Chapter 17- Powerless

"NII-SAMA!" Rukia screamed when she saw Byakuya's crumpled body fall out of the senkaimon. Blood quickly soaked through the white captain's robes and stained the tatami mat floor.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" A sharp voice scolded as a door slid open. "If you aggravate his wounds it will only get worse." A woman with choppy strawberry blond hair explained as she calmly walked into the room. She was dressed in a dark red halter top that was split down the neckline revealing bold black tribal tattoos and showing off an ample amount of cleavage. She walked with a dignified sense of authority as her hand reached into the back pocket of her short cut cargo shorts. She pulled out a vial and removed the stopper with her teeth.

She stopped for a moment and bowed slightly to Sosuke, who dipped his head in return, before proceeding to the bleeding noble on the floor. She leaned down and gently placed the vial to Byakuya's lips and tilted the liquid inside. She slowly pulled back his captain's robes to look at the damage. "Kuro, Nana I could use your assistance, it seems the enemy went after the vital organs." She allowed a low green light to envelope her large rather strong looking hand as she passed it over Byakuya's body.

Two men wearing standard shinigami robes appeared in the doorway.

"The liver has been bisected and the lower right kidney is ruptured. It appears the stomach was missed but the intestines caught in between are severely damaged." She slowly lowered Byakuya's robes. "If he is to survive we must move quickly. Take him carefully to the next room, Kuro. Nana bring me kit number 97 from the office."

The woman turned to Rukia, "Calm down everything will be fine." She informed her before standing up and with the help of one of the men lifted Byakuya out of the door blood dripping steadily behind them.

Shiro let out a growl of annoyance as he walked through the darkness that was Ichigo's inner World. He would punch that pencil dick in the face next time he saw Sosuke. That tricky bastard had sedated Ichigo and had plagued him with this darkness. He had apparently sent King into a deep sleep.

Something twinkled not far away. It was only a flutter of something still to small to be detected by Ichigo's lackluster sensing skills. Shiro sonidoed towards it pausing as he came to an oddly decorated door. The wooden door stood plainly in the path attached to nothing and completely upright. Shiro looked behind the door to see nothing on the backside. He tapped the door with his rietsu again and something beyond the door fluttered back. The yellow and blue streamers on the door swayed gently as Shiro touched the door.

He could faintly sense Senbonsakura's fading rietsu there too twisting and turning protectively around this small fluttering of energy. Taking a leap of faith he gently touched the door knob and turned it. The handle moved and the door opened. The room was white and smelt of antiseptic. Shiro faintly wondered if this room was modeled after Ichigo's earliest memories. He walked into the room acutely aware of the silence, even his footsteps left no echo as he walked.

He took one step into the room and the door slammed shut behind him. He turned back to find a solid white wall before him. Having no way to go back he continued forward.

He traveled to where he felt Sen's strength and paused when he came to a window. It was wide taking up the length of the room. Shiro approached the glass, his eyes widen. A pale hand covered his amused smile as he continued to look out. The sight of both a sleeping Ichigo and Byakuya curled around their growing child was a sight to behold indeed.

The tiny ball of energy pulsed and fluttered between the sleeping figures. Eventually the child would take form but for now he was still too new to the world.

Shiro smirked as he placed a hand to the glass. "It is nice to see you again, Lord Kamui." He bowed his head and moved to sit continuing to watch the silent family.

Later that evening in the Third Kingdom, Izuru and Shuuhei kept watch over Renji. Kuchiki taicho was still in surgery and Renji was still incapacitated. The redhead had been hooked up to more machines and his arms were now restrained at the side of the bed with rietsu infused guards Kira had never seen before.

Mariya and a woman named Suzuko told them Renji should wake up soon now that they were in an area with a high reishi concentration.

Shuuhei was sitting on Renji's left side and Izuru was on the right.

When Kira would look up from Renji, his eyes would drift to Shuuhei, but the moment the other looked up he looked away. "He's regaining more color..." he mentioned reaching out to touch Renji's face. "He feel's warmer too. Maybe he'll wake up soon."

"Why do you dislike me?" Shuuhei asked suddenly.

Izuru hesitantly looked at Shuuhei's face. He was pissed that Hisagi had to ask.

Hisagi had stolen Renji from him. Though they had a sort of kinship over being abandoned by their former taichous he had not "forgiven" Hisagi for doing such a hurtful thing. Instead he felt like getting back at him for sleeping with Renji . To him it was fair. Hisagi had slept with Renji when they had been together and now he slept with Renji even though he was with Shuuhei.

Even though Izuru rationalized it that way, every time Renji came over and every time Renji left Izuru still felt empty inside. Just as empty as when he called Renji a lowly yariman* dog from the gutter. Just as void as when he summed their relationship up as an elaborate scheme for food and blankets.

It wasn't fair. That Renji got to continue living happily with Hisagi while he was the only one hurting. Everytime he saw them together he just wanted to be there too. He ached desperately to be with the both of them. And the fact that he did not understand why haunted him to this very day.

"It's not fair." Izuru replied childishly. "You got to be happy all this time. You got to have Renji and what did I get? Four fucking decades of loneliness watching the two of you be happy together." Izuru snapped at Shuuhei. "Do you know what it's like wanting something so bad and knowing you can't have them? I wanted nothing more than revenge and yet every time we slept together it just left me even more empty!" he rose his voice and glared hard at Shuuhei.

Shuuhei did not look away. "I'm sorry that's how you feel, but you're mistaken." The older shinigami lowered his head and bowed.

Blue eyes narrowed. "How dare yo-"

Shuuhei looked up and the look in his eyes caused the words to die in Kira's throat.

"You said Renji and I were happy... How would you know that?" Shuuhei replied looking down at the sleeping redhead. "After your fight Renji was miserable. He felt worse after the reassignment. He knew he couldn't make amends with you. Shit, Kira he couldn't even look at you without hurting." Shuuhei snapped at him. "You've been having a damn pity party all by yourself. Did you think he wouldn't tell me what you said to him?!" Shuuhei voice was low but the anger made it seem louder.

Kazeshini crackled in Shuuhei's mind. It was about time the brunette stepped up and grew a pair.

"Oh so it's all my fault that you fucked my boyfriend?!" Kira shouted at him. His hands tightened on Renji's bed rail bending it.

Shuuhei stood up and looked Izuru in the eye. "Yeah it was." He reached out and grabbed the front of Izuru's uniform. "You knew about us and you never once came to me expressing it was a problem. The two of you might as well have been in an open relationship." Shuuhei replied knowing full well his heart called out for Izuru too. " It wasn't like you didn't know. You just didn't have the heart to say anything to me because you honestly didn't want me to stop seeing him."

He had been devastated when he found out the red head and the blond had broken up. It felt like a part of him had been ripped away and lost to heavy winds. When Renji recently began sleeping with the blond again by himself, Shuuhei knew about it before Renji even mentioned it. Something about the two sleeping together had quieted the ever present storm in his heart.

The two shinigami had forgotten their rank and had rendered out to nothing more than two miserable angry young men in a bad situation.

Izuru's fists were shaking at his sides as he tried to quell his anger. " Shut up you're lying!" He pushed Shuuhei away forcing the other to release his clothes.

Shuuhei released the blond and then righted himself. He slowly approached the seething blond and gently rose a hand to Izuru's right cheek. "Do you know why your so called revenge didn't work?" He brushed back Kira's bang to look into both of his eyes.

Izuru quickly turned his head away, Shuuhei's touch was tantalizing. He was so close and for once his attention was entirely on Izuru . "Shut up the idea was stupid anyway. I just wanted to sleep with Renji." Izuru was trying to push the older male away, he was trying so hard to stay angry at him.

Shuuhei firmly grasp Izuru's chin and turned him so they were facing each other again slowly pulling the blond closer.

The two leaned over Renji's bed.

Shuuhei was determined to make Izuru see him from the first time and Izuru was busy attempting to escape the others gaze.

Izuru attempted to pull away from the older shinigami. He was becoming uncomfortable with how close Shuuhei was. Being forced to look into the other's eyes was weakening Kira's resolve. Wabisuke had gone silent. The rushing of blood echoed in Izuru's ears as Shuuhei leaned forward and claimed his lips.

Shuuhei claimed the blond's mouth. Izuru pushed away and gasped when Shuuhei followed leaving himself open for invasion. Shuuhei continued his advances. Kira flicked his wrist and used a kido spell to bind Shuuhei before taking the opportunity to run away.

Shuuhei's eye twitched with annoyance as he broke out of the half hearted kido casting and proceeded to follow the fleeing blond. He was trying very hard to ignore the crackling of Kazeshini in his head. The wind spirit found this all too entertaining.

Izuru was walking swiftly down the hall knowing that Shuuhei was following him. He would not disgrace himself by running away. Instead he moved swiftly in an attempt to escape the other fukutaicho. A pale hand cupped over Kira's face as he fled hiding the blush on his cheeks. His heart was still beating wildly and Wabisuke was laughing in his head.

Shuuhei caught Izuru at the end of the hall and forced the blond fukutaicho face first into the wall. He did not put his hands on Izuru but instead boxed the other in so he could not cast a kido or escape again.

Izuru gasped as Shuuhei leaned forward and breathed against his ear.

Izuru demanded Shuuhei release him through a shaky uneven voice. His breathing was becoming labored as the other fukutaicho touched his back.

"Izuru," Shuuhei whispered against the blond's ear his voice making Izuru's knees go weak. Shuuhei's voice was just above a whisper laced with want and need. "Izuru, I love you. Stop running away from my feelings."

The blond shook his head. "Stop it ." He hissed. "I don't want to be bullied by you anymore." He snapped trying to regain his composure. Shuuhei leaning against his back was fantastic. He licked his lips still remembering the feeling of the others lips.

"Bully you?" Shuuhei's voice had a hint of amusement. "Nonsense." Skilled hands traced down the blond's sides resting on his waist. "I'm just trying to express my feelings for you. Feelings I"ve had to keep locked away for quite some time." He kissed the blond's neck and moved his hands towards Izuru's groin. "I know you want me too."

When Shuuhei's hands brushed against the blond's thighs through his uniform, Izuru felt his knees give out. He let out a whimper of need as Shuuhei gently caressed his thighs and kissed his neck.

Shuuhei positioned the blond so he was resting on Shuuhei's left thigh while he continued to tease him. "Renji will be so jealous..." Shuuhei teased, "When he finds out I won you over all on my own."

Izuru wanted to speak but his voice was trapped in his throat as Shuuhei's skilled fingers teased his growing arousal. It was like the other knew all his pleasure points. "Ah..." He tried to speak but the words were lost as Shuuhei's hand wrapped around his length.

"I bet you're wondering how I know..." He whispered licking the shell of Kira's ear. "Renji and I talk about everything..." He teased, "Especially when you're concerned." He adjusted his grip slightly and felt Izuru literally turn to putty in his hands. "You see." He turned Izuru so they were facing one another. "We planned on including you from the start. Renji and I love you very much Izuru Kira."

Kazeshini crackled as he approached the barrier between Shuuhei and Izuru. He was going to kick that bastard hollow's ass the moment that barrier went down.

Tora stood just on the other side of the barrier out of Kazeshini's reach smirking at the wind spirit.

Shuuhei allowed Izuru to adjust himself after he removed his soiled hand from Izuru's hip. He licked one of his fingers and smiled. "You taste good..." he complimented proceeding to lick Izuru's essence from his palm.

Izuru's face turned such a bright shade of red even a tomato paled in comparison. "HISAGI!" He snapped his eyes wide and embarrassed.

Shuuhei looked up from cleaning his fingers, "Yes?" He asked curiously licking his lips.

"You just..." The blond's eyes swirled. "We just..." He leaned back against the wall grounding himself. He could not believe that had just happened. He gently placed a hand on his heart, it had stopped hurting.

Shuuhei approached the blond again and gently kissed him on the cheek.

Izuru moved away.

Shuuhei backed away surprised by the blond's attitude.

Izuru turned and awkwardly kissed the older male on the lips. Shuuhei pushed the blond back working hard to dominate the kiss.

Kazeshini rose a blade duplicate of himself and thrust it forward watching as he sailed through where the boundary had been and wrapping it around Tora.

Tora smirked with a predatory glint in his eye as the wind spirit dragged him back across the eroded boundary they had unfinished business to settle.

Things were about to get interesting. Tora smiled, the idiot was going to wake up soon.

Chapter 17: Powerless Concluded

Renji will wake up in the next chapter and we'll find out what happened to Byakuya :) Poor guy got stabbed and Ichigo is still MIA. Oh boy... Chapter 18 is coming soon.