A.N.: This is my contribution to the angst challenge at YoruSoi FC. If you don't know what the title means, google it after reading the fic. And I admit this is a little cliched, but it came to me suddenly and I just had to do it this way.
"Yoruichi-sama!"
"Hi, Soifon. How are you doing today?" the dark skinned woman asked with a smile upon entering the small, well-lit apartment.
"Oh, I'm feeling better than ever, Yoruichi-sama. I'm sure Unohana-taicho will discharge me today, in fact. I don't see any reason to be here, away from my duties, if I'm completely fine already."
"That's good to hear, Soifon" the woman replied, her smile widening for a second before she turned her face away, searching for something in the pocket of her bright orange jacket. "Then I guess my little 'get well soon' gift will just go to waste now." she said, fishing a small black cat figurine out of the pocket and extending her hand towards the younger woman.
"A gift? Yoruichi-sama... you already waste too much kindness on me, visiting me like this... I..." Soifon said blushing, her hand hovering in the air, unsure if she should accept the gift or not.
"Tch. Always like that. So, that means you don't like it?
"Of course I like it, Yoruichi-sama!" she quickly replied, eyes widening.
"Then just take it and tell me what you think of it, ok?"
Soifon shyly took the figurine from Yoruichi and proceeded to examine it closely. She slowly turned it over in her delicate, elegant hands, and Yoruichi didn't suppress a warm smile from seeing the concentrated expression on the young woman's face. It amused her to think that she was in front of a person who could take with the same degree of seriousness a fight to the death and her current activity. And it always amazed her how such a serious, strong and determined person could be born in the form of a petite, graceful and beautiful woman, a woman of sad, deep gray eyes that were now staring at her own in a questioning manner.
"So?" Yoruichi asked, gesturing towards the black cat.
Soifon blinked and looked down to the object in her hand.
"It's beautiful, Yoruichi-sama" she said, looking up with eyes so full of wonder and happiness that it was all Yoruichi could do to keep from hugging her right then. "It's so finely crafted, and... I can't understand... what did I do to deserve such a wonderful gift..."
"Don't worry about that" Yoruichi replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. "If you like it, just keep it. You like black cats, don't you?" she asked, changing the subject of the conversation. This was the point where she sometimes surrendered to her weakness, telling the woman how she was special to her. Telling her how she had done so much already, and how much it meant to her. Telling her how that gift was such an understated way to express her feelings, a simple way to say "I love you". And then she would watch the same reactions go through her small companion. She would never tire of it, she could always see so many emotions in her beautiful eyes; the hope, the joy, the guilt, the feeling of inadequacy, the love. But not this time. She would not give in to such temptation this time.
"Black cats?" Soifon replied in a puzzled tone. "I... I guess I do. Don't know why, though. I think it's because I had a very beautiful one once... my parents gave me one when I was a child."
Yoruichi sighed. She had expected that; Unohana hadn't given her much hope, after all.
Ever since the war, Soifon-taicho was interned in the fourth division for treatment of her many wounds, and, specially, due to a heavy trauma to the head. Against all hope, the captain actually woke up in excellent condition, no noticeable damage to her cognitive or executive brain functions at first sight. But it didn't take too long for the symptoms to appear. She forgot most of her past, remembering it only from the time when she was still a soldier in the onmitsukido. She even made some things up sometimes, to fill in the voids. But worse than that; she was not able to form new memories from then on.
When she received the news, Yoruichi refused to give in to despair. She would never give up, she would keep coming everyday with a new gift, a small piece of Soifon's life, and pray that one day she could find the key to unlock her past, to unlock her future. It was all she could do, and if it never worked, she would just do it for the rest of her life.
"Yoruichi-sama?" she watched the usual confused expression appearing in Soifon's face. "Did you... come to visit me?" she asked, her expression softening as her own explanation seemed to make sense. " That's too kind of you. And you don't have to waste your time like this with me, I'm sure Unohana-taicho will discharge me soon..."