Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

Forever and For Always

Yoruichi snuggled deeper into Kisuke's embrace with a soft sigh. They had a few hours before they would have to get up, but Yoruichi found that she couldn't sleep. That was all right though. She was perfectly content to stay here in the warmth and comfort of their shared bed. They probably wouldn't have many moments of peace like this in the future. Things were rapidly coming to a head, and both she and Kisuke would have their parts to play in the coming war. There was some possibility that they might not both survive the things to come. So Yoruichi wasn't going to squander moments like these where all was right, and she was perfectly happy.

She and Kisuke had been through a lot over the years, and Yoruichi had learned to appreciate these little moments of peace. She turned her head slightly, so she could see Kisuke's sleeping face. When they had been young, this was not how they would have expected things to turn out. Of course, anyone expecting that Aizen would turn out to be a megalomaniac would have probably been deemed insane at the time. Still, Yoruichi couldn't exactly say she was displeased with how her life had turned out. Oh, she had regrets, but you didn't get to be as old as she was without realizing that no one lived without regret. And while it would have been nice to avoid the coming war, Yoruichi was wise enough to know that she wasn't completely in control of the things that had led to it.

They were doing the best they could to deal with the situation that had been given to them. Both she and Kisuke refused to stand by and just let things happen. Whatever happened, they had always faced things together. They might not always be physically in the same place, but they had always worked together. It was one of the things that made her feel certain that they would get through the coming conflict. After all, they had gotten through everything else that had been thrown their way. As long as they had one another, she had few doubts that they would manage.

Kisuke's arm around her waist tightened, and he sleepily mumbled in her ear.

"Either sleep or wake me up all the way. You're making it hard to get any rest."

With a catlike grin, Yoruichi rolled on top of him and stole a kiss. She guessed she would have to wake him up then.