Bleach 1. Facing The Truth

**Without Lies**

When love cannot stand the test of time

Nor withhold upon the test of distance

Destined to crumble along the path of weakness

_That is forgivable_

Vows not honored when called upon will taint

Promises ignored and purposely forgotten wounds

Cowards who won't face what smolders

_That is not_

It is not worth it

In the end

To live with someone

Who will not be there

That is suicide

That is depression

No excuses

Make yourself happy

Get out

Start new

Dig for another beginning

You'll make it

Honor yourself

That is self-worth

[[Facing The Truth]]

Soi Fon assessed the damage in front of her. Scattered papers littered her upturned desk and floor, the window to the 79th floor of the president's Honey Batchi corporation broken. Cabinet files dented the soft carpet, but thankfully had been locked to keep anyone and everyone out except for the qualified and those with key.

It wasn't a big deal.

They were renovating in two days due to a large demand of natural sweetener from the mass public and a new look for the company had been advised to further sales. Summer had burned itself out, the start of a crisp fall already descending upon the world. That left the two seasons of bitter chill and cold after harvesting for many stores stocked with goods under one company name to supply honey to sweeten up all the festive holidays and bitter hearts.

Two days with a permanently broken window wasn't a problem at all.

Her vacation started now.

Hard corporate business training with her father and the finest schooling to be had did not anywhere prepare a young seventeen year old for the death of her family. Advice from a secret financial counselor and private investigator Soi Fon had hired had revealed she was the sole beneficiary to the most successful natural sweetener corporation this side east of Russia. Regretably the loss of her family hammered Soi Fon into the role of a skilled manager, but on the upside that same role had provided her with an outlet of distraction.

Legally she had been placed under the watch of Urahara Kisuke, but under further self-directed jurisdiction, opted to co-ed with Rukia Kuchiki to pursue a business degree and finish off her last non-legal year fooling around in college.

Soi Fon was small and quiet, but in no means was she shy.

Years of her family's duty taught her how to go after the things she desired, and the young girl found herself aided to maturity by willing women. Of course, it wasn't a smooth transition from being a sheltered girl driven by one purpose to a girl whose curfew wasn't even marked on the clock.

Nevertheless, the death of her whole family had left her alone, and Soi Fon sought solace in the arms of many. Curiously each and every one-night stand had remained just that. The blood within her demanded her to strike hard and efficiently, and though Soi Fon remained courteous when out for intimacy, she had always made her intentions clear.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

"You need to find yourself a hobby."

Steeled grey eyes narrowed on a troublesome smudge in the ledgers; was that a one or seven? Soi Fon was aware of the validity Rukia's advice held. Apart from independent women and work, she had nothing.

But if she didn't keep on top of work, she still had nothing. So work and women to distract from work it was. Financially Soi Fon had decades worth of careful life savings stored in various investments, but it was one's reputation which made a Fon a Fon.

Abroad the Americans had teased her of being a deer, too focused on being safe that when she came of age all callers would be out to get her, literally butting over her affections. Soi Fon snorted. As if. She didn't have any time for that.

"We've talked about this before."

Back to the topic at hand.

Rukia was small like her, and like her the dark-haired woman cared for the ones she loved deeply. Soi Fon was in that category, but sometimes she swore her housemate needed to focus more on her own life. Even though it had been four years and Soi Fon had gotten all basics she would need out of school, the future vet needed to accomplish another four.

"Yes, we've talked about this before and I know you've listened, but So, you don't even have a pet for crying out loud!" Ah. Soi Fon knew this was coming ahead of time. It always did.

"Yes, because if I did, even you know that I just don't have that kind of time for the quality love and excercise I'd have to invest!" Her eyes flashed, deciding the smudge was to be a one. Surprise breathing bills for the future were always nice. Rukia's understanding of their individual personal space would be nice as well.

When only the shuffling of papers continued to sound, Soi Fon looked up. Dark purple eyes blinked slowly at her, and Soi Fon didn't like the expression in them.

"You're twenty one years old, So. I don't know if you want a baby or not, or even a pet, but you are an intact, successful twenty one year old who is in the prime of her life. I know you already understand this, but having a pet takes a commitment. To love and care for, and it in return. But you know what? Having someone in your life who cares about you, for you, that's even something so much better."

In the middle of Rukia's sharings, the beginnings of anxious jitters had traveled into Soi Fon's arms. She'd folded them under her legs to try and keep from scratching, but it seemingly transferred to her legs, and throughout her body. By the time Rukia was through, it took all she could to keep from shaking.

"So? Are you okay?"

Apparently not.

Soi Fon cursed in her head, thinking such a drastic display of her body language didn't even merit itself important enough to make known that she was instinctively afraid of something. Damn it. Black crowded into her vision, and Rukia's arms wrapping about her shoulders to keep her from falling to the floor had Soi Fon trying to tell her housemate the cause.

She was scared.

She never wanted to be in love.

Preview -

[Rukia gives a get-well kitten, Yoruichi; Company is handled well and Soi Fon takes a break]

A/N [8/15/2013]: Going through personal hardship here. Distractions are meaningful, so fics~


	2. Learning To Be

**[Ch.2] Without Lies [Ch.2]**

A past will corrupt

That much is true

So break away from what was

_Or what occured will break you_

Things do happen

Others planned and some due

Karma only became a bitch

_Within reason seek every truth_

Once it is known

Despite whatever costs

In entrusting to loved ones

There shall be loss

Life will go on

Life is not a game

Once an end becomes clear

Carry on and stay sane

Strive still for tomorrow

Live in what is today

Work shall become sorrow

Find someone willing to stay

Don't let them go

Commit to hobbies and friends

Become who you will be

[[Learning To Be]]

Vaguely Soi Fon recalled a time back in childhood where these familiar aches and pains had wracked even her bones. Playmates became imaginary shadows playing a death game of tag amidst unfamiliar terrains. Now the chinese woman understood these sessions to be a different type of training; her father had never entrusted these sorts of dark missions to her siblings. A lack of instincts those sessions had brung out in her had cost them their lives, and Soi Fon acknowledged her own life had been just a routine without them.

Even the slightest crinkle of her brow caused a sharp throb behind her eyes. Cursing softly she hesitantly peered about the room, shifting under the stiffly laundered blanket covering her slight frame. Being in a hospital wasn't new to her. The layout of the building remained steadfast throughout the years. Built small to begin with due to economical fundings, safety was a sure priority. Situated about an hour's drive from her private getaway and another thirty minutes to work, it fit perfectly with her discreet desires for whenever she had the rare appointment with her doctor.

Blinds shaded the room from the bright sunrise, and Soi Fon chuckled softly, aware of just how anal her internal alarm clock could be. A quick glance to the foot of the bed showed Rukia's drooling face set in a happy smile. Despite being laid up in the town's local hospital with an IV tube steadily injecting needed supplements through her wrist, Soi Fon was content.

Rukia was by her side, all necessary paperwork had been completed well before the deadline and it was a full day closer to having a renovation well under way without vengeful women after her. All in all, definitely a good way to start the day.

Soi Fon breathed in deeply, closing her eyes and allowing a soft smile settle onto her lips. There was nothing else in this world that completed her more, knowing she was ahead of the game-

"_Meww~_"

Curbing an irritated grunt, Soi Fon wondered whether the hospital had started taking an in-depth awareness in the patients and visitors' allergies, as well as workers who had to be at the hospital. She had read on the topic of introducing animals into the workplace, mainly kittens, to cheer staff and reassure the treated, but in her mind it was best to keep everything in a controlled environment lest something occurred-

"_Myaaaaaa~_"

Only later when Rukia had unabashedly told her she'd let out the most terrified little squeal the future vet had ever heard in her life, of animals and humans alike, had Soi Fon begrudgingly allowed the silken furball settle warmly into her lap as she drove them all back home. It was where she wanted to be, enjoying a stress-free vacation.

Hospitals hadn't allowed pets in the first place after all.

"Please tell me this kitten is fixed." The chinese woman pinned her friend with a serious glare, her left hand absently lost in the feline's soft fur as her right shuffled around a rough sketch of where the new housemate's belongings were to be situated around the halls and bedrooms. After a quick stop into the local animal feedstore, Soi Fon had stocked up on feedstuffs and all the toys a weaned kitten could want. Rukia's schooling showed, common sense backing up her advising of certain foods and equipment.

Now safe back at home, the two women spent a quarter of an hour unloading while the black furball explored the closed territories of its new living quarters.

"So, I wouldn't have complicated this process for you even more, but the vet's schedule is full up for the next two weeks. I'd rather do it myself, but for this sweetheart to be fixed, we'd have to wait until I'm legally licensed or he's taken into the operating room via training." The apologetic tone behind Rukia's cheeky grin made Soi Fon smile.

"It's okay, Ru. We'll wait for as long as we need for you to be licensed. Besides, this little guy seems to be enjoying himself. I've heard cats usually get more reserved after being spayed or neutered." Her housemate gave a little shrug, pointing at the kitten already determined to knead his small pawprints into the thick curtains over the windows. "It depends on the cat, and considering the nature of this one, it might be a good thing." As her eyes continued to unconsciously track the feline's playful stalkings of the toy mouse they had bought, Soi Fon admitted there had never been a time in her life where she had been so content just to watch something so small.

The intensity of her gaze must have been known because golden eyes flickered over to her. Soi Fon's breath caught and held as black lids closed, then slowly opened. Those eyes. . .

"Awwww, So, look, he likes you! Now it's common knowledge to know that if a cat slowly blinks at you they like you, but if you want to get scientific on me it's kind of a backwards survival thing. Cats normally spend the time stalking prey with their eyes open. That's also true if they're feeling endangered or wary of strangers. For them to actually close their eyes, however much, it means they trust you." Rukia's words sunk in, making Soi Fon smile. Crouching to her knees, the corporate's president looked exactly like a young teenager. It wasn't lost on Rukia, and the future vet's heart swelled with warmth.

Getting the last kitten adopted had been hell on her and her classmates. A large influx of strays had been dropped off throughout the last weeks of spring, the mating season rising at large. Taking that into consideration, Rukia had done her best to get the strays she'd found in the country's side roads adopted on her own time. This little black kitten had been the last to go, its mischievous nature gone into hiding as its brothers and sisters went into good homes.

But this was its good home now.

Rukia grinned even wider as she watched Soi Fon wriggle closer to the black kitten on her elbows and knees, both their eyes huge in their delicate faces. In a sudden movement the kitten, feeling cornered, had reared up on its hind legs and did an awkward dance, sidestepping by the surprised woman's face. After an amused double take Soi Fon took advantage and blew hot air onto the exposed kitten's belly, causing the small feline to tumble onto its back and bonelessly roll over. At this Rukia couldn't help but laugh, because Soi Fon immediately scooted closer and nudged her face into the squirming belly of the new kitten. A close watch revealed the kitten's claws kept sheathed, although its small paws gently batted at the human face who was giving it an embarrassing rasberry.

Only when the black furball started letting out indignant squeals did the chinese woman pull back, hands on her hips with a broad smirk on her face. Soi Fon towered over the kitten, jokingly wagging her finger and affectionately giving it a little noogie on top of its head.

"That's what you get when you look at me like that with those big eyes, ya rascal kit. You know better than to cross my path, now." Successful in her first play encounter, Soi Fon fluidly rose to her feet. With closed eyes she concentrated on tightening her abdomen muscles, knowing her blood would flow and stop the throbbing white lights appearing in her vision quicker. That done, she headed towards the kitchen, feigning disinterest. She knew that if she payed too much attention to the newcomer she wouldn't hear the last of it. Cats were affectionate, and she had already made her impression.

"Hey, Ru, I hope you don't mind tuna casserole for dinne-"

"_Meww~_"

Her footsteps faltered as careful claws heaved up a little feline, but Soi Fon was careful to hide her smile as she felt the black furball nuzzle affectionately into the crook of her neck, swaying wildly but perched onto her shoulder. Never let them see you sweat, her father had said. Her mother told her to project a humble confidence, and she did as she continued walking into the kitchen, aware of the warm weight and shifting slightly to accomodate this given present in her life. Looked like the newbie wanted to help make dinner tonight. Afterwards she would see if the little one could keep up with her light jog and pace with life.

She was looking forwards to finding out.

Soi Fon knew she wasn't handling this situation well at all. Who would, when there was the most annoying man at her door bearing ill news of numerous filed complaints from the public about the harmful way beekeepers acted when harvesting the honey. It would have been a different matter if someone else had come to deliver the message, or possibly even have it relayed by phone or fax, but of course it was to be this way.

The chinese woman squared her shoulders and stood as a solid figure in her doorway, scowling up at Omaeda Marechiyo. No way in hell was she to allow him inside her and Rukia's home. She was protective enough of her belongings, but to the people she loved she was fierce. Omaeda seemed to have a habit of knowing too much but not knowing how to apply the information he had, or to possibly exaggerate the problem, spread misinterpreted rumors, and cause further stress. In essense, he was a tattletale, plain and simple.

Employed as the former vice president of the company and steadily rising up the corporate ladder through irritatingly effective brown-nosing, Soi Fon had put a stop to it once she'd found enough legal grounds to cover her gut instinct to fire the man. He was shameless enough to pass above the ideas of the workers beneath the higher ups, but in turn took credit for them. Grudgingly Soi Fon had to admit that the many years spent as a worker himself earned Omaeda the right to call himself a veteran in the company.

This wasn't the time to run over her dislike of the man and definitely not when the time she was wasting could be used in coming up with a solution. "Thank you, Omaeda. I appreciate you coming here out of your way to inform me of this. Next time it's appropriate to use the phone." Soi Fon glanced pointedly at the alarm clock situated on the desk right beside the door. "Especially at this hour."

A polite murmur and Omaeda was surprisingly gone. The woman knew that as a president of a large corporation she had covered the basic acceptable honor code of welcoming and understanding a guest's intentions of why they had come here in the first place. Yet as a human being she had not. It was one of the main reasons friends were rare. Soi Fon wasn't one to reach out first unless she had a goal. To be friends with someone was to make a vulnerability of emotion inside of her. Unless that person could keep up with her, then it was a null and useless act; Soi Fon knew her manners were nonexistent and she was silent to the point of being rude if she was not interested in someone or something.

She was working on it.

When her little kitten bumped a chilly wet nose into her cheek, she knew it was time to go back inside. The nights were starting to get darker later, but looking up revealed a beautiful full moon. Turning her head and laying an affectionate kiss to a drowsy forehead, Soi Fon closed and bolted the door and turned to go back inside, her jog forgotten as her mind strived to try and search for a solution before the complaints started to actually have effect.

Thankfully Rukia had three days off due to a holiday tagging along after the weekend, but studying still needed to be done. Knocking on her door a soft goodnight, Soi Fon continued down the hall and readied her own bed, glancing down and ensuring her bedroom door was open a small crack and water situated by the outside hall. Food was something her black furball would have to hunt down in the kitchen, situated snugly in a foodbowl beside the refridgerator. After a moment's hesitation, Soi Fon gently eased the feline off her shoulder onto the bed and shyly went into the bathroom.

No way was she going to change in front of someone who was going to see her for the majority of the rest of her life. Soi Fon knew that secrets created mystery, and with lack of mystery came a curiosity for more mystery. Until there was trust there, she wasn't planning on exposing herself to anyone or anything soon. Even her kitten was someone who Soi Fon wasn't taking a chance on.

Slipping into her pajamas and tank top, the chinese woman easily let the bands holding her braids in place down and finished brushing her teeth. Padding out quietly from her bathroom Soi Fon smiled tenderly at the sight that awaited her. The catbed was abandoned by the foot of her bed, and instead she caught a glimpse of black ears underneath the sheets, pulled all the way up to the pillow. Looking out at the moon Soi Fon thanked her lucky stars for all she had and even lost. To lose something meant to gain, no matter how painful. Tonight, she would enjoy sleeping under the same roof with two loved ones.

Soi Fon grinned in amusement, sighing as she settled herself down onto her bed, all worries for once forgotten as she inched closer and gently kissed the tip of a twitching nose, whiskers rubbing up against her own cheeks. The warm breath of a kitten soothed her, and she relaxed, closing her eyes and once again thanking her lucky stars. She was lucky. Tonight she would dream of things that would open to her in the future, of all the chances at love.

Even if it meant sleeping above the covers.

Preview -

[Everyday interruptions because Yoruichi is mischievous; Soi Fon will definitely name her baby~ and dreams will start to become a prime factor here - history and work ensues]

A/N [8/18/2013] : Getting ready to go to the Philippines, lounging and just enjoying life~


End file.

Bleach, Mystery, Romance