Chapter 10: Making Our Dreams Real

Byakuya knew immediately upon waking, that the arms that held his warm, naked body could only be those of the one true love of his life. There could be no illusion that could deliver the cozy feeling of safety and the radiance of their love, nothing that could imitate the profound connection of heart, body and soul. His lips smiled as he heard Ichigo's soft, contented snoring.

Aizen's power is formidable, and when I first broke free of him, I feared I would always have to wonder if what I was seeing was real. It is true that he can still affect my senses if he finds us, but there is one thing he could never fake. The connection of Ichigo's and my soul is something that is beyond the physical senses. It cannot be affected by Kyoka Suigetsu because that sword does not have the power to imitate the bond we share. This is why Aizen's plans for me repeatedly failed. He could trick my body into initial stages of pregnancy, but without the true connection of that bond, the pregnancy always failed. He blamed me for being difficult, but it was really that his power could not overcome our truth. Whatever happens now, we have that on our side.

I will never be fooled by that man again.

Ichigo's eyes opened, and instantly, a smile rose on his lips. His fingers slid affectionately through the long, silken strands of Byakuya's hair, making his paler partner sigh and close his eyes.

Aizen's touches were never so sensual and affectionate. When he touched me, all I felt was possessiveness. I am so grateful that I can be in Ichigo's arms again. We had only that once in the desert before we were separated. I suppose we will have a period of reconnecting and adjusting to our new roles.

I just wonder if it is as everyone says, and I will be able to resume my leadership, or if I have been so scarred by my imprisonment that I will never command the respect that I did before. I have so far to go…but inexplicably, Ichigo's heartfelt assurances leave me feeling hopeful, even amidst my own considerable doubts.

"Good morning…"

Ichigo hesitated, smiling quietly at him.

"I don't know what to call you. I mean, what's the etiquette on last names when two nobles get married?"

Byakuya's lips curved upward slightly.

"That depends on things like the status of both partners' families, as well as their position in the family. You and I are both pureblood nobles."

"But, my mother was a quincy."

"That does not matter, because she was of a noble quincy family," Byakuya explained, "Now, the next consideration is the relative status of our clans. Prior to the war, your clan was a disgraced clan, so you would not have even been considered noble. But when you defeated Ywach and it became known you were a member of the Shiba family, I assume that Central 46 officially reinstated you."

"Right, they did," Ichigo affirmed.

"A determination would have been made then of our family's relative status. The Kuchiki clan was the most powerful noble clan, but once reinstated and with you made heir, your clan's power would have outstripped that of the other great clans. There is no question about that."

"So, if we're both pureblood children of great clans, then…"

"If I was of mixed blood and not a leader, I would take your name. As I am not in the role of leader or heir now, but from a great clan, we will share a hyphenation. Your clan is of higher status, so your name is placed first."

"That makes us…"

"Ichigo and Byakuya Shiba-Kuchiki," Byakuya finished.

"I was a little miffed I had to give up my mom's last name," Ichigo confessed, sitting up and bringing Byakuya up with him, "but we're in the Seiretei, so we had to go with a shinigami surname."

"That does not change who you are inside," Byakuya said, touching his face with cool fingertips, then kissing his lips gently, "You may have to conform in some ways, but you will always find ways to be yourself."

"Is that what you did, growing up?" Ichigo asked, nuzzling his cheek.

"Well, I was a rather precocious child," Byakuya admitted.

"What? You? No way," Ichigo chuckled.

"Absolutely," Byakuya insisted, an edge of pride in his voice, "I think if we had met back then, we might well have been friends."

Ichigo gave him a regretful look.

"But…if things hadn't happened as they did, I either wouldn't have been born or I would have been different."

"I am grateful that we have connected now," Byakuya said with certainty, "I intend to spend the rest of my life appreciating the impact you have had."

"Bumps, bruises and all, huh?" Ichigo said, his smile fading.

"Bumps, bruises and all," Byakuya agreed, "Ichigo, I will not lie to you and say that I know everything will be fine. I would be wrong to misrepresent the very reasonable doubts that I have been left with. But I can honestly say to you that being close to you again gives me the feeling that putting this horrific experience behind me and resuming my life may be possible."

Ichigo slipped an arm around Byakuya and squeezed gently.

"If you said you were sure you'd be fine, I'd know you were lying to try to keep me from worrying. It's gonna be rough. We know that. But, we have each other. We'll help each other. As much as you have to fight your way back to how you were, I have to get past my fears about losing you again. These past five years without you…I mean, I learned to deal with you being gone, but my heart never stopped feeling the ache. I'm so glad you're here and I'm gonna do everything I can to keep you safe and to help you grow strong again. You know, whether you decide to lead your family again or not, we're gonna be happy, you, me, and our Emiko."

"And…perhaps other children we will have as well?" Byakuya inquired.

"Byakuya, we can have as many kids as you want."

"I may be damaged…" Byakuya said anxiously.

"If you can't have them, I will," Ichigo said without hesitation.

"You would…?"

Ichigo grinned widely.

"I'd do anything for you, Byakuya. I love you. I hardly felt like I was living when you weren't here."

"I was not living at all without you."

"You kept our girl alive and safe," Ichigo said, taking Byakuya's comely face in his hands.

"I placated Aizen and I was lucky he did not choose to harm her."

"You kept her safe and you helped her to escape," Ichigo insisted, "What you did was really brave. Don't let yourself think any different."

Byakuya took a slow, steadying breath.

"I want to stop focusing on the past," he decided, "I know there are things to deal with. I will need physical and emotional therapy."

"We'll get you both. And…if you want me to, I'll go to the therapy too if you want me to learn how I can best support you. I want to do all the right things, but I won't always know how best to help you."

Byakuya gave him a warm look of approval.

"I think you attending for parts of my therapy would be very helpful, but…I would spare you any more focus on what is past."

"Whatever you decide will work best for you. We can talk to Kisuke about finding someone to counsel us."

"I would like that," Byakuya said gratefully.

"Okay," Ichigo agreed, "We'll work out the details later. But about right now, do you wanna go for a walk on the beach with me?"

"That sounds wonderful," Byakuya said, following as Ichigo slid out of bed. As he stood, he caught an intoxicating breath of Ichigo's masculine scent and felt a little telling dampness along his inner thigh that made him smile.

It was a lovely wedding night.

Ichigo grinned.

"Maybe we should clean up first?" he chuckled.

He took Byakuya's hand and the two headed into the bathroom. Byakuya turned on the shower and the two embraced, talking softly and exchanging lazy kisses as the water warmed. They stepped in under the steaming spray, curling into each other's arms as the hot water rained down on them.

"Everything that's happening," Ichigo whispered into his ear, "being in each other's arms, getting married, making love all night and now this…it's all the things I cried over losing when I thought you were gone for good. I'm so glad we got you back, Byakuya. I wanna be with you like this every day for the rest of our lives."

"I want this too," Byakuya agreed, sinking into his husband's mouth for a bout of deep, wet kisses.

Byakuya reached for the soap, only to have it nicked from his hand. He smiled as Ichigo applied it generously, then ran his hands over the wide expanses of Byakuya's lovely, pale flesh, working the sweet smelling soap into a thick lather. Sliding down shoulder blades, along the slender lines of his back, pausing to caress and squeeze his soft, round bottom, then sliding around to offer a very thorough exploration of Byakuya's shapely breast and slim belly. His finger dipped into his husband's navel, then slid out again, trailing downward, honing in on Byakuya's flushed, alert privates.

"I wanna touch every part of you," Ichigo panted softly, his golden-brown eyes regaining the intense hunger that had possessed them all night, "It's like I can't believe you're really here until I do! God, I love you, Byakuya. Don't ever leave me again!"

"I am staying right here," Byakuya promised, "These arms are my home and your heart is my safe place. I love you too, Ichigo. I am not going anywhere."

Ichigo pressed forward, trapping his husband's thickly lathered body against the shower wall and rubbing against him until his own body was bathed in white foam. Eager mouths fed on each other as though starving, and their hands touched, delighted and caressed enthusiastically. Ichigo's hand slid down his raven-haired mate's side, capturing a slick thigh and bringing one slender leg up to wrap lightly around his waist. He entered slowly, looking down into Byakuya's rapt eyes and watching them darken and widen with lust as their bodies joined.,

I feel kinda guilty, Ichigo mused inwardly, We've made love so many times already and I can't stop making love to him. It's like my body wants to give back every day he suffered with that bastard, Aizen. I can't really give any of that time back, but I can hold him. I can comfort him. I can let him know that if Aizen comes near him again, I'll be ready. I may not be able to kill that monster, but I can get him put back in Muken, where criminals like him belong. I won't let him hurt Byakuya and Emiko anymore. They are my family, and I'm never losing them to him again!

He poured his thoughts into the hard, fast movements of his body, bringing the two to a lovely pinnacle and releasing everything into Byakuya's recovering body. He felt the answering swell of Byakuya's reiatsu, promising silently that he would recover, and that the next time Aizen came for them, they would fight him together.

Yeah, Ichigo thought, gazing down into Byakuya's dark, grey orbs, This isn't just my fight, it's ours. We're all gonna have to be strong as we face Aizen together.

He held tightly to Byakuya's trembling form, enjoying the tickle of his panting breaths against a naked shoulder and the feel of his heart pounding beneath his breath as he sighed contentedly and rested against Ichigo.

"You look a little tired," he chuckled, "Do you wanna rest a little before that walk?"

"I am fine," Byakuya assured him, turning to rinse the thick lather from his slender form, "I think my strength returns more quickly now."

"The good food and rest are helping," Ichigo acknowledged.

"That, and the safety of being with you. At very least, I know you have not been hypnotized by Kyoka Suigetsu. Aizen must be wary of that as he tries to come close to us to continue his plans."

Byakuya continued to turn his thoughts over in his mind as he turned off the shower and stepped out onto the mat. He started to pick up a towel, only to have it snatched from his hands, and then his damp body was treated to a tender display, with Ichigo rubbing the warm, thick towel all over, following its touches with gentle kisses and soft reassurances. He was nearly dozing by the time he was dry and he surrendered all too easily to falling back into bed and curling naked around his spouse, where they slept soundly until Rukia appeared some time later with their breakfast.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stirred and opened his eyes to find Tetsuya sitting up in their bed and devouring a huge meal. Chuckling in amusement, he sat up and grabbed his own heaping tray.

"Good morning, beautiful," he greeted his blue-eyed partner, nipping at Tetsuya's lips before plundering the tray in front of him, "You look like you're feeling better today."

"I feel much better," Tetsuya acknowledged, "The pain blocks and your constant attention seems to have done the trick."

"Hmm," the redhead said, smirking and waggling his eyebrows, "I could give you some more constant attention, if you want."

"You are insatiable," Tetsuya laughed, pushing him away as he moved in for another kiss, "Stop it! I am eating to regain my reiatsu."

"I can fill you up with mine," Renji purred in his ear, making the slighter man blush and shove him away again.

"Renji, I am trying to follow my healer's orders and…"

He sucked in a surprised breath as Renji turned and sent their trays flying as he brought the surprised noble down onto his back and sought his smiling mouth for a bout of steamy kisses.

"You're impossible!" Tetsuya laughed.

"It's your fault," Renji accused him, sliding a hand down between them to pleasure them, "You get me all riled and I can't think of anything else but making love to you."

"We did that all night, you ass!" Tetsuya snickered, trying to escape from the food strewn bed, only to be brought down again and treated to a slow, meticulous plundering of his body.

Renji's strong hands held him down and the muscular redhead's body pinned his in place, holding him still as that smiling, red mouth devoured the bits of food that stuck to his pale flesh and Renji's pink tongue tickled as is slid along a white breast, pausing to tease an erect, pink nipple, then sliding down to explore his soft belly, and dipping into his navel before following the trail of fine hairs down to his still surprisingly reactive nether region.

"Renji!" Tetsuya moaned, spreading his thighs wide to invite a deeper, more intense exploration.

The redhead answered with delicious suction and long, warm stroke of his tongue that had his blue-eyed partner writhing and panting helplessly as Renji shifted and positioned himself for an unhurried entry. Tetsuya's back arched and he pushed up against Renji's handsome, tattooed body wildly, seeking friction and deeper, faster penetration. Renji's fingers laced together with his, and the redhead answered with a volley of hard, fast thrusts that carried them quickly to the edges of bliss, then sent them tumbling into the throes of a powerful release. They collapsed on the food-messed bed, damp with sweat and sticky with food and their release, and both deliciously sated.

"Y'know," Renji said dazedly, "Byakuya and Ichigo have the right idea."

"Hmm?" Tetsuya yawned lazily.

"Getting married. Making lots of babies," Renji rambled on, "We should do that."

"You want us to be married?" Tetsuya asked, blinking as he considered, "Now?"

"You wanna marry me, don't you?" the redhead asked, an edge of worry in his voice.

"If course I do," Tetsuya assured him, "I just didn't know if my very playful and insatiable mate wanted to share my attention with anyone. Between all of my duties to the clan and our more amorous pursuits, I wonder if I'll have the energy," Tetsuya joked.

He took Renji's face in his hands and kissed him lingeringly.

"I want to marry you too," he promised, "But I think it's best if we first help my cousin to regain his powers and renew his claim to family leadership. Once he does this, I will not have the expectations placed on me that I do now. The elders will not concern themselves with my private life if I am not their leader."

"Ah, right. It will uncomplicated things when Byakuya's strong enough to take his leadership back."

"I am going to focus all of my attention on protecting him and helping him reach that point."

"Me too," Renji promised, hugging Tetsuya tightly, "He's doing better."

"He is. But he has a ways to go. He is really going to need our support, Renji."

Renji nodded.

"We'll be there for him," the redhead assured him, "And when this is all over, he'll give us his blessing and we can get started on our own dreams."

"Yes," agreed, nuzzling Renji's warm cheek, "we can."

The two stiffened and their eyes widened as a shrill scream pierced the air. They were on their feet instantly, wrapping yukatas around themselves and dashing into the hallway. They headed towards the sound of Emiko crying and entered her room to find Byakuya and Ichigo holding the girl and soothing her as she shook and continued to cry.

"What happened, Emiko?" Ichigo asked, "Was it a bad dream?"

"It d-didn't feel like a dream," the little girl sobbed shakily, "I sat up in bed and looked out the window…and I saw Daddy Aizen…I mean, Aizen Sousuke looking in at me!"

"It's okay," Ichigo said, glancing warily at Byakuya, "It's okay, honey. Byakuya and I, and all of us here are going to keep that guy from ever hurting you again."