It's Simply That I've Always Loved You

Chapter 12

Approximately five days after they have the discussion, Renji goes to rut.

When an omega goes into heat, they nest. They gather soft blankets and pillows imbued with their scent and cover their bed in them. Mated omegas will gather bedding that smells like their mates too for ultimate comfort, and omegas with regular heat partners have been shown to do the same. The sight usually invokes a lot of crooning from alphas who witness this. Renji himself has been moved to softer, more delicate feelings when he sees an omega preparing for a heat cycle, the way they arrange everything with such care before they bed down for their cycle. In sharp contrast, alphas just tend to go into freak cleanliness mode.

Renji wakes up with a familiar heat prickling under his skin and drags every single piece of furniture out of his room one by one, piling them haphazardly in the hallway despite the complaints of his pack about the cramped space. He scrubs the floors clean and then dusts the walls and nearly breaks his own neck attempting to clean the ceiling. By the time Byakuya shows up in his doorway with a slightly concerned expression on his face, Renji’s hands are red from the effort and his knuckles are sore. But the room has to be clean.

“Has it started?” Byakuya asks, raising an eyebrow when Renji shoves his nightstand into its new proper place with his foot. “I suppose it has. Would you like me to help you?”

“No!” Renji winces at the volume of his own voice, his shoulders jumping up around his ears. Byakuya only looks fond and wow, that does something to him deep down in his chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you. No, I have to clean the room for you. Besides, I’m almost done.”

Byakuya hums thoughtfully, tucking long black locks back behind one ear, baring the slender column of his throat, and Renji thinks long and hard about the fact that Byakuya’s throat might bear his mating mark one day, that he gets to court Byakuya soon and— “Renji, are you listening to me at all? I just asked you a question.”

“Sorry, I, uh. Must have missed it.” Renji clears his throat, trying to ignore the heat building up in his face the longer he thinks about Byakuya beneath him, writhing and moaning.

“I asked you if you minded me bringing some of my bedding into your room.” Byakuya turns his eyes down and away, and Renji stalks closer to him, his instincts screaming at him to comfort the upset omega standing in front of him. “It’ll be my first time in a— Renji!”

His name leaves Byakuya’s mouth in a squeak when he sidles up in front of him, pulling Byakuya in against his chest and nuzzling the side of his neck. It’s equal parts good and mistake as he wraps his scent around Byakuya in an attempt to comfort him and inhales far too much sweet omega scent for his own good. A strangled moan leaves his lips and he feels Byakuya press into his arms, all kinds of receptive to his touch. It’s too perfect.

“So it’s like that when you’re like this.” Byakuya leans back, presses a hand against Renji’s chest. “Stop that and let go of me, and I’ll go get what I want in the room.”

“Of course. You should be comfortable here, too.” The thought of Byakuya nesting in his room is like a punch to the chest, knocking all the air from his lungs. “How’s your stomach been?”

“Unohana gave me something for the nausea, so it’s mostly stopped unless the food I’m trying to eat is heavily spiced.” Byakuya looks up at him and Renji could swoon at having those beautiful grey eyes so close to him. “So you can begin your courting whenever you wish.”

“Be rude to start it with something like sex.” Renji muses, perking when Byakuya laughs.

“After, then.” Byakuya steps back out of his arms and Renji almost chases him just to have him near and sweet-smelling and warm once more. “Finish putting your room back together and I’ll be right back. Don’t start without me or I’m going to be disappointed in you.”