I cannot thank SoldierG653432-2 enough for helping me with this story
Across the street from the Urahara Shoten there was a sidewalk. Usually well populated, the night's rain had reduced traffic to a single man with his dog hurrying along as the cold rain sprinkled down on their heads. His dog, a large black Labrador, came to a stop at a tree directly across from the store. The dog sniffed around the base of the tree for a few moments as the man tapped his foot impatiently. Without provocation, the Labrador's head snapped up to the top branches of the tree and began to growl, his ears flat and teeth barred. Growing more and more impatient, the man started tugging on the leash.
"Come on boy," he said. "There's nothing up there." As the tugging increased the dog became more and more frantic. The man sighed angrily and gave the leash a hard jerk. The dog stumbled and hesitantly walked away from the tree, looking back occasionally as his master led him away.
Up in the top branches Sui-Feng smiled. She always found it interesting that humans could not detect her but animals could. She watched the pair recede in the distance until they turned the corner, her eyes quickly darted back to what lay in front of her.
The Shoten was closed for the night, yet the "open" sign still hung from the front door. How typical of the man.
This would be the third time that Sui-Feng had snuck into the Urahara Shoten to see Yoruichi. In the beginning, Yoruichi would sneak into the Sereitei to see Sui-Feng but a few visits ago she had complained of the difficulty of getting into the Soul Society. But it wasn't as if it would be hard for Sui-Feng to get into the world of the living. It was easier to get out than get in, and with her skills as the Onmitsukido leader getting into the unguarded joke of a business would be no problem.
Sui-Feng brushed back her braids and shunpoed to the front of the door, sliding the shoji screen open silently and slipping inside She stood in the doorway for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. As the outlines of the furniture became clearer she saw the stacks of unsorted candy piled in container after container. She carefully made her way through the aisles before reaching the step that went to the living quarters. She opened the shoji screen and carefully slid it closed behind her.
There is was. Sui-Feng could see the tiniest line of light coming through the bottom of the screen that led to Yoruichi's room. She began to take longer strides as her destination approached. Suddenly she felt her feet slip out from beneath her. The normal agile young woman was caught off guard and was unable to regain her balance before she was sent crashing into the ground.
"Shit!" Sui-Feng couldn't help the curse from escaping her lips in a whisper as she prayed that everyone was in a deep enough sleep that they hadn't heard her embarrassing mishap.
Sui-Feng let out a reflexive and shockingly girlish yep as she was blinded by the lights that were abruptly thrown on. She glanced up to see the face of Urahara Kisuke, his hair as messy as the dark green pajamas he was wearing.
"Things go bump in the night all the time," he said with no trace of smile on his face. "I never expected them to be Sui-Feng."
She pushed herself up and glanced behind herself. Across a narrow point was a long piece of rope strung tightly to trip any unexpected guests. Again she cursed.
"Are you thirsty?" Kisuke asked, making his way into the kitchen. Sui-Feng was so stunned it took her a few moments to find her voice.
"You find me entering your home in the middle of the night and the first thing you ask me is if I'm thirsty?" Sui-Feng asked, flabbergasted.
"Is there something else I'm supposed to ask you?" he questioned. "I was taught to always be courteous to a guest, no matter how short of notice you receive about their arrival. Now, water?"
She could only nod in stunned silence. Kisuke grabbed two glasses from a cupboard and filled them up with water from the tap. He handed her one and Sui-Feng began to sip to fill the awkward silence. She pushed herself up a seated position as he put himself on the edge of the table.
"I suppose it's time to start asking the questions, isn't it?" There was silence as Sui-Feng took another big gulp of water. "Alright. Let's start that with what I know. You've been seeing Yoruichi for some time now, correct?"
Sui-Feng attempted to put on a display of utter innocence. "I'm sorry Urahara," she said quietly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." mentally applauding herself for not chocking on her water
Yoruichi doesn't tell me much anymore. But I'm smart enough to figure some things out by myself. One tends to notice when moves a display cabinet to the side, lowers a flight of stairs a quarter of a kilometer long, and opens a Senkaimon once a week in the middle of the night. And there's only one person in the Sereitei she cares enough about to do all that for. So logically I put the pieces together and came up with the two of you-well, together." The Chinese woman on the floor screwed up her face and finished the water in her glass.
"I'm right, aren't I?" he asked. She simply starred at the tatami on the floor in response.
"I see I've caught you in not a very talkative mood tonight Sui-Feng. Very well, I'll do enough talking for the both of us. Let me assume something else. You meet once a week to have sex?" He continued his inquires.
"That's none of your business. None at all." Her eyes darkened.
"It truly isn't my business, you're right about that. But it interests me and when something interests me, well, I have to know about it. Plus," he added. "If this is taking place in my house I have the right to know. So I repeat myself, is that the purpose of these little visits?
"I said mind your own business." Sui-Feng pushed herself up off the ground and brushed herself off. She shunpoed past the front door and attempted to take off. A hand clasped tightly around her wrist. "What the hell?" she gasped.
"Home court advantage," Kisuke muttered as he pulled the door closed behind them. "I have a theory, Sui-Feng. I think you want people to know about what is happening with you and Yoruichi. And to you it doesn't matter if that starts with me because at least someone will know about it."
"That's not true. That's not true at all." She tried to get away from his iron grip as she cursed herself for leaving Suzumebachi at home
"You mean to tell me that you want to keep a relationship with the woman you've been in love with over one hundred years a secret?" Kisuke looked strangely at her.
"It's not a relationship!" she argued crossly. "You're making things up."
"I can't imagine why else you would be at my house other than to see Yoruichi. You certainly aren't fond of anyone else in the household. And if you were just friends you would be here to see her in the middle of the night."
"Maybe I'm here for another reason. Maybe I'm here to steal her underwear," Sui-Feng replied. But the thought of even touching Yoruichi's unmentionables made her cheeks grow hot.
"You can't even talk about that, let alone carry through with it."Kisuke chuckled, seeing the woman's blush. He pondered quietly for a moment before his face lit up. "I have an idea!" he declared. "Why don't we just ask her?"
"No, y-you can't…" The color drained out of her face.
"And why not? I seem to recall having painted my name on this building, after all." And with that he began to race towards her bedroom. "Yoruichi!" he called excitedly.
"Shut up!" Sui-Feng growled. She jumped and tackled the shouting man onto the tatami floor. She threw a hand over his mouth preventing him from calling out Yoruichi's name again.
The screen leading to Yoruichi's bedroom slid open. She appeared and rubbed her eyes and wearing purple-lace set of lingerie. Her hair was styled to perfection and her face was carefully made up. It was clear that she hadn't been sleeping at all, but had been waiting for somebody. A very special somebody.
"Sui-Feng? What the hell are you doing here?" She pretended to stifle a yawn before looking down in mock surprise.
"I think you know perfectly well why she's here." Kisuke said. "I mean look at you."
"What about me?" Yoruichi asked, her façade beginning to slip.
"You're dressed to the nines for one thing," Kisuke noted. "No one, including you, sleeps like this."
"I-"Yoruichi paused for a moment as she grasped for answers. "That's not important," she responded quickly. "What's more important is why Sui-Feng-taicho is here." Urahara cocked an eyebrow at the added formality.
"Yoruichi, you can't keep hiding whatever this is!" Kisuke interjected. "I need to know-"
"Stop prying!"Yoruichi shrieked. "You don't need to know every scrap of detail on what's happening in my life, okay?"
"I'm just-"Kisuke jolted back, surprised at the sudden outburst.
"Just what?" Yoruichi shot back. "Just concerned? Just curious? Well, I'm not ready Kisuke. I'm not ready to do any of this!"
There was a few seconds of silence. Sui-Feng mentally cursed. She knew that her lover had already said far too much. Her words were only fodder for Kisuke's curious mind.
"Yoruichi," Kisuke spoke up quietly. "Are you gay?"
Her head dropped quickly. Her shoulders began to heave with the sound of silent tears. "I wasn't ready," she wailed. "You weren't supposed to know yet."
"And when was I supposed to know? How long were you going to keep this from me? I'm your best friend? I should have been the first person to know!"
"I couldn't tell anybody! Do you understand what this would do to my reputation? To my family? There was no way I could say anything without losing another part of my life." Yoruichi only cried harder. At this moment Sui-Feng could bear the tears no longer. Betraying her normal personality, she moved towards Yoruichi and put her arms around her.
"But you had her," Kisuke noted.
"She's helping me get through this. For now, she's all I need." Through her tears Yoruichi smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried this out of you." He mused over this for a moment before speaking again.
"No Urahara," Sui-Feng said angrily. "You shouldn't have. You have absolutely no idea what coming out is like. It's hard enough and the last thing you want is to admit something to somebody before you've admitted it yourself."
"Yoruichi, I'm really sorry. If you need anything…" Urahara offered with genuine remorse.
"Just go," Yoruichi said dismissively. "Please."
He exited the area quickly, clearly ashamed by what he had done. The two women watched him as he turned into his bedroom and slid the door shut. They exchanged a look before Yoruichi dropped her head to Sui-Feng's shoulder.
"Are you okay?" the Chinese woman asked.
"Not really." Yoruichi shook her head slowly. "It's just that I didn't want him to find out this way, you know?"
Sui-Feng nodded. "I know what it's like. Do you want me to just go or-"
"No!" Yoruichi exclaimed, jerking her head up and grabbing Sui-Feng's hands. She calmed herself down before explaining herself. "I just need someone to be with me right now. It's alright with you, isn't it?"
"I'll stay here as long as you need me." Again she nodded. "I won't leave until you want me to go."
Yoruichi chuckled. "Then it looks like you'll be staying here for quite a while."