Deep in Thought

It was one of those many sleepless nights where all I could think about was him. What he was doing, what he was thinking, if he was safe – things I really shouldn’t have been thinking about right now but couldn’t help thinking all the same.

Yoruichi must have noticed something, for she ended up following me. I spared her a wan smile and then refocused my attention back on the moon, the stars, and the surrounding darkness that reminded me so much of dark eyes and hair.

“Enjoying the weather while you can?” she asked, stretching her arms high above her head, in her human form for once – more correctly her human spirit form. She still refused to use one of my gigai for some reason.

“Something like that,” I replied, gesturing to the sky. “It’s such a pretty evening! I just wanted to enjoy the calm, you know? Before everything takes a turn for the worse. What with the war and all.”

“Hmmm. But you’re not thinking about the war at all, are you?” insisted Yoruichi, scowling and taking a seat beside me - all in a rather tomboy like manner. The tomboy comparison even extended to her clothes. “Kisuke, you can’t afford to have your mind up in the clouds. Get it together, man.”

“Awww, but Yoruichi-love, war’s really no fun to dwell on. No fun at all.” I pretended to sigh, dramatic as always, and let my head rest on her shoulder. “I’ll think about war when I’m not worried about my nakama, mkay?”

Her scowl softened, if only a little. Threading a hand in my hair, she combed at it, trying to get rid of the bed hair I no doubt had. I had attempted to sleep earlier, but it hadn’t worked out too well and I had ended up out here, sitting in front of the shop and enjoying the night air.

“I’m sure Isshin and Ryuuken can take care of their kids, Kisuke. I even heard Isshin gave the Konpaku a Hollow protection charm to ensure Ichigo’s body is safe. And Ryuuken’s training four-eyes or something. So, really, there’s no use worrying over things that you can’t change, can’t do.” There was subtle hinting in her voice, I read it easily. She knew things about me that I had long ago hidden, locked away. She even knew things about me I hadn’t told her in the first place. Yoruichi was too close to me not to notice things. “And me? Well, I can take care of myself, so I have no idea what you’re implying there.” She tugged sharply at my hair. “Unless, of course, I’m not included in your nakama, Ki-su-ke.”

I smirked at her, lips grazing against her cheek as I leaned closer than I should have to answer. “You’ve always been part of my nakama, Yoruichi,” I drawled, voice lowered, eyes hooded. “Always have been. But if you want to be something closer …” I trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging for a moment. “I’ll have to decline.” I would have pulled back and laughed, but she still had a hand in my hair, keeping me in place.

“You’re such an idiot, Kisuke.” It wasn’t a disappointed statement, it wasn’t even reproachful. Yoruichi would never take offense to me not liking her in that specific way. However, it was put out. Obviously I had failed to get whatever she had wanted me to get. That in itself didn’t happen often. Another thing that didn’t happen often? Yoruichi kissing me. Rough, hard, demanding.

The few times she had – I tried to remember back to them as her tongue darted out, prying at my lips, seeking an entrance that I wasn’t putting forth just yet. When she had kissed me in the past, it had always been to prove a point – to tell me something. What was she trying to tell me this time? Because if Isshin was like an open book, Yoruichi was a locked diary that would make me work for an answer.

I allowed her to have her way, parting my lips, giving her permission to continue with just that. Whatever she wanted me to understand, whatever it was she wanted me to get, it was escaping me. Either way, this was a pleasant distraction from my earlier thoughts. And I would take any distraction I could get.