[Bleach] [Byakuya/Renji] [smell]
Title: Metamorphosis
Author/Artist: hemlocke
Theme: Touch
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note (if applicable): 01. Tabula Rasa | 02. Mimicry | 03. Entropy
Part 1
Byakuya sat at the bar, sipping his drink listlessly. He had no idea what mad flight of fancy had persuaded him to return to the club. After that one night of insanity, he had thrown himself in his work, family and routine. Activities that were previously engaging and fulfilling now filled him with a sense of dissatisfaction instead. He frowned to himself - he had never pictured himself as a victim of ennui.
"Looking for Renji?" the bartender asked genially.
Byakuya turned. "I beg your pardon?" he asked the stranger frostily, dark eyes narrowed to slits at the impertinent question.
The bartender smiled and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Well, you can't blame me for remembering you. And Renji. You made a very memorable pair, the two of you."
Byakuya steadfastly ignored the approving tone in the bartender's voice.
"You should see him around soon. He knocks off from his day job pretty late."
"He has a day job?" Try as he might, Byakuya failed to keep the curiosity out of his voice. He told himself that he was asking because he needed to maintain polite conversation, not that he was actually interested in the personal life of a teenaged whore.
"He works in a cafe as a waiter." The bartender supplied helpfully. "He told me he's trying to save enough so he can go back to school. He wants to go to college."
Byakuya cleared his throat. "You sound as if you know a lot about him."
The bartender smiled again. "Renji talks to me quite a bit sometimes. He's quite popular with the crowd as you can guess but he doesn't have many friends."
Byakuya's back stiffened as he thought further about the implications of Renji's "popularity".
"I wish he'd be more careful, though." The bartender murmured.
"What do you mean by that?" Byakuya asked sharply.
The bartender gazed at Byakuya from beneath his long, silver lashes. "It's not for me to say. I think you should see what I mean for yourself."
Byakuya set his jaw grimly and took out his wallet. He had wasted too much time already and he refused to be baited by an interfering stranger. "I need to leave."
"So soon? Renji will be disappointed." The bartender asked reproachfully.
"What do you mean he'll-? Never mind." Byakuya allowed a trace of irritation to seep into his voice. He turned to leave but hesitated at the last minute, the bartender's words niggling at him uneasily. What had Renji gotten himself into?
"Here." Byakuya delved into his coat pocket and withdrew a small card. "My number. Give it to him."
The bartender picked up the business card, eyebrows shooting up as he noted the name - Renji had caught for himself a really big fish indeed. "I'll be sure to tell him when he comes."
========
Byakuya was cruising on the highway back to his apartment when his cellphone rang.
"Kuchiki," he replied tersely, annoyed at having his leisurely drive interrupted.
"This is Ukitake."
"Who?"
"The bartender from the club. Renji's here. I think you should come back."
"Why?"
There was a sigh on the other end of the receiver. "Look, it's hard to say but just come back, will you? I'm serious."
Byakuya heard a muffled cry of pain from a familiar voice and he swore under his breath. "All right. Tell Renji to wait for me."
He disconnected the line and prepared to make an illegal U-turn.
end part 1
Part 2
Renji shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs that had descended to cloud his mind. The club, always a refuge for him, had transformed into a hell full of cacophonous noise, shrill laughter and pounding music that overloaded his senses. He blinked rapidly, trying to shake off his stupor but only succeeded in making himself more dizzy.
“Renji.” Renji spun around at the sound of the voice.
“Oh. It’s you.” Renji mumbled and waved to Byakuya. The older man did not return the greeting and gazed at him disapprovingly. Renji was either drunk or high or more likely both. He reeked strongly of alcohol and his expression was curiously vacant. Byakuya’s eyes narrowed in anger as he noticed the dark bruises marring the tanned skin, visible even in the poor lighting of the club.
"Who did this to you?" he asked sharply, fingers cupping Renji’s chin and tilting his head up to enable him to inspect the damage better.
Renji jerked his face away. "Nobody you know. Besides, it's nothing."
“Really?" A well-defined eyebrow arched imperiously. He reached out to swiftly remove the sunglasses, easily batting away Renji’s ineffectual efforts to stop him. As suspected, the boy was using the accessory to disguise more injuries.
"I presume you're going to call this 'nothing' too?" Byakuya fingered the dark ring around Renji's eye.
"So things got a bit rough, OK?" Renji slumped over the bar counter, a mulish expression on his face.
"A bit?" Scorn dripped from Byakuya's cultured voice, telling Renji with no words exactly what he thought of that excuse.
"How the fuck was I supposed to know they were into rough trade?"
"And I had thought you would be more discerning with your choice of clients."
“Well, beggars can’t be choosers, can they?” Renji mumbled. “That job paid almost half the month’s rent.”
“Really? I had no idea you were so expensive.” Byakuya remarked drily, even as he sought to suppress the rising anger within him. “You must have overcharged me the last time round, then.”
“It wasn’t just one person.” Renji replied, words slurring together. “There were three of ‘em.”
He overbalanced and nearly fell off his stool but Byakuya caught him, one hand cradling Renji's head against his chest and the other supporting him by the small of the back.
"You need medical attention."
“Don’t wanna go to the hospital. I don’t have any money.” Renji snuggled closer to Byakuya, his drug-laden mind causing him to lose his inhibitions. One hand crept out to clutch at Byakuya’s jacket and he sighed blissfully. Byakuya smelled of expensive cologne; a far cry from his other clients who usually stank of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke.
"Don’t worry." Byakuya cut in smoothly, his voice devoid of its characteristic sharp edge. "I'll take care of that."
Renji gave up the fight to hold on to his consciousness and collapsed bonelessly against Byakuya. "OK. If you say so."
Ukitake observed the exchange between the two men, hiding a small grin as he noticed how Byakuya carefully propped Renji up against his body before taking out his cell phone to call for help.
end part 2
Author/Artist: hemlocke
Theme: Touch
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note (if applicable): 01. Tabula Rasa | 02. Mimicry | 03. Entropy
Part 1
Byakuya sat at the bar, sipping his drink listlessly. He had no idea what mad flight of fancy had persuaded him to return to the club. After that one night of insanity, he had thrown himself in his work, family and routine. Activities that were previously engaging and fulfilling now filled him with a sense of dissatisfaction instead. He frowned to himself - he had never pictured himself as a victim of ennui.
"Looking for Renji?" the bartender asked genially.
Byakuya turned. "I beg your pardon?" he asked the stranger frostily, dark eyes narrowed to slits at the impertinent question.
The bartender smiled and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Well, you can't blame me for remembering you. And Renji. You made a very memorable pair, the two of you."
Byakuya steadfastly ignored the approving tone in the bartender's voice.
"You should see him around soon. He knocks off from his day job pretty late."
"He has a day job?" Try as he might, Byakuya failed to keep the curiosity out of his voice. He told himself that he was asking because he needed to maintain polite conversation, not that he was actually interested in the personal life of a teenaged whore.
"He works in a cafe as a waiter." The bartender supplied helpfully. "He told me he's trying to save enough so he can go back to school. He wants to go to college."
Byakuya cleared his throat. "You sound as if you know a lot about him."
The bartender smiled again. "Renji talks to me quite a bit sometimes. He's quite popular with the crowd as you can guess but he doesn't have many friends."
Byakuya's back stiffened as he thought further about the implications of Renji's "popularity".
"I wish he'd be more careful, though." The bartender murmured.
"What do you mean by that?" Byakuya asked sharply.
The bartender gazed at Byakuya from beneath his long, silver lashes. "It's not for me to say. I think you should see what I mean for yourself."
Byakuya set his jaw grimly and took out his wallet. He had wasted too much time already and he refused to be baited by an interfering stranger. "I need to leave."
"So soon? Renji will be disappointed." The bartender asked reproachfully.
"What do you mean he'll-? Never mind." Byakuya allowed a trace of irritation to seep into his voice. He turned to leave but hesitated at the last minute, the bartender's words niggling at him uneasily. What had Renji gotten himself into?
"Here." Byakuya delved into his coat pocket and withdrew a small card. "My number. Give it to him."
The bartender picked up the business card, eyebrows shooting up as he noted the name - Renji had caught for himself a really big fish indeed. "I'll be sure to tell him when he comes."
========
Byakuya was cruising on the highway back to his apartment when his cellphone rang.
"Kuchiki," he replied tersely, annoyed at having his leisurely drive interrupted.
"This is Ukitake."
"Who?"
"The bartender from the club. Renji's here. I think you should come back."
"Why?"
There was a sigh on the other end of the receiver. "Look, it's hard to say but just come back, will you? I'm serious."
Byakuya heard a muffled cry of pain from a familiar voice and he swore under his breath. "All right. Tell Renji to wait for me."
He disconnected the line and prepared to make an illegal U-turn.
end part 1
Part 2
Renji shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs that had descended to cloud his mind. The club, always a refuge for him, had transformed into a hell full of cacophonous noise, shrill laughter and pounding music that overloaded his senses. He blinked rapidly, trying to shake off his stupor but only succeeded in making himself more dizzy.
“Renji.” Renji spun around at the sound of the voice.
“Oh. It’s you.” Renji mumbled and waved to Byakuya. The older man did not return the greeting and gazed at him disapprovingly. Renji was either drunk or high or more likely both. He reeked strongly of alcohol and his expression was curiously vacant. Byakuya’s eyes narrowed in anger as he noticed the dark bruises marring the tanned skin, visible even in the poor lighting of the club.
"Who did this to you?" he asked sharply, fingers cupping Renji’s chin and tilting his head up to enable him to inspect the damage better.
Renji jerked his face away. "Nobody you know. Besides, it's nothing."
“Really?" A well-defined eyebrow arched imperiously. He reached out to swiftly remove the sunglasses, easily batting away Renji’s ineffectual efforts to stop him. As suspected, the boy was using the accessory to disguise more injuries.
"I presume you're going to call this 'nothing' too?" Byakuya fingered the dark ring around Renji's eye.
"So things got a bit rough, OK?" Renji slumped over the bar counter, a mulish expression on his face.
"A bit?" Scorn dripped from Byakuya's cultured voice, telling Renji with no words exactly what he thought of that excuse.
"How the fuck was I supposed to know they were into rough trade?"
"And I had thought you would be more discerning with your choice of clients."
“Well, beggars can’t be choosers, can they?” Renji mumbled. “That job paid almost half the month’s rent.”
“Really? I had no idea you were so expensive.” Byakuya remarked drily, even as he sought to suppress the rising anger within him. “You must have overcharged me the last time round, then.”
“It wasn’t just one person.” Renji replied, words slurring together. “There were three of ‘em.”
He overbalanced and nearly fell off his stool but Byakuya caught him, one hand cradling Renji's head against his chest and the other supporting him by the small of the back.
"You need medical attention."
“Don’t wanna go to the hospital. I don’t have any money.” Renji snuggled closer to Byakuya, his drug-laden mind causing him to lose his inhibitions. One hand crept out to clutch at Byakuya’s jacket and he sighed blissfully. Byakuya smelled of expensive cologne; a far cry from his other clients who usually stank of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke.
"Don’t worry." Byakuya cut in smoothly, his voice devoid of its characteristic sharp edge. "I'll take care of that."
Renji gave up the fight to hold on to his consciousness and collapsed bonelessly against Byakuya. "OK. If you say so."
Ukitake observed the exchange between the two men, hiding a small grin as he noticed how Byakuya carefully propped Renji up against his body before taking out his cell phone to call for help.
end part 2