A Modern Courtship

A/N: I don't really like this chapter at all, but also don't have the free time to figure out what to change. There's way too much exposition. . . but at least Renji and Byakuya get to know each other a little bit better. Thank you for everyone who reviewed, short responses below:

KiraRaven: Don't worry, I'll continue this story to the end ^_^ I know how annoying it is when an author starts something and doesn't finish it, so I try as much as possible not to do that. I'm glad you like the story so far.

Satterb: Glad I gave you a laugh ^^ And thank you for reading!

Shere: Thank you so much for saying so. I'll try to update more often.

Rayne Destiny: Thank you, I'm happy that you are enjoying it.

Xpinkcloudx: I like a cocky Renji ^_^ At any rate, glad to hear you enjoyed that chapter,.

Shadowhime: Thank you! I get what you're saying about too much detail. I'm having a hard time writing this, and when that happens to me I tend towards description and exposition. I think it will get better once I get into the meat of the story, but we shall see.

Chiron11: Thank you for saying so. I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well.


Chapter 3


Byakuya woke up when the first rays of dawn drifted inside his window. It was always strange to wake up inside a gigai; he hadn't done in it a long time, and had forgotten what it was like. It was that sense of waking slowly, of bright light on the back of his eye lids and warmth spreading through his body. It always felt like his body had to catch up to his mind, and it always unsettled him just a little bit.

Once his body was fully awake Byakuya got out of bed, the soft cotton of his yukata brushing lightly against his skin. He wrapped it more tightly around himself and walked out of the room. Last night had been uneventful. . . even now Byakuya couldn't remember anything he had dreamed, and so he assumed his dreams had passed with nothing to note. He made his way to Renji's room, intent on checking up on his vice captain through the open door.

Renji was laying on his stomach, still asleep, drooling a bit through the corner of his mouth. His arm was hanging off the bed, Tae's report in a messy pile underneath it. The lamp on his nightstand was still on. Byakuya quickly surmised that Renji had fallen asleep reading the report, but that fact did not occupy most of Byakuya's mind. No, the overriding thought in Byakuya's mind right now had to do with Renji's clothing. Or lack thereof.

For one, that arm that was hanging off the bed was completely bare, showing off defined biceps and strong, broad shoulders. Renji's tank top clung to every curve of his well-defined back. His boxer briefs, as Byakuya had noted yesterday in the lab, left little to the imagination, clinging lovingly to a firm, round rear. A rear that would, no doubt, look even lovelier in motion, thrusting into. . .

Byakuya quickly turned away, wondering why Renji wasn't given a yukata to wear to sleep. He felt dirty and lustful, and he resolved to have a meditation under a cold shower later on that day. For now, though, he made his way to the kitchen, knowing that there would be a tea set waiting for him in one of the cabinets. There always was, on his extended missions. The people who accommodated his needs made sure of that. It didn't take him long to find it, and he set about preparing a pot of tea.

Ever since Byakuya had realized that he had feelings for Renji, he had discovered just how handsome the other man was. It was strange that he hadn't noticed before, that he had been attracted to Renji before noticing something like actual physical attractiveness. But Renji was all rugged good looks, from the angles of his face to the tanned, calloused skin that stretched over smooth muscle.

Byakuya hated looking at Renji that way. He felt as though he were objectifying the man, insulting him in some way. And Renji had no idea that he was the object of such impure thoughts.

At any rate, this mission was proving to be a rather depressing one for Byakuya. Especially when Renji said something like "you look great in those clothes, Taichou," in such an easy, nonchalant tone. Renji could make those remarks because there was no emotion behind them. To Renji, it was the same as stating that it was a beautiful day out. Byakuya knew that, and still the words sent his heart racing a few beats ahead. He had had to turn away to hide his expression, just in case it betrayed any of his inner emotions.

"Taichou, what are you doing? Whatever it is, I'll do it for you."

Byakuya looked up at Renji. Then looked immediately back down. Renji hadn't yet dressed, and had the tips of his fingers inside the waistband of his boxer-briefs, scratching lightly there. His tank top had lifted up with the motion, and Byakuya had seen both a trace of deep red pubic hair and the curve of Renji's manhood through the cotton of his underwear. Renji walked up to him, and Byakuya was appalled when he stood directly next to him, their elbows almost touching.

"Taichou, you don't have to do that, I'll make your tea for you."

"Do you know how to make it properly?" Byakuya asked, a little bit more scornfully than he had intended. "I've studied the art of tea for decades; how long have you studied it for?"

"Oh. Yeah."

Renji looked somewhat hurt by the question, which made Byakuya almost instantly feel bad about asking it. The redhead sat down at the table, his eyes looking off into the distance as he frowned.

Not knowing what to say, Byakuya immersed himself in the tea preparation. The methodical nature of the preparation calmed him, allowed him to enter his normal state of mind. Renji was just a man like any other, Byakuya told himself. Byakuya didn't need to be so on edge around him. Sufficiently calmed down, it didn't take long for Byakuya to finish making the tea. Byakuya served Renji a cup first.

"I hope it is to your liking," his said, in lieu of an apology. And, in fact, Renji's mood did seem to improve with the comment.

"Thanks, Taichou."

"Did anything strange happen last night?" Byakuya sat down and lifted his cup to his nose, letting the aroma waft to him as he waited for Renji's answer.

"Not a thing," Renji said, having already gulped down his tea. "So what do we do now? Just sit around and wait for when it's time to go to sleep?"

"No," Byakuya said, "we should go down to the village and see if there have been any other incidents since the last one mentioned in Tae's report."

"You think they'll talk to us?"

"The mortuary will," Byakuya said. "After all, we're highly skilled pathology students from the University of Tokyo. Apparently our doctorate dissertation is on death while sleeping, and diseases that may cause it."

"Huh. The research institute come up with that?"

"Tae," Byakuya replied. "She seems to be highly skilled in investigative techniques."

Byakuya had gotten a headache listening to her, but he had to admit that the girl was intelligent and thorough with her work. As soon as he was done drinking his tea he stood up and turned to go back to his room.

"Get changed," he said. "We'll leave as soon as possible."

Byakuya headed back to his room, shutting the door behind him. There were already outfits chosen for him, hanging neatly up in a small closet, and he took one down and changed into it. After he was done he ripped a small strip of fabric from a handkerchief and tied his hair up in a high ponytail.

He looked into a mirror to make sure he was presentable. It had been a long time since he had worn his hair like this. . . not since his youth, not since he had taken up the kenseikan instead. It looked different on him now. His jaw was more square than round now, and no baby fat clung to his cheek bones. It was strange how he had changed so much in under a scant hundred years.

Deciding that he was ready, Byakuya left his room. He found Renji already outside, dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday. Byakuya led the way down the trail, Renji's footsteps falling in step just a few paces behind him. Byakuya had to admit that it was pleasant walking through the real world in a gigai. The forest thrummed with life all around them, and Byakuya was always one to enjoy nature.

It was less than twenty minutes before the path opened up into a street, the forest opened up into a small town. It was mostly one-story buildings, wooden walls built upon stone foundations. The architecture was decidedly un-modern, and Byakuya wouldn't have been surprised if some of these structures had been standing for centuries. He walked down the part stone, part dirt street, the path to the mortuary already committed to his memory. It hadn't taken him long to pull out the important pieces of information from Tae's report.

It was no time at all before they reached the hospital. Byakuya reached out to open the door, surprised when it didn't move. He knocked. No answer. A woman passed by, walking her dog, and she called out to them.

"The mortuary doesn't open for another two hours."

Renji waved to her and shouted a thanks as Byakuya blinked at the door. Apparently, Tae had neglected to include information on human work hours. Now that Byakuya thought about it, the streets were mostly empty. How lazy had humans gotten over the decades since his last extended visit?

"What should we do?" Renji asked. "Should we go back to the cabin or just wait around here?"

"I would like to explore the town," Byakuya said. "Although you are free to do as you wish."

Byakuya wasn't quite sure if he wanted Renji to stay with him or not. Renji's quiet presence on the walk down the mountain had been all too comfortable, and the last thing Byakuya wanted was to grow even more enamored of his vice captain.

"Are you just going to walk around?" Renji asked. "Cause I think I'm gonna go look for an open market or something. Ichigo told me humans sold taiyaki stuffed with chocolate these days, and I wanna see if I can find some."

Byakuya nodded. "Come find me when you are done."

As Renji wondered off, deeper into the streets, and Byakuya walked towards the sound of running water. He walked past picturesque buildings and streets lined with blossoming pink trees, until he came to the low, red rail that separated the street from the river below.

Byakuya strolled to a stone bridge crossing over the river, where he stood against the side of it , content to take in the scenery. On one side the slumbering town, on the other a meandering path into the forest. And in the middle of it a river, a deep jade color that came from the blue of a reflected sky and the green of algae blooms. It ebbed downward, away, in a steady rhythm that was a music all its own. It was the perfect spot for composing haiku, Byakuya thought. If only he had the proper pens and paper.

"Taichou!"

Byakuya looked up to see Renji walking towards him, a bag in his hand. It had only been about half an hour since they had left each other; Byakuya was surprised Renji had managed to find what he was looking for.

"When we're near humans," Byakuya said, when Renji drew near, "address me by my name. It would seem odd for doctorate students to call each other 'Taichou'."

"Oh." Renji's eyes widened slightly, a light blush appearing on his face. "Bya. . . Bya-"

"My family name," Byakuya corrected, eyes narrowing even as his stomach fluttered a little bit. What would his given name sound like, he wondered, spilling from Renji's lips?

"Oh. Right." Renji sighed, blush disappearing. "Kuchiki-san, then, I guess."

Byakuya nodded, glad that Renji understood. Lately Renji had been forgetting his place. Byakuya understood that Renji was eager for them to stand on equal footing, but they weren't equal yet. It was important for Byakuya to clearly define their relationship as captain and subordinate; if those lines blurred, it would become all too easy for Byakuya to entertain his own more frivolous notions. Notions that involved a relationship of an entirely different sort.

"When I first got to Seireitei, one thing I had to get used to was all the water."

Byakuya looked up at the words. Renji was staring out at the river, a small smile on his lips, a soft light to his eyes. Byakuya had never seen him look so contemplative. So still. His handsome features in profile, reaching back in time to share a memory with Byakuya.

"There wasn't any in Inuzuri. We'd have to steal pots of it whenever we could. But in Seireitei, it gushes from taps whenever you want it to." Renji's eyes took on an even more reflective gleam. When he spoke it was though he was reciting. "Water. How many days were they wont to march in the desert to reach the nearest well; and when they arrived, how long they had to dig before there bubbled a muddy liquid. A thing worth its weight in gold. A thing the least drop of which drew from the sand the green sparkle of a blade of grass. And this water, this miserly water of which not a drop had fallen at Port Etienne in ten years, roared in Savoie with the power of a cataclysm as if, from some burst cistern, the reserves of the world were pouring forth. The flow of a single second would have resuscitated whole caravans that, mad with thirst, had pressed on into the eternity of salt lakes and mirages. Here God was manifesting Himself: it would not do to turn one's back on Him."*

There was silence as Byakuya took in the words. Quite unlike anything that Renji had ever spoken; there was a poetry to the words that Byakuya was sure did not come from Renji himself. Byakuya was surprised Renji had even been able to commit the words to memory, but then he felt bad for underestimating his vice captain once again. "Where is that from?"

"A book Kira picked up in the human world. It's the description of a waterfall. When he read it to me it just stuck with me, I dunno, reminded me of the first time I saw a faucet turn on." Renji chuckled a little as he turned to face Byakuya, his expression back to normal. He rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. "It's pretty silly, huh?"

"No," Byakuya said, watching as surprise flashed over Renji's features. "It's a beautiful description."

"Huh." Renji quickly turned away again, but the smile on his lips was still there. "Didn't think you'd get it."

"I do understand things like need and want," Byakuya offered, trying to imagine what it was like to be without something as necessary as water. "Although it may not seem like it."

Renji was looking back at him now, and something in his expression made Byakuya feel. . . well, a little bit nervous.

"Yeah," Renji said. "I guess we all do."

Now it was Byakuya turning away to look over the river. Prolonged eye contact with Renji was dangerous, somehow, and it would be best for him to avoid it. Standing together beside on the bridge like this, it was all too easy to imagine romantic connotations to the scene that weren't actually there.

"But you like the water a lot, huh Taichou?" Renji asked. "Even at headquarters, you're always reading by the pond in the west garden."

Byakuya nodded, not surprised that Renji noticed. It had become clear to him how closely Renji was always observing him. He liked it, of course, liked the feel of Renji's penetrating gaze on his back, though he would never actually admit that to himself. "My father taught me calligraphy by the large koi pond in our family estate. We would spend hours there, perfecting our brush strokes as we watched the koi swim to and fro underneath the surface of the water."

Renji seemed to perk up beside him. He leaned towards Byakuya a little bit. "I've never heard you mention your family before. Does you dad live on your estate with you?"

"My father has already passed," Byakuya replied.

"Oh."

Out of the corner of his eye, Byakuya watched as Renji shifted back and forth, using movement to distract from the awkwardness he must have been feeling.

"Sorry for bringing that up," Renji finally said.

"It's fine," Byakuya replied. In truth, he didn't mind talking about his father. Talking about him made Byakuya feel like he was keeping his memory alive. "He died an honorable death, on the battlefield."

"What was your dad like?" Renji asked, curiosity heavy in his voice. "Was he a lot like you?"

Byakuya felt a corner of his mouth lift, just a little bit, at the question. "He was the complete opposite. He never broke a single rule, and yet he always managed to follow his heart. He was an amazing man."

"So he was a lot like you. At least in the 'amazing' part."

Byakuya wondered how Renji could always say such honest, embarrassing things. They fell from his lips so easily, like they meant nothing. Well. . . in truth, Byakuya thought, they probably did mean nothing to the man. It was Byakuya who was placing an importance on them that wasn't there. Byakuya looked up to see Renji smiling softly at him. He couldn't help but stare back. Renji's eyes were always so expressive, and Byakuya wondered why he had never noticed that before that day in the hospital.

"You've gotta stop beating yourself up about what happened with Rukia," Renji continued. "She's already forgiven you; hell, she never blamed you to begin with. You ended up protecting her in the end, and that's what counts."

". . . Thank you, Renji." Byakuya shouldn't have been surprised that Renji knew that had been weighing on his mind, but he was a little bit. He knew that Renji was always watching him, aiming for him, but he hadn't known that Renji had understood him so well.

"I'm sure your old man would be proud."

Byakuya nodded, although he wasn't so sure of that fact himself. Though sometimes he wondered what exactly his father would be disappointed in: Byakuya's failure to follow Kuchiki rules on at least two occasions, or Byakuya's failure to stand by someone he considered family.

"Was your dad a captain too?" Renji asked. "I know the sixth division has ties with the Kuchiki estate, but I have to admit I haven't studied up on the history."

"No," Byakuya replied. "He was a vice captain when he died. He was a strong man, but his body was weak. He really shouldn't have been in battle at all, but his noblesse oblige as the head of the family drove him to join the Gotei 13 and eventually become a vice captain. The reason I trained so hard when I was young was so I could take over his position as soon as possible. I wanted him to be able to spend his days peacefully at the estate, as he should have, and let me worry about the obligations of our family."

Byakuya wasn't sure why he was sharing this information with Renji, except that something inside of him wanted him to. For some reason, he wanted Renji to know this about him.

"Just like I thought," Renji said, eyes softening just a little. "You really are an amazing man, Taichou."

The weight of their shared gaze was becoming too much for Byakuya, and he turned back to face the water.

"Do you remember anything of your family before you came to Rukongai?" Byakuya asked, changing the subject to Renji. When Renji didn't respond Byakuya looked over, to see that a dazed and surprised expression had fallen over Renji's face. "Is something wrong, Renji?"

The question seemed to snap Renji out of it, and the redhead shook his head a little before smiling again. "No, sorry, that was just unexpected. I didn't think that you'd be interested in my personal history."

Byakuya turned before Renji could catch the slight blush on his cheeks. Byakuya hadn't thought before he had asked the question, but it was too late to take it back now. The truth was he was all too interested in learning about Renji's personal history, in learning about the circumstances that had shaped Renji into the man he was.

"At any rate," Renji said, "I don't remember much. I used to dream about them, when I was a kid new to Rukongai. Dream about my parents, holding me and playing with me. They seemed like pretty decent folk, you know? I was always looking for them, everywhere I went in Rukongai, keeping an eye open. But eventually, bit by bit, I started to forget what they looked like. And, bit by bit, I just. . . stopped looking. By the time me and Rukia decided to enter the academy, it was like the life I had before Rukongai hadn't even been my life. Just a glimmer of someone else's memory."

Renji laughed then, the boisterous noise easing the tension in the air.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to tell such a depressing story."

"No," Byakuya said, "I'm glad that you told me."

Byakuya looked up to see that same shocked expression from before on Renji's face. In truth, Byakuya was beginning to enjoy surprising the other man. There was something endearingly idiotic about Renji's expressions. But as Byakuya pondered the inappropriateness of feeling that way, Renji snapped out of it and reached into his bag.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. I got us breakfast. I know we don't have to eat, but it's not often we stay long in the human world, so we might as well take advantage, right?" Renji pulled out a beige rectangle seemingly made up of multiple small grains. "I found it at the only store that was open. Said they were a coffee shop, whatever that is."

"Coffee is a popular drink in the human world," Byakuya said. Chojiro was fond of the strong brew, although both Yamamoto and Byakuya found it lacking in complexity when compared to tea. "The Japanese have been drinking it for at least a century now."

"So it's pretty new, huh?" Renji pushed the rectangle he was holding closer to Byakuya's lips. "Called this a rice treat or something like that. Seemed like something you would like, so I got it for you."

"Thank you, Renji, but that was not necessary of you." The treat was almost pressing against his lips now, and Byakuya did his best to glower at Renji. "What, exactly, do you think you are doing?"

"You can't hold it yourself," Renji said. "Your gloves would get dirty."

Byakuya's hands clenched and unclenched, the movement reminding him to the fingerless gloves he was wearing. Not quite tekkou, but close enough that his hands didn't feel naked. He couldn't refute the logic behind Renji's words. Besides, Renji looked serious, which meant this wasn't some joke or attempt to push boundaries with Byakuya. Still, the thought of Renji feeding him. . . at first Byakuya thought that he should refuse, but then he wondered if he was perhaps overcompensating for certain feelings he held. Perhaps it wasn't that big a deal?

Slowly and hesitantly, Byakuya opened his mouth. There was no harm, he told himself. Renji pushed the rice treat into his mouth, and Byakuya took a bite out of it. It was awful. Overly sweet and strangely gooey.

Renji grinned as he pulled the treat away. "Wow, Taichou, I didn't think you'd actually let me feed you. You looked really cute like that."

Cute. Byakuya froze, anger and embarrassment welling up inside of him. So Renji had been playing some sort of game with him after all. He felt like a fool.

"Abarai-fukutaichou," Byakuya spit out. "I do not know when you decided that you could treat me so informally, but it stops now. I am not your friend. I am not your peer. I am your captain and your superior. If you do not wish to be demoted from your position as my vice captain, you will go back to the cabin and meditate on your actions right now."

Renji's eyes were huge saucers in his face. The rice krispy treat had dropped from his fingers, and lay forgotten on the ground. "Tai-"

"Leave."

The force behind that one word was enough to make Renji back up a step. Soon enough the younger man was turning and leaving the bridge, shoulders and back tense as he walked away from Byakuya.

Once he was gone Byakuya looked down and realized that his fingers were gripping the bridge railing so tightly that they had turned white. He let go, forcing himself to breath deeply. It had been a long time since he had lost his temper like that. He was ashamed of himself. He was supposed to be calmer than this, better than this. And he had lost control over what? Over Renji playing a little joke on him.

He had felt a fool, being the object of Renji's amusement. But that wasn't reason enough to lose his calm. This was why, he thought, he was supposed to ignore his emotions for the other man. Emotions made a person irrational, emotional, and Kuchiki Byakuya was neither of those things. He took another deep breath, feeling a little bit calmer upon the exhale. He would have to distance himself as much as possible from Renji. Their interactions from now on, he decided, would be limited to the professional. It was better that way.

Mind made up, Byakuya headed to the mortuary. When he got back he would have to avoid Renji as much as he humanly could, but for now he had a job to do.

He was on his way to the mortuary when a stir in the streets garnered his attention. Two people ran past him; a man who was still wearing his pajama pants, and a women who was leading him into a side street. They were arguing. . . or, rather, the man was trying to calm the woman down as he chased after her.

"What if this is like those other cases?" the woman said, voice frantic and almost yelling. "What if she doesn't wake up?"

"I'm sure it's not like that," the man said, and Byakuya decided he was most likely a doctor. "I'm sure that she'll be fine.

The mention of "other cases" and "waking up" had Byakuya on notice, and he followed them down the side street. They disappeared into a small house, not even bothering to close the door behind them. Byakuya approached and stared through the open doorway. On the tatami floor of the living space was a teenage girl, asleep on her futon. Her family was gathered around her as the doctor pressed a stethoscope to her chest.

"We can't wake her up," another man said. The father, most likely. His eyes quivered as he wrung what looked like a small towel in his hands. "We've tried everything. Loud noises, water, smelling salts. She's always been a light sleeper before. This isn't right, there's something wrong here."

"Calm down," said the doctor. "Her vitals are fine for now. I'm sure that there's a logical explanation for this, if you just give me the time to check."

But the doctor, lacking spiritual awareness, couldn't see what Byakuya could see. Protruding from her neck was a long, thick vein the color of muscle and sinew. It had pushed itself just underneath her skin, had wrapped itself up her neck, up her jaw, up the side of her face. To disappear into her temple.

Byakuya took out the dispenser for his mod soul and popped a candy into his mouth. In an instant he was jolted away from his body with all the force of a speeding car coming to a sudden stop. He look down to see himself blinking up at him.

"Wait here," he ordered, before disappearing into the house.

He drew his zanpakuto as he got closer, just in case. As he stood in front of the girl he realized that the vein was throbbing, pulsing with a life of its own. The part protruding from the hole in her skin was coiled slightly on the floor, before it led out an open window in the back. Byakuya followed it.

The house faced the forest in the back, and the tentacle led there. Byakuya followed it into the forest, making his way deep into thick trees and shrubbery. After awhile he saw it. A large, hulking figure with broad shoulders and a huge chest. It stood in the forest, completely still except for its breathing. Sleeping. It was humanoid except for a tapir-like head and an ox tail, and the thick, coarse coat of hair the covered its shoulders and upper part of its chest. A fragment of a hollow mask covered most its grotesque half-human, half-tapir face, the jagged edge of it crossing over its nose.

The vein from before was protruding from what Byakuya assumed was its zanpakuto. There was no blade, though. Above the hilt was a mass of veins, writhing together in the form of a staff. Byakuya brought his own zanpakuto down to slash right through the vein. The arrancar, or pseudo-arrancar as it was, gave a cry as it was sliced through, eyes opening to reveal yellow pupils. Those yellow eyes zeroed in on Byakuya aright away, and the beast lunged at him. Byakuya was quick to step away, sending the best into a tree. Dust and wood flew up in a cloud as the monster collided into the earth, before its bulking muscles quickly back to Byakuya.

"That was a perfectly good meal you wasted," it snarled, sounding every bit the half beast it looked like.

"If I were you," Byakuya said, lifting his zanpakuto, "I would be concerned with more pressing matters."

The arrancar charged at him again, and as Byakuya dodged he took the opportunity to slice off the beast's arm. Blood sprayed through the air as the beast cried out.

"If you want to die quickly and painlessly," Byakuya said, "tell me everything you know about Aizen."

The arrancar chuckled as he held a hand to the bloody stump at his shoulder. "As if that asshole would even bother with a small fry like me. What I know about him doesn't even scratch the surface, and I'll be damned if I go snitching even that much to a little bitch like you."

"So you do know something." Byakuya readied his sword. He would have to take another limb; preferably a leg, this time. And once the arrancar was incapacitated, he would take his time cutting up that vile flesh. But before Byakuya could do anything, the arrancar surprised him. The veins shot out of the hilt of his sword, coming towards Byakuya in a writhing mass. It was a minor diversion. A flick of his wrist and they all lay on the floor. . . but once they hit the forest ground the arrancar was gone.

Byakuya looked around. Small fry, indeed, but the thing was fast. There was no trace of reiatsu, but it wouldn't be a difficult thing for a creature like an arrancar to control that. At any rate, the thing was gone.

Byakuya turned and made his way back to his gigai. He would have to wait for the next opportunity, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be long.

* Antoine St. Exupery, Wind, Sand and Stars

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Next chapter: Renji comes to a realization.