[Log] Sousuke Aizen, Jyuushirou Ukitake (backlog)
Title: What Could Have Been
Characters: Sousuke Aizen (formative), Jyuushirou Ukitake (bakabokken)
Timeline: December 31, 1928
Rating: PG
Summary: Two men in the Big Apple suddenly find themselves without dates on New Year's Eve. ... Why not.
December 31, 1928. Manhattan.
Mahnattan was cold, crowded, and dirty - and unbelievably fascinating. Jyuushirou tried his hardest not to stare at all the tall buildings, bright city lights, and crowds of people as he walked towards the restaurant that Liza had told him to meet her at, but he was pretty sure he would be pegged as a tourist by every native walking past. He didn't mind, though; he knew almost immediately after he'd set foot in the big city that he would end up here someday.
Part of him was extremely pleased that Liza had written him one day asking if he would come visit her in Manhattan for New Year's Eve. He hadn't had much time to travel during his time at Georgetown; it was a breath of fresh air to get out of D.C. once in a while. And it helped that Liza was willing to talk to him again after their fallout at the end of grade school, as he considered her a close friend even after their relationship had ended. She was attending a fashion school here in the Big Apple, and from what he'd heard - from others who still kept in contact with the both of them - she had been doing incredibly well.
Jyuushirou was looking forward to seeing her again, and couldn't help but smile as he moved with the crowd across the street at the crosswalk. He could see the overhang for the restaurant Liza had told him to meet her at in the distance, and was extremely grateful that her directions had been precise and accurate. The city was confusing as hell to navigate.
Blinking in surprise as he neared the restaurant, he eyed the growing line out the door in worry. Liza had made a reservation, she'd said, and a glance at his pocketwatch confirmed that he was at least fifteen minutes early. He couldn't see her - or anyone that looked remotely like her - in the thick line of people that took up almost the entire wide sidewalk, but he was rather early. With a sigh, he got in the line and sincerely hoped that he wouldn't be late for their reservation just because they had to wait a long time.
The breeze kicked up, and Jyuushirou became increasingly grateful that he'd opted to wear layers, a scarf, and his hat. Manhattan weather was ruthless.
He kept an eye out for Liza as the seconds ticked by, and by the time he found out that they did indeed have a reservation (and he was barely on time for it), Liza was still nowhere to be found. The maître d' let him keep their table anyway, and promised he would send Liza along as soon as she showed up.
Fifteen minutes later, Jyuushirou had a sinking feeling that he might be spending this particular New Year's alone, until the maître d' came up and asked him if he would mind sharing a table, as his date had quite apparently stood him up at this point.
Why not; any company was better than none.
It was New Year’s Eve - a holiday that people enjoyed. They went out for dinner, danced, kissed each other at midnight and danced some more. Generally, everyone had a good time. At least, that’s how Aizen thought it was supposed to be. Then why was he stuck with this broad he hardly knew who wouldn’t stop chewing his ear off? He’d have to sit Flavio down and have a serious talk about the definition of ‘pretty’, ‘charming’, ‘entertaining’ and ‘pleasant company’. A drink. He really needed a drink. Which he couldn’t have.
Hands hidden in the pockets of his coat, the dark-haired man was about to tell the girl to shut her gob now or he’d do it for her, when a waiter approached them and apologised profusely for the delay and mix up of reservations and asked whether they would mind sharing a table.
Sousuke did not mind at all but his companion did and she didn’t hesitate to make her objections known. He cut her off mid-sentence and told in a very friendly manner that since she was clearly uncomfortable with him, maybe it’d be best if they went separate ways. Something in his eyes told her that it would be wise to agree with his assessment.
Sighing softly, Aizen watched her stomp off and felt himself relax gradually as he followed the waiter to his shared table. When he saw that his dinner companion would be a young man about his age with no woman by his side, a genuine smile found its way to his lips.
“Looks like we’re the lucky ones.” He chuckled and extended his hand, introducing himself as ‘Sousuke’
Jyuushirou glanced up to meet his new 'date,' and was almost surprised to find a man about his own age smiling down at him. Lucky wouldn't exactly be a word he'd use to describe the situation, but at least the guy - Sousuke - seemed friendly enough and didn't mean any harm by the statement. Jyuushirou smiled and took the proffered hand and shook it firmly.
“Jyuushirou,” he replied. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Sousuke.”
As Sousuke took the seat across from him, Jyuushirou hoped he wasn't being presumptuous when he asked, “Did your date stand you up as well, or did I just pick a bad night to go out in an unfamiliar city?”
“Pleasure’s mine, Jyuushiro.” Nice firm handshake. Aizen liked that. Nothing was more disturbing than shaking a hand as limp as a dead fish. Settling comfortably in his chair, he crossed his legs and handed the other man one of the menus the waiter had dropped on their table.
“My date? Well, she…” Sousuke paused and ran a hand through his hair. “She had to be somewhere else.” A slightly sheepish expression fluttered across his face as if he were embarrassed by his lack of a date.
Well, there was no need to tell a stranger what had really happened between him and that woman, was there?
“You’re not from around here?”
Sousuke looked almost embarrassed that he'd also been stood up, so Jyuushirou decided he wouldn't bring it up again. It was nosy of him anyway; this was a big city, and from what he could tell, people generally didn't elbow in on each others' business when it wasn't necessary.
You're not from around here? Jyuushirou nearly panicked, wondering if it was that obvious that he wasn't native to the city. It took him a moment to realize that he'd actually said so himself, essentially. Oops. Haha, silly me.
Smiling sheepishly, he said, “Guilty as charged - I'm actually here to visit a friend from grade school.” He chuckled, feeling even more embarrassed. “She was supposed to meet me here tonight, but I guess something came up.”
“Ah, the fair gender, more fickle than Lady Luck. Something always comes up and I’ve yet to meet a girl who’d tell me what exactly that something is.” Aizen laughed softly and gave Ukitake a sympathetic smile. Being stood up by a friend for whom one had travelled into another city was not a very pleasant experience. Even less so when it was on a holiday like this.
A slightly hassled looking waiter dropped two menus on the table and hurried away again, promising to be with them in a minute. Sousuke picked them up and handed one to his dinner companion.
“How far did you have to travel if you don’t mind my asking.”
More fickle than Lady Luck. Sousuke certainly had that right, Ukitake agreed quietly with a smile. He too wished he could figure out what that “something” was.
When the stressed waiter left the menus on the table, Sousuke asked him how far he'd traveled.
“I don't mind at all,” he replied easily. “I'm actually visiting from D.C.; I attend university there.” He paused, wondering if it would be rude to ask the same of Sousuke, then decided it shouldn't be if he'd already answered that question himself. “Are you from around here, then?”
“Yes. Been here all my life.” It felt a bit strange, sitting here, making small talk with a man who was neither friend nor foe. There was no reason to be overly cautious, no need to watch out for hostile behaviour, no scanning for underlying meaning. While it was odd, it also made Sousuke feel at ease.
It was a nice change in pace.
Up until now there had been only one person who could make him feel that way and that was a little silver-haired matchbox boy. Smiling softly at that thought, Aizen flipped the menu open and studied the page.
“It’s a nice city,” he added. “Big and busy. You can almost feel it vibrating with life. But who am I to tell you that. It’s probably the same in Washington, isn’t it? Especially on a university campus? It must be exciting.”
Jyuushirou tapped the closed menu on the edge of the table. Oh, well, Georgetown certainly could be exciting, if politics counted. Jyuushirou half-nodded and made a small noise in a gesture of half-commitment and said, “Well, D.C. certainly has its moments, though Georgetown students can be pretty serious.” He tossed in a half-smile to the pile of halves. “I can tell you it has nothing on New York.”
Not that the excitement was a bad thing, of course. Jyuushirou found himself growing fonder of the city the more he saw of it - despite the fact that Liza was clearly unavailable to play tour guide - and several times already he'd entertained the thought of seeking work here in the future.
But seeing as he had a perfect opportunity to ask more about the city from a native, Jyuushirou wasn't about to waste it.
“So, Sousuke, anything you recommend I see while I'm here? I have to admit my knowledge of New York's best attractions is frighteningly limited.”
Lifting his gaze from the menu, Aizen regarded his dinner companion with a thoughtful and mildly surprised look. While he was a New York City native, he had never been particularly concerned with the city’s tourist attractions. He wasn’t even sure he knew what they were. All of it had always just been part of his environment.
“Well,” said Sousuke, running a hand through his hair, tucking a stray strand behind his ear, “that would depend on what you’re interested in seeing. If we’re talking popular visitor drawing sights, I won’t be of much help, I’m afraid.” His eyes vanished briefly behind a sheepish grin.
“But if you’re interested in New York’s nightlife, I could show you around after dinner.” There were several nightclubs that he could take Jyuushiro to, which were relatively safe for both of them. He wasn’t sure whether the other man was one to frequent speakeasies and decided not to venture into that territory. “I know a couple of places which have high quality entertainment, live music and gorgeous singers. Pleasant crowd, too.”
Ah, it would make sense that Sousuke wouldn't necessarily know all the popular tourist hits; Jyuushirou didn't even know half of D.C.'s top tourist spots. He could see how that would be the case with anyone in a major city.
Well, it would be more interesting to see something other than where all the tourists were fond of hitting up, and it wasn't like he had anything else to do that night. Sousuke seemed like a decent enough gentleman - Jyuushirou doubted they'd end up in a place he'd find uncomfortable. And if that did happen, well... he rarely had trouble talking his way out of a bad situation.
“That sounds quite pleasant,” he said with a smile. “I think I'd really like that.”
Aizen’s smile widened a little in response to the other man’s. Jyuushiro’s openness and friendliness were quite… enjoyable. It would be nice to spend the evening that had threatened to turn into a disaster with this man.
A different, yet equally stressed out looking waiter appeared by their table, pad and pen ready and rattled off their specials at lightning speed. Sousuke was slightly impressed that the man’s tongue hadn’t tied itself into a knot. Casting an amused glance at his dinner companion, he tilted his head to the side and smiled at the waiter.
“I don’t think I caught that. Would you mind repeating it?” he asked innocently, wanting to find out if the repeat performance would be faster or slower.
The waiter rattled off the specials again, looking a little irritated when that obviously dumb brunet asked him to repeat it again and again and another time and…
“I’ll take a small salad and this, please” Aizen said, interrupting the employee mid-sentence and tapped the tip of his finger against the page of his menu. Snapping it shut he handed it to the waiter who turned his attention to Jyuushiro.
Their waiter spoke so fast that Jyuushirou wasn't sure he caught everything. So it was true that some New Yorkers were every bit as fast-talking as their reputation claimed. It gave him some measure of relief when Sousuke had the waiter repeat some of the specials again, though hearing them at breakneck speed even a second time didn't help him figure it out any better.
“I'll have just this, please,” Jyuushirou said, pointing to a dish he wasn't sure he knew how to pronounce. His Italian was awful at best. He closed his menu as well and handed it to the waiter, who nearly snatched it out of his hands and quickly walked away.
Turning his attention back to Sousuke, he smiled sheepishly and said, “And you understood all that?”
“Some of it.” Aizen laughed, his gaze returning from following the back of their rude waiter to settle on Ukitake. “It doesn’t really matter what they’re saying, though. They just like to bully customers because we keep interfering with their cigarette break. You get used to it.”
There were no more rude-waiter incidences that night due to the fact that most of the staff was too busy to indulge in their favourite pastime. Jyuushirou was an excellent conversation partner - smart, too.
It was a shame that the other man was merely a tourist.
For a night that at first seemed destined to be bad, Jyuushirou was thoroughly enjoying himself. If all New York City natives were like Sousuke, he sincerely wouldn't mind moving to the city himself at some point. The Big Apple certainly seemed like an exciting - albeit hectic and somewhat crowded - place to live.
The rest of the night seemed to fly by in a blur of good food (despite the rather abrupt service), excellent music, and some of the best conversation Jyuushirou had ever had outside of academia. It wasn't until very late at night that he realized it was way past time to head back to his hotel.
After thanking Sousuke for being a fabulous tour guide, they exchanged contact information should Jyuushirou ever find himself back in town. He sincerely hoped they would meet again.
... He just had this bad, bad feeling that the next time they met, things would be very different.
Characters: Sousuke Aizen (formative), Jyuushirou Ukitake (bakabokken)
Timeline: December 31, 1928
Rating: PG
Summary: Two men in the Big Apple suddenly find themselves without dates on New Year's Eve. ... Why not.
December 31, 1928. Manhattan.
Mahnattan was cold, crowded, and dirty - and unbelievably fascinating. Jyuushirou tried his hardest not to stare at all the tall buildings, bright city lights, and crowds of people as he walked towards the restaurant that Liza had told him to meet her at, but he was pretty sure he would be pegged as a tourist by every native walking past. He didn't mind, though; he knew almost immediately after he'd set foot in the big city that he would end up here someday.
Part of him was extremely pleased that Liza had written him one day asking if he would come visit her in Manhattan for New Year's Eve. He hadn't had much time to travel during his time at Georgetown; it was a breath of fresh air to get out of D.C. once in a while. And it helped that Liza was willing to talk to him again after their fallout at the end of grade school, as he considered her a close friend even after their relationship had ended. She was attending a fashion school here in the Big Apple, and from what he'd heard - from others who still kept in contact with the both of them - she had been doing incredibly well.
Jyuushirou was looking forward to seeing her again, and couldn't help but smile as he moved with the crowd across the street at the crosswalk. He could see the overhang for the restaurant Liza had told him to meet her at in the distance, and was extremely grateful that her directions had been precise and accurate. The city was confusing as hell to navigate.
Blinking in surprise as he neared the restaurant, he eyed the growing line out the door in worry. Liza had made a reservation, she'd said, and a glance at his pocketwatch confirmed that he was at least fifteen minutes early. He couldn't see her - or anyone that looked remotely like her - in the thick line of people that took up almost the entire wide sidewalk, but he was rather early. With a sigh, he got in the line and sincerely hoped that he wouldn't be late for their reservation just because they had to wait a long time.
The breeze kicked up, and Jyuushirou became increasingly grateful that he'd opted to wear layers, a scarf, and his hat. Manhattan weather was ruthless.
He kept an eye out for Liza as the seconds ticked by, and by the time he found out that they did indeed have a reservation (and he was barely on time for it), Liza was still nowhere to be found. The maître d' let him keep their table anyway, and promised he would send Liza along as soon as she showed up.
Fifteen minutes later, Jyuushirou had a sinking feeling that he might be spending this particular New Year's alone, until the maître d' came up and asked him if he would mind sharing a table, as his date had quite apparently stood him up at this point.
Why not; any company was better than none.
It was New Year’s Eve - a holiday that people enjoyed. They went out for dinner, danced, kissed each other at midnight and danced some more. Generally, everyone had a good time. At least, that’s how Aizen thought it was supposed to be. Then why was he stuck with this broad he hardly knew who wouldn’t stop chewing his ear off? He’d have to sit Flavio down and have a serious talk about the definition of ‘pretty’, ‘charming’, ‘entertaining’ and ‘pleasant company’. A drink. He really needed a drink. Which he couldn’t have.
Hands hidden in the pockets of his coat, the dark-haired man was about to tell the girl to shut her gob now or he’d do it for her, when a waiter approached them and apologised profusely for the delay and mix up of reservations and asked whether they would mind sharing a table.
Sousuke did not mind at all but his companion did and she didn’t hesitate to make her objections known. He cut her off mid-sentence and told in a very friendly manner that since she was clearly uncomfortable with him, maybe it’d be best if they went separate ways. Something in his eyes told her that it would be wise to agree with his assessment.
Sighing softly, Aizen watched her stomp off and felt himself relax gradually as he followed the waiter to his shared table. When he saw that his dinner companion would be a young man about his age with no woman by his side, a genuine smile found its way to his lips.
“Looks like we’re the lucky ones.” He chuckled and extended his hand, introducing himself as ‘Sousuke’
Jyuushirou glanced up to meet his new 'date,' and was almost surprised to find a man about his own age smiling down at him. Lucky wouldn't exactly be a word he'd use to describe the situation, but at least the guy - Sousuke - seemed friendly enough and didn't mean any harm by the statement. Jyuushirou smiled and took the proffered hand and shook it firmly.
“Jyuushirou,” he replied. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Sousuke.”
As Sousuke took the seat across from him, Jyuushirou hoped he wasn't being presumptuous when he asked, “Did your date stand you up as well, or did I just pick a bad night to go out in an unfamiliar city?”
“Pleasure’s mine, Jyuushiro.” Nice firm handshake. Aizen liked that. Nothing was more disturbing than shaking a hand as limp as a dead fish. Settling comfortably in his chair, he crossed his legs and handed the other man one of the menus the waiter had dropped on their table.
“My date? Well, she…” Sousuke paused and ran a hand through his hair. “She had to be somewhere else.” A slightly sheepish expression fluttered across his face as if he were embarrassed by his lack of a date.
Well, there was no need to tell a stranger what had really happened between him and that woman, was there?
“You’re not from around here?”
Sousuke looked almost embarrassed that he'd also been stood up, so Jyuushirou decided he wouldn't bring it up again. It was nosy of him anyway; this was a big city, and from what he could tell, people generally didn't elbow in on each others' business when it wasn't necessary.
You're not from around here? Jyuushirou nearly panicked, wondering if it was that obvious that he wasn't native to the city. It took him a moment to realize that he'd actually said so himself, essentially. Oops. Haha, silly me.
Smiling sheepishly, he said, “Guilty as charged - I'm actually here to visit a friend from grade school.” He chuckled, feeling even more embarrassed. “She was supposed to meet me here tonight, but I guess something came up.”
“Ah, the fair gender, more fickle than Lady Luck. Something always comes up and I’ve yet to meet a girl who’d tell me what exactly that something is.” Aizen laughed softly and gave Ukitake a sympathetic smile. Being stood up by a friend for whom one had travelled into another city was not a very pleasant experience. Even less so when it was on a holiday like this.
A slightly hassled looking waiter dropped two menus on the table and hurried away again, promising to be with them in a minute. Sousuke picked them up and handed one to his dinner companion.
“How far did you have to travel if you don’t mind my asking.”
More fickle than Lady Luck. Sousuke certainly had that right, Ukitake agreed quietly with a smile. He too wished he could figure out what that “something” was.
When the stressed waiter left the menus on the table, Sousuke asked him how far he'd traveled.
“I don't mind at all,” he replied easily. “I'm actually visiting from D.C.; I attend university there.” He paused, wondering if it would be rude to ask the same of Sousuke, then decided it shouldn't be if he'd already answered that question himself. “Are you from around here, then?”
“Yes. Been here all my life.” It felt a bit strange, sitting here, making small talk with a man who was neither friend nor foe. There was no reason to be overly cautious, no need to watch out for hostile behaviour, no scanning for underlying meaning. While it was odd, it also made Sousuke feel at ease.
It was a nice change in pace.
Up until now there had been only one person who could make him feel that way and that was a little silver-haired matchbox boy. Smiling softly at that thought, Aizen flipped the menu open and studied the page.
“It’s a nice city,” he added. “Big and busy. You can almost feel it vibrating with life. But who am I to tell you that. It’s probably the same in Washington, isn’t it? Especially on a university campus? It must be exciting.”
Jyuushirou tapped the closed menu on the edge of the table. Oh, well, Georgetown certainly could be exciting, if politics counted. Jyuushirou half-nodded and made a small noise in a gesture of half-commitment and said, “Well, D.C. certainly has its moments, though Georgetown students can be pretty serious.” He tossed in a half-smile to the pile of halves. “I can tell you it has nothing on New York.”
Not that the excitement was a bad thing, of course. Jyuushirou found himself growing fonder of the city the more he saw of it - despite the fact that Liza was clearly unavailable to play tour guide - and several times already he'd entertained the thought of seeking work here in the future.
But seeing as he had a perfect opportunity to ask more about the city from a native, Jyuushirou wasn't about to waste it.
“So, Sousuke, anything you recommend I see while I'm here? I have to admit my knowledge of New York's best attractions is frighteningly limited.”
Lifting his gaze from the menu, Aizen regarded his dinner companion with a thoughtful and mildly surprised look. While he was a New York City native, he had never been particularly concerned with the city’s tourist attractions. He wasn’t even sure he knew what they were. All of it had always just been part of his environment.
“Well,” said Sousuke, running a hand through his hair, tucking a stray strand behind his ear, “that would depend on what you’re interested in seeing. If we’re talking popular visitor drawing sights, I won’t be of much help, I’m afraid.” His eyes vanished briefly behind a sheepish grin.
“But if you’re interested in New York’s nightlife, I could show you around after dinner.” There were several nightclubs that he could take Jyuushiro to, which were relatively safe for both of them. He wasn’t sure whether the other man was one to frequent speakeasies and decided not to venture into that territory. “I know a couple of places which have high quality entertainment, live music and gorgeous singers. Pleasant crowd, too.”
Ah, it would make sense that Sousuke wouldn't necessarily know all the popular tourist hits; Jyuushirou didn't even know half of D.C.'s top tourist spots. He could see how that would be the case with anyone in a major city.
Well, it would be more interesting to see something other than where all the tourists were fond of hitting up, and it wasn't like he had anything else to do that night. Sousuke seemed like a decent enough gentleman - Jyuushirou doubted they'd end up in a place he'd find uncomfortable. And if that did happen, well... he rarely had trouble talking his way out of a bad situation.
“That sounds quite pleasant,” he said with a smile. “I think I'd really like that.”
Aizen’s smile widened a little in response to the other man’s. Jyuushiro’s openness and friendliness were quite… enjoyable. It would be nice to spend the evening that had threatened to turn into a disaster with this man.
A different, yet equally stressed out looking waiter appeared by their table, pad and pen ready and rattled off their specials at lightning speed. Sousuke was slightly impressed that the man’s tongue hadn’t tied itself into a knot. Casting an amused glance at his dinner companion, he tilted his head to the side and smiled at the waiter.
“I don’t think I caught that. Would you mind repeating it?” he asked innocently, wanting to find out if the repeat performance would be faster or slower.
The waiter rattled off the specials again, looking a little irritated when that obviously dumb brunet asked him to repeat it again and again and another time and…
“I’ll take a small salad and this, please” Aizen said, interrupting the employee mid-sentence and tapped the tip of his finger against the page of his menu. Snapping it shut he handed it to the waiter who turned his attention to Jyuushiro.
Their waiter spoke so fast that Jyuushirou wasn't sure he caught everything. So it was true that some New Yorkers were every bit as fast-talking as their reputation claimed. It gave him some measure of relief when Sousuke had the waiter repeat some of the specials again, though hearing them at breakneck speed even a second time didn't help him figure it out any better.
“I'll have just this, please,” Jyuushirou said, pointing to a dish he wasn't sure he knew how to pronounce. His Italian was awful at best. He closed his menu as well and handed it to the waiter, who nearly snatched it out of his hands and quickly walked away.
Turning his attention back to Sousuke, he smiled sheepishly and said, “And you understood all that?”
“Some of it.” Aizen laughed, his gaze returning from following the back of their rude waiter to settle on Ukitake. “It doesn’t really matter what they’re saying, though. They just like to bully customers because we keep interfering with their cigarette break. You get used to it.”
There were no more rude-waiter incidences that night due to the fact that most of the staff was too busy to indulge in their favourite pastime. Jyuushirou was an excellent conversation partner - smart, too.
It was a shame that the other man was merely a tourist.
For a night that at first seemed destined to be bad, Jyuushirou was thoroughly enjoying himself. If all New York City natives were like Sousuke, he sincerely wouldn't mind moving to the city himself at some point. The Big Apple certainly seemed like an exciting - albeit hectic and somewhat crowded - place to live.
The rest of the night seemed to fly by in a blur of good food (despite the rather abrupt service), excellent music, and some of the best conversation Jyuushirou had ever had outside of academia. It wasn't until very late at night that he realized it was way past time to head back to his hotel.
After thanking Sousuke for being a fabulous tour guide, they exchanged contact information should Jyuushirou ever find himself back in town. He sincerely hoped they would meet again.
... He just had this bad, bad feeling that the next time they met, things would be very different.