The Rain Stopped
By:: Melissa

Disclaimer:: I do not own anything from this story. Everything belongs to Tite Kubo, creator of Bleach. Constructive criticism is welcome. No flames please.

Chapter 4

Kisuke kept running. He didn't stop running. He couldn't stop running. If he stopped running, she could catch him. He didn't stop running until he knew that he was far away from his house or Yoruichi's reiatsu. He walked forward slightly, just realizing where he was. He was standing in the middle of an open field, the sakura blossoms dancing in the air. He closed his eyes, breathing in the pungent scent. It smelled just like Yoruichi.

He sat down gracefully on the grass, staring at the night sky placidly. The stars twinkled in his eyes as he sat in deep thought. Putting his hands together, he closed his eyes again, thinking to himself.

How did I think that kissing Yoruichi would be okay?" he groaned, thinking out loud. He couldn't believe he had kissed her. Of course, he had always wanted to but he didn't think of the consequences at the time. He didn't stop to think that what he was doing was going to end up badly. But it did. What if she didn't feel the same way toward him? What if what he did ruined their friendship? What if she was shocked by what he did?

He regretted doing it. He sincerely did. He thought back to that moment in time. It still made him cringe. He could still see it, clear as day. The shock, the uncertainty, the fear, the anxiety. It was in her body, her eyes, everything about her screamed it. But he specifically remembered it in her eyes. Her eyes which had known no fear before, were wide with amazement. Fear and shock were reflected in those yellow orbs.

"Dammit!" he stood up forcefully, pacing. This was unlike him. He didn't act spontaneously like that. He always planned things out carefully and then made his move. He never just did something because he felt like it. He always had a plan behind his actions. He foresaw every detail, every malfunction, every consequence, and every problem. He never had an unforeseen mistake. He didn't loose his cool like this either. He didn't get emotional like this. He always kept his cool, kept his head. He always hid behind that happy carefree mask of his. He never just spontaneously got angry or was frustrated. He rarely ever let that mask slip from his face. Why now?

"Is this….love?" he asked himself, standing up. He looked at the moon and stared for several minutes at it, hoping to get an answer. But nothing came. He looked into his heart, searching for the answer. He looked within every deep crevice, every nook and cranny for the answer. But he couldn't find it.

He searched his soul for the answer and received more than he had bargained for. There, in his soul, was a beautiful and elegant woman standing there. She was dressed in a kimono belonging to royalty, pink petals embroidered on the bottom. Her dark red hair was done up into a gorgeous headdress, signifying that she was important. There was nothing else around her. As Kisuke made a move toward her, it started to rain. Big, fat droplets of water fell form the sky, as if Kisuke made it rain. The woman didn't move as the rain fell on her head but she looked up sadly at Kisuke.

"Who are you?" Kisuke asked, moving forward a little bit, holding out his hand to her. She didn't answer his question.

"Why do you do this to me, Kisuke?" the woman asked, her voice barely over a whisper. Kisuke leaned in to hear what she was saying.

"Do what to you?" Kisuke asked, becoming more confused.

"Why do you make it rain?" She came forward slightly.

"What do you mean?" He was truly puzzled now.

"Don't you see? It's always raining in here, Kisuke. No matter now much I cry or protest, it still rains. I don't want it to rain, Kisuke." She was looking at him in the eyes.

Kisuke gasped slightly. She had the same fear and anxiety in her eyes that Yoruichi had in hers. The same uncertainty, the same cautiousness and it made his stomach turn.

"But, whenever she's around, it stops raining. The sun comes out and the sky is clear. When she leaves, the rain clouds come and the thunder sounds." The woman looked at the sky, water falling on her face.

"Who is 'she?'" Kisuke asked cautiously. The woman looked at him with a glint in her eyes.

"You know who she is," the woman said, as if he should already know.

"How do I get it to stop raining for you?" he asked, looking for the answer in her eyes.

"You must find out that answer on your own." She turned around and started walking away. Kisuke was lost for words. He wanted to stop her, he wanted to talk to her more, he didn't want her to leave. Kisuke finally found his voice and shouted after her.

"Wait! What's your name?" Kisuke started to walk after her, but he couldn't move. He was stuck. She turned her head around to look at him.

"You already know my name." She walked off and disappeared in the darkness.

Kisuke came back to reality, his mind screaming with a million questions. He didn't realize that he had closed his eyes again. Opening them, he shook his head slightly, trying to clear his head. He was silent for several minutes, trying to absorb everything he had just heard.

"Benihime….I'm sorry that it rains in there…. I'll make sure that…. it won't rain anymore." Kisuke looked at the sword at his side, holding the handle gently. He thought about what would make the rain stop in his soul. He couldn't think of anything. He was lost for an answer. He brushed his hand through his hair, trying to come up with something. He closed his eyes again.

"Benihime, what is the answer? What will make the rain stop? Please tell me," he thought to himself. He had his hands opened, palm up and felt something fall into them. He opened his eyes in surprise, not expecting something to come.

In his hands was a sakura blossom from the tree he was standing under. He brought it up to his face and inhaled the scent. He closed his eyes again, getting lost in the tiny flower.

"It smells just like Yoruichi," he said, smiling. A look of realization came over his face as he put two and two together. His eyes snapped open. He had found the answer. He looked carefully at the sakura blossom in his hand, holding it gently. He moved down away from his face and looked at it for a long time.

"Yoruichi," he whispered. He pocketed the small flower into his robes and left the field. He walked off to the Captains Division to get instructions about his new job, keeping his new plan in the back of his mind.

The Next Day…

Yoruichi walked down the dusty street, a smile on her face. She walked into her office in the 2nd division and didn't even complain at the piles of paperwork on her desk. She sat down and picked up the first paper and started to read it. It was useless. Her head was absent from work today. Yoruichi had read the same line three times. Just then, a girl came into her office and Yoruichi looked up quickly.

"Soifon, good morning! How are you?" A small girl with short black hair came walking into the room.

"I'm doing great! What puts you in such a cheery mood, Yoruichi-taichou?" Soifon sat down opposite her teacher.

"Nothing, I'm just happy today is all! And remember, I told you, don't calling me taichou, you can just call me Yoruichi." She grinned and signed another paper with a flourish.

"I know, but it's just more respectful that way. Since you are nobility and all," Soifon said, looking at her pointedly.

"Nobility, Schm-bility. It doesn't matter. Have you learned anything new?" Yoruichi rolled her eyes at Soifon.

"Well no, but I have practiced the new techniques you taught me two days ago. I'm getting really good at them now," Soifon said, winking at Yoruichi.

"Good, how's practice going with your zanpakutou?" Yoruichi signed another paper, completing the stack originally in front of her. She moved those papers down to the ground, making a note to not forget them.

"It's good, I'm still a learning a little bit but ban release is getting better and easier. Maybe I'll be as good as you soon!" Soifon laughed. Yoruichi smiled and signed another paper. "Is there anything you would like for me to do today?" She asked, getting up from the chair she had sat in.

"I would like for you to help train the new shinigami on the Ops team." Yoruichi moved the next pile in front of her, getting lost behind them.

"Okay! See ya!" Soifon left the room, leaving Yrouichi by herself. She smiled and started on the big stack of papers in front of her. Halfway through the pile, she found a piece of paper folded in half that had Kisuke's handwriting on it. It was addressed to her. She took the letter and opened it.

Yoru-chan,

I was wondering if you would like to meet with me so that we could talk. I have something that I would like to tell you as well. If you would like to meet, please come to the far west field that has the sakura trees in them at six o'clock.

-Kisuke

Yoruichi folded the letter back up and stuck it in her robes. She made a mental note to not forget about this meeting. She sat down and decided to take a break from all the paperwork to think.

"What does Kisuke want to tell me?" Yoruichi thought to herself, her mind running a mile a minute. Maybe he wanted to talk to her about the kiss. What was there to talk about? He kissed her. Nothing more, nothing less. It was that simple.

"No," she thought, shaking her head. It wasn't simple. It was far from simple. If she was told that he just kissed her for no reason, it would break her heart. There was so much on the line. So much at stake. Her heart, her feelings, her emotional state. She hated feeling vulnerable like this. She liked to be in control of the situation. She didn't like not knowing the outcome, the end result. She didn't like being hurt. But she couldn't deny it. She loved him. She knew it like she had always felt that way. She wanted only him and no one else. But would he want only her?

At six o'clock, Yoruichi left the office and walked slowly down the dusty street, stopping herself from walking more quickly. After several minutes, she had made it to the field, only two minutes late. Kisuke was standing with his back to her, looking at the sunset in the west. Yoruichi walked forward slowly, taking in her surroundings. The wind blew gently, stirring her hair. The sakura trees were swaying in the breeze, making the scent of the blossoms become stronger. Yoruichi cleared her throat softly and Kisuke looked around at her. He smiled and turned all the way as Yoruichi came closer.

"Hey," he said, stopping in front of her.

"Hello," she said shyly. She was surprised at herself. She had never been shy before, let alone in front of her best friend.

"I have something to tell you," he said, getting straight to the point.

"Yes?" Yoruichi asked, sitting down on the grass.

Kisuke was silent for a while, looking at the sakura trees. He went over to a tree and pulled a blossom from a branch, holding it in his hand. He put it up to his face and smelled it, a smile coming onto his face. He turned away and looked at the sunset.

"You're my best friend. We've known each other since we were children. We've always been there for each other, through good and bad. But we're both growing and changing and the thought of you, that I have, is changing as well." Kisuke stopped, looking more deeply at the dying sun, the last light shining in his grey eyes. Yoruichi was silent, taking in everything he was saying.

"You're an amazing girl, Yoru-chan. You're beautiful and talented. You're one of the strongest girls I know. You're friendly, funny, caring and an overall great person. And… and I can't go on denying this any longer." Kisuke turned to look at Yoruichi. She looked at him, waiting for a reply.

"I…I love you, Yoru-chan. Not the friendship love that we've had for so long. This is a different kind of love. It's the romantic love that I've never felt for anyone else before. Yoru-chan, you're the only girl for me." Kisuke moved forward a little bit, fear in his eyes. He waited in anxiousness for her answer.

She sat in shock. She couldn't believe it. He felt the same way as she did for him. She didn't think it was possible. That he of all people would love her. She smiled slightly, the shock wearing off. She stood up and wrapped her arms carefully around his neck and smiled widely. Kisuke's face changed quickly from fear to shock as he realized what was going on.

"Really? Well, I have something to tell you then as well," she paused, looking into his grey eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but she put her finger over his mouth silencing him. He shut his mouth, still looking at her in shock. "I love you too." She stood up on her tip toes and placed her lips on Kisuke's in a kiss.

In Kisuke's soul, Benihime smiled, looking at the sky. The white fluffy clouds were out and the sun was shining.

"You found the answer, Kisuke and now the rain has stopped. I want there to be a time where not a single raindrop falls from this sky nor a single teardrop fall from you eyes…" She walked off in the distance, the bright sunshine gleaming off her hair.

Really long chapter, I know. I think they're going to be long the rest of the way through the story now. As you can tell, Yoruichi and Kisuke confess their feelings to each other about each other. ironic, no? And yes, the woman is Kisuke's soul is Benihime, his sword. Ya know, Benihime means "Crimson Princess" and i made it wear she was wearing clothes of royalty and had dark red hair...oh my gosh, look at that, symbolism. Anyways, next chapter should be up by next weekend. or even tomorrow maybe. So please review! Thanks! 3