Finding Home

Warning this fiction is yaoi which means boy x boy don’t read if you don’t like.



Thank you to all my reviewers throughout this and Coming Home. You guys feed my muse and make me want to write.



Finding Home.



Love is like a friendship caught on fire.

In the beginning a flame, very pretty,

Often hot and fierce,

But still only light and flickering.

As love grows older,

Our hearts mature

And our love becomes as coals,

Deep-burning and unquenchable.

~ by Bruce Lee ~





Chapter Six



Izuru felt warm and content. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such a restful night’s sleep. He could feel Wabisuke humming quietly in the back of his mind. It had been forever since she had sounded so happy. Then, the memories of the previous night came crashing back bringing with them reality. Renji had come and his presence alone had kept the demons at bay. His arms had soothed the anguish that had nearly consumed him and his voice had given comfort. Izuru curled deeper in his blankets, his hand ghosting over where Renji had lain. Renji hadn’t awakened him when he had left. ‘Is he ashamed of what I have become?’ Izuru thought to himself as he allowed himself to drift deeper into his self made hell.



Whimpering low in his throat, tears began to well up in his eyes, spilling over and leaving salty trails in their wake. He was alone again. Renji had pushed back the pain only to make it more sharp now that he had gone. Was this all that his life was meant for?



“I leave ya alone for one hour and look how upset ya get. Should I be honored?” Renji teased as he stepped into the bedroom holding a tray of tea and pastries. Izuru glanced up in surprise. He hadn’t even heard Renji in the apartment. Well that wasn’t surprising since he had been so lost in his depressing mood a Hollow could have crashed through the ceiling and Izuru might not have noticed. Renji set down the tray and pulled Izuru into his arms. Renji leaned down and gently licked the trails of tears. Izuru gasped at the action. His heart started pounding and Izuru buried his face once again in Renji’s neck, inhaling the comforting and slightly spicy scent that defined his friend. There was comfort here. It soothed his soul with Renji present.



Renji had never considered himself the comforting lover type. His harsh childhood in the Rukon had seen to that. With Izuru it was different, he not only wanted to help Izuru he wanted to be loved by him a well. To be needed by him as much as Renji needed the other man’s presence in his life. He knew that he would have to go slow with the blonde, but he didn’t mind at all. The best things were worth the wait.



“Here I went out for a little and brought back some pastries from that little shop you always used to talk about.” said Renji, pulling away to bring the pastries and tea to Izuru. Izuru stared at the food on the tray. The delicate pastries looked mouth watering and the tea smelled heavenly. It had been a long time since Izuru had been truly hungry and his stomach let him know it was long over due for food. In recent times, Izuru had simple eaten barely enough to keep himself healthy without really enjoying the food. Picking up one of the pastries, Izuru bit into the still warm, gooey pastry. It was pure heaven. Cinnamon and sugar danced across his tongue. The pastry seemed to melt in his mouth. Renji smiled at the obvious enjoyment on Izuru’s face. He was like a Rukon child that was being given his first piece of candy. Pouring two cups of tea, Renji helped himself to a pastry.



“The lady in the pastry shop said ya liked these and now I can see why.” said Renji after taking a bite. She had smiled when Renji had asked her if she remembered Kira Izuru.

The shopkeeper had said it had been a long time since Kira had graced her shop. She had told Renji that Kira had once been one of her regulars and always got the same thing everyday.



“I haven’t been to that pastry shop in a while.” Izuru thought out loud. It had been a long time since he had even felt the urge to eat anything at all.



“The shopkeeper said as much. She wanted me to tell ya that ya should start coming by more often. Seems ya were one of her favorite customers.” Renji said in between bites.



Izuru smiled. The plump older woman had opened the shop after her husband had died. Izuru had been her very first customer and after tasting her cooking had always gone back for more. He had even referred several people to her. Her shop had flourished but she never let it go to her head and always had a welcoming smile for every customer.



After finishing their tea and pastries, Renji stood and went towards the bathroom. Izuru heard the sound of running water and assumed Renji was getting ready to bath. Izuru picked up the tray of tea and soiled dishes. Carrying them to the kitchen, he began to wash and put them away. Izuru had always been meticulous in his cleaning. A hand on his shoulder startled him and he dropped the plate he was holding causing it to fall and shatter on the ground. Turning quickly he saw Renji standing there, his crimson hair damp and hanging loose around his shoulders giving him a wilder appearance.



“Sorry.” said Renji. Kneeling down, he began to help Izuru clean up the broken plate “ I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to tell you to start getting ready. You and I are going to spend a few weeks in the Living World.”



“What?” asked Izuru, totally baffled at Renji’s statement that he nicked his finger on a sharp edge of broken porcelain. He knew of no plans by Soul Society to send any shinigami to the Living World. Renji grabbed his hand and brought the injured finger to his lips gently sucking the finger into the warm cavern. Izuru gasped as electricity shot down his spine. The scene was so erotic, he trembled slightly.



“I arranged a vacation for ya and me.” said Renji, after removing the finger from his mouth. Thinking it wise not to speak of what he and the two taicho had discussed earlier, as he had no desire to put Izuru on the defensive.



“Why?” Izuru asked, his nervousness visible in the subtle shifting on his feet.



“Because ya need it and I need to be with ya to make sure ya are ok.” answered Renji truthfully.



“What about Ichimaru-taicho, I cant just leave him alone to run the division.” said Izuru, his eyes shifting nervously around the room.



“Bullshit, Ya are just making excuses. That man is smarter than what everyone thinks and ya know it. He will be fine. Ya on the other aren’t fine. I saw ya nearly gone on the floor and it broke my heart. I want Kira back, not this ghost that is going around pretending to be him.” said Renji loudly. He’d had enough, if Izuru was going to dig his heels in then Renji would do the same and drag him kicking and screaming from Soul Society if need be. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Renji took a dominate stance. Kira needed help, even if it was given to him while he kicked and screamed.



“What do you know about anything, you asshole.” yelled Izuru. Renji comes in and thinks he can take over his life. “This is my life, damnit!”



“I know ya are fucking suffering and not willing to let other people help you.” Renji yelled before calming himself. Taking a step towards Izuru, Renji pulled the smaller man into his arms. “I know that seeing you in pain tears my heart from my chest. I know that if you died I would become exactly like Hitsugaya-taicho, dead in my heart. That is what I know.” Renji continued quietly as his hands ran up and down Izuru’s back. A shiver went through the smaller man. Renji was stopping his heart, causing it to ache and rejoice at the same time.



“Ya need this. I’ve cleared it with both our taicho. Lets just go to Karakura Town and relax. Ichigo will handle most of the random Hollows but if you get really bored we can take down a few for fun.” explained Renji, as Izuru pulled back to look into Renji’s warm brown eyes. Izuru opened his mouth to say something but the words wouldn’t come. Even Wabisuke had turned against him, humming quietly her agreement to Renji’s idea. It was two against one. Izuru sighed and nodded. Perhaps this was for the best. He was living a half life anyway, not like anything could happen that could make his life worse.



“Good. We only have a few hours to get things settled here. Kuchiki-taicho is arranging everything with Urahara. We leave at three.” said Renji with a grin. Happy to have won this battle.



After a short while spent cleaning up, Izuru and Renji made their way towards the gateway to Karakura Town. Byakuya and Gin were already waiting. Both taicho, masters at concealing their emotions, appeared unconcerned that Renji and Izuru were taking a vacation together.



“Renji said ya had been feelin’ under the weather lately, little Izuru. I wish ya had come to me, I would have seen to it ya had a break.” said Gin with a grin.



Izuru glanced at Renji, then smiled slightly to his taicho. “I am sorry Taicho, I supposed all of the excitement lately has worn me down. A vacation sounds really nice.” Gin struggled to keep his face smiling. Now that he knew the reasons why his fukutaicho had been acting so strange, The need to protect Izuru was strong.



Kira was delicate and not a true fighter. He had never be one to willing pull his weapon. When he had defended Gin from Hinamori-fukutaicho, Gin had known then that he would do whatever it took to keep the young man safe, especially from Aizen, who’s eyes had begun to wander towards the blonde man. Now he was leaving the healing of his little Izuru to the loud and sometimes obnoxious, Abarai Renji.



“I have arranged with Urahara-san for you to have gigai as well as a small apartment in Karakura Town. In two weeks he will arrange, via the gateway beneath his shop, for your return to Soul Society. I wish you both the best of luck and a happy vacation.” said Byakuya.



“Don’t worry, your taicho is perfectly capable of handling the division in your absence.” laughed Renji at the worried look on Izuru’s face. The blonde had the good grace to look embarrassed. He really did worry about the running of his division. After a year of being forced to handle it alone, the thought of leaving it for two weeks really irked him. Gin laughed and Byakuya smiled.



The gateway opened and two Hell Butterflies hovered near both shinigami. Giving one last look at his taicho, Izuru walked through the gateway.



“Will they be alright?” asked Gin quietly.



“I already see a difference in Kira-fukutaicho. It is subtle but I see hope in his eyes. That hasn’t been there for a long time.” answered Byakuya. Calmly cupping a hand on Gin’s cheek, Byakuya pressed a gentle kiss on his lover’s lips before turning and making his way towards his office to start on the mountain of paperwork his fukutaicho had inconspicuously left on his desk before going with Kira to Karakura Town. Byakuya signed, his fukutaicho would never change.



Following the black butterfly down the long dark tunnel, Izuru watched Renji from the corner of his eye. ‘Why is he doing this for me?’ Izuru asked himself quietly.



‘He cares for you.’ came the gentle voice of Wabisuke. Izuru almost stumbled. Wabisuke had not spoken to him directly in weeks. He always felt her presence but it had gotten weaker and weaker almost as if she herself was giving up. She was such a gentle soul not at all suited for war. It always baffled Izuru why Ichimaru-taicho had chosen him as his fukutaicho. Neither he nor his zanpakuto enjoyed war. Sparring was fun in its self, for the simple reason you could defeat your opponent then go drinking with them afterwards.



Izuru supposed he was an approachable person and the members of his division never had problems coming to him with disputes. Izuru shook his head to clear his thoughts. Focusing his eyes straight ahead, he saw a light begin to grow in the distance.



“Here we are.” said Renji cheerfully as they both stepped from the tunnel and directly in front of the Urahara shop. Walking up to the two children sweeping, Renji slapped the smaller redhead on the top of his head causing him to stumble. The redhead came up swinging and cussing like a sailor.



“Hey!! Ya overgrown baboon. What’d ya do that for?” yelled the boy at Renji. Renji just ignored him and walked up to the shop where Urahara Kisuke was lounging.



“Good afternoon, my friends” said the flamboyant shop owner as he pulled a fan from his haori and with a practiced flick of his wrist opened it to hide the grin forming on his face.



“Oy, Urahara. Ya got our gigai ready?” asked Renji



“Indeed I do, young Abarai. Follow me.” answered Urahara as he stood and walked into the shop. Renji signaled for Izuru to follow. Izuru smiled slightly at the tiny girl sweeping the ground. The girl blushed delicately and went back to her sweeping in full force. Izuru laughed to himself at her antics. Stopping in front of the shop, Izuru girded himself for the process of now dealing with the mad shopkeeper and the redhead that he couldn’t seem to get out of his head. Renji was slowly becoming very precious to Izuru and that scared him.



TBC



AN: Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know if you guys like it. I am almost enjoying writing this story more than Coming Home.