A/N - Every idea I have starts sweet and fluffy in my head, and ends dark and tormented on paper. Please, I need help! Anyway, a little different from my first stories, though you know its still IchiHitsu. Other pairings may be background or may have their own plotline, I don't know yet: IchiHime, Gin/Rangiku, Renji/Rukia, others

Chapter 1 is a lot of thinking (thus the title). Sorry if it's boring, give chapter 2 a try for a more lively story.

Warnings - AU. Yaoi M/M MATURE, obviously. Elements of BDSM, Dom/Sub but not going far in that direction, that's not the point.

Disclaimer (are these really necessary? oh well) - I don't own Bleach.

Chapter 1

Musings of a Viper

There was someone like him in every court, more than one sometimes. Ichimaru Gin was territorial, so in his court, there was only one. He was the man people went to obtain the unobtainable, be it a coveted work of art, an invitation to the most exclusive gala, or forbidden fruit to warm your bed or liven up your dungeon. The price for his services could be high. Some paid in coin, others in secrets or favors, and a select few were provided with anything he was able to acquire for no price at all.

A noble in his own right, with a lineage long enough to earn him a life of idleness, Gin was never satisfied with enough. The shadow empire at his fingertips stretched across many kingdoms, and no fabled ancestor had done more to secure the power and influence of his house than its current head. He thrived equally well in the dark depths and the bright shallows of the court, but all that he had achieved hinged upon the favor of one man.

With his connections, Gin could flee to any number of kings and queens to rebuild. But the heart of his empire was here, in Las Noches, and the loss would be staggering indeed if he were to uproot his foundation of power. Thus, for more than a decade he had schemed, murdered, cajoled, and even done honest labor to solidify his position as the favorite courtier and most trusted adviser of King Aizen, a man otherwise known to be dangerously fickle and inconstant in his favor. The web of favors, intrigues, trusts and distrusts between the King and his favorite was thick enough, sticky enough that neither would be able to untangle themselves without injury.

Kings in Las Noches either lasted an eternity, or were snuffed out like candles early in their reign. Aizen was not one to be snuffed out, and so Gin was fairly secure for his immediate future. The long-term future of himself and his house was now the growing concern. Which led to Gin's current problem. The favorite son had, against all odds, managed to survive coming of age. With the mortality rate of kings being what it was, at any time Gin could find himself at the mercy of a new ruler. Much easier to earn the favor of a prince than a king, and Gin needed to find a way to ensure the prince continued to honor the Ichimaru name.

The boy was interesting, not always a good quality to work with. He seemed an unlikely choice, with silly hair, a silly name, a mother without any particular power. Yet at age 6 he was singled out of the plethora of children. Not the oldest nor the youngest, not the handsomest nor the most charming. Many, Gin included, decided it was one of the King's games, his favor certain to earn the envy and wrath of royal children, their vicious mothers, and their scheming relatives. Gin watched with amused pity, waiting for the boy to disappear or meet with a tragic and bloody accident.

Years passed, the young prince sitting at his father's knee learning statecraft, ruthlessness, tactics, and dark secrets that never once left the child's lips despite the efforts of many. He was quiet, so quiet in the presence of his elders. In the company of others his age he still had childish ways. His mother's death, which everyone knew was no accident, changed the boy at age 8. He became distant and determined, intensely focused on learning the skills he needed to survive. His early aptitude with the sword grew into fearsome skill; even in this militaristic kingdom it would be difficult to find a challenger for him. And his enemies vanished, lost in the desert sands, in impressive numbers.

At age 15, a boy of Hueco Mundo becomes a man. He loses the protection of being seen as a child, takes on his father's name if he is found worthy or lives a bastard if not, and is expected to marry, fight, or earn his keep however he may. A royal prince is a very different animal. At 15, he is open game. If he survives to 20, then and only then does he earn the full rewards of manhood.

To meet the prince at age 15, one would first think him haughty and rather dim. A few minutes later one may change the description to kind and gullible. Many misjudged and tried to take advantage, realizing their mistake far too late and never living long enough to warn others. Even Ichimaru Gin, a man with layers of deception in every thought and action, found the prince hard to predict, and that made him nervous. The boy's mask was too refined, his mind too seeped in the machinations of his father's court. Gin struggled to think of how to earn the trust, favor, or merely the disdainful appreciation of this prince. He needed one or all three, but did not see a way to obtain any without risking the prince's displeasure.

Then fortune proved that she is a slut, spreading her legs regardless of whether the recipient had ever done a good deed to earn her favors. His father wished to give the prince the gift of manhood, a fairly common tradition for both sons and daughters that brought Gin a large share of his disposable income. He had dozens of brothels across Hueco Mundo, and dozens more in other kingdoms. Most were separated from his name, and the cut of the profits arrived automatically. Only one establishment was run by Gin personally, and only his carefully selected clients were ever extended an invitation. The King, of course, was welcome with no invitation at all.

Where else, then, would King Aizen send his intended heir? The manor was closed for 7 days and 8 nights to all except the prince, his personal guard, and his constant companion. Suddenly, Gin began to see the solution to his problem, handed to him on a silver platter. The answer was a gift. A gift for his ascension to heir apparent. A gift that he would never ask for, never expect, and never forget.

Every whore, servant, and guard in the manor would report back the actions and the words of the prince to him. He would use the information to find that perfect gift. The prince's guard abstained from the vast array of partners at his beck and call. The friend, a noble himself and no stranger to whorehouses, was the most predictable of customers, content to fuck his brain's out, sleep, eat, and fuck again. But once more the prince proved more difficult to read.

The first evening and night was no great revelation, only a small surprise. Reports said the prince loved to provide his partners with pleasure, and did not rush to bed as quickly as possible like his friend. He first 'invited' the lovely Nanao to his room, where he stripped her of her role as dominatrix and proceeded to give her orgasm after orgasm in every way that either of them could think of. He did not even properly fuck her, just handled his own needs while he worked her into another frenzy.

The most popular of the new whores, a lovely 16-year-old boy that already had a reputation as an expert in both heterosexual and homosexual pleasure, spent the night with the prince. He fed the whore strawberries while he asked questions about sex and listened to stories. The prince carefully and enthusiastically followed Yumichika's instructions on how to give the perfect blowjob. Unsatisfied with his performance, he coaxed further pointers and tried again. The third attempt left the whore in tears and the prince content. Then he took the same level of care learning the ins and outs, pun intended, of fucking a man, leaving the professional to sleep it off for a day and a half. The poor whore was practically in love.

Gin was having trouble deciding what to make of this when the prince sat down with him for breakfast. The boy boldly and frankly questioned him, and Gin was only too happy to guide the rest of the prince's explorations. Steering him to the best partners to tease out the rest of the boy's preferences, a checklist of qualities needed began to form. At the halfway point of the prince's visit, Gin introduced the boy to more complex desires. He willingly tried his hand with experienced masochists, trying to deliver what each sought. But the desire to inflict true pain or receive it was not in the boy.

Domination earned a great deal more of his interest, and most of the remainder of the visit was spent with various pets, well-trained and in training. He enjoyed the control. And he was quite popular with this particular set of whores, the dedication to the submissive's pleasure a highly sought quality in a dominant, and few were as dedicated as the handsome young man.

The prince left the manor, and Gin felt he had earned some good will but not nearly enough. In their discussions, Gin had made it clear that the boy was welcome to return at any time. Justifiably, the prince had never taken a serious lover and was cautious about even casual relations. Everyone wanted something from him or his father, and the boy did not like the idea of bedding someone to find a bribe or a knife in his lover's hand. So the boy took him up on the offer, preferring the services of professionals, and over the next two years Gin refined his checklist as the prince refined his tastes.

As the boy young man neared 17, the search began in earnest. Word went out to agents near and far, and Gin traveled extensively to oversee the selection.

Young, but of legal age. The prince had spent time with all ages, but those his age and younger received more time and repeat visits. Gin had tested the waters, instructing an underage serving boy with plenty of experience to flirt with the prince. The look of absolute disgust on the young man's face made it clear that there was a line he would not cross. The incident was swept under the rug, Gin's denials that he was involved in any activities involving children were not believed, but required.

Innocent. If untouched was not possible, at the very least inexperienced. The prince appreciated the professionals, but the gift was to be his and his alone. The most valuable aspect was the opportunity to train the gift the way the young man wished, and enjoy the rewards of creating his own toy.

Male, most likely. If the gift were to last, the sexual drive of a male would better hold the prince's attention. There were plenty of women with insatiable appetites, they were some of his most exacting clients. But to find a young, innocent female and count on the girl being able to frequently satisfy the prince . . . Gin did not rule out the possibility of a girl, but he would be a harsh judge of any female candidates.

Exotic. Like many who could choose any partner they wished, the prince was attracted to the unusual. He was surrounded by the archetypal beauties of Las Noches day after day. When given the choice, he sought the foreign, the ones that would not blend in with his court.

Small. At least smaller than the prince, who was not a hulking man by any means. But delicate was even better if it could be found without weakness. He was a prince of brutal killers, he would not want a lover that would break easily, just one that looked like he would shatter.

Submissive, yet unbroken. The completely passive pets only entertained him a short time. He often enjoyed it when his partner participated, he even tolerated some amount of challenge. But he would want to be able to call the shots in bed when he wished, and have his lover surrender completely.

Intelligent. A double edged sword, this necessary requirement eliminated many who passed all other criteria. He liked to converse, he liked his partner to have an opinion when asked. Gin's whores were too well trained to anger the prince, so intelligence was an unknown risk. But he did believe it was worth the risk. And if the gift proved too smart for its own good, the prince would enjoy breaking the poor thing.

It was a daunting challenge, and he spent a fortune in time and money to try to find as many qualities in one pretty package as possible. When the prince turned 19, the final candidates were selected, and teams sent to keep them safe and under close surveillance. As the ascension approached, Gin made his choice, dispatching his best agent to bring him the one perfect and most unexpected gift for the man who would have everything.

Satisfied with the painstaking plans of years coming to fruition, Gin sought out his own treasure. Having the finest whores available, Gin had found himself seeking out the company of only one again and again. For her long, strong legs, her creamy thighs, her astounding curves, but most of all for her steel eyes that held no judgment, no plots to ingratiate herself or win his love, he sought her out. His own treasure would share genuine lust with him to reward his hard work, and he would sleep content under the curtain of her long, luxurious, strawberry-blonde hair.