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There was a smell that permeated Muken, a thick cloying scent of old magic, like too much incense. Even though Aizen hung there, completely immobilized by the bonds of Muken, Renji felt uneasy at the idea of turning his back in order to walk away.
Probably, that’s how he ended up being the last one standing there, facing Aizen.
“You surprise me, Abarai-kun,” Aizen’s weird somehow-inside-his-head voice purred against Renji’s eardrum. The sensation was extremely intimate, as though Aizen’s lips were right there, brushing against his earlobe.
“Yeah?”
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d consent to marry a man who treated you so roughly in that alley, not all that long ago.”
The alley!? How the fuck did Aizen know about the alley!? Renji’s fists clenched as his heart jumped to his throat.
“That night I’d been hoping to drop in on your captain, play at a little sympathy for Rukia’s plight. Imagine my surprise to find the two of you in such a state. I still don’t entirely know what Captain Kuchiki was hoping to accomplish… though it seems to have worked. You were on your knees to him then, licking his boot. Seems you’ve never gotten up from that particular position and now plan to lie down completely.”
“You. Fucking. Bastard.”
Renji must have been moving forward, ready to strike, because suddenly he felt a iron-strong grip on his bicep. He turned to see a very angry Soi Fon. “Put your zanpakuto away. What did I tell you about sticking with the group?”
Renji didn’t remember calling out Zabimaru, but there they were in full shikai. His hands were shaking and Aizen was laughing. Renji couldn’t contain the snarl, “I kind of need to kill him right now, though.”
“We’d all like to do that,” Soi Fon reminded Renji. She shifted her grip to his collar. “What do you think Zabimaru is going to do to him? He’s immortal. The best the two of you could accomplish would be to shred the bonds that entangle him. Do you want to do that?”
The fight left Renji. His shoulders slumped. She was right. Even in bankai, he’d never make a dent. Worse, he might end up helping that fucker get loose.
Which was probably the plan.
“Gods damn it,” he muttered, hating himself for being so easily used this way. He put Zabimaru away. “My temper got the better of me, ma’am.”
“I’m sure he was counting on that,” she snarled. “Now let’s go.”
Renji took the satisfaction of flipping Aizen off, at least.
The only response was more laughter.
#
Renji was surprised by the fact that Soi Fon needed to summon the elevator. Shouldn’t everyone still be waiting for him? He’d only talked to Aizen for a few extra seconds, right? He glanced over his shoulder into the murky darkness. “How long was I alone with him?”
“Ten minutes,” Soi Fon said.
“No way,” Renji said, his heart pounding. “We only exchanged, like, three words!”
The elevator arrived and Soi Fon let out an angry sigh. “It has come to our attention that Aizen still has some kind of ability to warp the senses.” They stepped inside of the elevator and Soi Fon jabbed at the button. She waited for the door to close before she added, “And I don’t understand it. Both Kurosaki and that pig-brained, useless Urahara Kisuke claimed they saw Kyoka Suigetsu shatter. Urahara, I wouldn’t trust so far as I could throw him, but the Kurosaki boy had no reason to lie. More importantly, none of the Kidō Corps sensed any presence beyond that strange hogyoku thing he has embedded in his chest.”
Renji only half-heard Soi Fon’s rant; he was trying to keep his feet under him. He hadn’t thought about the alley for months and all of a sudden it was as if he could feel the wall against his back and the Kidō cutting into his wrists and that horrible, stomach-dropping sensation when Zabimaru had been taken from him.
“I wouldn’t wish that… not even on him. I hope he still has it,” Renji muttered. “There’s no point in living without my Zabimaru.”
If Soi Fon made a face at him, Renji didn’t notice. He was struggling to calm his thundering heart.
“Never forget that Aizen is a monster,” she snapped. “He’s not like us. Kurosaki and Urahara seemed to imply Aizen was joyful to see his zanpakuto break apart.”
Renji shook his head. “I’ve always known he was a beast…. But that? I don’t know if I believe that.”
He would have said more, but the elevator opened and suddenly Renji was surrounded by captains. Ukitake and Kyōraku cooed and fussed over him, all but pulling him out of the elevator. Byakuya hung back from the crowd, but the concern was evident on his face.
Renji couldn’t hold Byakuya’s gaze for very long.
Soi Fon, meanwhile, looked very miffed at having been shoved aside by the boisterously concerned captains. “He’s fine,” she snapped. “Like anyone left alone with Aizen for five minutes, Abarai was trying to kill him!”
Kyōraku tipped his hat up to look into Renji’s face. “Are you sure? The boy looks like he’s seen a ghost?”
More like a demon--an old one, one Renji thought he’d fucking conquered months and months ago.
Ukitake patted Renji’s bicep. “Aizen can say terrible things. Quite intentionally. I think his words would hurt less if he wasn’t once so reasonable.”
Renji frowned at Ukitake. That almost sounded like sympathy. For the wrong guy.
“I think we all need a stiff drink!” Kyōraku announced.
“I think we need to know what Aizen said since we were here investigating his ties to the Sixth Division, in case you’ve forgotten.” Soi Fon said. “I'll debrief Abarai first, then you can have your little party.”
Kyōraku made the sound that was in Renji’s head. “Awww, we’re never going to have the party if you break the poor boy first!”
“I will have my staff prepare a big meal,” Byakuya announced suddenly. “Soi Fon and Renji can join us when they’re finished.” He turned to Soi Fon in that way he had, where he wasn’t looking at her, because his eyes were downcast, but you could tell his focus was laser-sharp. “We will expect you in no more than an hour. Understood?”
Soi Fon’s lips were thin with frustration, but she nodded. “That will be fine.”
Renji knew Byakuya was just doing what he had to, but damn if it didn’t feel like he was throwing him to the wolves.
#
Rather than take Renji all the way back to the Second Division, Soi Fon commandeered a small office in the First. It seemed to belong to a high level bureaucrat. There were several Human World file cabinets along the wall, but the polished Western-style desk was mostly empty, except for a fancy looking fountain pen and an inkan. Soi Fon sat in the leather swivel chair behind the desk.
Since there were no other chairs, Renji stood. It reminded him of the last time he stood in front of a Second Division officer. Only this time he wasn’t at all sure that Aizen hadn’t done something to his mind.
“So, Lieutenant, tell me. What did that bastard say to you?”
Renji tugged on his ear. He knew better than to say ‘I’d rather not say, ma’am,’ but he really would rather not fucking say. He was going to have to go with the truth and Renji had no idea how to even begin. He took a deep breath and said: “I guess Aizen saw a private moment between the Captain and me. I mean, unless it was a lie? But, yeah, no, he had details.”
Soi Fon nodded thoughtfully. Renji really hoped that’d be enough to satisfy her. It was the truth after all. Surely that should count for something?
When she continued not to say anything. Renji thought for sure he was off the hook. He started to offer to go through that whole horrible zanpakuto pulling out deal again, but then she started swiveling in her chair a little, as if thinking something through.
“Your fraternization is well known at this point,” Soi Fon said, thoughtfully. “A threat to expose you should hardly make you angry enough to want to kill Aizen. Besides, surely, you would know that no one would listen to such an accusation from a prisoner in Muken--even if it were still a threat to you, which it is not. Captain Kuchiki has served his time.” She tapped her finger against her lip. “So, what could it be about your relationship with Captain Kuchiki that would make you angry enough to try to silence him?”
Renji wasn’t entirely sure the question was directed at him.
That sense was confirmed when, after a brief moment of consideration, she went on. “Aizen overheard your discussion of matrimony. We all heard him congratulate you both. Did he say something that was a threat to your marriage?” She shook her head, as if already dismissing that thought. “It wouldn’t be an affair. That would only have the power to ruin things if both parties were present. Telling you privately that he knew you were sleeping around wouldn’t be much use. You’d simply never have to tell Captain Kuchiki what was said. It might make you angry that he knew, but you’d have no reason to be murderously so. Besides, you claim he saw something that happened between the two of you.”
Renji had started to protest that he’d never sleep around on Byakuya--and why did she automatically assume it would be him?--but she’d moved on before he could even draw a breath.
“It must be something that’s a threat to just you, personally, and your own sense of your relationship with Captain Kuchiki. Something you hate, even if no one else knows about it. So, what is that, Lieutenant? What is it that fills you with… what? Self-hatred? Shame?”
She was looking at him now and Renji was sure she could see how the blood drained from his face and his stomach twisted into a knot.
Because, she was right. He’d been striking out at Aizen because he’d always hated himself for what happened in the alley. He’d hated how powerless he was. He hated that he gave in, crawled on his hands and knees, even though he’d done it for Zabimaru’s sake and would fucking do it again, if there was no other choice.
Soi Fon was watching him, as if she expected an answer. But, how could he say anything? “I was… it was….” Renji took a breath, but he couldn’t do it. What came out instead was, “We were having a rough patch.”
She shook her head as if she was disappointed, or… knew better, despite him having given nothing away. Her eyes never left him and she stopped moving her chair.
Silence stretched between them for what felt like a hundred heartbeats, until she finally said, “Like at the inn?”
“What?” Renji was too shocked to remain circumspect. “How the fuck do you know about the inn?”
“The landlord reported it,” Soi Fon said matter-of-factly. “He was concerned not only for your safety, but that he might have been given blood money to look the other way while a crime was being committed.”
Renji really wished there was a chair. He wanted to just collapse onto the floor with… frustration and exhaustion. Instead, he held it together by squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose.“Why is all this shit coming up right now? We’re over it. Things are finally pretty decent between us.”
“What Aizen saw was some other incident of sexual assault,” Soi Fon said slowly, like it wasn’t a question, but more of a confirmation. Her voice was unusually gentle when she asked: “Have there been many?”
Renji had no idea what to say to that. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before opening them. “The captain likes to play rough, okay? At first, we were all kind of unclear on the rules. You know, mistakes were made--on both sides. But, we’re good now. Really. Things are finally pretty good.”
Soi Fon blushed a little at the talk of rough play, but seemed to struggle it back under control. “I want to believe you,” she said. “No, I am required to believe you,” she corrected. “But, no more than twenty minutes ago, you wanted to rip Aizen’s throat out over what he saw. Can you really say you’ve made peace with it?”
Renji found he couldn’t keep her gaze, but instead stared at the corner of the shiny desk. “That one… the one Aizen brought up? Yeah, okay, you’re right, I haven’t. But, that one was in the middle of all the Rukia stuff and it was more complicated that any of the rest. I mostly just try not to remember that night, so when Aizen brought it up, I went ballistic.”
When Renji was able to look up again, Soi Fon’s mouth was doing a number of contortions. Finally, she steepled her hands in front of her mouth and closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she removed her hands, she folded them on the desk. “I haven’t heard anything specific enough to make a legal claim one way or the other, so I’m going to ask you if you want to press charges for anything?”
“No, of course not!” Renji said. “Byakuya just got out of jail. I ain’t gonna send him back! Anyway, it’s our business! And, I told you! It’s getting better!”
She nodded slowly. “Very well. You’re the only one who can make that determination. If you say nothing illegal happened, then… I am compelled to go with your assessment of the situation… or situations, as the case may be.” She stood up. Renji had to resist the urge to flinch back. “However, I have two concerns. First, I would like you to consider taking advantage of the Fourth Division’s healers. They are skilled counselors. If you’re feeling the kind of shame that would make you violent, they can help you. Second, the Sixth Division has been accused of rape in the Rukongai. How am I supposed to reconcile what you have just… implied, with those charges?”
“You can’t possibly think that Byakuya is out in Rukongai doing that, can you? That’s just crazy.” Renji was shaking his head at the mere idea. “It’s a load of bullshit, and you know it!”
“Lieutenant, if your captain is capable of harming someone he presumably cares for in this way, how can I trust him to be in charge of an investigation into the same crime?”
“Oi, I told you it wasn’t no crime with me.”
“And I am forced to accept that,” she snipped. “I don’t actually believe Captain Kuchiki is responsible, personally, for any of the events in the Rukongai. However, I’m not sure I can trust his judgement regarding the behavior of others. If the line between sexual assault and ‘rough play’ is blurry to him, how can we be certain justice will be served?”
“Because,” Renji growled, “It’s his honor on the line. It’s my fucking reputation, too. No way would we put up with that sort of shit from our soldiers.”
“Yet you put up with it in your private life,” Soi Fon said succinctly.
Renji felt like he’d been slapped back. He opened his mouth, but found he had no defense.
“Moreover, your Division has shown that it will allow itself to be compromised by secrets,” she continued.
“What are you saying?” Renji asked, with a new kind of dread building in his guts.
“The Second will assume full command of the investigation into the Rukongai situation.” Soi Fon stepped out from behind the desk. “We’d best get going. Captain Kuchiki will be waiting.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I will discuss matters with your captain tomorrow.”
That was it then. Decision made and out of his hands. So, Renji followed her out, head hanging and feeling completely shell shocked. He was glad when, once outside, she stepped into flash step. He wasn’t looking forward to a long walk and trying to exchange pleasantries, after all that. Hell, he wasn’t sure how he was even going to be able to make small talk once they caught up with the other captains.
Hopefully, there’d be lots of strong drink.
#
When they stepped out at the front gate of the estate, Eishirō was already there, waiting for them. He bowed deeply to Soi Fon, “Right this way, Fēng-sama, Abarai-fukutaicho.”
Renji followed along through the gardens, numbly. His gaze focused on the rings in Soi Fon’s hair and how they swung back and forth as she walked. Byakuya was going to be so pissed off. They’d gone to see Aizen to try to shake the Second off their back. Now… now Renji wasn’t even sure what was going to happen exactly, but it was pretty clear Soi Fon was going to be riding them hard.
Really hard.
With an extra dose of ‘I think you’re a rapist’ thrown in for good measure.
Renji glanced up when he heard Captain Kyōraku’s shout of greeting. “So, despite the interrogation, you’ve left our Mr. Renji mostly intact, I see!” he laughed.
The captains were sitting on the grass beneath a singular plum tree. The servants had gone all out. There was a large blanket spread out. Za-button pillows formed a cozy circle around several low tables that held dishes of all kinds.
More importantly for Renji’s needs, there seemed to be several sake containers. Most of which were located near Captain Kyōraku’s elbow. Renji made a beeline for them and sat himself down. To his surprise, it was Captain Ukitake who handed him a full bowl.
“You look like you could use it,” Ukitake smiled kindly.
Byakuya seemed a little confused to find Renji sitting across from him, rather than beside him. His expression deepened when Soi Fon plopped down next to him. “I take it the interview was satisfactory?” Byakuya asked her.
“Acceptable,” she corrected. “Informative.”
“Cryptic,” Kyōraku added with a chuckle.
Ukitake looked a little pained. “Can we return to more pleasant things?”
Renji finished off his sake and held the bowl out for more.
Kyōraku filled it for him this time. “Ah, yes,” Kyōraku said. “We were talking about your plans for the Hanami, was it? Are you quite sure about inviting the Eleventh, Mr. Byakuya? I’m not sure your delicate gardens will come out of such an event unscathed.”
“I have no plans to host them in the gardens. There is a grassy prairie just beyond the cherry grove. It has a lovely, unobstructed view and, if it is blasted bare, that will save my gardeners work. There are certain grasses that reseed best with fire.”
“Oh, very clever,” Ukitake agreed.
Kyōraku stretched out on his side, leaning his head against his propped up arm. The tip of his traveling hat, brushed against Renji’s bicep. “I still think you’re biting off more than you can chew.”
“Perhaps,” Byakuya agreed. “But, I would like Renji’s friends to feel welcome.”
“By sticking ‘em in a corner? Not all my friends are bruisers, ya know,” Renji muttered. “What about Kira? Momo? Hisagi? I’ve known them longer than anyone in the Eleventh, and they’re not gonna piss in the good china.”
The way Ukitake’s dark eyebrows raised, Renji realized maybe he’d come off a bit strong. He couldn’t help it, though. All this talk of cordoning off the rougher element and treating them as if they were wild animals reminded Renji so much of all the things that led to the alley and so many of their problems.
It was because Byakuya couldn’t trust him to behave himself that he’d started tying Renji up in the first place.
“The lieutenants are, of course, welcome anywhere,” Byakuya said hesitantly, like he knew that suggesting this was a mistake, but he didn’t quite know what else to say.
Renji nodded and helped himself to a third cup. “That’s why you only got yourself to blame when the Eleventh wrecks the place. I know you think they’re stupid.” Renji captured Byakuya’s gaze with his own. “But they ain’t. You tell them that they’ve got to stay in the manure fields and let the other guests in the front door, they know what you’re saying about them. Eleventh knows better than to piss in the good china, too, but they’ll do it outta spite.”
“Are you suggesting I allow the Eleventh to mingle with my family?”
Renji chuckled before downing the rest of his sake. “Yeah, I know they’re True First and the Eleventh’s just a bunch of gutter rats, but I don’t know why you’d protect that family of yours from a little rough language and a few swears. Is True First that fragile? Anyways, they’ve never been half that courteous to you.”
“Mr. Renji has a point,” Kyōraku said, tipping up his hat. “Besides, I can’t imagine the Kenpachi accepting an invitation to what amounts to a black-tie affair and a seven course meal. Zaraki has very little tolerance for boredom.”
Ukitake nodded. “Ah, yes! That’s a wonderful solution. A large majority of the Eleventh will opt out if they have to sit still and mingle with what they’d consider the hoity-toity. Only Renji’s dearest friends will make the effort. And, I do believe Renji is right. They will behave as properly as possible for his sake.”
“Which is more than you can say for your family,” Kyōraku agreed. “I remember the last wedding, don’t you, ‘Shiro? Dear gods, the tension! You could cut it with a knife. Then there was that endless parade of horrible gifts!”
“I remember it far too well, myself, thank you,” Byakuya cut them off.
Ukitake clucked his tongue and glanced meaningfully up at the plum blossoms. “Oh dear. It’s already that time again.”
Soi Fon frowned. “What are we talking about?”
“Hisana,” Renji said, just as Ukitake supplied, “Byakuya’s first wife died around this time of year.”
“The anniversary was yesterday,” Byakuya said.
“Ah,” Soi Fon said somewhat awkwardly. “That’s why you delayed your visit to the Second. I assumed your ‘family business’ was over this whole clan war issue.”
Kyōraku shifted to reach for some of the food on the table. Picking up a bowl, he filled it with some kind of octopus and cucumber sunomono, a deep fried potato korokke, and several inarizushi, fried tofu pouches. Once Kyōraku started in on the food, everyone reached for a plate.
“Captain Kyōraku will be happy to know that that particular family business has mostly been settled,” Byakuya said with a touch of irritation. Renji wasn’t sure if Byakuya’s tone was a residue from his own comment about the Eleventh or Kyōraku’s presumption of being the first one to break the fast, as it were.
“Mostly?” Ukitake asked around a mouthful of soft-boiled egg.
“The last of the hostages should arrive at the estate by the beginning of the Hanami,” Byakuya said.
The eggs looked good, so Renji helped himself to one. He was surprised to discover it had been marinated in something savory--there was a hint of garlic and sesame oil. He quickly snagged another one.
“That ought to be effective,” Soi Fon said.
Everyone stopped eating to look at her.
When she noticed everyone’s attention she gave a little shrug. “It’s worked for centuries. The Kuchiki will be good hosts, just as the Shihōin were to me.”
“Just so,” Byakuya agreed, finally reaching for an inarizushi for himself.
Renji filled his plate a second time, avoiding the octopus and cucumber pickles because he thought he saw a hint of hot pepper in the brine.
Ukitake watched him with a small smile. “You don’t like spicy food,” he noted. “Yet it’s Byakuya’s favorite. A marriage of opposites.”
Renji found himself looking up to see how Soi Fon reacted. She was watching Byakuya.
Byakuya seemed to be studying his reflection in his cup.
Captain Kyōraku bonked Renji’s elbow lightly, teasingly. “Nothing at all to say to that, my boy? Did my partner actually faux pas? That’s normally my job!”
“Oh, I guess I was just thinking that was pretty true--at least on the surface,” Renji said thoughtfully sipping his sake. “We’ve got… I dunno what you call ‘em? Values? Principles in common, though.”
“Exactly,” Byakuya agreed without looking up. “This is why I can trust Renji to act on my behalf so thoroughly in the Division. I know that any decision he makes would be as I would do… at least, for the most part. To be perfectly honest, Renji is often my better self. He makes the decisions I should make.”
Given how rarely Byakuya ever complimented anyone, Renji felt a little blush creeping up his collar.
“My, my! Such high praise!” Kyōraku enthused.
On the other side of Renji, Ukitake nodded. “And very romantic.”
Soi Fon ruined everything with a derisive snort. “Two of a kind, eh? I’ll take note of that, shall I?”
The question was aimed directly at Renji, so he lifted his chin and said, “Go for it.”
Captain Kyōraku’s eyebrows raised and he let out a low whistle. “So, there was a bit of a squabble during the interrogation, eh?” He lifted his hat to peer up at Renji before refilling Renji’s sake bowl. “Do tell.”
“Not much to say,” Renji snarled.
“We are all curious about what Aizen said to you,” Ukitake admitted.
Unexpectedly, Soi Fon came to the rescue. “Meanwhile, I’m far more interested in what we all heard Aizen say to you, Captain Kyōraku. What was he talking about with ‘our friends’?”
“Aizen thinks there’s a threat looming in the shadows,” Kyōraku said, as if he were making some kind of casual remark about the weather. In fact, he reached for the last of the soft-boiled eggs and popped it into his mouth.
Soi Fon looked up from her sake. “What kind of threat?”
“That’s the thing, isn’t it?” Kyōraku said, picking up his sake bowl and staring into the depths with a serious expression. “Who knows what that man imagines--especially now, given the hardships of his confinement? But, he’s convinced I know something about his crackpot theory because of my shikai ability to travel through shadows.”
Renji felt himself sitting up a little straighter. If Aizen was worried about a threat, shouldn’t they all be?
“You think he’s literally jumping at shadows now?” Soi Fon asked. She tapped her lip thoughtfully. “His mind is bound to start to deteriorate, and he was always paranoid, I suppose. Perhaps I should send Captain Unohana in to check on his mental health. If Aizen becomes unstable, I’m concerned that even Muken will be tested in its ability to contain him.”
Ukitake nodded sadly.
Renji really wanted to know why Ukitake had any sympathy at all for that guy. Wasn’t Aizen responsible, at least indirectly, for the death of Kaien? Ukitake should have as much reason to hate Aizen as anyone--more, since Rukia was in his Division!
“Though I am sure your facilities are of the highest quality, Captain Soi Fon, I daresay no one would object to more security on that man,” Byakuya agreed.
“Here, here,” Kyōraku said with a raise of his glass.
Everyone joined in the toast, even Soi Fon.
#
They passed the rest of the evening talking of nothing much of consequence. Ukitake and Byakuya spent a huge part of the evening discussing their respective cherry trees. Ukitake apparently was considering hosting something at his Ugendo, but he only had a small stand of three trees.
At some point, Renji realized that Byakuya was drinking only water and Soi Fon was kind of a hilarious drunk.
“I might be a little gay for Lady Yoruichi,” she’d announced with profound seriousness at one point. Ukitake was the only one who even pretended to act surprised. Renji nearly found Suzumebachi at his throat when he loudly scoffed, “A little? Ya think!?”
That’d been fun, since they all discovered just how quickly Kyōraku could move through shadows, even when he seemed three-sheets to the wind, and now he was leaving the party with a big, funky butterfly in the center of his hairy chest. He refused to let Soi Fon disappear it, claiming that he’d always wanted a tattoo, but never had the guts.
It’d all seemed pretty funny at the time, but now Renji was sitting on the bed in the master bedroom thinking that maybe Captain Kyōraku was legitimately scarier than the Kenpachi.
Byakuya sat at his dressing table, undoing the non-kenseikan thing and setting it aside.
They hadn’t spoken much all evening, but Renji’d stayed until they’d poured Soi Fon into a rickshaw and given the driver a lot of ken to make sure she actually made it to her quarters. At that point, he decided he might as well follow Byakuya upstairs. He kind of didn’t want to have the conversation he knew they needed to have, but, at the same time, he wanted to just get whatever fight was coming over with.
So, Renji flopped backwards onto the mattress and told the ceiling everything: “Yeah, Aizen knew about the alley and now I guess Soi Fon does now, too.”
The thundering silence was far from reassuring.
Byakuya’s voice was very clipped when he asked: “You... ‘guess’?”
“Nah, she straight-up knows. Not details, but…” Ah, fuck, he might as well blurt it all out. “She knew about the inn and put two and two together. She’s going to take the investigation into the Rukongai rapes from us--I don’t know how, since she’d kind of running it now, anyways--but I fucked that up for us. Yeah, and don’t be surprised if she looks at you sideways. I might’ve fucked that up for us, too.”
The silence lasted even longer this time. Renji closed his eyes. He was drunk enough, he thought maybe he could just fall asleep and then, maybe, somehow, miraculously, the coming shitstorm would all blow over without him.
When he felt the bed creak, Renji cracked open an eye.
Byakuya looked down at him, but his face held no anger. If anything, he looked… scared? “Should I be preparing for arrest in the morning?”
“What?”
“The alley and the inn,” Byakuya repeated with surprising patience. “I would not blame you if you pressed charges.”
“What?”
Now, Byakuya’s mouth twisted into a irritated line. “Are you too drunk to follow simple sentences?”
“No, no, it ain’t that.” Renji tried to sit up and failed miserably. “No, really,” he was forced to say at Byakuya’s skeptical glare. “I don’t want you to go back to jail, that was fucking awful for both of us. So, I told her the truth, okay? I told her that we were figuring out how to play rough and we hadn’t sussed out the rules yet.”
“Renji.” Byakuya looked away and carefully folded his hands in his lap. He was wearing a sleeping yukata with a chrysanthemum pattern that Renji found a little dizzying to look at too long. “I love you for saying that, but that was not what the alley was about and we both know it.”
“Yeah, well, fuck the alley, anyway.” Renji let out a loud belch. “Fuck the inn, too.”
There was a small pause before Byakuya glanced back at Renji to give him a sad sort of smile. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Yeah, exactly my point,” Renji said, even though he knew some of the dots he’d mentally connected might not have been out loud. So, he laid it all out with a lot of sloppy hand gestures:. “Fucking Soi Fon can think what she likes. You and me, we’ve been paying for each other’s sins so long, I’m kind of over it, ya know? It’d be one thing if you looked at me and said ‘what was wrong with the alley?’ like you used to, but you know and I know and ya done said sorry six ways from Sunday. And it ain’t like my demon didn’t fuck us up, too.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Byakuya said quietly. “So, then, you and I…? Things are all right between us?”
“I dunno,” Renji admitted honestly. “I want them to be.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Byakuya said.
Renji was just starting to snore when Byakuya nudged him. “Move over properly, you giant baboon. There’s no room for me with you this way.”
“Mrrr,” Renji said, but managed to comply. When the lantern flicked off, Renji felt a sudden stab of sobriety. “Did we just… not fight?”
There was a muffled chuckle from Byakuya's side of the bed. “It seems so.”
“God damn,” Renji whistled. “Maybe I can marry you.”
An arm tentatively snaked around Renji’s waist. “For me, there was never any doubt.”