Title: The Longest Day

Theme 14: Radio-Cassette Player

Rating: T

Genre: General/Romance

(I do not own Anna Nalick's Breathe(2 a.m.) Promise.)

It had been a terribly long day for squad two. And the thing that disheartened all of them was that they had supposed that this year, after reencountering their ex-captain that their current captain, Soifon, would actually lighten up the hell that was the anniversary of Kisuke and Yoruichi's betrayal.

Instead they had been worked harder than anyone could remember. The squad didn't dare complain as Soifon's face was set in a killer scowl. People passed out in exhaustion and they were worked from 4 in the morning till nightfall. When she dismissed them only twenty were standing, and even they looked like the living dead.

But the twenty were rewarded, and shocked, by a soft-spoken Soifon. Saying that since they endured, they were being allowed four days of rest. Before they could respond she had left them standing there, clearly heading toward her room to rest.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soifon groaned as she trudged into her room. She stared at the bareness of the squad captain quarters and just slammed the door behind her. Now she was safe. Now she could relinquish her anger at the day.

'She promised she would come today…' Soifon stepped heavily to her futon and fell down unceremoniously upon it.

She felt drained. Emotionally and physically. She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position and stared at the only thing in her quarters besides the small dresser holding her entire wardrobe of six identical outfits and one yukata that she usually wore to sleep. It was a radio-cassette player that had one cassette in it of simply one song.

She crawled over to the player and pressed the play button. She turned and crawled over to her dresser, undressing and slipping into her yukata. The song played almost hauntingly through the bare room as Soifon laid down again. It was an English song, she had learned what the words meant from an old book that translated the words in Japanese.

She had no idea who it was by or what it was called, but the lyrics sent a small calm over her tired body whenever she needed it.

"There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
These mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around.

2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, its no longer
Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
And breathe, just breathe
Woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe."

She sighed as the song ended and twitched as she heard movement near her window. She jumped up revitalized in the sudden intrusion and blinked as nothing appeared in her vision. Arms wrapped gently around her torso and Soifon stiffened before a gentle pressure was held against her neck.

"I'm sorry I'm late Soi," A velvety voice sounded against the second squad captain's ear.

Soifon sighed and relaxed into the hold, she felt the person holding her frown against her neck, "Soifon, why are you so tense? Long day?"

Soifon smiled and giggled, "The longest Yoruichi, the longest."

Yoruichi smiled back and kissed the younger woman.