When Plans Go Awry
Title: When Plans Go Awry
Disclaimer: Bleach doesn't belong to me... I just borrow the characters for my muse to play with.
Rating: NC-17
Warning/Info: Smut... and I think that's about it.
Pairing: ByaRen
A/N: Very late response to this spring's springkink prompt for 28th Feb - Renji/Byakuya: Pool sex - What was supposed to be a relaxing day off turned into an embarrassment for Captain Kuchiki. I still have three more prompts from this spring, which will not meet even the late deadline, but I'll still be doing them nonetheless. I'm not sure if my writing pace will pick up with all the stuff I have to do but we'll see... Thankfully only one prompt from this fall's Springkink appealed to me, so I won't really have to rush to finish anything (I hope). Also, apologies for the quality of the fic.. I don't think it's turned out as well as I hope it would, but muse won't change any major details any further. Last but not least, this may be taken as a loose sequel to Holiday Plans.
“Abarai-fukutaicho, I have approved next month’s schedule with a few minor changes. Please do the necessary.”
“Hai, taicho.”
Byakuya raised his head slightly, observing Renji instead of the report in his hands as the redhead looked over the schedule, amused beneath his cool demeanour at the surprised expression on his Lieutenant’s face. Turning his attention back to the report once he satisfied, the raven-haired captain waited for the expected question, which however failed to materialise.
‘It looks like he’s assumed some form of self-restrain. That is rather commendable.’
A peaceful silence followed, only interrupted by the soft swish of brush on paper and the rare question from Renji. Time passed quickly and it was not long before Renji asked if there was anything that needed despatching while he was out for lunch.
Nodding, the noble gestured to a pile of completed paperwork. They were both so familiar with each other, or perhaps it could be more accurately said that Renji had been trained and had gotten used to his work style over the past decades that it was not necessary to speak to communicate.
“Lunch?”
Grey eyes met brown ones in silent affirmation, before Renji nodded and replied, “I’ll be off then, taicho,” leaving the office with a stack of documents with the schedule on the top.
Wrapping up the report he had been writing, Byakuya briefly considered if all the details in his plan were in place before allowing himself the glimpse of a smile.
If anything, one of the things that Renji and he himself (though he had not admitted it then) had enjoyed the most during their trip to the Human world had been the Jacuzzi in their hotel suite.
The first thing Renji had gone to check out in their hotel room had been the bathroom. When he reappeared with a grin on his face, the raven-haired noble was rather puzzled at what was within that could have caused the smile.
“Byakuya, join me in the bath later? There’s something really cool I want to show you.”
He was already so used to Renji that when the redhead had dropped his clothes and walked into the bathroom stark naked, he did not even raise an eyebrow. A moment later, Renji reappeared hastily, still naked.
“I’m sorry. Er… you can watch the television while you wait for me to shower and get things ready. I’ll let you know when I’m done, so you can shower and join me in the Jacuzzi.”
He watched, silently admiring the well-defined musculature and bold tattoos as his redhead struggled with a small piece of equipment, and wondered what the ‘Jacuzzi’ Renji had spoken of was. His studies on the Human World had not mentioned what it was.
“There.”
As the flat, black screen in front of the chair he was seated on suddenly showed images of people moving around, Byakuya tried not to be surprised. He had heard of television, but this was the first time he had seen what it did.
“Here’s the remote control. You just need to press the buttons to change the channels, Taicho. It’s showing news of the Human World at the moment. If you look around the various channels, you can probably find some entertainment or some programme you might be interested in.”
As Renji disappeared into the bathroom after leaving the remote control in his hands, Byakuya watched the news channel briefly before pressing on one of the numbered buttons of the light, rectangular device. The image and sound changed, this time showing a group of people with makeup and long hair playing instruments and singing. He pressed on another button immediately.
The hissing snake that appeared on the screen had surprised him but the scenes that followed caught his attention and he settled himself in the chair, watching the documentary and animals that he had never seen before with keen interest.
Intently observing the creatures on the screen, he missed Renji calling out to him several times. It was only when he felt something licking at his ear that he turned suddenly and found himself face to face with his lover. Renji reacted as he usually did, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, before straightening himself and grinning.
“Byakuya, is the documentary that interesting?”
It was a naked Renji, water still dripping from crimson strands and taut muscles glistening, who had his attention now.
“Anyway, the shower’s free. Join me in the Jacuzzi when you’re done.”
As Renji turned and headed back to the bathroom with his natural swagger, the noble stared unconsciously at the sight of his lover’s firm rump before removing his shihakushou and folding them neatly - they had gotten out of their gigai once in the room; they sat lifeless in a corner of the room.
When he stepped into the rather large bathroom, Byakuya noted that the redhead was sitting in some sort of tub. Turning his attention to the shower instead, he stepped into the compartment before opening the bottles of toiletries and smelling them. Satisfied with the shampoo and body foam, he showered quickly, rinsing his hair habitually.
Before he even picked up a towel upon stepping out of the shower, Renji gestured to him, asking him to join him. Seeing as how he would be wet again anyway, the Captain strode over, wondering about the relaxed look on his Lieutenant’s face, then noticed the bubbles in the tub.
“It might be somewhat of a squeeze, Taicho. Try to get yourself positioned in front of one of those jets. When you feel them on your tense muscles, it’s really awesome.”
Raising an eyebrow, Byakuya tested the waters literally, dipping a hand into where the water was frothing. To his surprise, the water was warm and the bubbles were due to some sort of water jet beneath the water’s surface. Curiosity satisfied, he stepped into the tub and settled himself into a comfortable position.
It did not take long for him experience what Renji had termed awesome. The jets of warm water seemed to work miracles, seeming to melt away the tenseness of his muscles. Closing his eyes, he leaned back, only to feel the redhead’s arm poking into his back awkwardly. Before he could even turn to glare at him, he felt the muscular arm move to his shoulder instead, pulling him close. Satisfied, he leaned back fully, head resting on Renji’s shoulder, enjoying the Jacuzzi - it was a comfortable kind of squeeze.
He did not know how long he had rested, but it was a jolt of pleasure that had him opening his eyes suddenly.
“Byakuya, there’s more than one use for this Jacuzzi, ya know?”
With his lover’s suddenly huskier voice and the hand caressing his chest, he made no opposition when Renji whispered in his ear, asking him to turn around. At the same time as Renji’s hands guided him into position, Byakuya realised what exactly was going to happen.
Even his iron will of control failed to stop him from shuddering at the jolt of pleasure that ran through him when the jet of water surged across the tip of his arousal. His redhead whispered into his ear teasingly, “Ya know, there’s hardly anything I need to do but hold you in this position.”
Turning his head, Byakuya mustered as much control as he could. “Renji, join me. This is an order.” The unconscious shudder due to the constant simulation by the water that followed immediately nullified the impact of his tone however.
Grinning, the redhead replied, “As my Captain commands.” After moving around slightly, they were now face to face and Byakuya reached out, ivory fingers wrapping around their arousals, holding them in place as the jet of water brushed at them.
As he felt Renji shudder beneath his fingers, his lips arched upwards in a slight smile, only to have the redhead lean in for a kiss. He allowed his mouth to be explored hungrily while threading his other hand through soft crimson strands.
It was all exquisite pleasure, especially when Renji’s larger hand wrapped over his and slowly began moving up and down. As they shuddered in unison for the second time, lips still interlocked, Byakuya knew they were close. He was not surprised when Renji gradually increased his speed and it was but a few seconds before he felt the pleasure overwhelm his senses.
They climaxed simultaneously and when they broke apart, Renji was panting slightly. The noble felt soft lips on his cheek yet again - what they shared had no need to be spoken - before his lover continued, “You can have the shower first while I clean up.”
That was more than enough evidence for him to decide that he would get a Jacuzzi installed somewhere in his mansion for their use if it was possible. The thought of asking Urahara Kisuke came to his mind the next day when they were dropping off their gigai and heading back to Soul Society. Despite his distaste at asking the former Captain for any sort of favour, and consequently being teased by Shihouin Yoruichi, Byakuya decided that it was worth the blow to his personal pride if it meant he could get a Jacuzzi installed.
A personal senkaimon made things much easier and attracted far less attention. It had not taken him longer than ten minutes to convey his request to the shopkeeper, who assured him it was possible and to return three days later to pick up a catalogue for him to decide which model he would like.
After picking up the rather comprehensive catalogue, Byakuya made full use of the times when Renji was not in their office to peruse it, and finally decided on one that he felt would make an excellent addition to the Kuchiki estate - his Lieutenant had moved in with him once their relationship had been made official.
He was almost done with detailing his request to Urahara during their next meeting when Yoruichi appeared, tapping his shoulder lightly. Whirling around, he glared at her, already expecting the usual teasing from the noble.
“Hey, Byakuya boyya. Well, it looks like you’re doing something right for a change,” she teased, spotting the catalogue.
He did not need to see her smirk to figure out she knew what was going on. Turning back to Urahara, he asked, “When can I expect the installation to be completed?”
Urahara frowned, paper fan waving in front of his face as he thought for a moment. “I’ll need about two weeks to obtain everything and convert the power source to reishi. The actual installation should take between one to three days. I’ll send you a message when things are ready on this side so that you can have your senkaimon ready, of course.”
Byakuya merely nodded and placed a money pouch on the table, before reopening the senkaimon that had taken him to the shop.
The installation proceeded without a hitch. By the time the shopkeeper informed him that things were ready, by way of Yoruichi who dragged Renji off drinking once she was done, the extension to the mansion he had ordered built was complete.
Still unsure of his welcome by Soul Society, Urahara sent some mod souls to complete the installation. With Renji away on a mission, Byakuya took the opportunity to supervise the installation personally and was rather satisfied once it was completed and the water running. Assured that everything was going as planned, he decided to put the next step of his plan in motion.
~~~
Later that night, Renji finally asked the question that had been bothering him throughout the day. “Taicho, why are we both not on duty next weekend? Didn’t you say that one of us has to be on duty all the time regardless of the circumstances?”
“I have decided that it is time that Third Seat Shinohara is given the opportunity to step up to certain duties as he has proven himself capable. We will both be on standby should anything go wrong however.”
“Might I then ask where we will be stationed and what will be doing then?”
“I will be here, of course, and there are no restrictions on what you can do so long you stay in a pre-designated location where the operations room can contact you in case of any emergency.”
“Does that mean we have a weekend together then?”
“What do you think, Abarai?”
Byakuya’s tone told him all he needed to know. In fact, based on what he knew of how his Captain’s mind worked, Renji suspected there was something already planned out. All he had to do was to wait.
So wait he did. The rest of the week and the following week passed as usual; there never seemed to be an end to the paperwork in the Division. It was only after they had breakfast as usual on Sunday that Byakuya informed him about what he had planned for their day off.
“We will be sparring before lunch, sword to sword. Following lunch, you will be working on your kido. After which, there will be a short break, then dinner. Should there be any urgent summons, we will proceed to the Division immediately.”
“Taicho, do we really have to do this on a rest day?”
“Abarai-fukutaicho, I believe your goal was to surpass me. If that is truly your goal, you should not be so hasty in rejecting this offer. If you insist, I believe there are other more important matters that I have to handle as well.”
Renji felt his cheeks heating up at the comment. There was no way he could deny that after he had gotten together with Byakuya, he had not once thought about surpassing him. Nevertheless, it surprised him that his lover and ‘competitor’ was the first one to raise the issue.
“… Thank you, Taicho.”
“I will be in the dojo in an hour.”
The noble worked him hard during the training. They matched each other blow for blow, neither giving in to the other. By the time one of the attendants announced lunch was ready, the number of blows each had scored remained tied at five each.
They showered before lunch, which was as usual a relaxing affair, or perhaps as relaxed as one could expect in one of the Four Noble Houses. They discussed division affairs - Renji still felt proud whenever his Captain listened to his opinions - and clan politics, where what he knew was just the tip of the iceberg.
Kido was still his worst out of the four basic Shinigami combat forms. He had definitely improved compared to when he first joined the Sixth. However, his current abilities were still a far cry from those of his fellow Lieutenants.
After two hours of practice and having Shakkahou blow up in his face what seemed like countless times to him, Renji heaved a sigh of relief when the noble said it was time for their break. It seemed that his Captain had not yet figured out what was causing him problems with kido, despite attempting to alter a large variety of factors.
“So Taicho, what are we doing for the break?”
“You’ll know when we reach our destination.”
That only served to confirm his suspicions that this break was something Byakuya had been planning for. Following silently behind the noble, they made their way to a part of the mansion Renji had never seen before, much less stepped into. Suddenly turning a corner, his lover stopped in front of a set of shoji doors and slid them open.
“Fuck yeah!”
The look of admonishment Byakuya threw him made him calm down somewhat. Stepping into the courtyard the doors concealed, Renji took a deep breath, picking up the scent of fresh pine that permeated the air, and felt the urge to instantaneously throw off his clothes and dive into the pool.
Instead of the typical Japanese garden, the concealed courtyard had a lap pool running through its entire length. At the far end, there seemed to be a separate tub, forming an ‘L’ shape together with the pool. A stand of bamboo overshadowed the tub, while white and black stones covered the rest of the courtyard in the typical Zen style.
The soft ‘click’ of the shoji door sliding shut behind him reminded him of his lover’s presence. As Byakuya walked down the hallway to the far end, Renji trailed behind him, admiring the pool.
“The showers are here. Join me in the Jacuzzi when you’re done.”
He blinked, surprised as his mind struggled to process what his lover just said. ‘Did he say Jacuzzi? This is fucking awesome!’ Taking slightly longer to wash away every trace of his failed attempts at kido, Renji finally stepped out of the shower to see Byakuya already lounging in the tub, shihakusho neatly folded and Zanpakuto placed an arm’s length away.
Dumping his shihakusho unceremoniously on the wooden hallway next to the Jacuzzi, his Zanpakuto almost experiencing the same fate if not for the warning in his mind, Renji stepped into the Jacuzzi and seated himself, allowing the water to work on his tired muscles.
“Thank you, Byakuya. This is amazing.”
A slight incline of Byakuya’s head was all the response he received before he closed his eyes as well, stretching his arms out and enjoying the hot tub.
It was only some time later that Renji opened his eyes, feeling something nibbling at his ear. Turning, he met his lover’s lips, tongues swirling and exploring each other’s mouths, hands running through each other’s hair.
When they finally broke apart, Renji patted the wood that lined the tub with his hand and spoke, “I think it’s time for me to thank you properly for this.” Kneeling down in the tub and finding the correct position as Byakuya moved to sit on the ledge, the redhead unconsciously moaned when the jet of water brushed at his arousal.
Ignoring the constant simulation as well as he could, Renji turned his attention instead to his lover’s arousal in front. Recalling their time in the hotel Jacuzzi and determined to do as well as it, he licked at the tip, swirling his tongue over it, before going down on it.
He worked himself into a steady rhythm easily, going up and down, while pulling away from the jet of water if he felt himself coming close. It was easy for him to tell how close Byakuya was by how hard the noble was pulling on his hair, but before they were anywhere close to their climax, the unthinkable happened.
“Kusajishi-fukutaicho!”
As footsteps thudded on the wooden floor, Renji looked up, only to see Byakuya’s icy expression as he unsheathed his sword from where he was seated. “Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.”
Turning, he spotted Rangiku on the other side of his Captain’s bankai and met her eyes for a brief moment before what looked like swirling sakura petals formed an impenetrable barrier between them. He noticed a slight dusting of pink on his Captain’s features as the petals continued swirling around them.
“Renji, clean up. We will return to our quarters.”
It was only after they were appropriately attired that the petals dispersed. The frown on Byakuya’s face never left for the rest of the day.
~~~
He filed the report for the use of bankai without prior permission the next morning, bringing Renji along with him as a witness to the First Division. Even though he had not considered this formality of submitting a report and having to explain himself to the Head Captain, Byakuya still felt that using his bankai had been totally worthwhile. There had been no damage and no injuries, and as he had concluded after contemplating various scenarios the previous night, Yamamoto Soutaicho had reprimanded him sternly, without asking for more details, then dismissed them.
It was nevertheless a blow to his personal pride that members of the Shinigami Women’s Association, which had infiltrated his residence, had witnessed one of his most intimate moments and ruined his plans for the day.
Renji, very wisely, had avoided any discussion of what had happened, and offered to stay back to wrap up any outstanding paperwork when he decided to leave slightly earlier. His hopes that a quiet dinner back home would calm him down did not work out however, when the chief culprit of his embarrassment appeared unannounced midway through his dinner.
“Byakushi!”
He looked up for his dinner, cold expression firmly in place. Before he could ask what she was doing here, the pink-haired Lieutenant continued with, “I’m sorry,” totally catching him off-guard.
“Ken-chan… Ken-chan was not happy the last time I went to bother Yun-yun and Baldy when they were having their love-love time. I don’t want Ken-chan to be unhappy with me again so I came to say sorry. Please don’t tell Ken-chan?”
Byakuya glanced at her serious figure, not speaking, attempting to make sense of her argument before replying. It proved too long a wait for her however.
“Byakushi, please don’t tell Ken-chan, please? I won’t go near that place again and I’ll give you some sweets as well, please?”
Byakuya nodded. Deep down, he knew that it was impossible to remove the Shinigami Women’s Association from his estate (not that he had not tried), but he was thankful for the promise that his private pool would remain private, and the unspoken promise that no one else would hear of it from this child.
“I don’t need the sweets. You can keep them.”
“Thank you, Byakushi. I’ll look for Ren-ren to tell him also. Thank you!”
He watched as she sped away, smile restored, before returning to his dinner. He was rather sure that both Ise-fukutaicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho knew better than to spread any rumours. Assured that Yachiru would not be babbling about what she saw to complete strangers, the noble continued with his dinner, the blow to his pride partly assuaged.
Later that night, while they were preparing for bed, Renji asked, “Yachiru gave me a sweet, apologised and told me to ask you about it before she rushed off again. What’s it all about?”
“She came by earlier to apologise for yesterday.”
“Oh… Maybe we should put a lock or something, especially if they decide to take photos the next time… Let’s enjoy the pool again the next time we have a day off.”
As Renji climbed into the futon, Byakuya could only be surprised at how easily his lover had dismissed the incident. If it had been him several decades ago, there was no way he would have forgiven such a personal affront, even an accidental one, this easily.
‘Perhaps, as long as Renji’s here, it’s fine. We’ll have many chances to enjoy ourselves without being bothered…’ Slipping into Renji’s embrace, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep with nary a hint of irritation remaining.
Disclaimer: Bleach doesn't belong to me... I just borrow the characters for my muse to play with.
Rating: NC-17
Warning/Info: Smut... and I think that's about it.
Pairing: ByaRen
A/N: Very late response to this spring's springkink prompt for 28th Feb - Renji/Byakuya: Pool sex - What was supposed to be a relaxing day off turned into an embarrassment for Captain Kuchiki. I still have three more prompts from this spring, which will not meet even the late deadline, but I'll still be doing them nonetheless. I'm not sure if my writing pace will pick up with all the stuff I have to do but we'll see... Thankfully only one prompt from this fall's Springkink appealed to me, so I won't really have to rush to finish anything (I hope). Also, apologies for the quality of the fic.. I don't think it's turned out as well as I hope it would, but muse won't change any major details any further. Last but not least, this may be taken as a loose sequel to Holiday Plans.
“Abarai-fukutaicho, I have approved next month’s schedule with a few minor changes. Please do the necessary.”
“Hai, taicho.”
Byakuya raised his head slightly, observing Renji instead of the report in his hands as the redhead looked over the schedule, amused beneath his cool demeanour at the surprised expression on his Lieutenant’s face. Turning his attention back to the report once he satisfied, the raven-haired captain waited for the expected question, which however failed to materialise.
‘It looks like he’s assumed some form of self-restrain. That is rather commendable.’
A peaceful silence followed, only interrupted by the soft swish of brush on paper and the rare question from Renji. Time passed quickly and it was not long before Renji asked if there was anything that needed despatching while he was out for lunch.
Nodding, the noble gestured to a pile of completed paperwork. They were both so familiar with each other, or perhaps it could be more accurately said that Renji had been trained and had gotten used to his work style over the past decades that it was not necessary to speak to communicate.
“Lunch?”
Grey eyes met brown ones in silent affirmation, before Renji nodded and replied, “I’ll be off then, taicho,” leaving the office with a stack of documents with the schedule on the top.
Wrapping up the report he had been writing, Byakuya briefly considered if all the details in his plan were in place before allowing himself the glimpse of a smile.
If anything, one of the things that Renji and he himself (though he had not admitted it then) had enjoyed the most during their trip to the Human world had been the Jacuzzi in their hotel suite.
The first thing Renji had gone to check out in their hotel room had been the bathroom. When he reappeared with a grin on his face, the raven-haired noble was rather puzzled at what was within that could have caused the smile.
“Byakuya, join me in the bath later? There’s something really cool I want to show you.”
He was already so used to Renji that when the redhead had dropped his clothes and walked into the bathroom stark naked, he did not even raise an eyebrow. A moment later, Renji reappeared hastily, still naked.
“I’m sorry. Er… you can watch the television while you wait for me to shower and get things ready. I’ll let you know when I’m done, so you can shower and join me in the Jacuzzi.”
He watched, silently admiring the well-defined musculature and bold tattoos as his redhead struggled with a small piece of equipment, and wondered what the ‘Jacuzzi’ Renji had spoken of was. His studies on the Human World had not mentioned what it was.
“There.”
As the flat, black screen in front of the chair he was seated on suddenly showed images of people moving around, Byakuya tried not to be surprised. He had heard of television, but this was the first time he had seen what it did.
“Here’s the remote control. You just need to press the buttons to change the channels, Taicho. It’s showing news of the Human World at the moment. If you look around the various channels, you can probably find some entertainment or some programme you might be interested in.”
As Renji disappeared into the bathroom after leaving the remote control in his hands, Byakuya watched the news channel briefly before pressing on one of the numbered buttons of the light, rectangular device. The image and sound changed, this time showing a group of people with makeup and long hair playing instruments and singing. He pressed on another button immediately.
The hissing snake that appeared on the screen had surprised him but the scenes that followed caught his attention and he settled himself in the chair, watching the documentary and animals that he had never seen before with keen interest.
Intently observing the creatures on the screen, he missed Renji calling out to him several times. It was only when he felt something licking at his ear that he turned suddenly and found himself face to face with his lover. Renji reacted as he usually did, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, before straightening himself and grinning.
“Byakuya, is the documentary that interesting?”
It was a naked Renji, water still dripping from crimson strands and taut muscles glistening, who had his attention now.
“Anyway, the shower’s free. Join me in the Jacuzzi when you’re done.”
As Renji turned and headed back to the bathroom with his natural swagger, the noble stared unconsciously at the sight of his lover’s firm rump before removing his shihakushou and folding them neatly - they had gotten out of their gigai once in the room; they sat lifeless in a corner of the room.
When he stepped into the rather large bathroom, Byakuya noted that the redhead was sitting in some sort of tub. Turning his attention to the shower instead, he stepped into the compartment before opening the bottles of toiletries and smelling them. Satisfied with the shampoo and body foam, he showered quickly, rinsing his hair habitually.
Before he even picked up a towel upon stepping out of the shower, Renji gestured to him, asking him to join him. Seeing as how he would be wet again anyway, the Captain strode over, wondering about the relaxed look on his Lieutenant’s face, then noticed the bubbles in the tub.
“It might be somewhat of a squeeze, Taicho. Try to get yourself positioned in front of one of those jets. When you feel them on your tense muscles, it’s really awesome.”
Raising an eyebrow, Byakuya tested the waters literally, dipping a hand into where the water was frothing. To his surprise, the water was warm and the bubbles were due to some sort of water jet beneath the water’s surface. Curiosity satisfied, he stepped into the tub and settled himself into a comfortable position.
It did not take long for him experience what Renji had termed awesome. The jets of warm water seemed to work miracles, seeming to melt away the tenseness of his muscles. Closing his eyes, he leaned back, only to feel the redhead’s arm poking into his back awkwardly. Before he could even turn to glare at him, he felt the muscular arm move to his shoulder instead, pulling him close. Satisfied, he leaned back fully, head resting on Renji’s shoulder, enjoying the Jacuzzi - it was a comfortable kind of squeeze.
He did not know how long he had rested, but it was a jolt of pleasure that had him opening his eyes suddenly.
“Byakuya, there’s more than one use for this Jacuzzi, ya know?”
With his lover’s suddenly huskier voice and the hand caressing his chest, he made no opposition when Renji whispered in his ear, asking him to turn around. At the same time as Renji’s hands guided him into position, Byakuya realised what exactly was going to happen.
Even his iron will of control failed to stop him from shuddering at the jolt of pleasure that ran through him when the jet of water surged across the tip of his arousal. His redhead whispered into his ear teasingly, “Ya know, there’s hardly anything I need to do but hold you in this position.”
Turning his head, Byakuya mustered as much control as he could. “Renji, join me. This is an order.” The unconscious shudder due to the constant simulation by the water that followed immediately nullified the impact of his tone however.
Grinning, the redhead replied, “As my Captain commands.” After moving around slightly, they were now face to face and Byakuya reached out, ivory fingers wrapping around their arousals, holding them in place as the jet of water brushed at them.
As he felt Renji shudder beneath his fingers, his lips arched upwards in a slight smile, only to have the redhead lean in for a kiss. He allowed his mouth to be explored hungrily while threading his other hand through soft crimson strands.
It was all exquisite pleasure, especially when Renji’s larger hand wrapped over his and slowly began moving up and down. As they shuddered in unison for the second time, lips still interlocked, Byakuya knew they were close. He was not surprised when Renji gradually increased his speed and it was but a few seconds before he felt the pleasure overwhelm his senses.
They climaxed simultaneously and when they broke apart, Renji was panting slightly. The noble felt soft lips on his cheek yet again - what they shared had no need to be spoken - before his lover continued, “You can have the shower first while I clean up.”
That was more than enough evidence for him to decide that he would get a Jacuzzi installed somewhere in his mansion for their use if it was possible. The thought of asking Urahara Kisuke came to his mind the next day when they were dropping off their gigai and heading back to Soul Society. Despite his distaste at asking the former Captain for any sort of favour, and consequently being teased by Shihouin Yoruichi, Byakuya decided that it was worth the blow to his personal pride if it meant he could get a Jacuzzi installed.
A personal senkaimon made things much easier and attracted far less attention. It had not taken him longer than ten minutes to convey his request to the shopkeeper, who assured him it was possible and to return three days later to pick up a catalogue for him to decide which model he would like.
After picking up the rather comprehensive catalogue, Byakuya made full use of the times when Renji was not in their office to peruse it, and finally decided on one that he felt would make an excellent addition to the Kuchiki estate - his Lieutenant had moved in with him once their relationship had been made official.
He was almost done with detailing his request to Urahara during their next meeting when Yoruichi appeared, tapping his shoulder lightly. Whirling around, he glared at her, already expecting the usual teasing from the noble.
“Hey, Byakuya boyya. Well, it looks like you’re doing something right for a change,” she teased, spotting the catalogue.
He did not need to see her smirk to figure out she knew what was going on. Turning back to Urahara, he asked, “When can I expect the installation to be completed?”
Urahara frowned, paper fan waving in front of his face as he thought for a moment. “I’ll need about two weeks to obtain everything and convert the power source to reishi. The actual installation should take between one to three days. I’ll send you a message when things are ready on this side so that you can have your senkaimon ready, of course.”
Byakuya merely nodded and placed a money pouch on the table, before reopening the senkaimon that had taken him to the shop.
The installation proceeded without a hitch. By the time the shopkeeper informed him that things were ready, by way of Yoruichi who dragged Renji off drinking once she was done, the extension to the mansion he had ordered built was complete.
Still unsure of his welcome by Soul Society, Urahara sent some mod souls to complete the installation. With Renji away on a mission, Byakuya took the opportunity to supervise the installation personally and was rather satisfied once it was completed and the water running. Assured that everything was going as planned, he decided to put the next step of his plan in motion.
~~~
Later that night, Renji finally asked the question that had been bothering him throughout the day. “Taicho, why are we both not on duty next weekend? Didn’t you say that one of us has to be on duty all the time regardless of the circumstances?”
“I have decided that it is time that Third Seat Shinohara is given the opportunity to step up to certain duties as he has proven himself capable. We will both be on standby should anything go wrong however.”
“Might I then ask where we will be stationed and what will be doing then?”
“I will be here, of course, and there are no restrictions on what you can do so long you stay in a pre-designated location where the operations room can contact you in case of any emergency.”
“Does that mean we have a weekend together then?”
“What do you think, Abarai?”
Byakuya’s tone told him all he needed to know. In fact, based on what he knew of how his Captain’s mind worked, Renji suspected there was something already planned out. All he had to do was to wait.
So wait he did. The rest of the week and the following week passed as usual; there never seemed to be an end to the paperwork in the Division. It was only after they had breakfast as usual on Sunday that Byakuya informed him about what he had planned for their day off.
“We will be sparring before lunch, sword to sword. Following lunch, you will be working on your kido. After which, there will be a short break, then dinner. Should there be any urgent summons, we will proceed to the Division immediately.”
“Taicho, do we really have to do this on a rest day?”
“Abarai-fukutaicho, I believe your goal was to surpass me. If that is truly your goal, you should not be so hasty in rejecting this offer. If you insist, I believe there are other more important matters that I have to handle as well.”
Renji felt his cheeks heating up at the comment. There was no way he could deny that after he had gotten together with Byakuya, he had not once thought about surpassing him. Nevertheless, it surprised him that his lover and ‘competitor’ was the first one to raise the issue.
“… Thank you, Taicho.”
“I will be in the dojo in an hour.”
The noble worked him hard during the training. They matched each other blow for blow, neither giving in to the other. By the time one of the attendants announced lunch was ready, the number of blows each had scored remained tied at five each.
They showered before lunch, which was as usual a relaxing affair, or perhaps as relaxed as one could expect in one of the Four Noble Houses. They discussed division affairs - Renji still felt proud whenever his Captain listened to his opinions - and clan politics, where what he knew was just the tip of the iceberg.
Kido was still his worst out of the four basic Shinigami combat forms. He had definitely improved compared to when he first joined the Sixth. However, his current abilities were still a far cry from those of his fellow Lieutenants.
After two hours of practice and having Shakkahou blow up in his face what seemed like countless times to him, Renji heaved a sigh of relief when the noble said it was time for their break. It seemed that his Captain had not yet figured out what was causing him problems with kido, despite attempting to alter a large variety of factors.
“So Taicho, what are we doing for the break?”
“You’ll know when we reach our destination.”
That only served to confirm his suspicions that this break was something Byakuya had been planning for. Following silently behind the noble, they made their way to a part of the mansion Renji had never seen before, much less stepped into. Suddenly turning a corner, his lover stopped in front of a set of shoji doors and slid them open.
“Fuck yeah!”
The look of admonishment Byakuya threw him made him calm down somewhat. Stepping into the courtyard the doors concealed, Renji took a deep breath, picking up the scent of fresh pine that permeated the air, and felt the urge to instantaneously throw off his clothes and dive into the pool.
Instead of the typical Japanese garden, the concealed courtyard had a lap pool running through its entire length. At the far end, there seemed to be a separate tub, forming an ‘L’ shape together with the pool. A stand of bamboo overshadowed the tub, while white and black stones covered the rest of the courtyard in the typical Zen style.
The soft ‘click’ of the shoji door sliding shut behind him reminded him of his lover’s presence. As Byakuya walked down the hallway to the far end, Renji trailed behind him, admiring the pool.
“The showers are here. Join me in the Jacuzzi when you’re done.”
He blinked, surprised as his mind struggled to process what his lover just said. ‘Did he say Jacuzzi? This is fucking awesome!’ Taking slightly longer to wash away every trace of his failed attempts at kido, Renji finally stepped out of the shower to see Byakuya already lounging in the tub, shihakusho neatly folded and Zanpakuto placed an arm’s length away.
Dumping his shihakusho unceremoniously on the wooden hallway next to the Jacuzzi, his Zanpakuto almost experiencing the same fate if not for the warning in his mind, Renji stepped into the Jacuzzi and seated himself, allowing the water to work on his tired muscles.
“Thank you, Byakuya. This is amazing.”
A slight incline of Byakuya’s head was all the response he received before he closed his eyes as well, stretching his arms out and enjoying the hot tub.
It was only some time later that Renji opened his eyes, feeling something nibbling at his ear. Turning, he met his lover’s lips, tongues swirling and exploring each other’s mouths, hands running through each other’s hair.
When they finally broke apart, Renji patted the wood that lined the tub with his hand and spoke, “I think it’s time for me to thank you properly for this.” Kneeling down in the tub and finding the correct position as Byakuya moved to sit on the ledge, the redhead unconsciously moaned when the jet of water brushed at his arousal.
Ignoring the constant simulation as well as he could, Renji turned his attention instead to his lover’s arousal in front. Recalling their time in the hotel Jacuzzi and determined to do as well as it, he licked at the tip, swirling his tongue over it, before going down on it.
He worked himself into a steady rhythm easily, going up and down, while pulling away from the jet of water if he felt himself coming close. It was easy for him to tell how close Byakuya was by how hard the noble was pulling on his hair, but before they were anywhere close to their climax, the unthinkable happened.
“Kusajishi-fukutaicho!”
As footsteps thudded on the wooden floor, Renji looked up, only to see Byakuya’s icy expression as he unsheathed his sword from where he was seated. “Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.”
Turning, he spotted Rangiku on the other side of his Captain’s bankai and met her eyes for a brief moment before what looked like swirling sakura petals formed an impenetrable barrier between them. He noticed a slight dusting of pink on his Captain’s features as the petals continued swirling around them.
“Renji, clean up. We will return to our quarters.”
It was only after they were appropriately attired that the petals dispersed. The frown on Byakuya’s face never left for the rest of the day.
~~~
He filed the report for the use of bankai without prior permission the next morning, bringing Renji along with him as a witness to the First Division. Even though he had not considered this formality of submitting a report and having to explain himself to the Head Captain, Byakuya still felt that using his bankai had been totally worthwhile. There had been no damage and no injuries, and as he had concluded after contemplating various scenarios the previous night, Yamamoto Soutaicho had reprimanded him sternly, without asking for more details, then dismissed them.
It was nevertheless a blow to his personal pride that members of the Shinigami Women’s Association, which had infiltrated his residence, had witnessed one of his most intimate moments and ruined his plans for the day.
Renji, very wisely, had avoided any discussion of what had happened, and offered to stay back to wrap up any outstanding paperwork when he decided to leave slightly earlier. His hopes that a quiet dinner back home would calm him down did not work out however, when the chief culprit of his embarrassment appeared unannounced midway through his dinner.
“Byakushi!”
He looked up for his dinner, cold expression firmly in place. Before he could ask what she was doing here, the pink-haired Lieutenant continued with, “I’m sorry,” totally catching him off-guard.
“Ken-chan… Ken-chan was not happy the last time I went to bother Yun-yun and Baldy when they were having their love-love time. I don’t want Ken-chan to be unhappy with me again so I came to say sorry. Please don’t tell Ken-chan?”
Byakuya glanced at her serious figure, not speaking, attempting to make sense of her argument before replying. It proved too long a wait for her however.
“Byakushi, please don’t tell Ken-chan, please? I won’t go near that place again and I’ll give you some sweets as well, please?”
Byakuya nodded. Deep down, he knew that it was impossible to remove the Shinigami Women’s Association from his estate (not that he had not tried), but he was thankful for the promise that his private pool would remain private, and the unspoken promise that no one else would hear of it from this child.
“I don’t need the sweets. You can keep them.”
“Thank you, Byakushi. I’ll look for Ren-ren to tell him also. Thank you!”
He watched as she sped away, smile restored, before returning to his dinner. He was rather sure that both Ise-fukutaicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho knew better than to spread any rumours. Assured that Yachiru would not be babbling about what she saw to complete strangers, the noble continued with his dinner, the blow to his pride partly assuaged.
Later that night, while they were preparing for bed, Renji asked, “Yachiru gave me a sweet, apologised and told me to ask you about it before she rushed off again. What’s it all about?”
“She came by earlier to apologise for yesterday.”
“Oh… Maybe we should put a lock or something, especially if they decide to take photos the next time… Let’s enjoy the pool again the next time we have a day off.”
As Renji climbed into the futon, Byakuya could only be surprised at how easily his lover had dismissed the incident. If it had been him several decades ago, there was no way he would have forgiven such a personal affront, even an accidental one, this easily.
‘Perhaps, as long as Renji’s here, it’s fine. We’ll have many chances to enjoy ourselves without being bothered…’ Slipping into Renji’s embrace, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep with nary a hint of irritation remaining.