A/N: I don't own Bleach or anything affiliated with it This disclaimer applies to the remaining stories as well. Eh? Let that also apply to Underoath. Thanks.

The first time it happened, he was drunk. There had been a party to celebrate Kaien's ascension as a member of the Gotei 13. They sat in a drinking house, the eight of them, with their cups of sake raised and big smiles on their faces. The table was the largest one the owner could find; he'd tried his hardest to get the largest table for a group with members from three of the great five nobles families. Yoruichi, Kuuaku, Kaien, and Byakuya had glared at the man profusely after basically announcing who they were. As if the stares from the other customers weren't enough already. Yoruichi knew the only reason Byakuya was there was because of her and the fact that Kaien was his friend. Kisuke, Isshin, Kyoraku, and Jushiro joined them at their table.

She knew he rarely drank. So, it was more than surprising to her to see Jushiro sitting next to Kyoraku with his cup raised every time his friend poured himself a refill. Maybe he finally wanted to experience something in life other than fear of whether or not he would wake up the following morning. She drank only one cup of sake, but noticed Kuuaku would finish her own cup then take up hers. Her golden eyes stared pointedly at the only female friend she had. She wondered if Kuuaku could beat Kyoraku drinking. Her laughter at the thought quieted the ruckus at the table for a few seconds. She rolled her eyes at the lingering stare Kisuke gave her before turning his attention back to Byakuya. They all must have been drunk in order for what was going on to be happening. Kisuke did not like Byakuya and vice versa. Kyoraku was lounging back in his chair chatting up a woman sitting behind him; she had short blond hair and a chubby face. Kuuaku, Jushiro, and Kaien were debating whether or not Seireitei would still exist in two millenniums.

She was the only person quiet at the table. Her eyes widened at the stare Jushiro gave her before he asked for her opinion on the matter. Her thoughts were that the topic was too trivial to have even survived for the past hour as it was, but she just shrugged and said something about death. The three people gaped at her bewildered before breaking into loud laughter. A smile spread her lips as she realized what she'd said actually had made no sense. And here she was the only sober person at the table. She shook her head gently before standing and walking towards the door. No one even noticed that she was leaving.

The air was cold against her skin as she stood with her cloak clutched tightly against her frame. The front of the building smelled thickly of sake and rice. She yawned rather loudly before glancing back into the building at her friends huddled around the table. She wasn't tired, but she was bored beyond fashion. She kicked at a large stone as she fixed the button on her cloak in place. Her feet made soft crunching noise with each step she took away from the building. How could she just walk away from spending time with her friends? Suddenly, she stopped where she stood and turned around slowly. Someone was watching her.

Jushiro stood in front of the door with a surprised expression. His long white hair was pulled away from his face into a neat ponytail. He stumbled towards her with a crooked smile and slapped her on the shoulder rather harder than he had meant to. His words slurred slightly as he mumbled a loud apology to her. It was probably after standing in the cold for fifteen minutes of silence did he realize why he'd come out in the first place.

"Where are you going? Kisuke was looking for you." He said the words slowly.

"Really?"

A large smile made his face so beautiful it was almost angelic. "No, but I thought that would get you back inside if I said it."

Yoruichi chuckled. She shook her head gently to clear away conflicting thoughts. "You're silly."

He kept up pace with her as she walked down the street with her golden eyes on nothing in particular. His breath came to him quickly, forcing him to slow down whenever she really sped up. Yoruichi finally noticed that he still walked with her but some paces behind. She turned to him with a smile she reserved for all the people she loved. Her arm slid around his shoulder as they continued to walk to nowhere in the dark.

She stopped in her tracks when she felt his lips on her cheek. Her first idea was that perhaps he had fallen asleep and she hadn't taken notice of it. Of course, that idea was incorrect; Yoruichi knew Jushiro snored rather loudly in his sleep. She looked down at him out the corner of her eye in surprise. His lips grazed her cheek again before he quickly planted them on top of her own lips. Her eyes widened in shock. Her feet moved back with each step forward he took. She soon found herself pressed against the wall of an abandoned house. Her shoulder slowly relaxed and her mouth opened fully for him. His tongue slid beyond her lips to graze hers. Her arms wrapped around his shoulder tightly in response to the warmth developing in the pit of her stomach.

Minutes passed. It took the crunching of rocks in the distance to pull the two away from one another. Yoruichi rested against Jushiro's easily with her ear pressed against his chest so she could hear the rapid beating of his heart. Her fingers dug into the softness of the kimono he wore. She was no longer feeling that she would freeze at any moment. His index finger tilted her chin upward and his mouth took hers again. The warmth in her stomach intensified until she felt a tingling she had never known before. His hand touched her face, her hair, her neck, and finally rested on her hips.

When he pulled away from her to gaze into her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. This was Jushiro! Jushiro was the one who was always distant with her. Jushiro was the one who always spoke with honor and wisdom and a sense of awareness. Jushiro was the one who was angriest with her when she told him about her dirty deeds with Kisuke in the library or in empty classrooms. He was the one who was always sick, but never complaining about life. He also was the one who readily admitted he would never fall in love.

Yoruichi's finger touched her lower lip. Her eyes searched his face for some hint that what had happened had been a mistake. He stepped towards her again, his eyes more clear than any moment before that. He opened his mouth to speak, but all he could do was pull him against her again and kiss her. Yoruichi moaned into his mouth and realized with a jolt that she had not breathed a moment between when he stopped kissing her and she he started back. He kissed her on the neck softly and pressed his face into her chest. Yoruichi dug her fingers into his hair and smiled down at the back of his head happily. Events like those made life worth living.

A/N: groans Another Yoruichi and Ukitake pairing? I just enjoy the idea of him getting drunk. LOL