UraIshi AU Ch. 4
Title: Unravelling Threads of Fate
Rating: PG-13 for now. May change depending on what I decide to do. XD
Pairings: UraIshi
Summary: AU. Ishida has had a hard life. With the help of some friends, it finally looks like things are going to work out. When he meets a bizarre and cheerful man named Urahara Kisuke, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other. But when Ishida discovers the truth about Urahara's past and its ties to his own, difficulties arise.
Notes: Yes, I am odd for being so infatuated with this pairing. Here's my shot at trying to explain it in an AU. And I am determined to finish a multi-chaptered story at least ONCE. lol
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the genius KT. ♥
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
Urahara made his way back to the dinner table and noticed that Yoruichi had taken the liberty of ordering wine. He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat down, her response only to sullenly slide over a filled glass.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Right about what?” he asked airily, lifting the glass to swirl the red liquid around. Taking a sip, Urahara smiled at the flavour; he liked his wines fruity.
“Do you always have to pretend like you don’t remember the conversation?”
“No, but it’s more entertaining for me that way.”
“Kisuke, be serious for once. I’m letting you have wine, so you can at least do that for me,” Yoruichi requested, tapping a finger impatiently against the stem of the wine glass.
“Fine, fine.” He set the wine down carefully and looked up to meet her gaze. “So you admit that I’m not being unreasonable?”
“I suppose not. It is hard to keep my morals straight while working nowadays. I have to say, Kisuke, I still want you to take the money. I’d be happy if it just wasn’t with the company.”
Urahara chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, I gave up having anything to do with it when I left. It’s a closed chapter in my life.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a slender figure making his way back to his dinner companions. Catching the eyes that kept darting over to him as Ishida weaved around the tables, Urahara gave him a grin, amused at the shy smile sent back in return. Yoruichi arched a slender eyebrow and turned around to follow his gaze.
“What are you-? Isn’t that the boy from the designer party?”
“If he was?”
She looked at him pensively for a moment. “Kisuke, do you even know if he likes you that way? Not all people are as accepting as you when it comes to genders in a relationship. In fact, do you even like him that way or are you just toying with him?”
“To be completely serious, as you requested, I don’t know. The most I can tell you is that I’m not ‘toying with him’. I’m curious about the boy.”
“Well, I have to say he seems fragile from what little I’ve seen of him. Even at face value, I can guess that he’s probably very sweet. Don’t get too involved if you’re still unsure; I guarantee it won’t have a pretty result.” She paused for a moment, frowning as she realized something. “Aren’t you around twenty years older than him?”
Urahara blinked at that, a thoughtful expression on his face. She was right, he was. He hadn’t really considered that and from what he could tell, neither had Ishida.
“He didn’t seem to have a problem with the age difference when I suggested lunch,” he noted cheerfully.
“…lunch?”
“Yes, tomorrow!”
“I shouldn’t be, but I am always amazed at how easily you do these things.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. On a related topic, Benihime’s still in the storage room, is she not?”
“Yes… and getting her regular maintenance, like you asked.” Yoruichi found it rather sad that she referred to it in the feminine context so easily. Then again, she had spent more than enough time around Urahara.
“Wonderful. It’s about time I take her out again.”
~~~
Ishida settled back down in his chair, taking a sip of ice water. When he had crossed the room, seeing Urahara grin brightly at him had caused a blush to rise uncontrollably to his cheeks. He was having a hard time getting rid of it.
“Ishida-san, are you okay? You’re a little red.” Rukia leaned over to blink at him. Their dinner companions were currently involved in some heated discussion about the use of ruffles on clothing.
“Yes, I’m fine! It’s just… a little warm in here.”
“Oh, is it? I haven’t noticed. We can ask for more water if you want.”
“It’s fine, Kuchiki-san.” Ishida sipped his water again to demonstrate. “I’m feeling cooler already.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” She gestured her head in the direction of the others. “I should apologize for them. I forgot how they tend to get into arguments and stop acknowledging anyone else at the table. If it’s any consolation, they like you so far.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s good to know they like me.”
“I’ll make it up to you somehow.” Rukia smiled at him before turning her attention back to the other designers at a nudge to her shoulder.
Ishida really couldn’t care less about the dinner discussion at that moment. The only thing he could think about was the lunch scheduled for tomorrow. The conversation at the table faded away from his mind as he found himself repeatedly glancing across the room.
What is it with me? I want to know more about him, yes, I figured that out. But it’s only lunch. It’s not like it’s a da-
The dark-haired boy froze and the blush he had managed to force away flared up again.
A date. Is it a date?! Wait, if it’s a date, that means Urahara-san… likes me? But we’re both male. Not that I ever cared about that but this means he doesn’t either. I don’t think about him that way, do I? Er.
Ishida reached up a hand to adjust his glasses, hoping no one noticed how red he was at the moment.
He couldn’t possibly like me. We just met. Right?
Thinking was not solving anything, it was only making him more confused. Maybe it would be easier to just see what happened at the lunch rather than trying to solve all the questions he had. With that in mind, Ishida ventured into the conversation at the table, answering politely when addressed. He let himself be occupied by mindless chatter, by poking at his food, anything to keep his thoughts from racing off into territory that would probably only leave him disappointed in reality. His attention was caught by one piece of discussion though.
“…know MOD is hosting again?”
“MOD…?”
Rukia glanced over at him and nodded. “They’re sponsoring the design convention next month. They co-sponsored our show, didn’t you know?”
Ishida tensed with a small shake of his head. He hadn’t known and almost wished he had kept it that way. To put it simply, the company MOD was what ruined his family and as a result, made his life difficult all these years. Rather than making him feel like this was a form of repayment for their wrongdoing, he felt sickened.
“Ishida-san?”
“O-oh, it’s nothing, Kuchiki-san. I was just thinking about something.”
He had never told anyone exactly what had happened in his childhood and he didn’t plan to. They didn’t need to know.
A movement across the restaurant caught his eye (which was ridiculous because there were a lot of things moving about - why should that particular one be any different?), causing Ishida to look over. Urahara had stood up and was waiting for his dinner companion to gather her things. He lifted his head, shadowed eyes drifting over to where Ishida sat, and grinned with a little wave.
Ishida had to admit that he felt better after that.
~~~
A pencil tapped nervously against the thick sheet of paper that lay blank atop the desk. A few rough sketches lay on the side but nothing particularly productive had been accomplished that morning. Ishida found himself staring at the clock on the wall instead, watching the minutes tick by as they slowly brought noon closer. The dinner had continued on smoothly after he had cheered up at Urahara’s departing gesture and the other designers had insisted he join them again some other day. Parting ways, he had taken a cab with Rukia and was dropped off at the Kurosaki residence.
It had taken him half an hour to finally decide what to wear that morning - he had settled on something simple and casual.
A knock on the glass downstairs caused Ishida to jolt out of his musings and drop his pencil. Eyes darting to the clock, he was amused that it read exactly noon. Taking a deep breath, he slid out of his chair and gathered up his things. Venturing down the stairs, he blinked curiously at the glass door, seeing no one outside. Pushing it open, Ishida glanced around outside before finally spotting a figure that was growing very familiar.
Urahara grinned over at him, hands stuffed casually into his pockets. He was leaning delicately against a blood-red convertible. Wearing a casual grey suit with the jacket unbuttoned, the white shirt underneath was worn with the top button open. He still wore the dark hat seen on both previous occasions, causing Ishida to wonder what he would look like without it.
“Hello, Ishida-san~ Ready for lunch?”
“A-ah, yes.” Slinging his shoulder bag out of the way, Ishida fumbled with the keys to the studio. Ever since he had started coming on Saturdays, Rukia had supplied him with his own set of keys. He suddenly felt the bag being lifted off his shoulder and turned to look up at Urahara’s wide grin.
“Need a little help?” he asked with an amused tone, gently extracting the strap from around the younger boy’s arm.
“Thank you… Urahara-san.” Hastily turning back around to lock the door, Ishida fought down a blush successfully. “Er, shall we go?”
“Certainly! Let me introduce you to Benihime first.”
The dark-haired boy stared blankly at that and watched as Urahara strolled back over to the convertible, patting the hood lovingly.
“This is Benihime, Ishida-san. I’ve missed my pretty little car~” he cooed softly, stroking a hand over the red paint. “I think she’s one of the things I regretted having to leave the most when I… hm. We’ll talk more about that later. For now, climb on in and we’ll head off to the café.”
Slightly confused but amused at the same time by Urahara’s behaviour, Ishida obediently got into the car as the door was held open for him. He peered around the interior curiously, noting leather upholstery and a rather complicated looking dashboard. Urahara climbed into the driver’s seat and handed the aspiring designer his bag before twisting around to put on his seatbelt. Ishida quickly followed suit, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive at the grin that spread onto the older man’s face when he turned the ignition.
He was very glad he did when they darted into traffic and started travelling at speeds that caused Ishida to clutch at the strap of his bag.
I’m going to die.
Leaning back in his seat, Ishida braced himself against being pressed into the door again as they streaked around another corner. Benihime weaved through the lanes, moving through spaces that just barely fit, and raced through the intersections. Faintly wondering if they would get pulled over by a police car, Ishida turned his head to glance at Urahara. He found himself staring, marvelling at how calm he looked despite the wild driving. He looked relaxed with a small, purely happy smile touching his lips, shifting the car’s gears with ease. Ishida almost relaxed, feeling reassured at Urahara’s confidence, but braced himself again when his head nearly slammed into the window at a sharp turn.
When they finally arrived at the café, he unconsciously let out the breath he had been holding. Urahara turned to look at him curiously, seemingly oblivious to how stressed out he had been during the drive.
“Is everything okay, Ishida-san?”
“Ah… yes… I think.”
Chuckling, Urahara got out of the car first and opened the door for the dark-haired boy. They were led to a table in the corner after confirming a reservation and sat down to look at the menus. Not feeling particularly hungry after the ride, Ishida ordered a salad while Urahara picked out a sandwich. There was a momentary silence once the menus were taken away.
“So, Ishida-san… tell me about yourself.” Eyes peered at him from underneath the dark hat as a hand lifted a water glass.
“Me? Well,” Ishida adjusted his glasses nervously, “you already know I’m an aspiring designer; I hope to have my own label soon. Erm… what do you want to know exactly?”
“How about family?”
He froze slightly, eyes focused on his own water glass as he turned the question over in his head.
“…I have a father. I haven’t heard from him in three years.”
Urahara blinked and set down his glass.
“Oh… do you mind me asking why?”
“Apparently, I was a disappointment. He went off to start a medical company in another city which I find ironic, considering that kind of company is what made our lives so hard in the first place. Specifically, MOD. Have you heard of them? It stands for-”
“Medical Operations Department.”
“Oh, how do you know that?” Ishida stared at him curiously.
“I used to own a medical research company.”
“…MOD isn’t your company, is it?” He desperately hoped the answer was no.
“No, no.” Urahara smiled faintly with a trace of wistfulness and… disappointment? “I had a company called SOUL. Specialization in Organic Unknowns Laboratory. It’s no longer around.”
“Why?”
“You don’t need to know,” he replied with a shake of his head. “Any more family members?”
“Not that I know of. Most of the ones I knew… passed away due to an illness.”
Urahara frowned slightly at that bit of information.
It couldn’t possibly be…
The food arrived at that moment and conversation was stalled as plates were set down in front of them. As they ate, they decided to steer away from the previous topics, moving onto more cheerful things like hobbies. Ishida learned that Urahara actually liked to draw sometimes but only if there was something worth his attention. He also learned that he collected first-edition books and had quite a large number of them. Urahara learned that Ishida sometimes did origami in his spare time and had nearly made a thousand cranes. The boy had shyly stated that he wasn’t sure what he would wish for when they were completed.
When they stepped out into the late afternoon sun, Ishida felt light-hearted and happy. After giving directions to Ichigo’s house, the drive there was unnerving but surprisingly less stressful than the one to the café. Getting out of the car, they stood together in a comfortable silence.
“Maa… I should have ordered a glass of wine,” Urahara abruptly pondered, rubbing his chin.
“You shouldn’t drive after having alcohol.”
“You’re starting to sound like Yoruichi-san. I do not get drunk after one glass! It takes at least five…”
Yoruichi-san? Oh, that woman I see him with. As Ishida considered that, a dreadful realization crept up on him.
“Er, Urahara-san… she’s not your, ah, girlfriend, is she?”
“Hmm? Why, Ishida-san, what would that matter? I don’t see why you should care about such a thing.” He grinned cheekily as he took a step closer. Flushing, Ishida glared at him.
“Y-you know perfectly well.”
“Oh, don’t be so upset. I assure you, she is not. She gets too frustrated with me.”
“I don’t blame her.”
“I am wounded, Ishida-san! But I must say, if I know your reason for wanting to know so well, you wouldn’t mind if I…”
As Urahara leaned forward, the young designer began to panic, his eyes squeezing shut.
He’s going to kiss me. Am I ready for that? Do I want him to? Is it too soon? I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know I don’t-
Warm lips pressed against his cheek for a moment then pulled away. Eyes cracked open to peer at Urahara grinning at him, eliciting a small smile in return. He felt relieved and grateful that the older man had been so considerate of his obvious panic.
“Same time next week, Ishida-san?”
“I would love to, Urahara-san.”
Ishida waved as Urahara drove off and let himself into the Kurosaki household. He didn’t think he had ever felt as content as he did at that moment.
A/N: YAAAY FINALLY. The chapter is done. XD I'm going to go sleep now. lol
To Chapter 5
X-posted to uraishi, kurosaki_clinic, asterisk_plus
Rating: PG-13 for now. May change depending on what I decide to do. XD
Pairings: UraIshi
Summary: AU. Ishida has had a hard life. With the help of some friends, it finally looks like things are going to work out. When he meets a bizarre and cheerful man named Urahara Kisuke, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other. But when Ishida discovers the truth about Urahara's past and its ties to his own, difficulties arise.
Notes: Yes, I am odd for being so infatuated with this pairing. Here's my shot at trying to explain it in an AU. And I am determined to finish a multi-chaptered story at least ONCE. lol
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the genius KT. ♥
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
Urahara made his way back to the dinner table and noticed that Yoruichi had taken the liberty of ordering wine. He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat down, her response only to sullenly slide over a filled glass.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Right about what?” he asked airily, lifting the glass to swirl the red liquid around. Taking a sip, Urahara smiled at the flavour; he liked his wines fruity.
“Do you always have to pretend like you don’t remember the conversation?”
“No, but it’s more entertaining for me that way.”
“Kisuke, be serious for once. I’m letting you have wine, so you can at least do that for me,” Yoruichi requested, tapping a finger impatiently against the stem of the wine glass.
“Fine, fine.” He set the wine down carefully and looked up to meet her gaze. “So you admit that I’m not being unreasonable?”
“I suppose not. It is hard to keep my morals straight while working nowadays. I have to say, Kisuke, I still want you to take the money. I’d be happy if it just wasn’t with the company.”
Urahara chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, I gave up having anything to do with it when I left. It’s a closed chapter in my life.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a slender figure making his way back to his dinner companions. Catching the eyes that kept darting over to him as Ishida weaved around the tables, Urahara gave him a grin, amused at the shy smile sent back in return. Yoruichi arched a slender eyebrow and turned around to follow his gaze.
“What are you-? Isn’t that the boy from the designer party?”
“If he was?”
She looked at him pensively for a moment. “Kisuke, do you even know if he likes you that way? Not all people are as accepting as you when it comes to genders in a relationship. In fact, do you even like him that way or are you just toying with him?”
“To be completely serious, as you requested, I don’t know. The most I can tell you is that I’m not ‘toying with him’. I’m curious about the boy.”
“Well, I have to say he seems fragile from what little I’ve seen of him. Even at face value, I can guess that he’s probably very sweet. Don’t get too involved if you’re still unsure; I guarantee it won’t have a pretty result.” She paused for a moment, frowning as she realized something. “Aren’t you around twenty years older than him?”
Urahara blinked at that, a thoughtful expression on his face. She was right, he was. He hadn’t really considered that and from what he could tell, neither had Ishida.
“He didn’t seem to have a problem with the age difference when I suggested lunch,” he noted cheerfully.
“…lunch?”
“Yes, tomorrow!”
“I shouldn’t be, but I am always amazed at how easily you do these things.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. On a related topic, Benihime’s still in the storage room, is she not?”
“Yes… and getting her regular maintenance, like you asked.” Yoruichi found it rather sad that she referred to it in the feminine context so easily. Then again, she had spent more than enough time around Urahara.
“Wonderful. It’s about time I take her out again.”
~~~
Ishida settled back down in his chair, taking a sip of ice water. When he had crossed the room, seeing Urahara grin brightly at him had caused a blush to rise uncontrollably to his cheeks. He was having a hard time getting rid of it.
“Ishida-san, are you okay? You’re a little red.” Rukia leaned over to blink at him. Their dinner companions were currently involved in some heated discussion about the use of ruffles on clothing.
“Yes, I’m fine! It’s just… a little warm in here.”
“Oh, is it? I haven’t noticed. We can ask for more water if you want.”
“It’s fine, Kuchiki-san.” Ishida sipped his water again to demonstrate. “I’m feeling cooler already.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” She gestured her head in the direction of the others. “I should apologize for them. I forgot how they tend to get into arguments and stop acknowledging anyone else at the table. If it’s any consolation, they like you so far.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s good to know they like me.”
“I’ll make it up to you somehow.” Rukia smiled at him before turning her attention back to the other designers at a nudge to her shoulder.
Ishida really couldn’t care less about the dinner discussion at that moment. The only thing he could think about was the lunch scheduled for tomorrow. The conversation at the table faded away from his mind as he found himself repeatedly glancing across the room.
What is it with me? I want to know more about him, yes, I figured that out. But it’s only lunch. It’s not like it’s a da-
The dark-haired boy froze and the blush he had managed to force away flared up again.
A date. Is it a date?! Wait, if it’s a date, that means Urahara-san… likes me? But we’re both male. Not that I ever cared about that but this means he doesn’t either. I don’t think about him that way, do I? Er.
Ishida reached up a hand to adjust his glasses, hoping no one noticed how red he was at the moment.
He couldn’t possibly like me. We just met. Right?
Thinking was not solving anything, it was only making him more confused. Maybe it would be easier to just see what happened at the lunch rather than trying to solve all the questions he had. With that in mind, Ishida ventured into the conversation at the table, answering politely when addressed. He let himself be occupied by mindless chatter, by poking at his food, anything to keep his thoughts from racing off into territory that would probably only leave him disappointed in reality. His attention was caught by one piece of discussion though.
“…know MOD is hosting again?”
“MOD…?”
Rukia glanced over at him and nodded. “They’re sponsoring the design convention next month. They co-sponsored our show, didn’t you know?”
Ishida tensed with a small shake of his head. He hadn’t known and almost wished he had kept it that way. To put it simply, the company MOD was what ruined his family and as a result, made his life difficult all these years. Rather than making him feel like this was a form of repayment for their wrongdoing, he felt sickened.
“Ishida-san?”
“O-oh, it’s nothing, Kuchiki-san. I was just thinking about something.”
He had never told anyone exactly what had happened in his childhood and he didn’t plan to. They didn’t need to know.
A movement across the restaurant caught his eye (which was ridiculous because there were a lot of things moving about - why should that particular one be any different?), causing Ishida to look over. Urahara had stood up and was waiting for his dinner companion to gather her things. He lifted his head, shadowed eyes drifting over to where Ishida sat, and grinned with a little wave.
Ishida had to admit that he felt better after that.
~~~
A pencil tapped nervously against the thick sheet of paper that lay blank atop the desk. A few rough sketches lay on the side but nothing particularly productive had been accomplished that morning. Ishida found himself staring at the clock on the wall instead, watching the minutes tick by as they slowly brought noon closer. The dinner had continued on smoothly after he had cheered up at Urahara’s departing gesture and the other designers had insisted he join them again some other day. Parting ways, he had taken a cab with Rukia and was dropped off at the Kurosaki residence.
It had taken him half an hour to finally decide what to wear that morning - he had settled on something simple and casual.
A knock on the glass downstairs caused Ishida to jolt out of his musings and drop his pencil. Eyes darting to the clock, he was amused that it read exactly noon. Taking a deep breath, he slid out of his chair and gathered up his things. Venturing down the stairs, he blinked curiously at the glass door, seeing no one outside. Pushing it open, Ishida glanced around outside before finally spotting a figure that was growing very familiar.
Urahara grinned over at him, hands stuffed casually into his pockets. He was leaning delicately against a blood-red convertible. Wearing a casual grey suit with the jacket unbuttoned, the white shirt underneath was worn with the top button open. He still wore the dark hat seen on both previous occasions, causing Ishida to wonder what he would look like without it.
“Hello, Ishida-san~ Ready for lunch?”
“A-ah, yes.” Slinging his shoulder bag out of the way, Ishida fumbled with the keys to the studio. Ever since he had started coming on Saturdays, Rukia had supplied him with his own set of keys. He suddenly felt the bag being lifted off his shoulder and turned to look up at Urahara’s wide grin.
“Need a little help?” he asked with an amused tone, gently extracting the strap from around the younger boy’s arm.
“Thank you… Urahara-san.” Hastily turning back around to lock the door, Ishida fought down a blush successfully. “Er, shall we go?”
“Certainly! Let me introduce you to Benihime first.”
The dark-haired boy stared blankly at that and watched as Urahara strolled back over to the convertible, patting the hood lovingly.
“This is Benihime, Ishida-san. I’ve missed my pretty little car~” he cooed softly, stroking a hand over the red paint. “I think she’s one of the things I regretted having to leave the most when I… hm. We’ll talk more about that later. For now, climb on in and we’ll head off to the café.”
Slightly confused but amused at the same time by Urahara’s behaviour, Ishida obediently got into the car as the door was held open for him. He peered around the interior curiously, noting leather upholstery and a rather complicated looking dashboard. Urahara climbed into the driver’s seat and handed the aspiring designer his bag before twisting around to put on his seatbelt. Ishida quickly followed suit, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive at the grin that spread onto the older man’s face when he turned the ignition.
He was very glad he did when they darted into traffic and started travelling at speeds that caused Ishida to clutch at the strap of his bag.
I’m going to die.
Leaning back in his seat, Ishida braced himself against being pressed into the door again as they streaked around another corner. Benihime weaved through the lanes, moving through spaces that just barely fit, and raced through the intersections. Faintly wondering if they would get pulled over by a police car, Ishida turned his head to glance at Urahara. He found himself staring, marvelling at how calm he looked despite the wild driving. He looked relaxed with a small, purely happy smile touching his lips, shifting the car’s gears with ease. Ishida almost relaxed, feeling reassured at Urahara’s confidence, but braced himself again when his head nearly slammed into the window at a sharp turn.
When they finally arrived at the café, he unconsciously let out the breath he had been holding. Urahara turned to look at him curiously, seemingly oblivious to how stressed out he had been during the drive.
“Is everything okay, Ishida-san?”
“Ah… yes… I think.”
Chuckling, Urahara got out of the car first and opened the door for the dark-haired boy. They were led to a table in the corner after confirming a reservation and sat down to look at the menus. Not feeling particularly hungry after the ride, Ishida ordered a salad while Urahara picked out a sandwich. There was a momentary silence once the menus were taken away.
“So, Ishida-san… tell me about yourself.” Eyes peered at him from underneath the dark hat as a hand lifted a water glass.
“Me? Well,” Ishida adjusted his glasses nervously, “you already know I’m an aspiring designer; I hope to have my own label soon. Erm… what do you want to know exactly?”
“How about family?”
He froze slightly, eyes focused on his own water glass as he turned the question over in his head.
“…I have a father. I haven’t heard from him in three years.”
Urahara blinked and set down his glass.
“Oh… do you mind me asking why?”
“Apparently, I was a disappointment. He went off to start a medical company in another city which I find ironic, considering that kind of company is what made our lives so hard in the first place. Specifically, MOD. Have you heard of them? It stands for-”
“Medical Operations Department.”
“Oh, how do you know that?” Ishida stared at him curiously.
“I used to own a medical research company.”
“…MOD isn’t your company, is it?” He desperately hoped the answer was no.
“No, no.” Urahara smiled faintly with a trace of wistfulness and… disappointment? “I had a company called SOUL. Specialization in Organic Unknowns Laboratory. It’s no longer around.”
“Why?”
“You don’t need to know,” he replied with a shake of his head. “Any more family members?”
“Not that I know of. Most of the ones I knew… passed away due to an illness.”
Urahara frowned slightly at that bit of information.
It couldn’t possibly be…
The food arrived at that moment and conversation was stalled as plates were set down in front of them. As they ate, they decided to steer away from the previous topics, moving onto more cheerful things like hobbies. Ishida learned that Urahara actually liked to draw sometimes but only if there was something worth his attention. He also learned that he collected first-edition books and had quite a large number of them. Urahara learned that Ishida sometimes did origami in his spare time and had nearly made a thousand cranes. The boy had shyly stated that he wasn’t sure what he would wish for when they were completed.
When they stepped out into the late afternoon sun, Ishida felt light-hearted and happy. After giving directions to Ichigo’s house, the drive there was unnerving but surprisingly less stressful than the one to the café. Getting out of the car, they stood together in a comfortable silence.
“Maa… I should have ordered a glass of wine,” Urahara abruptly pondered, rubbing his chin.
“You shouldn’t drive after having alcohol.”
“You’re starting to sound like Yoruichi-san. I do not get drunk after one glass! It takes at least five…”
Yoruichi-san? Oh, that woman I see him with. As Ishida considered that, a dreadful realization crept up on him.
“Er, Urahara-san… she’s not your, ah, girlfriend, is she?”
“Hmm? Why, Ishida-san, what would that matter? I don’t see why you should care about such a thing.” He grinned cheekily as he took a step closer. Flushing, Ishida glared at him.
“Y-you know perfectly well.”
“Oh, don’t be so upset. I assure you, she is not. She gets too frustrated with me.”
“I don’t blame her.”
“I am wounded, Ishida-san! But I must say, if I know your reason for wanting to know so well, you wouldn’t mind if I…”
As Urahara leaned forward, the young designer began to panic, his eyes squeezing shut.
He’s going to kiss me. Am I ready for that? Do I want him to? Is it too soon? I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know I don’t-
Warm lips pressed against his cheek for a moment then pulled away. Eyes cracked open to peer at Urahara grinning at him, eliciting a small smile in return. He felt relieved and grateful that the older man had been so considerate of his obvious panic.
“Same time next week, Ishida-san?”
“I would love to, Urahara-san.”
Ishida waved as Urahara drove off and let himself into the Kurosaki household. He didn’t think he had ever felt as content as he did at that moment.
A/N: YAAAY FINALLY. The chapter is done. XD I'm going to go sleep now. lol
To Chapter 5
X-posted to uraishi, kurosaki_clinic, asterisk_plus