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I know Yoruichi's and Soifon's parents are dead according to cannon, but I think you people can handle it.
I would like to thank CaptainYoruichi of BleachAsylum for proofreading and editing this story.
Join the YoruichixSoifon Fan Community on BleachAsylum
The Fon estate was modest even by the standards of the other lesser noble houses. Not believing in extravagances, the estate consisted of a moderately sized pagoda surrounded by training grounds. Behind the pagoda laid a vast cherry blossom grove that connected the subservient Fon house to the Shihoin estate.
Soifon stood at the gates, looking up at her former home, wondering for the thousandth time if this was a good idea. Removing the ring from her left hand ring finger, she placed it into a pocket in her haori and began the slow walk to her home.
The Fon family did not believe in the use of servants, so there was no one to greet her at the door. As she walked through the familiar halls, she was pleased to see that the diminished number of occupants had not caused the place to fall into disrepair. As she searched the house for its owners, her nose caught the scent of cooking food. She decided to follow it.
Soifon opened the door to the master bedroom to find Huizhong Fon on the open veranda. The adjoining room, she now saw, had been turned into a kitchen. Huizhong stood at the sound of the opening door.
"Hello Father." Soifon said somewhat flatly and bowed.
"Shaolin?" there was pleasant surprise in his voice. "Stand up, stand up! It is I who should be bowing to you, the head of the Onmitsukidō and Captain of Squad 2!" He gave his daughter a short bow. "So, what brings such an important person back to her home?"
"I have some news I must tell you." Only those closest to her could hear the nervousness in her voice.
"Surely it can wait, supper is almost ready." He led Soifon over to the dining table. "Qiuyue prepare some extra food, we have a guest!"
Dinner was simple but good. Soifon took the silence at the beginning of the meal to reexamine her parents. They had aged considerably since the last time she saw them. Her father's hair was now completely gray and the wrinkles on her mother's face were now more pronounced. After they spent some time catching up with their last remaining child, the time had come.
"So, what is this news you have come here to tell us?" Her mother, Qiuyue, asked. Soifon put down her chopsticks, breathed deeply, and began.
"I have asked Yoruichi Shihoin to marry me."
Silence.
Stunned faces.
"A woman?" Huizhog asked, still catching his breath.
"Yes father." Soifon was surprised she still had her voice under control. She had faced the horrors of war and loss, yet this was the second most difficult thing she had done, next to the proposal.
"And she agreed?" This from her mother.
"Yes." The shorter the answers, the calmer she seemed.
"What does Yamamoto Taichou think of this?" Shock was still on her father's face.
"Yamamoto Taichou has agreed to recognize the marriage and to abide by the written rules regarding them." Soifon's hands were trembling, slightly.
"And what of the other captains?" Her father, again.
"Most are accepting. The rest, save for two, are at least tolerant." Her parents looked at each other, talking with their eyes. Soifon looked down at her hands in her lap. There was a long silence, and then her mother spoke.
"I suppose there is nothing left for us to say than congratulations." Soifon's head shot up to see her mother and father's smiling faces. She started to speak, but her mouth was dry. Seeing the shock on his daughter's face, Huizhong spoke.
"Your mother and I have long since come to terms with the fact that this would likely be the last generation of the Fon family. We saved a little hope in you, but when you became the head of the Onmitsukidō and Captain of Squad 2, we abandoned that hope." There was sadness in his voice. "What better way for this lineage to die out than for it to be merged into the Shihoin house."
"We also have no reason to question or doubt Yamamoto Taichou's judgment on this or any matter. If it is acceptable to him, it is to us." Her mother spoke, still smiling. Soifon took the ring out of her haori and placed it back on her finger.
"And besides, you are sworn to protect Yoruichi Shihoin, and there is no better position to fulfill that duty than as her spouse." Huizhong spoke in the same manner that he had explained to her many years before what her life's work would be. Soifon smiled, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of her. "Come now; eat your food before it gets cold."
By contrast, the Shihoin estate was lavish. A huge mansion surrounded by gardens, lakes, and a cherry blossom forest, the Shihoin family spared no expense in making their lives as comfortable as possible.
Yoruichi hated this place.
Yoruichi still could not figure out why Soifon wanted her to tell her father about her engagement, but she agreed to. She was bound and determined to make things with Soifon work, no matter what that entailed. She hadn't even tried to sleep with her, as much as she desperately wanted to. Yoruichi decided she was going to play this relationship as straight as possible.
Wanting to get this over with as soon as possible, she shunpoed to the front entrance. There, she was greeted by the doorman.
"Yoruichi-sama?" he said, somewhat baffled. "It has been a long time." He was an old man, employed by the Shihoin family for as long as she has been alive, probably longer.
"Sorry, but I am in a hurry. Do you know where my father is?" She was trying her best not to sound irritated. She hated when people used honorifics, except when Soi did.
"He is in the study, last I heard. It is where he spends most of his time now." The man opened the door.
"Thank you." And she was gone.
In a matter of seconds, Yoruichi had arrived at her father's study. She opened the well oiled door.
"Who is there?" a somewhat irritated voice called out from one of the corners of the room. The walls were plastered with books and in the center of the room sat several chairs surrounding a table.
"It's me, Dad," Yoruichi responded.
"Yoruichi?" Mitsuo Shihoin said, surprised.
"Yeah," was her curt reply. Mitsuo got up and walked towards his daughter. In his hand was a glass. His breath smelled of alcohol.
"So much like your mother," he mumbled inaudibly. "So," his voice at a normal level, "What has brought the prodigal child home?" Yoruichi decided not to dance around the issue.
"I'm getting married." She felt her pulse quicken a little.
"Really now? And who finally managed to tame the cat? Did Byakuya decide to settle down again? I always thought you two would end up together, and it's good polit- "
"I'm marrying Soifon." Yoruichi blurted out.
"What!" His expression changed to one of bewilderment, his voice to shocked.
"I'm marrying Soifon." she repeated.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Yoruichi held up her left hand and showed him the ring. "This is absurd." he growled.
"I love her Dad, and she loves me," Yoruichi retorted.
"A woman cannot love another woman, it's ridiculous." He took a drink from the glass.
"Don't you think you're being unreasonable?" Yoruichi took a step towards him, and he stepped back.
"Unreasonable? Is it unreasonable that I ask my daughter to bear me an heir, to respect her family's name?" His voice was getting angry.
"You don't underst-" she was cut off.
"Enough! I have abided enough of your insults to the Shihoin name and I will not abide another!" He threw his glass at the ground, "Abandoning your post, aiding a criminal, assisting the ryoka; do you truly believe you are above it all? That you can do anything that you damn well please?"
"At least I've always done what's right! What about Mom? Did you ever tell her about that maid you knocked up, or did she really believe that story you told her. What was it, that Kisuke was.."
"Get out," Mitsuo growled, "and do not come back. Your name will be stricken from the family records and all the privileges that come with it will be revoked. You're obviously not fit the bear the Shihoin name." He turned his back to her. By the time he turned around, he had missed the last chance to see his daughter.
Soifon's quarters were spartan, put charitably, with only enough emanates as to make it habitable. She was still in a good mood from her meeting with her parents, enough so that she did not even belittle her lieutenant for his inadequacies and incompetence. She took off her haori and got herself a drink of water. Shortly after she arrived, there was a knock at her door. She was pleasantly surprised when she opened it.
"Hey Soi." It was Yoruichi. Soifon smiled in reply and moved out of the doorway so she could enter. Soifon walked to her refrigerator and produced a bottle of milk, two percent reduced fat; Yoruichi's favorite. "So, how did it go?"
"Very well. My parents were surprised at first, but once I explained that Yamamoto is okay with it and so are the other captains, they were fine." She handed the glass of milk to Yoruichi. "They said that they could think of no better way for the Fon family to end than for it to be merged with the Shihoin." Yoruichi put down the glass.
"I'm sorry to disappoint your parents, Soi, but there isn't going to be any merger." Yoruichi's voice was starting to quiver.
"What?" Soifon was nearly panicking when she was stopped by Yoruichi's shuddering, sobbing form resting on her shoulders. Soifon pulled her into a warm embrace.
"My father disowned me." Yoruichi explained, between sobs.
"My God." Soifon breathed. "Yoruichi, I didn't mean for this to happen! I just thought it would be best if-"
"It's okay," Yoruichi replied, starting to pull herself back together now. "I'm kind of glad this happened."
"Glad? What do you mean you're glad?" Soifon asked, confused.
"I always hated being a noble and besides, this means that now I can be a Fon. " Every trace of panic and guilt were gone when she looked at Yoruichi's smiling face and smiled back.