FicWad

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THEM! Byakuya's too proud to be owned and Renji can't keep track of his masters as it is. I'd only be a burden to their already growing fan bases.

Warnings: Man schmex (which I add to each chapter, to get across to those reviewers I delete, that this fic is indeed YAOI, and not some fighting fic where the men argue with each other and end up the best of comrades). Angst of the Kuchiki variety. Beware. -makes scary ghost sounds-

Notes: This chapter might get psychologically heavy, so please keep in mind the warnings I've given and refrain from flaming. They're pointless and will simply be used for heating the water for the Kuchiki household's communal indoor winter spa.

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"A...ano, Kuchiki-taichou...is it time for practice already?"

The dark haired captain shuffled himself away from his disheveled teammate and stood up, straightening his clothes and hair, his cool gaze leaving Renji's body as he turned his back and gave the younger man his privacy. It was no doubt embarrassing for the redhead to be seen naked by his superior. He doubted he could look Byakuya in the eye when he finally climbed to his own feet and snatched on a pair of pants from the foot of the bed. It was strange, the way the elder man stayed in the room, Renji's mind telling him that the no doubt spoiled and pampered nobleman lacked the experience of being nude with other men. Considering the fukutaichou's upbringing in the poorer area of Soul Society, Renji had had his share of nude experiences, mostly due to bathing arrangements and the lack of privacy.

"C..can you wait for me outside, taichou? I'll only be a minute. There's tea in the kitchen if you wanna make yourself some..."

"It's fine, Abarai-kun. I'll be at the grounds. Keep your time limit to ten minutes."

One step, and the decorated captain was gone, Renji's curtains telling him the obvious way the elder man had exited, his body already gaining on the raised bluff where the execution grounds sat. The morning sunlight shone on the towering pillar, as well as the finely constructed uprights that served as restraints for the condemned. Byakuya breathed deeply of the fresh, somewhat cool air and stretched in silence, the trees even refusing to whisper as the chilly wind blew through them. He was in his own world when alone on the bluff, his memories flooding back and trying vainly to break the barriers he had placed. Why would he need to remember Hisana when training? What good would it do to linger on a past he didn't have the slimmest chance of changing?

His patient reworking of the mental shields was interrupted by heavy huffing and the clang of Renji's soul slayer as it hit the ground, his out of breath appearance seemingly comical to the taller man.

"Abarai-kun. You made it in less than ten minutes. I'm impressed. Please limit your time getting here in the future to the same amount. It would please me to see you in a less tired state however."

"Aa, gomen ne, taichou. I was out very late last night and I haven't had the best luck with waking up so early. It won't happen again."

"Good. See that it doesn't."

The last syllable was barely from his mouth before Byakuya took off towards the unprepared shinigami, bringing his zanpakutou down in a curving arc, destined to be imbedded in the redhead's skull. Renji dodged it easily and rolled to the left, his Zabimaru already out and ready for action, its normal size showing that he hadn't bothered to summon its second stage. There was no sourness between the two men, but the Kuchiki heir found that the younger man could use some practice in the hand-to-hand combat aspects of his being, if only in sword combat on the lowest levels. He had been watching him for years as he continued through the shinigami academy and even after bringing Rukia into their fold, the nobleman wanted Renji to be near him as well.

Howling out a loud cry, the pony-tailed shinigami ran across the minimal space between them, Zabimaru in his outstretched hands. He knew that his captain wanted him in the best of shape and even though it would be a terrible hardship for him to train daily, Renji found that as long as Byakuya trained him himself, the work seemed tolerable. He loved the way the regal man dipped to the side to avoid the sword's bite, his hair shining almost indigo in the bright morning sunlight. He was beautiful to say the least, the fukutaichou's mental admittance to the fact throwing him off balance, as he caught the flat side of the captain's sword across the chest, falling backwards heavily onto his backside.

Dusty and hurt in pride only, Renji lifted himself up from the grassless ground and took a casual stance, one arm behind his back while the wielding arm sat outstretched but low, the zanpakutou's tip a scant inch from the dirt. His eyes betrayed his deep seated thoughts and the elder man caught them as if by accident, his eyebrows raising when he realized the look was entirely feral, a stare only given when the hunter had finally found and cornered its prey. Keeping his collected manner, Byakuya felt like upping the stakes, swiftly switching Senbonzakura to its upended position, his right hand holding it aloft as he stared down the animalistic vice captain. He wasn't about to use his Bankai on the newbie fukutaichou but he could pretend, couldn't he?

"Do I have to force you to fight at a higher level, Abarai-kun? I'm quite willing to do it, but I doubt that you could handle my Senbonzakura's highest range at your current skill level."

The younger shinigami knew that the nobleman had his sword positioned for the Bankai, knowledge of the cherry blossom attack ran like water throughout the academy and even managed to haunt Renji during his last few years in the school, worrying the young man about whether or not he'd ever come close and be chosen by one of the captains. Smirking, the redhead stepped forward and lifted his sword slightly, showing that he neither feared nor worried the attack, still mentally hoping that the dark haired death god was bluffing.

"I can handle anything you can throw at me, Kuchiki-taichou. I might be the new guy around your division but I'm no green rookie."

He punctuated his remark with a growl and a launched attack, watching through his slightly less swift but just as useful flash step as the other man lifted his zanpakutou and disappeared, immediately reappearing behind him and winding his unoccupied hand around Renji's head to cup over his mouth, successfully silencing and stopping him. Both bodies sat in the dust as it settled, Renji's bent forward slightly with his sword arm at his side, Zabimaru's tip buried in the dirt while his other hand held onto Byakuya's sleeve for dear life, fisting in the dense but comfortable material.

"Your frontal attacks are strong with grace and power but you still have little to no protection from the back. You see how easily I subdued you? That should be worked on. Thoroughly."
He let the boy go and stepped back, adjusting his uppermost kenseikan before standing perfectly till, dark eyes boring into Renji's head, the somewhat ashamed face turning away as the redheaded shinigami blushed from the intensity of his captain's stare. Clearing his throat, he turned away from the younger man and replaced the Senbonzakura in its sheath, brushing dust off of his clothes as he spoke, his words slightly muffled as if spoken and not meant.

"Tonight, Abarai-kun, will you join me for dinner? It is customary for the captains to invite their subordinates to dinner occasionally. Because it is your first week as mine, I see it as only proper. Can I expect you and plan accordingly?"

Renji blinked and nodded numbly, sheathing Zabimaru and brushing himself off absentmindedly, the question echoing in his head as the nobleman nodded his acceptance of the other's answer and left, simply walking away instead of disappearing from sight, a sign registering in the young Abarai's mind as acquiescence of the situation. Byakuya neither loved nor hated him, but he respected him enough to not simply flash out of sight. He showed his back to a potential enemy and walked away calmly. The tattooed shinigami chuckled suddenly and left the grounds as well, finding that his chest ached in an almost delightful way in the place where the Senbonzakura's backside had thumped him.


Upon arriving back at the manor, Byakuya arranged his dinner plans with the kitchen staff, their bright smiles and excited nods following him as he left the main house, the four women and two men chattering amongst themselves about the possibility of a new love in their master’s life.

The sakura wielding shinigami sighed slightly but managed to crack a happy smile as he headed for his chambers, bathing again but with less relaxation time. He was eager to get the rest of the day moving so he could see the redhead sooner, visions of the powerful young fukutaichou floating behind closed eyelids as he sunk deeper into the warm pool. On a whim, the young Kuchiki slid his right hand under the water and into his lap, gently wrapping strong fingers around his member before stroking it firmly, slowly working the flesh as he moaned out loud, imagining the long haired swordsman on his hands and knees.

In Byakuya’s mind, Renji licked at the flushed head of his cock with something akin to hunger, slurping noisily at the slit and tonguing the underside as he stroked it with one hand, the other cupping the elder man’s sac gently but firmly, squeezing the warm balls within. The moment his imagined partner looked up at him with his mouth filled and eyes wide but smiling, the calm demeanored shinigami choked out a sharp cry and came into the heated water, his hand moving viciously as he pumped himself for all he was worth, finally shuddering from the release and breathing deeply of the scented air.

It was out of character for the Kuchiki heir to pleasure himself at all, having avoided it ever since Hisana had died. A welcome thrill but a sudden shock to his system, he smiled and got out quickly, flicking the plug at the bottom of the tub so it could drain, leaving the cleaning and refilling to his diligent little servant. After a simple midday meal and an hour of resting in his garden, Byakuya left his tranquil little bit of paradise beside Hisana’s favourite stone pagoda in favour of going back to his rooms, changing out of his loungewear to a more formal yukata and hakama, both in a matching muted shade of blue.

He was sure that the younger man knew where he lived and after donning his geta sandals, true formalwear for the greeting of guests, Byakuya stood stoically at the front door of the main house, the gentle but cool summer night breeze blowing his hair off to his left, his clothes doing the same, giving him an air of delicateness as opposed to his normal sharpness.


Renji was on time, which was surprising to the captain, his lithe form draped in a burgundy robe, similar to Byakuya’s own but less ornate, his pants a matching colour which reminded the elder man of blood. He shuddered inwardly and bowed to the vice captain, gifting him with a small smile before gesturing towards the open doors.

The redheaded shinigami had never been to the opulent Kuchiki estate and he was quite overwhelmed, his eyes wide as he walked past more rooms than he thought one building could contain, not even realizing that he was only in the main house. The grounds surrounding it contained another four buildings, all attached to the largest one by long, winding corridors. Byakuya’s own chambers resided within one of the four outbuildings, his privacy assured because of the distance between himself and the servants quarters.

The dining room was large but not overly ostentatious, the table taking up most of the space, its well used but heavily lacquered surface shining in the candlelight, the wall sconces throwing off enough light that the men could easily see each other. Waiting patiently as Renji seated himself on one side, the decorated captain lowered his willowy form onto the plush pillow, kneeling neatly as they waited for their dinner to arrive.

“I’m pleased that you were on time, Abarai-kun. I hadn’t meant for my words to mean punctuality in everything you do, but it is nice to see you behaving.”

“Aa, thank you, Kuchiki-taichou.”

“Please, I may seem formal when we’re in the public eye but you may call me by my first name when we’re in private.”

The pony tailed swordsman blinked before nodding, sitting back slightly as a young girl walked in carrying a large tray, bending slightly at the knees as she placed it down and bowed to the pair. He stared after her swaying bottom and smirked, slipping his eyes back to the host and breaking into a chuckle as he noticed the regal young man doing the same thing. Byakuya waited until she had come and went a second time before gesturing for his guest to lift the lid, revealing a sumptuous but refined meal.

“Now, she will be gone for the duration of the night. So long as no one is listening any longer, I will insist that you refer to me informally. Now that we are teammates, a friendship is in order, should you wish it.”

The darker man ate a small portion of his vegetables and then set his chopsticks back down on their tiny wooden rest, sitting back somewhat to peer at the younger man, waiting for him to respond. A creeping blush and a choked reply proved important.

“H..hai, Byakuya-taichou.”

“No ‘taichou’, Abarai-kun.”

“Okay, but if I have to call you by your first name, can you call me by mine? I don’t want to feel like I’m insulting you or something…”

Byakuya blinked and nodded, idly digging at his food before looking up with a slight smile.
“I can do that if it would please you, Renji-kun.”

“It does. Thank you.”

It made the elder man feel better that his comrade had fallen back into a slightly more relaxed pace, his heart stopping its manic beat within his chest. Leaving his mostly uneaten food, the noble Kuchiki stood, causing Renji to stand as well out of courtesy, both men smiling as Byakuya offered a reprieve to the meal.

“I have something to show you, Renji.”

The flippant shinigami followed behind obediently, trudging through the long corridor to the end, a windowed screen hiding the well maintained garden beyond, Renji’s gasp of surprise making the elegantly dressed host smile warmly. It was a short walk from the doorway to Hisana’s pagoda, her small urn still sitting on the stone below it, well bolted to the hard object to prevent it from falling over. Byakuya kneeled beside it and ran one long fingered hand over the edge of the stone structure, caressing it lovingly as he spoke softly.

“This is the memorial for my late wife, Hisana. I come here often to soothe my mind and to simply sit with her when I need company. Being the only heir to the Kuchiki name is a lonely job.”

Blinking, Renji knelt down as well, bowing low to the shrine and peeking up at the other man with slight reverence, catching the loving smile on the delicately boned face, his left eye almost hidden by a fall of dark hair. Byakuya knew that it was risky letting the younger man into his personal life but the way he looked when cleaned up and his intoxicating scent combined to make the cherry blossom master woozy.

Leaning forward, he cupped Renji’s face in his hands and proceeded to kiss him softly, his subdued moan lost between them as the red haired death god lifted his arms to wind around the captain’s waist. The fukutaichou was no stranger to kissing and though he had grown up on the streets and knew a lot of girls, Rukia included, he had yet to sleep with one. He had taken quite a few boys in his time and he felt a sudden panic run through him at the thought of being seduced by the elder shinigami.

Pushing back on Byakuya’s shoulders, Renji glowered slightly and stood up, bowing quickly to the shrine and taking off, hurrying to the gate at the far end of the garden and escaping into the dusty laneway, leaving the confused Kuchiki heir staring after him. He could have taken it as a sign that Hisana was displeased, her husband flirting with another man, but he didn’t. Instead, he got up and brushed his robes off, walking to his area of the compound and retiring for the night.

The candlelight caressed his bared skin as he laid back against the large pile of pillows, turning onto his left side instead of the right, burying his face in the pillows and forcing himself to fall asleep, unable to get Renji’s actions out of his mind and unable to let the memory of his wife rest so he could enjoy himself.

Through a heavy sigh, he felt a tear course down his cheek, angrily wiping it away lest it remind him any further of his sorrow.