Foreboding Nightmares
Soifon's hands shook violently as the warm life-blood of the woman she loved dripped in thick streams over Suzumebachi's yellow hilt.
"Y-yoruichi…" She breathed, her eyes wide with shock. Dark hazy golden eyes flicked up to meet with fearful silver as a small grin sparked against her lips. "Please don't." Soifon breathed, pulling her sword from the older woman's heart.
"It's… been done… Farewell, Soi." She managed before her eyes lulled closed and she pitched forward into the younger woman's arms. Soifon felt nauseous as the blood continued to pour from Yoruichi's chest and soak through her clothes, staining the cream of her skin an angry crimson.
"Yoruichi!" Soifon shouted, her eyes shooting open to the darkness of her room, her breathing heavy and labored. She looked down to find her hands free of the blood that had previously been there. She looked around, her bed sodden with the cool swear that still coated her body in a light sheen.
She sighed, placing her head in her shaking hands. "A nightmare…" she whispered before turning and grabbing her nearby yukata, standing from her bed as she placed it over her bare shoulders, sheltering her nude body from the cool night.
She walked slowly to the washroom before stopping and pouring some water into a basin, cupping her hands in the water soon after. She held the water in her hands for a long moment, looking at the reflection that stared back at her before she splashed it against her flushed skin.
"Soi…?" a voice breathed as a dark hand wrapped around the young captain's torso. Soifon tensed momentarily at the touch, but relaxed when the woman stepped back.
"Yoruichi-sama…" Soifon addressed the woman as she turned to look at her disheveled appearance. "I apologize if I woke you." She said quietly. The woman had been sleeping on her window sill in her cat form.
"Its fine," Yoruichi said, a small grin slipping onto her lips. "Are you okay?" she asked after a moment of awkwardly standing in the washroom.
"I'm fine, it was just a bad dream." Soifon said, brushing off the Shihouin's worry before moving back to the main part of her home. "I would offer you my bed, but I fear it's unacceptable at the moment… You're welcome to the couch." Soifon continued, not wanting the exiled princess to be uncomfortably seated on the window sill for the remainder of the night.
Yoruichi stood for a moment, contemplating on arguing but ruled against it. "Okay then." She said, nodding slightly before turning for the couch. Soifon turned back for the bed before a hand caught hers, turning her attention back to the Shihouin who pulled her closer.
"Y-yoruichi-sama…" Soifon murmured, still a little uncomfortable with the casual closeness. Her body stiffened ever so slightly when Yoruichi's arms worked around her torso, pulling the shorter girl into an embrace.
"Soi…" Yoruichi began, her breath ghosting against the pale skin on the younger woman's neck. "Do sleep better." She continued quietly, leaning more into the crook of Soifon's neck, her lips now brushing lightly against her quickly beating pulse.
A slow smile graced Soifon's lips at the genuine sign of worry from the Shihouin. "I'll try." She promised, slowly pulling her arms up to return the embrace. They stayed like that for moments longer before they pulled away from each other, small smiled reserved for each other gracing their features before they turned to make way to their respective spots of slumber.
"Goodnight, Soi." Yoruichi called from where she curled up at on the over-sized couch.
"Goodnight, Yoruichi." Soifon replied, leaving off the suffix so that the Shihouin might fall asleep with a smile at the simple gesture.
It had been nearly a month and a half since they'd been together in a relationship, though it wasn't a physical one quite yet. Yoruichi had only just started to get the younger woman to drop the suffix, and it only happened very rarely when she did.
Soifon engaged in hand-holding and embraces every once in a while, but always seemed much akin to a statue, uncomfortable to such things due to the prolonged absence of them while she was growing up. They'd never actually kissed romantically either, though Yoruichi had once done CPR on the younger captain with mouth-to-mouth.
Soifon still blushed when reminded of it, not only in shame of her near death, but at the thought of Yoruichi's perfect lips touching against her own.
The younger woman sighed as she relaxed back against her dampened bed, clutching her hand over the beating heart that resided there. 'So vivid…' she thought, her mind still lingering on her dream as she closed her eyes, a frown turning on her lips as her brow furrowed and somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled, the lingering smell of the impending downpour absent from her thoughts as Soifon fell into another bout of restless sleep.
Soifon woke up early the next morning and quickly drew a bath for herself, enjoying the cold water before she bathed and pulled on her usual uniform. "Where is it?" she breathed after a long moment of searching for the Haori that exclaimed her position in the Gotei 13.
A quiet noise came from the direction Soifon vaguely remembered Yoruichi going in the night before and she carefully made her way to the couch, surprised to find her Haori and the yellow sash she used to tie it around her tangled in Yoruichi's grip, cuddled comfortably against her face. A small smile graced Soifon's tired lips before she made her way over to the Shihouin feeling guilty for what she was about to do.
"Yoruichi-sama…" She breathed, placing her hand over the Shihouin's bare shoulder. The violet haired woman groaned, shifting only slightly. She held the small Chinese woman's needed garments closer to her body. "Yoruichi-sama…" She tried again, shaking her lightly now. Another sound of protest passed Yoruichi's lips before she cracked a tired eye.
"What is it, little bee?" She mumbled, pushing up slightly.
"I just need those." Soifon replied, pointing to her Haori and sash, tangled in the princess's fingers. Yoruichi's hazy golden eyes dipped to look at the white of the jacket before she grinned sheepishly back up at Soifon.
"Sorry," She said extending the clothing to the young captain.
"It's fine." Soifon breathed back, running a hesitant hand through Yoruichi's long, orchid locks. "Now rest, I'll meet you for lunch. "She said after a moment, straightening herself. Yoruichi caught Soifon's hand before she pulled completely away and brought it to her lips.
"Be careful…" She murmured against the pale skin before her lightly kissing each finger.
"You too…" Soifon replied, managing to keep a level tone, even as her face flushed a deep crimson from the action.
"Have a good day." Yoruichi continued as she dropped Soifon's hand. The Chinese woman nodded with a "right" before giving her a brief farewell and disappearing in a flash with an expert Shunpo.
Yoruichi frowned for a moment after the young woman had left, taking her comfort item with her, but her frown morphed into a small smile seconds later as she stood and clumsily stumbled to the bed before burying herself into the warmth of the blankets and pillows.
The day went by much as any other generally did: a long training session in the morning, addressing the troops after, the assigning of missions before paperwork, a quick lunch with Yoruichi before they trained for a few hours, afternoon squad routines, more paperwork coupled with admonishing her usually incompetent lieutenant before evening training after which she would eventually make it home where Yoruichi usually had a warm bath waiting for her to 'relax those stressed muscles' in.
"Hey there," Soifon said as she exited her personal bath-house and made her way to her couch.
"Tiring day?" Yoruichi questioned as she patted the seat close by her.
"Not really," Soifon replied which wasn't a complete lie. It was the night before that had been tiring. She stood in front of the couch for a long moment before Yoruichi pulled her down to be seated between her legs.
"How about a massage…?" She breathed against Soifon's still slightly dampened neck.
"I-I would hate to impose…" Soifon argued lamely.
"Nonsense, I offered." Yoruichi replied to her… girlfriend's argument before the hands that had rested on her shoulders began to work the tense muscles under them. Soifon almost moaned, but was successful with holding back the… embarrassing sound as Yoruichi's hands worked skillfully over her shoulders. "Feel good?" Yoruichi purred into Soifon's ear, to which she replied with a breathy 'yes.' "Good," Yoruichi replied, her playful smile leaking into her words.
A long while more of this ensued before Soifon leaned back into Yoruichi's body, nestling her face in the crook of the dark-skinned woman's neck. "Thank you," She breathed as Yoruichi's hands wrapped around her torso.
"My pleasure," The Shihouin replied, angling her head so that she might view Soifon's slivery gaze that rested against her shoulder. A gentle smile adorned her lips when she caught sight of Soifon's rarely serene expression and the shorter woman smiled back.
"Soi," Yoruichi began after a moment, her heart lunging into her throat and her stomach knotting at what she was about to say.
"Hmm?" Soifon dreamily hummed as she looked into the golden eyes she loved so much. Yoruichi licked her lips before taking in a large breath.
"I love you." She breathed; it was the first time that she'd ever used those words and genuinely meant it romantically. Soifon's breath hitched in the back of her throat upon hearing those words. She tensed ever so slightly, her mind running a marathon.
'Am I ready for this?'
'Is she serious…?'
'I can't believe she actually said that…'
'I—"
"I love you…" Soifon realized suddenly and she knew her reply was genuine the second it came out of her mouth. She was so astonished and awestruck at the feeling that welled up within her.
All of her life she was told emotions and attachments were things that made one weak. Yoruichi had tried to show that was wrong but the second captain threw those teachings away the second Yoruichi had betrayed her. They gradually came back to her as she was reunited with her old mentor and watched that Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends overcome feat after impossible feat using the raw emotions they felt for each other.
Now she felt empowered, knowing that someone loved her, and she loved that person back with everything she had. That was something she was going to protect forever.
Suddenly lips touched lips and eyes closed in almost slow motion and the feeling—the power grew within her and she felt she was unstoppable. "I love you," Soifon breathed again as they parted for air, this lasting only seconds before their lips were against each other's again in a passionate display.
She finally understood the phrase, "it's better to have loved then lost than never loved at all…" People who haven't—wouldn't ever experience this feeling, this power were all but empty shells, never knowing for what purpose they lived for.
The kisses were becoming more heated before Yoruichi pulled away and shifted to stand. Soifon frowned before Yoruichi explained herself. "The bed's much more comfortable." She breathed, extending a hand to Soifon. The captain had so much to lose if she followed the woman she loved down this path.
She felt as though nothing else mattered and that scared her; that excited her, that wade her wary but also caused the want to follow to multiply.
'I'd follow you to the depths of hell and back…' She suddenly realized and stood, allowing herself to be led to her bed where Yoruichi began kissing her again as they fell back against the comfortable full-sized mattress. Soifon was breathless as Yoruichi's lips worked their way from her lips down her jaw to run against her neck.
Every once in a while, the Shihouin's teeth would rake carefully against the sensitive skin all over her neck and she had to force her self not to moan under the attentions. They shifted to where they were more in the center of the mattress before Yoruichi returned to her attentions, slowly descending down the Chinese woman's neck.
"Nng…" Soifon finally groaned as Yoruichi's knee shifted against Soifon's inner thighs the same time her teeth closed over her pulse. Yoruichi's hands shifted up, pulling at the yukata Soifon wore to expose her chest, but not enough to expose her breasts. Her lips fell against her collarbone before she paused, raising her eyes to meet with Soifon's passion-glazed ones.
"Is this alright?" She asked, now that the initial fog cleared from her mind. Soifon took a moment to catch her breath before she shyly whispered.
"Please, Yoruichi… make love to me." The words sounded weak, almost scared, but Yoruichi raised a hand to ghost across her cheek before she bent forward, brushing her lips against Soifon's again, as if to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.
Her hand drifted to the sash that held Soifon's yukata together before it tugged on it, untying the binding. The young captain swallowed, closing her eyes in embarrassment as Yoruichi worked the clothing open, exposing her body to the evening. The Shihouin sat for a moment, admiring the beauty before her.
Soifon's skin was pale and creamy, luminescent in the light of the moon; her dark, midnight hair a wonderful contrast. She had very few scars, most being on her sides, and one on her hip. A dark slender digit traced over it carefully, causing the younger woman to squirm a little. Yoruichi chuckled before she bent forward and kissed Soifon's navel softly before returning to her neck, slowly making her way steadily downward.
"That was…" Soifon began but was cut off by Yoruichi's lips against hers. "…Amazing." She continued after the Shihouin pulled back again.
Yoruichi grinned down at her lover for a while before turning on her back, pulling the smaller woman against her chest. Soifon curled against Yoruichi's side, draping a hand across her toned abdomen as she lay her head on her shoulder, dropping off into a quiet sleep after a moment of Yoruichi carding her fingers through Soifon's unbound midnight hair.
"I love you." Yoruichi breathed again before her eyes closed as well and she drifted off into a comfortable unconsciousness.
That sickening sound of blood spilling from a wound resounded in her ears yet again, she could feel—smell the precious life-essence of her lover running over her shaking hands. That grin spread across Yoruichi's lips as her hand lifted to run carefully against her cheek.
"No…" Soifon breathed, pulling Suzumebachi from her goddess's heart. "No, Yoruichi!" Soifon shouted, her eyes blinking wide yet again as she pushed herself up, finding that she was in her room once more. She gripped her forehead with her shaking hand, breathing labored, and unable to get the images from her mind.
"Soi…?" Yoruichi mumbled, shifting into a sitting position as she looked upon the younger woman's tremoring frame. Soifon looked over, her silvery eyes wide and fearful, on the edge of tears. "Shh…" Yoruichi breathed, wrapping her arms around the younger woman.
"Yoruichi…" Soifon gasped, pressing her face into the dark woman's neck.
"What's wrong?" The older woman asked, rubbing her hand in soft circles against Soifon's back, her whole body was covered in a cool sweat. The younger woman managed to tell her girlfriend of her dark dream after a long moment. "That's never going to happen." Yoruichi breathed against her brow quietly. "It was all a dream." She continued, trying to make the young captain feel better.
"I know…" Soifon replied, her fingers tightening against Yoruichi's side.
"Then trust me, lie down and rest. I'll be right here when you wake up." Yoruichi said before kissing Soifon lightly. The younger woman nodded after a long while and closed her eyes, curling back against the warmth of her lover. It was a long while after Yoruichi had fallen asleep that Soifon followed in her footsteps.
"Soifon!" echoed through the young captain's front door, though neither woman heard it. It was well past the time the young woman was up at. She was exhausted, not only from the previous night's… activities, but also from the nightmares that continued to plague her sleep.
"Soifon!" The young man's voice sounded again before he stopped his knocking and pushed the door open, afraid that something might've happened. "Soifon…?" he called again, his icy teal eyes searching the living area, finding no sign of distress. The short tenth captain made his way farther into the back of the house where he found Soifon curled in the protective embrace of Shihouin Yoruichi. A flush made its way onto Hitsugaya's cheeks upon looking at the scene.
"S-soifon-taicho." Hitsugaya called again and the young woman finally stirred slightly.
"Yoruichi…" She mumbled before pressing her face more firmly into the crook of the darker woman's neck. The blanket atop them shifted, exposing bare shoulders and a peek into a very private life. He quickly turned his back on the scene, knowing it was something he shouldn't be intruding on.
"Soifon-taicho, you and Shihouin-dono are needed at once." He said loudly, hoping it would wake one of them up. A shifting on the mattress and a quiet curse sounded behind him before the sound of bare feet hitting the floor and the shifting of clothes followed.
"Why are you here?" Soifon hissed as she tied the sash around her yukata.
"I was ordered to locate you when you didn't show up at the Captain's meeting today." He began, keeping his back towards the two women. "The Soutaicho wishes to see you two at once." He continued before leaving in a hurry. Soi glared at the spot the boy was moments longer before turning to the still snoozing Yoruichi.
"Yoruichi," She called, rocking the woman gently.
"…ten minutes…" Yoruichi groaned, turning over.
"It's late as it is, get up." Soifon said, continuing to rock the sleepy heir.
"Fine, fine," Yoruichi grumbled, sitting up with a huff. A smile spread across Soifon's lips before she leaned over, kissing Yoruichi before turning for her closet.
"Get dressed, Yamamoto-Soutaicho wants us."
"What does that old man want?" Yoruichi grumbled, shifting off the bed and walking up to Soifon, grabbing up the shed clothes from the previous night.
"I'm not sure… Apparently I missed a meeting though." The Chinese woman scowled at the clothes before she placed them on with a sigh. It couldn't be helped; it wasn't as though it was Yoruichi's fault.
"You'll be fine…" The Shihouin breathed, patting Soifon's shoulder after she turned around, already dressed herself. "I guess we should get going…" Soifon nodded, tightening the yellow sash around her waist.
"Let's just get it over with, I don't like to leave Ōmaeda with the troops for too long." She sighed before walking past Yoruichi, the Shihouin following close behind as they left the room.
AN: Well, this is the newest story I've written in a while actually. I hope you guys enjoy it; it's going to be a multi-chap fic, so hopefully I won't get too busy and end up not writing anymore. I cut out a whole scene because I didn't particularly like how it was written actually. ^^; I hope you enjoy, and I plan to be posting up a different story sometime in the near future, depending on how busy this project I'm doing keeps me.
~Bishimimou