Disclaimer – Still don't own Bleach
I changed the title. There's no real reason for this, I just prefer this one. And thank you for the reviews last chapter, I didn't expect to get so many.
The day was too hot. The sun was beating down from a cloudless sky, heat lines rising from the baked tarmac. Soifon had retreated to the baseball grounds and was tucked under the bleachers, enjoying the cooling shade. She sat on the ground, her legs tucked beneath her and a book held open in one hand. She didn't like being in the sun, she found that it drained her of energy and left her feeling lethargic and often grumpy.
The sound of gravel crunching beneath foot caught her attention, and she turned her head. Isane Kotetsu stood at the end of the bleachers, her face lined with worry.
"You skipped class," She said, closing the distance. "I said that you weren't feeling well."
Soifon shifted uncomfortably and guilt gnawed at her, she didn't like that Isane had lied for her. She closed the book she was reading and placed it back in her bag. Craning her neck back she looked up to the tall girl. Isane had recently hit a growth spurt and was now easily the tallest girl in the school, much to Soifon's annoyance her growth wasn't showing any signs of slowing down and she was fairly certain that pretty soon Isane would be the tallest person in the school.
"Sorry," She said. "I just didn't feel like going today."
The worried look on Isane's face intensified. "You can't keep skipping class like this, Soifon." Her bag slipped from her shoulder and she reached inside it, withdrawing it she clutched a sheet of paper in her hand. "I picked up the homework for you."
"Thanks," Soifon took the paper from Isane's outstretched hand.
"I tried to call you last night," Isane said. "Your dad said you were out."
Soifon nodded.
"He didn't say where," Isane continued. Her brow furrowed in worry, "I don't think he knew where you were."
"I told him I was staying over at a friend's," Soifon shrugged. She stuffed the homework Isane had given her in her bag, and then climbed to her feet. Dusting off her legs, she took her time straightening out her skirt before addressing Isane further. "I didn't lie to him. I was at a friend's last night."
Isane didn't look convinced. "Alright," She said finally. She turned and started to leave, but then seemed to reconsider, stopping at the end of the bleachers. "I know that it's none of my business, but... Where were you last night?"
Soifon didn't reply, trying to ignore the worry in Isane's large eyes. She wasn't sure how much Isane knew about what she was doing with Yoruichi, and she wasn't in any kind of a hurry to fill in the blanks.
"Right," Isane nodded, realising that Soifon wasn't going to answer her question. "Look, just be careful, Soifon."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Soifon snapped.
"W-what? N-nothing..." Isane stammered, flinching back from Soifon's sudden anger. She looked hurt, her face crumpling and Soifon felt bad for causing it. "I just... You have friends here too, Soifon. Remember that."
She turned and walked away, leaving Soifon standing alone in the shadows and unsure as to what she was feeling.
Soifon had only been knocking on the door a short while when it was answered. Yoruichi looked puzzled to see her. She stepped back though and held the door open for Soifon, who entered without uttering a word. She moved quickly up the narrow hallway and to the lounge. The lighting was dim, comfortingly so, and a soft piano piece played quietly through the speakers that were fixed to the corners of the room.
"I wasn't expecting you tonight," Yoruichi said, stepping past Soifon. She moved to the small table that was set at the far end of the room, and sat down. On the table was an open laptop and various bits of paper were strewn across the top. A glass of wine was set next to the laptop, a faded pink liquid inside. Soi guessed that it was rosé, but she knew that she wasn't an expert in wine by any mean.
She was slightly surprised by Yoruichi's attire. She was used to seeing the older woman in smart suits or, occasionally, nothing at all. Tonight Yoruichi was dressed casually in loose fitting jean and a long sleeve, black top that hung nicely to her figure. Most surprising of all as the pair of glass she was wearing, Soifon hadn't ever seen her wearing glasses before.
"I didn't know that you needed glasses," Soifon said.
Yoruichi tapped at her laptop for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I just need them when I'm using a computer. Though, I guess I should probably wear them while watching TV as well." She paused and looked thoughtful. "And probably for driving."
That wasn't a very comforting thought, and Soifon made a mental note not to get in the car with Yoruichi again unless she was wearing her glasses. Yoruichi straightened out her glasses, though they didn't need it and then started back at her work.
"You drink while working?" Soifon asked, pointing at the half-empty glass of wine.
Yoruichi shrugged. "Sometimes," she answered. "I was having one now, and I was planning on having a second while I took a bath. It's a great way to relax on a Friday evening."
Soifon didn't reply. She sat down on the couch, drawing her legs up to herself and watched Yoruichi as she worked. Yoruichi's hair was scraped back into a messy ponytail; strands of loose hair hung down and framed her face. She wasn't wearing any makeup as far as Soifon could see. Soifon found it somewhat unusual and unnerving to see Yoruichi in such a casual state since she had only seen her dressed impeccably smart before now.
Eventually, the silence grated on Soifon's nerves, and she was motivated to break it.
"How long are you going to be?"
"Dunno," Yoruichi didn't look up from her work. "However long this takes. I probably won't have time to play tonight."
"Okay," Soifon tried not to sound disappointed by this. She fidgeted with her jeans, grasping the fabric in her hands and then releasing it, repeatedly. "Do you want me to leave?"
Yoruichi raised her head. "No. You can stay. Just don't be making too much noise."
"So I can't have the TV on?"
Yoruichi smiled, "No, you can't have the TV on."
"Can I change the music then?" Soifon stood up and made her way to the iPod's docking station.
"No," Yoruichi replied. "This is one of my favourites."
Soifon pulled a face. As far as she was concerned, Yoruichi had terrible taste in music. She didn't even recognise the soothing piano piece that was currently playing.
"Don't you have homework to do?" Yoruichi asked.
"No."
"Really?" She sounded sceptical. "When I was at school all I seemed to do was homework."
"Maybe you went to a better school."
"Probably," Yoruichi agreed. "But yours has a pretty high standard too. I bet the entrance exams were difficult and that they expect their students to maintain a high grade average."
"I've already done my homework," Soifon lied. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had done her homework.
Yoruichi shrugged and went back to her work. Soifon took the new silence as an opportunity to nose around the room. She looked through the books on the shelves: a few on business, some classics in hardback, surprisingly a couple of mangas and finally some romance novels. Soifon smirked and pulled one off of the shelf; it was worn and looked as though it had been read often. The cover showed a half-dressed samurai wielding a sword, with an equally undressed woman at his feet and clutching his bare leg and a sickening look of devotion on her face, gazing up at him.
"You read trashy romance?" Soifon looked over to Yoruichi, who laughed at the accusation.
"My friend writes them," She explained. "They're surprisingly good. Bit of action, a lot of smut... no real story to speak of. One of them is dedicated to me." She sounded very pleased by this.
Soifon rifled through the other books until she found the one that was dedicated to Yoruichi. The author had also signed it.
"To Yoruichi," Soifon read aloud. "My best gal. This makes us even." Soifon frowned. "Did he owe you for something?"
"Not really, but he felt like he did."
"Are they all about samurai?" This book too had a half-nude samurai on the cover.
"Mine's got ninjas in it," Yoruichi replied.
"Lame," Soifon scoffed. She took the book and went to the couch, fully intending on reading it and then picking it apart, proving that it was a terrible read. "Kyoraku Shunsui... Never heard of him."
"One of my other friends writes children's books," Yoruichi said. "I could get you one of those, if you prefer."
Soifon shook her head. "I'll stick with this. Can I have a glass of wine?"
"No," Yoruichi said emphatically. "You're underage."
"So? I've drunk before."
"Not the point," Yoruichi said. "While you're here, I'm technically responsible for you, and I'm liable for what happens to you."
"Just one glass," Soifon reasoned.
Yoruichi shook her head. "Sorry, but the answer is still no."
"Hypocrite," Soifon mumbled under her breath.
Yoruichi looked at her, a perfectly sculpted brow rising above the frame of her glasses. "Excuse me?"
Soifon shifted uncomfortably under the older woman's gaze. She stared intently at the book in her hands, not even reading the words that were printed on the page. She could feel heat spreading up her neck and infusing her cheeks with a furious blush. Her lips were dry and she licked them before answering.
"You're a hypocrite," She continued, still not looking at Yoruichi. "You won't let me have a drink because I'm underage, but you're perfectly happy to do... other stuff... with me that I'm also underage for."
She wondered how far she could push Yoruichi before the woman became angry. She also wondered why on earth she was suddenly pushing this issue. It had never been a problem for them before.
Yoruichi exhaled loudly. "You're right," She said finally after a long pause. "Get out."
Soifon's eye widened and she looked up; Yoruichi had turned back to her work and was sifting through a file. She was frowning and her jaw was clenched, her mouth set in a hard line. The wine glass was now empty and Soifon had a feeling that Yoruichi had downed the contents in a single gulp.
"You want me to go?" She asked after a moment.
"Yes," Yoruichi replied softly, still not looking at Soifon.
Soifon hunkered down, drawing her knees up to her chest and remained still. She opened the book again and made another attempt to read it. Yoruichi didn't say anything, so Soifon figured that she didn't really want her to leave. At least, she hoped that she didn't want her to go.
Yoruichi stretched, her neck clicked and she grunted. The report she was writing had taken her a lot longer to finish than she had first anticipated. She looked over her laptop to the couch, where Soifon was curled up and sleeping. The girl certainly hadn't helped Yoruichi with her work, her suddenly near hostile attitude had knocked Yoruichi off kilter and she had spent a great deal of time just staring blankly at the screen.
Standing, Yoruichi started to tidy up her things. She didn't like to leave a mess, and whatever clutter she had in her home was organised. Once she had one that, she picked up the empty glass ad took it to the kitchen, leaving it on the bench next to the dink. She then made her way back to the living room and turned off the music.
Sighing, she turned to the couch and the sleeping form of Soifon. She was a little unsure of what to do here. She was half tempted to wake her up and order her to go home, but she didn't. If she woke her up she'd no doubt just take her to her bedroom and have sex with her. The thought brought a heavy sense of guilt, and Yoruichi had to physically shake herself to clear it.
Instead of waking the girl like she should have, Yoruichi went to her bedroom and retrieved a fleece quilt from her wardrobe. She returned to the living room and draped it over Soifon, tucking the girl in. Gently, she ran her fingers across Soifon's face, brushing back the hair that had fallen over her eyes.
"What's so messed up in your life that you need to hide over here?" Yoruichi murmured, wondering out loud. She watched Soifon for a few more seconds, and the turned away, making her way back to her bedroom to get some much needed sleep.
And there's chapter two. I know this is all moving fairly slowly, but it will pick up the pace soon. Reviews are welcome and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. No flames though, I don't really see the point in them.
Edit – Corrected grammar and spelling and other stuff.