Fresh Ink, Part 3 (Renji/Byakuya AU)
Title: Fresh Ink (Part 3 / ?)
Characters: Tattoo artist!Renji x grad student!Byakuya
Genre: University!AU, Romance, multi-chapter
Rating: PG. This is the last tame chapter. Next time is teh smutt!
Words: 1450
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine. The university is, though.
A/N: Sorry about the wait. Part 4 will follow shortly. ^_^
After some internal debate, Byakuya decided to call Renji. It was Friday night, and though Byron and Milton had proven pleasant enough company in the past, it couldn’t hurt to get out and socialize with someone who hadn’t been dead for several centuries.
At Renji’s suggestion, they met at Richter’s, conveniently located a few doors up from Renji’s studio and just around the block from Byakuya’s apartment. Renji was waiting at the bar when Byakuya arrived, already sipping a beer. He was wearing black jeans, a green T-shirt featuring some band Byakuya had never heard of, and a brown leather jacket. A black bandana covered the tattoos on his forehead.
“Hey there,” Renji said, sliding off the stool to greet him. “Wanna sit here or get a table in the back where it’s quieter?”
“I’d prefer a table if you don’t mind.”
“Table it is, then. You’ve been here right?”
“Quite frequently with the crew team, though not recently.”
“What I love about this place - ” Renji paused as a young woman approached their table to take their order. Renji ordered what Byakuya presumed was his second Guinness, and Byakuya ordered a martini.
Renji waited until their server was out of earshot to finish his sentence. “What I love about this place,” he said with a smirk, “is that they never card me.”
Byakuya blinked. “You’re not 21?”
"Not ‘til next August.” Renji grinned.
“Do you not have a fake?”
“Of course I have one. It’s just shitty - only works about 70% of the time.”
“I hadn’t realized you were that young,” Byakuya said, hoping he didn't sound as stupid as he felt. Looking at Renji again, he did look young. And he acted young, too. But the 20-year-old undergrads in Byakuya’s classes were always intimidated by him, while Renji was not in the least.
“I’m not that young. What are you…24? Or 25?”
“The latter, unfortunately.”
“You need to have a little fun before you get old. Too much studying’s no good for anybody.” He leaned forward a bit. “What exactly do you do in grad school anyway?”
“I had to take classes for two years, and teach a few undergraduate courses. I still teach, but mainly I’m focused on writing my dissertation.”
“What’s it about?”
“Broadly speaking, it’s about Milton’s influence on Byron.”
“Cool,” Renji replied as their drinks arrived. “I’d love to see you teaching a class. I bet you’ve got girls with ‘I Love You’ written on their eyelids like in Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
“I haven’t noticed.”
“You wouldn’t.” Renji laughed. “Not girls, anyway.”
Byakuya covered a barely-there smile with a sip of his drink. “You picked up on that rather quickly, as I recall.”
“What, you mean about you being queer?” Renji scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Let’s see here…you’re pretty. You’re studying English literature. You’re in great shape for no apparent reason. Your tattoo’s a goddamn flower.”
Byakuya’s face darkened slightly. He didn’t think Renji was ready to hear the story behind the design he had chosen. Perhaps he just wasn’t ready to tell it. It didn’t matter anyway, because at that moment three young men came sauntering over to their table. He recognized the other artist from the tattoo parlor, accompanied by a meek-looking blond and guy with a shaved head.
“Well, well. Renji’s caught himself something pretty,” said the artist, with a sly glance at Byakuya.
“Hey gang,” Renji lifted his glass in greeting. “Wondered if you might be here tonight. Sorry I never called you back - ”
“What’s with the table?” the bald one asked. “Ignoring us?”
“Obviously, he’s entertaining someone important,” the blond replied. “Are you too good for us now, Abarai?”
Renji laughed. “You’re all just jealous. Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Kira, this is Byakuya. Byakuya, these are the guys that like to hang around me and get me into trouble.”
“Honestly, where do you find these preppy types?” Ikkaku teased. “Have you been hanging around the college dorms?”
“For your information,” Renji said with mock sophistication, “this fine gentleman is a client of mine.”
“Oh that’s right,” said Shuuhei. “He just came in this week. I knew he looked familiar.”
“What are you three doing the rest of the night?” Renji asked.
Ikkaku shrugged. “No plans. We’ll be over at the bar here for a bit, maybe hit up Crown Street if Kira here’s still functioning.” He elbowed the blond, who glared at him through already-bleary eyes.
“You guys are welcome to join, of course,” Shuuhei said.
“Nah, I think we’re gonna do our own thing tonight,” Renji replied. “First date and all.”
“Well we’ll leave you two alone then,” Shuuhei said with a wink. “Nice to meet you, Byakuya.”
“Sorry about that,” Renji said. “They like you, ya know."
"I never even said anything."
"Well, they like to talk. Shuuhei works with me - you might have seen him there on Monday. He actually taught me a lot about tattooing.”
“How did you wind up in your line of work?” Byakuya asked.
“A lifelong dream! Ever since I was a kid. I was five years old and I saw a guy with a really great tattoo, and I thought, that is what I want to do.”
“That’s impressive.”
“I feel really lucky. Not many people who grow up like I did can get a job doing exactly what they want to do.”
“Did you grow up here?”
“Never lived anywhere else.” Renji motioned for the passing waitress to bring another round of drinks. “Where are you from? Originally, I mean.”
“Boston. My family has been there for ages.”
"So, if you don't mind my asking, why didn’t you go to Harvard then?”
Byakuya raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I tell you my family lives in Boston?”
Renji smiled. “Funny. You don’t strike me as the rebellious type.”
“It’s not rebellion so much as avoidance.”
“Ah.”
The conversation rambled on, touching on music, politics, cars, and favorite local establishments, none of which they agreed upon, and the many merits of Indian cuisine, which they did.
“Want another one?” Renji asked, eyeing Byakuya’s empty glass. “You better know how to drink, or you’re with the wrong guy here.”
“I was once on the crew team, remember?”
“Yeah, the lightweight crew team.”
This time Byakuya couldn’t move quickly enough to cover his smile.
“You don’t smile enough. I bet it’s all that Byron.”
“Have you read a word of Byron?” he asked skeptically.
“Can’t say that I have. But all the same, you’re cute when you smile.”
Byakuya’s expression soured. Of all his ambitions, ‘cute’ did not rank high on the list.
Apparently it was high on Renji's. “You were really cute when you first came by the studio," he continued. "You had the most clueless expression - like Alice in Wonderland or something. And you were totally into me.”
Something like amused regret passed over Byakuya’s face. “Was I really that transparent?”
"You asked me point-blank if I was available.”
“For an appointment.”
"Whatever, it was so obvious I was the only thing keeping you in that building.”
Byakuya just sipped his martini. He'd let Renji win this one.
“Well it worked out well, didn’t it?" Renji said. "Good thing I liked you.”
“May I ask why?”
“I told you. You’re cute. And when I was doing your tattoo I was really impressed with your body. I told you that, didn’t I?”
“Several times.”
“I’m gonna want to take a look at that again at some point."
“At…”
“At your tattoo, I mean. To make sure it’s not acting up.”
Byakuya nodded. "It seems fine to me. But you’re more than welcome to check. We ought to go somewhere more private, though, would you agree?”
Renji agreed. “Did you say you lived right near here?”
“Yes. In the Cambridge Oxford over on High Street.”
“I’ve heard those are some sweet apartments,” Renji said. “Never been inside, though.”
“Consider yourself invited.”
“Wow, what an honor. Right now?”
“As soon as we finish our…” Byakuya’s voice trailed off as Renji chugged the remainder of his beer.
“…drinks?” Renji said with a grin as the empty vessel hit the table. He sat back in his seat. “Take your time,” he said, but a challenge sparkled in his eyes.
Byakuya felt conflicted. He held a deep conviction that a martini was not something that could be chugged. But until last week, he had been equally certain that he would never get a tattoo. And besides, it was late, and he was as eager for a change of scenery as Renji was. He settled on a compromise, draining his glass so smoothly and elegantly that no one in their right mind could call it ‘chugging.’
“You ready?” Renji asked when he had finished.
“Yes.”
They pulled on their coats, and Byakuya made a brief, unsuccessful attempt to stop Renji from paying. As they walked out the door, Byakuya slipped his hands into his coat pockets and was startled to find Renji’s hand waiting there for him. He took it. It was a cold night, but neither of them noticed.
*Part 1*
*Part 2*
Characters: Tattoo artist!Renji x grad student!Byakuya
Genre: University!AU, Romance, multi-chapter
Rating: PG. This is the last tame chapter. Next time is teh smutt!
Words: 1450
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine. The university is, though.
A/N: Sorry about the wait. Part 4 will follow shortly. ^_^
After some internal debate, Byakuya decided to call Renji. It was Friday night, and though Byron and Milton had proven pleasant enough company in the past, it couldn’t hurt to get out and socialize with someone who hadn’t been dead for several centuries.
At Renji’s suggestion, they met at Richter’s, conveniently located a few doors up from Renji’s studio and just around the block from Byakuya’s apartment. Renji was waiting at the bar when Byakuya arrived, already sipping a beer. He was wearing black jeans, a green T-shirt featuring some band Byakuya had never heard of, and a brown leather jacket. A black bandana covered the tattoos on his forehead.
“Hey there,” Renji said, sliding off the stool to greet him. “Wanna sit here or get a table in the back where it’s quieter?”
“I’d prefer a table if you don’t mind.”
“Table it is, then. You’ve been here right?”
“Quite frequently with the crew team, though not recently.”
“What I love about this place - ” Renji paused as a young woman approached their table to take their order. Renji ordered what Byakuya presumed was his second Guinness, and Byakuya ordered a martini.
Renji waited until their server was out of earshot to finish his sentence. “What I love about this place,” he said with a smirk, “is that they never card me.”
Byakuya blinked. “You’re not 21?”
"Not ‘til next August.” Renji grinned.
“Do you not have a fake?”
“Of course I have one. It’s just shitty - only works about 70% of the time.”
“I hadn’t realized you were that young,” Byakuya said, hoping he didn't sound as stupid as he felt. Looking at Renji again, he did look young. And he acted young, too. But the 20-year-old undergrads in Byakuya’s classes were always intimidated by him, while Renji was not in the least.
“I’m not that young. What are you…24? Or 25?”
“The latter, unfortunately.”
“You need to have a little fun before you get old. Too much studying’s no good for anybody.” He leaned forward a bit. “What exactly do you do in grad school anyway?”
“I had to take classes for two years, and teach a few undergraduate courses. I still teach, but mainly I’m focused on writing my dissertation.”
“What’s it about?”
“Broadly speaking, it’s about Milton’s influence on Byron.”
“Cool,” Renji replied as their drinks arrived. “I’d love to see you teaching a class. I bet you’ve got girls with ‘I Love You’ written on their eyelids like in Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
“I haven’t noticed.”
“You wouldn’t.” Renji laughed. “Not girls, anyway.”
Byakuya covered a barely-there smile with a sip of his drink. “You picked up on that rather quickly, as I recall.”
“What, you mean about you being queer?” Renji scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Let’s see here…you’re pretty. You’re studying English literature. You’re in great shape for no apparent reason. Your tattoo’s a goddamn flower.”
Byakuya’s face darkened slightly. He didn’t think Renji was ready to hear the story behind the design he had chosen. Perhaps he just wasn’t ready to tell it. It didn’t matter anyway, because at that moment three young men came sauntering over to their table. He recognized the other artist from the tattoo parlor, accompanied by a meek-looking blond and guy with a shaved head.
“Well, well. Renji’s caught himself something pretty,” said the artist, with a sly glance at Byakuya.
“Hey gang,” Renji lifted his glass in greeting. “Wondered if you might be here tonight. Sorry I never called you back - ”
“What’s with the table?” the bald one asked. “Ignoring us?”
“Obviously, he’s entertaining someone important,” the blond replied. “Are you too good for us now, Abarai?”
Renji laughed. “You’re all just jealous. Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Kira, this is Byakuya. Byakuya, these are the guys that like to hang around me and get me into trouble.”
“Honestly, where do you find these preppy types?” Ikkaku teased. “Have you been hanging around the college dorms?”
“For your information,” Renji said with mock sophistication, “this fine gentleman is a client of mine.”
“Oh that’s right,” said Shuuhei. “He just came in this week. I knew he looked familiar.”
“What are you three doing the rest of the night?” Renji asked.
Ikkaku shrugged. “No plans. We’ll be over at the bar here for a bit, maybe hit up Crown Street if Kira here’s still functioning.” He elbowed the blond, who glared at him through already-bleary eyes.
“You guys are welcome to join, of course,” Shuuhei said.
“Nah, I think we’re gonna do our own thing tonight,” Renji replied. “First date and all.”
“Well we’ll leave you two alone then,” Shuuhei said with a wink. “Nice to meet you, Byakuya.”
“Sorry about that,” Renji said. “They like you, ya know."
"I never even said anything."
"Well, they like to talk. Shuuhei works with me - you might have seen him there on Monday. He actually taught me a lot about tattooing.”
“How did you wind up in your line of work?” Byakuya asked.
“A lifelong dream! Ever since I was a kid. I was five years old and I saw a guy with a really great tattoo, and I thought, that is what I want to do.”
“That’s impressive.”
“I feel really lucky. Not many people who grow up like I did can get a job doing exactly what they want to do.”
“Did you grow up here?”
“Never lived anywhere else.” Renji motioned for the passing waitress to bring another round of drinks. “Where are you from? Originally, I mean.”
“Boston. My family has been there for ages.”
"So, if you don't mind my asking, why didn’t you go to Harvard then?”
Byakuya raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I tell you my family lives in Boston?”
Renji smiled. “Funny. You don’t strike me as the rebellious type.”
“It’s not rebellion so much as avoidance.”
“Ah.”
The conversation rambled on, touching on music, politics, cars, and favorite local establishments, none of which they agreed upon, and the many merits of Indian cuisine, which they did.
“Want another one?” Renji asked, eyeing Byakuya’s empty glass. “You better know how to drink, or you’re with the wrong guy here.”
“I was once on the crew team, remember?”
“Yeah, the lightweight crew team.”
This time Byakuya couldn’t move quickly enough to cover his smile.
“You don’t smile enough. I bet it’s all that Byron.”
“Have you read a word of Byron?” he asked skeptically.
“Can’t say that I have. But all the same, you’re cute when you smile.”
Byakuya’s expression soured. Of all his ambitions, ‘cute’ did not rank high on the list.
Apparently it was high on Renji's. “You were really cute when you first came by the studio," he continued. "You had the most clueless expression - like Alice in Wonderland or something. And you were totally into me.”
Something like amused regret passed over Byakuya’s face. “Was I really that transparent?”
"You asked me point-blank if I was available.”
“For an appointment.”
"Whatever, it was so obvious I was the only thing keeping you in that building.”
Byakuya just sipped his martini. He'd let Renji win this one.
“Well it worked out well, didn’t it?" Renji said. "Good thing I liked you.”
“May I ask why?”
“I told you. You’re cute. And when I was doing your tattoo I was really impressed with your body. I told you that, didn’t I?”
“Several times.”
“I’m gonna want to take a look at that again at some point."
“At…”
“At your tattoo, I mean. To make sure it’s not acting up.”
Byakuya nodded. "It seems fine to me. But you’re more than welcome to check. We ought to go somewhere more private, though, would you agree?”
Renji agreed. “Did you say you lived right near here?”
“Yes. In the Cambridge Oxford over on High Street.”
“I’ve heard those are some sweet apartments,” Renji said. “Never been inside, though.”
“Consider yourself invited.”
“Wow, what an honor. Right now?”
“As soon as we finish our…” Byakuya’s voice trailed off as Renji chugged the remainder of his beer.
“…drinks?” Renji said with a grin as the empty vessel hit the table. He sat back in his seat. “Take your time,” he said, but a challenge sparkled in his eyes.
Byakuya felt conflicted. He held a deep conviction that a martini was not something that could be chugged. But until last week, he had been equally certain that he would never get a tattoo. And besides, it was late, and he was as eager for a change of scenery as Renji was. He settled on a compromise, draining his glass so smoothly and elegantly that no one in their right mind could call it ‘chugging.’
“You ready?” Renji asked when he had finished.
“Yes.”
They pulled on their coats, and Byakuya made a brief, unsuccessful attempt to stop Renji from paying. As they walked out the door, Byakuya slipped his hands into his coat pockets and was startled to find Renji’s hand waiting there for him. He took it. It was a cold night, but neither of them noticed.
*Part 1*
*Part 2*