In the Red, chapter 5, part 1
A/N: Massive thank-you's to my fabulous editor in chief gwoman for staying up all night to finish editing this chapter. As always, your help is invaluable!
Summary: AU, from the case files of Ichigo Kurosaki, P.I. Wrapping up a case where Ichigo and Renji managed to thwart the mob involves a rather formally dressed visit with some old friends, as well as some time at home with no clothes involved at all. NOTE: This story takes place after Seeing Red (Part 1 and Part 2), and builds on it.
Warnings: Bad language, dirty talkin', explicit good sex (yaoi), dirty stories, fluffy thoughts, role-playing, voyeurism.
Usual disclaimers: I don't own these characters and don't make any money for these writings; I'm just creating these stories to entertain myself and (hopefully) you.
The people in this story are fictional, and so you might see them doing things that aren't strictly safe from a sexual standpoint. You are a real person, so please be safe when you play! If you want more information about how that all works, please click here, or here...there are plenty of other sites with good info on the web, too, so check them out and be safe.
All of the people depicted (or referred to) in sexual situations in my stories are intended to be and considered to be by the author of the legal age of consent in any jurisdiction, regardless of what age these characters may be in the material they are derived from. OK?
_________________________________________________________________
Missed Chapter 4? Click here.
“What the fuck?” I tried not to smirk as I sat at the couch in the living room, hearing Renji's aggrieved voice float out from the direction of the bathroom. “Why the fuck is all of this necessary, again?”
“It's a surprise, remember?” I asked, raising my voice slightly to be heard in the next room.
I could hear Renji grunt with disapproval, but he finally replied, “Yeah, all right.” The noises afterwards sounded as if he was continuing to get ready, so I sank back onto the couch, taking a moment to appreciate how comfortable Renji's couch was. The things I'd bought to replace all of the furniture that had gotten broken during the short time I'd dated Grimm were by necessity cheap, since I'd needed so many of them. When Renji'd moved in a month ago, we'd given away most of my stuff, either to our friends who'd showed up to help who wanted it or, for anything remaining, to charity.
I smiled again as I remembered how many of Renji's friends came that day, too, a few of whom I hadn't met before then. Although it had been nice to see all of them, I had the distinct feeling that both I and my place were being interviewed to see if we were worthy. Unfortunately, I deserve it, I remember thinking, as I’d given Renji's blonde friend Izuru the grand tour, as much as was possible with a one-bedroom apartment. I’d been happy to notice that the man had arrived looking worried, but looked happier and almost relieved by the time he left. Shuu had been more of a hard sell, which didn't surprise me, but even he had looked grudgingly approving by the time he left.
“If I hear any complaints, though,” he'd said as he paused at the front door, muttering to me so that Renji couldn't hear, “I'll be over here to kick your ass so fucking fast you'll never forget it.”
By that time I’d just nodded, grateful that he hadn't freaked out on me for real the day after the Infinium case broke, but he'd been way too concerned about Renji then, almost ignoring me in the process.
Wrapping up most of the leftover business related to the Infinium Logistics job hadn't taken as long as I'd expected. Despite our adventures the evening of the boardroom meeting, Renji and I had woken the following day in the later part of the morning. I’d been able to see that his shoulder was stiff, but he’d refused to stay in, saying it would make him feel worse, so I’d dropped him off to visit with Shuu while I’d gone to the station to give my statement. To my surprise, I had only ended up talking to Shinji until early afternoon. He’d said he was going to type up and circulate my statement and that he'd call me back if he needed any more information. Shinji had also mentioned that he'd expect me to send along some of the evidence that Yoruichi’d said she and Ururu had collected on Aizen's money laundering scheme, and a copy of my film of the meeting the previous evening. He had pressed me on the source of the evidence and how I'd managed to film the meeting, but I'd remained silent on that front.
When I’d gotten back home, I'd left Renji lying on the couch upstairs, reading a magazine and looking very relaxed while I’d gone down to the office to see if anything new had arrived. To my surprise and pleasure, when I’d logged on to my computer I’d found an e-mail with the letterhead of Yoruichi's consulting company that had contained a copy of what I'd filmed at the Infinium Logistics boardroom and an invoice for professional services with a rather expensive total.
Figuring it was a good sign, I’d drawn up my final bill for Byakuya, being sure to write up the additional hours I'd worked at the rate we'd agreed on, and to include my many expenses. To be thorough, I’d gone to the shipping center and sent it to him via next-day FedEx, using the same return address as before. For some reason, I hadn’t been too surprised to receive a FedEx myself the next day with a big check in it for the rest of what he owed. I'd had to wait a lot longer for him to fulfill the remainder of what he'd promised, however. After almost a month I'd grown tired of waiting, so one day around noon I’d called the number he'd given me. “Byakuya,” I'd said the moment he'd answered, “how long am I going to have to wait until you pay the rest of what you owe me?”
There was a long silence, and finally a short sigh. “Be at Rafael's at 6PM this Saturday,” he’d replied coolly. “Give your name at the front door, and don't be late.”
I’d closed my phone after I’d realized I'd been hung up on and figured that I'd better plan to show up that night, although I still couldn't say I was convinced that Byakuya would keep his promise, which is why I hadn't told Renji what to expect. Since the spot Byakuya had suggested meeting at was one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in town, however, it had been necessary to get the two of us something different to wear.
I heard Renji emerging then and as I turned to look at him, I got the distinct sensation that suddenly there was less air in the room. I couldn't quite get my breath as I looked at his slightly sullen face, framed by his long red hair, which was down for once, and as my gaze slid down the tight-fitting short black jacket and pants he wore, the problem just got worse. When he turned slightly and I could see the full effect, I felt a bit lightheaded and thanked whatever deity had allowed there to still be a place where you could rent a tuxedo jacket with tails. I couldn't tell if I was pale from lack of oxygen or blushing by the time I noted that his starched white shirt and black tie were perfectly in order, but I did notice that Renji was smirking by the time I met his eye again.
“So, what do you think?” he asked, the sly tone in his voice saying that he thought he might know the answer.
“I think we'd better get out of here before we're late,” I replied, walking past Renji and towards the front door, but the both of us paused at the mirror we'd put by the door. Apparently Renji appreciated how the same suit looked on me, if the way he looked at my reflection was any indication. “If we stay here any longer,” I admitted, “I think I'm going to have to take you to the bedroom and see how that all looks while it's coming off.”
I could hear his rich chuckle behind me as I turned to go out. To my surprise, we actually managed to make it to the restaurant with all of our clothes intact, but once we got there I kept expecting to be told that they'd never heard of me until the moment that the immaculately dressed man at the front desk nodded. “Certainly, Mr. Kurosaki. The rest of your party hasn't arrived yet, but please follow me and I'll make you comfortable until they do.”
I didn't look back at Renji yet, mostly because I wanted to wait to explain any more until we were alone, and instead busied myself with looking our surroundings over. The hallway we traveled through was done in dark paneled wood with obviously hand painted inlays every foot or so, mainly depicting people dressed in the style of eras gone by, with long gowns and piled up wigs or suits that were in fashion hundreds of years ago. I wondered if they were just for show or if they were supposed to be someone's ancestors, until we began walking by the large dining room. It was a big open room flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, the other walls being wood paneling inlaid with a rich red fabric. The carpet was a dark red as well, and the subtle lighting provided by the setting sun and the dim glow from the crystal chandeliers overhead seemed mostly there to highlight the patrons, all of whom seemed dressed in the very best of what they had, many of the women wearing sparkling clothing or jewels, probably to take advantage of the light.
We passed by the main room by and continued down the paneled hall, the dark red carpet muffling our footsteps. Waiters and waitresses walked past us, both men and women wearing the same short black jacket, starched white shirt, black tie, and pants, until we finally reached a dark wood door that our guide produced a key to open. He showed us into a room that seemed dominated by the sunset as it shone through two walls of windows, the pinks, purples and reds casting the city around into silhouette. The other two walls of the room had been fitted with built-in benches that were upholstered in crimson and heaped with pillows in the same shade. In the center of the room was a table covered by a heavy-looking white cloth and with four chairs pulled up around it.
When the man who'd guided us there asked if we'd like a drink while we waited, I ordered a beer since I wasn't sure how long we'd be here or what to expect, and Renji followed my lead. Once we were alone in the room, he turned to me with a look of curiosity shot through with annoyance. “All right, Ichigo, I've been patient and I've let you dress me up like some kind of idiot and drag me out here with no idea of why. Time to tell me why we're here.”
“You don't look like an idiot,” I said, turning towards the windows as I tried to avoid the subject. The view from up there really was spectacular, but I should have expected that, since it was at the top of one of the taller buildings in town. You could see the entirety of Karakura, even out to where it bordered Rukongai and to the water beyond. I could feel Renji's hands on my shoulders then, and I allowed myself to be turned towards him again.
“OK, so maybe I don't, but I sure feel like one,” he said, exasperated now. “What's going on, Ichigo? Why are we here? Who's joining us?”
I sighed, realizing that it was probably past time to tell him, even if it would lead to disappointment if no one ever showed up. “Well, I'm sure you remember that job that you got dragged into, right? I know you're probably still pissed off that I couldn't tell you everything about it, and I'm amazed that you were willing to go along with my story about what had happened that night.”
Renji shrugged, seeming to calm down now that I was talking. “It made sense that we should both say the same thing, and I've never really been a big fan of the cops, anyway. Growing up the way I did, they ended up harassing me and my friends for no real reason other than the fact that sometimes we didn't have anywhere else to go than the streets.”
I nodded to show I understood before I continued. “Anyway, I appreciate it, really I do. What I couldn't explain up until now is that I didn't really want to take the job, but there was a reason that I felt I had to. With any luck, you'll find out why tonight.”
“Ichigo,” Renji replied as he put his hand under my chin to force me to look into his eyes, his expression more curious than annoyed now, “come on, you can tell me.”
It was at that moment that the door began to open, and we both turned in that direction. I was expecting someone to have arrived with our drinks, but I felt something in my chest relax as I spotted Kenpachi instead, grinning from ear to ear. “Are we interrupting?” he asked, coming into the room. “We can come back later.”
I rolled my eyes in response. “Asshole,” I muttered under my breath, but I wasn't paying much attention to Kenpachi. Instead, my eyes were fixed on Renji, and something clutched in my chest at his expression a moment later. I looked back to the door to see that Rukia had appeared from behind Kenpachi, wearing a strapless dark purple dress with a diamond necklace so delicate that all it appeared to be was a scattering of sparkles suspended under her throat, like some random water droplets. The look on her face was incredulous, and she let out a happy wordless cry before she ran forward, calling out Renji's name.
Drawing to one side as the two came together and hugged, I watched as Renji broke out into a wide smile and laughed. I moved to sit on one of the benches on the opposite side of the room, something in my stomach feeling unpleasantly tight as I watched the two of them together. After watching them for a little while I'd looked down at the carpet, feeling as if I was peeping in on them since it was obvious they'd forgotten anyone else was there.
“Relax, Romeo. I can tell you for a fact that he's not going home with her.” I snapped my head around to scowl at the source of the amused voice that had cut in on my reflections to see Kenpachi leaning against the wall near the door.
“You sure are a nosy bastard, aren't you?” I replied, more sullenly than anything.
He laughed in response. “You know how it is: noticing things is what keeps me alive. So, when do you want to spar again?”
I rolled my eyes and pulled a business card and a pen out of my pocket, having learned through years of experience never to go anywhere without either of those items. “Here,” I said, handing them to him. “Give me your number and I'll talk to Tatsuki about sparring with you. If I talk her into it, though, I'd advise you not to injure her 'accidentally,’ because she'd likely put you in the hospital.”
His eyebrows raised, Kenpachi quickly wrote a number on the card and handed it back to me, his wild-looking grin suddenly putting in an appearance. “A woman who could put me in the hospital, eh? I'll have to meet her for sure.”
I couldn't help laughing just a little bit at the strange, faraway look and light in his eyes. “So, have you talked to Yoruichi since that night?”
He looked a little depressed when I said her name and replied, “No, but she does have my number.” After that, he stared out the windows at the darkening sky, obviously thinking about something. I rolled my eyes, figuring I probably knew what, having recognized that thousand-yard stare on the faces of other men who'd met Yoruichi before.
I looked out in the same direction, but eventually found myself gazing at the reflection of Renji and Rukia in the window instead. Gradually, I turned my head to peek at them, sitting on the bench along the opposite wall and talking animatedly. I winced a little at the twist I felt in my gut as I noticed how close they sat together. I turned away quickly as I realized that I hadn't often felt this sort of jealousy before with lovers. Most of the time, I realized, I hadn't let myself get involved enough to bring up feelings like this, or if I had started to get attached, I usually used the first sign of something like this as a good reason to move on. This time, I knew I was just going to have to deal with it or get over it somehow, so I figured maybe I should distract myself instead.
“Hey,” I said, turning back to Kenpachi, “you know, when I thought about it, it seemed weird that you'd work for someone like Byakuya. How did you ever end up with that job, anyway?”
He looked over at me consideringly for a moment and then shrugged. “I did some freelance security work when I got out of the service and eventually heard about the position through some of the other guys I worked with. Everyone said he was really picky about his employees, but I figured I might as well interview because I really needed something with some steady pay. Strangely enough, it worked out.”
I glanced sideways at him skeptically. “I just found it hard to believe, after I met you, that you'd actually work for Byakuya. I mean, he seems like he'd be a real jerk to be employed by.”
“Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was going to work out at first,” he admitted, grinning again. “I took one look at him and figured I'd probably be fired before the first week, but one thing I found out pretty quickly is that as long as you can do your job well, he'll leave you to do it however you want. Well, except he's pretty sensitive about not getting bad press for the company, stuff like that.”
“How so?” I asked, not sure how all of that related.
“Well, when he found out I was bouncing at a club on the weekends, he told me to quit.”
“Bouncing? Did you need extra money or something?” I was puzzled until he answered.
“Sometimes there's not all that much physical to do at Kuchiki's, so it gets too boring. I think he was worried I might get arrested, though, so he wanted me to quit. It's all right, though, I figured out a better way to get more practice in,” he replied, grinning widely again. “Cage fighting.”
I was about to ask him when his next one was when I heard a different voice close by. “Well, I never thought I'd see you again.”
I turned in surprise to see Rukia standing near my elbow, with Renji not far behind her and smiling a slightly goofy grin. I tried to ignore the mix of feelings that brought up in my chest and answered coolly, with a raised eyebrow, “I got the impression at the time that you were happy to get rid of me as soon as possible.”
She made an annoyed noise and surprised me by leaning over to hit me in the back of the head, which I dodged. Rukia gave me a look of shock that I couldn't help but laugh at. “Yeah, I should have warned you that he's really fast,” Renji said, chuckling even as she elbowed him.
“Don't worry,” she replied, looking at both of us in turn. “I'll get him before long. So,” she continued, looking over at me with some curiosity and smugness, “I see you took advantage of having Renji as your client.”
Chuckling myself now, I said suggestively, “It wasn't all my idea,” and gazed over at Renji.
Renji smirked back at me, but whatever he might have been about to say was interrupted by Rukia's voice. “Yeah, he's always liked guys like you,” she replied with a nod.
“Rukia,” he muttered, looking away, and I couldn't help but smile, thinking that he looked like he was squirming the same way I had been during dinner with my family a couple of weeks back. No one had given me a break that day, due to how long I'd made them all wait to meet Renji, and I had been certain my face was going to be permanently red by the time we left due to the sheer volume of embarrassing stories.
“What?” she asked in an innocent tone of voice while sporting a wicked grin. “All the guys I've ever seen you date have been long, lean, really cute, and had smart mouths, just like this one,” she said, elbowing me.
“Yeah, well I must have a thing for people with smart mouths in general, then,” Renji replied, glowering at Rukia, who smiled in return.
“I had to try really hard to keep up with you,” she explained, and then launched into a story about when they were going to school together and Renji's wisecracking had gotten them into trouble. Renji countered with a story about Rukia getting the two of them into hot water at school because of something she'd done, and then it seemed like the gloves were off. I ended up getting somehow involved in the stories flying back and forth, and eventually it came to me that I was being included in all of the good-natured teasing and tale-telling as if I always had been one of the gang. Somehow, as the stories rolled on, I realized in the middle of talking about what had happened during the Infinium case that Rukia had somehow induced Renji and I to tell her about it, even though I'd specifically intended not to. Before I could act on that recollection, however, a chill seemed to fall over the room as Byakuya walked in.
He looked at the two of us coldly and said, “Gentlemen,” then looked towards the door, his meaning perfectly clear to me. Get the hell out.
I was half-standing when Rukia, who'd been watching the unspoken exchange between the two of us, spoke up. “Thank you, honey!” she said in an excited voice, rushing forward to hug Byakuya. “What a lovely surprise, to invite these two to dinner to thank them for all they've done for us. And thanks for not telling me that Renji was going to be here. It really was the nicest surprise you've ever given me.”
She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and Byakuya leaned down to receive it, looking a bit stunned, as if he'd been completely circumvented and didn't know what to do about it. With a sigh, he smiled a little tightly and led the way to the table. Renji was frozen, sizing Byakuya up and scowling at him, so I elbowed him to snap him out of it and followed the other couple to the table. Rukia frowned once we got there, remarking, “There's not enough chairs.” She looked pointedly at Kenpachi, who'd moved to sit on the bench near the door and had been remarkably quiet for some time, apparently just watching the interplay between all of us and appearing to enjoy Rukia's move that had silenced his boss.
“I'm fine here,” he said, settling back with a big grin on his face. “I ate earlier, anyway.”
Dinner was a bit stiff and odd at first, but once the food arrived, both Rukia and Renji seemed to relax back into the mood they'd been in before. I found it hard not to follow suit, but I hung back a little this time, both to let the two of them catch up and to study Byakuya. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be paying too much attention to me, which was good because I'd wanted to see what I could figure out about the relationship between him and Rukia. I kind of figured that now Renji had moved in, I needed to know what the likelihood was of having Rukia showing up on our doorstep late one night because Byakuya had threatened her or something.
From what I could see by watching the two of them, however, he seemed quite taken with her. He watched her carefully for most of the meal, listening to what she said even though he didn't often have anything to add, and his eyes seemed to be full of concern and care, not crazy possessiveness as I'd worried might be the case. By the end of the evening I was willing to mentally concede that maybe Rukia would be all right instead of being in danger of being murdered in her sleep, which I think had still been somewhere in my mind due to the fact that when I'd initially met her, I'd half expected her to be dead.
When it became time to go, I drew to the side as she and Renji said their goodbyes. Their hug was much shorter this time, obviously because Rukia seemed aware that Byakuya was watching, but they talked quietly for a little while before they separated. As they did, I looked over in annoyance as I felt an elbow in my ribs. “Hey, don't forget to talk to your teacher,” he said. “If you do, I know where you work and I'll come bother you until you fight me yourself again.”
I couldn't help but smile at that. “Yeah, all right, I'll talk to her.”
A moment later, I was rubbing my side and turning in the other direction. “All right you-” I began, expecting to see Renji elbowing me, but it was Rukia.
“You know, we've got a lot to thank you for,” she said, putting out her hand.
I shook it, saying, “I didn't do it for you, or for Byakuya.”
She smiled widely then and it was full of mirth and mischief. “Yeah, I figured that!” and glanced over her shoulder at Renji, who was looking at the two of us but keeping a little distance. I cursed under my breath as I felt my cheeks heating up, but as I looked back at her again her expression became serious. “Really, that's even more of a reason to thank you. And, I have something else I need to ask you. Please, take care of him. It won't always be like this, especially since you really saved our company so there's not going to be much Byakuya can say in the future when I want to see you, but it won't be like before. I have someone to take care of me now, and I want to make sure he does, too. Please say you'll do it.”
I swallowed against a suddenly dry throat as I looked at her wide, solemn eyes. “I will,” I somehow managed to croak out. “You look out for yourself, though. Sometimes these rich people can be cold, scary bastards if something goes wrong.”
She smiled serenely and leaned in to speak quietly. “I'm not worried, Ichigo. When Byakuya presented his demands to me about not seeing my old friends if I wanted to marry him, I presented one of my own, to which he agreed. I am a full partner in the company, the equal of any other member of the family. We're not only married, but we're business partners now, and it's not something that can be revoked in case of divorce. So, I'm not worried about it.”
I took a step back and gave her another look as her estimation went up in my eyes. No wonder Renji likes her, I thought. I made sure to thank Byakuya as we left to the sound of Rukia waving and saying, “Bye! See you two later!” Renji had grabbed my hand before we'd made it back to the elevator, and was kissing me the moment the doors closed.
“Rukia was right,” he said, pulling back a few moments before the doors opened. “That was one of the nicest surprises you've ever given me.” He really does know how to show his appreciation, too.
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Click here for Chapter 5, part 2
Summary: AU, from the case files of Ichigo Kurosaki, P.I. Wrapping up a case where Ichigo and Renji managed to thwart the mob involves a rather formally dressed visit with some old friends, as well as some time at home with no clothes involved at all. NOTE: This story takes place after Seeing Red (Part 1 and Part 2), and builds on it.
Warnings: Bad language, dirty talkin', explicit good sex (yaoi), dirty stories, fluffy thoughts, role-playing, voyeurism.
Usual disclaimers: I don't own these characters and don't make any money for these writings; I'm just creating these stories to entertain myself and (hopefully) you.
The people in this story are fictional, and so you might see them doing things that aren't strictly safe from a sexual standpoint. You are a real person, so please be safe when you play! If you want more information about how that all works, please click here, or here...there are plenty of other sites with good info on the web, too, so check them out and be safe.
All of the people depicted (or referred to) in sexual situations in my stories are intended to be and considered to be by the author of the legal age of consent in any jurisdiction, regardless of what age these characters may be in the material they are derived from. OK?
_________________________________________________________________
Missed Chapter 4? Click here.
“What the fuck?” I tried not to smirk as I sat at the couch in the living room, hearing Renji's aggrieved voice float out from the direction of the bathroom. “Why the fuck is all of this necessary, again?”
“It's a surprise, remember?” I asked, raising my voice slightly to be heard in the next room.
I could hear Renji grunt with disapproval, but he finally replied, “Yeah, all right.” The noises afterwards sounded as if he was continuing to get ready, so I sank back onto the couch, taking a moment to appreciate how comfortable Renji's couch was. The things I'd bought to replace all of the furniture that had gotten broken during the short time I'd dated Grimm were by necessity cheap, since I'd needed so many of them. When Renji'd moved in a month ago, we'd given away most of my stuff, either to our friends who'd showed up to help who wanted it or, for anything remaining, to charity.
I smiled again as I remembered how many of Renji's friends came that day, too, a few of whom I hadn't met before then. Although it had been nice to see all of them, I had the distinct feeling that both I and my place were being interviewed to see if we were worthy. Unfortunately, I deserve it, I remember thinking, as I’d given Renji's blonde friend Izuru the grand tour, as much as was possible with a one-bedroom apartment. I’d been happy to notice that the man had arrived looking worried, but looked happier and almost relieved by the time he left. Shuu had been more of a hard sell, which didn't surprise me, but even he had looked grudgingly approving by the time he left.
“If I hear any complaints, though,” he'd said as he paused at the front door, muttering to me so that Renji couldn't hear, “I'll be over here to kick your ass so fucking fast you'll never forget it.”
By that time I’d just nodded, grateful that he hadn't freaked out on me for real the day after the Infinium case broke, but he'd been way too concerned about Renji then, almost ignoring me in the process.
Wrapping up most of the leftover business related to the Infinium Logistics job hadn't taken as long as I'd expected. Despite our adventures the evening of the boardroom meeting, Renji and I had woken the following day in the later part of the morning. I’d been able to see that his shoulder was stiff, but he’d refused to stay in, saying it would make him feel worse, so I’d dropped him off to visit with Shuu while I’d gone to the station to give my statement. To my surprise, I had only ended up talking to Shinji until early afternoon. He’d said he was going to type up and circulate my statement and that he'd call me back if he needed any more information. Shinji had also mentioned that he'd expect me to send along some of the evidence that Yoruichi’d said she and Ururu had collected on Aizen's money laundering scheme, and a copy of my film of the meeting the previous evening. He had pressed me on the source of the evidence and how I'd managed to film the meeting, but I'd remained silent on that front.
When I’d gotten back home, I'd left Renji lying on the couch upstairs, reading a magazine and looking very relaxed while I’d gone down to the office to see if anything new had arrived. To my surprise and pleasure, when I’d logged on to my computer I’d found an e-mail with the letterhead of Yoruichi's consulting company that had contained a copy of what I'd filmed at the Infinium Logistics boardroom and an invoice for professional services with a rather expensive total.
Figuring it was a good sign, I’d drawn up my final bill for Byakuya, being sure to write up the additional hours I'd worked at the rate we'd agreed on, and to include my many expenses. To be thorough, I’d gone to the shipping center and sent it to him via next-day FedEx, using the same return address as before. For some reason, I hadn’t been too surprised to receive a FedEx myself the next day with a big check in it for the rest of what he owed. I'd had to wait a lot longer for him to fulfill the remainder of what he'd promised, however. After almost a month I'd grown tired of waiting, so one day around noon I’d called the number he'd given me. “Byakuya,” I'd said the moment he'd answered, “how long am I going to have to wait until you pay the rest of what you owe me?”
There was a long silence, and finally a short sigh. “Be at Rafael's at 6PM this Saturday,” he’d replied coolly. “Give your name at the front door, and don't be late.”
I’d closed my phone after I’d realized I'd been hung up on and figured that I'd better plan to show up that night, although I still couldn't say I was convinced that Byakuya would keep his promise, which is why I hadn't told Renji what to expect. Since the spot Byakuya had suggested meeting at was one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in town, however, it had been necessary to get the two of us something different to wear.
I heard Renji emerging then and as I turned to look at him, I got the distinct sensation that suddenly there was less air in the room. I couldn't quite get my breath as I looked at his slightly sullen face, framed by his long red hair, which was down for once, and as my gaze slid down the tight-fitting short black jacket and pants he wore, the problem just got worse. When he turned slightly and I could see the full effect, I felt a bit lightheaded and thanked whatever deity had allowed there to still be a place where you could rent a tuxedo jacket with tails. I couldn't tell if I was pale from lack of oxygen or blushing by the time I noted that his starched white shirt and black tie were perfectly in order, but I did notice that Renji was smirking by the time I met his eye again.
“So, what do you think?” he asked, the sly tone in his voice saying that he thought he might know the answer.
“I think we'd better get out of here before we're late,” I replied, walking past Renji and towards the front door, but the both of us paused at the mirror we'd put by the door. Apparently Renji appreciated how the same suit looked on me, if the way he looked at my reflection was any indication. “If we stay here any longer,” I admitted, “I think I'm going to have to take you to the bedroom and see how that all looks while it's coming off.”
I could hear his rich chuckle behind me as I turned to go out. To my surprise, we actually managed to make it to the restaurant with all of our clothes intact, but once we got there I kept expecting to be told that they'd never heard of me until the moment that the immaculately dressed man at the front desk nodded. “Certainly, Mr. Kurosaki. The rest of your party hasn't arrived yet, but please follow me and I'll make you comfortable until they do.”
I didn't look back at Renji yet, mostly because I wanted to wait to explain any more until we were alone, and instead busied myself with looking our surroundings over. The hallway we traveled through was done in dark paneled wood with obviously hand painted inlays every foot or so, mainly depicting people dressed in the style of eras gone by, with long gowns and piled up wigs or suits that were in fashion hundreds of years ago. I wondered if they were just for show or if they were supposed to be someone's ancestors, until we began walking by the large dining room. It was a big open room flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, the other walls being wood paneling inlaid with a rich red fabric. The carpet was a dark red as well, and the subtle lighting provided by the setting sun and the dim glow from the crystal chandeliers overhead seemed mostly there to highlight the patrons, all of whom seemed dressed in the very best of what they had, many of the women wearing sparkling clothing or jewels, probably to take advantage of the light.
We passed by the main room by and continued down the paneled hall, the dark red carpet muffling our footsteps. Waiters and waitresses walked past us, both men and women wearing the same short black jacket, starched white shirt, black tie, and pants, until we finally reached a dark wood door that our guide produced a key to open. He showed us into a room that seemed dominated by the sunset as it shone through two walls of windows, the pinks, purples and reds casting the city around into silhouette. The other two walls of the room had been fitted with built-in benches that were upholstered in crimson and heaped with pillows in the same shade. In the center of the room was a table covered by a heavy-looking white cloth and with four chairs pulled up around it.
When the man who'd guided us there asked if we'd like a drink while we waited, I ordered a beer since I wasn't sure how long we'd be here or what to expect, and Renji followed my lead. Once we were alone in the room, he turned to me with a look of curiosity shot through with annoyance. “All right, Ichigo, I've been patient and I've let you dress me up like some kind of idiot and drag me out here with no idea of why. Time to tell me why we're here.”
“You don't look like an idiot,” I said, turning towards the windows as I tried to avoid the subject. The view from up there really was spectacular, but I should have expected that, since it was at the top of one of the taller buildings in town. You could see the entirety of Karakura, even out to where it bordered Rukongai and to the water beyond. I could feel Renji's hands on my shoulders then, and I allowed myself to be turned towards him again.
“OK, so maybe I don't, but I sure feel like one,” he said, exasperated now. “What's going on, Ichigo? Why are we here? Who's joining us?”
I sighed, realizing that it was probably past time to tell him, even if it would lead to disappointment if no one ever showed up. “Well, I'm sure you remember that job that you got dragged into, right? I know you're probably still pissed off that I couldn't tell you everything about it, and I'm amazed that you were willing to go along with my story about what had happened that night.”
Renji shrugged, seeming to calm down now that I was talking. “It made sense that we should both say the same thing, and I've never really been a big fan of the cops, anyway. Growing up the way I did, they ended up harassing me and my friends for no real reason other than the fact that sometimes we didn't have anywhere else to go than the streets.”
I nodded to show I understood before I continued. “Anyway, I appreciate it, really I do. What I couldn't explain up until now is that I didn't really want to take the job, but there was a reason that I felt I had to. With any luck, you'll find out why tonight.”
“Ichigo,” Renji replied as he put his hand under my chin to force me to look into his eyes, his expression more curious than annoyed now, “come on, you can tell me.”
It was at that moment that the door began to open, and we both turned in that direction. I was expecting someone to have arrived with our drinks, but I felt something in my chest relax as I spotted Kenpachi instead, grinning from ear to ear. “Are we interrupting?” he asked, coming into the room. “We can come back later.”
I rolled my eyes in response. “Asshole,” I muttered under my breath, but I wasn't paying much attention to Kenpachi. Instead, my eyes were fixed on Renji, and something clutched in my chest at his expression a moment later. I looked back to the door to see that Rukia had appeared from behind Kenpachi, wearing a strapless dark purple dress with a diamond necklace so delicate that all it appeared to be was a scattering of sparkles suspended under her throat, like some random water droplets. The look on her face was incredulous, and she let out a happy wordless cry before she ran forward, calling out Renji's name.
Drawing to one side as the two came together and hugged, I watched as Renji broke out into a wide smile and laughed. I moved to sit on one of the benches on the opposite side of the room, something in my stomach feeling unpleasantly tight as I watched the two of them together. After watching them for a little while I'd looked down at the carpet, feeling as if I was peeping in on them since it was obvious they'd forgotten anyone else was there.
“Relax, Romeo. I can tell you for a fact that he's not going home with her.” I snapped my head around to scowl at the source of the amused voice that had cut in on my reflections to see Kenpachi leaning against the wall near the door.
“You sure are a nosy bastard, aren't you?” I replied, more sullenly than anything.
He laughed in response. “You know how it is: noticing things is what keeps me alive. So, when do you want to spar again?”
I rolled my eyes and pulled a business card and a pen out of my pocket, having learned through years of experience never to go anywhere without either of those items. “Here,” I said, handing them to him. “Give me your number and I'll talk to Tatsuki about sparring with you. If I talk her into it, though, I'd advise you not to injure her 'accidentally,’ because she'd likely put you in the hospital.”
His eyebrows raised, Kenpachi quickly wrote a number on the card and handed it back to me, his wild-looking grin suddenly putting in an appearance. “A woman who could put me in the hospital, eh? I'll have to meet her for sure.”
I couldn't help laughing just a little bit at the strange, faraway look and light in his eyes. “So, have you talked to Yoruichi since that night?”
He looked a little depressed when I said her name and replied, “No, but she does have my number.” After that, he stared out the windows at the darkening sky, obviously thinking about something. I rolled my eyes, figuring I probably knew what, having recognized that thousand-yard stare on the faces of other men who'd met Yoruichi before.
I looked out in the same direction, but eventually found myself gazing at the reflection of Renji and Rukia in the window instead. Gradually, I turned my head to peek at them, sitting on the bench along the opposite wall and talking animatedly. I winced a little at the twist I felt in my gut as I noticed how close they sat together. I turned away quickly as I realized that I hadn't often felt this sort of jealousy before with lovers. Most of the time, I realized, I hadn't let myself get involved enough to bring up feelings like this, or if I had started to get attached, I usually used the first sign of something like this as a good reason to move on. This time, I knew I was just going to have to deal with it or get over it somehow, so I figured maybe I should distract myself instead.
“Hey,” I said, turning back to Kenpachi, “you know, when I thought about it, it seemed weird that you'd work for someone like Byakuya. How did you ever end up with that job, anyway?”
He looked over at me consideringly for a moment and then shrugged. “I did some freelance security work when I got out of the service and eventually heard about the position through some of the other guys I worked with. Everyone said he was really picky about his employees, but I figured I might as well interview because I really needed something with some steady pay. Strangely enough, it worked out.”
I glanced sideways at him skeptically. “I just found it hard to believe, after I met you, that you'd actually work for Byakuya. I mean, he seems like he'd be a real jerk to be employed by.”
“Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was going to work out at first,” he admitted, grinning again. “I took one look at him and figured I'd probably be fired before the first week, but one thing I found out pretty quickly is that as long as you can do your job well, he'll leave you to do it however you want. Well, except he's pretty sensitive about not getting bad press for the company, stuff like that.”
“How so?” I asked, not sure how all of that related.
“Well, when he found out I was bouncing at a club on the weekends, he told me to quit.”
“Bouncing? Did you need extra money or something?” I was puzzled until he answered.
“Sometimes there's not all that much physical to do at Kuchiki's, so it gets too boring. I think he was worried I might get arrested, though, so he wanted me to quit. It's all right, though, I figured out a better way to get more practice in,” he replied, grinning widely again. “Cage fighting.”
I was about to ask him when his next one was when I heard a different voice close by. “Well, I never thought I'd see you again.”
I turned in surprise to see Rukia standing near my elbow, with Renji not far behind her and smiling a slightly goofy grin. I tried to ignore the mix of feelings that brought up in my chest and answered coolly, with a raised eyebrow, “I got the impression at the time that you were happy to get rid of me as soon as possible.”
She made an annoyed noise and surprised me by leaning over to hit me in the back of the head, which I dodged. Rukia gave me a look of shock that I couldn't help but laugh at. “Yeah, I should have warned you that he's really fast,” Renji said, chuckling even as she elbowed him.
“Don't worry,” she replied, looking at both of us in turn. “I'll get him before long. So,” she continued, looking over at me with some curiosity and smugness, “I see you took advantage of having Renji as your client.”
Chuckling myself now, I said suggestively, “It wasn't all my idea,” and gazed over at Renji.
Renji smirked back at me, but whatever he might have been about to say was interrupted by Rukia's voice. “Yeah, he's always liked guys like you,” she replied with a nod.
“Rukia,” he muttered, looking away, and I couldn't help but smile, thinking that he looked like he was squirming the same way I had been during dinner with my family a couple of weeks back. No one had given me a break that day, due to how long I'd made them all wait to meet Renji, and I had been certain my face was going to be permanently red by the time we left due to the sheer volume of embarrassing stories.
“What?” she asked in an innocent tone of voice while sporting a wicked grin. “All the guys I've ever seen you date have been long, lean, really cute, and had smart mouths, just like this one,” she said, elbowing me.
“Yeah, well I must have a thing for people with smart mouths in general, then,” Renji replied, glowering at Rukia, who smiled in return.
“I had to try really hard to keep up with you,” she explained, and then launched into a story about when they were going to school together and Renji's wisecracking had gotten them into trouble. Renji countered with a story about Rukia getting the two of them into hot water at school because of something she'd done, and then it seemed like the gloves were off. I ended up getting somehow involved in the stories flying back and forth, and eventually it came to me that I was being included in all of the good-natured teasing and tale-telling as if I always had been one of the gang. Somehow, as the stories rolled on, I realized in the middle of talking about what had happened during the Infinium case that Rukia had somehow induced Renji and I to tell her about it, even though I'd specifically intended not to. Before I could act on that recollection, however, a chill seemed to fall over the room as Byakuya walked in.
He looked at the two of us coldly and said, “Gentlemen,” then looked towards the door, his meaning perfectly clear to me. Get the hell out.
I was half-standing when Rukia, who'd been watching the unspoken exchange between the two of us, spoke up. “Thank you, honey!” she said in an excited voice, rushing forward to hug Byakuya. “What a lovely surprise, to invite these two to dinner to thank them for all they've done for us. And thanks for not telling me that Renji was going to be here. It really was the nicest surprise you've ever given me.”
She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and Byakuya leaned down to receive it, looking a bit stunned, as if he'd been completely circumvented and didn't know what to do about it. With a sigh, he smiled a little tightly and led the way to the table. Renji was frozen, sizing Byakuya up and scowling at him, so I elbowed him to snap him out of it and followed the other couple to the table. Rukia frowned once we got there, remarking, “There's not enough chairs.” She looked pointedly at Kenpachi, who'd moved to sit on the bench near the door and had been remarkably quiet for some time, apparently just watching the interplay between all of us and appearing to enjoy Rukia's move that had silenced his boss.
“I'm fine here,” he said, settling back with a big grin on his face. “I ate earlier, anyway.”
Dinner was a bit stiff and odd at first, but once the food arrived, both Rukia and Renji seemed to relax back into the mood they'd been in before. I found it hard not to follow suit, but I hung back a little this time, both to let the two of them catch up and to study Byakuya. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be paying too much attention to me, which was good because I'd wanted to see what I could figure out about the relationship between him and Rukia. I kind of figured that now Renji had moved in, I needed to know what the likelihood was of having Rukia showing up on our doorstep late one night because Byakuya had threatened her or something.
From what I could see by watching the two of them, however, he seemed quite taken with her. He watched her carefully for most of the meal, listening to what she said even though he didn't often have anything to add, and his eyes seemed to be full of concern and care, not crazy possessiveness as I'd worried might be the case. By the end of the evening I was willing to mentally concede that maybe Rukia would be all right instead of being in danger of being murdered in her sleep, which I think had still been somewhere in my mind due to the fact that when I'd initially met her, I'd half expected her to be dead.
When it became time to go, I drew to the side as she and Renji said their goodbyes. Their hug was much shorter this time, obviously because Rukia seemed aware that Byakuya was watching, but they talked quietly for a little while before they separated. As they did, I looked over in annoyance as I felt an elbow in my ribs. “Hey, don't forget to talk to your teacher,” he said. “If you do, I know where you work and I'll come bother you until you fight me yourself again.”
I couldn't help but smile at that. “Yeah, all right, I'll talk to her.”
A moment later, I was rubbing my side and turning in the other direction. “All right you-” I began, expecting to see Renji elbowing me, but it was Rukia.
“You know, we've got a lot to thank you for,” she said, putting out her hand.
I shook it, saying, “I didn't do it for you, or for Byakuya.”
She smiled widely then and it was full of mirth and mischief. “Yeah, I figured that!” and glanced over her shoulder at Renji, who was looking at the two of us but keeping a little distance. I cursed under my breath as I felt my cheeks heating up, but as I looked back at her again her expression became serious. “Really, that's even more of a reason to thank you. And, I have something else I need to ask you. Please, take care of him. It won't always be like this, especially since you really saved our company so there's not going to be much Byakuya can say in the future when I want to see you, but it won't be like before. I have someone to take care of me now, and I want to make sure he does, too. Please say you'll do it.”
I swallowed against a suddenly dry throat as I looked at her wide, solemn eyes. “I will,” I somehow managed to croak out. “You look out for yourself, though. Sometimes these rich people can be cold, scary bastards if something goes wrong.”
She smiled serenely and leaned in to speak quietly. “I'm not worried, Ichigo. When Byakuya presented his demands to me about not seeing my old friends if I wanted to marry him, I presented one of my own, to which he agreed. I am a full partner in the company, the equal of any other member of the family. We're not only married, but we're business partners now, and it's not something that can be revoked in case of divorce. So, I'm not worried about it.”
I took a step back and gave her another look as her estimation went up in my eyes. No wonder Renji likes her, I thought. I made sure to thank Byakuya as we left to the sound of Rukia waving and saying, “Bye! See you two later!” Renji had grabbed my hand before we'd made it back to the elevator, and was kissing me the moment the doors closed.
“Rukia was right,” he said, pulling back a few moments before the doors opened. “That was one of the nicest surprises you've ever given me.” He really does know how to show his appreciation, too.
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Click here for Chapter 5, part 2