Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns these all these wonderful characters! I just like to play around with them and make hem do whatever I wish.
A/N: Here we are then, a new story! I have already written... Well, let's just say a lot of pages, and what better date to put the first 2 chapters on this site than Yoruichi's birthday? Well, actually, Kisuke's birthday - which was yesterday - would have been better, but I was out celebrating New Year's Eve! But, a little delay has never harmed anyone, has it? (At least not when it's about a story...) I hope you will enjoy it!
It was one of those days again. One of those days where everything went wrong, no matter what he did. And he didn't do anything, in fact. The hits just came because his father thought he had deserved them. Because he had been as disrespectful as to borrow something small without asking: his father's watch, the one the man never used.
He had known from the start that he would get punished for taking and using it, of course, even if it was just for a few hours. He had needed the thing. Badly. So he could see at what time he needed to be home, and how many minutes he still had left to run his daily errands. He hadn't known the punishment would be that severe, though. First his hands, abused by a sharp stick, making blood pour out from the back of them, as well as his fingertips, his nails. It dripped on the floor. Then, a hit across his cheek.
'That's for being disrespectful.'
This time a fist in his face, his teeth catching his lip, drawing blood.
'How dare you not look at me when I speak to you, you dishonourable, incompetent boy? Look at me!'
A hand roughly grabbing his chin and forcefully turning his head to face his father. He spat blood at the floor, earning another slap on his cheek, making him fall onto the floor.
'You're a disgrace to the family. You are not my son. You cannot be my son. The Kami gave me the wrong boy when your Okaa-san died in childbirth. They must have switched you with someone else. Leave now, and don't show yourself here for the rest of the week. You're an eyesore. Now, disappear from my sight, or I'll change my mind about this generous punishment.'
He scrambled to his feet and his father pushed him into the direction of the door. He could barely hold back the tears as he stumbled outside.
He had to get out of here and never come back. He had thought about moving out so long, but tonight, he was going to set his plan into working. His father wouldn't have to worry about him being a bad son anymore. It would be like he hadn't had a son at all. And so, he left. Alone. Out in the dark where thunderclouds were gathering, to the one place he could think of and where he would be welcome.
The one place he could call his home.
There was a knock on the door, and surprised, she stood up. She had been on the verge of going to bed, especially now there was a storm raging outside. Who would be out in this weather, she wondered. Her mother peeked around the door, frowning.
'So late?' she asked, talking more to herself than to her daughter. This one smiled softly.
'I'll go get it, Okaa-san,' she chanted, before turning on her heels towards the door.
When she opened it, a horrible wind messed up her shoulder-length, purplish hair, and she had to squeeze her golden eyes shut for a moment. Only then she could see who stood in front of her.
A boy, perhaps tall for his age, which would be around ten years if estimated, stood in the opening of the door. His arms were wrapped tightly, almost securely around his chest, dirty blond hair dusty and grey-bluish eyes looking sad, yet hopeful. She didn't know him like this. She only knew him when he was smiling innocently after she asked what had happened to him when he showed up with a certain bruise or scratch.
'Nothing, really.'
That was always his answer. But now, it wasn't just nothing. He just couldn't conceal the blood dripping from his nose, lip and hands, nor the ugly, purple bruise that was forming underneath his right eye. Something terrible had happened.
'Kisuke?' she asked in a concerned voice, and the boy in front of her slowly blinked, as if trying to concentrate his vision on her. Then, he bowed as deep as his painful injuries would let him.
'Onegai… Yoruichi-san, onegai!'
His voice sounded different than usual, not clear and bright and obviously boyish, but… Desperate. When he looked at her again, his eyes looked quite desperate as well.
'Onegai,' he repeated urgently. 'Please, let me spend the night here, Yoruichi-san… I don't want to go back there. I can't go back there, it's impossible. At least for tonight. Please… Please let me stay here? Just for one night?'
There was a pleading tone to his voice, and Yoruichi knew she couldn't say no to that. She didn't want to, either.
'Of course, Kisuke,' was her reply, and she could see the gratitude in his eyes as he took a small step forward.
'Arigatou…' he thanked her weakly, but smiling. And that was all he could say before he lost consciousness and dropped his body on the steps of the Shihouin-estate like garbage. As her mother came, saw the scenery and silently picked the young boy up to patch him up again, Yoruichi also made a silent vow to herself. Whatever had happened to upset Kisuke so much, to hurt him like that, to almost make him cry…
She wouldn't just let him stay for tonight.
No, she would make sure that he stayed forever, never going back to that place ever again, but staying at the Shihouin-estate for the rest of his life.
He never left.