UraIshi AU Ch. 5
Title: Unravelling Threads of Fate
Rating: PG-13 for now.
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 | Chapter 4
The days passed by slowly for Ishida. He completed the work given to him and sketched a few more of his own designs, just like every other day, but found that time felt slower than usual. He couldn’t figure out why until Friday arrived, when he realized he was counting down the hours until noon the next day.
Am I really that impatient to meet him again? Ishida mused as his pencil scratched lines across the paper. It was a nice lunch…
“Ishida-san!”
He glanced up at Rukia walking over to him from the other room and gave her a nod. “Kuchiki-san.”
“We were planning on meeting for lunch tomorrow, just for fun. You know, Ichigo, Inoue-san and me. Do you think you can come?” she asked with a smile, leaning over to peer at his sketches.
…tomorrow?
“Er, I don’t… I don’t think I can.”
Rukia blinked curiously, turning her head away from the papers to look at him. “Why not?”
“I-I have lunch plans already…” Ishida trailed off, hoping she wouldn’t ask for details. Luckily, she didn’t.
“Oh, well, that’s fine then! Maybe another time.”
Relieved, he turned back to his work as she wandered away. Biting his bottom lip thoughtfully, Ishida doodled a small, familiar looking hat on the corner of his sketchbook page.
I don’t understand why it’s so important to me. I’ve only met him what, three times now? How is it that he affects me like this? And so easily?
Sighing with a small shake of his head, he pushed his glasses up with a finger and glanced at the clock.
Twenty-one hours to go…
~~~
Urahara and Ishida met for lunch that Saturday and the next. And again the week after. It always began with the older man holding Ishida’s bag while he locked the studio door and ended with a kiss on the cheek. Then one day, Urahara had something different planned.
“Hello, Ishida-san~”
The young designer jumped in his seat, his pencil flying across the room. With a bewildered expression, Ishida turned to stare at the man standing at the top of the staircase.
“Wh-what… you’re early.”
“Am I?” Urahara glanced at his watch. “…only ten minutes! Besides, aren’t you glad I couldn’t wait to see you again?”
“I-I…” Flushing a dark red, Ishida quickly slid out of his chair and started looking for his pencil, crouching over to hide his face. He froze as the pencil flew into view, eyes slowly travelling up the hand and arm to the head grinning brightly at him. “Er… thank you.”
“You’re quite welcome!” Urahara straightened and wandered over to the large window, peering down at Benihime parked in front of the building. “I was thinking that we might go somewhere else today.”
“Um.” Ishida busied himself with packing his shoulder bag carefully, tucking pencils and erasers in a side pocket. “Where?”
“There’s a nice little place beside the art museum. If you’re not busy afterwards, perhaps we could go take a look. What do you say?”
An entire afternoon with him? He slowly closed the flap on his bag and draped the strap over his shoulder before turning to look at figure by the window. Urahara shifted his gaze over to him and grinned.
“Well?”
“I think I’d like that.”
“Wonderful~ Let’s get going!” Urahara proceeded to usher him down the stairs with little shoo-ing motions, waiting patiently with the shoulder bag in hand as Ishida locked the door. Climbing into the car, the dark-haired boy steadied himself for the drive. Although he had grown much more used to the reckless driving, it was still rather unnerving.
Arriving safe and in one piece (despite narrowly avoiding an oncoming semi-truck in a turn), the pair stepped into a small, sidewalk restaurant situated right beside the museum. After eating a small meal, they went next door into the large building. Ishida stepped inside lightly, marveling at the paintings and the sense of calm that washed over him.
“You’ve never been here, have you, Ishida-san?” Urahara asked softly, trying not to disturb the peace, as he came up behind him.
He shook his head and replied just as quietly, “No, I never had a chance to go anywhere when I was younger.”
“Hm.” The older man motioned for him to follow as he walked through one of the archways. “Come along~ There’s a lot to see!”
Ishida tried to follow obediently but found himself lagging behind as he stared at the portraits and landscapes. It was all very beautiful and he felt inspired just from being around such vast amounts of artwork. After trying to memorize a flower pattern based off of one of the sceneries, Ishida realized Urahara had moved quite a few paintings away. He walked quickly to catch up, stumbling and grabbing onto the man to keep his balance. Blushing lightly, he mumbled an apology and straightened, their hands brushing together in the process.
Ishida blinked at the tingling sensation that resulted from the touch and shyly glanced up at Urahara to see if he had noticed anything. He seemed too absorbed in the painting to have had a reaction, so the young designer settled into examining the artwork himself.
But what was that? …it was nice. I want more of that feeling.
Biting his bottom lip lightly, Ishida slowly reached out to slip his fingers between Urahara’s. As they tightened around his own in a warm grip, he felt his face flush again and looked up to see the other’s expression. Urahara’s lips were quirked upward and he felt his own smiling faintly in return. With an affectionate squeeze to their joined hands, the older man towed the boy along to the next painting.
~~~
They settled back into their normal lunch routine at the café after the museum trip, no longer requiring a reservation for their table in the corner - the managers tended to keep that table clear for them on Saturdays ever since their third visit. The next two weeks followed the same schedule until the third week when Urahara arrived early and stated they would be going somewhere else again.
That day he came up the stairs wearing a completely casual outfit. He was dressed in a pale green, long-sleeved shirt with an overlaying dark green, collared T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His black hat remained on his head.
Ishida couldn’t help but stare a little. It was the first time he had seen the man wearing something other than a suit and it was… interesting.
“Where are we headed today, Urahara-san?” He averted his eyes as he packed his bag, lest he be caught staring.
“Well, I remembered what you said the other time - how you never had a chance to go places. I thought I would try to remedy that. Today, we’re going to the aquarium~”
Urahara proceeded to grab Ishida’s hand and drag him out of the building. Ever since Ishida’s little bout of courage in the museum, he had taken to snatching up the boy’s hand and pulling him about whenever he had the chance.
It was like he was letting Ishida decide how far their relationship went and how fast.
He wasn’t sure what to think about that.
Arriving at the aquarium, Urahara made sure to park Benihime in a spot that would minimize the probability of potential scratches. Ishida watched with an amused expression as he pat the hood of the car before running over to seize his hand. Urahara tugged him along to the entrance counter, paid their fees, and stepped through into the air-conditioned building. Ignoring the souvenir shop for the time being, he led the young designer towards the first of the massive tanks filled with various sea creatures.
They wandered around for a few hours looking into the various tanks. Ishida marveled at the colourful fish, fingers pressed lightly against the thick glass as he peered at them. He glanced at the reflection beside his own and smiled a little at the face watching him. Urahara’s expression was thoughtful, focused on him carefully as if trying to remember something.
“Is there something wrong, Urahara-san?” he asked curiously, turning around to face the man rather than watch him on the glass.
“No, no. I was just thinking.” Urahara grinned a little, reaching out to snatch his hand again. “Let’s head outside~ I think the schedule said a show with the orcas would be starting soon.”
Grabbing two hot dogs from a vendor, they ate them on the way to the large pool. They watched the performance near the front and as a result got splashed with water. Urahara simply laughed as Ishida swiped at the water dripping down his face. Irritated, the young designer flicked some droplets in his direction. Only laughing more, the man leaned over to drape an arm over the boy’s shoulders, intending to kiss him on the cheek. Startled at the contact, Ishida turned his head at the same moment, resulting in the kiss landing on the corner of his mouth. Blushing brightly, he turned his face away from the amused grin beside him.
That was… almost a kiss.
Trying to ignore the arm and close proximity of Urahara - or at least not focus on it so much - he realized that instead of feeling horrified from the almost-kiss, he felt… cheated. If he had been braver, Ishida might have done something to fulfill that disappointed feeling. Unfortunately, he was still a bit confused about the emotion that grew ever so slightly stronger with each meeting. It occupied his thoughts instead and he didn’t realize the show had ended until Urahara stood up from his seat.
“Did you like the orcas, Ishida-san?”
“Oh, yes.” It wasn’t a lie. He had liked them very much when he was paying attention.
“There’s an underground section, you know. You can watch the whales swimming as if you were underwater too.”
“Really?” Ishida’s eyes widened in curiosity behind his glasses. He had really missed out on so much in his childhood. “Can we, er, go see?”
Urahara grinned and helped him to his feet. Reaching the entrance to the ramp which led down to the viewing area though, they were to be disappointed. A gate barred the way with a notice attached to it.
“Hmm. It looks like we came at a bad time, Ishida-san. They’re doing some renovations and it won’t be finished until a few months from now.” He glanced down at the dark-haired boy with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
The young designer shook his head firmly. “I may be a little disappointed at not being able to see the whales but I had a very enjoyable time with you. I’m never disappointed whenever I’m with you…” he trailed off shyly.
With a grin, Urahara slung his arm around the boy’s shoulders again. “Glad to hear it. Shall we get going?”
The sun dipped low, the pastel beginnings of twilight beginning to tinge the sky and clouds. They walked back to the car slowly, joined hands swinging gently between them. A comfortable silence settled over the two as Urahara drove to the Kurosaki household, Ishida idly plucking at a loose thread on his bag. He would have to fix that once he got back.
As they pulled to a stop in front of the house, Urahara pressed the standard kiss to his cheek. Ishida smiled a little and waved as Benihime drove off but couldn’t help the faint feeling of dissatisfaction that rose up. He had grown very attached to the mysterious man and wanted a kiss. A real kiss.
~~~
Their little lunch dates resumed the next week at the café. Ishida worked diligently on his designs, sending a sketch off to be made into a prototype. If things went well, he figured he might be able to advertise a show in less than a year. Of course, he worked hard with Rukia’s sketches as well. It was his job, after all.
With each Saturday, he tried giving hints to Urahara of his desire for a kiss. He was far too nervous to be the one to actually give a kiss but as three lunches passed by, he was growing frustrated. Was he really that incapable of flirting?
Ishida paused to consider that thought and sighed. No, don’t answer that.
It was a Wednesday afternoon when the phone rang at the studio. Normally, the phone ringing wasn’t anything special, but that day Orihime skipped over to Ishida’s table and held the receiver out to him. He simply stared at it before silently lifting his eyes to look at her in confusion.
“It’s for you, Ishida-kun!” she bubbled cheerfully, pressing the phone into his hand before heading back to work. Adjusting his glasses, he lifted it to his ear.
“Hello…?”
“Hello, Ishida-san~! How’s work?”
“U-Urahara-san?!” Ishida hastily glanced around to see if anyone had heard him. He had spoken rather loud. “How did you get this number?”
“Maa, you’re not happy I’m calling?”
“Er.”
“Besides, it’s not that hard to look up Hell Moth in the phonebook.” There was a pause. “Or to just read the number off the name card I got from Kuchiki-san at the fashion show.”
The boy rolled his eyes a little before replying. “I can see that now. Why are you calling?”
“I’m afraid I can’t make lunch this Saturday-”
Oh…
“-but if you’re not busy, I can take you out to dinner instead!”
Oh!
“I’m… I’m fine with that.”
“Lovely! I’ll come get you at Kurosaki-san’s house at six-thirty then?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ll see you then. Bye~”
Ishida pressed the button to hang up and stared blankly at the phone. Dinner? That’ll be different. Now that I think about it, he keeps planning intermittent events every so often. Why is that?
Shrugging a little to himself, he replaced the phone in its stand before returning to work.
Saturday evening came soon enough and found Ishida waiting nervously on the stairs at the Kurosaki household. Ichigo and his family had left for dinner earlier. They had offered him to join them but he refused politely, explaining he already had plans. A knock on the door sent Ishida darting forward to open it. He was glad he had decided to wear something more formal that evening as he saw Urahara standing there in a suit less casual that usual. With a little bow and a grin, the man motioned towards the car.
“Shall we go?”
They arrived at an expensive-looking restaurant, a valet taking Benihime off to the parking lot. Walking inside, they were led to a table by the window overlooking the city lights. Urahara glanced at the wine list, but put it away sheepishly at a glance from Ishida.
“Don’t worry. I’ll refrain from having a drink since you’re with me.”
“Thank you.” Ishida glanced down at the menu and felt his eyes widen at the prices. “Er, Urahara-san… are you sure this is okay?”
“Hm? Oh, don’t worry about that. I thought you’d have noticed by now that money isn’t an issue with me. It’s a special occasion, too,” he noted with a grin.
“But… special occasion?”
“You’re not very observant, Ishida-san,” Urahara chided teasingly. “It’s the three-month anniversary since our first lunch date! Haven’t you noticed that I took you somewhere special every fourth meeting?”
“I was going to ask about that actually.” Ishida fought down the blush that threatened to rise. It was really quite thoughtful of him to mark each month that way. I hadn’t even noticed so much time had passed already…
“Ah, so you did realize it!”
The dark-haired boy gave him a small smile as he looked up. “Thank you for all this, Urahara-san.”
“I’m happy to do it,” he replied with a warm grin. “Let’s order.”
The dinner was relaxed and cheerful as the evening progressed, both enjoying the other’s company. Eventually, they left the restaurant and Ishida was driven back to the household. The pair stood outside in the night air for a moment, illuminated by the nearby street lamps. As Urahara turned to him, Ishida could see it - could see he wanted to kiss him. But the kiss only pressed against his cheek again and he felt his frustration rise up as Urahara made his way over to the driver’s side door.
Before he could climb into the car, Ishida found himself bursting out, “Why won’t you kiss me?!”
Startled, Urahara blinked at him as a dark blush spread across the boy’s face.
“I-I mean…” he trailed off faintly, fists clenched at his sides in embarrassment. Ishida almost didn’t notice the older man’s soft footsteps as he moved to stand in front of him. A hand reached out to gently tilt his head up, to meet his eyes.
“Are you sure, Ishida-san?” Urahara asked softly, leaning closer. “I was trying to give you a chance to change your mind, you know.”
“Why?”
“Because,” his fingers trailed along a flushed cheek, “once I kiss you, there’s no turning back.”
“…you’re so arrogant.”
A wide grin flashed across Urahara’s face before he pressed their lips together. Ishida’s eyes flew shut as he found himself melting into the kiss. Urahara’s hat brushed against his forehead as their mouths slanted over each other, his lips parting to allow entrance. Ishida wasn’t sure how long they stood there in the lamp light, mouths moving together. He just knew it ended too soon.
Staring a little dazed up at Urahara, he smiled, eliciting one in return. Kissing him softly one more time, the older man stepped back slowly.
“Goodnight, Ishida-san.”
“Goodnight…”
As Urahara left, Ishida drifted into the house, feeling giddy and lightheaded as he climbed the stairs. Things were good. He hoped it would stay that way.
A/N: This took so long. LOL And it was full of such FLUFF. Anyways, I need sleep. XD
To Chapter 6
X-posted places
Rating: PG-13 for now.
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 | Chapter 4
The days passed by slowly for Ishida. He completed the work given to him and sketched a few more of his own designs, just like every other day, but found that time felt slower than usual. He couldn’t figure out why until Friday arrived, when he realized he was counting down the hours until noon the next day.
Am I really that impatient to meet him again? Ishida mused as his pencil scratched lines across the paper. It was a nice lunch…
“Ishida-san!”
He glanced up at Rukia walking over to him from the other room and gave her a nod. “Kuchiki-san.”
“We were planning on meeting for lunch tomorrow, just for fun. You know, Ichigo, Inoue-san and me. Do you think you can come?” she asked with a smile, leaning over to peer at his sketches.
…tomorrow?
“Er, I don’t… I don’t think I can.”
Rukia blinked curiously, turning her head away from the papers to look at him. “Why not?”
“I-I have lunch plans already…” Ishida trailed off, hoping she wouldn’t ask for details. Luckily, she didn’t.
“Oh, well, that’s fine then! Maybe another time.”
Relieved, he turned back to his work as she wandered away. Biting his bottom lip thoughtfully, Ishida doodled a small, familiar looking hat on the corner of his sketchbook page.
I don’t understand why it’s so important to me. I’ve only met him what, three times now? How is it that he affects me like this? And so easily?
Sighing with a small shake of his head, he pushed his glasses up with a finger and glanced at the clock.
Twenty-one hours to go…
~~~
Urahara and Ishida met for lunch that Saturday and the next. And again the week after. It always began with the older man holding Ishida’s bag while he locked the studio door and ended with a kiss on the cheek. Then one day, Urahara had something different planned.
“Hello, Ishida-san~”
The young designer jumped in his seat, his pencil flying across the room. With a bewildered expression, Ishida turned to stare at the man standing at the top of the staircase.
“Wh-what… you’re early.”
“Am I?” Urahara glanced at his watch. “…only ten minutes! Besides, aren’t you glad I couldn’t wait to see you again?”
“I-I…” Flushing a dark red, Ishida quickly slid out of his chair and started looking for his pencil, crouching over to hide his face. He froze as the pencil flew into view, eyes slowly travelling up the hand and arm to the head grinning brightly at him. “Er… thank you.”
“You’re quite welcome!” Urahara straightened and wandered over to the large window, peering down at Benihime parked in front of the building. “I was thinking that we might go somewhere else today.”
“Um.” Ishida busied himself with packing his shoulder bag carefully, tucking pencils and erasers in a side pocket. “Where?”
“There’s a nice little place beside the art museum. If you’re not busy afterwards, perhaps we could go take a look. What do you say?”
An entire afternoon with him? He slowly closed the flap on his bag and draped the strap over his shoulder before turning to look at figure by the window. Urahara shifted his gaze over to him and grinned.
“Well?”
“I think I’d like that.”
“Wonderful~ Let’s get going!” Urahara proceeded to usher him down the stairs with little shoo-ing motions, waiting patiently with the shoulder bag in hand as Ishida locked the door. Climbing into the car, the dark-haired boy steadied himself for the drive. Although he had grown much more used to the reckless driving, it was still rather unnerving.
Arriving safe and in one piece (despite narrowly avoiding an oncoming semi-truck in a turn), the pair stepped into a small, sidewalk restaurant situated right beside the museum. After eating a small meal, they went next door into the large building. Ishida stepped inside lightly, marveling at the paintings and the sense of calm that washed over him.
“You’ve never been here, have you, Ishida-san?” Urahara asked softly, trying not to disturb the peace, as he came up behind him.
He shook his head and replied just as quietly, “No, I never had a chance to go anywhere when I was younger.”
“Hm.” The older man motioned for him to follow as he walked through one of the archways. “Come along~ There’s a lot to see!”
Ishida tried to follow obediently but found himself lagging behind as he stared at the portraits and landscapes. It was all very beautiful and he felt inspired just from being around such vast amounts of artwork. After trying to memorize a flower pattern based off of one of the sceneries, Ishida realized Urahara had moved quite a few paintings away. He walked quickly to catch up, stumbling and grabbing onto the man to keep his balance. Blushing lightly, he mumbled an apology and straightened, their hands brushing together in the process.
Ishida blinked at the tingling sensation that resulted from the touch and shyly glanced up at Urahara to see if he had noticed anything. He seemed too absorbed in the painting to have had a reaction, so the young designer settled into examining the artwork himself.
But what was that? …it was nice. I want more of that feeling.
Biting his bottom lip lightly, Ishida slowly reached out to slip his fingers between Urahara’s. As they tightened around his own in a warm grip, he felt his face flush again and looked up to see the other’s expression. Urahara’s lips were quirked upward and he felt his own smiling faintly in return. With an affectionate squeeze to their joined hands, the older man towed the boy along to the next painting.
~~~
They settled back into their normal lunch routine at the café after the museum trip, no longer requiring a reservation for their table in the corner - the managers tended to keep that table clear for them on Saturdays ever since their third visit. The next two weeks followed the same schedule until the third week when Urahara arrived early and stated they would be going somewhere else again.
That day he came up the stairs wearing a completely casual outfit. He was dressed in a pale green, long-sleeved shirt with an overlaying dark green, collared T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His black hat remained on his head.
Ishida couldn’t help but stare a little. It was the first time he had seen the man wearing something other than a suit and it was… interesting.
“Where are we headed today, Urahara-san?” He averted his eyes as he packed his bag, lest he be caught staring.
“Well, I remembered what you said the other time - how you never had a chance to go places. I thought I would try to remedy that. Today, we’re going to the aquarium~”
Urahara proceeded to grab Ishida’s hand and drag him out of the building. Ever since Ishida’s little bout of courage in the museum, he had taken to snatching up the boy’s hand and pulling him about whenever he had the chance.
It was like he was letting Ishida decide how far their relationship went and how fast.
He wasn’t sure what to think about that.
Arriving at the aquarium, Urahara made sure to park Benihime in a spot that would minimize the probability of potential scratches. Ishida watched with an amused expression as he pat the hood of the car before running over to seize his hand. Urahara tugged him along to the entrance counter, paid their fees, and stepped through into the air-conditioned building. Ignoring the souvenir shop for the time being, he led the young designer towards the first of the massive tanks filled with various sea creatures.
They wandered around for a few hours looking into the various tanks. Ishida marveled at the colourful fish, fingers pressed lightly against the thick glass as he peered at them. He glanced at the reflection beside his own and smiled a little at the face watching him. Urahara’s expression was thoughtful, focused on him carefully as if trying to remember something.
“Is there something wrong, Urahara-san?” he asked curiously, turning around to face the man rather than watch him on the glass.
“No, no. I was just thinking.” Urahara grinned a little, reaching out to snatch his hand again. “Let’s head outside~ I think the schedule said a show with the orcas would be starting soon.”
Grabbing two hot dogs from a vendor, they ate them on the way to the large pool. They watched the performance near the front and as a result got splashed with water. Urahara simply laughed as Ishida swiped at the water dripping down his face. Irritated, the young designer flicked some droplets in his direction. Only laughing more, the man leaned over to drape an arm over the boy’s shoulders, intending to kiss him on the cheek. Startled at the contact, Ishida turned his head at the same moment, resulting in the kiss landing on the corner of his mouth. Blushing brightly, he turned his face away from the amused grin beside him.
That was… almost a kiss.
Trying to ignore the arm and close proximity of Urahara - or at least not focus on it so much - he realized that instead of feeling horrified from the almost-kiss, he felt… cheated. If he had been braver, Ishida might have done something to fulfill that disappointed feeling. Unfortunately, he was still a bit confused about the emotion that grew ever so slightly stronger with each meeting. It occupied his thoughts instead and he didn’t realize the show had ended until Urahara stood up from his seat.
“Did you like the orcas, Ishida-san?”
“Oh, yes.” It wasn’t a lie. He had liked them very much when he was paying attention.
“There’s an underground section, you know. You can watch the whales swimming as if you were underwater too.”
“Really?” Ishida’s eyes widened in curiosity behind his glasses. He had really missed out on so much in his childhood. “Can we, er, go see?”
Urahara grinned and helped him to his feet. Reaching the entrance to the ramp which led down to the viewing area though, they were to be disappointed. A gate barred the way with a notice attached to it.
“Hmm. It looks like we came at a bad time, Ishida-san. They’re doing some renovations and it won’t be finished until a few months from now.” He glanced down at the dark-haired boy with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
The young designer shook his head firmly. “I may be a little disappointed at not being able to see the whales but I had a very enjoyable time with you. I’m never disappointed whenever I’m with you…” he trailed off shyly.
With a grin, Urahara slung his arm around the boy’s shoulders again. “Glad to hear it. Shall we get going?”
The sun dipped low, the pastel beginnings of twilight beginning to tinge the sky and clouds. They walked back to the car slowly, joined hands swinging gently between them. A comfortable silence settled over the two as Urahara drove to the Kurosaki household, Ishida idly plucking at a loose thread on his bag. He would have to fix that once he got back.
As they pulled to a stop in front of the house, Urahara pressed the standard kiss to his cheek. Ishida smiled a little and waved as Benihime drove off but couldn’t help the faint feeling of dissatisfaction that rose up. He had grown very attached to the mysterious man and wanted a kiss. A real kiss.
~~~
Their little lunch dates resumed the next week at the café. Ishida worked diligently on his designs, sending a sketch off to be made into a prototype. If things went well, he figured he might be able to advertise a show in less than a year. Of course, he worked hard with Rukia’s sketches as well. It was his job, after all.
With each Saturday, he tried giving hints to Urahara of his desire for a kiss. He was far too nervous to be the one to actually give a kiss but as three lunches passed by, he was growing frustrated. Was he really that incapable of flirting?
Ishida paused to consider that thought and sighed. No, don’t answer that.
It was a Wednesday afternoon when the phone rang at the studio. Normally, the phone ringing wasn’t anything special, but that day Orihime skipped over to Ishida’s table and held the receiver out to him. He simply stared at it before silently lifting his eyes to look at her in confusion.
“It’s for you, Ishida-kun!” she bubbled cheerfully, pressing the phone into his hand before heading back to work. Adjusting his glasses, he lifted it to his ear.
“Hello…?”
“Hello, Ishida-san~! How’s work?”
“U-Urahara-san?!” Ishida hastily glanced around to see if anyone had heard him. He had spoken rather loud. “How did you get this number?”
“Maa, you’re not happy I’m calling?”
“Er.”
“Besides, it’s not that hard to look up Hell Moth in the phonebook.” There was a pause. “Or to just read the number off the name card I got from Kuchiki-san at the fashion show.”
The boy rolled his eyes a little before replying. “I can see that now. Why are you calling?”
“I’m afraid I can’t make lunch this Saturday-”
Oh…
“-but if you’re not busy, I can take you out to dinner instead!”
Oh!
“I’m… I’m fine with that.”
“Lovely! I’ll come get you at Kurosaki-san’s house at six-thirty then?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ll see you then. Bye~”
Ishida pressed the button to hang up and stared blankly at the phone. Dinner? That’ll be different. Now that I think about it, he keeps planning intermittent events every so often. Why is that?
Shrugging a little to himself, he replaced the phone in its stand before returning to work.
Saturday evening came soon enough and found Ishida waiting nervously on the stairs at the Kurosaki household. Ichigo and his family had left for dinner earlier. They had offered him to join them but he refused politely, explaining he already had plans. A knock on the door sent Ishida darting forward to open it. He was glad he had decided to wear something more formal that evening as he saw Urahara standing there in a suit less casual that usual. With a little bow and a grin, the man motioned towards the car.
“Shall we go?”
They arrived at an expensive-looking restaurant, a valet taking Benihime off to the parking lot. Walking inside, they were led to a table by the window overlooking the city lights. Urahara glanced at the wine list, but put it away sheepishly at a glance from Ishida.
“Don’t worry. I’ll refrain from having a drink since you’re with me.”
“Thank you.” Ishida glanced down at the menu and felt his eyes widen at the prices. “Er, Urahara-san… are you sure this is okay?”
“Hm? Oh, don’t worry about that. I thought you’d have noticed by now that money isn’t an issue with me. It’s a special occasion, too,” he noted with a grin.
“But… special occasion?”
“You’re not very observant, Ishida-san,” Urahara chided teasingly. “It’s the three-month anniversary since our first lunch date! Haven’t you noticed that I took you somewhere special every fourth meeting?”
“I was going to ask about that actually.” Ishida fought down the blush that threatened to rise. It was really quite thoughtful of him to mark each month that way. I hadn’t even noticed so much time had passed already…
“Ah, so you did realize it!”
The dark-haired boy gave him a small smile as he looked up. “Thank you for all this, Urahara-san.”
“I’m happy to do it,” he replied with a warm grin. “Let’s order.”
The dinner was relaxed and cheerful as the evening progressed, both enjoying the other’s company. Eventually, they left the restaurant and Ishida was driven back to the household. The pair stood outside in the night air for a moment, illuminated by the nearby street lamps. As Urahara turned to him, Ishida could see it - could see he wanted to kiss him. But the kiss only pressed against his cheek again and he felt his frustration rise up as Urahara made his way over to the driver’s side door.
Before he could climb into the car, Ishida found himself bursting out, “Why won’t you kiss me?!”
Startled, Urahara blinked at him as a dark blush spread across the boy’s face.
“I-I mean…” he trailed off faintly, fists clenched at his sides in embarrassment. Ishida almost didn’t notice the older man’s soft footsteps as he moved to stand in front of him. A hand reached out to gently tilt his head up, to meet his eyes.
“Are you sure, Ishida-san?” Urahara asked softly, leaning closer. “I was trying to give you a chance to change your mind, you know.”
“Why?”
“Because,” his fingers trailed along a flushed cheek, “once I kiss you, there’s no turning back.”
“…you’re so arrogant.”
A wide grin flashed across Urahara’s face before he pressed their lips together. Ishida’s eyes flew shut as he found himself melting into the kiss. Urahara’s hat brushed against his forehead as their mouths slanted over each other, his lips parting to allow entrance. Ishida wasn’t sure how long they stood there in the lamp light, mouths moving together. He just knew it ended too soon.
Staring a little dazed up at Urahara, he smiled, eliciting one in return. Kissing him softly one more time, the older man stepped back slowly.
“Goodnight, Ishida-san.”
“Goodnight…”
As Urahara left, Ishida drifted into the house, feeling giddy and lightheaded as he climbed the stairs. Things were good. He hoped it would stay that way.
A/N: This took so long. LOL And it was full of such FLUFF. Anyways, I need sleep. XD
To Chapter 6
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