Black-and-Red Conflict

thank you guys, as always the reviews keep me going even if things get worse! it really encourages me to hear that you think i keep those two IC, means a lot to me, coz in the end that's what i think is important in fanfiction.

chapter eleven.... you really thought thing's couldn't get worse? *hits head on desk*

~~~Eleven~~~
Misunderstanding

Rukia's invitation, and the problem of how he would be able to navigate himself out of it gave Renji a headache. He definitely did not by any means want to sit in the same room with Kuchiki Byakuya for hours, but he could not let Rukia down. He felt bad enough for having her look at him with the questions clear on her face but still constantly holding herself back, not pushing him to an explanation. He didn't know if he would be able to be that patient if it was about her.

Fortunately, as soon as he entered the headquarters the bustling activity there did a great deal to distract him, at least for the moment. There was quite some organization to be done since several teams would leave still on that same day for different missions and some of them were not even set up. After all, with Kuchiki-Taichou's unexpected absence, most of the organization for all this had been stuck with Renji, who had not been able to do that whole load on his own in the short time, especially not as distracted by personal problems as he had been. He'd done as best as he could – the squad depended on him after all – but many details for the missions and some team configurations were still a mess. For once the redhead went to work almost enthusiastically, occupying his mind gladly so he did not have to think of last night or the invitation.

And in the beginning things really went quite well. The curious looks had lessened and people did not come running to ask him stupid questions anymore, they hardly whispered behind his back. After Byakuya's unexpected absence the attention had shifted to the captain, and Renji was left in peace for the most even though the aforementioned was not seen outside his office at all.

When around midday the last papers were ready but for Byakuya's signature, Renji decided to get it himself, to prove that he would not shy away, would not let himself be intimidated by that man.

Kuchiki-Taichou behaved as if nothing had happened. Renji had expected that much. The noble looked up shortly but did not say a word as his lieutenant entered the room without a knock. That captain's eyes were like steel once more, cold and emotionless. After he had signed the forms, he rested one slender hand on top of them so Renji couldn't just grab them and leave. Then he looked up.

“You managed well during my absence,” he said calmly. Renji raised one eyebrow, noticing how his heart sped up the slightest bit, as if readying the body it occupied for another fight. But nothing more followed. Both stared at each other unflinchingly, Renji's eyes more than ever alive with fire. Provocatively so.
“Whatever,” he retorted, then took hold of the papers, pulled them out from under the captain's hand and left without another word.

Byakuya's eyes remained on the door after it had been closed behind the broad shoulders and back of his Fukutaichou, the strong neck and proudly lifted head. The captain sighed. He was feeling better than he had the days before, already simply because it would have been pretty much impossible to feel any worse. But at the back of his skull a little voice had started whispering to him about guilt. And that after the day had started out so well.

After the night with Renji Byakuya had finally felt calm and in control again, something he'd not only missed since their first serious confrontation on the training field, but since weeks before that already. He had been able to get a full night's sleep, deep and dreamless and had felt well rested when he woke, his mind blissfully blank. For a few hours in the early morning everything had been normal again. He had been his old self – poised, organized, exact and indifferent – everything he had been before Renji had challenged him in an attempt to save Rukia a few months ago. Before in consequence, everything between them had turned unstable and confusing. Before Renji's fangs had reached Byakuya.

In those few hours in the early morning, the noble had managed to catch up with what had happened in the three days he had not been present as captain. He had gone through the team suggestions for the upcoming missions, plans and strategies and had been positively surprised at how much of the work had been done already. He was pleased that he would be able to leave the rest of the organization to his Fukutaichou as well, so he himself could concentrate on the matter of the clan meeting in three days.

The invitations had been out long before and most of the general planning was done already. Even if the head of the clan did not actually look forward to the event, he did not have words like procrastination in his vocabulary. It was clear who would come, and who would stay in the mansion. He had defined the last details of food, drink and entertainment and eventually only the transport for two or three parties remained in question and of course the matter of whom Rukia would invite on her behalf.

Even after her practically pleading for four days whenever she'd seen him, using her famous big, dark eyes on those occasions, he had been adamant on the fact that she would have to appear at the meeting, no matter what. He knew she hated it, but she was part of the family and consequently would have to live with its traditions. Fun had nothing to do with it, not for him either. But he did have a soft enough spot for her that on her fifth day of pleading – he had to admit she had stamina – he had finally allowed her to invite one person on her behalf.

Of course it was pretty clear who she would ask and there his eyes had flickered and he had hesitated for a moment before his mind could work on as systematically as usually. Hopefully Renji would be able to behave well enough, though Byakuya had to admit his Fukutaichou could be astonishingly polite and civilized if he wanted to. The dress code was another problem though. The plain Shinigami uniform was not acceptable for the event and having the other show up in the white-and-pink kimono he wore in his free time seemed an even worse alternative. Though the redhead would probably not use that, since due to Byakuya's actions last night it would need thorough cleaning before it was to be worn again.

On this morning, sitting in his office before anybody else arrived, Byakuya had thought systematically up to exactly that point, before the weight of what had been happening the evening before had finally caught up with him. His hands had become moist, his breathing and heartbeat had sped up and his eyes had widened before he had been able to push back the more than vivid memories, the flood of feelings. The little voice in the back of his head had started at that point as well, and even though – with great effort but strengthened by his newly built walls and the rest he'd got – he had been able to remain in control, that voice had not ceased and instead was slowly but surely growing louder.

To have seen Renji before him now, the fire and accusation in those red eyes, the way the lieutenant had rejected the compliment that he surely must have recognized as that and how he had walked out of the office, made something stir inside the captain. An unwelcome feeling, a twisting knot that worked itself up until it sat in his throat and did not want to leave. A churning thing, its claws sharp and tirelessly digging until they would have reached his core.

Guilt.

Something a person like him was not generally used to feeling very often in their life. Something that he was not exactly sure as how to deal with, but knew he would have to. He realized he should not have taken Renji against the redhead's will, but neither did he want to make undone what had happened. After all it had granted him the possibility to fight off the madness that he had come so terribly close to before, and of course it had simply felt amazing. He knew he wanted it again, he would need it again at some point. But he also was aware of the fact that he would not be able to do what he'd done a second time, and in any case did not want it like that. He needed Renji to allow it, he wanted to other to agree to it, to like it and need it as much as he himself did.

But that was easy to wish for but almost impossible to do. Byakuya's eyes narrowed and he frowned, staring down at his pale hand on the dark desk, realizing suddenly that his one ruthless, thoughtless action probably had destroyed whatever affection Renji may have had for his captain.

Lids closed slowly over the gray-blue eyes and the captain's hand closed into a fist. He was beginning to worry. The redhead had been so cold, almost as cold as the mirror image Byakuya could see every morning. It was something that didn't suit the passionate redhead.
Opening his eyes again Byakuya tried to focus. He needed to have a word with Renji, as much as he had been trying to avoid that before. Suddenly it seemed the players in the game of chase had switched their roles.

All the while Abarai-Fukutaichou was out with other Shinigami of his squad for lunch. He had forced the thought of Kuchiki-Taichou from his mind, but of course what the other had said was hard to push away. Had that been a compliment? How ridiculous. He frowned but then turned his attention back to the laughing and chatting on the table. The men and women were in good spirits, looking forward to the change in routine that the missions would give them. Most of them, in any case. One very nervous Rikichi sat beside Renji, poking at his foot with little appetite.

After a moment the Fukutaichou grinned at the boy.
“Don't be nervous. Ya'll be awright. The guys'll watch out for ya.”

Renji was referring to the fact that Rikichi would be sent on his first real mission in a team this evening. It was nothing really dangerous, a few hollows, a few lost souls, and his teammates were strong enough to basically handle it on their own. But Renji had wanted one of the youngest Shinigami in the squad to finally get out on a real mission in the Living World, so he would get some better experience after the monitored training sessions that had been obligatory in the academy. It was about time Rikichi got accustomed to the real thing. But the boy was unbelievably nervous and the others were teasing him a lot about it, so it seemed about time for the lieutenant to buoy him up a bit. The redhead grinned widely and gave Rikichi a friendly slap on the back that almost made the youth choke on his noodles.
“Look at it that way, 's soon as ya get back, ya can get one more tattoo.”

Rikichi grinned weakly, but Renji did not have any more time left for encouragement. He needed to get back to the office to still arrange a few more things before waiting for the teams to get ready so he could see them off. He was almost jealous of them, since they were able to get out of Soul Society for a short time. Right now he would wholeheartedly welcome that possibility and there suddenly he wondered, why he couldn't. The idea made him pause in front of his office.

It would also be the one chance for him to bypass Rukia's invitation to the dinner in three days, since the first teams were to return earliest in five days. He almost laughed out loud as he wondered why he had not thought of this before. He'd just have to change one or two teams, accumulate most of the youngest and inexperienced Shinigami in one team and go with them himself. He'd take it into his own hands to make sure they learned what was necessary in the Living World. It all made perfect sense.

He still felt a bit bad about letting Rukia down, but this excuse was at least reasonable. It would be hard for her to oppose it. There was a short and sharp pang of guilt, but he pushed it back. It would be better for her too, not having her brother and best friend in the same room at the same time, which could only go wrong in any case. The last weeks had proven it. Satisfied with himself for finding a way out of this Renji entered his office just to stop short before his desk, brows risen in question.

There were two kimonos neatly folded on the table. The first was a dark red one, its obviously precious fabric reflecting the light softly. Beside it was a second, white with pink flowers, which looked to be very much the same kind as one that was lying tossed into a corner in Renji's room at the moment, stained with sweat and semen.

The lieutenant stood stunned for a few seconds, then one of his hands tightened into a fist.

That bastard.

There was no question as to who had put these onto his desk, and the taunt pierced his mind like an arrow. He growled and tossed the dark red silk across the room against the far wall where it landed on the floor in a messy heap. Then he took hold of the second kimono, pulled it off the desk and stalked out of his office, not caring that the garment unfolded and dragged over the floor behind him.

He stormed into Kuchiki-Taichou's office and flung the cloth at the man who was still seated at his desk as he had been barely an hour before. Byakuya caught it with one hand, closing his eyes as part of it brushed over his face. Then he looked up at his Fukutaichou, indifferent on the outside, but on the inside very much confused about the other's reaction.

“How dare you mock me like this,” Renji hissed, face contorted, body poised as if ready to lunge forward. Byakuya's eyes widened a fraction.

Mock? He had not intended to... but suddenly he realized what it must look like for Renji. Buying the other these kimonos, one of them exactly the same as the one that had been stained due to Byakuya's actions, it was as if to point out the fact that he could afford it. As if to point out that he was able to pay for what he'd gotten. To pay his whore.

Byakuya could not hide the small groan that escaped his lips.
“Renji,” he said and rose, leaving the kimono on the desk as he stepped around it, “I did not intend to make it look that way. I...” He stopped. How could he convince the enraged lieutenant in front of him? He felt himself not yet ready to speak of last night, and just as unable to apologize. Instead he frowned.

“Where is the second?”

Renji sneered at him.
“On the damn floor, wher't belongs. Ya gotta pick it up soon, or I'll use Zabimaru's teeth on it.”

“You should not destroy it, you will need it for the dinner in three days in my mansion. Did Rukia not tell you about it?”
The redhead's eyes widened and he was unable to say anything for a few moments. Then he caught himself.

“What?”
Byakuya hesitated. Had Rukia not asked yet? Or could she really have chosen someone else? But there Renji spoke again.
“The fuck I will. I'm not coming. I'm out of here. I'm leaving on a mission.”

“No. Your name was not in any team, as there is no need for you to go.”
Damn, so the bastard had actually read the papers he had signed. But Renji would not give up so easily.

“Damn well is. I'm not going to your fuckin' dinner. I'll take care of the rookies. Better if I do it anyways.”

Byakuya's eyes narrowed and turned cold. If the other left on a mission he would be back earliest in five days, which would make it impossible for him to attend the dinner, which would make it impossible for the noble in turn to get a chance to speak with Renji privately.

“No. That is not necessary. The teams are set up well, the rookies will be taken care of. You will not leave.”
Byakuya attempted to step past Renji but the redhead growled and planted himself in the other's path.

“Ya don't even know the people in your squad, ya don'even see'em. I know'em better and I will go,” he hissed.

Kuchiki-Taichou didn't like at all what he heard. To be accused of not knowing his squad was a serious offense, and the fact that it was true did not make it any easier to bear. He spoke quietly, but every syllable seemed to cut through the room like a knife. “You will not leave on a mission today. I... you are needed here. This is an order.”

I need you here. He had barely been able to catch himself and shook his head. This had gone about as wrong as it could go. He silently cursed himself as he was about to force his way past Renji before he stopped another time, his face averted. The knot in his throat started to hurt, and it got stronger by the second.
“I... truly did not intend to mock you,” he said in a much softer tone, but as he was about to lift his hand to touch Renji's arm and step past him, the redhead shied away as if from a dangerous animal, such rage in his eyes that Byakuya was not able to meet them for more than a second.

For the next two hours, as Kuchiki-Taichou saw the teams off himself, under the surprised eyes of them all, Renji stood as far away from the noble as possible, his knuckles white as he gripped Zabimaru's hilt, it being the only thing that kept him from taking a lunge at the dark-haired man. As the gate had finally closed behind a pale Rikichi, who had gotten even more upset by the atmosphere of murderous intent that radiated from Abarai-Fukutaichou, the redhead stormed off without looking back.

Byakuya remained in the empty square alone. He lifted one hand to cover his face and did not move from this position for several minutes, trying to retain control.

Things were going terribly wrong.


~~~