Warnings: NaruSasu smut, humor, IchiIshi fluff
Part 3: Awkward at best
A light thump on the doors of his office warned Ishida that his new mate had arrived. He tensed, glaring at the doors, but Hitsugaya didn't pop in to irritate him
with any more sly comments. Ishida had heard more than enough of them earlier. Since Hitsugaya could very well wind up in a similar situation in a few years,
Ishida didn't begrudge his need to heckle him. That didn't mean he had the patience to tolerate it. He wasn't used to being the butt of jokes or the focus of
teasing. Between Hitsugaya and Matsumoto he had received his fill of both. All they had accomplished was to make him more determined than ever to do
things his way. He had secured a mate. Now all he had to do was mate with him and everyone would leave him alone. The prospect of children was terrifying,
but once they were born he would be able to go home. Not to the apartment his father had rented for him, of course. He would get his own place and do
whatever he wanted with it. He might even hire a guard to ensure that none of his supposed peers so much as knocked on his door.
Despite having been in Byakuya's house for a year, he still had difficulty accepting his change in status. That he had a status at all was infuriating. He had
thought himself poor. The poverty he had glimpsed today told him how wrong he had been. But growing up he had known he was poor in comparison to his
classmates. While the other cats had been dreading or eagerly anticipating their first heat and the prospect of mating, he had been focused on his lessons,
determined to work fewer hours than his father for twice the pay. Where they had been obsessed with dogs and foxes and pretty cats he had been watching
for grocery sales that would let him put a little aside for new shoes. His first heat had caught him by complete surprise. One day he had been sitting in class
with what felt like an itchy fever. The next morning he was here, the heir of a fortune. A fortune his father had never touched or even hinted at. That was sick.
He had always known there was something wrong with the man, but he had never even suspected he was that twisted.
Now he was one of the rich cats required to do nothing but live off the interest of his inheritance, a good portion of which was entailed and would pass
untouched to his heirs. He would never fit in with Byakuya's sect, and he refused to disdain the money and live as his father had. What he sought was a
comfortable middle ground. A small place where he could be as invisible as he pleased without any children of his ever feeling deprived. A simple enough
goal. With his new mate he wouldn't have to worry about a restrictive marriage to someone from the upper class. Once the children were born Ichigo would
take his pay and be on his way. The dog did want visitation rights with the children, but Ishida wouldn't have denied him that, anyway. He was already feeling
sorry for the heir and spare Byakuya was planning to have, for never knowing who their sire had been. Toushiro, or Hitsugaya as he insisted on being called,
was a prime example of what happened when a rich cat bred with a temporary and thus disposable mate. No son of his was going to turn out that like haughty
brat.
Ishida shifted in his chair, shooting a quick look at the clock. The thump on his door proved Hitsugaya had passed his message along. Was the dog having
second thoughts? It was too late for that. He had gone into that horrible place and come out with an agreement. He refused to go back and try again,
especially now that Byakuya had settled on a mate. He would have to walk in there alone. Impossible, of course. Ichigo was just going to have to uphold his
part of their deal and that was all there was to it. He shouldn't have come to the house if he were going to change his mind. They were stuck with each other
now. He straightened his glasses and shut his books. He took a moment to tidy his desk, then he left the office determined to confront his new mate.
Most of his determination lagged just outside Ichigo's door. The dog's door was right across the hall from his own. The temptation to duck into his room before
Ichigo could answer his knock was almost too strong to resist. He had to mate in order to get children and the life he wanted. His body had proven quite often
in the last year that he was ready to mate. But his brain would rather save the mating for tomorrow night. Or next week. A few months wouldn't be entirely
unreasonable. He suddenly wished he had paid more attention to Matsumoto's teasing attempts to be helpful. He distinctly recalled a mention of biting. He
didn't want to be bitten by a dog. He didn't want to be bitten by anyone. He loathed unprovoked violence. His ears flattened against his hair as he watched his
hand rise and knock again. He would simply explain to Ichigo that there would be no biting of any kind. He was the one paying him, after all. The rules were his
to set.
The door was wrenched open and Ishida swore he actually saw his determination puff up, turn tail, and bolt. Ichigo was too close. Why hadn't he taken a polite
step back after knocking? Ichigo was far too naked and muscular. Had he really been so focused on his tail that he hadn't even noticed his body? Worst of all,
Ichigo was much too...canine. His scent was a humid slap of irritation and impatience, with an underlying taint of violence. He was staring at an angry wet dog
fresh from a fight. Ishida lifted his chin, bit out a sharp, "Excuse me," and bolted.
Ichigo caught him up against the door across the hall. There was no thought involved in it. When cats ran, dogs chased. From the sharp knocks he had
thought it was Renji, possibly even Karin and Rukia deciding they didn't want to spend the night with Renji. He had been frustrated at having his shower
interrupted, and dragging pants on when he was wet was a pain in the ass. He had stalked to the door eager to vent with some good snarling. The last person
he had expected was Ishida. And of course the skittish cat had to go and run.
Heaving a long sigh, Ichigo thumped his forehead lightly against the back of Ishida's head and stared down at the fluffed up tail twitching against his ankles.
"Don't you know you don't run from dogs?"
Ishida felt his face burn with embarrassment. Of course he knew better. One of the first things he had learned as a kitten was to never run from a dog. At the
very least, running would result in a painful mauling. But he had grown up in cat territory, gone to an all cat school and almost all of the canines he had met in
the past year had been conceited foxes. Staring them down from across a room was nothing compared to being face to face with an angry half-dressed dog
he was supposed to mate with. He looked down at the arms wrapped around him and wondered if he shouldn't be glad the dog was so fast. If he had gotten
his door open they would probably be on the floor right now. He didn't want to be mauled on the floor. Ichigo hadn't even smashed him up against his door. He
was just being held, restrained, like a flighty cat who didn't know his own mind. Because he was acting like one.
Ichigo loosened his grip when Ishida twisted around to face him. The cat had the nerve to glare at him as if he was the one who had done something wrong.
He scowled back. Ishida was the one who had run like an idiot. He had a strong urge to take him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. But then
the cat would just bolt again, he'd chase him again, and, yeah, that wouldn't help matters any.
"You will not maul me in the hallway," Ishida stated.
"What?" Ichigo gaped at the cat. Mauling? He hadn't even pressed up against him. "If you think that was mauling, you don't know anything about dogs."
"I don't," Ishida said frankly. He adjusted his glasses and stepped back out of those restraining arms. "You may educate me about dogs in the privacy of my
bedroom. Never in the hallway." Ichigo was still gaping at him. He sighed. "I'm sorry for running. I won't do it again." Not intentionally, anyway. His gaze flicked
down just long enough to reaffirm that the dog was half dressed and damp. "I also apologize if I interrupted you while you were bathing. I thought maybe you
were having second thoughts."
"Me?" Ichigo blurted.
"Who else?" Ishida huffed. It was difficult not to condescend to the dog when he insisted on making such a gobsmacked face. "Now are you going to come into
my room or not?"
Ichigo was tempted to say no, just because the cat obviously expected him to say yes. But Ishida was being blunt again, and he really did prefer that over the
skittishness. They had been honest with each other so far. No point lying now. "I'm coming in," he sighed. "My hair is still wet, though."
Ishida smirked as he turned to open his door. "It's a myth that cats loathe water. We may not swim as a rule, but we're very fond of bathing."
That smirk did bad things to Ichigo's stomach. It almost made him feel nervous. Ishida had a playful side? Not likely. Ishida was flirting with him? No way in hell
this skittish cat knew how to act coy. It was probably just a comment on the fact that Ichigo bathed often where a lot of dogs never bothered. A back-handed
compliment, then. His stomach settled down. Then he followed Ishida into his room and felt his stomach get all riled up again. The main room was surprisingly
similar to the one he had been given, only the lack of a television standing out. The room was no more extravagant or expansive than his own. But the room
reeked of Ishida, and that was what had his stomach tying itself into a quivering knot. He could barely make out the faint hint of orange beneath the heavy
scent of cat. His cat. It was still hard to believe he had a cat now.
Ishida closed his door with a sense of finality and turned to take a good look at his new mate. He had never seen a dog with his shirt off before. Truth be told,
he had never seen any adult with his shirt off before. Ichigo had broad shoulders, visible muscles, and a hairless chest with hard little nipples a few shades
darker than the rest of his skin. Flushing, Ishida tore his eyes away and hurried past him. "I'll fetch a towel for your hair." Of course the dog's nipples were hard
when he was damp and half-dressed. Ishida kept his room cooler than the rest of the house, which couldn't be helping. He should have let him go back to his
room, dry off properly, and dress before inviting him in. It wasn't right to make his new mate uncomfortable just to prove to himself that he wasn't flighty.
"Thanks," Ichigo said, when the cat returned with a fluffy white towel. He didn't know what to make of the way Ishida was looking at him. There was nothing the
least bit skittish about that direct and curious gaze. He actually felt himself flushing awkwardly when he brought this tail around to rub it dry. At least that ended
the staring, and the silence.
"What exactly does the brush and rub consist of?" asked Ishida.
"Eh?" Ichigo's hands froze and his tail nearly twitched out of the towel he had wrapped around it. Ishida had posed the question as casually as if asking him
the time. As if his sharp eyes weren't darting over to avidly watch him rub his own tail. Was the cat mocking him? "Brushing and rubbing," Ichigo muttered.
"What else?"
"There must be more to it than that," Ishida snapped. He had been rubbing his tail dry for years and had never considered it anything beyond a necessary
part of grooming. Ichigo didn't appear to enjoy having his fur rubbed backwards any more than he did. Not that Ishida had taken more than a discrete glance
at his too-tight pants. He really should have let him dry off and change before inviting him in. He was starting to feel like a pervert.
"Sometimes there's stroking," Ichigo said warily. He could feel his face heating up, and how was that right? He wasn't the prude here. "Didn't you look around
at all earlier?" Ishida looked away with a pursed frown, and Ichigo realized that he probably hadn't. He recalled his embarrassing first time in that room, how
painfully uncomfortable he had been with the spectacle of it all. Eventually one of the cats had noticed him. It had only taken one brush of tail and he had
followed him into that heated mass like a lovesick puppy. "I guess it is pretty awful the first time you see it. Was that your first time in a mingling hall?"
"Yes, and I'm glad it will be my last." Ishida took the towel back to the bathroom, relieved to quit the room for a moment. He had looked at that heated press of
bodies, but he hadn't seen anything appealing about it. Filthy cats and dogs pressing and rubbing, tails all over each other as if it didn't matter who or what
they touched so long as they were touching something. The lust and desperation had been as disturbing as the public intimacy. Even if he had been free to
slink along the walls he wouldn't have wanted any dog who might have approached him from the midst of that...orgy. But that was what Ichigo was used to. It
was no wonder Ichigo looked so uncomfortable. The dog was used to bold cats rubbing all over him.
Ichigo looked at him warily when he returned. Ishida frowned back at him. That long tail was nearly rigid, not a hint of the soothing sway that had captured his
attention earlier. His own tail clung to his leg at the thought of having to make the first move. If he tried being bold and Ichigo's tail jerked away from him, he
would never approach him again. His pride wouldn't stand for that sort of rejection. He would just have to put the nervous dog at ease and hope his scent and
the dog's instincts did the rest. "Would you like a drink? I have alcohol."
"You drink?" asked Ichigo. He couldn't hide his surprise. Ishida smiled, and Ichigo didn't think he did a good job hiding his reaction to that, either. Ishida's
smiles were dangerous.
"I have never drank in my life," Ishida admitted. "Byakuya saw to it that my room was stocked, just in case." He waved Ichigo to have a seat on the couch with
the most gentle and coaxing smile he could manage. "Alcohol lowers inhibitions, you know..."
Ichigo fervently hoped it lowered them enough to pry the cat's nervous tail away from that leg of his because if Ishida kept smiling at him he was going to jump
him. He had never been the sort to corner a frightened cat, but there was only so much he could take. If Ishida wanted to get drunk in order to feel more
comfortable with him, so be it. "Great idea. We can have a few drinks while we get used to each other."
"Exactly," Ishida beamed. His smile nearly cracked when the dog stumbled and then quickly sat with his eyes downcast and his tail stiffer than ever. "I'll bring a
couple of bottles." He just hoped he had enough to calm the poor dog down.
.-.
"Nothing like that would ever happen here," Naruto said furiously. "We'd cut the balls off anyone who even thought of it. Foxes don't stand for that shit." That
was one of Kurama's fox rules that Naruto completely agreed with. "If anyone so much as looks at her funny you have permission to cut him up."
"I would anyway," Sasuke admitted.
"Yeah," Naruto grinned, eyeing those sharp claws of his. "I figured you would. How many dogs were you fighting earlier?"
"I didn't stop to count." Not nearly enough to satisfy his sense of vengeance. He shifted further back on Naruto's couch so he could fold his legs. He didn't miss
the way Naruto's attention snapped from his crotch to his tail. The fox was nothing if not direct. He liked that. But, as usual, Sakura and the kitten had priority.
"I won't have her housed with the servants. She may be safe here, but it will take time before she feels that way."
"I get that," Naruto said quickly. He liked that. Sasuke was wild, but he was also loyal, protective of his own. "My only problem with her being in your room is
that I won't be able to visit you there." He frowned suddenly. "And there's only one bed." He didn't want his mate sleeping with someone else even if it was a
mother cat he viewed as a sister.
"I'll be on the couch," Sasuke scoffed. "She's very...female...when it comes to things like sharing a bed." And flashes of skin. And crude language. Not to
mention dirty feet. "And you can visit all you want. She isn't breastfeeding anymore, so it's not like you'd interrupt anything."
"Maybe not, but we won't be able to do anything with her in there." Naruto folded his arms over his chest. "Kurama says cats keep to their own space so I
shouldn't expect a mate to come to me. But if I can't come to you, you'll have to come to me. It's only fair."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like he doesn't know as much about cats as he thinks he does. I'd rather come to you than dirty my own room." Anything
he and Naruto did was bound to be messy. More convenient to leave the mess in Naruto's territory than his own.
With a wide grin, Naruto came over to sit on his knees beside him. "Every night?"
The fox really was fixated on the idea of nightly sex. Sasuke snorted in amusement. "Until I take or we start getting sick of it."
"Do you need to say goodnight to Sakura before we do anything?"
Sasuke blinked. Naruto was surprisingly considerate for an impatient fox kit. "No. She knows why I'm here. Besides, she won't come out of the bedroom for the
rest of the night. It will be a while before she forgives me for flashing skin at her."
"I liked you flashing skin," Naruto grinned. "I wanted to yank that towel off with my teeth."
That would have meant a tumble right there on the floor. Sasuke smirked. "I'll shower in your bathroom from now on." Dancing blue eyes echoed his
amusement, then Naruto finally moved on him, not for the kiss he had half expected, but to catch the collar of his shirt in his teeth and give it a playful tug.
As much as Naruto had hated waiting for him, he was glad Sasuke had finished his shower before getting dressed. All of that offensive dog smell was gone.
The scent was all Sasuke now, tense and ready to counter anything he did. He could hear his slender tail wisping along the couch behind him. He wanted to
grab that tail and pull just to see how angry he could make him without going too far. A cat's tail had to be more fragile than his own, though. He would have to
be careful with it. He tugged the shirt back far enough to nuzzle his pale neck. One of the bruises he had spotted earlier was darkening. It wasn't right for his
mate to wear bruises he hadn't left on him. He lapped it gently and then sucked hard, making the mark his own. Sasuke's head went back and his hands
latched onto his upper arms with just a light bite of those deadly claws. His teeth ghosted over the tasty bit of skin in his mouth until Sasuke's scent thickened
and the press of his claws became an exciting pinch. He nuzzled along his jaw and those flashing eyes locked onto his own. There was a challenge in them. Is
that the best you can do? Naruto couldn't help shivering a little. "Can I tear your clothes off?" he asked quickly. He'd show him the best he could do once those
clothes were out of the way.
The damned fox was too considerate, Sasuke decided. Had Naruto simply done so he could have complained after the fact. If he gave Naruto permission to
destroy his clothes he would have only himself to blame. A shame. Until he used the money Naruto was paying him to buy more clothes he had to do the
responsible thing and protect the clothes he did have.
"No," Sasuke sighed. Those pointed ears drooped back, disappointment fitting him like a second skin. He wouldn't have thought a fox could look appealing
when he pouted, but Naruto managed it somehow. He smirked and flexed his hands so his claws snagged in Naruto's sleeves. "But I'll tear your clothes off, if
you like. I'm sure you have plenty of clothes where these came from."
"Tons of clothes," Naruto breathed, his eyes wide as his tail whipped into an eager wag. "A fox has more clothes than he'll ever need to wear." And now he
finally understood that nonsensical rule. "Help me get rid of some of them?"
"With pleasure," Sasuke purred. He pounced, knocking Naruto back on the cushions so he was crouched over him. That bushy tail flicked around, catching
the curling tip of his own. The soothing stroke of their fur was gentle enough to make him a little uneasy, but he supposed a bit of milktoast twining was
tolerable. Especially when Naruto was inviting him to use his claws. "Be very still," he warned him, their mouths a breath apart, "or I'll cut you."
"I have thick skin," Naruto grinned, "and I heal fast." His heart was thudding so hard and fast it felt like he was the one purring. He lifted his head to lap at
Sasuke's smirking lips. "You're more panther than cat. Do you know that?"
Sasuke had often thought so, but he didn't need that sort of flattery from a fox, let alone from his own temporary mate. "Do you know you talk too much?" A
hand caught in his hair, yanking his head down for a heated and sloppy kiss that was completely lacking in finesse. Fuck finesse. He nipped at Naruto's lips,
fighting his roving tongue until that hand clenched painfully in his hair. Naruto growled and his other hand closed around the base of his tail in a hard stroke
that had his back arching. Sasuke raked his hands down his chest, the sound of the rending cloth a perfect counterpoint to that growl. He was careful to avoid
cutting, not just because he doubted Naruto's skin was as thick as he'd claimed, but because he wanted to see and feel that skin before he risked marking it
up.
The feather light feel of Sasuke's claws was going to drive Naruto crazy. He was going to strip away all of that restraint. He would make him take hold, dig in,
and tear. Sasuke was an explosive just begging to be set off. He had known it the instant he had seen him, smelled him, felt the current of his whipping tail.
The tip of that tail was twining and curling around his own, sweetly hesitant and gentle and at complete odds with the hungry body stretched out over him.
Sasuke didn't know what to do with his tail because he had never let anyone touch it before. Naruto found his restraint impressive and a little unnerving. He
was going to shred it as badly as Sasuke's claws had done to his shirt. No, he'd do it even more cleanly than that. He wouldn't leave all the tattered bits to
taunt and tease. The rough strips of cloth were torture on his skin, getting in the way of Sasuke's smooth hands. He devoured his mouth, his right hand
massaging the stiff base of his sleek tail until Sasuke's shoulders came down and his hands dug into his chest. Strong hands that pulled and massaged but
still wouldn't give him a taste of their claws. Sasuke was much too controlled and contained. He'd just have to set him off. With one more delving taste of that
delicious mouth, he caught his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and back and rolled them off the couch.
Sasuke hissed when he hit the floor hard, his head just missing the low lying table. He might have smashed his tail if it hadn't been securely curled around
Naruto's. His eyes flashed and a warning growl started in his throat. "What are you doing?"
"Pissing you off," Naruto smirked. It was obviously working. He yanked the tattered remains of his shirt off and swooped down to pull Sasuke's over his head.
He went for Sasuke's shorts before that growl could let up. Maybe it wasn't good to want his mate irritated. But Sasuke smelled great when he was edgy, and
those claws of his were digging into the plush carpet in a way that made him feel stupidly jealous. Sasuke would probably be as reluctant to claw up the couch
as he was to claw him. Wild cats shouldn't be so nice. The niceness was supposed to come later, after he had fucked him into exhaustion so heavy his prickly
cat didn't have the energy to complain about being pet and cuddled. Their tails slipped apart as Sasuke lifted his hips and let him pull the shorts off. He really
wished he could have torn them off instead. There was a submissive curl to Sasuke's tail when his hips settled into the carpet. Naruto hadn't done anything to
earn that. He would, though.
Sasuke's toes dug into the carpet as Naruto ducked down to take him in his mouth. He did his best not to writhe. He had some pride left, and the carpet wasn't
quite as soft as it had looked. He stayed mostly still, but his tail lashed and curled, snapping at Naruto's shoulders until he brought his own tail around for him
to latch onto. He hadn't expected this, would never have guessed it would feel so good to be eaten alive. A rumbling started in his throat, more purr than growl.
He should have been on his knees by now. If he came in Naruto's mouth he doubted he would enjoy the sex very much. They had done enough rubbing on
the couch for him to know Naruto was hung like a damned fox. His claws bit into the carpet as his hips strained upward for just a little more, just a little longer.
He would stop him in a minute. He wasn't that far gone yet. It might even be worth it. As good as that tongue had felt in his mouth it was even better rubbing
and curling around him.
A low moan broke from his cat. Naruto lifted his head to drink in the sight of Sasuke's flushed face, his heaving chest, and his hands' desperate clutch on the
carpet. He had done that, conned his first cry from Sasuke. He was going to get more of them, a lot more, and he would earn every single one of them. He
swooped down to drag his tongue along the side of his neck. One of the dogs must have grabbed him by the neck because bruises were blooming on both
sides. He lavished the marks with his tongue. He had to remind himself there was no point being upset about those marks. Sasuke had killed the mutts like the
wild cat he was. A frustrated wild cat, who was definitely growling again. Fumbling with his pants, he lifted his head and met those hungrily flashing eyes. "I
want to make you do that to me," he admitted thickly. His wasn't really a growl, not like Sasuke's, just a needy rumble. "I'd like to hold you down and come in
your mouth."
Sasuke felt his ears flatten out even as his body reacted eagerly to the threat. The damned fox was direct as hell and he liked it way too much. It should have
been irritating, not exciting. "I won't get pregnant from that," he said scathingly. "Save it for my ass." He might have known Naruto would grin, but the laugh
caught him by surprise. He had seen theirs as an angry violent mating. There shouldn't have been place for laughter in that.
"You have a lot to learn about foxes, Sasuke." Naruto made his voice as taunting as he could, bringing a wealth of annoyance to Sasuke's flushed face. It was
a pleasure to be able to rile him so easily. "I could come all night and still fill you up first thing in the morning."
No canine should be that arrogant. Sasuke's upper lip curled. "Bold claim for a virgin fox kit. I won't be taking any chances until you've proven yourself." He
untwined his tail from Naruto's and rose on one elbow. His eyes flicked tauntingly from Naruto's bulging pants to his laughing eyes. "Well? Show me what
you've got."
Naruto was only too happy to oblige him. He might be a kit compared to old foxes like Kurama, but he had been an adult where it counted for a couple of years
now. He was confident he had enough to impress a cat. Sasuke was a tough cat, but he was still feline. He would impress him, and maybe intimidate him a
little? Nope, no chance of that. Sasuke eyed him with such a cool unimpressed expression that Naruto's confidence would have taken a beating if it weren't for
his scent. Sasuke's body definitely smelled impressed, and the twitching tip of his tail revealed at least a little nervousness. Or maybe that was anticipation.
Either way, it was a very satisfying reaction from his cat. "Well?" Naruto shot back, smirking down at him.
"That just proves you're a fox," Sasuke said flatly. He had already known that, he just hadn't fully considered what that meant in terms of mating. This was
going to be rough. He didn't let Naruto see how much he was looking forward to that challenge. "Whether or not you know how to use it remains to be seen. It's
not like you have experience or stamina."
"I'll show you stamina. I'm going to wear you out so bad you won't be able to move tomorrow," Naruto promised. He shivered eagerly as he crawled forward to
press their lengths together. One slow stroke had Sasuke arching against the carpet, his face twisted with begrudging pleasure. Sasuke would have to
unsheathe those claws if he wanted to prick his ego. "You won't have to worry about visiting me tomorrow night because you'll still be here, sleeping it off in my
bed. I might not even wait till tomorrow night. I bet I'll be ready to do you again as soon as I wake up. You'll be breeding by the end of the week."
"Stop bragging and get on with it," Sasuke bit out. Naruto's stroking grip wasn't nearly as good as his mouth, but it would still be enough to finish him off. "So
far you're all talk." He shoved on Naruto's chest, levering him back. He had planned to turn on his own, but Naruto grabbed him around the middle and flipped
him over. He growled at being manhandled that way. Apparently even obscenely confident foxes didn't like having their egos poked. He tensed when Naruto
caught the tip of his tail in his right hand, curling it around his wrist and pinning it against his hip. There wouldn't be any tail-twining during this, then. It was
probably just as well. He dug his claws into the carpet, ducked his head, and braced himself. At the first push he found himself biting back a curse. He might as
well be a terrified priss from the way his tail puffed up and his body trembled with a sudden need to get away.
Naruto ran a concerned hand over the base of that fluffed up tail, smoothing the fur down only for it to bounce back up. He hadn't even gotten the tip in before
Sasuke had tensed up and pulled away. His scent had changed as well. The attraction was still there, a thick hungry impatience that challenged him to do his
worst because that still might not be enough to keep up with a cat like Sasuke. His taunting scent was as irresistible as ever. But there was an underlying
nervousness that was much too close to fear. He didn't ever want Sasuke to smell like that. He definitely didn't want to be to blame for him smelling like that.
"Sasuke…?"
Sasuke let out a disgusted breath. He was panting, for fuck's sake. "Don't mind me," he huffed, nearly laughing at the utter absurdity of him freezing up at the
last moment. "My body doesn't know what it wants." He reached back and gave himself a harsh stroke. The sharp mix of pain and pleasure was enough to
flatten his confused tail out. "Just do it."
"I'll do that, too," Naruto said firmly. He bent forward and curled his own hand around him. Someday he would love to watch Sasuke pleasure himself. Right
now it was his job. He lay over him, kissing and nipping at the back of his neck as he worked all of that sudden nervousness out of his scent. He let go just long
enough to position himself. Sasuke's tail jerked against his hand, but the fur stayed down this time. That was good. Sasuke gave a guttural growl and between
the tightness and the burning Naruto was barely halfway in when he came. That was not good at all. He groaned in complete embarrassment and dropped to
hide his face against Sasuke's tense back. He was never going to live this down.
"You can't be serious," Sasuke murmured in a deadly calm voice. All of that boasting and the damned fox hadn't managed a single thrust. He didn't think
Naruto had even made it all the way in. His ass was stinging like a bitch, and for what? Naruto might as well have jerked off, poked the tip in, and came. His
growl thickened dangerously. That was, in fact, a good summation of what had just happened.
Naruto didn't like to whine. He sounded like a little kit when he whined. But Sasuke was going to get the wrong idea and that just wasn't fair. His body was more
than ready to get back in there and try again. He had enough pent up need that he was sure he could pound his way to a nice smooth ride. But that would be
a hell of a thing to do to his mate. Bad enough he had made such a beginner's mistake without being an asshole on top of it. So he whined, a placating sound
that fit him better than he liked, and slowly eased off him. "I forgot the lube…"
Sasuke wrenched his tail free and rose to glare at the damned fox. That pathetic whine didn't make so much as a dent in his wrath, or his contempt. "You
forgot what, the sex?"
"The lube," Naruto grimaced. "It's in my room."
One good look was all it took for Sasuke to hesitate. Naruto looked embarrassed, sheepish, as well he should. But he was also every bit as hard as he had
been earlier. He certainly didn't smell satisfied, more like frustrated. Sasuke took a tight grip on his temper. Naruto was young, after all. Maybe this was a false
start rather than an utter fail. "What are you talking about?"
"Lube." Naruto blinked. "You don't know what lube is?" That would explain why Sasuke hadn't reminded him. His embarrassment faded, replaced by relief. He
might have forgotten one of the basics of sex, but at least he had known about it. That was more than Sasuke could say, apparently. "We have to use lube.
Lubrication. It's a gel. That way it goes in smooth. Otherwise you'd tear and bleed." And he would be rubbed raw. He didn't mention that part.
"I've never heard of that," Sasuke said suspiciously. He had expected to bleed. The entire point of having Naruto at his back was so he wouldn't be able to use
his claws to bleed him in return. And tearing? Obviously an ass couldn't fit something Naruto's size without tearing. If he hadn't thought he could handle it, he
wouldn't be here. As far as he was concerned, the pain was half the appeal. "That sounds like something pansies use. We don't need that. It isn't fucking if it
doesn't hurt."
With a stubborn shake of his head, Naruto hopped up and reached down to snag Sasuke's hand. "You only say that because you've never used it. It's great to
jerk off with, slippery as hell. And it's not like it'll stop you from being a tight ass. There's some kind of stretching people do for that, but you'd have to relax for
it to work. I don't see that happening." From Sasuke's snort, he didn't see it happening either. "Besides, if fucking is supposed to hurt, we'll have to do it face
to face. I'd feel bad biting you if you can't even scratch me back. I want to bite you a lot," Naruto said earnestly. "I want you to scratch me back a lot, too."
Sasuke let out a sharp laugh. "You might be as twisted as I am."
"See?" Naruto beamed, his tail twitching into a happy wag. "It's like I said, we'll be great together. You'll never want to leave my bed."
"Assuming you can manage more than a partial penetration," Sasuke scoffed.
"That's where the lube comes in." Naruto scowled when all he got was a raised eyebrow and a skeptical look. He'd show him. By the time he was done Sasuke
wouldn't be able to crawl from his bed, much less walk back to his own room.
.-.
"The hell do you mean we're not having sex?" Renji demanded. Outrage and pent up lust made him impervious to Byakya's haughy stare. "You're paying me
to knock you up."
"I am," Byakuya said calmly. "However, as I am not currently in heat the odds of that happening are slim. I see no point engaging in carnal relations when there
is little chance of it proving fruitful. Tomorrow I will establish you as my new mate." His eyes dropped to the painfully pink and flowery robe the dog was
wearing. Renji had walked through his hallway in that. He would have to see to it he never did so again. "You will be paid," and suitably clothed, "to fill that role
in public to the best of your abilities." He held no hope that Renji would be anything short of an utter disaster. He would need to limit his public appearances
accordingly, which he certainly wouldn't mind. "When my next heat arrives, I will send for you to fulfill the primary service for which I am paying." He turned back
to the mirror and resumed the tedious task of removing the clips from his hair. When the pink and red shadow remained rooted in place behind him, he sniffed.
"You may return to your room now."
"Oh, fuck that," Renji growled. He was too exasperated to be insulted. The cat might talk to his own people that way, but Renji wasn't having any of it. He saw
Byakuya stiffen, his reflected face pulling into a disapproving frown, probably at his language. Not that he gave a shit. He stalked over to the enormous orgy-
sized bed and flopped on it, rumpling the sinfully silky bedspread and squirming till he was good and comfortable. The appalled look on Byakuya's face was
almost worth not getting any tonight. "I'm staying right here, princess. Might as well get used to it. I'll be sleeping with you every night till our deal is done."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed into steely glints. He could feel his tail threatening to puff at the sheer nerve of the mutt. "Have you forgotten that I am the one
paying you?"
"Nope." Renji propped himself on one elbow, letting the silly robe Rukia had gifted him slip off his shoulder. The cat looked. Byakuya might be a frigid priss, but
he wasn't as immune as he liked to act. Renji smirked and stretched out to take up more space. His bare leg got another look. It wasn't just his hair the cat was
hot for. "You're paying me to knock you up. If you're paying me to play a 'proper' mate, too, all the better. No mate worth his tail would leave a cat like you all
on his lonesome. I'll be sticking to you till you're good and heavy."
"I will not tolerate insolence in my own house."
A half-hearted complaint at best. Those gray eyes might be icy, but they were also having trouble staying on his face. Renji had been around long enough to
know when he was being checked out. "I'm not being insolent, sweetheart, just honest. We value honesty where I come from." His eyes dropped to Byakuya's
snapping tail, and he lifted them back up with a slow smile. "You might want to try it sometime."
Byakuya snapped his attention back to the mirror. Despite the dog's infuriating boldness, he was relatively harmless. He might bluster, but he was still a virgin
who had sheltered a young cat as his adopted sister. His mouth was a problem, but he seemed to be intentionally inciting him, hoping to get a reaction out of
him. All he had to do was ignore it and eventually that mouth might shut on its own. One thing was certain. Despite his rough edges, or possibly because of
them, Renji looked good on his bed. It wouldn't hurt for a servant to see him still sprawled there in the morning. "If you are that determined, then you may
stay." He gave a cool look over his shoulder, and frowned disapprovingly at the dog's smug grin. This was not the game Renji seemed to view it as. "I warn
you, though, if you touch me during the night I will have to find someone else to sire my children." His eyes went pointedly to Renji's lewdly bent knee. "You will
no longer be capable of it."
Renji squirmed, just a bit. He didn't lose his grin, though. "Your claws aren't just for show, eh? Warning taken, baby."
"You will address me as Kuchiki, or Byakuya, or not at all."
"Byakuya. I like that," Renji admitted. "Rolls off the tongue like honey...Byakuya-hime." He was disappointed when the cat didn't even raise an eyebrow.
Byakuya turned away before Renji could see and wonder about his tight smile. His voice remained cool and if not casual then at least calm. "Another
acquaintance of mine calls me that. I will make it a point to introduce you to him."
"As long as he's not after your tail, count me in. Sounds fun."
It very well could be. Byakuya indulged in a small smirk for just a moment before wiping the expression away. If anyone could smack a loftily bold dog back to
earth, it was Zaraki Kenpachi. How strange to think his association with that heathen might finally serve a purpose.
.-.
"She said there's biting," Ishida sighed. He bumped the top of his head against Ichigo's chin and purred harder when that chin obliged him with an ear rub. "I
don't see why there has to be biting. It isn't civilized."
"It's the tail," Ichigo frowned. His hand was curled around the base of Ishida's tail and it only took a gentle stroke to have him purring and squirming. Forget
being uncivilized. It was flat out cruel to bite such a sensitive body part. "I don't get it, either, but I've heard the same thing as you. Biting the tail, ripping chunks
out of the tail." He didn't blame Ishida when he made an unhappy sound. "You have to bite the tail, and pull on it, too."
"I'll probably cry," Ishida muttered furiously. It would have come out sharper if he hadn't been purring so loudly. "I'll be utterly humiliated. No amount of alcohol
could make that not hurt."
"I'm not sure the alcohol is helping, anyway." They were lying on the couch, Ishida fitting nicely on top of him with his slender tail twined snuggly around his
own. Ishida seemed to have taken a fixation to his left nipple, his fingers rubbing and circling it ever so often so it remained hard and tingly. It was all the
brushing and rubbing Ichigo could have hoped for. They had even kissed for a second earlier, before the alcohol had made sitting up too difficult. Ishida was
warm and comfortable against him, and that was the problem. Neither of them was especially hard, and Ichigo didn't have much of an interest in getting hard.
He was content to stay just like this. He hadn't even needed to take Ishida's glasses off. It turned out, Ishida purred just fine with them on. Who knew?
"Maybe we drank too much," Ichigo offered.
"Nonsense," Ishida said firmly. "If we were drunk we'd be having sex and I'd be crying because you'd be biting me. We clearly need to drink a lot more if we're
to advance to the mating." He sighed as he tried and failed to muster the effort required to get up. Ichigo's nipple might flatten out if he left it. The one he was
lying on already had. But he was the host here as well as the paying party. It was up to him to forgo the interesting nipple and fetch the drinks. He gave
another half-hearted squirm. "I have more bottles in my room."
Ichigo tightened his arm, keeping Ishida firmly in place. "Forget it. I don't want you getting up. I don't want any more to drink, either. We can mate tomorrow
night."
"I suppose it is rather late now." And the thought of drinking even more wasn't very appealing. Ishida gave in and nuzzled his head into the curve of Ichigo's
neck once more. "I'll ask Byakuya for stronger alcohol so we won't have to drink as much next time."
"I really don't think the alcohol is helping."
Ishida smiled. Ichigo was surprisingly stubborn for such an awkward dog. "It has you touching me. That's an improvement."
Considering this liquid purring cat was the same one he had dubbed a skittish prude, Ichigo had to concede his point. He didn't say that out loud, though. He
was content to hold him and feel him and enjoy Ishida's booze-induced complacency while it lasted. He suspected they were going to be sick as hell come
morning.
.-.
Naruto wasn't all talk. Sasuke decided he would take this as a lesson about his new mate if not about foxes in general. There was so much blood under his
nails it would be hell to wash away in the morning. It would have to wait till morning because, just as Naruto had threatened, he wouldn't be moving any time
soon. He was surprised to have scratched him so deeply. He had never scratched someone who wasn't attacking him. Naruto's bites weren't that hard. In fact,
he had only broken skin once as far as Sasuke was aware. But his grip was as unyeilding as his hips. Had theirs been a fight rather than a fuck he doubted he
would have gotten free without going for his throat and eyes. That was the real reason he had wet his claws. He had discovered that he didn't like being
restrained even when it was more pleasurable than painful and he was an entirely willing participant. His tail had fluffed more than once and he had found
himself clawing at Naruto's back with serious intent. It was Naruto's tail that had brought him down each time, just a brush and his own had latched onto it like
an anchor. He would have to think about that later, to figure out why during the middle of violently delicious sex some part of him sought out a soft and gentle
touch. He didn't want to have that sort of weakness and he didn't like the thought of someone knowing he had it, especially when that someone was his own
mate. A mate who had done his best to impress him whereas he had merely been along for the ride, scratches included. He could already tell keeping up with
his new mate was going to be difficult.
"Come on, Sasuke," Naruto wheedled. He ran his hands over Sasuke's smooth back. The muscles that had been so tense in his arms were now sleek and
languid, much like his tail. Sasuke was sprawled on his stomach, tail tucked between and under his legs and effectively blocking Naruto from where he wanted
to be. It would have been easy to lift that limp tail, but it was so much more rewarding to have Sasuke lift it for him. He let his fingers slip down to rub and curl
around the base of his tail and earned an irritated twitch for his efforts. He was probably going to have to piss him off again.
"Fuck off," Sasuke muttered. He would have swatted him with his tail if he hadn't known better than to lift it. "We're done for the night." Or he was, at any rate.
Naruto tightened his hold, changing the teasing carress into a taunting tug. "Just one more time. You know you're up for it." The growl was a long time in
coming, but it did come, just as he had known it would.
"That's what you said last time," Sasuke growled. "Use your hand if you're still not satisfied." He felt the bed move but didn't bother lifting his head.
"Are you going to watch?" asked Naruto. His ears perked up at the thought. It might be hot to have his mate lazily watching as he got himself off. If he was
good about it he might even heat him up enough for another go. "That could be fun."
Sasuke shot down the perverted fox's hopes without a moment's hesitation. "I'm going to sleep. Have fun on your own." His ears flattened when the fox whined
and rubbed against his back. As if that would make him change his mind. "You're sweaty. Get off."
"Oh, come on, Sasuke. Let's make some babies."
Naruto wasn't very persuasive. He was amusing, though. Sasuke had to give him that much. His lips twitched, his face safely hidden against the pillows where
the hint of a smile couldn't be seen. "By my count we've already made three and a half. That's enough babies for one night."
"An even dozen would be better," Naruto grumbled. "Half a dozen, if you want to be stingy about it."
Sasuke huffed out a laugh. "Not even you could come a dozen times, Naruto."
"Is that a challenge?" Naruto grinned when this got him another muffled laugh. "How about a deal? If I get to nine on my own, you have to help and keep me
company to twelve."
Sasuke turned his head enough to smirk up at him. "And when your dick falls off at seven, will I get paid the same as if you were still capable of breeding?"
"Of course," Naruto said stoutly. "That's only fair."
That confidence of his was as exasperating as it was amusing. "Do you really think you could come that many times?"
Naruto grinned. "With the promise of three more rounds with you? Absolutely. Are you game?"
Although there was a slim chance he was dooming himself to a day of unwanted bedrest, Sasuke couldn't resist a challenge like that. If nothing else, Naruto
would be exhausted and sore as hell if he did make it to nine, while he would get an entertaining rest. Naruto had never specified exactly how he had to help
him get to an even dozen, after all. It would be fun to see Naruto's reaction when he offered up his hand rather than his ass to keep him company for the last
three. "Grab the lube and get started," Sasuke drawled. "I'll prepare myself to be impressed."
"You bet your ass you'll be impressed," Naruto boasted. "And then your ass will be mine."
Sasuke smirked. "We'll see."
.-.
"Fox wrestling?" Rukia tried to maintain a straight face and failed miserably. She cracked, snorted, and then she was laughing as loudly as Karin. "What a
dumbass."
"All the guy foxes do it," Karin assured her. It would have been a better impression if she hadn't been snickering. "I asked him if they all have big penises.
That's when he broke the remote."
"Like he'd know, anyway," Rukia scoffed. "I asked him if dogs all have wrinkly ones once and he about swallowed his tongue." She frowned when she recalled
the less funny part of that incident. "Then he wanted his name."
"What was his name?"
"Theirs, and I don't know. It was just some puppies playing with a hydrant." Rukia didn't mention the other penis she had seen, on a horrible-smelling and
possibly dead dog. His had been wrinkly as well, but she had known by then not to say anything to Renji about it. He was too highstrung to handle her seeing
a possibly dead body, let alone a possibly dead penis.
"I've never even seen that much," said Karin. Most of her friends were male, but she had zero interest in finding out what they looked like. She had told her
father that when he had given her the talk. It was insulting how easily he had believed her. The boys she hung out with were just puppies. No one would be
curious about them. She watched Rukia hit the button that would take them back to the fox channel. That channel was in the three hundreds and they were
still working their way up to one hundred. This could take all night. It was a shame the television set didn't have numbers on it instead of just the up and down
arrows. "What do you think?" she asked Rukia. "Do you think all foxes have big penises?"
"No way," Rukia said dismissively. "They would never get their pants buttoned if they did. It was probably a fluff show. Everything is fake in those."
"Even the sex?" She scowled at Rukia's pitying look. "You better not say it was wrestling. You already laughed at that. Besides, I know wrestling. Even foxes
can't be weird enough to do that naked. All their bits would get smashed."
"Of course it wasn't wrestling." Rukia rolled her eyes. "You would think he'd come up with a better explanation than that, as long as he's been trying to shelter
me. But I doubt it was sex, either. Why would two male foxes have sex? They can't breed with each other. It had to have been fluff. I've heard some of Renji's
friends talking about their fluff collections. It's all dirty games and joke sports and fake body parts. That's the whole point of fluff. It's fake as hell."
"Then it was fake sex." Which, as far as Karin was concerned, meant she had been right all along. As much as she liked her, Rukia could be as patronizing as
Ichigo sometimes. Only the fact that Rukia would at least talk to her honestly about this stuff kept her from taking it personally. "Do you think the cats here
watch that channel?"
"No chance in hell," Rukia laughed. "Renji says his cat is a total priss and Ichigo's is a skittish nerd. The servant cats might watch some fluff now and then, but
I doubt they'd have time. Or televisions, for that matter."
"What about the big cat, Matsumoto?"
Rukia didn't have a confident answer for that one. The big-boobed cat had looked at her as if she knew exactly what she was and wanted to grab her up and
do...something. That was as weird as the idea of two male foxes having real sex with each other. She hoped she was wrong about the woman. Maybe
Matsumoto had a thing for boy dogs and had mistaken her for one. That, at least, was something she was used to.
"I could see her watching that channel," Rukia admitted reluctantly. She wished she couldn't. Even she knew female cats shouldn't be watching stuff like that,
and Matsumoto was most definitely female. Her hand dropped from the television and she turned an uneasy frown on Karin. "Maybe we shouldn't try to get
back to that channel. Messing with Renji is fun and all, but I do have to be a cat now. I don't want to be the sort of cat who watches fox fluff."
"It's still hard to think of you as a real cat," Karin frowned. She didn't want her to be a real cat because she didn't want her to change. Rukia was the only
female she could actually get along with, because Rukia was as much a tomboy as she was. But Rukia was officially a cat now. A female cat, which was even
worse. "Do you have to grow your hair out and wear dresses and...act like a lady now?" And never touch a ball again. As a dog, Karen knew people
disapproved of girls playing sports and hanging out with the guys. Girl cats were too prissy to even consider it.
"Don't be stupid," Rukia scoffed. "I might be a cat, but I'll never be some pretty pussy. The only reason girls wear dresses is because skirts are easier to get
under than pants. If I ever put a dress on, you better believe I'll be wearing my boots under it. Soccer balls aren't the only balls I'm good at kicking. That'll
never change."
Karin laughed, thinking of those foxes and their fragile looking balls. Rukia had nearly popped her soccer ball the first time she had kicked it. No guy would
stand a chance against her. "I wish I had boots like yours."
"We'll have Ichigo get you some now that he'll have money. You're old enough that you'll be needing them soon, anyway."
"I should have known he was getting paid," Karin muttered. She was glad to latch onto that topic since it was much safer. She had been dreading her first heat
ever since that talk with her dad. It would be painful to have to beat up her own friends just to keep them from smelling her tail. Too bad not all dogs were as
cat-crazy as her brother. "Ichigo would never hook up with a nerd unless he was getting paid to." One of her teammates was a nerd and Ichigo couldn't even
look at him without wincing. He wasn't mean about it, of course, he just wasn't good at hiding his sympathy, both for the nerd himself and for her having such a
nerd as her friend. It really wasn't fair. Her mate might like books and wear glasses, but he played a good game despite that.
"A nerdy cat is still a cat," Rukia said with a wisdom taken straight from Renji's handbook. "The fact that he's rich makes him an even better catch. Renji's
hopeless, but Ichigo could probably make this work if he tried. He's nice, after all." She grinned maliciously because that was a heavy insult for any male dog in
their neighborhood. "He'll never get anywhere at home because he's just too damned nice for his own good. But in a cat house? A rich cat house? He'll be a
big dog by default. If he was smart, he'd take advantage of that."
"You mean marry the cat for real? He did say they would consider marriage once the kids came along. If they lasted that long." Karin sighed at the unlikelihood
of that. "Things would be so much simpler if he hadn't gone cat-crazy. Why couldn't he settle down with a nice female dog like dad did?"
"Because unlike your dad he didn't fall in love before hitting puberty." That was the way Renji had explained it, at least. Ichigo's dad was safe for her to be
around because no matter how much he might flirt with her he had loved his wife too much to betray her memory by messing around with another female. That
sounded like a lot of romantic tripe to Rukia, but it was a nice explanation to give Karin. Rukia had no evidence to support her own suspicions, after all. If
Ichigo's dad was as crazy for male cats as Ichigo was, he was being insanely discrete about it. Even she had a hard time picturing that nutjob being discrete
about anything.
"I told Ichigo we'd help him with his nerdy cat," Karin admitted. "Since nerds like little girls."
Rukia snorted her way into another laughing fit. "Where the hell did you pull that from, your ass?"
"I guess," Karin smiled, with an embarrassed flush.
"Ichigo's as dumb as Renji if he believed that. Nerds hate little girls. Good thing we're as far from little girls as you can get, eh?"
"Yeah," Karin agreed quietly. She didn't join Rukia in her laughter and it took a while for her face to cool off. As much as she hated the thought of Rukia
becoming a girly girl, she had been perfectly willing to act the part if it would help Ichigo. She privately hoped Rukia was wrong for once. If the nerdy cat didn't
like little girls then he definitely wouldn't like girls like them. She could accept not being able to help Ichigo. She didn't want to be responsible for making things
harder on him. He did enough of that all on his own.
.-.
Renji didn't snore. He did, however, touch in his sleep. It started with a leg. An arm followed soon after. When the tail came over, Byakuya snapped and
unceremoniously rolled him back onto the other side of the bed. The incorrigible dog didn't even have the shame to grumble in his sleep. Byakuya watched as
Renji squirmed comfortably into the blanket and those limbs began another slow creep in his direction. By all rights he should have deballed him and been
done with it. He wasn't one to make idle threats. Instead, he stared at him and considered his situation at length. Again. He was too old to be lacking a mate
and nearly too old to be lacking an heir and a spare. Even Zaraki had taken to seriously propositioning him, as if he were an old maid beyond any hope of sex,
let alone breeding. He was not. He was simply too proud to chain his future to anyone who failed to fit his exacting standards. That his advisors still insisted on
throwing foxes at him was an added insult. He would sooner name Hitsugaya his heir and let his bloodline end with him than tolerate the touch of someone he
was not attracted to.
He was attracted to dogs. He had come to grips with that shameful truth years ago. As a kitten he had been inundated with prospective mates, all foxes as his
status required. He had found himself more interested in the infuriatingly crass female who led them in, if only because she maintained an amused air of
dignity amidst the pathetic simpering. Had he been older he might have wondered why her scent was different from the other female cats he had encountered.
As a kitten, he had simply noticed and been drawn to it. He had responded to her teasing with a frustrated fury that was still embarrassing to recall. She had
provoked him until he finally snapped and chased her from the estate...all the way to her home where her mate had been waiting as if their introduction were a
foregone conclusion. His first encounter with a male dog was with a mated one, a scruffy unkempt dog sporting a dust of prickly-looking facial hair of all things.
Yet he had reacted to his scent so strongly he had barred Yoruichi from his property for the next two years. That was how long it had taken to accept the truth.
Like her, he would never be attracted to a member of his own class. Pathetic as it was, even wolves failed to spark his interest. He had no choice but to marry
down, which would damage his standing with his peers and be a legal nightmare besides, or take a dog as a temporary mate, which would merely be viewed as
the prerogative of an eccentric and disgustingly wealthy cat.
Having someone like Renji in his bed did make him feel rather eccentric. He was dallying with a dog. He had never done anything to inspire gossip, aside from
rejecting every fox who sniffed his way. Now he was set on flaunting Renji in all of his uncouth glory instead of hiding him away like the lower class necessity he
was. Byakuya had intended to hide him, to let the servants mistake him for some sort of guest being tolerated for whatever reason they chose to attribute to
him. They wouldn't have dared to assume the truth. But Renji was in his bed and was determined to be there every night. The dog hadn't just stood up to him,
he had flaunted his amusement, had openly enjoyed standing up to him. Byakuya wanted to see how well that inflated ego of his stood up to his more
annoying peers. They weren't nearly as good at ignoring provocation as he was.
With far more forebearance this time, he once again rolled Renji back onto the other side of the bed. He calmly crushed an immature urge to roll him so hard
he fell off the bed entirely. His bed was large enough to contain the interloper and he was mature enough to tolerate his presence. He was not, however, fickle
enough to change his mind about postponing the mating until his body was at its most fertile. It was one thing to accept his attraction for the dog. It was
another thing entirely to indulge that attraction any more than was strictly necessary in order to achieve his goals. He had more than enough self-discipline to
ignore the temptation Renji presented. So long as Renji refrained from touching him in his own bed...
Byakuya built up a barrier of pillows between them before lying down. He was very glad the dog wasn't awake to see his disgust at having to resort to such a
prissy move.
.-.
PART 4
.-.
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