Thanks again for the reviews!

Lady Poison Dreams – Haha, good point. I was wondering if I should up the rating, if only because of the fairly large age difference between them. I don't really plan on putting any smut in this though (sorry to disappoint?) but there certainly will be some uh... risqué situations.

So, with that in mind, if anyone thinks that I should up the rating to M then just shout.

Yoruichi groaned as she heard the soft hum of her alarm clock jar her from sleep. For a moment she ignored it, burrowing her face into her over stuffed pillow. The noise was insistent though, and she was forced reach over to the clock and blindly tried to switch it off. It took several attempts, but eventually she managed it. Rolling onto her back she rubbed at her eyes. It was just past eight and really far too early to be getting up on a Saturday morning. She turned her head and looked to the other side of the bed, it was empty.

She felt disappointed, only now realising that she had been hoping that Soifon would have woken up during the night and made her way to the bedroom.

"Stupid," She hissed at herself. Kicking the sheets away from her, she sat up. Considering the way Soifon had been acting last night, why on earth would she have wanted to join Yoruichi? If Soifon had any sense (and sometimes Yoruichi found herself wondering if the girl did have any sense) then she would have left the moment she woke.

Standing, Yoruichi ruffled her hair with her hands before yawning and then grabbing her robe. She made her way from the bedroom, tying the sash around her waist as she went. She wasn't at all surprised to find the living room empty. The blanket that she had draped over Soifon the previous night was lying in a crumpled heap at one end of the couch. Rolling her eyes, Yoruichi picked it up and carefully folded it, placing it back down on the couch neatly. She took a moment to straighten out the cushions as well, never liking to leave any kind of mess in her apartment.

The sound of cups slinking together drew her attention to the kitchen. A smile made its way up Yoruichi's face, and she headed into the room where she figured Soifon would be.

"My hero," she murmured, watching the younger girl as she stirred the contents of the mug in her hand. "You made me coffee."

Soifon raised her head and a small blush coloured her cheeks. "I didn't mean to wake you," she said after a brief pause, in which she hung her head and hunched her shoulders. She almost looked guilty, which made Yoruichi feel confused.

"You didn't," Yoruichi replied. She crossed the kitchen and took one of the mugs from Soifon, inhaling the aroma of freshly made coffee. "That smells really good."

"I'm, uh, glad," Soifon said weakly. She turned her head away from Yoruichi and shuffled back, increasing the distance between them.

"You okay?" Yoruichi asked.

"I'm fine," Soifon said quickly, a little too quickly. She rubbed at her arm and focussed her gaze on the counter top.

Yoruichi sighed. She set down her mug and took hold of Soifon's chin in her hand, tilting the girls' head back so that she had no choice but to look at Yoruichi. Except that her grey eyes slid off to the side, deliberately away from Yoruichi.

"Right," Yoruichi murmured. "Are you sure? You don't look fine. Actually you're acting pretty weird."

Much to Yoruichi's surprise, Soifon's bottom lip quivered and she swallowed. Was she going to cry?

Suppressing an exasperated sigh, Yoruichi moved her hand from Soifon's chin and placed it round the back of her head instead. She pulled her closer and into a small hug, the girl's face pressed into her shoulder.

"I'm not angry with you," She said. "If that's what you're thinking, even if you were acting like a brat last night."

"Oh," Soifon uttered, the sound muffled into Yoruichi's chest.

Yoruichi dropped her arm from Soifon and stepped back, retrieving her coffee from the bench. She retreated across the room and away from Soifon. "Let's drink these and then head out. I'll buy us both breakfast," She looked back over her shoulder at Soifon. "I think we should re-evaluate those rules you set out at the beginning."

Yoruichi didn't wait for Soifon to reply, she left the room and the girl behind her. She felt... confused, and she didn't like it.

Soifon watched as Yoruichi heaped yet more sugar into her cup of coffee, stirring it between spoonfuls and eventually tapping the spoon against the rim of the mug once she was satisfied that her beverage was sweet enough. They had finished breakfast, and Soifon had been amazed at the amount that Yoruichi had eaten, the woman had consumed enough for at least two other people. Eyeing the woman's perfect curves Soifon couldn't help but wonder where she put it all.

"So," Yoruichi said finally. "We need to talk."

She had seemed a lot more withdrawn this morning, Soifon had noticed. And had seemed hesitant in the way she moved and spoke, and there had been a gentleness that Soifon had not experienced before. It was gone now though, and amusement glittered in Yoruichi's golden eyes again signalling that she was back to her usual self.

Soifon shrugged in response. "I guess," she said.

Yoruichi tilted her head to the side. "You guess? You don't think there's been a little bit of a problem between us the past couple of days."

"I thought I was just acting like a brat?"

"See! That's what I'm talking about," Yoruichi smirked at her. "What's with all the back chat I've been getting lately? I don't remember doing anything to deserve it."

Soifon shrugged again. Yoruichi was staring at her, her own brow furrowed in what might have been concern.

"Are you going to contribute to this conversation?" Yoruichi asked.

"I already did," Soifon snapped. "There's nothing else to say. And I thought you wanted to end it. You said it yourself; it would be no problem finding another girl to take my place."

Yoruichi's eyes went wide. "Is that what this is about?" She actually sounded surprised, and then she laughed. "I was joking. I didn't actually mean that. Honestly, one teenager is more than enough problems to deal with."

Soifon stared at her in confusion. "But you said-"

"Soifon," Yoruichi cut her off, her voice gentle, careful and perhaps tinged with regret. "I was joking. I honestly didn't mean that, I was only teasing you. And this is exactly why I think we should look over those rules of yours." she sighed and scratched at the back of her head, her gaze flickering off to the side as though she was making sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "I think that you're starting to expect too much from me. This ... thing, we've got going on, we agreed that there would be no strings attached to it. It was just about sex. That was the deal. This is not a relationship, and I am not obligated to deal with whatever crap you've got going on in your life."

Soifon cringed in on herself. She didn't like the way Yoruichi was looking at her, like she was actually worried and cared about her. "I never said that you were," Soifon said.

"Then stop treating my place as some sort of refuge," Yoruichi replied. "And stop pushing me. I don't care what you say; you can't drink in my apartment. It's my home and what I say goes, got that?"

Soifon nodded.

"Good. And while we're on the subject of illegal activities," She continued. "How about you stop flaunting our age difference in my face. I don't think you appreciate how much trouble I could get in because of this."

"Sorry," Soifon mumbled.

"Tch!" Yoruichi rolled her eyes, a smile on her face.

"It's not my fault you're old though."

Golden eyes bored into her in a flat stare. "I am not old. I'm not even thirty yet."

Soifon shrugged once more. "That's good to know. Thirty is half dead."

Yoruichi shook her head, smile still in place. "Thirty is not old. Thirty is still very young."

"Half way to sixty," Soifon reasoned. "I bet it's all downhill from thirty. Everything will start to sag." She cast a critical eye down Yoruichi's' perfectly toned body, hidden beneath her clothes for now.

Yoruichi actually laughed. "Well you'll just have to find yourself a younger model when that happens."

"So... you're not ending things, then?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No. Not yet at any rate," she placed her elbow down on the table top and rested her chin on her palm. "You know, you're allowed to end things if you want. That was part of the deal too."

"I don't want things to end."

Yoruichi's brow creased. "You sure? You'd probably be better off with a girl your own age."

"I don't really like the girls my age," Soifon replied. "I don't get on with them. Or with anyone at school, really."

"Why does that not surprise me," Yoruichi muttered. "And why do I feel like you're going to more trouble than your worth?"

Soifon shrugged.

"Stop shrugging at me," Yoruichi said, laughing again and shaking her head. "It's not a real answer."

Soifon actually smiled, rubbing at her arm nervously as she felt Yoruichi's golden eyes gaze at her. She was never entirely sure if Yoruichi was laughing at her or with her, but she seemed to amuse the woman no matter the situation.

Yoruichi sipped at her coffee. "In all seriousness though, there are a few things I want to ask you."

"Why?" Soifon questioned. Part of their arrangement was that they didn't ask each other questions and that they didn't delve into the other's personal life, and Soifon desperately wanted it to stay that way.

All the playfulness dropped from Yoruichi features and she looked a lot more serious. "Where do your parents think you are when you stay over?"

"They think I'm at a friends'," Soifon answered honestly. "I don't ever tell them which friend though. They never ask either. I don't think they care."

Yoruichi frowned. "I'm sure they do care. That's just your teenage melodrama kicking in," She sighed. "And where do your friends think you are?"

Soifon thought of Isane and how worried she had looked. "I don't know," Soifon said. "I've never told them."

"Right," Yoruichi nodded. "I've got to say, when I was your age my dad would have freaked out if I was staying out at odd hours."

"Shouldn't your mom have freaked too."

"She wouldn't have known," Yoruichi said, her smile rising back on her face.

Soifon gave her a quizzical look.

"My parents got divorced when I was five," Yoruichi explained. "I loved with my mom until I was eleven. But then she met this guy and remarried, naturally they didn't want a kid hanging around so I was sent to live with my dad. Never mind that I hadn't actually spoken to him since the divorce," She laughed ruefully here. "Or that he's the workaholic type and had rarely spoken to me before the divorce. And when I landed back here, I found out that my dad had remarried as well and I had a step-brother. It was all a bit of a mess, to say the least."

"You have a step-brother?"Soifon said in surprise.

Yoruichi nodded. "Yeah, he's a great guy. We fought a bit as kids, but we're really close now," She took another sip of her coffee. "Well, that just broke the 'no background info' rule. I rarely speak to my mom now, in case you were wondering."

"It must have been weird getting used to having a sibling."

"Not really. It helped that we're the same age, I think," Yoruichi said. "What about you? I know that you're not an only-child."

"What makes you think that?" Soifon didn't ever remember mentioning her brothers, but she supposed that might have at some point.

"You don't talk like one," Yoruichi explained. "There's a certain arrogance to only-Childs'. They never had to share anything or compete for attention the way kids with siblings did. You don't seem to have that arrogance, so I'm assuming that you have a brother or sister, probably more than one and I'd also hazard a guess that you're the youngest."

IT was a little bit scary that Yoruichi had read her so accurately. She couldn't possibly see how Yoruichi could tell she had brothers or that she was the youngest, and there was just no way that she could know this. Soifon rubbed at her arm as she thought of her brothers. She didn't know what to say to Yoruichi, she didn't have to answer her but she also felt as though she owed the woman an answer. Especially since Yoruichi had just revealed so much information about herself.

As if reading her thoughts, Yoruichi said, "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to.2

"It's just..." Soifon trailed off. "I mean..." Why was it so difficult to talk about them?

"Sister?" Yoruichi asked. "Brother?"

Soifon nodded.

"So you have a brother," Yoruichi smiled at her.

"I suppose..."

Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow in amused confusion. "You suppose? You either have one or you don't, which is it."

"Five. I have... had... I have five brothers." It shouldn't be this difficult to talk about them. Soifon felt confused though, she wasn't sure how to explain it you Yoruichi or even if she wanted to. She hadn't spoken of her brothers in what felt like a long time.

"Five?" Yoruichi exclaimed. "And you're the only girl?" She laughed loudly. "Goodness, that must be hell!"

Soifon actually managed to crack a smile. "I guess," she shrugged again. "I don't think it was that bad."

Yoruichi's smile softened and the look she directed at Soifon seemed almost concerned, or even outright worry, Soifon wasn't too sure. She found it difficult at times to discern what Yoruichi was thinking from her expressions.

"I'm glad we got this sorted out," Yoruichi said. "And just so we're clear, I don't mind you being round at mine at all. Just give me a bit of warning before hand in case I'm working or something."

"Oaky, I can do that," Soifon replied.

"And you can't be round tonight," Yoruichi said. "I'm going out so I won't be there."

"Going to go get drunk?" Soifon guessed.

"I'm technically working again," Yoruichi explained. "I have a potential client to win over, which means I have to pretend to get drunk and sing a lot of karaoke."

Soifon stared at her. "What the hell do you do?"

Yoruichi chuckled. "It's not an unusual way to gain a clients favour. Anyways," She drained the last of her coffee. "I think we've babbled enough. It's time to go. Do you want a lift home?"

"Uh, yeah," Soifon said, not actually meaning it. She didn't want to go home at all, she'd much rather spend the day with Yoruichi.

They were just exiting the small café when Soifon realised something that might work in her favour. "My phone," She exclaimed, patting her empty pocket. "I left it at yours."

Yoruichi stared at her a moment. "Why do I feel like you planned this? Come on," She nudged Soifon in the direction of her car. "We'll call by mine to get your phone first."

As soon as Yoruichi opened the door p her apartment, Soifon squeezed past and made a beeline towards the living room. Yoruichi closed the door behind her and kicked off her shoes, she had a feeling it would be a while before they left again. She followed after Soifon and stopped in the doorway, watching the girl as she scrambled round the couch looking for her a phone.

She had brothers... Yoruichi wondered if Soifon realised her little slip there. Yoruichi couldn't help but feel curious as to what had happened. Soifon had been quick to correct herself, but Yoruichi wasn't fooled. She understood a little more now, though she wasn't entirely sure she was happy with what she had discovered. They were dead, she guessed and she found herself wondering when they had died.

"Found it!" Soifon said loudly. She straightened up, holding her phone triumphantly in one hand. She turned round, a rare smile on her face. It slipped off though when she caught Yoruichi's eye. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Yoruichi crossed the room and closed the distance between them. She took hold of the phone and looked at it. "That's an old model."

Soifon flushed. "We don't all have your money."

Yoruichi tossed the phone carelessly to the side. "If you want I'll buy you a new one."

Soifon shook her head. "I don't want presents from you."

No, Yoruichi agreed. Soifon just wanted a little bit of escapism from her. She ran her hand along Soifon face and to the back of her head, her fingers tangling in the short mesh of dark hair. She pulled her closer and kissed her, gently. She felt Soifon's lips comply beneath her own, her mouth opening and inviting her entrance, which Yoruichi gladly took advantage of. Her hands slipped down her body, running down her sides and settling on her slim hips.

Soifon pressed closer into her. She whimpered slightly when Yoruichi pushed her hands underneath her shirt and raked her fingers up her ribs, eliciting a shiver from the girl.

It was a little bit too easy, Yoruichi thought, and entirely too enjoyable. She wondered where the little voice in the back of her head was, and why it wasn't telling her that what she was doing was oh so very wrong.

Again, reviews and constructive criticism is both wanted and welcomed. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter too, and thanks again for all the reviews so far.