Chapter 8: Machinations

"Uh…Taicho," Renji said, watching as Tetsuya flash stepped away, "With the council trying to corner us, should I really be having dinner at…"

"This is just what they wanted us to do," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "They wanted to unnerve you. I assure you that it is better to see each other at my estate than public areas."

"Taicho…" Renji said softly, "I want to see you as much as you want to see me, but…"

Byakuya stopped him with a kiss.

"Then we will confine our sexual activity to the bedroom," the noble said matter-of-factly, "Unless…Renji, you aren't having second thoughts…are you?"

Byakuya's manner and expression remained calm, but Renji didn't miss the edge of concern in his voice and the undercurrent of worry in the dark, beautiful gray eyes. And despite the fact that Councilor Arisu's question had rattled him, he wanted more than anything to be with Byakuya, And it wasn't even that he wasn't willing to consider marrying the noble…maybe even having a child for him someday. But he wasn't ready to think about those things. And although he liked children and he looked forward to having kids someday…that someday was a long way off. And he hadn't planned for it to include him getting pregnant. Those possibilities would need to be thought through over time. But Byakuya didn't need to hear about his worries. His lover was looking back at him, wanting only reassurance that Renji loved him, and that he wouldn't give up just because the council had tried to manipulate him.

"Of course I'm not," he answered, wrapping his arms around Byakuya and kissing him, "I was just…kinda shocked is all," he said, shaking his head, "You have some scary relatives, Taicho."

"Ah, yes, I agree," Byakuya said, shaking his head and deepening their embrace, "Although the council in my grandfather's time was much worse. Luckily, a few of them retired their positions before he handed leadership over to me. But most of them are still ridiculously prideful and self serving. We are fortunate that Nori's wisdom still guides them or the clan might self destruct."

"Yeah, well, having a family and people you know are connected to you that way is still better than not even knowing who you family is, Taicho," Renji mused, "They're odd, prideful and annoying as hell, but they are family, and you all stick together to protect your clan, no matter what differences you have."

Byakuya felt a small smile touch his lips.

"It sounds like the idea of joining this odd and prideful family isn't such a burden to you...erm...babymaking aside."

"Heheh," chuckled the redhead, burying his face in the noble's sakura scented hair, "Yeah, that aside, I can honestly say that the idea of being a part of your family seems...strangely good. What's not to like? I get to be with you, have Rukia as my official sister, cuddle up in your bed every night and wake up to you every morning. What could be better than that, ne?"

"Hmmm," Byakuya said, smirking, "Aren't you afraid of losing your independence, Renji? The clan has so many rules and expectations."

"Eh, bring'em on," Renji laughed, "The only thing that scares me is the babymaking. Really, Taicho, the rest is all good."

Byakuya's expression gentled and became more solemn.

"That is a place where the two of us differ, I suppose," he commented softly.

Renji frowned and blinked in surprise.

"Y-you saying that you just want to have one of us have a baby, or are you saying that you would have it instead of me?"

Byakuya went quiet for a moment and looked out the window.

"The one thing that Hisana and I could not give each other was a child."

"Because she got sick?" Renji asked, "I thought that happened much later. Surely you could have had a baby if you wanted to, right?"

"No," Byakuya replied quietly, "Hisana was very frail from the start. And although the elders pressured us, I could not impregnate her, for fear of putting to much strain on her. In the end, not even forgoing that was enough to save her. But...to have had some small part of her to remain after would have been a priceless gift."

"But you still have Rukia, right?" Renji reminded him, "You're still connected by way of her."

"Yes," the noble agreed, "And I am grateful for that. But getting back to your question, if not for the fact that I know several powerful clan members who would seize any opportunity to gain power, I dare not let my body be weakened in that way. I would gladly have your child, if the situation allowed, Renji. It is just not possible, all things being as they are."

"Yeah," Renji joked, "I just think they'd freak out, knowing it was so obvious that a commoner had been taking their leader like a woman...not that I minded having you either way. Both were great. I've got no complaints."

"Neither have I," Byakuya answered, a blush rising on his face, "But you have hit on one of the unfortunate hypocrisies of noble leadership. As leader, I cannot allow myself to be seen as yielding, especially not to a commoner. What happens behind closed doors must be kept private so that appearances are maintained."

"So it's pretty much lie, cheat, steal and kill to keep up appearances, ne?"

"Sadly, yes."

Renji gave him a bracing smile.

"So, I see why they would insist I have the kid," he concluded, "Taicho...Byakuya, I get the logic behind it, but I will be perfectly honest. I don't know if I could do that. The getting married part sounds really good. And even having a kid wouldn't be bad. I liked taking care of younger kids with Rukia in the Rukongai. It's just...having something...some little life inside my body seems like such a weird, unnatural thing, you know? Would I get really big? What would my friends think about me doing something like that. Not that I'm that worried about my reputation, but...maybe some people in the squad wouldn't be able to look up to me like they do now. There's just a lot that would be different. I'm not saying I won't, I'm just saying that it isn't an easy decision, you know?"

"I understand," Byakuya said quietly, "And I will respect your decision when one must be made. But for now, let us return to the manor and have dinner."

Renji chuckled.

"And dessert after?" he asked, smiling knowingly.

"Of course. That is a given."

"I thought you didn't like sweets."

Byakuya yanked the redhead closer and brought their mouths together roughly.

"Mmnmmmbmmm," Renji objected, breaking away, "Sh-should we really be doing that here?"

"This is my private office, there are no windows and the door is both closed and locked. The elders could only complain if we made too much noise."

"Hey, uh wait," Renji laughed, "Does that mean we have to be quiet at your place too? I mean, the servants..."

"My attendants respect my privacy, and again, Kuchiki Manor is my home. If we are behind closed doors and respectful of any visitors who come to the manor, we may conduct ourselves freely...within the bedroom, of course. All public displays of affection must be conservative."

"Okay, we can only be loud in your bedroom. But wait, what about my apartment? Can we be loud there?" Renji joked.

"As thin as the walls are, I do not think we would be able to rise above a whisper," the noble answered, shaking his head and fighting a smile.

"Wait," said Renji, "Wouldn't there be a scandal if you came to my place to make love anyway?"

"Only if we made love loudly in front of a window," Byakuya answered dryly, "Now, enough of this. Let us..."

He paused as a hell butterfly flitted into view.

"Abarai Fukutaicho, please report to the fourth division for your required physical examination and vaccinations," said Kotetsu Isane's pleasant voice.

"Shit," muttered the redhead, "I forgot about that."

"That is not difficult to imagine," Byakuya said with an edge of sarcasm.

"Sorry, I just hate those big fucking needles they always wanna jab me with, you know?"

"I am aware," said the noble, looking slightly amused, "Do you need an escort to make sure that you do not get lost on the way, Renji?"

"Eh, no, that's okay," Renji replied, scowling at the hell butterfly as it floated serenely away, "I guess I'll have to take a rain check on dinner. Okay if we skip to the dessert when I get back?"

"I imagine that could be arranged," said Byakuya, nodding, "I will inform the staff to expect you."

"Great," said Renji, turning away, "I'm off to become a shinigami pincushion now. See ya once they bleed me dry, okay?"

"Abarai..." Byakuya said under his breath, watching the redhead stomp reluctantly away.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya sat astride his tall, black Arabian stallion which walked at an easy pace as they returned to Kuchiki Manor. They passed uneventfully through the echoing corridors of the precipice world and stepped back into the Seireitei, turning towards home."

Master, the stallion's wispy voice whispered into the young man's mind, you seem troubled. Is there anything I can do?

"Not especially," Tetsuya answered softly, touching the silver charm at his throat, "I was just thinking about the council meeting earlier."

Were they very unkind to you?

"Not so much, not more than usual, anyway," the noble mused, "But it seems that this situation with the elders and their trying to manipulate Byakuya-sama and Renji-san is really bothering me."

Oh?

"While I am safe enough from their maneuvering, Renji-san is more vulnerable. I worry that the council will play upon his insecurities and try to exploit them."

And your desire is to protect Renji-san?

"He is my friend...a new friend, but he is definitely someone I want to be friends with."

The stallion was quiet for a moment.

This is...unlike you, master, he commented finally, But in a good way. You are usually quiet and somewhat detached from the family, except for Byakuya-sama. And you do not seek others for friendship, aside from perhaps Rukia-chan and her living world friends sometimes.

"It is difficult sometimes," Tetsuya explained, "A half blood is always a bit on the outside. It takes a special kind of person to befriend someone like me. The clan members look down on me for my peasant blood and the Rukongai folk see me as one of those stuck up nobles. Arashi, I always seem to walk somewhere in between the two, yet not with either side."

Agreed. But usually, this does not cause you such emotions. Is it because of Renji-san?

"His entry into the family would bring about a half blood heir," commented Tetsuya, "That is something that would never have been accepted before."

But it is a good thing, ne?

"Yes," Tetsuya said, a smile touching his lips, "It is a good thing. And I am grateful to Renji for bringing this about. It will be interesting to see how much things have changed from before. But...we had best be ready to offer him our protection, Arashi. I am sure that the elders will be all over any chance to undo him."

Then, we will make sure that they do not.

"Arigato, my friend."

It is nothing.

Tetsuya looked up, frowning, as a raised voice reached them.

"Stop fighting me, you little piece of half blooded trash!" a male voice hissed, "You belong to me now, you understand. And when I say that I want you to please me sexually, you will do it, even if it's in front of a crowd of people and not in a secluded corner of a park!"

"Stop, Kanaye!" cried a second male voice, "Please, I will do as you say, but not here. Let us go back to..."

The second voice broke off and a loud slapping noise reached Tetsuya and Arashi's ears. Instantly, the stallion, turned towards the sound as cries of pain and thuds of a skirmish of some kind rose up.

"How dare you, you insignificant toad!" the first voice snarled, "Fine, you want to be difficult? I'll just beat you to death and see how you enjoy disobedience then! The family won't even blink when you're gone. Why they married me off to you anyway..."

"Stop!" Tetsuya ordered the man, sliding down off of Arashi's back and drawing his weapon, "Let him go!"

"Well," said the large, powerful looking man, his proud, golden eyes boring into the younger man, "If it isn't, yet another foul half blood coming to this trash's rescue. As you were, Kuchiki! Get out of here. This is private clan business."

He turned back to the man with him and raised his hand to strike, only to find his arm captured in a fine, but unnaturally powerful grasp.

"Bakudo number four, Hainawa," Tetsuya said solemnly.

"What do you take me for?" Kanaye hissed, glaring at Tetsuya, "I am a clan leader and I am disciplining my cousin and husband. You have nothing to say about any of this, so get out of here!"

"I think I have something to say about this," Tetsuya said defiantly, "I will not stand by and let you beat anyone to death. Now, let him go, or I will take him from you forcibly!"

"I would like to see you try!" howled Kanaye, drawing his sword, "Come at me then, half blood Kuchiki! See how quickly you will fall!"

He made a sound of surprise and pain and fell to the ground as Arashi struck him in the head from behind, making him collapse in his tracks. Tetsuya flash stepped forward and caught the young man that the clan leader had been abusing as he started to fall. The young man made a sound of surprise and relief and gazed up into Tetsuya's sapphire eyes.

"Th-thank you, Kuchiki-san," he said, "I..."

The two went still, staring in shock as the silver pendant that each wore began to glow brightly.

"Wh-what?" the other young man whispered in shock, "But...he...Kanaye, our leader, he just forced me to marry him!"

"Against the rules of resonance?" Tetsuya asked, anger rising in his eyes.

"Rules be damned!" snapped Kanaye, staggering to his feet, "If I say he is mine, than he belongs to me! If you want him, then you'd best be prepared to die fighting me for him!"

The clan leader surged forward, freezing Arashi in place with a hastily breathed spell and bearing down on Tetsuya and the younger man as his sword began its release.

Tetsuya flash stepped away with Kanaye's husband, setting a waterform as he went, then pausing.

"Don't think that will work with me!" shouted the furious clan leader, "It won't!"

A flash of power destroyed the waterform, and Tetsuya slipped an arm around the younger man and flash stepped away with him. He motioned for the other to climb onto Arashi, then engaged the clan leader's sword in a barrage of strikes and slashes. Power swirled around the two and they flash stepped with dizzying speed, each looking for an opening.

"Stand down! I am taking him with me!" Tetsuya cried, "The rules of resonance have given my clan the right to claim him!"

"Then send your clan leader and you can have him after I'm done with him. The man is married to me!"

He charged suddenly, his sword extended as Tetsuya feinted and stepped aside, driving his weapon home into the clan leader's exposed shoulder. Kanaye staggered back, dropping his sword as the young man on Arashi's back made a sound of dismay and started to dismount.

"No, don't!" cried Tetsuya, flash stepping to him, "Look, some of your relatives are coming. I didn't strike to kill, just to stop him from fighting me. We have to go. Because I have done this, your clan will seek both of our deaths!"

He leapt onto Arashi's back and wrapped his arms around the other man's slim waist. Strands of long, golden hair tickled his skin and the man's gentle golden eyes peeked at Tetsuya over his shoulder.

"I don't believe I caught your name," Tetsuya said, tightening his arms around the other.

"Hiromi," his resonant said softly, "But I have known your name for some time, Kuchiki Tetsuya. It gave me hope through deep darkness. Thank you, Tetsuya. Thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't be so quick to be thankful," Tetsuya warned him, "They are going to be out for both of our blood. I only hope that my cousin and our clan can protect us."

"Well, it was Kanaye who broke the laws that clearly call for me to be bound to you, not me."

He broke off as Renji flash stepped into view.

"Tetsuya, wait!"

"Come, Renji-san," Tetsuya called, reaching out a hand and dragging him on to Arashi's back, "We must go now!"