On the Way to the Ball

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo has that distinction.

Author's Notes: This will likely be a multi-chaptered focusing on KenxBya (that's the plan as of now). However, if my creative juices are flowing and good storylines can be found, I haven't ruled out the possibility of expanding this to describe the movements of various other Bleach characters during the party. I've been trying to write a KenBya for ages and it just never turned out in a way that satisfied me (they're still OOC, but with this pairing it's hard to fix that), so I'm hoping you guys like this one. Comments are greatly appreciated!

Zaraki Kenpachi pulled irritably at the collar of his yukata, feeling defenceless and clumsy in the flimsy outfit. It had been a trial to get the thing on, what with Yachiru helping him, and the way the light fabric ghosted constantly over his skin with every movement gave him goosebumps. He never should've agreed to go; he had managed to feign illness or ignorance every year since his captaincy, despite Yachiru's constant pleading and the added distinction that all captains were required to attend. This year, however, taking advantage of the 'newly formed relationship' between himself and a certain other captain, she had enlisted the help of said man in ensuring his attendance.

"It is your duty to attend," Byakuya told him piously. "I enjoy these events no more than you, but it is defined within the responsibilities of a captain to make an appearance."

"What kinda bloody rule is that, anyway?!" Kenpachi exploded. "I ain't going, and that's final!"

Byakuya's exterior turned icy. "Very well," he said softly, and Kenpachi was smart enough to know that this lowering of volume could never be a good sign. "If you do not wish to attend, I cannot force you. However, be assured that you will never get these—" in which Byakuya promptly held out a hand containing Kenpachi's spare set of hair-bells "—back again. Ever."

He still doesn't know how the little prince managed to get a hold of those treasured keepsakes, but he had an inkling that it definitely had something to do with one pink-haired vice-captain. Kenpachi growled. Byakuya had also forced him to come by the mansion to take him to the damn party, "just to make sure" he actually turned up. He had been in such a bad mood that when one of the Kuchiki servants had opened the door to his fervent knocking, the look on his face had been enough to scare her away. He later regretted this; the mansion was so huge and his sense of direction so bad that it had taken him a long time to finally find Byakuya's room, despite the fact that he had been there several times before.

To his angry knock he received instructions in a calm and cool voice to enter and be seated. Byakuya was separated from his view by a thin paper screen, the cost of which he didn't care to fathom. He could see the outline of the 6th division captain through the semi-translucent paper and wondered what the man could be doing. All of that had happened nearly half an hour ago, and Kenpachi was growing ever more restless at having been told to wait when he was the one who had shown up on time and he was the one that would be blamed if they were late.

He doesn't understand this barely there, obligation-without-commitment sexual relationship that they've started, but he doubts that the other man will bother to enlighten him even if he asks. They have stepped so far beyond the lines of propriety that his questions will likely put Byakuya out – and although he could do with less of his highness's nagging, he wasn't quite willing to give up on the excellent fucks. Maybe it was true what they said; there was just something about reducing a man of such dignity to indiscernible moans that was incredibly, undeniably appealing. He was just thinking that the gratitude sex had better be the best he's ever had when Byakuya stepped out from behind the screen.

"About bloody t—" he began to say, but was silenced by a look from the other man.

"What is it?" Byakuya demanded when Kenpachi refused to look away. The larger man mouthed soundlessly, trying to form words. He had known, of course, that Kuchiki Byakuya was beautiful – the entire female population of Seireitei reminded the rest of the men every single day. He had just never thought that a person could exude radiance the way this man was exuding now.

Byakuya continued to look at him in confusion that was fast turning into annoyance, but he had no words to express what exactly it was that he felt. The other brain in his body, the one below his belt, had already twitched itself into wakefulness and throbbed demandingly. For his part, Kenpachi was already halfway across the room and had untied the sash of the other captain's yukata before he could even protest, needing to feel him, wanting to claim this beauty as his own.

Byakuya, caught off-guard, managed to roll his eyes. "Not now, we're going to be la—"

A mouth latched on to his to silence his objections and he found himself responding despite his earlier reproach. He ran his fingers lightly over the half-exposed chest of the other man, feeling the toned muscles and raw scars. When they finally broke apart, both men were rather breathless.

"You shouldn't look so damn fuckable, then," Kenpachi said almost defensively. Byakuya opened his mouth to retort that 'looking fuckable' wasn't really a very good excuse at all when Kenpachi's lips wrapped itself around his cock and rational thought became impossibly difficult.

"Ahh… Ken-Kenpachi…"

He let out a grunt as their bodies hit the cold wood floor, the planks pressing chillingly against bare skin. Kenpachi appreciated the silky nothingness of the yuakatas for the first time as he slid the flower-patterned material off Byakuya's body with ease, enjoying the moans that came from those cultured lips and knowing that he was the cause of them. He rained kisses over the other man's body, sucking hard enough to bruise, hard enough to pleasure. He figured that half the household could hear them, with all the noise they were making, but Byakuya's eyes were half-lidded and Kenpachi could never control himself when he groaned out his name that way. He hooked the heir's pale slender legs over his shoulders and pounded into him mercilessly, the sound of smacking skin and the heat of tender flesh all that he was aware of. When he finally reached that moment of blissful oblivion, he almost collapsed onto the man beneath him.

Byakuya was already clearing up the evidence of their activities when he finally sat up. He had tamed his hair with his fingers and was straightening his yukata back into place.

"We're very late," he said disapprovingly, although Kenpachi can see the satisfied smile hiding beneath his businesslike façade. "Here, you're hopeless." Byakuya beckoned him over with a curt wave of the hand and he obeyed willingly, having tried and failed at correcting his own yukata sash.

They left the manor together (it would look odd if they didn't, since the servants had all known that Kenpachi had come to pick up their master) but agreed it would be best to enter the party separately. The sounds of a celebration in full swing greeted them when they neared their destination. Kenpachi had just lifted a hand to slide open the door and foray into the unknown when Byakuya lifted a hand to stop him, saying seriously, "Do try to behave."

Kenpachi grinned in his signature style, showing off his canines, grabbing the other captain to plant on him a heated kiss that left him a little dizzy.

"I will if you have more of that waiting for me."

And before his highness had a chance to regain his wits, he had stepped over into the threshold where it would be hours before Byakuya could scold him again.

He only hoped, as Yachiru latched onto him, that he would be able to make it through the night.

TBC