Title: It Happened One Night

Author: Shanyetta

Rating: Teen: some sensuality

Category: Romance/Action; UraharaXYoruichi

Summary: A story set during and after Urahara's escape from Soul Society and how his relationship with Yoruichi changed. (Does contain some spoilers from the recent Manga chapters #316-318.)

Disclaimer: Don't own them, wish I did…alas Kubo owns them.

Note: This story came to me one evening. I've always thought about Urahara's relationship with Yoruichi; and I thought what if he and Yoruichi were just best friends in Soul Society and what if a traumatic situation for both of them opens a door to something more? Hmmm? Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 2:

Urahara awoke lying on damp ground surrounded by tall stonewalls. A soft rain was falling from the stormy sky. Yoruichi was leaning over his torso. Her hands were emanating a soft green glow over his wound. "Yoruichi…?"

Her amber eyes turned toward him, she looked tired, "Kisuke…I'm glad you're awake…" she sighed, "It's taken me two hours to heal your wound to the extent it is now. You're still not out of the woods." She turned back to her work.

He watched her, and the regret swept over him again. Why her? Why did she have to get caught up in all this? He reached a shaky hand toward her. His arm gave out and his hand grazed her hip as it fell back to the ground. Her face turned to look at his. He had always felt that those amber orbs could see into his soul. For the first time in a long time, Urahara, couldn't look into her eyes. He closed his eyes and breathed out heavily, "Yori…I'm sorry…"

He felt her hand touch his forehead, "You're burning up…sit still and try to be quite." She was trying to change the subject and he let her, "Old Yama sent some of my best troops through the gate after us." Her voice seemed empty, drained, "I don't think that they'll be looking for us for more than a day. Yama wouldn't risk the loss of manpower, not after the hit that the squads have taken recently… Four captains and four lieutenants, not including us, all gone at the same time. You really did it this time, Kisuke."

Urahara felt anger rising in his gut, it wasn't supposed to be this way, "Not me!"

Yoruichi's face registered the change in her friend's mood, "What do you mean? Didn't you create the Orb? Didn't you create the untraceable gigai?"

He tried to raise himself up from the ground; opening up his wound again, "No…Yori. I may have created them but…but he…"

She watched the anger start to overtake him, "Lay down…you're opening up your wound again, idiot!…It's bleeding again." She tried to push him back down.

He grabbed her arm is vision was spinning again, "A…A-Aizen…" His grip loosened, his head swam and his body felt heavy. "Aizen…betray…"

He could hear her voice, the worry in her tone as he started to succumb to the blackness that was overtaking him, "Kisuke…what do you mean? Kisuke! God…Aizen? Kisuke…look at me! Damn it! God…stop…blood…DAMN! Please don't take him…"

The sun's rays peaked through the clouds and rested on his face. He could feel the warmth as he opened his eyes. He squinted at the familiar stonewalls that seemed to loom over him.

A very relieved looking Yoruichi moved toward him and blotted out the sun. "Thank God! Kisuke…you've been out for three days. I was able to heal the wound in that time, without you squirming around." Her voice had the sarcastic tone that he knew so well, but she still wore the tired, worried expression. "The troops are gone too. Looks like we're safe for the time being." She reached out her hand and helped him to his feet. He stumbled a bit and fell against her. Her arms were wrapped around him supporting him. She felt rigid against him, like she didn't want to touch him. He moved away from her and rested his hand against the wall. They stood silently in the narrow alley; birds were chirping and a gentle breeze cruised through the alley. So this was the human world, the land of the living. The cheerful sound of the birds didn't seem to lift the dark cloud that was hovering over the two of them.

He looked over at Yoruichi. She was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, her face turned up toward the sky. "Yoruichi-san…I really am sorry." She didn't move. He studied her; she looked like a beautiful goddess. "Yori?"

His answer came in the form of a very hard punch to the jaw that made him stagger backwards against the wall; silence fell again. The silence remained for what seemed like an eternity.

"Didn't I say that if you put me in the position I am in right now that I would punch you so hard that you'd wish that you were the dead cat?" she placed a small hand against the wall, leaning into the cold stone, "I couldn't hit you until you were healed…" Her voice caught as she turned to face him. For the first time in all the years he had known her she looked broken. "I couldn't…" she whispered, "…now could I?" Her gaze met his as rain began to fall.

Urahara had promised…promised to not have this happen to her, and yet here they were. He wanted to gather her in his arms, but he didn't even move. Instead he allowed himself to speak, "Yoruichi…you're right. I…I did all of this." He brushed his hair out of his eyes as the rain plastered it to his face, "I…I wanted so badly to create something that could help. The orb…that damn orb…I foolishly thought that if Yama allowed me, that it could not only strengthen our forces but also release those souls that were forced to become hollows…It was so stupid!" Yoruichi's eyes dropped back to the ground, "And…the gigai…I mean that wasn't even meant to be mass produced! One friend…requested it, so like an idiot, again…I didn't even think and I made it not even once thinking how it would look." He turned away from her, pressing his forehead against rain-slicked wall. "God…Hiyori…" his voice was shaking, "Shinji…" his voice trailed off as all the names of those who were scarred from his mistake moved through his mind. He felt her hand slide quietly onto his shoulder, "Yori…Yoruichi…" he felt tears now, he couldn't remember the last time he had cried, "Yoruichi…san…sorry."

With those words her arms wrapped around him. Turning him to face her, he saw the same pain in her eyes, "Why, Yori? Why did you help me escape? I didn't deserve it. I had already dug my own grave." A wave of pain and sorrow was flooding over him.

"Idiot!" her voice echoed in the alley, "I would have rather died then not help you!" Her words were clear and forceful. She placed her hands on his face and forced him to look at her, "Look at me!" her hands pulled his face gently upward, "Look at me…you, Kisuke, are my best friend…I…" her voice faltered, "I would die for you!"

He pulled her to him and held her tight. He could feel her relax against him as they both let the reality, the heartbreaking reality, set in as the rain poured around them.