Chapter25: Home

Kurushimi laid on his side, under warm blankets, snuggled up against Tetsuya and running gentle fingers through his lover's wavy, black hair. Tetsuya breathed slowly, his chest rising and falling steadily, and his eyes moving sluggishly beneath his closed eyelids. Kuri leaned closer and kissed a soft earlobe. Tetsuya's lips twitched slightly, breathing his name.

"Kuri-kuri-sama?"

Kuri smiled widely, watching happily as Tetsuya's pretty sapphire eyes opened and blinked, then slowly focused on him.

"So, you are finally waking up for me, Tetsu-hana?"

"How long was I sleeping?" Tetsuya asked, looking around, "Th-this is my own room. We are…home, then?"

"We are home," Kuri confirmed, "You helped everyone to escape and we were successful in destroying the cornerstones that would have brought the quincy king back."

"Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama…?"

"They are safe," Kuri assured him, "Your cousin's spirit core was shocked in a procedure that Haha-san was forced to use to save Ichibun's life, but he is expected to recover. He and Ichibun were also able to save their fourth child."

"The children were born!" Tetsuya exclaimed, looking both happy, and at the same time, regretful, "I wish I could have been there."

"Well," Kuri said, sliding a hand down to rub the slight bump on Tetsuya's abdomen, "I am sure you will not miss the birth of our child. Our baby is healthy and growing inside you. Byakurai…"

"Oh, is he angry at you?"

Kuri gave Tetsuya a sly smirk.

"You are gifted at understatement, Tetsu-hana," he snickered, "But don't worry. He won't be killing the father of your baby. He just warned me what wicked things would happen to me if I ever broke his favorite cousin's gentle heart, that's all."

"Kuri!" Tetsuya objected.

"He also suggested that we may be connected by more than just our love. Ambrosio is being no help in telling for sure, but I may just be a developing kishu, like my lovely Tetsu-hana. I will certainly have to explore that with you, once your powers have returned."

"It will be at least a month," Tetsuya said, frowning unhappily.

"Well, I wouldn't feel too bad if I were you," Kuri chided him, "Because you were willing to do this, we are all here and the others were able to destroy Ywach for good. That is not something to be sad about, Tetsu-hana. It is something to celebrate."

Tetsuya read the Shima leader's amorous expression.

"I would guess that by celebration, Kuri-kuri-sama is not referring to drink and dancing?" he asked, blushing.

"You guess correctly, mi corazòn," Kuri answered, turning so that he trapped Tetsuya gently beneath him, "You have been teasing me with your beauty while you slept for days on end. I think it is time for us to enjoy the peace we have earned, ne?"

Tetsuya smiled and nodded, relaxing against the pillows as his lover savored a slow, tender invasion.

XXXXXXXXXX

Haschwalth laid silently in a comfortable bed in one of the Kuchiki Manor guest rooms, gazing almost sightlessly out into the lovely gardens, his heart aching fiercely and a terrible emptiness radiating through him.

I never explained to Bazz-B or anyone else what happened when his majesty claimed me. He took me back to Silbern with him and gave me a room close to his, one that overlooked gardens nearly as lovely as this. He came to me, a lonely, confused boy and he made sense of my life for me. I had always felt empty inside…as though a part of me was missing. His majesty said that what happened was that, like some rare quincies, I was born, not a whole being, but one that was incomplete. And it did seem that my power and his balanced well. We became as parts of one, him ruling by day and me by night. In this way, we were both completed.

But maybe I always knew that what he told me was only partially true.

It was true that we could combine our strengths to make a stronger whole. But that is the kind of thing that you do, not with a stranger, and not with someone who is a superior. It is the kind of thing that you do with someone you love.

A very long time ago, I thought I might love Bazz-B. I ruined that, and now, although he still somehow doesn't hate me, that doorway is closed. He is happy with his shinigami lover, and I am happy for him. I just wonder…will I ever feel whole again.

It is not likely to happen while I am spending the rest of my life in a shinigami prison. I think I would rather die.

He paused in his thoughts, looking up as the door to his room opened and Uryu passed through the barrier that had been set to keep him inside. Haschwalth's eyes blinked slowly and he waited curiously to hear what the new king would have to say to him.

"How are you feeling?" Uryu asked, sending a little frown of surprise onto the blonde quincy's lips, "Are you in any pain anymore?"

"No."

Uryu moved closer and sat down in a chair beside the bed.

"Will they be moving me soon to the prison?" he asked calmly.

"Well," Uryu said quietly, "that kind of depends."

"On…?"

"I am the quincy king," Uryu explained, "I have met with the leader of the Gotei 13, as well as the grand sage of Central 46. I explained what happened, and how your cooperation was critical to us ending the threat of Ywach ever returning. I was able to convince them that they should consider releasing you into my custody."

"Why would you do that?" Haschwalth asked softly, "I did try to kill you on his majesty's behalf during the war, and I also abducted you and tried to use you to bring him back. Why would you not leave me to pay the price for my actions?"

Uryu considered his question silently for several moments.

"You are not a shinigami. And all of the actions you took against them, were ordered by Ywach."

"I acted of my own free will," Haschwalth insisted, "You don't need to protect me from the consequences of losing."

"You didn't lose, in the end," Uryu insisted, "Just like the other cornerstones, you were able to wrest your fate away from Ywach."

"I am part of the old king."

"You were part of the old king…but it wasn't because you were incomplete on your own. He just convinced you that you needed him to be whole. You don't."

"Is that why I feel so complete now?" Haschwalth asked with mild sarcasm, "I have freed myself and I've made myself whole? Odd then, that I still feel empty."

Uryu gave him an appraising look.

"I think you also felt that way when you were at Ywach's side," he posited, "And before you say it isn't true, remember that I also was at Ywach's side, and I was made his heir."

"I haven't forgotten…your majesty," Haschwalth answered, lowering his eyes.

"Good. Then I think you know I understand that feeling of emptiness. I think the two of us understand it in a way that no one else can."

"And why does that make a difference?"

Uryu drew in a slow breath.

"My father and I will be traveling into the shadows to meet with the quincy lords. I was thinking that, because you have been acting as regent in the king's absence and that your first act was to return their lands and their positions, you would be able to help me take on my role as king."

Haschwalth sighed wearily.

"I am an enemy to you," he answered solemnly, "I tried to kill you. How could you ever trust me to act on your behalf?"

Uryu studied him in silence before answering.

"When Ywach was defeated, your first act was to protect the remaining quincies."

"It would have been his wish."

"It was your desire," Uryu corrected him, "Ywach wouldn't have wasted his time. He could always replace anyone who died. He would just absorb their power and move on. You concerned yourself with the fate of the survivors because you cared about them. There was nothing in it for you in doing so. In fact, it took away some of the power you had as regent."

"Your majesty, what do you want from me?" Haschwalth asked suddenly, his eyes looking up into Uryu's, "You are obviously here to offer me some kind of agreement so that I can earn my freedom to return to Silbern. What are you asking me to do?"

"I want you to continue what you have been doing," Uryu explained, "It will take a while for me to gain the trust of the quincy noble lords. They already trust you, and that means you can ease the transition for both sides."

Uryu gave Haschwalth a little smile that caused a curious twinge in the blonde quincy's insides.

"You are someone who understands the importance of balance in any transition, ne?"

Haschwalth felt a flush on his face and his fingers laced together in his lap.

"Balances are important, your majesty," he agreed, not daring to look up again.

"Then…you will help me establish myself as king of the quincies?" Uryu asked.

"If you deem me of value to your staff, then I will, of course, agree to serve you."

"Jugo," Uryu said, surprising Haschwalth with the more casual use of his name, "you are not going to be serving me. A king is also a servant. A king's purpose should be maintaining the well-being of his people. We will serve them together."

Haschwalth found himself speechless for a moment as Uryu's hand captured one of his in a gesture of kinship. He felt an odd sense of having life poured slowly back into his veins. He looked at their touching hands, his heart flickering oddly.

"We will serve them together, your majesty," he agreed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ichigo stepped into the bedroom and found it empty and the bed made. He walked back into the hallway and continued on to the nursery, where he found Torio and brothers Koji and Akio each holding a baby and feeding them from warmed bottles.

"Hey, have you guys seen Byakuya?" he asked, tickling Masaki's cheek and earning a happy gurgle in reply.

"He fed little Takiyo and took him for a walk," Torio informed him, "He loves all of the babies, but he and Takiyo seem to have a very close bond."

"Yeah," Ichigo said, smiling warmly, "I've noticed. Thanks, guys."

He slipped out into the gardens and walked the trail around the edge, but found no sign of his husband or child on the path, by the koi pond or under the sakura and plum trees where they sometimes rested in the cool grass. He reached out with his senses and picked up a little trace of their presence, surprisingly not out near the waterfall and lake, but in the family cemetery. He left the gardens and walked to the cemetery, his eyes curious as he approached. He spotted his husband kneeling at Hisana's grave and surprisingly, smiling. He moved closer, concealing himself in the nearby brush and feeling a little twinge of sadness at how Byakuya didn't even sense him at all.

"Thank you," Byakuya said quietly, holding Takiyo close to his shoulder and gazing at Hisana's marker, "Without you, I never would have understood why it was important to open my heart. When we met, I told you that it was considered dangerous to open our hearts, because our relationships were mainly for securing alliances and keeping the peace. You were the one who taught me that why two people bonded was less important than being opened to what every kind of bond in one's life means. You were right. Your bond with me gave you a home and someone who cared for you…someone who loved you. Your bond with me taught me to open my heart to love, as well as the value in the family we hoped to build together. We may not have built the family we wanted, but you set me on the path to finding that happiness with Ichigo. If not for you, I don't think I could love him the way I do…the way he deserves to be loved. And because I love Ichigo and he loves me, we have built a family together. Each of our children will have a better life because you have helped me become a good husband and father. I will always be grateful for that. Please hold our son and make sure he knows I love him and think of him often. I believe we will see each other again."

"Da-go!" Takiyo announced suddenly.

Byakuya blinked slowly and looked down at his son.

"Are we being watched, Takiyo?" he asked quietly.

Ichigo stepped out of the bushes and joined them.

"Sorry, Byakuya. I didn't want to disturb you. I was just waiting to walk you back to the house."

"It's fine. You aren't disturbing me. I will go now if you wish."

"Just a sec," Ichigo said, bowing his head slightly, "I want to thank Hisana-san also."

Byakuya turned a curious grey eye on him.

"Thank you, Hisana-san, for making Byakuya happy in your marriage…and for bringing Rukia into both our lives. I promise you, I am going to love and protect Byakuya and our kids and Rukia. You don't have to worry about that. Now, if you will excuse us, I have to make sure my husband eats like he's supposed to, since he's still recovering."

"I had already asked Matsuko to prepare something for me," Byakuya said patiently, "You don't need to hover. We have four children and one on the way. They need your attention more than I do."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"One on the way?" he repeated, his smile growing beautifully, "Really?"

"Michio confirmed it this morning."

He continued before Ichigo could voice the question that rose up in his mind.

"Urahara Kisuke assured me that my condition will not affect me or the child I am carrying. You have nothing to worry about, and you and I have much to celebrate."

"Let's get back and have something to eat, then we can do all of the celebrating you want, okay?" Ichigo said, grinning.

"You see," Byakuya said, looking down at Takiyo, "as I told you, his nagging is actually a sign of affection."

"Oh, I'm a nag, huh?" Ichigo chuckled, good naturedly, "That honeymoon phase didn't last long, did it?"

The two men left the cemetery and walked back along the trail towards the gardens.

"Takiyo's reiatsu is still pretty hard to sense," Ichigo commented, "I mean, your is low because of your condition, but I can sense the other kids pretty easily."

"I told you not to worry," Byakuya said calmly, "Our son is going to be fine. We will not bring out his gifts any faster by rushing him."

"Hey," Ichigo said, frowning, "I'm not trying to rush anyone, you know. I'm just…concerned is all."

"I understand," Byakuya said, running his fingers through the baby's wild hair and patting his back gently, making him burp and coo happily, "But Takiyo's forming body went through a lot before we recovered it and fed it with our reiatsu. We need to give him more time to develop."

"Yeah, Kisuke kinda said the same thing," Ichigo said, tickling the baby under the chin, "I guess it's just…I know how other kids can be, Byakuya. They can be really mean to a kid who's small or doesn't develop his powers as quickly."

"That is true," Byakuya agreed, "And because of this, we will train Takiyo from an early age to prove himself without relying on his powers so much. His slower growth of powers leaves room for training in hakudo and stealth. There are many ways to thwart larger or more powerful foes. One only needs to be trained to employ proper strategy."

Ichigo gave Takiyo a perplexed look.

"How the heck did he get so smart?" he whispered to their son.

"As a young heir who was orphaned earlier in life, I sometimes ran afoul of somewhat older boys who, given a moment of privacy with me, attempted on occasion to disrespect me. My grandfather made sure that I knew how to handle myself in those situations."

"He means that Yoruichi taught him some tricks," Ichigo told the baby.

"The only thing that werecat ever taught me is that she is a troublemaker who deserved the banishment she got."

"That's not nice," Ichigo laughed, "You know, she also did help train me so that I could fight at your level."

"Touchè," Byakuya sighed, "But that does not fully redeem her."

"Don't believe him," Ichigo told Takiyo, "They're really good friends."

Byakuya let out a huffing breath and opened the back gate.

"Byakuya," Ichigo said, stopping him as the two entered the gardens.

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking. You know, our wedding really wasn't even a wedding."

"And we never did have a proper honeymoon," Byakuya added.

"Now that we're not being held together by the order of the elders, why don't we have a real wedding?"

"And a honeymoon?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, nodding, "I wanna make it official."

"It is official," Byakuya said, tilting his head slightly, "The papers were filed long ago."

"That's not what I mean," Ichigo said, looking around the gardens, "We're in love now, and I want to honor that."

"If you want to have a proper wedding, then we will have one," Byakuya said, leaning over to kiss his grinning husband, "

"It doesn't have to be a big one," Ichigo chattered on, "I really just want our friends and family to be there with us this time."

"I would like that as well."

"Then, it's settled. Let's do it."

"I will have our wedding planner speak with us tomorrow to begin the plans, if you wish."

"That'd be great."

The two started across the gardens, but after two steps, Byakuya paused, gazing in surprise at a pretty rose bush they had passed.

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Byakuya didn't answer, but studied a cluster of rosebuds, then one flower that had opened. He glanced at Takiyo, then captured the baby's fingertips and touched them to one of the rosebuds. Instantly, the flower blossomed into a fully matured rose. Byakuya smiled and picked the two opened roses and handed them to his husband. Ichigo smiled proudly and patted his son's face.

"I guess we see who you are gonna take after, huh? You gonna be like Byakuya and make things grow out here?"

"I told you that you did not need to worry about our son," Byakuya chided him, "He will blossom when he is ready. They all will."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, pulling Byakuya in and leaning over Takiyo's little head for a long kiss, "they will."

XXXXXXXXXX

(Three months later)

Ichigo stood at the bedroom door, dressed in a formal, black kimono and wearing a deeply contented smile. That smile warmed beautifully as Byakuya appeared in the doorway, wearing a white kimono, decorated with small, bright flowers that matched the heirloom windflower scarf that billowed around his shoulders. Ichigo extended a hand and gently rubbed the larger baby bump on his husband's abdomen, then captured his hand and led him across the gardens, past the gurgling koi pond to where their friends and family waited for them in a section of the gardens that had been decorated for the event. They walked up the aisle between rows of filled seats, smiling back at the guests, who stood and watched as the wedding march played and the wedding couple passed them and took their places in front of the head elder of the Kuchiki council.

"Welcome," Nori said, smiling at the guests, "we have gathered today to acknowledge the joining of two lives. Although Byakuya and Ichigo were married some time ago before the council, they wished to acknowledge the completion of their marriage of convenience and the start of the marriage they have chosen to enter of their own accord. Each has written his vows and I will ask now for Byakuya and Ichigo to share them."

Byakuya and Ichigo turned to face each other and Byakuya took a steadying breath.

"I have long admired you, Ichigo," Byakuya confessed, "Although, at first, when I looked at you, all I saw was a young, arrogant troublemaker, I came to realize that there is far more to you than first meets the eye. In the past year, you have shown me what a good friend you are, as you showed me love and gave me your protection while we faced hardships and dangers. That made the good times sweeter and gave me a deeper appreciation of just who you are to me. I admit that I first agreed to marry you because I wanted to protect my friend. I did not dream that I would find a lasting love and a future worth looking forward to. But every day with you is a gift, and I appreciate now what I could not see before. I promise you that from this day forth, I will love, honor and cherish you. I will hold and protect you. I will build a family with you and stay with you for all of the days of our lives."

Nori smiled and nodded at Ichigo, who cleared his throat anxiously.

"I had no idea, going into that meeting last year, that I was going to walk out married to you. I was shocked, and I was angry. I was worried. Okay, I was scared. I just didn't know how we could take an arranged marriage and make it into something real. But you never even seemed to hesitate. You could have just provided what was expected, held me at arm's length, and let me go when we had our babies. But it didn't work out like that. What happened was so different…and it only happened because of who you are."

He paused and took Byakuya's hands in his.

"You are calm and you accept me for who I am. You're patient with me when I get angry or sad. You take the time to understand me and to care for my emotions. You would do anything to protect me and our kids, and you will, even if you get hurt doing it. You have shown me what true love is, and now I can share that love with you and with our children. I love you, Byakuya, and I can't wait to begin our new marriage that we chose for ourselves. I will love, honor and protect you for all of the days of our lives."

"Very well," Nori said, wrapping a piece of fine silk around their joined hands, "Byakuya, Ichigo, having made your promises to each other, I now pronounce you partners in life, bonded in love, and joined with the blessings of the Kuchiki and Shiba elders. Please, now exchange a kiss, as the first gift of your new marriage."

Ichigo wrapped his arms around Byakuya, laughing softly as his husband's baby bump impeded them slightly. He pressed his lips warmly to Byakuya's, unable to stop smiling and brightened to the core by the sweetness of the dreamy future that played out in his mind as the wedding ended and they joined hands to walk back down the aisle, treading lightly on an offering of sakura blossoms.

Love really is a gift. I didn't know what a good thing it could be. I'm glad I was married to Byakuya, and that he was the one who taught me what it is to really love someone. I love him with my whole heart now…always and forever. No matter what, I will never, ever let him go.

The End

(Thanks so very much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. I deeply appreciate all of the feedback and I hope you've been happily entertained. Keep a lookout, because in the next few days, I will be starting Cherry Blossom and the Strawberry Part 2: Last to Bloom.)