UraIshi AU Ch.15
Title: Unravelling Threads of Fate
Rating: PG-13
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: I keep on forgetting to thank kirstian for her quick beta-read every time. XD You rock.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the genius KT. ♥
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14
It was early morning at MOD and Yoruichi sat in the waiting area outside the president’s office. She was uncomfortable for more reasons than just the deceivingly comfy-looking chairs.
She had arrived at her own office only moments before Nemu had quietly tapped at her door.
“Shihouin-san, Kurotsuchi-sama requests your presence upstairs,” she had noted softly, her face emotionless as she looked at her.
Yoruichi had never liked being called ‘Shihouin-san’, making it a point among her fellow coworkers to just call her ‘Yoruichi-san’. If she could help it, she avoided telling anyone her last name to begin with. She just never liked the formality. On one hand, she was a little irked that Nemu still referred to her as that; on the other, she had always felt some sympathy towards the young girl - most people knew her father often abused her.
She had been waiting for the president to summon her ever since Urahara had arrived back in town so many months ago. It had surprised her a little that it had taken so long and it had also bothered her. It was only natural that Mayuri would want to know about the former president’s whereabouts and who better to ask than one of his most trusted friends? Yoruichi had known that he was aware of their close relationship - after all, she and Mayuri had both joined the company at around the same time. But why such a long delay?
Something was going on and it made her nervous.
Nemu appeared in the president’s doorway as a sign that she should enter and after an impatient sigh, Yoruichi schooled her features into a mask and strode calmly inside.
“Shihouin-san, have a seat,” Mayuri said, his fingers clasped under his chin.
“No, thank you,” Yoruichi replied, eyeing the man behind the desk. “I’d rather stand. Can we get this over with quickly? I have work to do.”
Mayuri’s lips curled into an eerie smile. “Of course. Now, you must know why you’re here.”
“I do and I don’t see why you expect to get any information out of me - you’re just wasting your time.”
“Let’s just go through the formalities anyway, shall we? Where is Urahara Kisuke staying?”
“I don’t know. Is that all?” Yoruichi asked, crossing her arms over her chest at Mayuri’s smirk.
“Just one more thing.” His eyes focused sharply on her face. “What is Ishida Uryuu’s connection to Urahara?”
Yoruichi’s eyes widened slightly but she made herself reply smoothly, “Nothing. Never heard of him. May I go back to work now?”
“Certainly.” Mayuri’s smile grew larger as the door closed behind her. A small reaction, but more than enough to confirm his suspicions. Ishida was indeed someone important and it was time to make use of him.
He glanced over at his daughter standing by the doorway. “Nemu, have you located Ishida Uryuu’s place of residence?”
“Yes, Kurotsuchi-sama.”
“Good. Deliver an invitation immediately and tell him to bring Urahara Kisuke with him.” Nemu gave a short bow in response and he watched her exit the room before sitting back in his chair.
Mayuri always knew there had been a reason to keep Yoruichi around and now she had proved to be highly useful. He had considered firing her along with all of the former Quincy workers upon attaining his position as president but decided against it. For one thing, she was an efficient and reliable worker. For another, she had her connection with Urahara. If the man ever decided to return to the city, she would most likely be the first person to learn of it. He knew Yoruichi was lying about not knowing of his whereabouts but that didn’t matter - like she had stated, it would be a waste of time to try and pry it out of her. Instead, she had helped verify a better source of information… and a better bargaining chip.
~~~
Yoruichi wanted nothing more than to pull out her cell phone and call Urahara, tell him that Mayuri knew something, tell him to be careful. But not when she was still in the building - she didn’t trust it. The saying that the walls had ears was more than accurate in MOD.
She waited until her lunch break when she could leave the building and made her way to a small corner café. After an automated voice informed her that the customer was not available, Yoruichi made a face at the phone then tried again.
Idiot. Didn’t even turn on his voice mail.
She poked at a salad while dialing over and over. Urahara never left his phone anywhere - he would have to answer it eventually.
Sometimes she asked herself why she was still at MOD if it only caused her problems like this; then she remembered that that was her main reason for staying. Sure, the pay was good but she cared more about the safety of her friends. After the way Urahara had just left the company, it was only expected that Mayuri would be on edge if he ever returned. Yoruichi felt that it was her role to inform Urahara if Mayuri appeared to be a threat of any kind. For example, right now.
“Hello~?”
Yoruichi blinked at the unexpected answer before remembering who she had called. “Kisuke! Where have you been? Look, I really think you should know that-”
“I’m sorry, Yoruichi-san, but I’m terribly busy at the moment. Ever since the articles came out about Uryuu, I’ve decided that I need to make sure his studio is completed on time.”
“But-”
Urahara continued on. “So now I’m overseeing all matters personally and don’t have much time for anything else. You can try calling back later if you like!”
“Kisuke-”
“It was lovely speaking to you but I’m afraid I need to go sort out a paint dilemma. Goodbye, Yoruichi-san!”
Yoruichi blinked again as the phone clicked into silence. Well, that didn’t go at all like she had expected. She frowned as something Urahara had said drifted back into her mind.
Articles? What articles? Scrolling through her contacts, she pressed the button to dial. If I can’t talk to one, I may as well try the other.
“Hell Moth Studio, how may I help you?” a cheerful voice answered.
“Is Ishida there?”
“Just one moment!”
Yoruichi tapped a finger slowly on the table as she waited. All that time spent trying to reach Urahara had eaten up most of her lunch break. She didn’t have long to talk - it would have to be quick.
“Hello?” Ishida’s voice drifted through the phone, sounding curious.
“Ah, Ishida. It’s Yoruichi.”
“Yoruichi-san, how are you? I hope everything is well.”
The boy was always so polite; it was a wonder how he had ended up with Urahara. “Yes, I’m fine. I tried telling Kisuke about this but he was apparently too busy to talk and hung up on me. But first, what’s this I hear about some articles on you?”
“Oh,” Ishida replied. “That was Kuchiki-san’s idea - she arranged an interview with various magazines and newspapers about my upcoming studio. Kisuke answered most of the questions though.”
Yoruichi sighed a little. Well, that answered one thing; Urahara was a very hard person to mistake. “That’s probably how he knows about you.”
“Who?”
“Mayuri.”
There was such a dead silence on the other end that she had a moment of wondering whether the call had been dropped. Instead, Yoruichi took it as her cue to say what was needed before her break was over.
“Ishida, listen to me. He knows you have some sort of connection to Kisuke and he might try to use you to get what he wants. You see, technically, Kisuke still owns part of the company - with that he also still has some claim over it. Mayuri has always suspected that he might try and reclaim MOD and with Kisuke back in the city, he’s probably going to try and make him give up that entitlement.”
“But Kisuke doesn’t want it back, does he?” Ishida’s voice was quiet and a little hopeful.
“I don’t know,” Yoruichi answered gently. “You’ll have to ask him yourself. Just be careful, Ishida, all right? Mayuri may try and contact you, so look out for that.”
“I’ll be careful. Thank you, Yoruichi-san.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve got to get going so tell Kisuke about this when you get home. Take care, Ishida.”
“I will. You too, Yoruichi-san.”
Flipping the phone closed, Yoruichi sighed. She hoped her warning would be good enough to prevent any future disaster.
~~~
Ishida made his way home distractedly, stepping up to the front desk as a force of habit rather than actively thinking about it. His mind was still focused on what Yoruichi had told him and it worried him. The hotel manager smiled, moving forward to meet him.
“Ishida-san, how may I help you?”
“Are there any messages for me or Urahara-san?”
“As a matter of fact, a young lady came by earlier and dropped off an envelope for you.” The manager sorted through some papers under the counter before handing one over to him. “Here we are. Is that all?”
Ishida reached out to take it, blinking curiously. It appeared to be a plain, white envelope except for ‘Confidential’ written neatly on the front. “Yes, thank you. Have a good evening.”
He didn’t open it until he reached the penthouse, dropping his bag beside his shoes and padding into the kitchen area. Urahara wasn’t back yet; lately it was rare for him to return in time for dinner. Taking out a water bottle from the mini-fridge, he unfolded the flap of the envelope and drew out a single sheet of folded paper with a brief message on it.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri of Medical Operations Department (MOD) requests a conference with Urahara Kisuke and his associate, Ishida Uryuu. Please call the number below to arrange a time and date.
Sincerely,
Kurotsuchi Nemu
The plastic bottle dropped to the floor, rolling around in a lazy circle before coming to a stop against a chair leg. Ishida stared at the paper as Yoruichi’s warning filled his mind again. She was right, Mayuri did contact him, but what now? It was easy to think and to say that he wouldn’t go - until the opportunity actually presented itself.
This was the man who had killed virtually all of his known relatives and had nearly killed him and his father; the man who had caused Urahara to leave his company due to believing himself a failure; the man who had almost ruined both of their lives and who now appeared to be trying to do so again.
Ishida read the note once more as his heart pounded. No, not again. Never again. He wasn’t going to let Mayuri tear away what little happiness they had after just beginning to fix what had been broken. He would protect it - protect Urahara. The man had done so much for him it was only right to do something in return. Surely any news of Mayuri would only worry him. And he didn’t want anything to do with MOD anymore…
… didn’t he?
The sound of a card sliding into the door slot startled Ishida out of his thoughts. Hastily stuffing the message back into the envelope he shoved the envelope into the mini-fridge and slammed the door shut. Urahara stepped inside and peered over at him curiously as he closed the door behind him.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, uh…” Reaching down to snatch up the water bottle, Ishida smiled faintly. “Just getting some water!”
Raising an eyebrow, Urahara shrugged and turned to make his way to the bedroom. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes - um, Kisuke,” Ishida called out. The gaze that moved to focus on him caused him to continue softly, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Hm? What is it, Uryuu?”
“It’s just… I’ve been wondering. Do you ever think of taking back your position at MOD?”
“MOD?” Urahara paused thoughtfully before his mouth spread into a small smile. “No, I don’t think so; that stage of my life is over. Why do you ask?”
Ishida blanched and quickly threw together an answer. “Yoruichi-san called earlier - she told me that Mayuri was saying something about that.”
Half a truth isn’t a lie, right?
“Is that what she wanted to tell me? Well, I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?”
“Of course not! Oh, I think it was sometime during the early years of my travelling. I got extremely drunk one night and somehow managed to send a letter to Mayuri,” he said, tapping his chin idly. “I believe it said something along the lines of, ‘I’M COMING TO TAKE MY COMPANY BACK FROM YOU P.S. You really should try this 1976 red wine... expensive but better than sex. No, wait, I lie.’ And it was, if I remember correctly, on a heart-shaped piece of paper.” Glancing up, Urahara laughed at Ishida’s appalled expression. “I never said I was particularly eloquent when drunk.”
Turning, the man made his way into the bedroom. A few minutes later, Ishida could hear the spray of water from the shower. Glancing at the fridge, he pulled it open and took out the envelope. The cold seemed to seep through his fingertips and creep up his arm like icy fingers clawing into his body. For a moment, he was tempted to find a match and burn it. But no, he needed it - he needed that phone number.
He was going to meet Mayuri and he was going alone. If he told Urahara, the man would probably refuse to let him go or even try to go with him like the invitation asked. But Urahara didn’t want MOD so there was no reason for him to get involved; there was no reason for him to worry. Ishida had a reason to go. Yes, he would protect Urahara and face Mayuri to get him out of their lives.
~~~
Ishida called the next day at work when Rukia and Orihime had left the room to discuss a pattern. He was answered by a quiet, female voice introducing herself as Kurotsuchi Nemu.
“This is Ishida Uryuu. I’d like to set up a meeting,” he said calmly.
Nemu worked quickly, arranging an appointment for the following day in the early afternoon. After reciting the lab’s address she politely ended the call. Picking up the sheet of paper with the message, Ishida stepped over to the paper shredder and fed it through.
He slept little that night, curled up on his side, refusing the comforting arms offered to him. Over breakfast, Urahara’s expression said nothing but his eyes looked at him in worry. Ishida merely shook his head and offered reassurances before heading off to change. When he emerged wearing a semi-formal suit, Urahara paused on his way out the door.
“Are you going somewhere, Uryuu?”
Ishida forced a small smile onto his face and recited the tale he had decided on to hide where he was really going. “Kuchiki-san arranged a meeting between another designer and I.”
“Ah, no wonder you’ve been acting so nervous,” Urahara said with a grin. “I’m sure it’ll go fine. Do you need a ride?”
“Thank you, Kisuke. No, no, I’ll just take a cab.”
Ishida hated how much it hurt not to tell Urahara the truth, but it had to be done.
After waving goodbye and a short ride, he found himself staring at a large building with ‘Medical Operations Department’ printed on the glass doors. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside into a lobby heavy with silence.
His shoes sounded too loud as he stepped across the tiled floor, his suit too loud as the fabric rustled, his breath too loud as the familiar smell of a hospital surrounded him. A young woman stood up from her seat by a table with neatly arranged magazines and walked toward him, her heels echoing around them.
“Ishida Uryuu? I’m Kurotsuchi Nemu, please come with me.”
He couldn’t speak, could only stare and follow as she moved to the elevators on the other side of the room. His heart pounded and when the elevator doors opened, Ishida saw his slightly panicked eyes reflected in the mirrored walls. Blinking, he forced himself to calm down.
There’s no need to stress about this. You came here for a reason, remember? he thought sharply to himself.
He felt the floor rise beneath him and glanced over at Nemu. For a reason he couldn’t specify, he felt pity for her; perhaps it was because she had a man like Mayuri for her father or just that she looked to have never had a moment of happiness in her life. The elevator dipped and stopped as the chime rang out and they stepped into what appeared to be another waiting area with plush couches arranged against the walls.
“This way, Ishida-san,” Nemu said softly, gesturing towards the mahogany wood door that opened into an office: Mayuri’s office.
Steeling himself, Ishida went inside to see a pale-haired man standing before a large window with his hands clasped behind his back. Turning around, Mayuri smiled. “My, your resemblance to your father is uncanny.”
Ishida merely stared, cold eyes glinting behind his glasses. He didn’t trust that smile at all.
“As you may have guessed, I am Kurotsuchi Mayuri, president of MOD and ah…” He appeared to notice something, eyes narrowing at Nemu who stood by the doorway. “Nemu. Where is Urahara Kisuke? Did I not tell you to bring them both?”
Before he could say anything or even blink, Ishida watched Nemu stagger against the wall, leaning on it for support. Her cheek was red and a little blood trailed from her mouth. “Forgive me… Kurotsuchi-sama…”
“What are you doing?!” Ishida cried out, staring in horrified disbelief as Mayuri struck her again, sending Nemu to the floor. “Stop! She did nothing wrong.”
Mayuri turned around to face him, eyes blazing. “Then why is Urahara Kisuke not here?”
“Because I didn’t tell him to come.”
The president froze and considered Ishida, leaning forward in his examination. He suddenly sneered, stepping over Nemu to sit at his desk. “So it seems Urahara has acquired a protector. Do you even know of his past? Or just exactly how involved he was with the death of your relatives?”
“I know he had nothing to do with it,” Ishida replied coolly. “I know that it was you who did it all.”
He felt some pleasure push away the apprehension that coursed through his body when Mayuri showed a sign of surprise. It disappeared when the president’s grin returned even larger.
“Oho, you must be someone rather special to him if he told you all of that! I think this meeting is turning out better than I expected it to.”
“Kurotsuchi-san, I only came here for one reason.”
“And what would that be?” Mayuri asked, sitting down.
“Even though there may be no accessible proof to accuse you of what you’ve done in the past or even what you’re doing right now, I believe every word of it from Kisuke.” Ishida ignored the glint that entered Mayuri’s eyes at such a personal way of referring to Urahara. “I have every reason to despise you and nothing will change that. You’ve involved yourself in our lives long enough - leave us alone. Kisuke wants nothing more to do with MOD so you have no need to worry about him returning to take back the company.”
“How do you know this?”
“He told me himself.”
“And you believed him?” Mayuri said with a smirk. “Foolish Quincy child, he will never give up his claim on MOD.”
“I have even less reason to believe you,” Ishida replied coldly.
Mayuri let out a sharp laugh. “I suppose that’s true. But I do know more about these things than you, boy. Remember that.” He appeared to think for a moment before a grin stretched across his face once more. “Very well, I’ll stay away from you. Both of you. It’s entirely different if one of you comes to me though, agreed?”
Ishida said nothing, only glared. Turning in his chair, Mayuri glanced down at Nemu who crouched on the floor, cradling her cheek.
“Go get the car and escort Ishida-san back home, you useless girl.”
“I’ll be fine on my own,” Ishida stated firmly, stepping over to the doorway. With a final cold stare between them, he didn’t bother to say goodbye and walked towards the elevators. Nemu unfolded herself to follow him anyway, standing quietly beside him.
“Why do you put up with it?” he asked, frowning at her.
“He’s my father.”
“That’s still no excuse.”
“He adopted me. I’m grateful because I think I would have never survived otherwise,” Nemu replied softly. “He gave me that chance so I decided to do anything I could to make him happy… even if it’s impossible.”
As the elevator reached the main lobby, Nemu informed him to go wait up front for her and disappeared down a hallway. Ishida shook his head a little but made his way towards the front doors. Suddenly, alarm bells rang and a door he hadn’t noticed before flew open as a man scrambled through it. His expression was wild and desperate, clothes tattered and stained with blotches of maroon-brown. He spotted Ishida and flung himself towards him, hands clawing feebly at his arms.
“Help me… please…”
Two security guards appeared out of the same doorway and raced over to tear the man away. Ishida could only stare wide-eyed at him, completely speechless.
“It seems Yamamoto-san requires his medication.”
Ishida’s head snapped around to see Mayuri walking calmly towards them. With a small wave of his hand, the guards began to drag Yamamoto Kenji away as he started weeping.
“I apologize about that, Ishida-san.” Mayuri smiled slowly. “Sometimes our treatments don’t agree with certain patients. There’s Nemu now,” he remarked, gesturing at the black car idling by the sidewalk. “Have a nice day, Ishida-san.”
Ishida could hear his blood pounding in his ears, feel it coursing through his body. He was shaken and probably pale but only narrowed his eyes in a cold glare at Mayuri, turning to exit the building.
As the president watched him leave, he didn’t hide the dark, malicious grin that stretched across his face.
A/N: Aaagh. lol The only thing that annoys me is that I can't tab Nemu's name over in the letter - oh well. Anyway, hope you liked. :D
Edit: Just for clarification, since I've been getting a few comments asking about him... Yamamoto Kenji is not related to Yamamoto-Genryuusai. XD He is just a minor OC and a link back to Ch. 6 (i.e., the guy who was dragged off to the basement levels). Ahaha, I should have chosen a different name. LOL
To Chapter 16
X-posted places
Rating: PG-13
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: I keep on forgetting to thank kirstian for her quick beta-read every time. XD You rock.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the genius KT. ♥
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14
It was early morning at MOD and Yoruichi sat in the waiting area outside the president’s office. She was uncomfortable for more reasons than just the deceivingly comfy-looking chairs.
She had arrived at her own office only moments before Nemu had quietly tapped at her door.
“Shihouin-san, Kurotsuchi-sama requests your presence upstairs,” she had noted softly, her face emotionless as she looked at her.
Yoruichi had never liked being called ‘Shihouin-san’, making it a point among her fellow coworkers to just call her ‘Yoruichi-san’. If she could help it, she avoided telling anyone her last name to begin with. She just never liked the formality. On one hand, she was a little irked that Nemu still referred to her as that; on the other, she had always felt some sympathy towards the young girl - most people knew her father often abused her.
She had been waiting for the president to summon her ever since Urahara had arrived back in town so many months ago. It had surprised her a little that it had taken so long and it had also bothered her. It was only natural that Mayuri would want to know about the former president’s whereabouts and who better to ask than one of his most trusted friends? Yoruichi had known that he was aware of their close relationship - after all, she and Mayuri had both joined the company at around the same time. But why such a long delay?
Something was going on and it made her nervous.
Nemu appeared in the president’s doorway as a sign that she should enter and after an impatient sigh, Yoruichi schooled her features into a mask and strode calmly inside.
“Shihouin-san, have a seat,” Mayuri said, his fingers clasped under his chin.
“No, thank you,” Yoruichi replied, eyeing the man behind the desk. “I’d rather stand. Can we get this over with quickly? I have work to do.”
Mayuri’s lips curled into an eerie smile. “Of course. Now, you must know why you’re here.”
“I do and I don’t see why you expect to get any information out of me - you’re just wasting your time.”
“Let’s just go through the formalities anyway, shall we? Where is Urahara Kisuke staying?”
“I don’t know. Is that all?” Yoruichi asked, crossing her arms over her chest at Mayuri’s smirk.
“Just one more thing.” His eyes focused sharply on her face. “What is Ishida Uryuu’s connection to Urahara?”
Yoruichi’s eyes widened slightly but she made herself reply smoothly, “Nothing. Never heard of him. May I go back to work now?”
“Certainly.” Mayuri’s smile grew larger as the door closed behind her. A small reaction, but more than enough to confirm his suspicions. Ishida was indeed someone important and it was time to make use of him.
He glanced over at his daughter standing by the doorway. “Nemu, have you located Ishida Uryuu’s place of residence?”
“Yes, Kurotsuchi-sama.”
“Good. Deliver an invitation immediately and tell him to bring Urahara Kisuke with him.” Nemu gave a short bow in response and he watched her exit the room before sitting back in his chair.
Mayuri always knew there had been a reason to keep Yoruichi around and now she had proved to be highly useful. He had considered firing her along with all of the former Quincy workers upon attaining his position as president but decided against it. For one thing, she was an efficient and reliable worker. For another, she had her connection with Urahara. If the man ever decided to return to the city, she would most likely be the first person to learn of it. He knew Yoruichi was lying about not knowing of his whereabouts but that didn’t matter - like she had stated, it would be a waste of time to try and pry it out of her. Instead, she had helped verify a better source of information… and a better bargaining chip.
~~~
Yoruichi wanted nothing more than to pull out her cell phone and call Urahara, tell him that Mayuri knew something, tell him to be careful. But not when she was still in the building - she didn’t trust it. The saying that the walls had ears was more than accurate in MOD.
She waited until her lunch break when she could leave the building and made her way to a small corner café. After an automated voice informed her that the customer was not available, Yoruichi made a face at the phone then tried again.
Idiot. Didn’t even turn on his voice mail.
She poked at a salad while dialing over and over. Urahara never left his phone anywhere - he would have to answer it eventually.
Sometimes she asked herself why she was still at MOD if it only caused her problems like this; then she remembered that that was her main reason for staying. Sure, the pay was good but she cared more about the safety of her friends. After the way Urahara had just left the company, it was only expected that Mayuri would be on edge if he ever returned. Yoruichi felt that it was her role to inform Urahara if Mayuri appeared to be a threat of any kind. For example, right now.
“Hello~?”
Yoruichi blinked at the unexpected answer before remembering who she had called. “Kisuke! Where have you been? Look, I really think you should know that-”
“I’m sorry, Yoruichi-san, but I’m terribly busy at the moment. Ever since the articles came out about Uryuu, I’ve decided that I need to make sure his studio is completed on time.”
“But-”
Urahara continued on. “So now I’m overseeing all matters personally and don’t have much time for anything else. You can try calling back later if you like!”
“Kisuke-”
“It was lovely speaking to you but I’m afraid I need to go sort out a paint dilemma. Goodbye, Yoruichi-san!”
Yoruichi blinked again as the phone clicked into silence. Well, that didn’t go at all like she had expected. She frowned as something Urahara had said drifted back into her mind.
Articles? What articles? Scrolling through her contacts, she pressed the button to dial. If I can’t talk to one, I may as well try the other.
“Hell Moth Studio, how may I help you?” a cheerful voice answered.
“Is Ishida there?”
“Just one moment!”
Yoruichi tapped a finger slowly on the table as she waited. All that time spent trying to reach Urahara had eaten up most of her lunch break. She didn’t have long to talk - it would have to be quick.
“Hello?” Ishida’s voice drifted through the phone, sounding curious.
“Ah, Ishida. It’s Yoruichi.”
“Yoruichi-san, how are you? I hope everything is well.”
The boy was always so polite; it was a wonder how he had ended up with Urahara. “Yes, I’m fine. I tried telling Kisuke about this but he was apparently too busy to talk and hung up on me. But first, what’s this I hear about some articles on you?”
“Oh,” Ishida replied. “That was Kuchiki-san’s idea - she arranged an interview with various magazines and newspapers about my upcoming studio. Kisuke answered most of the questions though.”
Yoruichi sighed a little. Well, that answered one thing; Urahara was a very hard person to mistake. “That’s probably how he knows about you.”
“Who?”
“Mayuri.”
There was such a dead silence on the other end that she had a moment of wondering whether the call had been dropped. Instead, Yoruichi took it as her cue to say what was needed before her break was over.
“Ishida, listen to me. He knows you have some sort of connection to Kisuke and he might try to use you to get what he wants. You see, technically, Kisuke still owns part of the company - with that he also still has some claim over it. Mayuri has always suspected that he might try and reclaim MOD and with Kisuke back in the city, he’s probably going to try and make him give up that entitlement.”
“But Kisuke doesn’t want it back, does he?” Ishida’s voice was quiet and a little hopeful.
“I don’t know,” Yoruichi answered gently. “You’ll have to ask him yourself. Just be careful, Ishida, all right? Mayuri may try and contact you, so look out for that.”
“I’ll be careful. Thank you, Yoruichi-san.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve got to get going so tell Kisuke about this when you get home. Take care, Ishida.”
“I will. You too, Yoruichi-san.”
Flipping the phone closed, Yoruichi sighed. She hoped her warning would be good enough to prevent any future disaster.
~~~
Ishida made his way home distractedly, stepping up to the front desk as a force of habit rather than actively thinking about it. His mind was still focused on what Yoruichi had told him and it worried him. The hotel manager smiled, moving forward to meet him.
“Ishida-san, how may I help you?”
“Are there any messages for me or Urahara-san?”
“As a matter of fact, a young lady came by earlier and dropped off an envelope for you.” The manager sorted through some papers under the counter before handing one over to him. “Here we are. Is that all?”
Ishida reached out to take it, blinking curiously. It appeared to be a plain, white envelope except for ‘Confidential’ written neatly on the front. “Yes, thank you. Have a good evening.”
He didn’t open it until he reached the penthouse, dropping his bag beside his shoes and padding into the kitchen area. Urahara wasn’t back yet; lately it was rare for him to return in time for dinner. Taking out a water bottle from the mini-fridge, he unfolded the flap of the envelope and drew out a single sheet of folded paper with a brief message on it.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri of Medical Operations Department (MOD) requests a conference with Urahara Kisuke and his associate, Ishida Uryuu. Please call the number below to arrange a time and date.
Sincerely,
Kurotsuchi Nemu
The plastic bottle dropped to the floor, rolling around in a lazy circle before coming to a stop against a chair leg. Ishida stared at the paper as Yoruichi’s warning filled his mind again. She was right, Mayuri did contact him, but what now? It was easy to think and to say that he wouldn’t go - until the opportunity actually presented itself.
This was the man who had killed virtually all of his known relatives and had nearly killed him and his father; the man who had caused Urahara to leave his company due to believing himself a failure; the man who had almost ruined both of their lives and who now appeared to be trying to do so again.
Ishida read the note once more as his heart pounded. No, not again. Never again. He wasn’t going to let Mayuri tear away what little happiness they had after just beginning to fix what had been broken. He would protect it - protect Urahara. The man had done so much for him it was only right to do something in return. Surely any news of Mayuri would only worry him. And he didn’t want anything to do with MOD anymore…
… didn’t he?
The sound of a card sliding into the door slot startled Ishida out of his thoughts. Hastily stuffing the message back into the envelope he shoved the envelope into the mini-fridge and slammed the door shut. Urahara stepped inside and peered over at him curiously as he closed the door behind him.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, uh…” Reaching down to snatch up the water bottle, Ishida smiled faintly. “Just getting some water!”
Raising an eyebrow, Urahara shrugged and turned to make his way to the bedroom. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes - um, Kisuke,” Ishida called out. The gaze that moved to focus on him caused him to continue softly, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Hm? What is it, Uryuu?”
“It’s just… I’ve been wondering. Do you ever think of taking back your position at MOD?”
“MOD?” Urahara paused thoughtfully before his mouth spread into a small smile. “No, I don’t think so; that stage of my life is over. Why do you ask?”
Ishida blanched and quickly threw together an answer. “Yoruichi-san called earlier - she told me that Mayuri was saying something about that.”
Half a truth isn’t a lie, right?
“Is that what she wanted to tell me? Well, I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?”
“Of course not! Oh, I think it was sometime during the early years of my travelling. I got extremely drunk one night and somehow managed to send a letter to Mayuri,” he said, tapping his chin idly. “I believe it said something along the lines of, ‘I’M COMING TO TAKE MY COMPANY BACK FROM YOU P.S. You really should try this 1976 red wine... expensive but better than sex. No, wait, I lie.’ And it was, if I remember correctly, on a heart-shaped piece of paper.” Glancing up, Urahara laughed at Ishida’s appalled expression. “I never said I was particularly eloquent when drunk.”
Turning, the man made his way into the bedroom. A few minutes later, Ishida could hear the spray of water from the shower. Glancing at the fridge, he pulled it open and took out the envelope. The cold seemed to seep through his fingertips and creep up his arm like icy fingers clawing into his body. For a moment, he was tempted to find a match and burn it. But no, he needed it - he needed that phone number.
He was going to meet Mayuri and he was going alone. If he told Urahara, the man would probably refuse to let him go or even try to go with him like the invitation asked. But Urahara didn’t want MOD so there was no reason for him to get involved; there was no reason for him to worry. Ishida had a reason to go. Yes, he would protect Urahara and face Mayuri to get him out of their lives.
~~~
Ishida called the next day at work when Rukia and Orihime had left the room to discuss a pattern. He was answered by a quiet, female voice introducing herself as Kurotsuchi Nemu.
“This is Ishida Uryuu. I’d like to set up a meeting,” he said calmly.
Nemu worked quickly, arranging an appointment for the following day in the early afternoon. After reciting the lab’s address she politely ended the call. Picking up the sheet of paper with the message, Ishida stepped over to the paper shredder and fed it through.
He slept little that night, curled up on his side, refusing the comforting arms offered to him. Over breakfast, Urahara’s expression said nothing but his eyes looked at him in worry. Ishida merely shook his head and offered reassurances before heading off to change. When he emerged wearing a semi-formal suit, Urahara paused on his way out the door.
“Are you going somewhere, Uryuu?”
Ishida forced a small smile onto his face and recited the tale he had decided on to hide where he was really going. “Kuchiki-san arranged a meeting between another designer and I.”
“Ah, no wonder you’ve been acting so nervous,” Urahara said with a grin. “I’m sure it’ll go fine. Do you need a ride?”
“Thank you, Kisuke. No, no, I’ll just take a cab.”
Ishida hated how much it hurt not to tell Urahara the truth, but it had to be done.
After waving goodbye and a short ride, he found himself staring at a large building with ‘Medical Operations Department’ printed on the glass doors. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside into a lobby heavy with silence.
His shoes sounded too loud as he stepped across the tiled floor, his suit too loud as the fabric rustled, his breath too loud as the familiar smell of a hospital surrounded him. A young woman stood up from her seat by a table with neatly arranged magazines and walked toward him, her heels echoing around them.
“Ishida Uryuu? I’m Kurotsuchi Nemu, please come with me.”
He couldn’t speak, could only stare and follow as she moved to the elevators on the other side of the room. His heart pounded and when the elevator doors opened, Ishida saw his slightly panicked eyes reflected in the mirrored walls. Blinking, he forced himself to calm down.
There’s no need to stress about this. You came here for a reason, remember? he thought sharply to himself.
He felt the floor rise beneath him and glanced over at Nemu. For a reason he couldn’t specify, he felt pity for her; perhaps it was because she had a man like Mayuri for her father or just that she looked to have never had a moment of happiness in her life. The elevator dipped and stopped as the chime rang out and they stepped into what appeared to be another waiting area with plush couches arranged against the walls.
“This way, Ishida-san,” Nemu said softly, gesturing towards the mahogany wood door that opened into an office: Mayuri’s office.
Steeling himself, Ishida went inside to see a pale-haired man standing before a large window with his hands clasped behind his back. Turning around, Mayuri smiled. “My, your resemblance to your father is uncanny.”
Ishida merely stared, cold eyes glinting behind his glasses. He didn’t trust that smile at all.
“As you may have guessed, I am Kurotsuchi Mayuri, president of MOD and ah…” He appeared to notice something, eyes narrowing at Nemu who stood by the doorway. “Nemu. Where is Urahara Kisuke? Did I not tell you to bring them both?”
Before he could say anything or even blink, Ishida watched Nemu stagger against the wall, leaning on it for support. Her cheek was red and a little blood trailed from her mouth. “Forgive me… Kurotsuchi-sama…”
“What are you doing?!” Ishida cried out, staring in horrified disbelief as Mayuri struck her again, sending Nemu to the floor. “Stop! She did nothing wrong.”
Mayuri turned around to face him, eyes blazing. “Then why is Urahara Kisuke not here?”
“Because I didn’t tell him to come.”
The president froze and considered Ishida, leaning forward in his examination. He suddenly sneered, stepping over Nemu to sit at his desk. “So it seems Urahara has acquired a protector. Do you even know of his past? Or just exactly how involved he was with the death of your relatives?”
“I know he had nothing to do with it,” Ishida replied coolly. “I know that it was you who did it all.”
He felt some pleasure push away the apprehension that coursed through his body when Mayuri showed a sign of surprise. It disappeared when the president’s grin returned even larger.
“Oho, you must be someone rather special to him if he told you all of that! I think this meeting is turning out better than I expected it to.”
“Kurotsuchi-san, I only came here for one reason.”
“And what would that be?” Mayuri asked, sitting down.
“Even though there may be no accessible proof to accuse you of what you’ve done in the past or even what you’re doing right now, I believe every word of it from Kisuke.” Ishida ignored the glint that entered Mayuri’s eyes at such a personal way of referring to Urahara. “I have every reason to despise you and nothing will change that. You’ve involved yourself in our lives long enough - leave us alone. Kisuke wants nothing more to do with MOD so you have no need to worry about him returning to take back the company.”
“How do you know this?”
“He told me himself.”
“And you believed him?” Mayuri said with a smirk. “Foolish Quincy child, he will never give up his claim on MOD.”
“I have even less reason to believe you,” Ishida replied coldly.
Mayuri let out a sharp laugh. “I suppose that’s true. But I do know more about these things than you, boy. Remember that.” He appeared to think for a moment before a grin stretched across his face once more. “Very well, I’ll stay away from you. Both of you. It’s entirely different if one of you comes to me though, agreed?”
Ishida said nothing, only glared. Turning in his chair, Mayuri glanced down at Nemu who crouched on the floor, cradling her cheek.
“Go get the car and escort Ishida-san back home, you useless girl.”
“I’ll be fine on my own,” Ishida stated firmly, stepping over to the doorway. With a final cold stare between them, he didn’t bother to say goodbye and walked towards the elevators. Nemu unfolded herself to follow him anyway, standing quietly beside him.
“Why do you put up with it?” he asked, frowning at her.
“He’s my father.”
“That’s still no excuse.”
“He adopted me. I’m grateful because I think I would have never survived otherwise,” Nemu replied softly. “He gave me that chance so I decided to do anything I could to make him happy… even if it’s impossible.”
As the elevator reached the main lobby, Nemu informed him to go wait up front for her and disappeared down a hallway. Ishida shook his head a little but made his way towards the front doors. Suddenly, alarm bells rang and a door he hadn’t noticed before flew open as a man scrambled through it. His expression was wild and desperate, clothes tattered and stained with blotches of maroon-brown. He spotted Ishida and flung himself towards him, hands clawing feebly at his arms.
“Help me… please…”
Two security guards appeared out of the same doorway and raced over to tear the man away. Ishida could only stare wide-eyed at him, completely speechless.
“It seems Yamamoto-san requires his medication.”
Ishida’s head snapped around to see Mayuri walking calmly towards them. With a small wave of his hand, the guards began to drag Yamamoto Kenji away as he started weeping.
“I apologize about that, Ishida-san.” Mayuri smiled slowly. “Sometimes our treatments don’t agree with certain patients. There’s Nemu now,” he remarked, gesturing at the black car idling by the sidewalk. “Have a nice day, Ishida-san.”
Ishida could hear his blood pounding in his ears, feel it coursing through his body. He was shaken and probably pale but only narrowed his eyes in a cold glare at Mayuri, turning to exit the building.
As the president watched him leave, he didn’t hide the dark, malicious grin that stretched across his face.
A/N: Aaagh. lol The only thing that annoys me is that I can't tab Nemu's name over in the letter - oh well. Anyway, hope you liked. :D
Edit: Just for clarification, since I've been getting a few comments asking about him... Yamamoto Kenji is not related to Yamamoto-Genryuusai. XD He is just a minor OC and a link back to Ch. 6 (i.e., the guy who was dragged off to the basement levels). Ahaha, I should have chosen a different name. LOL
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