice. �Ru-Rukia?� Aw� fuck.

The small
woman drew closer, peering up at him, as if making sure she was seeing
straight. Not that he blamed her, considering there was no damn reason for him
to be wandering around her house in the middle of the night. Well, just one.
Maybe. Not acceptable. Shit. �What are you doing here?�

�I, uh� er�� Renji stuttered, trying to come
up with an excuse and failing miserably.

�And why are you walking out of Ni-sama�s
quarters?� She was peering suspiciously at him now.

�I� isn�t it a little late, Rukia?� he finally
managed, �what�re you doing out this way, anyway? Shouldn�t you be asleep?�
There, if he had to go down, he was taking her with him.

�I just got back from my shift,� she gestured
pointedly to her uniform. �Does Ni-sama know you�re here? He�ll be upset if
he-�

�He knows,� Renji interrupted quickly, knowing
full well that he was blushing head to toe now. �He, uh, invite-�

�What are you wearing?� Rukia stepped closer,
grabbing at the material. �Is that silk? I didn�t know you owned silk!�

�Rukia!� Renji hissed, grabbing the material
back before it could slide too far out of position. �Oi, if you want to see me
naked that badly-�

Rukia
flushed at that, but didn�t relent, �Are you kidding? Who�d want to see that?�

Renji
growled, just about prepared to tell her exactly who would and did like to see
�that� when he felt a hand on his shoulder and damn near jumped out of his
skin.

�What are the two of you conspiring about so
late at night?� Byakuya drawled from behind him, and then added, �Other than
stealing my clothes.�

�N-ni-sama!� Rukia bowed automatically. �I was
just returning from my shift and found Renji in the hallway-� she paused.
Looked up again. Blinked. Looked at Renji. Looked at Byakuya, and then back at
Renji who was giving a very nervous smile by this point� and grinned. �There�s
no way��

Renji
scoffed, crossing his arms. �It�s not that
surprising.�

�So you wouldn�t mind if I told-mpphh!!� Rukia
clawed at the hands covering her mouth.

�My what a lovely night for a walk don�t you
think, Rukia?� Renji spoke loudly over her muffled indignities. �Ah, I thought
so too: how about I walk you back to your room and you can never mention this
ever again? Good? Good! I thought so: let�s go!�

�Renji.�

The red
head stopped mid step and glanced over his shoulder.

�If you keep yelling like that you will wake
the whole house,� Byakuya calmly pointed out.

�Oh� yeah� uh, sorry, Taichou�� Renji
sheepishly apologized, but before he could go anywhere, the hand was back on
his shoulder pulling him away from the main hallway.

�Renji.�

��Yes, Taichou?�

�I would also prefer it if you didn�t strangle
my sister.�

�� Oh.� He took his hand off of Rukia�s mouth
and she pushed away, gasping harshly for air. �� sorry,� he added, though
unsure to whom he was apologizing. Rukia glared at him as he set her back on
the ground.

�You should get to sleep, Rukia: I will see
you tomorrow,� Byakuya intoned formally.

Rukia
looked a little uncertain now and maybe a little embarrassed, but bowed anyway
and kind of made a quick step backwards as she did, mumbling something that
sounded like, �Good evening, Ni-sama,� and then spinning around to walk down
the hallway as quickly and quietly as possible.

�We should get to sleep too,� Byakuya pointed
out once she was a significant distance away.

�� All night?� Renji asked quietly, turning
slightly to look back at the elder Kuchiki.

Byakuya
frowned lightly, �Yes all night, what else would I mean?�

�I mean�� Renji sighed and just asked, �I mean
you want me to stay the whole night, Taichou? You don�t want me to� leave
before you or anything?�

�� That�s why you were out here?�

Renji
looked down, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. �Well
I� I wasn�t sure, so I thought maybe if I went for a walk I could figure things
out, but I-� He stopped short when jaw was caught in a gentle but firm grasp
and tilted up so that he was looking straight at his captain again.

�I don�t take risks for things I don�t think
are worth it,� Byakuya interrupted with the simple statement. �You are worth
it.�

Renji�s
throat dried up almost instantly, leaving him without a way to speak if he
could even find the words. So that was it. He grinned. He just couldn�t help
it. Without another avenue of expression, all he could do was grin at the other
man and eventually lean forward to capture pale lips in a quick but fierce
kiss. When he pulled back, his voice finally returned. �Let�s go to bed, ne
Taichou?�

Byakuya
smirked back at him, just a slight upturn of the lips, but still more than the
usually stoic man let show. �That sounds wonderful, Renji.�
- 1
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When The Moon Reaches Back