Prospects - Chapter 2

[owned_by_a_cat]

Title:        Prospects
Series:     Bleach AU
Genre:     Drama/Romance/Humor
Rating:     Mature (eventually)
Pairing:    Byakuya/Renji - with supporting cast of Shuuhei/Kensei and Yoruichi/Kisuke if I'm brave enough

Author's Note:  I had this urge to borrow the Bleach cast and drop them into a fantasy world of my own devising.  So I went ahead and did just that.  Renji's a geologist, spending his days hunting for mineral deposits.  Byakuya runs a mining and refining company.  And somewhere in the mix is Aizen.. and the expected nefarious schemes.
The amazing ichibanseiken is holding my hand on this journey and I'm very grateful.  That said, all cock-ups, errors and misrepresentions are still mine.  And obviously, Bleach isn't. It wouldn't work if it were. 

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2:   Trip Wires

Shūhei froze and stared at the man he thought he knew.  A man he had vouched for. "You... what?"  He thought of the man downstairs at the bar – unarmed and unprotected – and finding breath was suddenly a struggle.  "You told Aizen of this find?"

"Hey!" Renji protested.  "I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid!"

"You just said..."

Renji drew a deep breath, trying to get his bearings.  "Crossed wires, ok?" he placated.  "I was merely expressing my appreciation of... ?"  He stopped himself before he mentioned giraffes and waved his hands around, looking uncomfortable. "Nothing more."

"But you know Aizen."

"Yeah. I do.  And I hate his guts."

"Really?" Hisagi tried to keep the scepticism out of his voice.  But it came over loud and clear.  Just like the hard edge.  And the hurt.

Renji ran his fingers through his hair as much in an effort to smooth out tangles as to calm himself.  "Shuu, listen to me.  Aizen's outfit and I have history.   I don't deny that.  I don't mind if you quiz me about it, either. I'll answer."

"Honestly?"

"If you're implying that I've ever lied to you...," Renji began, voice dangerously low.

"Sorry." Shūhei dragged himself out of his seat. "I shouldn't have said that. But you knowing Aizen... and the Kuchiki being here... it gets me all kinds of worried."  He looked Renji right in the eyes.  "Relations between the two companies are very strained at present."

"Shūhei, I'm not Aizen's toy.  I'm a freelance prospector.  I've found a lode and I sure as hell don't want Aizen to have it.  That's why I offered it to Kuchiki Industries.  Ask me any question in the book and then some.  I'll answer." 

Renji picked up the brush from the sofa and started to work the snarls from his hair.  "And let me tell you that you look like a chicken with your shoulders around your ears!"

Shūhei's unexpected bark of laughter dispelled the tense atmosphere. He released the pent up breath he hadn't known he was holding and he cursed his training that made trusting someone so damned difficult. But then, it also kept people alive.

"Let me talk to the boss while you tear your hair out," he said, only half joking, and strode to the door.  "He said something about discussing your find over dinner."

He located Byakuya Kuchiki in the hotel's lounge, where the man was contemplating a small water sculpture of autumn leaves dancing in an invisible breeze.  A steady stream of water welled from the tip of the topmost leaf, swirled over burnished surfaces and ended its journey in a shallow copper bowl. When he first saw the fountain, Shūhei just had to find out how the sculptor had suspended the leaves in mid-air without visible support. And where the water came from.

It amused him to think that the unflappable tycoon he worked for had a similar streak of childish curiosity.

"Hisagi."  Byakuya Kuchiki waved a slim hand in invitation to sit and Shūhei took a seat opposite the older man. 

"He didn't recognise you or speak to you?"

"No and no," Byakuya confirmed.  "He did not speak to anyone.  The barkeep tells me that when Abarai returns from a trip he usually spends some time at the bar, just drinking beer and listening to people chat."

"He knows Aizen," Shūhei reported.  "He says they have history.  But he offered to answer any questions we may want to ask."

Byakuya thought this over.  "You still believe him?"

"Yes."

"Very well.  We will have dinner as planned, then.  I have asked the manager to reserve the conservatory, which will provide some privacy.  Make sure you keep anything sensitive until we are on the road."

"Understood," Shūhei nodded and stood.  "I'll go get Renji."

The redhead had changed into khaki pants and a deep green button-down shirt by the time Shūhei knocked on his door.  He'd braided the top portion of his hair and left the rest loose and falling over his shoulders in a way that reminded Shūhei of their student days.

With his rugged good looks – especially with his hair down – Renji never had trouble finding a date when he wanted one, but he'd only rarely gone looking. Shūhei had realised at some point that Renji being easygoing and popular didn't mean he trusted any easier than Shūhei.  Renji was comfortable with himself – much more comfortable than Shūhei was at the time – and had never felt the need to prove anything to anyone.  After graduation, the redhead had taken off into the wilderness to do a job he loved, and the intervening years hadn't changed him into a different person. The way he lived in this small town was ample proof of that.

The coil of tension between Shūhei's shoulder blades slowly unwound as he accepted the fact that the threat to Kuchiki Industries was not coming from his friend.  Shūhei would stake his life on that truth.

"The boss has arranged for us to have dinner in the conservatory," he explained softly as the two men made their way down the stairs.  "It's more private than the dining room, but he asks that you keep any sensitive information until we're out of town?"

"Suits me," Renji agreed.  "Now stop being so serious!" His mock-glare dissolved into a broad grin. "And by the way... you should consider trying the steak. The chef has this amazing secret spice rub you just wouldn't believe!"

"I'm sure I can manage to poison myself if I feel the need," Shūhei grumbled, but he took Renji's advice and relaxed.  A little.

~*~

 Byakuya Kuchiki stood by the conservatory door when Shūhei and Renji arrived.  He had ditched the vest of many pockets and changed his khakis for black slacks and a lavender shirt that did amazing things for his eyes.

Shūhei, keeping two steps back, heard the softly indrawn breath and saw Renji straighten his shoulders before he crossed the threshold into the small, glass-walled room.

"Good evening, Mr Kuchiki," he greeted, holding out a hand. "I'm Renji Abarai."

"So Hisagi tells me."

Renji's eyebrows rose almost into his hairline.  "You brought him along to confirm my identity?"

"I brought him along," Byakuya indicated the table and the men took their seats, "because he is good at his job.  That he went to school with you is a minor bonus."

"That just shows how little you know," Renji quipped before remembering that he wasn't talking to his best friend.  He lifted a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed soothing circles with his fingertips, trying to get past his embarrassment.  "Sorry.  The thought that someone needed to verify me just messed with my head for a moment."

"I understand," Byakuya said and signalled the waitress, who approached them with a friendly smile.  "Unfortunately, it is a necessity.  I am sure you would agree were you aware of the quantity of... speculative fiction we're offered on a regular basis."

A moment passed while the woman took their drinks order, dispensed menus and talked about specials.  Renji was enthusiastically ordering steak and after some discussion, the other two men joined him.  When the woman left, Renji took up the conversation.  "Gold deposits you can pick up with a shovel?"

"Crackpot proposals like this are easy to weed out," the Kuchiki explained calmly.  "Plausible cases are far more dangerous to the business.  I am referring to cases that are geographically and geologically probable, well documented, mapped and sampled – like the one you submitted to us.  Do you have any idea, Dr. Abarai, how much time, effort and funds we could sink into a really convincing fake project? To the detriment of competing for other, more genuine ones?"

"That's why you discourage freelance prospectors," Renji nodded, as if, all of a sudden, some long-standing puzzle had been cleared up.  "It makes sense, but I'd bet it also costs you a few good opportunities."

Byakuya Kuchiki's hand froze in the process of reaching for his glass.  He leaned ever so slightly towards the redhead, focussing his whole attention on the other man. "Are you speaking from experience, Dr. Abarai?"

"I am," Renji confirmed, but just then, the waitress returned and set one enormous steak with all the trimmings in front of him.  "And this looks just like the thing a guy dreams of while out in the bush!"

"You're sure easy to please, Ren," the woman chuckled. "And I'll tell Raimo you said so."

"You do that, sweet. Those steaks of his really deserve it."

The food looked and smelled as amazing as Renji had promised and for a while, little was heard around the table but the sound of silverware on porcelain. 

Shūhei found the experience surreal.  He'd expected to head off the Spanish Inquisition before they'd even sat down to dinner, but Byakuya Kuchiki was downright accommodating.  He'd asked only simple questions and was clearly making an effort to get to know Renji.  And while he wasn't effusive – now there was a thought! – that icy, disdainful tone that the Kuchiki used to such effect was nowhere in evidence.

"You were saying?" Byakuya prompted them back to the main topic of the conversation once the dishes were cleared and the men had coffee and cognac in front of them. 

Shūhei, who had worked with Byakuya for the last two years and was used to the man's sudden about turns, had no difficulty catching the reference, but Renji had clearly let his mind wander to other pleasant topics.  His eyes widened in dismay and a faint flush spread over his cheekbones as he scrambled to backtrack the conversation.

"Ah, yes," he said at length with a small apologetic smile.  "Kuchiki Industries has a reputation for not accepting submissions from freelancers.  And brokers will deal with any company that offers good commissions."  Renji leaned back in his chair, one hand playing with a strand of hair. "Not on the same track, those two things. I was green.  Maybe wanted more  ... control ... over the find.  So, I contacted your guys.  Got blown off.  After a while, I accepted things the way they were and hired a broker."

"And you lived to regret it." Shūhei's words dropped like ice into the conversation.  He didn't need a confirmation.  The truth was written loud and clear in Renji's face.

"I'm still regretting it," the redhead said softly.  "It's not what I came out here for. So now, I'm twice as cagey.  I've offered the lode to you, but I won't give you anything beyond my submission until I see some reassurances about the way it will be developed."

They stared at one another across the table, prospector and mining tycoon, but it didn't feel like a contest as much as an unspoken conversation.  And Shūhei had the distinct impression that either man liked what he saw.  He leaned back in his chair, watchful, but intent to enjoy the show.

"Your request is by no means unreasonable, Dr. Abarai. Kuchiki Industries aims to operate fairly and respect boundaries. I am sure we will be able to come to an arrangement."

"In exchange for?" 

Of course, Renji had caught the unspoken 'but' at the end of Byakuya's sentence.  Shūhei masked a smile with a strategically placed palm...when the back of his neck grew suddenly tight.  A quick check around the small room showed them still alone.  He'd stopped the waitress from closing the floor-length drapes when they'd entered the conservatory, and the glass reflected nothing but a table, three men and assorted greenery.  Still, instincts were instincts for a reason. 

Shūhei rose from his chair. "Excuse me for just a moment, sir," he said, turning away from the table.  As he left the room, he heard Byakuya Kuchiki's response to Renji's question.

"I would like to hear details of that project you mentioned earlier."

The prickly feeling in his neck grew stronger as Shūhei stepped from the conservatory into the main restaurant.  A third of the tables were occupied and the waitress who had served them moved between the diners.  A second waiter stood in attendance closer to the conservatory door.

Shūhei processed the scene as he walked through the room.  None of the faces he swiftly catalogued screamed 'threat' or even 'potential threat'.  Most diners were intent on their own parties as he walked towards the hotel's lobby and his passing did not cause any ripples in the hum of conversation.

The reception desk in the lobby was staffed and a middle-aged couple occupied one of the deep leather sofas, drinks in hand and engrossed in one another.  Shūhei entered the restroom as if this had been his goal all along, retracing his steps a couple of minutes later. 

Two expectant faces turned towards him when he returned to the conservatory and resumed his seat.  "We'll better conclude this conversation elsewhere.  One of the waiters bothers me," he said in a low voice.

Renji scoffed at that.  "Some spook you are," he teased.  "This fine establishment only has one male waiter, and he broke his foot last week. Hence the lady who served our dinner, who is the chef's wife."

"They could have hired a temporary replacement."

"Could have, but didn't.  I'd know."

Byakuya Kuchiki's face – amethyst-grey eyes wide and one eyebrow climbing to his hairline – was a study in quiet disbelief.  Shūhei waited for the storm, but Renji merely shrugged.

"Have it your way," he said, voice amiable. 

His placid attitude reminded Shūhei of two things: that this was, indeed, Renji's backyard and that Renji had always been a man whom people shared their news and secrets with.  He never told, never shared his own, but he knew... almost everything.

Byakuya Kuchiki seemed to have come to a similar conclusion, even though he hadn't spent years getting to know the redhead.  "See if you can get a shot," he instructed Hisagi. "Then call Muguruma and have him check it out."

"Muguruma?"

Renji's eyes grew wide at the name and Shūhei felt a flush heat his face.  He was glad when the Kuchiki pretended not to notice either man's reaction and answered Renji's question as if he'd asked the time of day.

"The head of Kuchiki Industries Corporate Security, Kensei Muguruma."

There was a beat of silence.  Then Renji 's voice, very softly:  "Well, I'll be damned!"

Next Chapter >>

Comments

[ichibanseiken.livejournal.com]

Aww, you make me blush. I'm only as amazing as my betas, you know, and it's pleasure to pass it on. That makes you amazing, too!

A nice chapter indeed! I'm sort of thrilled to see this self-assured, grown-into-his-powers Renji. I bet the ends of his hair are split and his nails are broken and even after a thorough shower he has that "sexy caveman" look about him. Oh...and a tan. Six weeks outdoors would make his skin smell like sunshine :-)

Byakuya is interesting in here. I wonder, if he did the giraffe thing at the bar, whether he has any field experience at all? No chipped nails, no spit ends, creases always pressed.

Infuriating :-)

I'm looking forward to more!

[owned-by-a-cat.livejournal.com]

Split ends... oh, yes! Field work plays havoc with any plansfor a hairstyle - and I should know. I used to have hair like Tina Turner back when.

Our guys all went the easy route: buzz cut in June and then grow a beard until September. But I couldn't bring myself to inflict either. My favourite redhead with a buzzcut and beard - nightmare inducing.

We did, however, have a prof who could have given Byakuya a run for his money. On his field trips we got - brace for it! - lunch breaks. And he was always impeccably turned out, ironed and creased. Mind like a razor, though, but soooo kind. I remember a lot of petrology because of that man.

And BTW, don't let Ren fool you. We're all vulnerable when we step out of our comfort zone. It's just that prospecting isn't outside his.

I'm rethinking a bit of Bya, based on some of your comments. Hopefully, he'll be a little less obvious as a result.

I do really appreciate your help. It adds an extra dimension I never had before... so, thanks!

[tylashke.livejournal.com]

Nice chapter! Liked your descriptions of Byakuya and Shuuhei's insights into Renji's personality. Looking forward to more interaction between Bya and Ren. =)

[owned-by-a-cat.livejournal.com]

Oh, there will be plenty of interaction, believe me! I wouldn't mind being chased through the wilderness with either of them.