Chapter Text
Sitting on the roof of the Second Division, basking on the warm tiles, Yoruichi watched the goings on within the courtyard with great amusement. With the sun at its highest point, and the year at its hottest time, she did not envy the members of the Onmitsukidō in full black gear. She herself had opted against her cat form, knowing all too well that black fur and such heat did not go together well.
The men weren't training per se, but cleaning every square in the courtyard seemed like hard enough graft for such weather. Ōmaeda walked amongst the men, hands behind his back as some poor Soul Reaper carried a parasol over him. Suì-Fēng was nowhere is sight, leaving the lieutenant to oversee the work progress, bellowing orders to hurry up.
She crossed her arms, leaning on the slant on the roof with her legs dangling. The Soul Society had finally achieved peace after the hell with Aizen, and with it anyone would assume there would be a lull in duties and training. Not this division though, never this division.
Where Suì-Fēng had picked up the harsh taskmaster persona, she didn't know, but it wasn't so bad when Suì was younger. When leading the Onmitsukidō herself, Yoruichi always emphasised the importance of cutting loose, especially after a rough day. Back in the day, the two trained hard and with some persistant coaxing, Suì-Fēng did eventually relax.
Speak of the devil, Yoruichi thought as a small breeze cooled her face, which ended as soon as it had started. The edges of a captain's haori brushed Yoruichi's shoulders before settling, as Suì-Fēng stood beside her, appearing from what could've been thin air.
'Yoruichi-sama,' Suì-Fēng said, still looking towards the courtyard. 'I wasn't expecting you today. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?'
Yoruichi gestured lazily to the scene below. Some of the men had spotted their captain upon the roof and were now working twice as fast to clean the floor. 'That down there. Why have you got them scrubbing the courtyard in this heat?'
She didn't gain an answer right away, which made Yoruichi look up to the younger woman and spot the smallest of frowns forming.
'This is Ōmaeda's doing, he was put in charge today.'
'Would you look at that,' Yoruichi cocked her head to the side. 'He's not even eating, either. Did you hit him too hard on the head?'
The tiny captain gave a small snort. 'Not recently, no.'
Scooting up the gentle slope of the roof, Yoruichi brought her knees up to her chest, placing Suì-Fēng into her main view. Her golden eyes fell onto the gleaming hoops that adorned the bottom of the captain's hair. It was an intriguing style, especially as the majority of it was kept short, but the longer braids reminded Yoruichi of how fond Suì-Fēng used to be of her shoulder length hair.
'Is there a reason why you keep your hair like that?' Yoruichi wondered out loud. At that point, Suì-Fēng turned her face completely from view, until the older woman reached out and tugged the closest braid. 'Hey! It obviously means something to you, if you're keeping quiet. Sit down and tell me, I can keep a secret.'
'I shouldn't – sit down I mean. What would my men think?'
Yoruichi shrugged. 'They'd think you were the laziest captain ever, undeserving of the role. Just sit with me, Suì-Fēng.'
The captain complied, albeit slowly, sitting down by a spot beside her old mentor. It took all of Yoruichi's strength not to reach out and stroke the length of one of the braids, knowing Suì-Fēng liked to keep a mean reputation.
'So-'
'What is Ōmaeda doing?' Suì-Fēng cut in, interrupting everything. 'Is that bunting over there?'
Yoruichi squinted towards the far corner, where several division members were clutching metres and metres of triangular shaped fabric. It all looked as orange as her jacket, or the inner lining of Suì's haori.
It was obvious that they were planning some sort of party, but their own captain wasn't in on the event? That was rather amusing. Even more so was the fact she was letting it slide.
'And you don't know what they're up to?' Yoruichi asked, still interested in the shiny hoops adorning Suì-Fēng's hair. Her cat-like intrigue got the better of her and she reached out to feel how heavy it was.
'Not at all,' Suì-Fēng admitted. Yoruichi saw a slight shudder from the captain when her hands gently ran the length of the braid. 'They clearly don't require me for now, and I can't have Ōmaeda knowing I've forgotten some important event. '
Yoruichi chuckled, before standing and stretching. 'Well if you're not too bothered about finding out what such an event could be… I reckon that means you've got to spend the rest of your free time with me.'
'Very well,' Suì-Fēng said, dusting herself down. 'What did you have in mind, Yourichi-sama?'
Was that all the persuasion the girl needed? Excellent.
All Yoruichi fancied doing was basking in the sun with good company, perhaps a place with shade or water to keep them cool. And then a place struck her.
'We're going to the waterfall!'
'The waterfall?'
'The same one you tried to get naked pict-'
Suì-Fēng couldn't cover her face fast enough. 'How many times must you bring that up, Yoruichi-sama?'
A large smirk plastered her face as she watched the usually poker-faced woman squirm at the memory. There was something so satisfying about it. 'I'll bring it up as many times as I think about it.'
Before Yoruichi could show her up in front of her division, Suì-Fēng was already on her feet and heading in the rough direction of the waterfall. It took little effort to catch up.
Staying purposely behind the captain wasn't a natural occurrence, but once again her eyes fell upon Suì-Fēng's swaying hair and the Second Division's insignia emblazoned on her back. From personal guard to captain, there was so much Yoruichi wished to know, as one hundred years worth of guilt still struck her like a Zanpakutō to the heart.
Suì-Fēng glanced back. The seriousness was there in her voice, just not her face. 'What's the matter Yoruichi-sama? Getting slow in your old age?'
There was something about this Suì-Fēng that appealed to Yoruichi. A century had given her a confidence and cockiness that came with captaincy, but it was almost like how she would act when Yoruichi herself was in charge, and Suì-Fēng was still her personal guard. Of course, there was still evidence of the easily embarrassed girl in there.
Yoruichi grinned, kicking off a treetop in order to fall in line. 'And what if I am? You'll just have to carry me there.'
They landed short of the waterfall; close enough to be hit by the cooling spray. Palms open, Yoruichi decided she enjoyed the feeling enough to want to feel more of it. Loosening her orange jacket, the fresh air instantly rushed down the sleeves, cooling her at once.
Suì-Fēng looked on a little more conserved. It looked like she needed a little more coaxing.
'You can't be wearing all that in this heat.'
Suì-Fēng shrugged. 'I cope during the rest of the year.'
'Don't make me cut that obi off myself,' Yoruichi warned, trying not to smile. She piled her discarded jacket into a makeshift pillow, lying flat on her back. There wasn't much grass for a softer surface, but the dry ground was warm and not too rocky.
'You took us this far to lie around?'
Keeping her eyes closed, Yoruichi reached out towards the voice, gesturing for Suì-Fēng. 'I believe sunbathe is the correct term. Let's talk for a bit. I'm not going to fall asleep, I promise.'
There was a heavy sigh, followed by the sound of skin rubbing against fabric. The sunlight caressing Yoruichi's face replaced by a brief shadow.
'Would you like to use this to lie on?' Suì-Fēng asked, forcing Yoruichi to look at Suì-Fēng's offering of her haori.
Your undying need to serve me is showing, Yoruichi thought, wanting to say it out loud instead. Old habits die hard.
Suì-Fēng must've taken her silence as a form of negation, because she does sit at long last. Soon the only sound is the rushing of water, and not of the talking that Yoruichi promised.
Yoruichi observes Suì-Fēng playing with one of the hoops in her hair.
'You seem pensive,' Yoruichi comments, sitting up.
'I'm just remembering something.'
'Are you once again remembering the time Kiyone tried to ask for my autograph while you hid in the trees?' Yoruichi nudged the smaller woman, hoping for another mortified reaction instead of what felt like something deeper forming.
'I know you only returned here the first time because of the Kurosaki kid, but the fact you stepped foot in the Seireitei at all… but I'm, I'm happy you're here Yoruichi-sama.'
She didn't sound happy.
'Is that really what you think?' There was a sudden ache in the ex-deserter's heart. She'd brought her old protégé here to have fun and catch up, not for moping about the past. Sitting up properly, Yoruichi threw her left arm over Sui's shoulders, bringing her close. 'Don't think for a second that I didn't want to return to snatch you and take you with me.'
Amazingly, Suì-Fēng doesn't oppose her pressing her face so close that raven tresses tickle her nose. They'd not really been over this issue past their fight, there hadn't been time. Still staring off into space, Suì-Fēng barely showed signs of hearing, other than the slight lean into Yoruichi.
'When I became captain I vowed to be the one to strike you down,' Suì-Fēng murmured, as if hoping Yoruichi wouldn't hear everything. That much Yoruichi remembered from the heat of their fight. 'I also grew my hair from that point on. I refused to cut it until we met again.'
'Oh?' Yoruichi gave a weak smile at the admission. Her hand instinctively going for the braid Suì-Fēng wasn't playing with.
'Naturally, hair can grow a lot within a year, never mind a century.' This time the tiny captain let out a small laugh. 'So I stopped growing it before it became too impractical. It became my daily reminder of my personal promise.'
'I'm sorry you suffered.'
They stayed in their silent half-embrace long enough for Yoruichi to absorb that her departure all those years ago not only shaped Suì-Fēng's personality, but also her appearance; a daily reminder weighing down her back, as well as her mind. Just being present in the moment felt healing, though there was much more to be done. Yoruichi glanced down at Suì-Fēng, who had stayed silent and steady enough in her breathing for Yoruichi to know she hadn't been crying.
'Stand for me.'
Suì-Fēng made a small noise in protest as Yoruichi pulled her to her feet, before grabbing Suzemebachi from the neatly folded haori. With her free hand, Yoruichi reached for one of Suì-Fēng's braids as she walked a full circle around her. 'So this is a physical representation of all the burdens I left you with?'
'Y-yes.' The zanpakutō's metal rang out as it was unsheathed, and with it Suì-Fēng's spiritual pressure rose slightly. 'I mean it was.'
To any onlooker it would appear as though she was going to kill the leader of the Onmitsukidō. Yoruichi placed the blade against both braids, allowing a few inches to preserve some hair length.
'Do you trust me?' she asked, knowing the answer anyway, but there was an undying need to hear her say it.
This time there was no stutter. Suì-Fēng squared her shoulders. 'Yes.'
With one quick swipe, the sharp edge sliced through hair and ribbon alike as if nothing was there in the first place. The cut was clean, and without needing to see what it looked like from the front, Yoruichi could tell that Suì-Fēng suited it already.
'No point in keeping such a heavy reminder of a personal promise around. Because here we are reunited at last. And my promise to you will be that we will carry on where we left off.'
Suì-Fēng turned, silently accepting what was left of a heavy burden; simply hair, ribbon, and metal.
One hundred years was a lifetime and more to humans, and Yoruichi only ever started to appreciate what could change in such a time when she was placed among the mortals in Karakura. One hundred years was a long time to hold such a mental weight. She hoped and prayed she could earn Suì-Fēng's true forgiveness.
'This signifies a change for the better,' Yoruichi told her, itching to know what the captain was thinking. 'If you think you're getting rid of me from this point on you'll be sorely mistaken.'
'Likewise,' the captain replied quietly.
Suì-Fēng took a deep breath as if she had more to say on the matter. Instead, she dropped the braids at her feet, and gestured to the waterfall with a nod of her head. 'Did you want to… uh, take a swim, since we're here?'
Yoruichi smiled broadly at the break in tension. Her skin was crying out to be cleansed from the heat of the day. Knowing all too well that Suì-Fēng hated it when she bared all, she stripped down to just her underclothes. The small captain had her back turned out of politeness.
'Come on, you too!' Yoruichi called out.
Leaving the other woman to get undressed, Yoruichi meandered over rocks and stepped in the shallowest parts. Since her last visit, the body of water had grown considerably, resembling a lagoon more than anything else. The further she delved into the water, the more it was starting to become her favourite place in the world. Lukewarm and as clear as day, Yoruichi's body rejoiced as the water lapped at her waist.
'Today would be nice!' Yoruichi called out to the captain, who was as apprehensive as a newborn deer. Suì-Fēng joined her one tiny step at a time, arms crossed as though she was being violated by look alone. 'Feeling shy are we?'
The woman slid further into the water, feigning interest in something that required her to look in the opposite direction to Yoruichi. 'Not everyone is as confident as you, Yoruichi-sama.'
'But you are confident,' Yoruichi corrected. 'You're no wilting flower on the battlefield.'
'Comfortable then… no one is as comfortable as you are.'
Yoruichi inclined her head and winked, not able to disagree with what was said. She watched as the Second Division leader waded towards the waterfall itself, stopping under the brunt force to let the water soak her completely. The new haircut really did suit her Yoruichi thought as Suì-Fēng raked her fingers though freshly cut tresses.
A sudden urge to pull Suì-Fēng under the water washed over Yoruichi whilst her companion had her back turned. As swiftly and as silently as possible, Yoruichi dived under the surface, met with crystal clear vision of her target.
Pushing off the wall of rocks, Yoruichi cut through the water like an arrow through air, breaking the surface a second before she came into contact with target. Instead of touching flesh however, her hand hit the crags behind the cascade. Damn, she'd moved.
'Don't think I didn't notice you disappear, Yoruichi-sama.'
'You say that like I was up to something.'
'Says the woman definitely up to something,' Suì-Fēng smirked, a fire present in her eyes.
'Look at you lying to me now. You're pretty damn "comfortable" teasing me,' Yoruichi said referring to earlier as she pushed away from the cliff face. Suì-Fēng sidestepped in the water as Yoruichi swam towards her, moving pointedly to the edge as if to get out. 'But I must admit, I like this new you.'
Suì-Fēng stopped, head dipping a fraction. At first, Yoruichi thought she was about to cry, but instead she looked her right in the eye and said, 'I mean no disrespect, Yoruichi-sama, but this personality of mine is hardly "new".'
I guess she's right, Yoruichi thought whilst making herself smile. She hoped it didn't look as wistful as it felt. 'We have quite a way to go, don't we?'
Suì-Fēng surprised her by coming forward and tentatively placing a hand on Yoruichi's arm. It was not something the younger Suì-Fēng would have ever done unless given permission to touch her. Nevertheless she still looked down, refusing to show her face.
'One hundred years apart is a long time in any lifetime,' Suì-Fēng said quietly. 'You've not changed a bit since, but I…' Suì-Fēng offered a small smile. 'Never mind, I know everything will return to how it once was.' There was a brief stillness, before Suì-Fēng jerked to cover her chest, realising that the water had made their undergarments see through. 'I think it's best I get out- ah!'
Not wanting something as silly as modesty ruin such a lovely close moment, Yoruichi quickly grabbed and hoisted Suì-Fēng from the waist, twirling her.
'What are you doing?!' The action was met with some stiff resistance and a yelp. The captain was stuck in a cycle of trying to release herself from the grasp, and keeping herself covered. Of course, Yoruichi's was equally showing off as much as if she had walked in naked, which but unperturbed, despite her wet clothes clung to her even more. Blissfully ignoring Suì-Fēng's protests to be put down, Yoruichi continued to circling them in the water, laughing.
The second she did let go, Suì-Fēng excused herself out of the water.
'Hey,' Yoruichi called after her, a panic setting in that she'd angered her. 'Everything okay?'
Hurriedly pulling a bone-dry uniform over her damp skin, Suì-Fēng smiled unconvincingly at her from over her shoulder. Yoruichi continues to admire on, even if she knows it makes the captain uncomfortable. 'Everything is fine, Yoruichi-sama. My skin just feels like it's getting burnt.'
Yoruichi waded to the rocky edge, glancing at the younger woman's shoulders first for any tell tale sign of redness. 'Are you sure? You don't look red to… well okay, maybe your face.'
Suì-Fēng continued to get ready, shrugging on her pristine haori like she was ready to leave. In fact, she was leaving. Did she go too far? Slipping slightly on the rocks underfoot, Yoruichi hauled herself out of the water, trying to hold back her urgency to catch up.
'What's the sudden rush?'
'As much as I want to stay, I should check up on my division and whatever this event Ōmaeda has them setting up.'
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed slightly, grinning. Thankfully, Suì-Fēng sounded more flustered than angry. 'Are you trying to get rid of me?'
Suì-Fēng bowed in the middle of tying her obi, keeping it tightened in place with one hand. 'I'm sorry, but I must.'
Deflated but not defeated, Yoruichi also reached for her things, though ideally she'd have liked to dry off first. 'Well hold on, I'm coming back with you.'
'Of course,' Suì-Fēng nodded, her eyes flicking down to admire Yoruichi's soaking form for a split second.
They landed in the dead centre of the division's courtyard, startling two of the novices carrying a long table in the process. The entire way back, Suì-Fēng had tried to remain in the lead, so that Yoruichi could not see the furious blushing on her face. Being in such a revealing state and pressed up against Yoruichi had brought about such a panic.
Dropping the table in his panic one man saluted. 'Greetings, Captain Suì-Fēng!'
'Surely it doesn't take two of you to carry something so light.' Suì-Fēng tilted her head to the side. 'I do not accept weaklings in this division.'
The recruits looked at each other, and in a flash the second recruit had picked up the table on his own and rushed off. The first looked lost, looking for absolutely anything to do, before dashing out of sight also.
Yoruichi chuckled, glancing around place to see the progress the men and Ōmaeda had made. 'I really do love the fear you instil in people... they panic a lot like you did earlier-'
Suì-Fēng could feel her face go hot again, it wouldn't be so bad but now they were in earshot of her command. 'We literally had a conversation about you being more comfortable earlier.'
'Hah! I knew you weren't concerned about burning earlier... ' Yoruichi trailed off upon looking pleased with herself. 'Hey something smells nice around here.' It was impossible to ignore the smell of roasting meats or sizzling fish, especially when neither of them had eaten yet. 'You don't even have the slightest inkling what's going on here still, do you? Did they even invite you to this?' Yoruichi joked.
'Oh I'll be invited. I'm sure no one has a death wish,' Suì-Fēng smirked. 'You there! The pathetic flincher from before, yes you, find Ōmaeda and tell him to report to me immediately.'
Suì-Fēng couldn't wait to enter the barracks where she knew it would be air-conditioned. Her clothes had dried off well enough on the way back, but she had to see whether her new hair length needed any correcting.
'Why do I feel like our time together is over now we're back here?' Yoruichi pouted, as they headed inside.
'Well... you know you're more than welcome to come to whatever it is being prepared for this evening.' She really did need to find out what was happening.
'I thought you'd never ask.' Yoruichi stopped at the doorway of Suì-Fēng's office, signalling her intent to depart. 'I'll give you some time to get prepared, and it'll make seeing you tonight all the better if I miss you for a few hours in between.'
'Very well. Then I shall see you back here tonight, Yoruichi-sama.'
Yoruichi turned to leave, resting both hands on the either side of the door, but she stopped short, offering a look as dangerous as Shunkō over her shoulder. 'Oh, and Suì?'
'Yes?''
'It's a date.'