Title: The Prince and the Rebel -- Chapter XVI
Series: Bleach
Pairings: Renji x Byakuya (implied Ichigo x Rukia, other pairings may emerge over time)
Genre: AU / Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It's tough being the only living heir to the Kuchiki throne. It's even tougher being a rebel sent to kidnap one.

( Chapter 16 )

“Can you imagine if your mother and father could see us now?”

Byakuya blinked, his mind slowly clearing itself of its solitary thoughts, before turning to look up at his sister.

She sat astride her and Ichigo’s horse, a somewhat spirited palomino rather inappropriately christened “Chappy” by its new mistress.  Byakuya walked alongside ( Read more... )

A/N: I finally learned how to tag!!  All my entries are now tagged.  I will try to make it so the tags appear as a "top post."  ;)

The wind whistled through the treetops, knocking the mostly bare branches together and tugging at the last few leaves of the season.  The ground was hard, the soil dry and half-frozen, allowing Byakuya to move almost ( Read more... )

EDIT: omg!!! I forgot to credit my fabulous beta, ( Read more... )

At first he thought he was dreaming again.  There was no other explanation for why he was so warm.  Or why he had the prince’s naked body pressed so snugly up against his own.

It was a good thing he didn’t want to move, for fear of startling the slighter man beside him … because he really couldn’t.  His body felt sluggish, though well rested.  ( Read more... )

Renji was dreaming.

He knew they were dreams-fever dreams-because they were about things that could have never happened in real life.

He dreamed of his mother.  She had long red hair, just like him, and baked him green tea buns with hot steaming tea, made from fresh leaves gathered from the base of the mountain.  He kept trying to ask ( Read more... )

It had begun to rain.

Byakuya guided the mare carefully down the mountain, her hoofs picking out each uncertain step, sliding over loose bits of rock and soil that was steadily turning into mud.  His thighs started to ache, as he was forced to lean back and hold on tightly without the aid of saddle or stirrups.  His hair quickly became ( Read more... )

Renji awoke to pain.

The back of his head throbbed, blinding him with the force of a blunt hammer, beating against his brain with the rhythmic pounding of his heart.  The thought of opening his eyes was sheer torture.  His tongue was dry, his cheeks cold-the very hairs on his head were like needles pushing out from the prison of his scalp.

( Read more... )

Byakuya’s first dim thought upon awaking the next morning wasn’t really a thought at all.  It was more a sensation … a sensation of being warm.

Very warm.

Comfortably warm.

His eyes flew open.

The source of warmth was difficult to ignore.  It was draped all around him, hugging him around the middle, pushing snuggly up against him ( Read more... )

Renji whistled to himself as he hiked back from the stream, fishing pole over his shoulder, tackle box in one hand and cooler in the other.  He’d asked Byakuya if he’d wanted to come with him, but his taichou had steadfastly refused.  Renji knew better by now than to try and get the older shinigami to do anything he didn’t want to, so he’d simply ( Read more... )