Chapter 27: New Beginning

(Seven weeks later)

Uryuu sat quietly on the patio outside the master bedroom, stitching contentedly and half watching the snowball fight playing out on the snow covered grass in the gardens of Sakura no Kaiyou. Ichigo poked his head out from behind a white frosted bush and took aim on Tetsuya, who appeared to be unaware of the sneak attack shaping up behind him. But just as the huge snowball left the Shiba heir's hand, Tetsuya turned his head and smiled, disappearing and forcefully switching places with him, leaving Ichigo in the path of his own hurled snowball.

"OW, dammit!" Ichigo laughed, tackling his lovely boyfriend and bringing him down in the snow for a bout of damp, snowy kisses, "You're a cheater!"

"What do you expect?" Tetsuya asked saucily, "Do you think I'll just stand there and let you throw snow at me? You'll have to be craftier than that."

Tetsuya ducked and danced out of the way as a barrage of snowballs flew out from behind a tree and two red-haired men guffawed as they pummeled the hapless Shiba heir, knocking him off his feet.

"Oh, you bastards are really asking for it!" he snapped playfully, slipping back behind a bush and yanking Tetsuya along with him.

Ichigo began making snowballs while Tetsuya used his shikai to make little snow copies of himself that ran around wildly, throwing themselves at the two redheads.

"Cut it out! That's not fair!" Bazz-B and Renji howled, ducking and diving out of the way of the incoming copies.

"You guys are getting soaked," Rukia said, smirking and crossing her arms, "It's time to eat. Come on inside."

"I don't know," Ichigo said, giving her a cocky grin and winking at the others, "Maybe you should come out here and bring us something. Come closer. I dare you."

"Yeah right," Rukia said, turning back towards the house, then squealing as flash steps sounded all around her and snowballs flew in all directions, splatting noisily against all of the laughing fighters. They went down in a tangle, laughing and giggling madly as, on the patio, Uryuu watched and the corners of his mouth curved upward.

"Pfft!" Rukia spat, expelling snow from her mouth forcefully, "You guys are ridiculous. You'd better be glad my brother's not here or he'd be after you for flopping around like fools. You'd better get in here and change your clothes before lunch. He's coming home any time now."

The words made Uryuu's smile warm and widen sweetly.

He's been away for a couple of weeks and it felt like a year. I know he's a taichou and has to go, but it was hard being without him. Maybe it will happen when he comes back. Maybe I'll be able to speak to him...to make my mouth say the words. I haven't been able to say anything since that day...the day we were married by Central 46.

He rose from the chair and walked back inside, where he walked to the closet and studied the clothing he had made to pass the time while his husband was gone. A hand slipped down to rub the notable bump on his abdomen.

I may have to alter some of these soon. The baby's reiatsu has grown a lot.

He reached for one of his casual yukatas, but heard a swift flash step and found that the self-made creation had been gently removed from his hand.

"Come now, Uryuu-sama," Torio scolded him teasingly, "With my cousin gone, there is almost nothing for me to do. You must at least let me dress you like I'm supposed to. Stand still now."

Uryuu faced the mirror, watching as the yukata he wore fell away, revealing his still mostly thin body. He rubbed the swelling on his abdomen, admiring it as Torio approached him with his fresh clothing and began to dress him.

"You make such beautiful clothing," the attendant complimented him, "Byakuya-sama loves it when you make things for him, although he seems to have a special fondness for that very first yukata you sewed for him. He took it with him on his mission and wore it underneath his uniform."

The words warmed Uryuu inside and made him even more anxious for his husband's arrival at the estate. He struggled to stand quietly, but couldn't help fidgeting as Torio finished dressing him and led him off to the dining room, where the others had gathered for the midday meal. As he sat down, a messenger arrived and delivered a slip of paper to him. Uryuu opened it and silently read the contents.

Uryuu,

My apologies for not being able to return home as planned. Please let me make this up to you by meeting me to attend a Christmas Eve concert. Dress warmly and Arashi will carry you to the concert hall. I will meet you inside. It will be good to see you. I have missed you, my love, and look forward to lying down with you and holding you in my arms tonight.

Lovingly yours,

Byakuya

He hurried through his lunch and returned to his sewing, keeping his hands busy to pass the time. It still seemed to crawl impossibly slowly until finally, Torio appeared in the room and coaxed him out of his chair. The attendant seemed to dress him unusually slowly, then spent extra time combing hi fine hair and checking every inch of him over before nodding in approval and sending him out into the gardens, where Arashi stood waiting for him. Uryuu mounted the stallion, then made a sound of surprise as a watery blindfold formed and covered his eyes.

What's going on? he thought.

It's Byakuya-sama's orders, Arashi's voice whispered into his mind, He wants you to be surprised by the venue for tonight.

Uryuu smiled and relaxed, listening to the swishing movements of Arashi's graceful legs and the rhythmic clip-clop of his feet as they moved swiftly down the trail. They rode for nearly an hour before Arashi slowed and came to a stop.

What are you doing? Uryuu inquired.

Byakuya-sama asked me to have you wait here.

Uryuu strained his ears curiously, but could hear nothing but the chirping of birds, a few distant voices and the occasional whooshing of the breeze. Finally, soft footsteps approached and Uryuu felt a strong, familiar male presence.

My father?

He accepted Ryuuken's hand wordlessly, allowing himself to be led into what he sensed was a huge building of some kind. He was led into a cool, breezy entry, where Ryuuken paused.

Is this...? Are we...tonight? Uryuu wondered.

He hardly dared to hope.

I wondered when we would have our wedding. I thought that it would be a while longer. Byakuya was good at keeping the secret.

"You can look now," Ryuuken said, uncovering his eyes.

Uryuu's eyes rounded as he studied the expansive entry he stood in, under a high, vaulted ceiling and on shining marble floors lined with statues of angels that looked down on him with eerily lovely stone eyes. He turned his head and gasped softly at the sight of his father, dressed in ivory robes that showed the more pronounced rounding of his belly proudly.

"Come this way," Ryuuken said, leading him off into a small anteroom, where his suspicions were confirmed as he spotted the lovely white caped kimono he had made himself for the day he and Byakuya married for real. Over the top hung a stunning white veil that cascaded down over most of the kimono and trailed behind it.

"The veil belonged to Byakuya's mother," Ryuuken explained, "He thought that as his parents were very happy together, she would want to share in your happiness as well."

Torio and Koji entered the room and busily set about removing the clothes he wore and dressing him in the bridal kimono and long veil, then turning him over once more to his father.

"I hope you don't mind if I see you down the aisle," Ryuuken said, offering his arm and smiling as his son instantly accepted.

He led Uryuu out of the anteroom and back into the entry, then to the doors. Uryuu's eyes rounded again as the doors opened in front of him and music floated towards him, drawing him on. His eyes flitted around, taking in everything as quickly as he could. He was sure he had never seen so grand a hall, with ceilings so high and thick red and silver rugs laid down over the white marble floor. Rows of dark wood pews ran up each side of the main aisle and the room was filled on one side with shinigamis and noble elders, and on the other side with row upon row of what he suspected were the new quincy noble families.

Bazz-B explained to us that Haschwalth had identified as many of the remaining heirs of the quincy noble houses as he could, and he restored their titles and their lands. The noble houses are once again the guardians of the towns and villages, like they once were before Ywach woke from his sleep and set out to conquer everything.

He marveled at the sight of so many quincies and in such close quarters with some of the Seireitei's strongest noble shinigamis.

Uryuu and Ryuuken stopped in the very back of the church, watching as the orchestra near the front began to play the Christmas Canon and a door on the far end of the church opened.

Uryuu's breath left him as he took in the touchingly sweet sight of Byakuya, dressed in the black and silver kimono he had made for his husband, his long black hair shining and perfectly combed, with new ivory decorations in the back. Silvery fingerless gloves wrapped around his graceful hands and his dark eyes shone affectionately as he looked out towards Uryuu and took his place in front of the Kuchiki elder Nori.

Two rows of bridal attendants began to enter from opposite sides, meeting in the central aisle and walking in time to the music. Tetsuya and Ichigo met first at the beginning of the aisle and headed towards Byakuya, followed by Bazz-B and Renji, then Rukia and Orihime, all dressed in matching formal kimonos. In their wake walked two rows of children, all dressed as angels, a row of shinigami girls and boys in black beside a row of quincy children dressed in white. As the Christmas Canon continued to play, the children began to sing the words, while they walked in slow, measured steps to the front and spread out at the base of the steps that the bridal couple would be ascending. Ryuuken led Uryuu to the beginning of the aisle as the children reached their destination and finished the last of the lyrics. The gathered shinigamis and quincies stood, turning towards where Ryuuken and Uryuu stood, their eyes admiring the enchanting veiled young man in white as he began to walk down the aisle. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they moved and Uryuu focused on Byakuya's serene, almost smiling face that observed him lovingly as he moved on. He closed in on the front and Ryuuken brought him to a stop at the base of the steps that led up to the marriage podium. Byakuya descended the steps and greeted them, watching as Ryuuken lifted the veil and kissed his son on the cheek, then set his hand gently in Byakuya's. The bridal couple ascended the steps and took their place in front of Nori, listening as he read the blessings and began the statement of their vows.

He felt Byakuya's eyes watching him closely as Nori's voice guided them through the ceremony.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, do you take Uryuu to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward? Do you promise to love, honor and cherish him, forsaking all others...for better or for worse, for richer of for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Byakuya promised, smiling down at Uryuu.

"Ishida Uryuu, do you take Kuchiki Byakuya to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward? Do you promise to love, honor and cherish him, forsaking all others...for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

He knew he wasn't expected to answer out loud, but the desire to say the words welled up and he struggled to force it out, shaping the words on his lips and praying his voice would sound.

"It's all right," Byakuya whispered very softly, "You don't have to..."

"I do," Uryuu managed, his newly returned voice echoing around them.

The room went silent and breathless as Byakuya stared in surprise at Uryuu, a single tear welling up in the corner of a grey eye and leaking onto his face as he wrapped his arms tightly around Uryuu and buried his face in the younger man's shoulder.

"I wondered if I was ever going to hear your voice again!" Byakuya whispered in a choked voice.

"Byakuya and Uryuu," Nori addressed them, "having made your promises to each other and with the blessings of the Kuchiki and Ishida houses, I now pronounce you partners in life, bonded in love, forever bound on the joyous path of marital bliss. Please exchange a kiss as the first gift of your new marriage."

It couldn't be more perfect, Uryuu mused as Byakuya's lips captured his and the two exchanged a long, passionate kiss, I know we have a long way to go. I have to get over my fears about being loved physically, I need to regain my powers and return to Silbern to deal with the questions of what will happen there. But through everything, I know Byakuya will be by my side. He will never hurt me and he will never leave me. That's how I know I can give myself to him completely. Like no one else, this one man lights the dark corners of my soul. He brightens every part of me and brings me back to life inside. He is everything to me and I will never, ever let him go!

(Thank you so much for reading, fave-ing, following and reviewing Dark Corners. This is the end of part one. Part two will begin very soon and I hope to see all of you there! A very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years. May 2016 be the most magical year yet...AND MAY IT USHER IN THE RETURN OF THE BLEACH ANIME! Cheers, Spunky)