General Disclaimer: Bleach, and all its characters, are the intellectual property of Viz Media. No profit is being made from this production of fiction, and is meant solely for the entertainment of you, the readers.
Bonding
It was a beautiful April spring day in the town of Kurakara, a Saturday to be exact. The sky was clean, and blue, with only the occasional cloud passing by, offering temporary cover from the warm rays of the midday sun shining from above. A balmy breeze drifted gently through the town; cool, and refreshing to the day to day residents in passing, yet tepid enough to not cause them a chill.
Across town, within the grounds of one of the local parks, a young man of 17 is seen sitting beneath the shade of one of the larger trees in the area, his legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles. With the soft, green grass serving as a cushion, and the firm, semi-coarse bark of his chosen tree serving as a rest for his back, the young man, dressed in a casual pair of stonewashed, denim jeans, simple white sneakers, and a short sleeved, red tee shirt with yellow trim, sat quietly, trying to read from the small paperback novel that he'd brought with him, as the wind gently ruffled his short, orange locks. The key word in this instance, is trying...
"Yoruichi," he asked in a slightly strained, yet quiet tone. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Whatever do you mean Ichigo? I'm just laying here relaxing, it's such a wonderful day after all," the woman in question replied happily.
The teen's eye twitched in slight annoyance, a small, crooked smile displayed his discomfort. "Is there a reason, that 'here' is on my lap," he questioned, trying to remain polite, but clearly not amused at the werecat's antics. Yoruichi just smiled playfully up at him from below. Draped in her typical garments consisting of dark, form hugging leggings, matching long sleeved top, and orange jacket, the former captain laid with her arms folded behind her head, as it rested over his legs.
"It's comfortable." Arching her back, Yoruichi stretched her body out, her legs reaching outward, as her chest rose briefly, before settling in once more. Aware of the addition attention her actions unconsciously drew from the young man beneath her, she chuckled internally as the smallest of blushes appeared on her student's cheeks. "As well as warm."
To his credit, Ichigo didn't respond as outwardly as he once might have, a side effect perhaps, of the increasing number of visits he'd received from the shape shifting, stealth master, over the past months, thanks in no small part, to the gigai provided to her, courtesy of Urahara. Course it helped that she wasn't trying some stunt to catch him with her pants, or anything else down, for her own amusement, and no, that wasn't an exaggeration. Still, while relatively tame in comparison, her actions did have the effect of drawing the occasional glance from random strangers as they passed by, mostly ones of amusement. It was enough to convince him to try subtly dislodging her by shifting his own legs somewhat. "Would you please sit up at least?" Ichigo's eyes glanced around as he spoke. "People might get the wrong idea."
"Oh?" Yoruichi quirked an eyebrow at the request. Sensing his nervousness, and spotting an opportunity for a little more fun, she sat up on his right side. Folding her legs beneath her, she moved her left arm across his shoulders, loosely hugging his neck, before leaning in slowly, resting her chin on his right shoulder, before smirking coyly. "What idea might that be?" Immediately the young hero of the Soul Society's face began to darken as he struggled to maintain his composure. Far from easy when you have a woman like the dark skinned flash goddess, that Yoruichi was, practically hanging off you. Sighing in exasperation, he takes a breath to steady his nerves, before calmly reaching up to grasp her wrist with his right hand, the left still holding faithfully to his book.
"Knock it off, and let go already, would ya?" Feeling her grip slacken, he's grateful that she seems to be listening to him for once as he removes her arm from around his neck, "Thank yo...!" The young man's words are cut off as Yoruichi chose that moment to take advance of his attention being distracted. Slipping her wrist from his grasp, she reverses the grip, clasping her hands around his own wrist, before popping her hips, shoving off the ground with her legs, and half flipping, half rolling over the startled boy's leg, and landing butt first, upon the grass between his legs, before pressing her heels into the soil, pushing herself backwards till her back laid flat against the wall of lean muscle that formed Ichigo's chest. Pulling his arm around her waist to hold her close, then relaxing against the now stunned young warrior, Yoruichi sighs comfortably, before tilting her head upward, grinning widely at his dumbfounded expression.
"Much better, don't you think?" She restrains the laughter threatening to escape her, as she witnesses the young man's face jump almost two full shades of red at the new position he suddenly finds himself in. When his arm instinctively tries to pull away, Yoruichi tightens her grip with a smirk, silently daring him with her eyes to try something again. Feeling the tension in his arm gradually start to lessen, as he grudgingly accepts his fate, she reaches up, and pats his cheek lightly with a quiet giggle, before celebrating her victory by settling in against him once more. "Good boy."
Meanwhile, Ichigo could only sit in a stupor, staring down absently where the woman who, over time, had become an ally, mentor, and even friend, had casually made herself at home between his legs. Contemplating the idea of trying to move her yet again, the orange haired soul reaper eventually decided against the idea. The look that the troublesome violet headed princess shot him at his previous attempt froze him in place; her toothy grin, and lidded eyes daring him, almost goading him silently to try again. Knowing from experience that a second attempt would only make things even worse for him, he relented with a sigh. He wouldn't make the same mistake as last time, when she visited him at home while studying in his room. Poor Yuzu, the young girl had come upstairs to check on her brother when she heard some unusual noises, similar to those of a struggle, coming from his room, only to freeze, before actually fainting at the sight of the two of them in a rather...compromising position. Took him the better part of two weeks afterwards, to convince the poor girl that he wasn't in fact, trying to make her an aunt before she graduated middle school.
Giving up on trying to move his clingy teacher, he grumbled half-heartedly, attempting once more, to resume reading, before remembering she never answered his question. Looking down, he spoke, "You didn't answer me, what are you doing here?" realizing she won their little battle of wills, Yoruichi reigned in her playfulness, to a more calm, relaxed state, before responding.
"I wanted to see how you were handling the return of your powers. It's been a few days since it happened, and I came to see how you were adjusting." While the curiosity was evident, the undercurrent of concern for his wellbeing in her voice touched Ichigo. Marking the page, before closing it, he set his book upon the grass beside him, in order to give her his full attention. Bringing his free hand up, he entwined his fingers, unconsciously completing the partial hug the woman he currently held initiated, before sagging back against the tree, as he thought of how best to answer.
He thought about how it felt when he initially received his powers almost two years ago, meeting Rukia for the first time, accepting the strength she offered him in order to protect his family from the attacking hollow that had been drawn to them by his, until then, unknown spiritual pressure. The days that followed as he learned the responsibilities of a soul reaper, and what it meant to hold such power. Then finally, after starting to come to grips with the enormity of the duty he had accepted, he had those same powers stripped from him, as well as his life, almost, by the man he later came to learn was Rukia's brother, Byakuya Kuchiki. Had it not been for the timely intervention of a certain mad scientist, and candy shop owner, his journey may have very well ended that night. Soon enough, he was training once again to regain his powers through rather unorthodox methods, eventually succeeding, before joining with his friends, and being led by a talking cat of all things, in an invasion of a the soul society, in an attempt to rescue Rukia from her execution. The adventure that followed, filled with new friends, fierce battles, intense training, conspiracies, and treachery, eventually cumulated with the rescue of the petite, dark haired woman who changed his life, only to be defeated almost immediately afterwards by Aizen, whom after revealing his true self, fled after a short scuffle, along with his prize, the Hogyoku, in hand. In the aftermath, everyone that had joined him on his mission recovered shortly thereafter, and after saying their goodbyes, the four of them, guided by Yoruichi, returned to the living world, where they were greeted by a remorseful Urahara, who apologized for his part in the trouble he had cause the lot of them.
Pausing in his musings, Ichigo's thoughts drifted to the woman laying against him, patiently awaiting his response. While at the start of everything, she may have simply been working with Urahara to accomplish their own objective, she was with them, guiding, and protecting them, and more specifically him, every step of the way. From navigating the soul society, to meeting, and employing the help of the Shiba Clan, his clan...he actually had family in another world, what a revelation that was. Back on track, after being separated once they breached the Seireitei, he was the one she had shadowed as he made his way further within the city, and who had rescued him once his battle with the arguably insane captain of squad 11 had finished, before spiriting him away to her secret, subterranean training grounds to recover.
His thoughts floundered for a minute, his cheeks subtly growing warm as he remembered her explanation as to just how she had managed to carry him to safety, followed by her unveiling her true self to him for the first time. As far as first times go, there could hardly be considered a better candidate for him to see au natural, but for the love of everything decent, there was a time and a place for that sort of thing, and during a rescue mission in the heart of enemy territory was neither. Naturally, after seeing his reaction, the damn minx seemed to have made it her personal mission since then, to spring it on him whenever she could, truly diabolical. To be fair though, when it was time to get serious, she was all business, as evident by the three days she worked with him to achieve his bankai, a state that took most wielders years, even decades to reach. Finally, during the rescue on the final day, while he dealt with saving Rukia, and a number of the shinigami in attendance, Yoruichi assisted by removing Captain Soi Fon; her former student, subordinate, and one of the more dangerous opponents, from the field, and to another location to deal with personally.
From there, everything seemed to snowball. After spending a week recovering from the battle in the Soul Society, everyone returned to the living world, and for a few short weeks, things seemed as if they would return to normal. Then along came Shinji, and the rest of the Vizored, Orihime's abduction on the orders of that that bastard Aizen, the storming of his stronghold in Hueco Mundo in order to save her. As if that wasn't enough, by the time he managed to make it back, he was immediately thrust into yet another battle, a small war actually, against Aizen and his forces, for the sake of not just his world, but everyone's. In the end they had won; the Espada were defeated, Aizen had been sealed away, and peace had been restored. Unfortunately for him, it had come at the cost of losing his powers once more, seemingly for good this time.
The 17 months that followed were...difficult, at least at first. What the now powerless teenager thought would be a smooth transition back into normal life, turned out to be much more challenging. Unlike him, his friends had all still retained their powers, and even though they were now without their unofficial leader; Chad, Orihime, and Uryu all continued to use their abilities the best they could, to help protect Karakura Town. At least without his massive spiritual pressure drawing in additional trouble, hollow activity had greatly diminished, so the danger was low. Still, being forced to sit on the sidelines, even unwillingly, while his friends were out there, risking their lives without him, didn't sit well with the former soul reaper. He tried to move on, he really did. Schoolwork helped take his mind off things for a while, and he tried to stay active in other ways; periodically helping his dad in the clinic, reconnecting with his other friends, who regrettably he had let fall to the wayside a bit in all the chaos that had transpired. Tatsuki especially, was secretly thrilled to have her old sparring partner back, as he decided to kill two birds with one stone, by maintaining, and improving his martial arts combat, while re-strengthening the bond he shared with his oldest friend. Despite all of it though, he was still left with ample free time to lament, and look back on what he had lost, and secretly wished for again; the power to protect, the friends, and comrades he acquired during his time as a shinigami, hell he'd even go a few rounds with that maniac Kenpachi, if only to feel that old familiar connection again. It was during one of these random walks, aimlessly trekking through town, feeling dejected, lost in his own thoughts, that she appeared...
*flashback*
Ichigo walked slowly down the sidewalk. The soft thump of his sneakers slapping the pavement as he moved along. it was the middle of January, a Friday afternoon to be exact. The war with Aizen had been over for a little more than a month now. The air, while cool enough to allow for his breath to be seen while exhaling, was offset by the warm rays of sunlight, beaming down, unfiltered from the clear blue skies above. Making his way home from school, he stopped at a crosswalk. Waiting for the light to turn, he took a moment to pull up the zipper of his dark brown winter coat, to just above his collarbone, before tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, sighing deeply while frowning as he thought about his friends in the Soul society, and what they might be doing now.
"Well, don't you sound cheerful," came a voice from behind him, the low, rich tone of her words, tinged with humor, froze the boy in his tracks. He knew that voice! Despite not hearing it for a while now, he'd recognize it easily. Spinning in place, Ichigo tilted his head downward, coming face to face with the smiling visage of his mentor, Yoruichi Shihouin, the flash goddess herself. "Hey, it's been a while."
Ichigo could only stare in shock at the woman before him, afraid to even blink, for fear that she'd vanish just as quickly as she appeared. She was dressed considerably different then last he saw her; a cherry red knit sweater adorned her top, laying beneath a shimmering, metallic purple, puffer jacket that fell to just past her hips. The bottoms were black, formfitting, fleece leggings; comfortable, yet fashionable, as they accentuated her shapely curves. Upon her feet were a matching pair of equally dark, round toed, winter boots, trimmed in brownish faux fur, and reaching midway up her calves. As his eyes moved northward again, he noticed her hair had actually been left unbound, falling freely behind her, held back by a pair of small, white earmuffs, that seconded as a headband. The last piece, were the charcoal gray, felt, dress gloves adorning her hands. Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he finally managed to speak. "Y-Yoruichi?" The rouge ninja continued smiling at her dumbstruck student.
"In the flesh, or gigai I suppose." Yoruichi spun slowly in place, before stopping, cocking her hip slightly to the side, and resting her hand upon it. "What do you think," she asked with a small smirk. "I would have been here sooner, but even Kisuke can only work so fast, and you simply can't rush perfection, right?" Her expression soon began turning to one of slight concern, as she watched the young man before her lower his head, his hair obscuring his eyes faintly, as his shoulders showed the barest hint of a tremble. "Ichigo?"
"You're here..." Ichigo replied in quiet disbelief. He hated how fragile his voice sounded at the moment. He usually had such a firm hold on his emotions, but he couldn't help it. He had been wishing for something like this ever since he lost his powers, and now it was actually happening. He looked up, and Yoruichi was taken aback, her golden eyes widening as she saw the beginning of tears forming in the corners of his own warm, chocolate brown eyes. He smiled weakly at her. "You're really here...
Without missing a beat, Yoruichi was in front of him, her hands coming up to cup his cheeks, the soft felt of her gloves caressing his face, as she lightly brushed away his tears with her thumbs. "Hey now, what's this all about?" She chuckled lightly. "I'm gone for a little over a month, and you completely fall apart on me?"
"I thought all of you were gone, forever," he confessed. Raising his arms, he placed his hands over hers, as they laid upon his face, as if to confirm she was really standing in front of him "That I'd never see any of you again." She smiles up at him reassuringly as he stares back at her.
"Silly boy," Yoruichi softly scolded him with a smile. "Did you honestly think I'd leave you, just like that?" Removing her right hand from his face, she playfully ruffles his hair, before patting his head. "You're still my precious student, and until I say your training is complete, sorry to disappoint, but you're stuck with me. I hope that's okay?" The noblewoman grinned as she heard him half laugh, half sob, before crying out in surprise, as she found herself suddenly lifted off the ground in an enormous bear hug, her arms and legs instinctively wrapping themselves around his head, and waist as the young man's strong arms held her tight to him, while he spun her in a circle. Her heart lightened as she heard him laugh.
After a minute, Ichigo finally slowed to a halt. As fatigue began to set in from the rollercoaster of emotions he endured over the last few minutes, he lowered the Shihouin princess to the ground, sinking to his knees before her, his head tiredly lolling against her sternum as his arms stubbornly remained firmly clasped around her. Running a hand soothingly thru his soft locks, Yoruichi's gaze warmed as she sighed softly, cradling his head protectively, before snorting lightly in amusement at the half asleep young man kneeling before her. "What am I gonna do with you?"
*flashback ends*
In the long run, his little emotional outburst had turned out to be a mixed blessing, depending on how you looked at it. In the months that followed, leading up to his encounter with Ginjo, the other fullbringers, and the return of his powers, Ichigo found more, and more of his free time eventually being claimed by the sassy shapeshifter. His tutelage under her resumed, though without access to his powers, the majority of their training involved improving, and strengthening his skills in hakuda, though his overall physical conditioning was made a priority as well. In addition, Urahara had requested his presence at his convenience, and upon arriving at the former captain's home, was greeted by him, and the house's other occupants, all in their own gigai, much to his disbelief. After the exchange of pleasantries, and a rather comfortable visit to catch up, the eccentric shopkeeper had extended an offer to continue his training in swordsmanship, as well as whatever else he might be able to offer his former protégé, in gratitude for everything he'd done, and for the sacrifice he made for everyone. it was an offer he quickly accepted.
As mentioned, finally having a gigai of her own, allowed Yoruichi the ability to interact with her young student once more, which she took full advantage of, though to her dismay, and said student's secret relief, being essentially human, and capable of being seen by anyone, prevented her from simply popping in on him whenever she pleased. It also deprived the woman of her favorite method of teasingly surprising him, by removing her cat-to-human transformation, which was only available while she was in soul form. She may be a rather free spirit for the most part, but she was certainly no exhibitionist. She was nothing if not resourceful though, and before long came up with an alternative way to have her fun, and drive him nuts in the process. Though it wasn't as immediately effective as flashing him, Yoruichi found she could get the same response by simply just being more affectionate with him, whether it involved catching him by surprise with a hug, patting him on the head, or just turning on the charm a little. He simply wasn't use to dealing with the physical affections of a girl, much less of woman who knew how to use it to her advantage. She never took it too far, but he learned quickly that the more he would rebuff her, the closer she'd get, until he finally relented, and just let her have her way. It could be frustrating, but there were times here, and there, usually when he found himself brooding over his situation, that her actions were a welcome distraction, even if he didn't acknowledge it at the time.
It wasn't all work though. During training, or simply when they had downtime, like now, she would tell him, at his request, about how things were going in the Soul Society, how his friends, and everyone else were doing. As their time spent together increased, the once simple bond of teacher, and student, which had already grown to one of comrades, and allies over the course of the winter war, evolved further, to one of friends, and even confidants. She regaled him with tales of growing up in the Seireitei, her time as both a squad captain, and head of the Onmitsukido, to her training with Soi Fon, fondly drawing comparisons between how the two of them could act so similar at times. He would just scoff at such a notion, but she'd just humor him with a smile, and a small roll of her eyes.
Then there were the darker times; the hollowification of the Visored, her and Urahara's exile from Soul Society as a result of them helping their friends to escape, the hundred years they all spent in hiding, in fear for their lives, until once more, the actions of him, and his friends, brought Aizen's schemes to light, exonerating the former rogues, granting them their freedom, and allowing them all the opportunity to return to the lives they wished to lead. It was during those rare times of melancholy on the part of the former captain, that Ichigo's natural empathy allowed him to offer his own showing of support to his teacher. Sometimes they were just words, others it might be a supportive shoulder to rest against, or the even rarer comforting hug that he would initiate himself. Whatever it was, they were all appreciated, and received warmly by the woman in question, in the spirit they were given.
His fortunes seemed to change once again with the arrival of Ginjo and the other members of Xcution. In the span of a week he had regained his powers, or a form of the them at least, made new allies, been betrayed by those same allies, had his powers stripped a third time, and in his moment of great despair, thought he'd been literally stabbed in the back, only to have his true powers returned to him once more, by the same person who'd given them to him in the first place, in the form of one Rukia Kuchiki.
"Hey, you still there?"
His reminiscing was interrupted by the feeling of Yoruichi squeezing his arms ever so slightly from her seated place within them. Blinking, he looked down at her, staring back with the smallest bit of concern at his prolonged silence. Realizing he must have space out, he gave her a small reassuring smile.
"Yeah, sorry. Was just thinking about how I got my powers back." Looking back at how things transpired, he thought of the others; Rukia, Renji, and so many more, and what they offered to give him back what he'd lost. To think of all the people who gave part of their own spirit energy, placing it in the sword created by Urahara to restore him to his former state. It was humbling to imagine how highly he must have been thought of by everyone, to receive such a gift. Remembering one of them was right here with him now, he spoke. "Thank you Yoruichi." Puzzled by the sudden gratitude, seemingly from out of nowhere, she shifted, adjusting her body in his hold so that her left arm, and hip, now rested against the right side of his torso. once resituated, she looked up at him.
"For what?"
"Everything," he stated simply. "Training me, helping save my friends, helping me get my powers back, being here for me when I needed it." he paused. "Just...everything," he replied gratefully.
As Yoruichi listened to his genuine, heartfelt confession, she felt her own cheeks color just a bit. Things like shyness, or embarrassment were truly rare things for someone like her to feel anymore these days, but watching her student softly smile down at her, his handsome features so open, and honest as he expressed his gratitude to her, she felt a comfortable warmth bloom within her chest. Leaning her head against his shoulder with a quiet sigh, she smiled, her eyes drooping nearly shut, as she thought back to the past, and similar shared moments like this with Soi Fon, how the two of them would spent time simply laying together, relaxing after one of their training sessions. She wasn't kidding when she said the two of them were similar in ways, perhaps it was why she tended to treat them both the same, to an extent.
Putting aside thoughts of her little bee, she thought about the here and now, about the powerful young man she also called her student. For someone closer to 300 years old, than 250, two years was nearly nothing. In that time however, she had met a boy, almost completely oblivious to the vast world he had just stepped into; one with so much power, and hidden potential, just waiting to be cultivated. She watched him charge blindly, with barely any training, into a land he knew nothing about, with only a trio of friends as backup, just to save someone he barely knew. She watched as he fought against opponents of superior strength, and skill, with nothing but power, and sheer will, yet still managed to win. When skill, and luck finally took him only so far, she managed to collect, and spirit him away to safety. Giggling to herself, she recalled the first time she revealed her true form to him. It was always amusing to see everyone's reaction the first time, but his was just so precious, trying to act all affronted, and innocent, she couldn't help repeating herself, as every time drew the same hilarious response from the young man. It was also the first time, there in that underground cavern, where their time as master and student truly began, and she got her first real look at the power that lied within him, and the depths of his resolve, as he did in three days, what some of the strongest seated officers in the whole of Soul Society could never hope to accomplish, by unlocking his bankai.
On the day of the execution, she watched from cover as Ichigo assaulted the hill, flying through the sky with the Tentoken cloak she had provided him, before casually blocking the full might of the Sokyoku, surprising everyone in attendance, including herself. After rescuing the younger Kuchiki, and sending her off with Lieutenant Abarai, he began engaging the ground forces who attempted to pursue, while she took care of her former student, a reunion years in the making, and long overdue. As their own fight concluded, the two of them had returned, just in time to stop the traitor Aizen from finishing off a wounded Ichigo, and the others present, before retreating with his objective in hand.
Yoruichi paused as she thought about that moment. She had barely known him, less than a week, yet even with their bond barely formed, the idea that she had nearly lost him, only the second student she had ever taken, to that monster, made her tense for a moment, grimacing to herself, before managing to relax. Suppose she shouldn't be surprised, she thought with a smile, it was just a part of his natural charm. Even if he couldn't see it right now, he had the makings of a natural leader. No matter where he went; the human world, Soul Society, and even Hueco Mundo. Everywhere he went, people were inspired to follow him, to stand beside him; friends, allies, rivals, and even enemies who later become one of the three previously mention.
Less than two months after their return from the soul society, she found herself, along with Kisuke, once more saving his butt from a pair of Espada, or one specifically, who had come to the human world on Aizen's orders, to assess Ichigo's threat level. Though they had driven them off, she had been injured in the process. That blasted, hierro defense of theirs proving to be one of the few counters against her mainly hand-to-hand based combat style. At least the two of them had saved Ichigo, and as soon as Kisuke healed her, she had planned to put the brat through a serious workout for worrying her like that. She groaned to herself. At least that was the plan, until he decided to run off with his friends yet again, in order to save another one of their own, only this time, it was into the heart of Hueco Mundo, and due to a combination of being injured, and her own ineffectiveness against such opponents, she wasn't even able to be there to help him, to protect him when he...
Feeling her suddenly tense in his arms, Ichigo looked down at Yoruichi as she grimaced, her brow furrowing in anger. He gave her a small shake to rouse her from her thoughts. "Hey, what's wrong?" Tilting her head to meet his gaze with her own, seeing the questioning concern written across his face, she sighed, before looking away.
"It wasn't enough." The young reaper raised an eyebrow at her response.
"What wasn't enough?"
"Your training, the training that Kisuke, and I gave you. It wasn't enough to protect you," she exclaimed bitterly. Her words confused Ichigo, thinking back over his previous battles, he failed to see what the former stealth leader could be talking about. A sliver of annoyance colored his voice.
"What are you talking about? It helped me in every battle I've been in so far. I..."
"You died, Ichigo." The teen froze, eyes widening as she interrupted him sharply. Was she reffering to... but how did she..? Seeing the recognition in his eyes, as well as the questions, she continued before he could speak. "Orihime. She came by the shop not too long after you returned. When asked, she told me, told us, about the fights you went through while rescuing her from Hueco Mundo." Yoruichi paused, leaning away just enough so she could see him fully. "About how you died while fighting an espada named Ulquiorra, after he literally blew a hole through your chest!" Ichigo winced slightly as the hand gripping his arm clenched slightly, as she scowled as him, clearly upset at his omission. "Guess you forgot to mention that little detail." Ichigo held his mentor's gaze for a moment, before looking down resentfully, before speaking quietly.
"I didn't think it mattered. In the end we won, just like we always have." He gave her a small apologetic smile. "Sorry for worrying you, though. Didn't know it would bother you this much." Yoruichi stared at him in disbelief, at the idea she wouldn't care about something like this. The previous anger, and frustration she held, gave way to exasperation. She closed her eyes, sighing, as she lightly butting his chest with her forehead.
"Ichigo..." she groaned quietly. She could already feel the future headache her troublesome student was going to give her over this. She smiled to herself; despite the headaches, she knew this lovable moron was worth it. Twisting in his arms again, she repositioned herself to her original spot between his legs, her back resting against his chest, her hands laying over his own where they were clasped around her waist. Staring out in front of her, minutes passed as she gathered her thoughts, before speaking.
"It's been 100 years since I ran away from the soul society, leaving behind my home, and everything I knew. I don't regret it; it was the right thing to do, saving our comrades, protecting them from the corruption that plagued our government." Yoruichi paused, a frown upon her lips. "It was hard though, at first. Finding a safe place to house them all, creating a place to call our own as we went into hiding." A tiny, whimsical smile replaced her frown. "We had each other though; Tessai, Kisuke, and myself. For a while, that was all we needed. Eventually though, I got bored, unable to remain hidden in one place anymore. I started using my feline form to explore further, and further from the place we called home, looking for something to fill the emptiness that had started growing within me since we all fled. Eventually, I found it...in you, Ichigo."
"M-me?" Taken aback, the teen wasn't sure how to respond. "What did I do?" Yoruichi tilted her head, looking up at him for a moment with a grin, before staring back into the distance.
"You gave me a purpose again. You brought a spark back into my life that I didn't even realize I'd been missing until then." She squeezed his hands lightly, her eyes beginning to brighten. "Suddenly there were new adventures to be had, new excitement..." She paused. "...and a new student to teach, one with more potential, and raw talent, than I've ever seen before, but more importantly; someone with a heart, whose loyalty, and devotion to his friends is second to none, someone willing to risk everything, without hesitation, to protect what he holds dear ..." Her gaze softened as she glanced back up at him. "...and who I'm happy to call my friend as well." Her grin widened as she watched Ichigo become increasing flustered at her praise, before it disappeared, as she became serious. Sensing the change in her demeanor, he straighten up, giving her his full attention. "So yes, Ichigo. It does bother me when someone I consider a friend, casually brushes off something like dying, as being unimportant." She smiles in satisfaction as he looks away, a faint rosy hue upon his cheeks. "Also, as your sensei, It's my responsibility to make sure that you, my dear pupil, are ready for anything. So be ready, now that you've got your powers back, I am going to make you sweat." Ichigo stared, slightly nervously at the almost feral way she looked at him, as she spoke. "Oh yes, my dear Ichigo, I am going to work you into the ground, and after all that..." A bead of sweat began to form on his brow, as he listened to her plans for him, awaited her next declaration. "We might even get a little training done," the mischievous werecat purred, giving him a flirtatious wink, breaking the building tension, as Ichigo groaned loudly at woman's usual antics, fixing her with a less than amused, half hearted glare.
"Yoruichi..." he ground out slowly. The former captain laughed deeply against him, the vibrations from her body as it shook, passing through his own. Watching his mentor...and friend, being so carefree, gradually caused his feelings to shift, from annoyance, to fond exasperation.
As she managed to bring her laughter under control, Yoruichi noticed the sun starting to dip in the distance, as the sky had begun transitioning from blue, to a more blended composition of reds, yellows, and oranges. Deciding she had bothered the him long enough for one day, she reluctantly prepared to leave. "Suppose I better take my leave then, wouldn't want people getting the wrong idea after all," she quipped, playfully tossing the teen's earlier words back at him. As she attempted to extracted herself from the young man's grasp however, she found his arms still holding her firm. Surprised, she looked up at him. "Ichigo?"
The teen in question responded by tightening his grip, pulling her the slightest bit closer. "You don't have to leave, if you don't want to," he said softly. Ichigo turned his head off to the side, trying to appear indifferent on the matter, thought the now slightly darker flush of embarrassment in his face spoke otherwise. "Doesn't matter to me."
Yoruichi's eyes widen in surprise, both at his words, and actions, before lowering, her gaze warming gently, as what the teen said sinks in. Leaning up slowly, she placed an innocent kiss, ever so lightly, upon his cheek, chuckling lowly as she watches his face explode into color, "I knew you loved me," she remarked playfully, before closing her eyes, and settling down, reclining back against her pupil, with a relaxed sigh.
Looking down at her as she rested against him, Ichigo held his mask of indifference for a few more moments, before letting it fall away, to be replaced by a small, warm smile. Reaching down, he reciprocated the gesture, placing a small kiss atop her head. "You tell anyone, and I'll deny it completely." A quiet laugh was her only response.
As the sun continued to slowly fade away into the horizon, Ichigo retrieved his book, before continuing to read silently, picking up from where he left off, while a softly snoring Yoruichi, rested peacefully against him. Eventually, as sunset gave way unto twilight, if one were to pass through the park by happenstance, they would be treated to the sight of a beautiful, dark skinned, woman, sleeping peacefully in the arms of her orange haired student, as he sits passed out with his back to the tree behind him, his book laying open beside them, forgotten. Whatever tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that might bring, here, and now, their serene smiles convey a mutual comfort, and familiarity with one another, that could only be found, in a friend, and who knows, perhaps someday...even more.
*FIN*
Authors Notes: Well everyone, as you can see I'm not dead yet, though it's been a rather long hiatus. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever write another story. There've been plenty of random flashes, and ideas for stories, but due to work, life, lack of motivation, and the sheer time, and effort it takes just to try puttinga out a quality product, just to name a few, I found I simply didn't have the drive to sit down, and type anymore. 2024 however, has seemingly proven to be the year for comebacks. Billy Joel, Randy Travis, and Nsync, all favorites of mine, have decided to put new music out for the first time in over a decade, or more. To say nothing of Bleach finally finishing the anime they started so long ago. As such, I figured, if they're still capable of creating new content after all this time, then maybe I should see if there's anything left in the tank, and if I could do the same.
The end result is the above story. Nothing groundbreaking, but still one of my favorite ships to try and sail. While this story particularly is geared towards the pair's student/mentor relationship, and its evolution into friendship, my intention, was for it to be part of an eventual series of shorts between the two, perhaps gradually building into an actual relationship. I know as far as canon goes, it's incredibly unlikely it would ever happen, but hey, that's what fanfiction is all about right, making the impossible, possible?
Regarding new, and existing stories, I don't want to get people's hopes up, cause I'm unfortunately a slow writer on the keyboard, but I do have tentative plans to both continue old stories, as well as create new ones. I won't give them away now, but the anime for which I have these new ideas, consist of Naruto, Bleach, and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. I'll have to wait and see what comes of it though, I'd like to try and conclude a few existing works, before creating too many new ones. Most of the new ideas consist mainly of one shots, so those might be easier to write. Anything with multiple chapters; new, or existing, said chapters will likely be shorter in length as to allow me to hopefully avoid losing complete interest in them, while allowing me wiggle room to navigate the course of the story. I find that after 10 years, my style, and habits regarding writing have changed a bit, so my methods will have to change with them.
To those who've had me on one of their Alert lists all this time, I hope the wait was worth it, and I hope to reward that faith with further content in the not so distant future, certainly not another 10 years, heh. For those finding me for the first time, I hope you find some entertainment value in my existing works, while waiting for further ones.
Ten years changes a person; their habits, their thought process, how they write, and so on. I say this so that if there's a noticeable change in my style, or manner of writing, I hope you won't judge me too harshly. You could say, this is the first, of hopefully many projects to come, following my own personal 'time skip' segment.
I suppose that's all I have to say at the moment. As I've said before, and will hopefully say again; comments, constructive criticism, and especially reviews, are deeply appreciated. Flames will be used to heat my fireplace. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.