So I'm tired and have a ridiculous amount of paperwork due in 3 hours, so please forgive any grammatical errors, as I'm sure this chapter has a few.

On the plus side... CHAPTER 9!

I made a deal with myself, promising to put out another chapter the day that I received certain amount of reviews. I was unwilling to belligerently bribe my readers, and so I never mentioned it, but since I received that many reviews (+1!), here's the next chapter despite the amount of work I have to crank out within the next couple of hours.

Thank you to everyone for the support this story has received thus far. It means a lot to me.

Warily watching the wet ground before her, Soi Fon dismissed her hell butterfly and cautiously stepped out of the gate. The living realm was cold, to say the least, and misty, dampening the streets with condensation that quickly froze in the winter wind. Seemingly un-phased by the furious winds, the slender captain lifted her hand and closed it in a fist, signaling the to men behind her. She stood still for a moment, watching her men spread out in different directions, each addressing his own mission. Finally alone, Soi Fon felt her shoulders slump, brushing a hand across her face in an attempt to shake away the stress evident in the dark circles under her eyes. Normally strong and penetrating, her pupils were dimmed with a sense of deadness that filled her to the brim.

"Soi Fon taichou," the general commander called out, silencing the hushed whispers arisen by Urahara's display with a pound of his large cane, "due to their availability, several lieutenants were sent beforehand to notify Urahara Kisuke. These individuals remained in the living realm to prepare and sustain suitable accommodations for you and your men. They have been ordered to assist in any necessary procedures."

Wandering through desolate streets, Soi Fon repeated the address in her mind, running over the numbers while searching for the right door in a scattered array of apartments. She found herself in front of a rather bland abode. Consistently beige, the door was invisible upon first glance, seemingly one with the adjacent walls, and recognizable only by the use of one's depth perception. Caught in a gust of wind, a red object dangling from the top of the door grabbed Soi Fon's attention. Reaching out to tough the object, she twirled it in her palm, rubbing the velvety fabric between her fingers.

"I figured you'd like it." A voice called out through the door as it quietly slid open.

Slightly started Soi smiled slightly, watching the Chinese firecracker replica dangle in the wind.

"My good luck charm…" she softly breathed.

Glancing up she let her grey eyes gaze upon figure leaning in the doorframe.

"Yes, I like it, thank you, Shūhei."

----

A thick heat rolled past Yoruichi as she slid Soi Fon's door open, leaving a sense of loneliness in its wake.

"Soi?" The dark woman called out to the room.

Slightly confused by the captain's absence, she walked lightly into the room and pushed the windows open.

"Why are the windows closed?" Yoruichi murmured softly to herself. Soi Fon always preferred to leave the windows open, uncomfortable in the heat that accumulated in her room when closed. Slightly flustered by the muggy heat, a light pink tinge colored her dark cheeks, slowly subsiding as the outside air brushed past her warm face.

"Mmmph," a breath of air escaped past full lips as Yoruichi fell back onto the bed, letting her legs dangle off the end. She must be in a meeting. She let her eyes slowly slide shut as she drifted off to sleep, waiting for the captain's return. Tired from her night with Kisuke, Yoruichi smiled warmly. The majority of her night had gone to the telling of old memories and pleasant laughs, and after a couple of hours the Shihouin princess lost track of time. Opting to stay and help Urahara with a few of his projects, she had spent the early morning poking at strange objects and throwing them at Kisuke who, thoroughly flustered, requested that she pass them to him like a normal human being. Though hundreds of years old the dark woman had never really had the satisfying sense of belonging.

For the first time in a long while Yoruichi felt at home.

---

The inside of the apartment was as simple as the exterior, slightly better as a result of Shūhei's attempt to decorate.

Simple, yet comfortable; just the way Soi Fon preferred it.

"You never were very good at decorating," Soi taunted, smiling enough to signify her amusement, but not enough to reach her eyes.

"Well, at least I tried. If I recall correctly, you never even attempted to decorate your room," Hisagi chuckled in response.

"I had my firecrackers," she motioned towards the door.

"Then you gave them to me."

"I never thought you'd keep them," she whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Of course I'd keep them. The infamous, cold hearted, and deadly Soi Fon taichou giving away a present?" He gestured towards the door, feigning shock.

"I felt obliged."

"You never owed me anything."

"You helped me overcome an obstacle, I felt obliged," she repeated.

"We made love," he responded softly.

Moving at the sound of his voice Soi Fon slowly gazed into his dark eyes, "I was stressed and anxious. It was turning me into a bad leader."

"We made love," he repeated, letting the words slowly fall from his mouth, "it was consensual, and we both needed it. Now, I'm sure you're very tired so there're a few bentos in the fridge, courtesy of Hanataro, and your bedroom is on the right. Mine is the one directly across, and the bathroom is the next door." Hisagi smiled apologetically, "we only had enough money for a two bed and one bath, but you can have priority over it."

"Thank you," Soi whispered.

"Good night." Shūhei turned away and walked towards his room.

"Good night."

Please review!

I wonder if anyone actually reads these little author blurbs. Sometimes I bypass them and head straight for the story.

Maybe I should not have admitted that.

Oh well.