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tampered2007-09-27 12:44 am
1hatwonder.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-09-27 12:44 am
Log; Complete
When; Sept. 26, late at night
Rating; PG-13 for first part
Characters; Urahara Kisuke![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
1hatwonder, Shihouin Yoruichi goddes_of_flash
Summary; Upon going into the woods for some sparring, the two shinigami get attacked by the Claymore, Ophelia. After the battle, Kisuke finally discovers the truth behind the exchange that Yoruichi did to get Benihime back, and it's something he doesn't approve of...
His heart was racing, the beating sounding like loud drums behind his ears, as he fought to catch his breath. Benihime's blade caught the reflection of the moon as blood dripped from the bottom, creating a small pool at his feet. He stood behind a tree, hiding from the Claymore that was openly attacking both he and Yoruichi.
He looked down at the gash in his stomach, with a grimace. It looked just as bad as it felt, when he gathered some healing kidou in his hand to heal the weeping wound as best as he could. The wind picked up, blowing his hair against his face as everything suddenly seemed to move in slow motion as he turned to the side of him, wondering where Yoruichi had ran to hide. "Yoru--."
Everything was a blur - time appeared to have slowed down even moreso except for him, as he felt choked by his heart. "YORUICHI!" Barely remembering to sheath his sword, he tripped as he moved towards her, ignoring the fact it'd give away their location. She was pressed against a tree next to his, bleeding extensively from wounds he swore weren't there before.
As he made his way over, time picked up, almost too quickly as he managed to catch her before she fell to the open ground. "Yoruichi!"
The pain was what really surprised her. It wasn't so much that she was a stranger to pain -- she most certainly wasn't -- or even that this was the first time the deal's bounds had struck her, it was that it came so swift, so unexpected. If not for the information that only she was privy to, that she'd kept from Kisuke, Yoruichi would have thought she'd somehow managed to get slack, to let her guard down and take a strike from the crazed... thing -- could it really be called a person? -- that was attacking them. But she knew better.
If it were just that, then there would be no reason why the rents and slashes that marred her skin matched up perfectly with the idential wounds Kisuke had inflicted on their opponent. The deities had told her about the blood, the exchange. But they hadn't mentioned anything about wounds, pain, the method for the loss. Maybe that was why, with a sudden gasp of agony, she'd nearly crumpled to the ground as the wounds ripped through her skin, crimson fluid dripping down in fat droplets into the dusty ground to join the sanguine stains that were already there.
Teeth gritted, it was all she could do to dodge another strike from their enemy, get herself behind the tree and brace herself against thick rough bark, gasping for breath through the haze of pain and feeling the sticky wet ooze of blood seep through her clothes. Damned fight. They'd been unprepared for this, not ready. And while Kisuke was certainly holding his own, they were both taking hits, as evidenced by the extra wounds on her skin, and the red that stood out against the black and green of Kisuke's clothes. But deal or no deal, it would all be a moot point if that woman found her like this. But that really wasn't the foremost thing on her mind right now.
No that was Kisuke. She couldn't let Kisuke see, couldn't let him know. That was the rule, that was her decision. He couldn't know, couldn't find out. If he did.... well, Kisuke would never have understood. Forcing shaking legs to move, to take a step that was more of a stagger, she tried to move, tried to find the energy to shunpo, to get herself out of this situation before he could see, before they could see -- since she wasn't really sure which option would technically be the worst -- but it wasn't there. Instead, the world swam in front of blood-starved retinas and the ground rushed up at an alarming speed.
But the impact didn't come. Instead, Kisuke's face swam into hazy view, his arms catching her before she could meet with a rather harsh impact. Coughing, she tasted blood, staring up at him through blurry vision. "Kisuke..."
It was like having his nightmare come true - the blood, the eerie-ness of the surroundings, the choked feeling in his throat as it felt like his heart was pushing itself up and out of his mouth along with his stomach.
The blood - it was everywhere, staining his hands, seeping through her clothes and his as well. What had gone wrong? They were fighting intensely with the Claymore, but he didn't see anything that could've prompted for this amount of damage, and he didn't understand as he scooped her up in his arms.
He could hear the footsteps of their attacker nearing at an alarming rate. There was no time to think; they had to move and move fast. Holding her close, he moved swiftly, working his shunpo skill that could never match Yoruichi's, yet was just as fast as other captains during his time. Moving across treetops, skipping on a building or two before he reached the temple, he was barely outrunning the Claymore until he manage to force some more energy into each step, widening the gap between them. "Hold on, Yoruichi!" He would continue to whisper, more to comfort himself and hoping to hold on to her conciousness as much as possible.
Finally, they made it to the temple as he came nearly crashing to the bottom. Glancing back behind him, his fear of the Claymore following them this far was soon settled as there were no signs of her anywhere. He waited for a second, analyzing the area, but that was enough confirmation as it was just the two of them. "Stay with me, please!" He turned his attention back to her and pleaded as dilligent fingers began pulling away the clothing layers.
It was hard, but she kept focused on him, holding that blue-grey gaze as best she could, vision hazy and wavering, one hand curling weakly into his haori. Warm. He was warm, and she was cold. Yoruichi knew she wouldn't die, the deal was sound. One liter of her blood for every three that Benihime spilled. And so far, she'd been able to hide it, able to simply be gone when he was fighting, chalk her absense up to her own mercurial nature. She hadn't counted on the ambush while they'd been training in the forest, the Claymore appearing from the woodwork. There'd been no time, no means to get herself out of there so he didn't have to see the results of her bargain.
Even now, she wasn't concerned with her own injuries, gold eyes flickering here and there, searching for any sign that they had been followed. With a strangled cough, she curled fingers around the edge of his kosode with a tug. "Claymore...."
Whatever happened to her, she had to make sure he was safe, that they could let their guard down. If they had been followed, not only would it be pointless for the two of them to stop, but they would put everyone else at the temple at risk as well. They'd managed -- without too much trouble, though that may have just been her ego talking -- to keep their foe at bay, but that wouldn't be the case if they hadn't managed to get away this time.
Dark fingers tried to push his paler, red-stained ones away as she shook her head, knowing it was a pointless gesture. She could already feel the wounds closing, bleeding stopping. Enough of her life's fluid had already been spilled, obviously. "Kisuke....don't......it's fine...Worry about...Claymore."
He had already opened her shirt up, and gathered the healing kidou in his hands. Ignoring her words, he placed the bloodstained fingers to the wounds, only... "We've outran her. I don't sense her presence anywhere... Wait, there's no cut." Confusion spread across his face as he again touched another wound-site turning his full attention to her, "Why is there no cut?"
She still looked tired and worn, still dillusional from the lack of blood. "I-I don't understand!" He touched each wound, tenderly as the blood on his own hands began to dry. "How is this? Yoruichi!?" He still felt sick, still felt his heart beating painfully in his chest. "Explain this to me!" He wasn't being harsh, only extremely confused in his panicked state.
His hands began to shake, and he held them tightly, trying to hide his exasperation. "I don't understand at all! You managed to dodge most of the Claymore's attacks, yet you acquired so many wounds!"
Shaking her head slightly, face drawn and pale, even under the dark mocha hue of her skin, she reached for his hand, fingers curling around his as she tried to manage a smirk at him. "You always.... over-react...Kisuke. You didn't even give....me a chance to....tell you I'd already....healed them."
It was a lie and she knew it, but hopefully he'd buy it. It was certainly better then the reception the truth was likely to get her.
"Don't be stupid." He pulled his hand away from hers. "I saw them - the wounds! There's no way you would've... healed them." He looked at her, shirt open and blood beginning to dry on her chest.
Her last statement, a chance to...tell you... made him pause. "Yoruichi," His voice was abnormally quiet as he diverted his eyes, "You lied to me, didn't you? About getting Benihime." Concern, confusion, and pain all mixed in spread across his face as he finally allowed himself to look back at her, "What did you trade? Blood?"
A deep breath, then another, feeling the dizziness ebb a fraction as her own body worked to replenish the blood her deal had taken from her. "You wouldn't....have understood.....Kisuke."
And it was true, he wouldn't have. Not that that would have surprised her, or come as any sort of shock. She knew Kisuke, knew him well enough to know that he never would have stood for the deal she'd made. But at this point, there was little use in lying to him anymore. Sitting up slowly, wavering from side to side, she placed a shaking palm against her forehead, peering at him through dark fringe. "One liter. For every three you draw. That was the deal, Kisuke."
"Why didn't you tell me this!? You said you couldn't transform... is that still true? Or were you hiding the truth?" He covered his mouth, holding back the rising nausea from the pain of not realizing this sooner. Look at every perspective, pay attention to every detail - he lived by these rules, and here he had gone so long ignoring them, all because it pertained to her.
He swallowed slowly, regaining his composure. "I don't understand you anymore."
His anger burned, his hurt stung, but it was his last sentence that crushed her the most of all. Hanging her head, Yoruichi couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze. For him. For him, she'd risked everything. And not just here. Even before, she'd thrown away her life, her future, her everything. To follow him. To be somewhere where he could still be a part of her life. Because of their mutual, if unspoken, feelings. The closeness, the intimacy. But now... she'd destroyed that, it seemed. And for what? To help him. To take the pain from him.
She supposed she deserved his anger, his coldness. Perhaps she even deserved for him to turn away from her, to push her away and look on her with nothing but disgust. But it hurt. So much more then she'd thought it would. Biting her lower lip for a moment, she pushed the pain back, steeling the expression on her face and forcing back the moisture at the corners of her eyes. No, she wouldn't cry. Wouldn't ever cry. Ever let him see how deep his words had cut.
"You wouldn't have understood, Kisuke. You would have refused to fight, what else was I supposed to do. But.....it doesn't matter. I'll leave. You won't have to deal with me."
"How do you expect me to fight?! Like this? I-I can't! I can't even bare to even think about looking at Benihime, knowing what it does now. How can I protect you, knowing.... I could kill you." He grew quiet, contemplative.
He saw her struggling to get up, and without thinking, rushed to grab her shoulders, only toppling both of them over and him ending up straddling her. "Of course I don't understand! You're exchanging a part of you! Your LIFE!"
The pain was intense and almost overwhelming, and the thought that he was selfish enough to think it fruggle to allow oneself to risk their life for another...
"And my life was worth the giving! Worth it to take the emptiness out of your eyes, Kisuke!"
She wasnt really yelling. Yelling would have required so much more energy then she had right now. In fact, it was all she could do to stay conscious in light of the stress. Relaxing, allowing her head to roll to the side, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath to keep yelling at him, she sighed, barely registering that her hairtie had snapped, sending dark violet tresses tumbling around her shoulders. "You weren't supposed to know, Kisuke. You can't not fight. You and I both know it...."
His grip tightened on her shoulders, "How can I!? Yoruichi, if I manage to kill an Arrancar, there's a good chance you'll die. And what if I use my bankai? What then!? Do you know how this feels? Do you know how much this hurts me?" Without thinking of her weakness he shook her shoulders.
"You said you did this to help me, explain this to me! Why did you make such a deal!? WHY? Why couldn't you have let me give up my memories of creating the orb!? You say there was emptiness in my eyes? Benihime may have caused that, but I feel like my soul had been ripped in half seeing my creation used in such evil acts. I created the mess that created the Arrancar! Me!" He paused, catching his breath, swallowing down the rising emotions. "And it's you... You who reminds me why it's worth living. And then you go off doing something SO STUPID!" He shook her one last time before tearing himself away from her.
Gritting her teeth against the impact from her head cracking against the wood panels that made up the floor, she didnt say a word, didn't protest even as he shook her violently, the pain radiating in nausea-inducing waves from the crown of her head. He didn't understand, likely wouldn't understand, what she'd done for him by forcing him to keep those memories. Kisuke was the only one who knew how the Hougyoku worked, who understood it's inner intricacies and mechanics. Which was why he was the only one who knew how to un-do it. Gritting her teeth against the rising nausea, she bit back the bile in her throat, lashing out with the only rationalization she could give him for what she'd done, for why she'd done it.
"Because I love you!" The words tore from her throat as her head hit the ground with a final thud as he shoved himself away from her, leaving her battered, head reeling from bloodloss and impact. With a cough, she managed to roll over onto her side, gagging slightly as the simple motion made the world tilt further, the nausea spike. Swallowing hard, she forced back the queasiness, panting slightly.
She hadn't meant to say it, hadn't really even wanted to say it, it had just... happened. And now it was too late to take it back.
He glanced back at her with pain-filled eyes, mentally berating himself for being so harsh on her, yet he didn't know how to react to that. "I refuse to use Benihime." His voice was calm and collected. "I can't bear seeing you hurt like this."
The desire to go away from her was stronger than ever, as he sat there staring at her, but he couldn't bring himself to it. "I just..." Without thinking, he pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, trying to loosen the stress.
Seeing her ill-looking, he moved back and pulled her into his lap, holding her.
Before she could protest, could argue with him that he had to stop this, had to stop letting feelings get in the way of what he needed to do, he'd scooped her up into his lap. The sudden motion had her eyes widening and arm flailing to pull herself away to hook fingers around the edge of the trash bin before hanging her head over it and parting ways with her lunch as the nausea got to be too much. Swallowing, trying to catch her breath, she let fingers slip off of the rim, body going limp as she simply curled back up into a ball in his lap, stiff and silent.
If it were any other situation, she might have enjoyed the embrace, at least for a moment. But this was the first time she could think of that she'd both wanted to stay and wanted to run, and she had no idea which one she wanted to do more. "You have to use her. You can't let emotions get in the way, Kisuke. It...."
Glancing down, she sighed, continuing in a soft voice. "It's better if you just keep hating me....then you won't have to be bothered by the idea of hurting me when you fight..."
Allowing himself a closer inspection of the back of her head, he notice blood seeping out, just as it soaked some of his sleeve. "Yoruichi..." He had done this - through his whole spiel of not wanting to hurt her and what does he do? He really was a fool sometimes.
For the second time that day, he gathered the kidou in his hand and pressed the palm of his hand to the wound, healing it. "Why didn't you stop me!? Here I'm trying to avoid hurting you and I did it. In the end, I'm just a monster doing damage and harming others - through my own hands or my creations...." He was quickly hitting a low in his abilities and self confidence.
Holding her tighter, he buried his face in her tousled hair, "How can I hate you when you're the only one who stays with me in the end? How could I hate you when I'm so distraught at the thought of losing you? How could you even imagine such a thing when I'm so in love with you it hurts me, kills me, seeing what I do to you.... You should hate me."
"Didn't stop you.....I deserved it......" Sighing, feeling the pain fade, and with it the nausea, she let her head rest against his chest, too tired at the moment to even move, she nevertheless managed to reach a hand up and thread it through a few strands of blond before it dropped back to her lap. "No....can't hate you.....even if....I wanted to..."
And it was true, she couldn't hate him, no matter what he ever did, what he ever said. Kisuke could have created the most horrific things, commited the most atrocius wrongs, and he would still be Kisuke. Her Kisuke...
"I can't forgive you for making that deal. And if we're faced with an attack... I don't know." He no longer knew how to express himself, his feelings of regret for her having to make such a sacrifice. "I'll have to think of other methods... the least harmful way for you."
Whenever she was gone, doing her own thing, he was always concerned for her safety, but knew she could handle herself. Just like whenever they fought together, he knew that she could hold her own ground, allowing him to make any move he so desired. Not that Urahara was careless during a fight and recklessly engaged in battle, because that was quite the contrary, but he didn't have to worry. Now? Now he'd have to only use Benihime if absolutely necessary and to attack only when deemed appropriate and fruitful.
He wished he had known of this plan, then maybe they could agree on something to give up. Her giving up transforming bothered him, but he was willing to allow it, since it wouldn't cost her serious damage and she could still do whatever she wanted otherwise. Now he was playing with her life, and he didn't even want to imagine what would happen to her if he was forced to use his bankai.
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Kisuke." And it was true, she didn't. In fact, she hadn't even expected him to speak to her after he found out the truth. Instead... he was holding her, burying his face in her hair and telling her how much she meant to him. And that....was even a bit disconcerting. Kisuke always had been in possession of the rather bad habit of letting emotions get in the way of necessity, of letting himself get carried away with them. This was just another example of that.
Shifting slightly to pull away from him, she shook her head. "But I do expect you to fight. You always do this, Kisuke. Let emotions get in the way. You know as well as I do that's the entire reason shinigami arent supposed to love. And besides that, if you refuse to fight, it makes everything I did meaningless."
He grew silent, eyes diverted, and nodded. She was right, it was a bad habit of his. That's why he always stayed in the background, avoiding situations at all costs until it was necessary of him to be there. He hated being reminded of it - such a character flaw, really. He was constantly being criticised for it, but he couldn't understand how other captains could be so cold towards their own squads. Being emotional was perhaps down looked upon, but... "I can't help it, really."
It was brought back to her - always her! Ururu once asked him what it was like to be in love, and the only way he could explain it was how his heart fluttered each time Yoruichi walked into the room, how it ached when he saw her upset in that extremely rare occasion, how he would die for her.
He paused. He would die for her, and she for him, yet here he was criticising her for stating just that. But... he never imagined it would be him that would be killing her. Opening his mouth to say something, he promptly shut it again. What could he say? "You're right, Yoru." He ran his hand through her hair.
She closed her eyes with a sigh, tilting her head against his hand, enjoying the feel of his fingers combing through silky strands. "For what it's worth.... I'm sorry. I never wanted to lie to you, you know. I'll understand if you'd rather I moved on for awhile."
It was a strange sensation, the idea that for once, she actually didn't want to be moving on, didn't want to go roaming. Normally, she couldn't stay put very long, couldn't just sit still and be content in one place, but this City was different. Maybe it was because Kisuke was a constant, an anchor in this odd place. Either way, she didn't want to leave, didn't want to roam. Rather... she wanted to stay right here, like this.
But regardless of that, if he wanted space, if he wanted her gone... well, then she'd respect his wishes.
"You're the one who invited me to live with you, I have no right to say go away." His voice was calm and deep - his trying to work on this whole nonemotional thing. "Besides, I don't think I could let you anyway. I may not forgive you on this, but I still... have feelings." Well, there went the whole emotionless part.
She was his addiction, and maybe he should go away for a short period of time, to remember why he was a captain and the way of the shinigami, but he couldn't bring himself to it. Perhaps shinigami had their rules, but it didn't mean everyone had to go by it, right? There were a few married members of the squads - how harrassed were they? And it was no secret of other captains conducting in relationships, it just wasn't broadcasted (then again, Urahara knew where to look and curious minds had to know!). He sighed out of frusteration at himself, and as soon as he did that, he hoped she didn't take it the wrong way.
Yoruichi wasn't really sure what the sigh was for, but she was certain it probably had nothing to do with wanting her to leave. And yet she couldn't help but feel responsible. She was his weakness, the one thing that could bring down his walls, crumble him in the face of all opposition. It was because of her that he couldn't hide his emotions, couldn't be the cold and level captain that he'd needed to be. Her fault, so much of it.
"Maybe you should... It's because of me that you're so torn over things..."
Again, he nodded silently, hands still entwined in her hair rubbing the strands between his fingers. "I'll stay in the underground facility, then. To train and continue on trying to figure this place out." He spent most of his time there to begin with, but he'd always come back up for meals and to share her bed when the hour grew late.
He couldn't bare the thought to ask Isshin to stay with him again, he'd be too embarrassed for himself and for intruding in their own personal lives. This way, he could strengthen himself and push himself as hard as he did when he was trying to achieve bankai for the first time. It would be intense, but it is what he needs. Yoruichi had always taken delight in proving him wrong or pointing things out to him, and as usual, he would mentally berate himself for not noticing such a thing before. This was such a case - they both know each other is their weakness and aknowledging it only made it more painful.
Blood-dried hands cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. He wanted to say something, but nothing felt appropriate. He loved her, and she loved him, but duty comes before anything else in their lives and they had wandered off that path. The urge to kiss her was intense, but he forced himself not to. "Thank you for getting Benihime back to me." He had said this numerous times, but he had to remind her it was what he needed, "and I'll change my fighting style to suit you best. I'm sorry there has to be pain involved, but as you said, I can't not fight. The Arrancar will only hold back for so long."
Fingertips trailed down her cheeks, before he finally pulled them away. Slowly, and she had moved as well, he managed to stand up, yet his eyes were still trained on her. "We need to remind ourselves what shinigami are. We need to renew our strength individually, so that our bond, our love, will be stronger." It was difficult whenever she would appear from her journeys and then leave; he always wanted to just say 'stay', and now perhaps they had discovered there was a reason for their free spirits and wandering ways. It kept them in check, and made moments together even sweeter, and they had broken that rule here in the city.
Seperation had never seemed as though it would be so hard as it seemed now. Maybe it had to do with the fact that all the other times -- with the exception of her appearing here -- had been because she wanted to, because she felt that wanderlust brewing within her again, that tingly and itchy feeling that curled up from somewhere inside her and just intensified until she couldnt stand it anymore and she had to leave, had to roam, to get away.
This was different.
He was still right, though. Feelings aside, whether they were honest with them or not, it didn't change the fact that they had gotten too close, too complacent in their current circumstances. Let themselves forget what their true purpose was, the reason for their whole existence. And it was time to fix that, to remedy the situation.
She didn't like it, though. Spending time away from Kisuke wasn't, in itself, that difficult to do. She'd certainly spent plenty of time away from him before, and would likely do so again in the future, but it had always been on her own terms. And that was really the issue, keeping things on her own terms. Which meant doing what she wanted to do, and throwing aside restrictions. "Alright, Kisuke."
Pushing herself to her feet, she wavered slightly, gait wobbling for a moment before she steadied herself, tossing hair over her shoulder. Taking a step forward, she rested her forehead against his chest with a sigh. This wouldn't be like other times when she was leaving. And not just because it was him leaving, rather then her. This wasn't the way they did it, her laughing and flipping her hair over her shoulder with a wink before shifting into her other form and dropping silently down over the wall to disappear as enigmatically as she'd come.
He had gone too far, allowed himself to be lost to her for too long. She was everywhere now, in his bed, at the breakfast table, the hot springs - and he wanted more. Sure, lust did play a part of it, but she was everything he wasn't, would think of things he had overlooked, make him work harder in his experiments, delve deeper into his research with the simplest statement uttered by her. He knew he shouldn't have allowed it to get this far, but... feelings couldn't be helped.
"We shouldn't part like this~!" He couldn't help the awkward laugh that escaped him as his lanky frame wrapped around her in a hug. "We're not going off to war, or I'm being exiled from here!" He didn't like the tension in the air and felt the need to break it up, yet he imagined how she felt inside. "Please don't hurt." It was whispered across her ear, just as quick as wind blew through tree branches.
Stiffening for a moment, she relaxed into his embrace, the familiar feeling a comfort from current circumstances, though bittersweet in it's flavour. He was trying to make it better, she could tell that. And truthfully, it helped, reminding her that this wasn't her, wasn't him. They didn't get like this, didn't let things bother them so. And maybe.... maybe part of it was that they'd gone too far, strayed too close to the slippery edge of the fine line they always seemed to walk, like a tightrope stretched thin across the abyss. Teetering one way or the other, and right now they were dangerously close to falling, plummeting into that black and thick unknown.
It was that fall, perhaps, that was so frightening, so unnerving. Just as it was worrisome to hear his voice, so soft, so troubled, whisper to her like that. She shook her head, flashing him a smirk and a wink. "That's my line, Kisuke."
With a smirk he pulled back, "Now I'm going to clean up, and I suggest you do too~ you look bloody awful, and gather some stuff before heading down." Always with a smile and a joke, his trademark to everyone.
Three weeks, that was his goal and plenty of time to clense and clear his mind, train and build up his fighting ability, to meditate and remember his purpose in life. Yoruichi was a constant, the pillar, so to speak, and he had to respect that she'd always be there, and be there for him when needed.
Slowly those hands slid across shoulder blades, upwards past the shoulder until he was no longer touching her. Slowly his feet, in those traditional sandals that had to be uncomfortable even after all those years, took a couple steps back. Slowly his lazy gaze glanced over her blood-dried body as if trying to remember it all before walking away. And with a turn and picking up the cane, he began to walk down the hall.
Dark fingers curled into his and with a yank she spun him back around, pulling him up against her and winding arms around his neck to crush lips to his in a passionate kiss. He was right, they couldn't part like this. At least.... she wanted to get his mind off of things somewhat.
He couldn't do this, was trying so hard not to do this, and broke the kiss. "Yoru..." He searched for words to try and communicate, but met her eyes and what they expressed so deep inside. He glanced the otherway, briefly trying to think of how to make it all make sense.
But it never did, and with that, he dropped the cane and met her lips with his. A hand cupped her cheek as he pushed with more frenzy, deepening the kiss with his tongue. They always fought for dominace like this, often this intense as well, but so much emotion was in this, pushing, driving.
Her hands were traveling, the light touches felt through the dirty fabric of his clothes, were sending chills up and down his spine as a muffle groan escaped. Losing his balance momentarily, he managed to nearly topple them both to the floor, him once again straddling her.
He paused, afraid of the situation, knowing that not only 10 minutes ago, he was in this position bashing her head against said floor. Tenderly, his fingers moved down the sides of her cheeks before reaching her wrists and entwining their fingers together, in hopes that she could accept the silent appology.
Fingers tightening around his, she bit her lip and arched her back, hips bucking up from the floor to grind against his. If he had any sort of doubt as to her acceptance of his apology, this was likely wiping them from his mind. Reaching up, she grabbed the familiar green and white striped hat, yanking it off of his head and hurling it across the room before hands fisted in the front of his haori, yanking him back down against her and molding her lips to his.
Wrenching one hand free of his haori, she reached one hand up to shove her loosened hair out of the way, the mass falling down over her shoulders and pooling around her on the soft shaggy rug as she leaned up to kiss him again, biting down hard at the juncture of neck and shoulder.
He closed his eyes and hummed in pleasure, as he slid a hand down to her waist where he softly grinded against her. "So much for cleaning up." He smiled as she bit his tender skin again.
On to part two...
Rating; PG-13 for first part
Characters; Urahara Kisuke
1hatwonder, Shihouin Yoruichi goddes_of_flash Summary; Upon going into the woods for some sparring, the two shinigami get attacked by the Claymore, Ophelia. After the battle, Kisuke finally discovers the truth behind the exchange that Yoruichi did to get Benihime back, and it's something he doesn't approve of...
His heart was racing, the beating sounding like loud drums behind his ears, as he fought to catch his breath. Benihime's blade caught the reflection of the moon as blood dripped from the bottom, creating a small pool at his feet. He stood behind a tree, hiding from the Claymore that was openly attacking both he and Yoruichi.
He looked down at the gash in his stomach, with a grimace. It looked just as bad as it felt, when he gathered some healing kidou in his hand to heal the weeping wound as best as he could. The wind picked up, blowing his hair against his face as everything suddenly seemed to move in slow motion as he turned to the side of him, wondering where Yoruichi had ran to hide. "Yoru--."
Everything was a blur - time appeared to have slowed down even moreso except for him, as he felt choked by his heart. "YORUICHI!" Barely remembering to sheath his sword, he tripped as he moved towards her, ignoring the fact it'd give away their location. She was pressed against a tree next to his, bleeding extensively from wounds he swore weren't there before.
As he made his way over, time picked up, almost too quickly as he managed to catch her before she fell to the open ground. "Yoruichi!"
The pain was what really surprised her. It wasn't so much that she was a stranger to pain -- she most certainly wasn't -- or even that this was the first time the deal's bounds had struck her, it was that it came so swift, so unexpected. If not for the information that only she was privy to, that she'd kept from Kisuke, Yoruichi would have thought she'd somehow managed to get slack, to let her guard down and take a strike from the crazed... thing -- could it really be called a person? -- that was attacking them. But she knew better.
If it were just that, then there would be no reason why the rents and slashes that marred her skin matched up perfectly with the idential wounds Kisuke had inflicted on their opponent. The deities had told her about the blood, the exchange. But they hadn't mentioned anything about wounds, pain, the method for the loss. Maybe that was why, with a sudden gasp of agony, she'd nearly crumpled to the ground as the wounds ripped through her skin, crimson fluid dripping down in fat droplets into the dusty ground to join the sanguine stains that were already there.
Teeth gritted, it was all she could do to dodge another strike from their enemy, get herself behind the tree and brace herself against thick rough bark, gasping for breath through the haze of pain and feeling the sticky wet ooze of blood seep through her clothes. Damned fight. They'd been unprepared for this, not ready. And while Kisuke was certainly holding his own, they were both taking hits, as evidenced by the extra wounds on her skin, and the red that stood out against the black and green of Kisuke's clothes. But deal or no deal, it would all be a moot point if that woman found her like this. But that really wasn't the foremost thing on her mind right now.
No that was Kisuke. She couldn't let Kisuke see, couldn't let him know. That was the rule, that was her decision. He couldn't know, couldn't find out. If he did.... well, Kisuke would never have understood. Forcing shaking legs to move, to take a step that was more of a stagger, she tried to move, tried to find the energy to shunpo, to get herself out of this situation before he could see, before they could see -- since she wasn't really sure which option would technically be the worst -- but it wasn't there. Instead, the world swam in front of blood-starved retinas and the ground rushed up at an alarming speed.
But the impact didn't come. Instead, Kisuke's face swam into hazy view, his arms catching her before she could meet with a rather harsh impact. Coughing, she tasted blood, staring up at him through blurry vision. "Kisuke..."
It was like having his nightmare come true - the blood, the eerie-ness of the surroundings, the choked feeling in his throat as it felt like his heart was pushing itself up and out of his mouth along with his stomach.
The blood - it was everywhere, staining his hands, seeping through her clothes and his as well. What had gone wrong? They were fighting intensely with the Claymore, but he didn't see anything that could've prompted for this amount of damage, and he didn't understand as he scooped her up in his arms.
He could hear the footsteps of their attacker nearing at an alarming rate. There was no time to think; they had to move and move fast. Holding her close, he moved swiftly, working his shunpo skill that could never match Yoruichi's, yet was just as fast as other captains during his time. Moving across treetops, skipping on a building or two before he reached the temple, he was barely outrunning the Claymore until he manage to force some more energy into each step, widening the gap between them. "Hold on, Yoruichi!" He would continue to whisper, more to comfort himself and hoping to hold on to her conciousness as much as possible.
Finally, they made it to the temple as he came nearly crashing to the bottom. Glancing back behind him, his fear of the Claymore following them this far was soon settled as there were no signs of her anywhere. He waited for a second, analyzing the area, but that was enough confirmation as it was just the two of them. "Stay with me, please!" He turned his attention back to her and pleaded as dilligent fingers began pulling away the clothing layers.
It was hard, but she kept focused on him, holding that blue-grey gaze as best she could, vision hazy and wavering, one hand curling weakly into his haori. Warm. He was warm, and she was cold. Yoruichi knew she wouldn't die, the deal was sound. One liter of her blood for every three that Benihime spilled. And so far, she'd been able to hide it, able to simply be gone when he was fighting, chalk her absense up to her own mercurial nature. She hadn't counted on the ambush while they'd been training in the forest, the Claymore appearing from the woodwork. There'd been no time, no means to get herself out of there so he didn't have to see the results of her bargain.
Even now, she wasn't concerned with her own injuries, gold eyes flickering here and there, searching for any sign that they had been followed. With a strangled cough, she curled fingers around the edge of his kosode with a tug. "Claymore...."
Whatever happened to her, she had to make sure he was safe, that they could let their guard down. If they had been followed, not only would it be pointless for the two of them to stop, but they would put everyone else at the temple at risk as well. They'd managed -- without too much trouble, though that may have just been her ego talking -- to keep their foe at bay, but that wouldn't be the case if they hadn't managed to get away this time.
Dark fingers tried to push his paler, red-stained ones away as she shook her head, knowing it was a pointless gesture. She could already feel the wounds closing, bleeding stopping. Enough of her life's fluid had already been spilled, obviously. "Kisuke....don't......it's fine...Worry about...Claymore."
He had already opened her shirt up, and gathered the healing kidou in his hands. Ignoring her words, he placed the bloodstained fingers to the wounds, only... "We've outran her. I don't sense her presence anywhere... Wait, there's no cut." Confusion spread across his face as he again touched another wound-site turning his full attention to her, "Why is there no cut?"
She still looked tired and worn, still dillusional from the lack of blood. "I-I don't understand!" He touched each wound, tenderly as the blood on his own hands began to dry. "How is this? Yoruichi!?" He still felt sick, still felt his heart beating painfully in his chest. "Explain this to me!" He wasn't being harsh, only extremely confused in his panicked state.
His hands began to shake, and he held them tightly, trying to hide his exasperation. "I don't understand at all! You managed to dodge most of the Claymore's attacks, yet you acquired so many wounds!"
Shaking her head slightly, face drawn and pale, even under the dark mocha hue of her skin, she reached for his hand, fingers curling around his as she tried to manage a smirk at him. "You always.... over-react...Kisuke. You didn't even give....me a chance to....tell you I'd already....healed them."
It was a lie and she knew it, but hopefully he'd buy it. It was certainly better then the reception the truth was likely to get her.
"Don't be stupid." He pulled his hand away from hers. "I saw them - the wounds! There's no way you would've... healed them." He looked at her, shirt open and blood beginning to dry on her chest.
Her last statement, a chance to...tell you... made him pause. "Yoruichi," His voice was abnormally quiet as he diverted his eyes, "You lied to me, didn't you? About getting Benihime." Concern, confusion, and pain all mixed in spread across his face as he finally allowed himself to look back at her, "What did you trade? Blood?"
A deep breath, then another, feeling the dizziness ebb a fraction as her own body worked to replenish the blood her deal had taken from her. "You wouldn't....have understood.....Kisuke."
And it was true, he wouldn't have. Not that that would have surprised her, or come as any sort of shock. She knew Kisuke, knew him well enough to know that he never would have stood for the deal she'd made. But at this point, there was little use in lying to him anymore. Sitting up slowly, wavering from side to side, she placed a shaking palm against her forehead, peering at him through dark fringe. "One liter. For every three you draw. That was the deal, Kisuke."
"Why didn't you tell me this!? You said you couldn't transform... is that still true? Or were you hiding the truth?" He covered his mouth, holding back the rising nausea from the pain of not realizing this sooner. Look at every perspective, pay attention to every detail - he lived by these rules, and here he had gone so long ignoring them, all because it pertained to her.
He swallowed slowly, regaining his composure. "I don't understand you anymore."
His anger burned, his hurt stung, but it was his last sentence that crushed her the most of all. Hanging her head, Yoruichi couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze. For him. For him, she'd risked everything. And not just here. Even before, she'd thrown away her life, her future, her everything. To follow him. To be somewhere where he could still be a part of her life. Because of their mutual, if unspoken, feelings. The closeness, the intimacy. But now... she'd destroyed that, it seemed. And for what? To help him. To take the pain from him.
She supposed she deserved his anger, his coldness. Perhaps she even deserved for him to turn away from her, to push her away and look on her with nothing but disgust. But it hurt. So much more then she'd thought it would. Biting her lower lip for a moment, she pushed the pain back, steeling the expression on her face and forcing back the moisture at the corners of her eyes. No, she wouldn't cry. Wouldn't ever cry. Ever let him see how deep his words had cut.
"You wouldn't have understood, Kisuke. You would have refused to fight, what else was I supposed to do. But.....it doesn't matter. I'll leave. You won't have to deal with me."
"How do you expect me to fight?! Like this? I-I can't! I can't even bare to even think about looking at Benihime, knowing what it does now. How can I protect you, knowing.... I could kill you." He grew quiet, contemplative.
He saw her struggling to get up, and without thinking, rushed to grab her shoulders, only toppling both of them over and him ending up straddling her. "Of course I don't understand! You're exchanging a part of you! Your LIFE!"
The pain was intense and almost overwhelming, and the thought that he was selfish enough to think it fruggle to allow oneself to risk their life for another...
"And my life was worth the giving! Worth it to take the emptiness out of your eyes, Kisuke!"
She wasnt really yelling. Yelling would have required so much more energy then she had right now. In fact, it was all she could do to stay conscious in light of the stress. Relaxing, allowing her head to roll to the side, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath to keep yelling at him, she sighed, barely registering that her hairtie had snapped, sending dark violet tresses tumbling around her shoulders. "You weren't supposed to know, Kisuke. You can't not fight. You and I both know it...."
His grip tightened on her shoulders, "How can I!? Yoruichi, if I manage to kill an Arrancar, there's a good chance you'll die. And what if I use my bankai? What then!? Do you know how this feels? Do you know how much this hurts me?" Without thinking of her weakness he shook her shoulders.
"You said you did this to help me, explain this to me! Why did you make such a deal!? WHY? Why couldn't you have let me give up my memories of creating the orb!? You say there was emptiness in my eyes? Benihime may have caused that, but I feel like my soul had been ripped in half seeing my creation used in such evil acts. I created the mess that created the Arrancar! Me!" He paused, catching his breath, swallowing down the rising emotions. "And it's you... You who reminds me why it's worth living. And then you go off doing something SO STUPID!" He shook her one last time before tearing himself away from her.
Gritting her teeth against the impact from her head cracking against the wood panels that made up the floor, she didnt say a word, didn't protest even as he shook her violently, the pain radiating in nausea-inducing waves from the crown of her head. He didn't understand, likely wouldn't understand, what she'd done for him by forcing him to keep those memories. Kisuke was the only one who knew how the Hougyoku worked, who understood it's inner intricacies and mechanics. Which was why he was the only one who knew how to un-do it. Gritting her teeth against the rising nausea, she bit back the bile in her throat, lashing out with the only rationalization she could give him for what she'd done, for why she'd done it.
"Because I love you!" The words tore from her throat as her head hit the ground with a final thud as he shoved himself away from her, leaving her battered, head reeling from bloodloss and impact. With a cough, she managed to roll over onto her side, gagging slightly as the simple motion made the world tilt further, the nausea spike. Swallowing hard, she forced back the queasiness, panting slightly.
She hadn't meant to say it, hadn't really even wanted to say it, it had just... happened. And now it was too late to take it back.
He glanced back at her with pain-filled eyes, mentally berating himself for being so harsh on her, yet he didn't know how to react to that. "I refuse to use Benihime." His voice was calm and collected. "I can't bear seeing you hurt like this."
The desire to go away from her was stronger than ever, as he sat there staring at her, but he couldn't bring himself to it. "I just..." Without thinking, he pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, trying to loosen the stress.
Seeing her ill-looking, he moved back and pulled her into his lap, holding her.
Before she could protest, could argue with him that he had to stop this, had to stop letting feelings get in the way of what he needed to do, he'd scooped her up into his lap. The sudden motion had her eyes widening and arm flailing to pull herself away to hook fingers around the edge of the trash bin before hanging her head over it and parting ways with her lunch as the nausea got to be too much. Swallowing, trying to catch her breath, she let fingers slip off of the rim, body going limp as she simply curled back up into a ball in his lap, stiff and silent.
If it were any other situation, she might have enjoyed the embrace, at least for a moment. But this was the first time she could think of that she'd both wanted to stay and wanted to run, and she had no idea which one she wanted to do more. "You have to use her. You can't let emotions get in the way, Kisuke. It...."
Glancing down, she sighed, continuing in a soft voice. "It's better if you just keep hating me....then you won't have to be bothered by the idea of hurting me when you fight..."
Allowing himself a closer inspection of the back of her head, he notice blood seeping out, just as it soaked some of his sleeve. "Yoruichi..." He had done this - through his whole spiel of not wanting to hurt her and what does he do? He really was a fool sometimes.
For the second time that day, he gathered the kidou in his hand and pressed the palm of his hand to the wound, healing it. "Why didn't you stop me!? Here I'm trying to avoid hurting you and I did it. In the end, I'm just a monster doing damage and harming others - through my own hands or my creations...." He was quickly hitting a low in his abilities and self confidence.
Holding her tighter, he buried his face in her tousled hair, "How can I hate you when you're the only one who stays with me in the end? How could I hate you when I'm so distraught at the thought of losing you? How could you even imagine such a thing when I'm so in love with you it hurts me, kills me, seeing what I do to you.... You should hate me."
"Didn't stop you.....I deserved it......" Sighing, feeling the pain fade, and with it the nausea, she let her head rest against his chest, too tired at the moment to even move, she nevertheless managed to reach a hand up and thread it through a few strands of blond before it dropped back to her lap. "No....can't hate you.....even if....I wanted to..."
And it was true, she couldn't hate him, no matter what he ever did, what he ever said. Kisuke could have created the most horrific things, commited the most atrocius wrongs, and he would still be Kisuke. Her Kisuke...
"I can't forgive you for making that deal. And if we're faced with an attack... I don't know." He no longer knew how to express himself, his feelings of regret for her having to make such a sacrifice. "I'll have to think of other methods... the least harmful way for you."
Whenever she was gone, doing her own thing, he was always concerned for her safety, but knew she could handle herself. Just like whenever they fought together, he knew that she could hold her own ground, allowing him to make any move he so desired. Not that Urahara was careless during a fight and recklessly engaged in battle, because that was quite the contrary, but he didn't have to worry. Now? Now he'd have to only use Benihime if absolutely necessary and to attack only when deemed appropriate and fruitful.
He wished he had known of this plan, then maybe they could agree on something to give up. Her giving up transforming bothered him, but he was willing to allow it, since it wouldn't cost her serious damage and she could still do whatever she wanted otherwise. Now he was playing with her life, and he didn't even want to imagine what would happen to her if he was forced to use his bankai.
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Kisuke." And it was true, she didn't. In fact, she hadn't even expected him to speak to her after he found out the truth. Instead... he was holding her, burying his face in her hair and telling her how much she meant to him. And that....was even a bit disconcerting. Kisuke always had been in possession of the rather bad habit of letting emotions get in the way of necessity, of letting himself get carried away with them. This was just another example of that.
Shifting slightly to pull away from him, she shook her head. "But I do expect you to fight. You always do this, Kisuke. Let emotions get in the way. You know as well as I do that's the entire reason shinigami arent supposed to love. And besides that, if you refuse to fight, it makes everything I did meaningless."
He grew silent, eyes diverted, and nodded. She was right, it was a bad habit of his. That's why he always stayed in the background, avoiding situations at all costs until it was necessary of him to be there. He hated being reminded of it - such a character flaw, really. He was constantly being criticised for it, but he couldn't understand how other captains could be so cold towards their own squads. Being emotional was perhaps down looked upon, but... "I can't help it, really."
It was brought back to her - always her! Ururu once asked him what it was like to be in love, and the only way he could explain it was how his heart fluttered each time Yoruichi walked into the room, how it ached when he saw her upset in that extremely rare occasion, how he would die for her.
He paused. He would die for her, and she for him, yet here he was criticising her for stating just that. But... he never imagined it would be him that would be killing her. Opening his mouth to say something, he promptly shut it again. What could he say? "You're right, Yoru." He ran his hand through her hair.
She closed her eyes with a sigh, tilting her head against his hand, enjoying the feel of his fingers combing through silky strands. "For what it's worth.... I'm sorry. I never wanted to lie to you, you know. I'll understand if you'd rather I moved on for awhile."
It was a strange sensation, the idea that for once, she actually didn't want to be moving on, didn't want to go roaming. Normally, she couldn't stay put very long, couldn't just sit still and be content in one place, but this City was different. Maybe it was because Kisuke was a constant, an anchor in this odd place. Either way, she didn't want to leave, didn't want to roam. Rather... she wanted to stay right here, like this.
But regardless of that, if he wanted space, if he wanted her gone... well, then she'd respect his wishes.
"You're the one who invited me to live with you, I have no right to say go away." His voice was calm and deep - his trying to work on this whole nonemotional thing. "Besides, I don't think I could let you anyway. I may not forgive you on this, but I still... have feelings." Well, there went the whole emotionless part.
She was his addiction, and maybe he should go away for a short period of time, to remember why he was a captain and the way of the shinigami, but he couldn't bring himself to it. Perhaps shinigami had their rules, but it didn't mean everyone had to go by it, right? There were a few married members of the squads - how harrassed were they? And it was no secret of other captains conducting in relationships, it just wasn't broadcasted (then again, Urahara knew where to look and curious minds had to know!). He sighed out of frusteration at himself, and as soon as he did that, he hoped she didn't take it the wrong way.
Yoruichi wasn't really sure what the sigh was for, but she was certain it probably had nothing to do with wanting her to leave. And yet she couldn't help but feel responsible. She was his weakness, the one thing that could bring down his walls, crumble him in the face of all opposition. It was because of her that he couldn't hide his emotions, couldn't be the cold and level captain that he'd needed to be. Her fault, so much of it.
"Maybe you should... It's because of me that you're so torn over things..."
Again, he nodded silently, hands still entwined in her hair rubbing the strands between his fingers. "I'll stay in the underground facility, then. To train and continue on trying to figure this place out." He spent most of his time there to begin with, but he'd always come back up for meals and to share her bed when the hour grew late.
He couldn't bare the thought to ask Isshin to stay with him again, he'd be too embarrassed for himself and for intruding in their own personal lives. This way, he could strengthen himself and push himself as hard as he did when he was trying to achieve bankai for the first time. It would be intense, but it is what he needs. Yoruichi had always taken delight in proving him wrong or pointing things out to him, and as usual, he would mentally berate himself for not noticing such a thing before. This was such a case - they both know each other is their weakness and aknowledging it only made it more painful.
Blood-dried hands cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. He wanted to say something, but nothing felt appropriate. He loved her, and she loved him, but duty comes before anything else in their lives and they had wandered off that path. The urge to kiss her was intense, but he forced himself not to. "Thank you for getting Benihime back to me." He had said this numerous times, but he had to remind her it was what he needed, "and I'll change my fighting style to suit you best. I'm sorry there has to be pain involved, but as you said, I can't not fight. The Arrancar will only hold back for so long."
Fingertips trailed down her cheeks, before he finally pulled them away. Slowly, and she had moved as well, he managed to stand up, yet his eyes were still trained on her. "We need to remind ourselves what shinigami are. We need to renew our strength individually, so that our bond, our love, will be stronger." It was difficult whenever she would appear from her journeys and then leave; he always wanted to just say 'stay', and now perhaps they had discovered there was a reason for their free spirits and wandering ways. It kept them in check, and made moments together even sweeter, and they had broken that rule here in the city.
Seperation had never seemed as though it would be so hard as it seemed now. Maybe it had to do with the fact that all the other times -- with the exception of her appearing here -- had been because she wanted to, because she felt that wanderlust brewing within her again, that tingly and itchy feeling that curled up from somewhere inside her and just intensified until she couldnt stand it anymore and she had to leave, had to roam, to get away.
This was different.
He was still right, though. Feelings aside, whether they were honest with them or not, it didn't change the fact that they had gotten too close, too complacent in their current circumstances. Let themselves forget what their true purpose was, the reason for their whole existence. And it was time to fix that, to remedy the situation.
She didn't like it, though. Spending time away from Kisuke wasn't, in itself, that difficult to do. She'd certainly spent plenty of time away from him before, and would likely do so again in the future, but it had always been on her own terms. And that was really the issue, keeping things on her own terms. Which meant doing what she wanted to do, and throwing aside restrictions. "Alright, Kisuke."
Pushing herself to her feet, she wavered slightly, gait wobbling for a moment before she steadied herself, tossing hair over her shoulder. Taking a step forward, she rested her forehead against his chest with a sigh. This wouldn't be like other times when she was leaving. And not just because it was him leaving, rather then her. This wasn't the way they did it, her laughing and flipping her hair over her shoulder with a wink before shifting into her other form and dropping silently down over the wall to disappear as enigmatically as she'd come.
He had gone too far, allowed himself to be lost to her for too long. She was everywhere now, in his bed, at the breakfast table, the hot springs - and he wanted more. Sure, lust did play a part of it, but she was everything he wasn't, would think of things he had overlooked, make him work harder in his experiments, delve deeper into his research with the simplest statement uttered by her. He knew he shouldn't have allowed it to get this far, but... feelings couldn't be helped.
"We shouldn't part like this~!" He couldn't help the awkward laugh that escaped him as his lanky frame wrapped around her in a hug. "We're not going off to war, or I'm being exiled from here!" He didn't like the tension in the air and felt the need to break it up, yet he imagined how she felt inside. "Please don't hurt." It was whispered across her ear, just as quick as wind blew through tree branches.
Stiffening for a moment, she relaxed into his embrace, the familiar feeling a comfort from current circumstances, though bittersweet in it's flavour. He was trying to make it better, she could tell that. And truthfully, it helped, reminding her that this wasn't her, wasn't him. They didn't get like this, didn't let things bother them so. And maybe.... maybe part of it was that they'd gone too far, strayed too close to the slippery edge of the fine line they always seemed to walk, like a tightrope stretched thin across the abyss. Teetering one way or the other, and right now they were dangerously close to falling, plummeting into that black and thick unknown.
It was that fall, perhaps, that was so frightening, so unnerving. Just as it was worrisome to hear his voice, so soft, so troubled, whisper to her like that. She shook her head, flashing him a smirk and a wink. "That's my line, Kisuke."
With a smirk he pulled back, "Now I'm going to clean up, and I suggest you do too~ you look bloody awful, and gather some stuff before heading down." Always with a smile and a joke, his trademark to everyone.
Three weeks, that was his goal and plenty of time to clense and clear his mind, train and build up his fighting ability, to meditate and remember his purpose in life. Yoruichi was a constant, the pillar, so to speak, and he had to respect that she'd always be there, and be there for him when needed.
Slowly those hands slid across shoulder blades, upwards past the shoulder until he was no longer touching her. Slowly his feet, in those traditional sandals that had to be uncomfortable even after all those years, took a couple steps back. Slowly his lazy gaze glanced over her blood-dried body as if trying to remember it all before walking away. And with a turn and picking up the cane, he began to walk down the hall.
Dark fingers curled into his and with a yank she spun him back around, pulling him up against her and winding arms around his neck to crush lips to his in a passionate kiss. He was right, they couldn't part like this. At least.... she wanted to get his mind off of things somewhat.
He couldn't do this, was trying so hard not to do this, and broke the kiss. "Yoru..." He searched for words to try and communicate, but met her eyes and what they expressed so deep inside. He glanced the otherway, briefly trying to think of how to make it all make sense.
But it never did, and with that, he dropped the cane and met her lips with his. A hand cupped her cheek as he pushed with more frenzy, deepening the kiss with his tongue. They always fought for dominace like this, often this intense as well, but so much emotion was in this, pushing, driving.
Her hands were traveling, the light touches felt through the dirty fabric of his clothes, were sending chills up and down his spine as a muffle groan escaped. Losing his balance momentarily, he managed to nearly topple them both to the floor, him once again straddling her.
He paused, afraid of the situation, knowing that not only 10 minutes ago, he was in this position bashing her head against said floor. Tenderly, his fingers moved down the sides of her cheeks before reaching her wrists and entwining their fingers together, in hopes that she could accept the silent appology.
Fingers tightening around his, she bit her lip and arched her back, hips bucking up from the floor to grind against his. If he had any sort of doubt as to her acceptance of his apology, this was likely wiping them from his mind. Reaching up, she grabbed the familiar green and white striped hat, yanking it off of his head and hurling it across the room before hands fisted in the front of his haori, yanking him back down against her and molding her lips to his.
Wrenching one hand free of his haori, she reached one hand up to shove her loosened hair out of the way, the mass falling down over her shoulders and pooling around her on the soft shaggy rug as she leaned up to kiss him again, biting down hard at the juncture of neck and shoulder.
He closed his eyes and hummed in pleasure, as he slid a hand down to her waist where he softly grinded against her. "So much for cleaning up." He smiled as she bit his tender skin again.
On to part two...