As One Soi blinked, her smile nearly disappearing like mist in the dawn as the impact of Yoruichi's words hit her like a sledgehammer. That CAN'T be, her brain protested weakly, as if merely thinking so would make the older girl's statement untrue. "...Well? Whaddaya think?" Yoruichi asked with a grin, her enthusiasm more than evident to the freshman. "...I signed up for the study abroad program MONTHS ago, but I didn't think that it would happen!" Soi still didn't know what to say; she needed a day, a week, a year to mull it over and even come close to accepting it, but even so she flashed a warm smile in Yoruichi's direction. "T-that's great!" the shorter girl answered, beaming proudly at her sempai as though her life depended on it. "Congratulations, Yoruichi!" At her friend's positive response Yoruichi began to ramble about where she was going to be, what college she'd be at, but as Soi walked along the words didn't stick in her mind, all she could think about was what really lay at the heart of that statement. Yoruichi was leaving; would be long gone in less than a year. Far away from home, from everything familiar... ...From me... "Y-Yoruichi-san?" "...And it's probably gonna be somewhere in California, I th...Oh, sorry!" Yoruichi apologized when she realized she'd been talking too fast for Soi to keep up, ashamed of herself for droning on like an airheaded mallrat. "Did you wanna tell me something?" She felt a little worried as she looked at her friend; her dark eyes seemed ambivalent and uncertain as she stared at a point somewhere beyond Yoruichi's feet. "Well..." Don't go. Stay with me. I need you to look after me, to make me laugh, to... Even as she heard something inside her whisper this to her brain, urging her onward, the words only stuck in Soi's throat, halted by fear and shame. She couldn't tell Yoruichi this-- what right was it of hers to make her sempai feel guilty about something that she herself would've loved to experience, about these feelings in the pit of her stomach that grew a hundred times over at the thought of no longer being apart of her life? "...Soi?" "So...California, huh?" the freshman finally said, forcing an interested grin on her face. "...Do you know where exactly?" "Well, not yet," Yoruichi admitted after a brief pause, "...But I think I saw something about UCLA on the list of host schools... But anyway, enough about me-- What about you? Are you excited?" "...For what?" Soi asked seriously, confused when Yoruichi's expression suddenly became agitated. "For the dance! You said Kotetsu invited you, right?" "Oh yeah..." To be honest, Soi had completely forgotten about it the minute Yoruichi had mentioned 'America.' "Well, have you thought about what you're going to wear?" the upperclassman asked curiously, stalling by the stairwell that led up to her next class so she could continue the conversation. "It should be something nice, even if you're going with friends..." Soi only shrugged in response, not having really given it much thought. "Well, I've probably got something in my closet, but..." "Here, tell you what," Yoruichi said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "...I'll come over this weekend and help you sort through your stuff, okay?" "S-sure," Soi whispered, all too aware of the way Yoruichi was so casually touching her. "Great! See you later, okay?" Soi waved a farewell as the older girl left, then headed to her next class in a daze. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hey, honey!" Soi blinked out of her fog at the sound of her father's voice, sighing as she started to make her way up the steps. "...Hi, Dad..." The older man peeked out of the kitchen to see his daughter glumly climbing the stairs, her face even more stoic than it had been in a long time. "...Is something wrong, Soi?" "No," the freshman lied as she kept her steady pace up the stairs. "...I'm just gonna go take a shower." Hopefully things'll look better afterwards, she thought darkly. "Oh-- But your friends are here! Don't you wanna say hello?" Soi turned to look at her father as she stopped, uncertain if he was just telling a joke at her expense or not. "...My...?" As if on cue, Yoruichi stepped out of the kitchen and smiled, followed closely behind by Kisuke who was carrying a boombox over his shoulder. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "So..." the Chinese girl asked cautiously as she glanced at Yoruichi, standing a few feet away from her on the back porch while Kisuke looked around the walls near the door, "...What are you guys doing here?" "Well, I figured you didn't know how to dance, so I thought we could practice. You know, just for a few days until the big night." Soi's face turned even redder than a Christmas tree light as soon as Yoruichi was finished, forgetting her depression with a simple utterance. "D-d-d-dance!" The freshman's voice nearly cracked, shattered at the prospect that lay before her. Yoruichi looked at her quizically while Soi seemed bewildered at her own outburst, then spoke in a much more reserved tone. "B...but what makes you think I don't know how to dance?" "Your dad told me," Yoruichi answered blithely, and Soi blushed even harder if it was possible. "Hey, do you have a power outlet?" Kisuke asked from the direction of the house. "Oh, uh," Soi turned to the blonde, still blushing slightly, "...We don't have anything like that out here." Urahara looked slightly put-off by this information, but then only shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, that's okay-- I've got batteries in the thing anyway," he said while indicating the boombox he set on the square of concrete that stood against the surrounding grass. "L-look," the freshman began, indignant despite being faced with the truth, "...I'm just going with friends, and it's not like waving my arms and bouncing around is hard." Yoruichi chuckled at her friend's assessment, but Soi continued unimpeded. "...Besides, I thought you said that these dances are stupid." "I didn't say THAT," Yoruichi amended, looking almost comically offended by the statement. "...I said they were BORING. But just because I didn't have a good experience doesn't meant that you won't, you know." Soi gave an admissive nod just as Kisuke walked up to the pair. "Okay, all set." "Thanks," Yoruichi smiled at her friend, and to Soi's displeasure Yoruichi walked away from her, replacing the blonde boy's position at the stereo. "Okay, just walk her through the basics, okay?" "H-huh? HIM?" Soi blurted out, pointing at Urahara as if his very presence was abhorrent. "B-but I thought..." the teen stopped herself before she could reveal herself further, causing the older girl to raise a confused eyebrow. "...Thought what?" When Soi just continued to stare at the grass, Yoruichi gave her friend an apologetic look. "Sorry, but he's the only guy I could find who'd do it. Besides, he's pretty good-- I can tell you that we DID cut a rug at that dance." She glanced at Kisuke and gave a reminiscent grin, at which Soi felt herself grow indignant despite the obvious innocence of the recollection. Yet for her jealousy there was something about what Yoruichi had said that bothered her more. "...Why would I need a guy to dance with?" "Well, who else would it be?" Yoruichi shrugged, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "...Besides, what are you gonna do if you see a nice-lookin' boy who wants to dance? You might even get, you know..." "Yoruichi-san..." Soi blushed angrily at the implication while the upperclassman gave a teasing laugh. Not that it would matter if the most popular guy in school confessed his undying love for her-- not when she had Yoruichi... "C'mon, let's get started," Kisuke said with a lazy grin, making Soi recoil slightly when he placed a hand on the freshman's waist and grabbed her free hand with his own. "...Put your other hand on my shoulder, okay?" He nearly broke into laughter as Soi glared at him and reluctantly complied with such force that her displeasure was more than clear. When they were in position, Yoruichi leaned down and hit the play button, and music immediately began to play. "I swear, Kisuke-- you and your mix tapes..." the dark-skinned girl said with a roll of the eyes as she took a seat on the concrete and looked at the awkward pair. Soi listened to the music from her position, slightly confused by the fact that it didn't sound like pop, or for that matter anything that she might have heard in her lifetime. In either case, it only proved to her that the older boy was strange, especially if he listened to music this old. "C'mon, now just let me lead, okay? It's left, right, left, left... Okay, pretty good, you're gettin' it," Kisuke encouraged his protege gently, smiling with the sort of pride teacher take in their pupils as the girl slowly got the hang of the movement. Jeez, Soi thought as she occasionally took a glance at her feet, struggling to keep up with Urahara's pace. She would have believed that after taking Karate, dancing would be easy, but she was just struggling to keep up. Maybe it was just the way she was, unfeminine and graceless, she considered with a dark chuckle. She glanced away from Kisuke to find Yoruichi smiling in their direction, an action that she was more than willing to believe was intended for her. Soi tried to hide her blush as she turned back to her partner but the boy noticed this time, though once again choosing to say nothing. They continued dancing to the slow, lilting tempo of the brassy music for a few minutes, or at least until she felt something land on her right foot, causing her to wince. "Oh, sorry! Missed a step there," Urahara apologized with a worried smile. Soi didn't pay it any mind the first time, but after a few more instances of toe-crushing the freshman finally protested. "Hey, watch where you're putting your feet!" Soi growled, angrier than she should have been though she didn't know why. "God, Kisuke... All right, that's it," Yoruichi sighed in annoyance as she pushed her friend forcefully away, filling his former position instantly. "...We're switching out." "Sorry, Yoruichi. I'm just all left feet today, I guess..." Kisuke shrugged as he hid his smile. His confidant gave an annoyed huff before turning to Soi. "...Is that okay? I mean, if you'd rather do it with someone e--" "NO!" Soi practically yelled, but then overcorrected herself and whispered the rest. "...I mean, i-i-it's no big d-deal..." She nearly fainted as Yoruichi nodded, then put her hands where Kisuke's had been moments ago, the younger of the two feeling a jolt of lighting run through her where SHE was touching her. "Okay, let's try again. Kisuke, play something else-- you know I hate this song." Urahara nodded and hit the fast-forward button for the next song, and as soon as the violins began their melody Yoruichi began to move. "Here, try maintaining eye contact-- that can help." "Huh?" Soi muttered, blinking as she realized she'd been staring into space, her feet moving along with Yoruichi's as if they were choreographed. She slowly lifted her eyes to the older girl's, at the goldenrod globes staring calmly down at her. Focused completely, suddenly hearing the music, Soi danced; her body moving as the sound and Yoruichi's graceful steps dictated. ...You do something to me You send chills right through me When I look at you 'Cause you're my thrill... The smile that had been on Yoruichi's face in defiant victory over Kisuke faded, slowly, as she continued to keep her eyes on Soi's, slowly becoming aware of the warmth flowing through her hands where the other girl was. She wasn't even aware of when she'd stopped looking and begun STARING, feeling lost in that maelstrom of warm silver irises. You're my thrill How my pulse increases I just go to pieces When I look at you 'Cause you're my thrill... The older girl felt strange all of a sudden, almost constricted as if she couldn't breathe. Mmm... Nothin' seems to matter... She tried to stop but her body had begun acting entirely on its own, her feet wearing down the yellowing grass along with Soi's as they kept circling, lost in the haunting melody, off in their own little world. Mmm... Here's my heart on a silver platter Where's my will Why this strange desire... Soi was starting to get dizzy, but whether the source was the dancing or Yoruichi wasn't entirely clear-- at least not until the older girl's hand gently tightened around her waist, holding her that much closer without realizing it. Yoruichi's eyes were every bit as entrancing, as commanding as they had been at the festival, and it took every last bit of Soi's self-control to keep from pulling the Goddess down, strength be damned, and kiss her, make her love her... When I look at you I can't keep still... "Guys?" At the sound of Kisuke's voice the spell was broken, both girls straighted just enough to come back to reality. "W...what?" Yoruichi muttered as she flinched, blinking furiously as if she'd been asleep. Had she just been...daydreaming? she wondered, surprised at herself. "Uh...it's kinda late..." Soi blushed as she looked at the horizon to realize Kisuke was right; the sun was sitting much lower in the sky then it had just a little while ago. "Okay...w-well, you go ahead and go inside, okay? I'll just be a minute," Yoruichi said as casually as she could to her friend, who stared at them oddly for a minute before picking up the boombox, turning the machine off as he opened the screen door. Yoruichi wondered what he had been staring at for only a moment until she realized that she and Soi were still intertwined, her arm actually wrapped around the freshman's waist and holding her less than an inch away. Rather than wonder how that had occured the upperclassman glanced at her friend, who seemed equally aware of the awkwardness of their possession but seemed as strangely reluctant as her to be the first to move away. "Um...we should be g-getting inside, Y-Yoruichi-san...A-a-and thanks for c-coming over," she added hurriedly even as she tried to subdue her rather pleasant discomfort. "...Soi..." The seriousness in Yoruichi's eyes made her even more paralyzed than before, brimming with something the younger girl couldn't quite place. "...Uhh?" she grunted, too nervous to say anything more coherent, her beloved's presence dulling her higher brain functions. She felt Yoruichi lean forward slightly, felt her own eyes hover on the brink of shutting. Yoruichi was so close suddenly, her breath just barely ghosting the Chinese girl's face for nearly a minute. "...Good job today." Soi blinked, felt the moment fade as Yoruichi ruffled her hair, her mischevious grin back in place as she pulled away like nothing had happened. She stared at the older girl as she headed inside, dark hair swaying hypnotically behind her in that ponytail as she walked. Yoruichi tried to recall what had just happened to her, the alien warmth that had numbed her senses only a moment ago. Dismissing it as nothing, she didn't notice it again until she waved goodbye to Soi and even then it felt like she'd imagined it. A/N: I don't own "You're My Thrill" by Billie Holiday.
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