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The title comes from the Blackstar song "Brown Skin Lady," form the album "Mos Def & Talib Kweli are: Blackstar." It has no connection with the fic itself; I just needed a semi-appropriate title.

Some things are a cliché for a reason.

There is one instance of strong language, if that sort of thing offends you.

Yoruichi listen to the fish filets sizzle in the pan as she prodded them with a fork. It was highly unusual for a noble to prepare their own meals while at their home, but Yoruichi had ordered all the servants not to disturb her anymore today. The Shihoin estate was made up of numerous, unconnected, apartments and buildings rather than one large compound, so the servants could tend to the rest of the grounds while she remained secluded.

Yoruichi flipped the fish in the pan, ensuring that it cooked through evenly. It was koi, Soifon's favorite, caught naught two-hundred feet from where she stood by her own hands and seasoned just how Soifon liked. It was a special meal, but Yoruichi hopped that it would be a special night as well.

Yoruichi and Soifon had been seeing each other since their investigation into the Bounts. Having finally reconciled their past, it seemed only natural to progress their relationship, and their time together gathering and analyzing intelligence on the new threat served as the perfect catalyst.

In the beginning, they were fierce lovers, unbridled in their passion. The female form was no strange to Soifon's hands and she was eager to demonstrate her knowledge to her former sempai. However, as time passed, their relationship seemed to cool.

To Yoruichi, sex was passion. All of the relationships she had been a part of had centered around the act. When the sexual passion died, so did the relationship. That was just how it was. There were no hard feelings, she simply moved on.

That was what she was afraid was happening to her and Soifon, save for one detail. In the past, it had always been Yoruichi who had grown bored of her lovers. This time, it was Soifon who seemed to be losing interest.

It had started out almost imperceptible. Yoruichi had been denied because of work. It was understandable, considering Soifon's workload, but it was a sign of things to come.

Yoruichi visited Soifon often. There was no reason for her not to, considering her copious free time. Yoruichi would offer to "relieve" Soifon's stress, and Soifon would accept the offer, in the beginning. As time passed, Soifon refused her advances more and more, sometimes without reason. Yoruichi remembered vividly that she had been rebutted with a "No thank you," once.

But it wasn't just sex itself that Soifon refused. Yoruichi's disdain for clothing was well known and had been embraced by all of her previous partners. Who wouldn't want a beautiful woman to walk around naked? Soifon was different. Whenever Yoruichi showed skin, Soifon was quick to avert her gaze. It was almost as if she didn't want to see.

Soifon also kept her hands to herself, only indulging in physical affection in the bedroom. To someone who is as physically affectionate as Yoruichi, this was jarring.

For someone who has been lusted after for their entire life, the idea that someone was growing tired of her company was freighting. It undermined the image of herself she held and her self-esteem. The confident, sexually assured woman that was Yoruichi was the product of a lifetime of being told that she was the most beautiful woman and fantastic lover. This fear was coupled with the fact that, for the first time, Yoruichi felt compelled to try and make things work between her and Soifon. That was why she had a special evening planed.

Yoruichi was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of the shoji sliding open.

"Hello, Yoruichi." Soifon greeted the brown-skinned woman. The name felt two syllables too short. "I knocked, but you didn't answer. This is the correct time, right?"

"Hey Soi," Yoruichi kissed the shorter woman, toying with one of her braids. "You never need to knock. And yes, you are as prompt as always." She handed Soifon the fork. "Would you mind watching the fish? I'm going to slip into something more comfortable."

Soifon walked over to the pan while Yoruichi retreated to her bedchamber. Soifon braced herself internally for what Yoruichi had in store for her.

Soifon and Yoruichi had adopted a "house rules" approach to their visits. For example, whenever Yoruichi visited Soifon, she had to keep her clothes on, and whenever Soifon visited Yoruichi, she could lounge in as little or as much clothes as she pleased.

It was one of many of Yoruichi's habits that ran contrary to Soifon's sensibilities. To Soifon, modesty was sexy. Soifon preferred for there to be more left to the imagination than less. The act of disrobing Yoruichi was far more sensual than anything Soifon could have imagined. But Yoruichi didn't seem to like leaving any skin hidden to be revealed later.

Another point of contention between them, or it would be if Soifon had the courage to confront it, was Yoruichi's sexuality. Yoruichi described herself as "bisexual," which she explained meant that she was attracted to both sexes. To Soifon, someone to whom the thought of bedding a man was absolutely repulsive, the fact that Yoruichi would, and has, willing subjugated herself to a man's touch was deeply troubling.

There were some areas where Soifon could feel her influence growing, though. In the begin of their relationship, all of their interactions centered around sex. She had been shocked at how quickly their relationship had advanced to physical intimacy.

For a while, it seem like it was the only reason that Yoruichi kept coming back to her. That wasn't to say that Soifon didn't enjoy her nights, and sometimes afternoons, and the occasional mornings, with Yoruichi. Every moment she spent with her Goddess was bliss, but she wanted more. So, Soifon started to wean Yoruichi off of sex, so to speak.

They would meet, Yoruichi would make her advances, and Soifon would decline. That was how it went. Soifon had been afraid of what would happen at first, but, much to her delight, Yoruichi kept returning to her. Finally, it seemed that they no longer need sex a crisis to justify their time together.

Soifon flipped the fish in the pan, smiling faintly as she smelled the seasoning. She was surprised that Yoruichi had remembered an off-hand remark about how she liked her fish prepared. She turned her head as the shoji to Yoruichi's room slide open.

Yoruichi was clad in a black, satin robe, tide around her waist tightly. The fabric fell around her figure very flatteringly, the only exposed skin, her collarbones. The robe was embroidered with vibrant cranes and flowers of various colors. Though she was at a distance, Soifon could tell that Yoruichi was wearing make-up, which was unusual. Her lips were a deep red and her eyelids were seductively dark.

Yoruichi walked over to Soifon, and the entire apartment was filled with a distinctive, dry click. Soifon looked down and saw that Yoruichi was wearing black, strap high-heels, her toes exposed. The added height gave her a statuesque presence.

"It looks ready." Yoruichi commented, looking at the fish. Soifon could smell the perfume wafting offof her. "Sit down." She motioned to the table. Soifon obliged. Yoruichi walked over and put Soifon's portion on her plate. Soifon couldn't help but noticed how the heels made Yoruichi's hips sway, their click hypnotic.

Yoruichi took her own seat and took her food. She crossed her legs and the tail of the robe fell to the side, revealing the black, lace, thigh-high stocking she was wearing.

"So, how was your day?" Yoruichi asked innocently. Soifon looked across the table at Yoruichi and noticed that there were candles between them.

"Uh…the same as usual." Soifon answered after a moment. "This is really good." Soifon pointed to the fish.

"Thanks," Yoruichi smiled, her head resting on her hand. "I caught it myself."

"Really?" Soifon was amazed that she went through the trouble. "You didn't have to…"

"I wanted to." Yoruichi cut her off. Soifon blushed slightly. They continued their meal for a few moments in silence.

"Is it hot in here?" Yoruichi asked, fanning herself with her hand.

"I don't think so." Soifon answered, a little confused. "Maybe it's the candles."

"I think it's the robe." Yoruichi stood up and loosened the sash around her waist and the robe fell to the ground. Underneath, Yoruichi was a lacy black bra and matching thong under a translucent black nightie that fell to her rear and was tied around her waist with a thin cord that ended in a small puff on wither end. "Much better." Yoruichi sighed.

Yoruichi's heart jumped in her chest when she saw Soifon's eyes widen and travel up and down her body, then it sunk when she saw those same eyes quickly dart away from her. Sullenly, Yoruichi took her seat.

It's a game, a test. Soifon thought as she wrested her eyes from the immaculate form in front of her. She's just trying to get me riled up, to lose my cool.

Why won't she look at me!? Yoruichi screamed in her mind. Is something wrong with me?

"How are things on your end?" Soifon asked, trying to stimulate conversation.

"The elders keep trying to sell me off to the highest bidder, but I keep on find an out." Yoruichi sighed, poking the food on her plate but not eating any.

"Good," Soifon looked up at Yoruichi, their eyes locking. "I don't want to lose you." She blushed.

I'm spilling out of my top and she's looking at my eyes? Yoruichi thought.

They finished their meal in relative silence. Soifon rose to clear the plates. Yoruichi stood up as well.

"So," Yoruichi breathed, pinning Soifon against the table. The added height of the high-heels put her bust directly in Soifon's face. "What do you want to do now?" She smiled seductively in a last ditch effort.

"Uhh…" Soifon fumbled. "You cooked, so I'll clear the dishes." Soifon offered, knowing full well what Yoruichi was insinuating and purposefully denying her. Soifon knew how this evening was going to end, but the anticipation made everything sweeter.

"Really?" Yoruichi asked in disbelief. Soifon nodded in response, her head coming dangerously close to Yoruichi bosom. "Okay." She whispered sadly. They both turned in opposite direction; Soifon took the plates to the sink while Yoruichi retreated to at the couch on the opposite side of the room.

Soifon began dry the utensils when she heard the distinct sound of sniffling coming from Yoruichi's direction. Turning, she was horrified to see Yoruichi slumped over, her elbows on her knees and head in her hands.

"Yoruichi!" Soifon raced over to her. "What's wrong?" Soifon had known Yoruichi for almost her entire life, and she had never once seen her cry.

"What's wrong?" Yoruichi looked up at her, her mascara running. "You don't want me anymore!"

"What?!" Soifon was shocked by the accusation.

"We don't have sex anymore, you can't stand to look at me…" Yoruichi hugged herself, her shoulders rising and falling with her sobs.

"What are you talking about? We still have sex." Soifon sat down next to the distraught woman, utterly confused.

"But not like we used to!" Yoruichi accused. "You're tired of me, admit it!"

"How could you possibly think that?" Soifon asked.

"Why won't you look at me?" Yoruichi asked.

"I'm looking at you now!" Soifon replied.

"Your eyes haven't fallen below my neck all night!" Yoruichi said through tears.

"I respect you too much to leer at you." Soifon answered truthfully.

"Look at me Soi!" Yoruichi straitened her back, pointing at her attire. "I don't want you to respect me! I want you to fuck me!" Yoruichi slumped back down. "It's not just tonight. Everyone else I've been with loved the fact that I like being naked, but you seem to hate it." Yoruichi sobbed. "Just admit it! You done with me."

Soifon watched Yoruichi cry with wide eyes. She literally could not believe what she was hearing.

"Yoruichi, you know that's not true." Soifon cooed.

"Yes it is!" Yoruichi shouted.

"I came here tonight thinking how great it was that it's not just about sex with us anymore." Soifon gently wrapped an arm around the crying woman's shoulder.

"Even in the beginning, whenever I would show up at you place naked, you would always tell me to get dressed. You never wanted to look at me." Yoruichi leaned her head on Soifon's shoulder.

"That's not how it is." Soifon comforted.

"Then how is it?" Yoruichi asked desperately. Soifon took a deep breath as she formulated her answer in her mind, cringing at how clichéd it sounded.

"Our first night together, when I undressed you, it was breath-taking." Soifon smiled as Yoruichi seemed to calm down. "Don't want to lose that. I don't ever want to get used to seeing you."

"So you're saying I'm too pretty?" Yoruichi asked. Soifon smiled and laughed lightly.

"Not only that, but I want it to be about more than sex with us." Soifon leaned back on the couch. "It will lose its meaning if we do it all the time." Yoruichi nodded. Perhaps her lack of self-control in that area was the reason behind the long trail of broken hearts behind her.

"So, you're not tired of me?" Yoruichi asked hopefully. Soifon shook her head. "And I'm in fact, too beautiful for you to handle on a regular basis?"

"If you want to put it that way…" Soifon blushed. Yoruichi laughed, and then Soifon started to laugh as well. Once the laughter died, Yoruichi excused herself and retreated to the bathroom, leaving Soifon to try, in vain, to wrap her mind around what had just happened. She returned a few moments later.

"God, feel so stupid." Yoruichi said as she exited the bathroom, her composure restored. The tears were wiped from her face and the make-up was removed. "I'm sorry I put you through that. It's just that, you're so different from everyone else that I've been with that I didn't know how to handle it."

"It's okay." Soifon assured her. "I'm just glad we got things sorted out." Soifon felt her pulse rate quicken as she let her mind absorb just what exactly Yoruichi was wearing.

"You know," Soifon began as she stood up. "Just because I said I want us to be about more than just sex doesn't mean that we can't ever…do…it." Soifon ended awkwardly as she blushed.

"I love it when you awkwardly talk dirty to me." Yoruichi purred. Taking Soifon by the hands, Yoruichi began to slowly lead Soifon to her bed. Raising one of her calves, Yoruichi started to unhook the straps of one of her high-heels.

"No, leave them." Soifon grabbed her hand. "I like the shoes."