I'm sorry for the last chapter being so trashy. I am still learning, and I realize that it was a garbage idea to begin with. I promise no more 4chan(slightly off-topic, but they recently hit an all-time low in my book. But anyways, back to Bleach.)

Disclaimer: The rights to Bleach aren't in my possession.

Isane Kotetsu believed that she needed medical help.

When Ichigo Kurosaki entered into the fourth division barracks for his daily Kido training, she already knew he was a fast learner, so curiosity got the better of her when she asked her captain to watch his progress. She nearly fainted when he had seen him with her own eyes master Bakudo up to number 29, and Hado up to number 26. This was ridiculous: at this rate, he could, as the lieutenant observed, single-handedly take down Head-Captain Yamamoto within a month's time.

Her captain seemed to be done for the day, and asked her leave the room. After what already happened, she seemed to need it, and headed to the division's third seat to check for her sanity.

Smiling as always, Unohana then turned to perform her other daily duty for the young captain. "Captain Kurosaki, I understand that you and lieutenant Soi Fong have had a complex relationship. After hearing about what happened 'that day,' I seem to think the problem is obvious, yet you claim it is not. Would you care to delve into your memory to explain why it is so?"

Suddenly, the captain in question looked extremely downcast. "Well, I really hate remembering that night, and it constantly haunts me…"

Flashback:

Ichigo was hopping from rooftop to rooftop, towards the barracks of the second division. He felt like an enormous jerk after what he did earlier in the day. Praying that luck was on his side, he scurried with great speed.

Upon reaching the barracks, he found the lights were out, and that he Squad was enjoying the few hours of sleep they were rationed. Remembering everything Yoruichi told him, he navigated his way through the barracks, and eventually reached Soi Fong's quarters.

There were so many things that could go wrong, the substitute thought, but it was a risk he had to take. He knocked on the door just loud enough for her to hear, but got no response. After knocking again, he did get one that time.

"Who is it? State yourself before I decide it's time for target practice."

"It's me, Soi Fong. I came over and"

"What do you want, Kurosaki? Come to molest me again? Answer now or I'll answer for you."

"I've come to apologize for today. What I did was inexcusable, and I want you to know that I mean it."

"Save your breath for someone who cares. It's bad enough that you can't contain your perverse actions."

"Look, is there anyway I could make this up to you?"

After waiting about a minute, she replied. "If it really matters that much to you, we can talk tomorrow."

"It's a deal, thanks Soi Fong, I promise I'll be there."

Immediately after he said that, Ichigo had left the building and decided to sleep. Little did he realize that he would have to leave for the world of the living the next morning.

End Flashback:

"…I completely forgot that it was the last day before school, and I didn't remember until the next morning."

"I see," Unohana was absorbing the story in like what the people in the world of the living called a 'sponge.'

"Later, I tried to contact her frequently, but she was out of contact for months, and by the time I could reach her, she hated me, and I don't blame her. I tried my best to apologize, but she kept making attempts on my life ever since." What he didn't know was that Soi Fong had learned about an innovation from the world of the living, which was called a 'filter,' which allowed her to avoid anyone she chose, and still keep her job.

This caused the captain of the fourth division to enter deep thought. She had talked about it with Ukitake the previous night, and he had a theory, but she didn't think it was possible. After hearing the last bit of the tale, the woman fitted all the pieces of the puzzle together, and came to an inevitable conclusion.

"I need to ask you a question, captain Kurosaki," she sighed, and then continued. "Do you think it's possible, that lieutenant Soi Fong ever held feelings for anyone?"

This was a no-brainer for anyone, even the captain of the third division. "Of course, I mean she seems to be in love with captain Shihoin, but what does this have to do with her hating me?"

"It comes to my attention that you may be right, and wrong, at the same time. It may be true that she harbors love for captain Shihoin, but I don't think that her affection is beyond the boundaries of a 'sisterly' relationship."

This came as a surprise to Ichigo. "Are you proposing that Soi Fong isn't lesbian?"

"Have you ever seen or heard of lieutenant Soi Fong in a relationship with anyone? While it is true that she would do anything for her, I doubt the fact that she 'prefers' women to men."

"Alright, so I'll admit that there could be a possibility that we've all misjudged her, but what are you getting at?"

She didn't know if he was ready to hear it, but he had to, if there was any hope of them not at each other's throats. "There may be a small chance, that she harbors affection for you, captain Kurosaki."

His blood froze. Never in a million years would he imagine Soi Fong, of all people, feeling about him, of all people. He wanted to get up and scream blasphemy. He wanted to enter Bankai, don his hollow mask, and rip the Seireitei in half. He wanted to beat up the next thug who looked at him funny.

But he couldn't.

At first, he couldn't believe it, but after much denial, he came to the conclusion that even as far-fetched as it was, the theory was his best bet. "What do I do now? How can I handle this without her trying to kill me?"

"Lieutenant Soi Fong is a firm believer in following orders, captain Kurosaki. If you order her to listen, she will have no choice but to listen."

"Don't get any ideas, Ichigo."

Suddenly, a familiar black cat appeared on the windowsill, gazing at him with golden eyes. "Please forgive me, captain Unohana, but after overhearing your conversation about my little bee, I couldn't help but listen."

"What the hell, Yoruichi! Why were you hitting on me last night?"

"Oh, that, well I felt like teasing you again, but for other reasons. I know you enjoyed it, you little pervert." She smirked at his reaction, and turned to Unohana, giving her a knowing look. Although no words were spoken, the two women had reassured one another that there could be no doubt about the situation. Not saying another word, the goddess of flash took off for who-knows-what.

"Okay, I'll test your theory, but what if it doesn't work? What if it backfires?" Ichigo was relieved that his former mentor took off, but he immediately remembered the matter at hand.

"Well, should that be the case, remember that her position will only be temporary. If worst comes to worst, once everything is over, you two will never have to speak to each other again."

He had to admit, the woman in front of him had a good point. Plus, he had other reasons for compromising with the small woman. "Alright, I'll do it. Thank you, captain Unohana, for everything. You've taken the time out of your day to help me with my personal life. You even remind me of… my mother."

This came as a shock to Unohana, who never thought she would see the day that she would be considered a mother. "I remind you of your mother? Is she a nice person?"

"She was a wonderful person. She was the heart of our family, and I loved her dearly. But… she was murdered by the Grand Fisher, and I was powerless to stop him. I confronted the bastard at her grave, but I failed to kill him. I'm glad that she was avenged by my father, but I wish it were me."

Suddenly, her smile went upside down. "I see, this isn't an easy subject for you, is it?"

"Well, as terrible as the event was, I need to put it behind me if I ever want to move on. I'll never forget my failure, and it drives me to protect those that I care about."

"Well, I'm glad that I am helpful to you, captain Kurosaki. Before you go, however, we need to talk about using Kido."

"You knew about what happened yesterday?"

"I was informed by captain Ukitake last night. While I am glad that you are using it already, and so well, I must remind you that it should never be used on your friends and allies."

"I will, thank you again, captain Unohana." As he left the room, Isane came in to receive a checkup from her captain. Not trusting anyone but her, she still needed confirmation on what she saw.

"Lady Yoruichi, I am sorry for my unacceptable behavior last night and,"

"It's okay, my bee, don't feel ashamed. Anyway, I wanted to have a little chat later. How about meeting me at our barracks in an hour or so?"

"Thank you, lady Yoruichi, but why not now, if I may ask?"

"I'm just a bit tired after paying a little visit to your captain." After noting the slight blush that graced the woman in front of her, Yoruichi let out a chuckle. "Don't worry, I didn't do that."

"I don't know what you mean, lady Yoruichi. Why would I be worried about anything you did?"

"Nevermind, my little bee, take care now, and don't run the division into the ground." Almost simultaneously after the goddess of flash departed, Kiyomi walked in.

"Greetings, lieutenant Soi Fong, how is your morning?"

"Average, as usual." Upon closer inspection, the third seat didn't have a visible scratch on her. She knew that the fourth division, especially Unohana, was skilled at healing, but a full recovery so soon was rare, especially at the hour she was wounded. "That was a fast recovery. How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, lieutenant Soi Fong. As good as new, as a matter of fact." Her smile widened, which unnerved Soi Fong.

"I suppose your trip to the fourth division went without a hitch? I didn't expect you to make such a rapid recovery."

"Actually, I never arrived to the fourth division. I performed a healing Kido on myself and returned to the barracks in time to catch some sleep."

The demoted leader of the Onmitsukido knew that healing Kido was an incredible feat to be used by members outside the fourth division, but usage on one's self was absurd. Something didn't seem right to her. "Healing Kido on yourself? How did you do that?"

"Well, I had picked up the art a while back, and after much practice, I obtained the ability. I haven't mastered it yet, but until I do, I want to keep it a secret."

"Why? With your ability, you could be made a lieutenant, and with a bit of dedication, even a captain. I'm going to tell Ichigo, and the three of us can have a discussion on the matter."

Suddenly, the peaceful demeanor that the third seat was known for had vanished without a trace. "Please don't do that, lieutenant Soi Fong. I wouldn't want to resort to… playing dirty."

"Play dirty? What do you mean by that?"

"I know how you're giving captain Kurosaki the eye."

"What! What in blazes makes you think that I see him that way?"

"To start, you're calling him by his first name. Second, I saw the way you looked at him last night."

This statement gave a sense of fear to Soi Fong. Lady Yoruichi had been hinting at it for some time, but never had anyone been that upfront about it. "What is it you want? It can't possibly be just keeping your position."

"Let's make a deal: if you don't tell him about this incident, I'll keep a lid on your crush on our sexy captain."

"Achoo!"

"Do you have a cold, Ichigo? You've been sneezing quite a bit."

"I don't: it's either Kenpachi getting nostalgic about our first encounter, Grimmjow cursing me, or Soi Fong found yet another way to kill me."

"Don't be such a Debbie-downer, Ichigo." Rukia had been permitted to stay in the human world after Aizen's defeat, and picked up a few phrases from various origins, may of which she didn't know.

"You're right, I should be optimistic. It might be the Shinigami Women's Association."

His close friend thought that enough was enough, and started wailing on him, as usual.

Although taken aback by the comment on their captain, the lieutenant had no choice but to agree. "Fine, it's a deal."

Kiyomi's demeanor reverted back to her cheerful self. "Thank you, lieutenant Soi Fong. I hope you enjoy the rest of the day. I'll return to the recreation center with the rest of the division. We will make you proud!" After the third seat left the room, she sighed, and relaxed in her chair, waiting for her chance to properly apologize to her idol.

After saying to himself that visiting the fifth division was a bad idea, Ichigo resumed his stroll back to his headquarters. He had a lot on his mind, and thought that a quick chat with his friends would alleviate some stress. He felt proud, when entering the division grounds, his men were all preparing for the big day. He would check on them later, but something more important came first.

After entering his office, he found Soi Fong in deep thought. 'It must be Yoruichi again. I admit, she did act strange, and I didn't expect her teasing to get that far."

"Planning on a threesome, king? As suave as you may be, I want a cut on the action."

'The hell! We both know that Yoruichi is completely out of my league, and that I don't need to explain Soi Fong.'

"While I'll agree with you on the former, that the woman is obviously not into you, you're completely oblivious on the latter."

'What do you mean by that?'

"You'll find out yourself if you follow through with your surrogate mother's plan."

Because he too deep in thought talking to his inner hollow, the young Vizard was unaware of his composure, which made him look like he was arguing with some invisible entity. His lieutenant was fed up with it, and broke it. "What are you doing just standing there?"

Remembering how silly he must look, he turned to his pressing matter. "Soi Fong, we need to talk."

"I hope you plan on doing it later, because lady Yoruichi came by first, and I'm going to meet up with her soon."

"Okay, Soi Fong, you can go, but as soon as you get back, we are going to chat, no exceptions."

"Fine." Before she left, he moved to ask another question.

"How is Kiyomi doing? Did she come back from the fourth division?"

"Actually, all she needed was some rest. She didn't need treatment, so she returned, and she claims to be as good as new." Although it was an overall lie, parts of her start were true, so the petite Shinigami didn't feel as bad about lying.

After noting that he was satisfied, she left for another room, doing who-knows-what. Ichigo grunted in frustration and decided to visit his Squad to observe their progress.

The third division had improved radically over the course of the past week. Every day, they seemed to get better and better. Their Hakuda and Hoho were gaining on the Onmitsukido, thanks to Soi Fong overseeing during her "off hours," and their Zanjutsu was slowly improving. Still, their Kido was only average, but that didn't matter much, due to their opponents not being famous for being experts in the skill.

As he watched them go at it, Ichigo observed that they would be ready within two days. What made him uneasy was that Kiyomi appeared to be sitting out. Curious, he sat down next to her. "Why are you sitting out, Kiyomi?"

""Oh, captain Kurosaki, I, don't feel well today. I'm still a bit dizzy from last night."

"Oh, that's too bad. I just don't want you getting out-of-shape for the tournament."

"Well, captain Kurosaki, there's something you should know about the tournament." After look at her captain for recognition, she went on. "Calling it a 'tournament' isn't exactly accurate: it's more of a bloody free-for-all, with teams. It's not uncommon for certain divisions to be cut down to the last Shinigami. It was dubbed a 'tournament' because it was meant for all Squads to participate, but that obviously isn't the case."

"Wouldn't that be all the more incentive to work harder? Soi Fong told me you felt as good as new."

"Ah, well I was, but I don't feel so good. Besides, we should be preparing more on the environment of the fight."

"Environment? That's important? I thought it was just eye-candy."

"Well, depending on the surroundings, we will have an easier or harder time overcoming the eleventh division. Although the contest is on the strength of the division, using military tactics isn't against the rules."

"I see," Ichigo was now curious. He didn't think this in-depth on the subject, so it fascinated him. "Go on, I have plenty of time."

Soi Fong was never one to be impatient on matters concerning lady Yoruichi, but it had been four hours since they had agreed to meet. She wondered where her idol could have been, and sighed heavily. What concerned her was that it was getting dark, and the sun had just about set.

If this was a mistake on her part, the lieutenant had no idea, but she refused to accept that her lady Yoruichi would abandon her again. She just stood there, the bee waiting for the cat, and waited like a resolute watch dog. There was some comments about her, but she ignored them, focusing on where the goddess of flash could have been.

After waiting long after dark, and reaching her curfew, a teary-eyed petite Shinigami made her way back to her office, feeling loneliness overcome her once again.

The young captain of the third division was relaxing in his chair, content with the day's events. After a long conversation with his third seat, he had personally drilled his men, helping them with their Zanjutsu, and showing off some Kido as well. It was unfortunate that Kiyomi had fell asleep after a while, and he had to carry her to her room, but he had faith in her abilities.

What he really wanted to do was talk with Soi Fong, but knowing Yoruichi, she would probably be gone for the rest of the night. Given that, he was naturally startled when said woman had appeared in front of him, with a look of sadness on her face.

"Soi Fong, what happened?"

She sniffed and looked down, trying not to meet his gaze. "L-l-lady Yoruichi wasn't there, so I left."

"Can we talk? There's something I want to talk with you about."

"Over my dead body, Ichigo. There's no way,"

"Soi Fong, as your captain I order you to cut the crap and listen." Ichigo hated doing that, he felt that overexerting authority was wrong, but given the situation, it was a necessary evil.

Much to his amazement, she did shut up, and sat down in front of him. He quickly noted that, so long as he didn't abuse this privilege, it could save his ass one day.

"Listen, Soi Fong, for years now, I've wanted to tell you that I am dearly sorry for how I behaved all those years ago. It was wrong for me to take advantage of you, and especially for standing you up. For years, I've tried to tell you, but you kept pushing me away, and for good reason."

"Get to the point, Ichigo."

"The point is… I acted on instinct there because... I think that I'm… attracted to you, Soi Fong. I think you're outstanding, dedicated, intelligent, beautiful, an-,"

Suddenly, an outstretched finger was placed in front of him. "Stop pulling my leg, or I'll release Suzumebachi this instant."

He brushed her finger away from him, and gave a worried look. "I'm not pulling your leg, Soi Fong. I enjoy spending time with you, and I want to know if you felt the same way."

Instead of pummeling him, as he anticipated, she pulled him into an embrace, sealed with a kiss. "Does that answer your question?" This time, she knew that she had him where she wanted him.

"Well, in a way, but I don't feel that it's fair for you." He noted her downcast expression after he spoke.

"Why would it be unfair? I love you, Ichigo." She inched forward, trying to catch whatever he was going to say.

"Well, that is the problem. I love my family, and my friends, but for you, I don't know. I feel a strong feeling of happiness whenever I'm around you, but it's different from when I'm with my family or my friends. I've never truly felt this way about anyone, not Rukia, not Orihime, nobody, and as it pains me to say it, I'm not sure if it's love or not. I don't want to end up breaking your heart, even at my own cost."

"Don't worry, Ichigo, I'm sure you'll figure out your emotions soon enough. In the meantime, I don't mind if we see each other, I really wouldn't call it unfair, as long as it's you."

"Well, until everything is sorted out, I think we should keep our relationship incognito. I think it's for the best, until you regain your position."

"I agree, but we should at least let lady Yoruichi know. I trust her with my life: I'm sure that she'll never tell a soul if we ask her not to." She glanced over at a nearby clock that Ichigo had brought over from his old room. "It's getting late: we should get some rest."

The Vizard had just gotten up, when he was pulled down again. "As much as I'd like to stay here with you a while longer, I need to get to sleep."

"I was just reminding you that your bed is that way, Ichigo. I think that since we're together, we can skip the chivalric act."

'Act? What act?' Ichigo gave a deep sigh. "Fair enough," He had gotten into the bed first, and Soi Fong had rushed in soon after. "You're eager to jump into bed with me, aren't you?"

Her response was a playful shove. "Shut up."

"Well, Yoruichi, I guess it's safe to safe that the plan was a success."

"I guess so, Kisuke, but do you think she will forgive me?"

"Puh-lease! She does everything short of worship the ground you walk on. I'll admit: it was a low blow, but I'm sure that when she's ready, you can tell her and it will all be water under the bridge."

"You're right, Kisuke, I'm probably worrying too much." The goddess of flash noticed that her old friend was tinkering with an odd device. "What's that? Is it new?"

"Oh, this? It lets me check the shield surrounding the Seireitei. I'm just checking to make sure that it will survive the sudden surge of Reiatsu in a few days. Who knows what would happen should it collapse with the entire Gotei 13 focused in one position."

The perverted inventor saw that his old friend was staring intently at his device. 'Sorry, Yoruichi,' he thought to himself. 'There's something I want to tell you, and everyone else in the Seireitei, but we can't afford to miss this opportunity.'

"Hey, Ichigo?"

All that could be heard was a mumble, but it was definitely a mumble of confirmation.

"Do you think I can come with you to captain Unohana tomorrow?"

This time, the young captain gave the thumbs-up sign. Soi Fong went back to sleep, while the day's events replayed in her mind. 'Why would lady Yoruichi do this to me? She has been acting rather unusual lately. I want to ask her a few questions the next time I see her. There's also something else I want to do with Ichigo, just the two of us, but I'll ask him in the morning.'

A/N: I hope this chapter was an improvement. I am aware that Soi Fong may have been a bit OOC in this chapter, but I'm still tinkering a bit. I think I overdid the fluff, and from here, I'll try to keep it at a reasonable level.