Bleach fanfic - Regrouping
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELAGH! ♥
This is part one of your gift this year. :)
Title: Regrouping
Author: Akuni
Universe: Bleach
Series: Sequel to ‘Giving Ground’
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Pairing: Byakuya/Ulquiorra
Spoilers: through manga chapter 198, anime episode 116
Word Count: 1018
Summary: Byakuya and Ulquiorra make some adjustments after the battle.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I'm just borrowing it for a while.
Distribution: This is just for Shelagh, so no. :) Crossposted eventually to
bya_ulqui,
kurosaki_clinic,
asterisk_plus, and
bleach_yaoi.
Dedication: For Shelagh, on her birthday. It’s all your fault that I like this pairing, and it’s all your fault that I’m finding our version of these two so darned sexy! You’re not the least bit sorry, I can tell. *grin* That’s ok, really - neither am I.
A/N: Since so many people wanted to see more after I posted the ‘Giving Ground’ ficlet, and because I wanted to write a new ByaUlqui piece for Shelagh’s birthday, I decided to do both at once. The parallels between this story and the initial ficlet are deliberate; call it an artistic whimsy, if you will. Many thanks to
moshesque for the beta and encouragement. :)
Regrouping
They almost escaped. Almost.
The bulk of the army had moved out of range, but the two Divisions guarding the rear of the retreat were necessarily slower than the rest, and had been caught. Lightning blasted through the deep purple cloud that had suddenly enveloped them, shredding those unlucky enough to be near the centre and delivering excruciating pain to those near the edge.
Then the horde was upon them. Disoriented and disorganized, the shinigami had rallied, officers struggling to re-establish order in their squads and regroup with the rest of their Divisions, all while battling for their lives against unfavourable odds.
In the end, they’d survived, had fought their way free of the trap, but only barely, and the price of victory had been high.
For once too tired to care about appearances, too numb for even decades of noble training to hold him up, Byakuya fell to his knees beside another bedraggled figure in the blood-soaked mud of the battlefield. He was aware of yelling in the distance, of the sound of several squads running toward them, heard the shouts of the healers nearby, but concealed in the thick mist he felt curiously distanced from it all.
“Taichou?” An exhausted query, laced with apprehension and concern and too many other things he didn’t have the strength to deal with just yet.
“We are not grievously injured.” Byakuya lifted his head and focused enough energy to give his lieutenant a commanding stare. “I need you to check in with the 13th Division. Make sure they have an officer left standing, and take charge if not,” he said, obliquely giving Renji the one order he knew he’d be unable to refuse: check on Rukia.
Byakuya didn’t need to watch him go, didn’t need to hold his head high and pretend he wasn’t on the verge of collapse, leaning against a hard, mud-spattered shoulder just to stay upright.
Ulquiorra was kneeling in front of him, looking as drained as Byakuya felt.
Side by side, they’d fought together through the entire battle. It shouldn’t have been so perfect, like two halves merging and blending effortlessly to create a stronger whole, but it was. They fought together with the ease of long-time sparring partners, one leading, the other following, trading roles as appropriate with the instinct of lovers.
That was something else that shouldn’t feel so right, especially in this moment, but Byakuya had run out of energy to deny the prurience that had begun to colour his relations with Ulquiorra not long after they’d started working together.
It was almost as if he were watching someone else, someone else’s hand rising to Ulquiorra’s throat, someone else’s thumb wiping a thick smear of blood and mud off the arrancar's neck. Except he felt the coolness of the smooth skin under his fingertips, the goose bumps that rose in their wake, and the tingle as they drew near the hole near Ulquiorra’s throat.
Byakuya traced the edge of the hole with two cautious, curious fingers. “Does it hurt? Does it feel… what does it feel like?” he asked, emboldened by the dissociation around them.
“It does not hurt.” Quickened breaths were the only clue that Byakuya was affecting him - Ulquiorra’s voice was as steady and smooth as a still pond.
“May I touch it?”
“Please.” This time Ulquiorra’s composure cracked, his permission given in a low rasp as his chin rose fractionally, vivid green eyes never leaving Byakuya’s face.
Slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, Byakuya brushed his fingers around the hole, skirting the edge as he circled it once, twice. Ulquiorra’s shortened breaths puffed down and warmed his wrist, a stark contrast to the chill of the encompassing mist.
Ulquiorra arched toward him ever so slightly, and Byakuya took that as a request to do something he very much wanted. Boldly, Byakuya slipped his fingers inside the hole, and was immediately swept away by the heat and the shock that bolted up his arm and blazed through his body.
Ulquiorra gasped softly, then all at once he was moving; one cold hand wrapped around the back of Byakuya’s neck and he was drawn swiftly forward, the motion driving his fingers in up to the knuckles as Ulquiorra’s mouth landed squarely on his.
The kiss was heady. Swirling emotion mingled with the mild scrape of chapped lips, the metallic taste of blood, and the scent of the muddy ground. Something rumbled deep in Byakuya’s chest as he moved his lips with Ulquiorra’s; some part of his scattered mind realized it was a moan, and then all thought was lost.
Without hesitation, Byakuya wrapped his arm around Ulquiorra’s waist, feeling his slim form shivering against him as he pulled out of the kiss and trailed his lips across Ulquiorra’s jaw and down his neck. He had to taste, just a little; he mouthed a sharp collarbone, following it down until he felt the tingle against his lips.
As he flicked his tongue out to rim the edge of the hollow hole, Byakuya didn’t even consider fighting the trembling desire that had taken hold. When he withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his tongue, that desire threatened to consume him.
Inside was warm, and smooth, and filled with energy, the tingling on the outside growing to a fierce jolt within. He could taste Ulquiorra’s desire, the low groan and grip of the hand still clutching his neck confirming the tang of lust on his tongue.
The rest of the world chose that moment to return.
Low murmurs drifted closer in the fog, shuffling footsteps approached. Byakuya raised his head slowly, the gentle slide of the hand off the back of his neck echoing his reluctance. They separated silently, pulling out of each other’s personal space and arranging themselves as indistinct figures appeared.
Byakuya licked his lips, meeting Ulquiorra’s intense stare; Ulquiorra nodded once, barely perceptibly, quietly acknowledging there would be a better time and place.
The moment held briefly, then they broke the connection and obediently turned their attention to the healing team that materialized from the mist.
END
Aaaaand this is part two of your gift!
'aftermath' by the lovely and talented r0ck3tsci3ntist
Click the pic to see the full-size version on y!Gal.
So gorgeous! *_* Look at all that atmosphere, and the pure wantonness of their pose. Guh! So many details in here that I could squee about, but I’ll save that for my review when she posts it herself. :)
HAH! And you thought I couldn’t keep a pressie-related secret, eh? I’ve been keeping this one for months, and while I did have to sit on my hands some days, especially after I saw the finished pic this weekend, I still managed to keep it all under wraps until the big reveal. :D
This part of the present isn’t free, though; I worked out a trade with Looky for this pic, and you’re gonna hafta help me with the fic I’ve got planned for her. It’s Ulquiorra-centric, so I don’t think that’ll be too big a chore for ya - actually, maybe that means you’re kinda getting three presents, hmm… ;)
I hope you have the best birthday, with lots of nice presents, lots of great food and drink, and lots of distraction-free time to art. ^_^ ♥ Thank you so much for everything.