[Bleach] Taught Him to Fight - Kaien + Urahara
Title: Taught Him to Fight (Just a Little Too Well)
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Kaien, Urahara, and a dash of Kuukaku
Words: 1420
Notes: Er, sort of a take on the prompt “sink or swim”. But I started and almost finished this one last night, so this wasn’t really my idea from the latest chapter~ However, I did get a bit more motivated to finish it after reading said chapter, so … awesomeness? Haha, nah. Read, enjoy, dislike, hate, whatever floats your boat! *might write another one in a little bit and then decide which to enter* *doesn’t know yet* (Also, title came from a soooong~ Guess which one! *snorts*)
“I’m not giving up, Kisuke,” Kaien stubbornly attested. “Don’t you dare think I’m giving up!”
Kisuke waved a flippant hand, dismissive. “You do that; tell me how it works out.”
“Why won’t you -”
“Because I simply refuse,” Kisuke cut the boy off sharply. “Go play, Kaien. Soon enough there won’t be any time to waste with such frivolous activities.”
“Don’t patronize me! You have no fucking right to tell me what I can and cannot do!”
“And you have every right to tell me what I can and cannot do?” Kisuke shook his head, a rueful smile present. “You’re a century too early, kiddo.”
“I want a damn recommendation, you jerk! Come on, I’ve known you how long … ? An-and yet you still don’t want me here, with you, being a goddamn shinigami!”
Glad now that he had had the foresight to move this conversation into his private quarters, Kisuke stood from where he had taken a seat, wanting to be on par with the already standing boy. “Now, now, Kaien … can you honestly tell me why you want to be a shinigami so bad?” He crossed his arms, watching every movement the kid made. “Is there any specific reason, or am I as negligent of you as you seem to think?”
Kaien faltered in his next response. “I … I -”
“You just want to become one so people will acknowledge you, isn’t that right?”
Straightening up, Kaien narrowed his eyes, hands behind his back as they balled quickly into fists. “Not just random people, Kisuke. And you know it!”
“Do I now?” mused Kisuke, taking a minute to rock back and forth on his heels. “Well, then, if I know why you’re doing this, why do you think I’m refusing?”
“Because you’re being a fucking bastard!”
“On the contrary, think carefully about it.” Kisuke was dropping a hint here, but Kaien wasn’t seeing it. “What is the duty of a shinigami, Kaien?”
“To protect and maintain balance!”
“Hmmm … what is the duty of a protector?”
“To make sure people aren’t hurt, to stop bad things from happening.”
It was such a naïve response, Kisuke could tell Kaien was still too young to see the grand picture, to honestly see and relate to the grand scheme of things. “And what is the duty of a balancer?” Here Kaien hesitated, and that was all Kisuke needed. “If you want to be a shinigami so bad, do it yourself, Kaien. I’m not going to help you, especially when you can’t even answer my questions or even answer them correctly. Now, little boy, go play.”
Kaien turned, hands now falling listlessly to his sides as fists uncurled, having lost all his passion to make Kisuke see him as something more than just a child. “Fine. But … I’m not going to go play,” he bit out with his back still turned, a hand getting ready to slid the door open. “I’m going to prove to you, if it’s the last thing I do, that I can be a damn shinigami!”
*
“Kisuke-dono, Kisuke-dono!”
Urahara Kisuke paused in his careful adding of a chemical into another test tube; this experiment wasn’t one to take lightly and he wasn’t about to do so. “Can I help you?” he asked, turning slightly to give the man a once over. “Ah, Fourth Division, aren’t you?” He had noticed the pack slung over a shoulder right away, such a pack that all healers seemed to carry around on their person rather than their swords - a stupid move, of course, but healers had many other ways of dealing with threats rather than relying solely on any type of weapon. “What is it?”
“A kid was hurt and brought to our division for medical treatment. And apparently this kid … he knows you?”
“Huh, really now~?”
“Or more accurately … you know that woman, don’t you? That Shiba Kuukaku?”
Kisuke’s blood ran cold at the mention of that particular name. “Of course I know her. I grew up with her.”
“Then … can I assume you know her brother?”
“Which one?” Kisuke’s response was quick and sharp. “She has two.” He had a feeling he already knew the answer, though. His blood, having run cold already, turned to ice, breaking him slowly - crushing everything else out and making reality clear.
“Erm, it was the older brother … I think?”
The scientist, he was already out the door.
*
“God, Kaien, you’re such an idiot.” Kisuke coiled his now sandal-free feet under himself, curling up in an anything but comfortable chair to watch over the kid as he slept. And it seemed to be a rather fitful sleep, too, sweat rolling down tanned skin as a brow furrowed in sleep. “What were you thinking, Kaien? Just what the hell were you thinking?”
“He saw you do it before, he thought he could do it himself; that’s what the fuck he was thinking.”
Bristling at the harsh words directed at him, Kisuke reluctantly kept seated in light of new company. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see my brother.” It was a woman, the tone high-pitched and snappy, and Kisuke wished her and that voice - he wished it would all just go away. She had no reason to be in Seireitei now. Not now when her family had been banned from their rightfully royal honor. “Got a problem with that?”
“Of course not, right? Of course not.” His eyes never strayed from watching over the boy he had grown oddly fond of. “He’s too young to be thinking of bringing back the Shiba’s reputation, he really is. Why don’t you stop him …?”
“How could I?” she demanded roughly, taking a seat in another chair, sitting on the opposite, away from Kisuke and not looking at him either. “He’s got it in his head now that he has to do this. He thinks he’s gotta bring back our pride or something. He’s …”
“Too young,” finished Kisuke with a frown playing at usually smiling expression. “I don’t want him to be a shinigami, Kuukaku. And I also believe … neither do you. It’s just a feeling, but I think you don’t want him to be one either.”
“… Whadd’ya know.” Her comment was dry, meant to be sarcastic. “Kisuke-chan’s got a feeling, does he?” She sighed and clenched her sole good hand, testy and wanting to punch something - preferably someone. “It’s not our choice, Kisuke; it never will be. Get the fuck over it.”
Kisuke inclined his head, wordlessly accepting what she had to say but not truly agreeing with it - not in the slightest. “I see the antidote I helped make for that poison in his system is starting to take effect,” he pointed out lightly, cheerful and bright, directing her attention to the slowly relaxing form of Kaien. “Am I not marvelous?”
Insults were then exchanged, well into the night.
*
“Finally!” Kaien fisted a hand in the air as he screamed out a ‘hell yeah!’ for all of Seireitei to hear. Excitement was something he had no trouble showing, especially when he was proud of an accomplishment like he was right now. Graduation … he had finally passed, finally been accepted into his position. “YES!” He couldn’t wait to rub it in Kisuke’s face, turning with speed and about to dart off to find the man just for bragging rights. He, however, didn’t expect to be greeted face to face with the very man he was looking for right after turning. “K-Kisuke! Heeey!”
“I see you haven’t changed much,” teased Kisuke. “Quick to rush off when people want to congratulate you~!”
Taken aback just a little bit, Kaien tried for a winning smile. “You were … um, coming here to congratulate me?”
“Yes. You didn’t fail miserably like I assumed, so I figured congratulations were in order!”
“HEY! Be nice, Kisuke! I got here with my own two hands, no thanks to you.”
“Almost died along the way,” Kisuke interjected in a laughing sort of way, “but oh well! At least you made it, hm?”
A wince followed those words, but Kaien wasn’t about to let that crush his pride in this accomplishment. “Yeah, but I made it - that’s right! So shuddup and just say congratulations, you jerk.”
“Congratulations, Kaien. I … well, I’m very proud.” Kisuke, though, rather thought that Kaien still wouldn’t be able to answer his questions properly until he had been a shinigami for quite some time.
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Kaien, Urahara, and a dash of Kuukaku
Words: 1420
Notes: Er, sort of a take on the prompt “sink or swim”. But I started and almost finished this one last night, so this wasn’t really my idea from the latest chapter~ However, I did get a bit more motivated to finish it after reading said chapter, so … awesomeness? Haha, nah. Read, enjoy, dislike, hate, whatever floats your boat! *might write another one in a little bit and then decide which to enter* *doesn’t know yet* (Also, title came from a soooong~ Guess which one! *snorts*)
“I’m not giving up, Kisuke,” Kaien stubbornly attested. “Don’t you dare think I’m giving up!”
Kisuke waved a flippant hand, dismissive. “You do that; tell me how it works out.”
“Why won’t you -”
“Because I simply refuse,” Kisuke cut the boy off sharply. “Go play, Kaien. Soon enough there won’t be any time to waste with such frivolous activities.”
“Don’t patronize me! You have no fucking right to tell me what I can and cannot do!”
“And you have every right to tell me what I can and cannot do?” Kisuke shook his head, a rueful smile present. “You’re a century too early, kiddo.”
“I want a damn recommendation, you jerk! Come on, I’ve known you how long … ? An-and yet you still don’t want me here, with you, being a goddamn shinigami!”
Glad now that he had had the foresight to move this conversation into his private quarters, Kisuke stood from where he had taken a seat, wanting to be on par with the already standing boy. “Now, now, Kaien … can you honestly tell me why you want to be a shinigami so bad?” He crossed his arms, watching every movement the kid made. “Is there any specific reason, or am I as negligent of you as you seem to think?”
Kaien faltered in his next response. “I … I -”
“You just want to become one so people will acknowledge you, isn’t that right?”
Straightening up, Kaien narrowed his eyes, hands behind his back as they balled quickly into fists. “Not just random people, Kisuke. And you know it!”
“Do I now?” mused Kisuke, taking a minute to rock back and forth on his heels. “Well, then, if I know why you’re doing this, why do you think I’m refusing?”
“Because you’re being a fucking bastard!”
“On the contrary, think carefully about it.” Kisuke was dropping a hint here, but Kaien wasn’t seeing it. “What is the duty of a shinigami, Kaien?”
“To protect and maintain balance!”
“Hmmm … what is the duty of a protector?”
“To make sure people aren’t hurt, to stop bad things from happening.”
It was such a naïve response, Kisuke could tell Kaien was still too young to see the grand picture, to honestly see and relate to the grand scheme of things. “And what is the duty of a balancer?” Here Kaien hesitated, and that was all Kisuke needed. “If you want to be a shinigami so bad, do it yourself, Kaien. I’m not going to help you, especially when you can’t even answer my questions or even answer them correctly. Now, little boy, go play.”
Kaien turned, hands now falling listlessly to his sides as fists uncurled, having lost all his passion to make Kisuke see him as something more than just a child. “Fine. But … I’m not going to go play,” he bit out with his back still turned, a hand getting ready to slid the door open. “I’m going to prove to you, if it’s the last thing I do, that I can be a damn shinigami!”
*
“Kisuke-dono, Kisuke-dono!”
Urahara Kisuke paused in his careful adding of a chemical into another test tube; this experiment wasn’t one to take lightly and he wasn’t about to do so. “Can I help you?” he asked, turning slightly to give the man a once over. “Ah, Fourth Division, aren’t you?” He had noticed the pack slung over a shoulder right away, such a pack that all healers seemed to carry around on their person rather than their swords - a stupid move, of course, but healers had many other ways of dealing with threats rather than relying solely on any type of weapon. “What is it?”
“A kid was hurt and brought to our division for medical treatment. And apparently this kid … he knows you?”
“Huh, really now~?”
“Or more accurately … you know that woman, don’t you? That Shiba Kuukaku?”
Kisuke’s blood ran cold at the mention of that particular name. “Of course I know her. I grew up with her.”
“Then … can I assume you know her brother?”
“Which one?” Kisuke’s response was quick and sharp. “She has two.” He had a feeling he already knew the answer, though. His blood, having run cold already, turned to ice, breaking him slowly - crushing everything else out and making reality clear.
“Erm, it was the older brother … I think?”
The scientist, he was already out the door.
*
“God, Kaien, you’re such an idiot.” Kisuke coiled his now sandal-free feet under himself, curling up in an anything but comfortable chair to watch over the kid as he slept. And it seemed to be a rather fitful sleep, too, sweat rolling down tanned skin as a brow furrowed in sleep. “What were you thinking, Kaien? Just what the hell were you thinking?”
“He saw you do it before, he thought he could do it himself; that’s what the fuck he was thinking.”
Bristling at the harsh words directed at him, Kisuke reluctantly kept seated in light of new company. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see my brother.” It was a woman, the tone high-pitched and snappy, and Kisuke wished her and that voice - he wished it would all just go away. She had no reason to be in Seireitei now. Not now when her family had been banned from their rightfully royal honor. “Got a problem with that?”
“Of course not, right? Of course not.” His eyes never strayed from watching over the boy he had grown oddly fond of. “He’s too young to be thinking of bringing back the Shiba’s reputation, he really is. Why don’t you stop him …?”
“How could I?” she demanded roughly, taking a seat in another chair, sitting on the opposite, away from Kisuke and not looking at him either. “He’s got it in his head now that he has to do this. He thinks he’s gotta bring back our pride or something. He’s …”
“Too young,” finished Kisuke with a frown playing at usually smiling expression. “I don’t want him to be a shinigami, Kuukaku. And I also believe … neither do you. It’s just a feeling, but I think you don’t want him to be one either.”
“… Whadd’ya know.” Her comment was dry, meant to be sarcastic. “Kisuke-chan’s got a feeling, does he?” She sighed and clenched her sole good hand, testy and wanting to punch something - preferably someone. “It’s not our choice, Kisuke; it never will be. Get the fuck over it.”
Kisuke inclined his head, wordlessly accepting what she had to say but not truly agreeing with it - not in the slightest. “I see the antidote I helped make for that poison in his system is starting to take effect,” he pointed out lightly, cheerful and bright, directing her attention to the slowly relaxing form of Kaien. “Am I not marvelous?”
Insults were then exchanged, well into the night.
*
“Finally!” Kaien fisted a hand in the air as he screamed out a ‘hell yeah!’ for all of Seireitei to hear. Excitement was something he had no trouble showing, especially when he was proud of an accomplishment like he was right now. Graduation … he had finally passed, finally been accepted into his position. “YES!” He couldn’t wait to rub it in Kisuke’s face, turning with speed and about to dart off to find the man just for bragging rights. He, however, didn’t expect to be greeted face to face with the very man he was looking for right after turning. “K-Kisuke! Heeey!”
“I see you haven’t changed much,” teased Kisuke. “Quick to rush off when people want to congratulate you~!”
Taken aback just a little bit, Kaien tried for a winning smile. “You were … um, coming here to congratulate me?”
“Yes. You didn’t fail miserably like I assumed, so I figured congratulations were in order!”
“HEY! Be nice, Kisuke! I got here with my own two hands, no thanks to you.”
“Almost died along the way,” Kisuke interjected in a laughing sort of way, “but oh well! At least you made it, hm?”
A wince followed those words, but Kaien wasn’t about to let that crush his pride in this accomplishment. “Yeah, but I made it - that’s right! So shuddup and just say congratulations, you jerk.”
“Congratulations, Kaien. I … well, I’m very proud.” Kisuke, though, rather thought that Kaien still wouldn’t be able to answer his questions properly until he had been a shinigami for quite some time.