Rapunzel
I don't own Bleach, or the obvious (at least to anyone who's read it) reference taken from the story 'The Sage of Dissolution' in Diana Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci series novel 'Mixed Magics'.
Pairing: Ukitake x Soifon. Don't like, take a hike.
The woman stared into the pond, wondering what it was that made everyone leave her. The gently rippling water gave her no answers, same as always.
"You know, when they say to go ask an invisible dragon, they mean it figuratively" a smooth voice cut into her thoughts. She spun around to see a second figure enter the garden. "Captain Ukitake" she greeted.
He came closer and joined her in her lotus style pose on the grass. "The only kind of dragon you'd find here anyway is a dragonfly" he laughed as one landed on his nose, tickling it. He grinned at her, the bug on his nose flapping its wings gaily doing nothing for her patience.
"What do you want?" she asked bluntly. He didn't react to her irritated tone. When he had seen her here and made up his mind to join her, he had known that this was the best reception he could expect, given that he was intruding in a manner that would have gotten a lesser Shinigami stabbed with her sword.
"Oh I was just in the neighbourhood" he said nonchalantly. Soifon gave him the most sarcastic look she could muster, though it wasn't without humour. Where Ukitake was concerned, sometimes you had to see the funny side.
"So, why have you been coming here for the last two weeks to do nothing more than stare into this pond? Redundant actions aren't your style" he queried.
"How is that any of your business?" she hissed forcefully, not being surprised when he shrank back from her this time. Well he knew better. It wasn't her fault.
He looked down at the water. So did she. Their distorted visages broke and reassembled but kept their gaze all the while.
His reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, she almost wished he had stayed silent.
"Because I don't like to see people sad when I could do something about it" he said softly.
The wind whispered through the sakura trees scattered throughout the garden, making them rustle. A flower landed on Soifon's hair, and she shook it off impatiently. Jyuushiro watched her, and thought of something.
"Why do you never wear your hair down?" he asked curiously. The question made her flinch. Right to the bone, and he didn't even know.
When she said nothing, he began to realise that what he had asked her had obviously reminded her of something else, because she had that faraway look again. The same one she had worn every time he had encountered her lately. He was just debating whether or not he should apologise or not, when she spoke, so softly, that he wondered had he imagined it.
"I don't wear it down because…only one person has ever it seen that way".
He knew perfectly well who she was talking about, and he felt sick, though it was nothing to do with his illness.
She continued. "She told me, that she liked it, but it would get chopped off when we were fighting. So when it got longer, I…tied it in these braids. But I didn't really care about it, it was just that there was something that she found to appreciate about me, and I wanted to keep it. Stupid reasons" Soifon ended bitterly.
"She never liked anything about me enough to consider me her friend or equal. She just said that to pacify the clingy limpet she viewed me as".
Jyuushiro felt he had to interrupt here. "That's not true! Not all of it anyway. Shihouin-sama may not be the most reliable person, and she may not always tell people exactly what she plans to do, but by not saying those things, she doesn't lie either. So I think you can take all the great things she told you about yourself to heart, because they're true". Sometime during this speech, Soifon had lost all control of her facial muscles and only now realised that she was sitting there gaping like one of the frogs the pond was filled with.
"Ukitake…do you really believe that" she asked him quietly, hoping against hope that he would say yes, hoping that someone would see something in her to value.
"Yes! I do believe that Soifon!" he cried sincerely "And I don't see why you need anyone to give you their approval to see the good in yourself. You are a courageous fighter, a loyal comrade, you are as worthy if not more so of love than those who take their gifts and blessings for granted and abuse them". He paused, breathing heavily.
"Maybe…you're right. People can't get to like me unless I let them see me. Is that where I've been going wrong all these years?" she murmured to herself, but loud enough for him to hear. A grin lit up his face when he saw he'd gotten through to her. She was in her own little world again, thinking about everything he had told her.
'Perfect' he thought mischievously. He reached out.
Soifon was so deep in thought that it was far too late when she realised what her companion had sneakily done.
"Jyuushiro!" she squeaked and frantically tried to beat his hands away. She succeeded, but not before he had grasped two thin strips of white fabric between his fingers and tugged lightly.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your long hair" he cooed.
The braids fell apart slowly, as it to give him a better view of what he had been wanting to see for so very long. The shining blue tresses tumbled free, springing away in the air unencumbered by any constraints. They came to rest across her back and shoulders, and one side of her face. She blew it away impatiently.
"Well I hope you're happy now!" she snapped, though it was just an act. Without the comforting weight of the two tails, she felt horribly exposed, and covered that up with waspishness.
"Aw, don't be like that" he pouted a tiny bit.
Soifon looked at him wearily. "No one else would dare do what you just did" she told him, defeated. He smirked in a very Shunsui-like manner before replying "I know".
She sighed heavily again. Feeling a strange light sensation, she saw that he was now running his thin fingers through her hair. She really should hit him for that, she mused distractedly. But her mind was being oddly remote right now. She had held a certain amount of pride that she wasn't so easily swayed by the signals her body begged her to heed. But this…
Jyuushiro smiled, happy that she was letting him continue. She was beginning to calm down, he could see. Her eyes had closed and a dreamy expression had taken over her features.
Soifon had never experienced having someone stroke her hair before, and discovered that she liked it. She couldn't even find the will to pull away anymore. If anything, she leant towards him a little more.
"You have beautiful hair" he mused, watching as the dark river flowed over his hands. Soifon gave a soft 'Hn' in reply, and then unexpectedly moved her head away for him. He gazed at her in surprise.
She wore a most unusual expression, undecided. Then it set. "Can I…touch yours?" she asked timidly. He grinned. "Sure". Slowly, she reached out and touched his crown and then dragged her nails down his silky tresses, fascinated by how soft it was. He suppressed the urge to giggle, seeing her enthralment with his own.
It was just as well they were completely alone, for the sight would have set the rumour mill alight like a bonfire had anyone seen them. But even it they had, the two might not have noticed, and almost certainly wouldn't have cared.
Eventually, she reluctantly removed her hand and placed them in her lap. It was curious. Tension she didn't even know she had was leaving her body, being replaced with a…loose sort of feeling. She knew she was losing her perfect control, and she couldn't care less. It had been so long since she had felt this kind of comfort, or any for that matter.
He watched her. "Sometimes…to move forward, you have to let yourself get a little out of your depth. And survive, so that the next time something that you can't handle happens, you'll know that you'll get through it. Life is one long lesson, it never stops, and we never stop learning. And that is why you can't let a memory keep you from growing, Soifon".
"So…what you're saying is…that we should let the past be the past…"
"…and the future become whatever it may, for better or worse. For there are few things that will send you to an early grave faster than hanging on to something that's hopeless. Eventually you'll crumble, and no one will have seen how much you had to give" he finished.
For a long time, Soifon remained silent, staring into the water. The leaves landing on it disturbed it, making her different every time she looked at herself. Smiling, then frowning. Ever changing.
Finally she spoke. "Well if I can't stop change, then I guess I'll have to embrace it. I will never be weak, and if that's what it takes to become stronger, then so be it" she said confidently, sounding a little more like her old self.
He smiled brightly at her. "Wonderful. Then how about dinner?"
She spun around. "E-er, w-what? " she stammered. "Dinner" he repeated. "I'm inviting you out to dinner. We've been out here a long time. I'm staving, no doubt you are too" Soifon would have disputed this had her stomach not rumbled conspicuously then.
"Alright" she muttered, still unused to this, 'change' thing. He stood, and extended his hand to her. She took it after only a moment's hesitation. It would take some time, but she would adjust.
The whole way there, he didn't let go of her hand, and all but one single thought left her mind. That was…
'…this isn't so bad, not being in control. Especially when it's him. What is it about him? I want to find out…'
That pond would remain unvisited for a long time to come, because she didn't need it anymore. She had him now, to guide her on the way.
That sounded so much better in my head. (Sigh) I guess it can't be helped. Please R&R!