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julisa-s · 2 years

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"Part Two" Ship: Kisuke x Lucia Note: A continuation of the one shot I wrote the other day :) I will write more (threat)

For the next couple of days, Lucia was unsure of what to do with herself. The encounter from the other night had been so bizarre, she wasn't sure whether she should be frightened or confused. Mostly, she was just shocked.

Am I just supposed to go on with my life after that? No way!

Even though the feeling of something "stalking" her had gone away, Lucia was finding it hard to focus during her classes for the next week. Over and over, she replayed that scene, trying to make sense of it all. It didn’t help that her ankle now had a terrible burn around its circumference in the spot where she had been grabbed, and both of her knees had been scraped. All the while, she couldn't help but dread what was inevitably going to happen. No matter how far I run… misfortune is going to follow me. Sooner or later, I'll be attacked again. Who knows if I'll be lucky and get saved again…

The most puzzling aspect of it wasn’t even the attack itself.

Why could Urahara see it, but I couldn’t? Why does he know anything about this? Why didn’t he tell me more?

…how did he defeat it so easily?

Eventually, these questions hit a boiling point, and Lucia could no longer just sit and wait.

Ding.

The little bell above the shop door rang out into the otherwise silent room as Lucia pushed it open and stepped inside. She breathed a small sigh of relief as the admittedly-stagnant A/C hit her skin; it was an unbearably hot day outside, unusually so for April. Today, the shop seemed completely empty, at least from the front. Drawing in a breath and steeling herself, Lucia stepped further inside, finally spotting movement in the back of the store.

“Oh? I didn’t expect to see you back here so soon.”

Urahara was perched up on the back counter, fanning himself lightly with a large fan. The object covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes peering up over the edge, still shadowed by the brim of his hat.

“So? Where is it?” he continued, suddenly shutting his fan with a light snap and stowing it somewhere within his billowing haori. “Business is slow, so-”

“I’m not in trouble,” Lucia cut in. She wasn’t exactly sure how to go about asking the multitude of burning questions in her chest.

“Hmm?” Urahara relaxed a little, lowering his legs from their crossed position to hang off the counter. He narrowed his eyes at her, but his lips twitched into a smile. “I see… so you just came to see me again, right?”

Lucia wasn’t quite fluent enough in the language to tell when someone was teasing her. She nodded hesitantly, taking a few more steps towards him, one of her hands clenched nervously on the strap of her purse. “Well, I didn’t thank you for saving me the other day, so… uh, thanks.” She bowed her head a little in gratitude. “I don’t really understand what happened, but I know you saved my life.”

Urahara let out a little chuckle. “Well, you’re welcome,” he chided, reaching up to scratch his neck awkwardly. “It wasn’t a problem though, I promise.”

Interesting, she thought. Not a problem? He's talking so casually about my near-death experience! But she wasn't about to let his cavalier tone dissuade her from what she really wanted.

"Er- that's another reason why I came, actually," she finally replied, her heart pounding. "You defeated it so easily… how did you do that?"

"Ah, well-" Urahara shrugged, his relaxed smile still affixed on his face. "You saw my sword didn't you?" He motioned over to the other side of the counter, where his "cane" was leaning against a chair. "It can cut through spirits like that. And I can see them, too. So-" He looked back up at her, his smile fading a little. "Like I told you, there's nothing to worry about."

Nothing to worry about? How can that possibly be true… the more he tells me, the more worried I get!!

“Respectfully, I would like to know a little more,” Lucia prodded, trying to come off as more assertive than she felt like being right now. It was clear to her that Urahara was purposely keeping her in the dark though, so she had no choice but to push it. “Like, what exactly was the spirit you killed?”

Urahara stared at her for a long moment, something flashing within his steely eyes. Lucia gulped, resisting the urge to look away. Why is he so god damn intense? Usually, Lucia would not have gone out of her way to speak to an almost-complete stranger, but this was an unusual circumstance.

After the extended silence, Urahara let out a deep sigh, lowering his gaze until it disappeared completely under his hat. “Listen, I thought about telling you more back then. And I would have, if I thought you needed to know.”

Lucia raised an eyebrow. “Needed?” she repeated. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I need to know?”

“Because, you don’t.” Urahara punctuated his words with a dismissive wave of his hand. “There’s a lot about this world that you don’t need to know. Take my word for it, you don’t want to know, either.”

About the “world,” huh?

“Well, what about that energy you said I had? The energy that attracts those creatures? Do you have that too?” The words were suddenly spilling out more quickly, as Lucia sensed that he was trying to end this conversation before she dug too deep. “Is that how you were able to stop it? If so- Shouldn’t I be able to do that too?”

“Ay, ay, so many questions!” Urahara suddenly exclaimed wearily, rubbing his temples.

“S-Sorry-” Lucia immediately shut up, feeling embarrassed. “I just don’t understand a single thing. And… I-” She struggled to find the words. “I don’t like that.”

“... I understand that.” Something resembling genuine remorse passed through his eyes, before he averted his gaze. Lucia felt her heart fall. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say that will make you feel better. Honestly, I’d only make you feel worse. So-”

“But-” Lucia opened her mouth to cut him off, not ready to give up, but found nothing to say. On one hand, his words were stoking an instinct that she already had. Sure, whatever he had to say would probably make her feel worse. It would be easier to forget about this, go on with her life, and come back for his help if she needed.

However, deep in her heart, Lucia knew that was impossible.

These are the same “spirits” that killed my mother’s family. The same ones that I’ve felt all my life. The same ones my mother could feel.

Until meeting Urahara, the words Lucia had read in her mother’s diary had made little to no sense. “Something is hunting me.” “My parents aren’t listening, even after it took my sister.” “Malice, bloodlust, it drips down the walls of our house.” “There’s only so far I can run. Am I truly safe in this new life I’ve built for myself?”

Now, Lucia felt like she was so close to something resembling a truth, a secret that could make her whole life make sense. All that stood between her and that secret was this one man.

“Trust me, you’re safe.”

After she failed to speak, Urahara gave her a strained smile, before rising from the counter and turning to walk into the back room, out of sight, to render this conversation over.

“I’ve been watching over this town for a long time, and I’ll continue to watch over you, too.”

Lucia watched silently as, with one final glance over his shoulder, Urahara turned away, making his way down the short hallway. She stared at the back of his head, her mind racing as the seconds until he disappeared counted down.

But, she couldn’t think of anything grand, or convincing. Her gaze fell, defeated.

He doesn’t think I can handle it. Maybe he’s right.

“... I just want to protect myself, Mr. Urahara.”

All she could muster was a weak reply, her voice soft. She wasn’t even sure if he could hear her. She closed her eyes, then turned away to leave.

“I’m not stupid, I know I’m not safe. Goodbye.”

She didn’t expect an answer from him. However, Lucia only made it a few paces before a voice called out.

“Wait.”

Lucia stopped in her tracks, glancing over her shoulder. Urahara had risen to his feet at last, an amused smile on his face.

“You want to protect yourself? Fine. I’ll teach you what you need to know.”

Lucia’s eyes widened again, shocked that he had actually given in. “...really?” she asked, unsure of how she should feel. “Wait- what about everything you just said? About me not needing to know?”

“Ah, don’t listen to ‘past me’,” Urahara quickly answered, giving her a sheepish grin and once again waving his hand dismissively. Lucia raised an eyebrow. O…okay. If he says so… “After giving it some thought-” Exactly 15 seconds of thought- “- I can’t just let you stumble back out there blindly. Plus, I have a business to run, I can’t be called away at your whim every time you need help.”

“Uh- okay. That’s what I was thinking,” Lucia replied, clearing her throat awkwardly. “So… you’re going to tell me everything?”

“Everything, and more.” Urahara winked, walking over in a few long strides, leaning down to look her in the eye. There was something inquisitive in his gaze, as if he was searching Lucia’s eyes for something. “You might have potential… I bet I can coax some power out of you, too.” Lucia gulped, unsure of how to interpret his words. Power? C-coax? “How about tonight?”

“...tonight?” Lucia repeated, trying to remember if she had any plans. “...alright. As long as it’s not too late, I have work tomorrow.”

“Right, right.” Urahara nodded, straightening up. Something about his demeanor had changed; he had seemed relaxed before, but now Lucia got the feeling that he was now more at ease. She couldn’t help but feel the same way. “Tonight, then. See you, Lucia~”

“S-See you!”

Lucia quickly turned to leave, her heart still pounding in the aftermath of that conversation.

I did it! I actually did it!

Proud of herself, she threw a glance over her shoulder as she pushed the door open, and gave Urahara a brighter smile.

“Thank you!”

---------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, where are you going? It’s pretty late.”

“Uh- out.”

Lucia looked nervously over her shoulder at Misato, who was leaning against the wall and watching her slip her shoes on in preparation to leave. Misato raised an eyebrow. “Wow, I would have never guessed,” she teased. “Where are you going out to? And could I come with you?”

“No! I-I mean,” Lucia gulped, having answered a little too quickly. Ah! I can’t have her getting suspicious. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later!” Yeah, after I’ve thought of a good alibi…

“Oh? Why all the secrecy?” A grin suddenly spread across Misato’s face. “Oooh, I know! You’re going on a date!”

“NO!”

Once again, Lucia answered a little too quick. Misato giggled, shaking her head. “Whatever you say. Have fun~ But not too much fun! You have work tomorrow.”

“R-Right.”

Lucia got out of there fast, making her way down the darkening street. A date? Dressed like this? she thought, glancing down at her casual outfit. I wouldn’t be caught dead!

Of course, there was another reason why she didn’t want to think of tonight as a date, but Lucia had enough on her mind already.

“Hello! I’m surprised you actually showed up~”

Urahara was leaning on the front wall of his shop, hands shoved in his pockets as he seemingly awaited Lucia’s arrival. She paused in her tracks, blinking owlishly. “Surprised? Why wouldn’t I show up?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He gave her a cheeky grin, stepping away from the wall to greet her. “Something about meeting a weird guy at night, alone. You’re not nervous?”

“H-Huh?” Lucia wasn’t sure if something got lost in translation, but she decided that it would be a little presumptuous to assume he was flirting. “No! I’m not nervous.” She balled up her fists in an effort to exude excitement. “I’m ready to learn how to fight!”

Urahara chuckled. “Ah, you’re missing a few steps,” he corrected, before turning to open the shop door. “After you.”

“In here?” Lucia asked, a little confused, but quickly followed his lead. She had assumed that they would be going somewhere else. The shop was kind of small, wasn’t it? But, Urahara seemed to have a plan in mind. “Don’t tell me you have a gym in the back!”

“Er, you’ll see.”

Lucia followed him through the darkened shop, and despite what she had just said, she really was quite nervous about all of this, but was willing to suspend that anxiety, along with her disbelief. She followed him behind the counter, through the narrow hallway, then, inexplicably, down a flight of stairs. Before she could process what had happened, the passage suddenly widened into a huge cavern, and it took her a moment to take it all in.

“W-whoa?” she breathed, looking around in shock. “This was under your shop the whole time?” she asked, clasping her hands together. “It was dangerous to build a shop on top of a cave like this…”

Urahara let out a loud burst of laughter. “No, no, I made this cavern after the shop was built! It’s my secret hideout, you could say.” He crossed his arms, looking a little proud of the fact that Lucia seemed impressed. “There’s a lot you need to learn~ But first.” Lucia looked over to see him extend his hand. “Come here.”

Lucia felt her heart skip a beat.

“...okay.”

She stepped closer, but kept her distance as she held her hand out. Urahara took it, his eyes flickering over her skin. What is he looking at? She thought, feeling awkward as she just stood there.

“Hmmm,” he hummed softly, his brow furrowing. “Just as I thought, this might be difficult…” His eyes snapped back up to hers. “You’re exerting Reiatsu, incredibly faint, but…”

His voice trailed off, which worried Lucia. Plus, she was now even more confused. “Reiatsu?” she questioned. “Is that the energy you mentioned?”

Urahara nodded. “Correct. Every being stores spiritual energy within them, and Reiatsu is the pressure created as that energy is exerted. Most humans don’t have much, not enough for me to sense unless I actually pay attention. However, I could sense yours as soon as you walked into my shop, faint as it is.” He let out a soft sigh. “However, that means that you, in return, can sense it when a malicious, spiritual being is around you. That’s how you were able to sense the Hollows.”

“...Hollows?” Lucia was sure learning a lot already. “That’s what was coming after me?”

“Hollows. They’re… lost souls,” Urahara replied. “They feed upon the souls of humans, both living or dead, and tend to target those with more potent souls. Souls like yours!” He gave her a smile. “Who knows why, but that’s the hand life dealt you. But since you can’t see Hollows, that’ll make it harder to fight them…” his voice trailed off, scratching his chin as he stared at her, thinking. Lucia gulped, and was about to say something before she saw an idea flash through his eyes, and he brightened up. “BUT! That shouldn’t be a problem, if you can just adapt,” he added, letting go of her hand at last and stepping back. “Tell me, do you have any combat experience?”

“Um, I know a little,” Lucia replied. “Mostly just self defense.”

“That’ll do!” Urahara reached into his coat and pulled his fan back out, but didn’t open it. “Now, close your eyes and get ready. You’re going to block my attack by sensing my own Reiatsu.”

Lucia blinked, her eyes widening. “Block them? Wait, I don’t even know exactly what Reiatsu feels like.”

“You will. And don’t worry! I won’t hurt you.”

Despite her reservations, Lucia nodded, and closed her eyes. She held her fists up, hoping that she would remember enough to not embarrass herself. She held her breath, unsure of what she was supposed to be waiting for. She didn’t feel anything like when the Hollow was following her. Was Urahara trying to throw her off? Or-

SMACK

Something hit the side of her face, not hard enough to be painful but enough to surprise her. With a yelp, Lucia flinched away, her eyes popping open.

“Got you-” Urahara teased, taking a step back and retracting his closed fan, which he had just used to hit her. “Come on, try again.”

Lucia nodded, and closed her eyes again.

Smack.

And again.

Smack.

And again.

What’s wrong? Why can’t I feel it? She thought. After about 15 tries, she was starting to get frustrated. Was sensing the Hollow just a fluke? It was also hard to keep her eyes shut the more she was being hit. She always anticipated it, but didn’t know which direction it would come from.

Smack.

Maybe I was just kidding myself… what’s the point if I can’t even-

Then, without even thinking about it, she moved her hand, and felt the fan hit it instead of her face.

“Oh! You did it!”

Lucia’s eyes sprang open, drawing in a grasp. “Huh? I did!” She smiled through her surprise. “I didn’t even think about it…”

“That’s the trick,” Urahara agreed, mirroring her expression. “It happens without you realizing it, just like with the Hollows. I’m not exerting as much Reiatsu as I could be, but you still managed to block me. Now-” He brandished his fan, a challenging smirk on his face. “Do it again.”

“Right!”

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Lucia didn’t become a master of combat during that session, and still missed quite a few times, but by the end of it, she was at least consistently blocking each of his strikes. Urahara eventually ditched the fan, striking at her with his hands. It was a little easier, since each attack was coming from the front, but somehow, slowly but surely, Lucia started to feel his energy coming at her and was able to stop it.

“Next time, we’ll practice that a bit more, and then we’ll try with a sword.”

“A sword? Are you sure?” Lucia looked over at him as they walked, the two illuminated only by the light from the street lights lining the sidewalk. Urahara kept his promise and didn’t keep her too late, but also offered to walk her home, which Lucia appreciated. “I’ve never held one before.”

“Hmm,” Urahara glanced over. “I guess I’ll have to teach you the basics, then. It’s not hard, I promise.”

“...alright.” Feeling bold, Lucia nodded resolutely, balling up her fists. “I’ll do whatever it takes!”

Urahara burst out laughing, covering his mouth. Lucia blinked, not realizing what was so funny. “What? What happened?”

“Nothing, nothing. Are you this serious all the time?” he asked, shaking his head as his laughter died down. “I mean-” He suddenly balled up his fists, just like she had, and put on the same determined expression. “I’ll do whatever it takes!”

He burst out laughing again, while Lucia glared over at him, mouth open in shock. “Huh? Wait, you are making fun of me!”

“No, no! Don’t worry!” He kept smirking, but managed to stop laughing. “I’m lucky to have such a determined pupil.”

“Hmph.” Lucia rolled her eyes before she kept walking, Urahara quick to match her pace. She glanced over at him, and opened her mouth to say something, until she heard a loud voice suddenly call out from up ahead.

“LUCIA! You LIAR!”

She froze, and both she and Urahara looked up to see a group of three women appear from a corner up ahead. Lucia recognized two of them as other teachers from the school, and the woman in the middle…

Oh shit! Misato! Not now-

“Oh? Isn’t that your friend?” Urahara asked, blinking over at the woman as she raced over. He glanced down at Lucia, noticing that she had paled.

“Lucia! I knew it!” Misato skidded to a stop in front of the pair. She smirked, glancing between Urahara and the mortified Lucia as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. “You couldn’t fool me! I knew you were going on a date! But with Mr. Urahara?? AAA!”

“M-Misato-” Lucia stammered, her face heating up as she desperately searched for a believable adibi. “We’re not on a date! We were just- just-”

“We are on a date!”

To Lucia’s surprise, and horror, Urahara suddenly flung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side, a big grin on his face.

…h-HUH? Hold on-

“I don’t think Lucia realized what you meant by date, haha!” Urahara continued, smiling over at the overjoyed Misato as if nothing was wrong with this situation. “Isn’t that right, Lucia?”

He gave her shoulder a squeeze, and an encouraging glance. Lucia stared at him blankly for a moment. What? He wants me to go along with it? Why?

“...oh. Yeah, that’s right!”

She let out a nervous laugh as she looked over at Misato. “I thought date meant something else… That's why I was so confused earlier! Silly me!” She internally cringed. “I’m still learning Japanese, after all…”

“Anyway-” Urahara let go of her shoulder, only to grab her hand instead. “We’re on a nice evening walk, so we’ll see you later! Bye-bye!” And without any further explanation, he raced off, dragging Lucia behind him.

Lucia yelped, struggling to keep up, only getting a moment to catch her breath when he suddenly stopped. “What- what was that?!” she demanded, pulling her hand out of his grasp. She didn’t even know how to begin to unpack this. “Why did you tell Misato-”

“Think about it-” Urahara cut in, suddenly looking serious. “You need a good reason for constantly visiting me if we’re going to continue your training, right?”

“...I-” Lucia gulped, her heart still pounding and her cheeks still red. “I guess so? But-”

“What’s easier to explain? That you’re undergoing rigorous spiritual training so you can fight invisible monsters? Or-” He couldn’t help but smirk a little. “That you’re going on dates with the handsome-but-mysterious Mr. Urahara? Hmm?”

“...I…” Lucia felt herself deflate, her shoulders slumping.

He’s right… but…

She looked back up at his face silently, then suddenly hung her head.

“...Lucia?”

She couldn’t help it. She started giggling; not from mirth, but from anxiety.

Ha! HA! As if things weren’t bizarre enough already.

Urahara laughed nervously, watching with concern as she bent over, hands on her knees, shoulders shaking. “Ah- should I go tell Misato that we just broke up?”

“No, no!” Lucia replied quickly, shaking her head. Finally, she managed to compose herself, and she straightened back up. “Sorry… you’re right. It’s a good excuse. It’s just-” She covered her mouth, letting out a chuckle. “This is all very silly.”

“Aha, you’re not wrong about that.”

The two continued their journey down the street in silence. Until…

“...I guess this would be a bad time to tell you about the Soul Society.”

“Soul Society? What’s that?”

…

Once Urahara was gone, and Lucia was home, she immediately ran to her room, locked the door, and then screamed into her pillow.

Yikes… YIKES!

She wasn’t sure what the most stressful part of the day was. The training? Convincing Urahara to train her? Learning about Hollows? Misato thinking they were dating? Learning about the whole other world of spirits and swordsmen and-

She rolled over, and shut her eyes, not even bothering to shower or turn off the lights. That’s how exhausted she was.

Whatever. I’ll worry about it on Friday, when I go back to see Urahara again.

Despite the stress, she couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

#s/i: lucia #kisuke x lucia #🍃 kisuke #one shot

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julisa-s · 2 years

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"part one" ship: kisuke x lucia note: This is just a dumb little thing I wrote a few days ago >:) It's supposed to be their first meeting. But it's also part one of a SHORT little one shot series I'm doing to flesh out Lucia :)

"Lucia? Lucia! What are you doing?"

It took a few moments for Lucia to snap out of it. She blinked once, hard, then shook her head, tearing her eyes away from the empty alleyway behind her. The sky was darkening, oranges and purples staining it as the evening pressed on. For such a warm, quiet time of day, Lucia couldn't help but feel on edge.

"Sorry-" She stuttered, turning to jog and catch up with Misato, her roommate and fellow teacher. "I thought I heard something behind us."

Misato raised an eyebrow, but looked unbothered as she led Lucia off towards the main street. "Maybe you did. There are a few stray cats living around here, I think. Nothing dangerous, though."

"Right, right."

Lucia couldn't help but glance back at that spot, the hairs on the back of her neck still pricking.

No… Misato's right. There's nothing dangerous in this little town.

Maybe it was just nerves; Lucia had only just moved to Japan after all. Taking this job, teaching English at a local high school, seemed perfect at first. It gave Lucia the chance to leave home, travel the world, and feel like she was being useful for once. She didn't have many friends, or family for that matter, back home, so uprooting herself was easy. Of course, such a venture was full of other difficulties…

"Don't worry about dinner, I'll handle it!" Misato told her when they arrived back at their apartment. "You go sit down and keep studying. There's only a few days before school starts, after all."

Lucia nodded, quickly hanging up her purse and sitting down at the kitchen table. Stacks of books were placed there, one already open from her last study session. "Thank you very much, Ms. Misato."

Misato gave her a long look. "See? You're being too formal. Study!"

"R-right!"

It wasn't that Lucia hadn't studied Japanese at all back home. She had done so extensively. But actually being here and using the language on the fly was a different situation, one that Lucia needed to acclimate to, fast. Luckily, with the help of Misato, she was nearly there; a few more days would be more than enough.

After dinner, and after Misato had quizzed her a bit, Lucia finally headed up to bed. Her room was still sparsely decorated, as she hadn't had much time to fully unpack. But she didn't mind, because at least she had a warm place to sleep.

I'm so nervous, she thought as she brushed her teeth, staring blankly at her reflection. What if the students hate me? I feel like I'm prepared for anything, but who knows what will actually happen…

With those lingering anxieties, Lucia turned off the lights and curled up in bed, trying to relax.

It was a short lived sleep. Lucia suddenly sat up, short of breath, cold sweat pricking on her skin. Her heart pounded along with the violent awakening, pumping adrenaline through her veins. Her panicked gaze flickered to her window, where her parted curtains revealed a pitch black night. Without thinking, she scrambled forward on all fours, hurriedly drawing the curtains shut, shutting out whatever it was she sensed outside.

Lucia didn't dare move for a moment, then, as she caught her breath, she sank back down into her sheets.

It was a dream… just a dream.

She could vaguely remember it. She was curled up in her bed, frozen, as she felt the rumbling footsteps of something coming closer, reaching up from the street towards her window, towards her-

It’s that dream-

Lucia squeezed her eyes shut.

No… it wasn’t like that. You get nightmares when you're nervous, remember? Just a dream…

---------------------------------------------------

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I just haven't been sleeping well."

"Well, you'll need to sleep well tonight. Tomorrow's the first day of school!"

"Don't remind me…"

Lucia sighed, following along behind Misato a few days later. It was a hot day, and both women were sticking to the shady side of the street on their outing. Misato had quickly realized that she did not have enough household supplies to support two residents, which was what called for this impromptu shopping session. Plus, she had dragged Lucia to buy some more clothes (which Lucia was not upset about).

"Listen, let's buy something fun for dinner tonight," Misato suddenly suggested. "Maybe some beer! Not too much. Just enough to settle your nerves for tomorrow."

"Ah, I don't know," Lucia answered. "I don't really drink much… but… why not!" She suddenly smiled. "You're right, it'll help me relax."

"That's the spirit! Come on, this is our last spot."

The door of the unassuming little shop dinged as it swung open for the two women. The inside was just as humble, if not a little cluttered. Lucia quickly noticed that there were only two other people in the shop, both seemingly employees. A young-looking girl was sweeping in the corner, humming to herself and paying them no mind. The other was a man, dressed in a greenish kimono and sitting up on the counter in the back. He simply looked up at the sound of guests, his eyes piercing through the shadow cast by the low brim of his hat.

Lucia gulped. This seems like a very casual place… maybe business is slow.

"Grr… they usually carry my favorite brand," Misato grumbled to herself, rummaging through the cooler close to the front of the store. With a sigh, she sat up, glancing back at the man in the back, before a smirk moved over her lips. "Hey, Lucia, this is the perfect chance to practice your Japanese! Go ask that guy if he has any Sapporo in the back."

"H-Huh? Right now?" Lucia whispered back, paling. "I-I can't!"

"Why not? You want to get better at it, right?"

"I know, but-" Lucia gulped nervously. "He's scary- I can't see his eyebrows under his hat-"

"Can I help you ladies with something?"

Both Lucia and Misato jumped in surprise as the very man they were whispering about popped up behind them with no warning. His stance was casual, with both hands planted on his hips, his form hidden by the loose-fitting layers of his clothes, but his smile didn't quite reach his shadowy eyes.

"U-um-" Lucia gulped, wondering why the hell she was suddenly forgetting every word of Japanese she thought she knew. "I-I was- do you have- have any-"

"Mr. Urahara! Thanks for coming over!"

Misato must have noticed Lucia's sudden stumble, and quickly stepped in. "We were looking for the Sopporo. Do you have any in the back?"

"... maybe. I'll go check."

Urahara? Lucia thought to herself, watching the back of his head as he walked off and disappeared behind the counter. This shop is called "Urahara," I guess he's the manager…

"Here it is! You're lucky I had some sitting around."

"Thank you!"

Misato kept her cheery smile up as they moved to the register. Lucia did her best to keep smiling as well, even though she was feeling a little embarrassed. Urahara looked up for a moment as he worked, his eyes meeting hers once again. Lucia felt her heart jolt in her chest.

O-oh-

"I haven't seen you around before," he suddenly said, his little smile returning. "What's your name?"

"...Lucia," she replied, managing to return the expression calmly. "I just moved here."

"Right! She barely knows any Japanese!" Misato suddenly said, giggling.

"W-what? I know plenty!" Lucia shot back, face reddening. "I'm just… I'm still getting used to it."

Urahara shrugged, nodding along. "Makes sense. I hope you'll feel at home here soon."

"Thank you." Lucia glanced down at his hands, watching him deftly leaf through a few bills before handing Misato her change.

"No problem." He closed his eyes for a moment, offering her a more cheerful smile. Lucia felt herself relax a little.

See? He's nice. Not every stranger is scary, after all.

"See you next time, Lucia!"

"Thank you!"

Lucia waved goodbye before following Misato back onto the street, and let out a shaky breath. "Jeez, I need to get used to having conversations in Japanese."

"You sure do!" Misato scolded playfully. "Don't worry, I'm going to drill you again tonight. You'll be fully prepared for school tomorrow if I get my way!"

That sounded… a little terrifying.

---------------------------------------------

But Misato was true to her word. By the next morning, Lucia was exceptionally prepared and well rested. Best of all, she had completely forgotten her nightmare the other night, as well as that strange feeling of being followed.

"I killed it!" she exclaimed to Misato as they walked home after that first day of school. They had stayed after late, preparing lessons for the next day, but Lucia was anything but tired. "I didn't mess up at all! Can you believe it!"

Misato giggled at Lucia's uncharacteristic burst of excitement. "See? I knew you could do it."

Lucia beamed proudly, a newfound skip in her step.

That's right! I made it through the first day. Before long, this is going to feel like second nature! See… this whole venture was worth it-

Suddenly, she felt it again.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and her stomach dropped.

… it's back.

Something was looming up ahead of them. Lucia was suddenly frozen in place, staring straight ahead, past the now-worried Misato as she called her name again and again. Yet, Lucia couldn't shake the feeling that, whatever it was, it was looking right at her.

"I-I forgot something at the school!" she suddenly blurted out, not taking any time to explain to Misato before she whirled around and ran off. "See you at home! Bye!"

Misato stood there for a moment as Lucia disappeared around the corner, confused.

"Oh… okay. See you…"

She turned to head home, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

Lucia's breath became shallow, her heart pounding as she ran. She could feel the thing keeping up with her, hunting her, just steps behind.

She couldn't go home. She couldn't go back to school. Lucia knew that she would only bring this thing with her.

Why- why now? Why does something always happen and ruin everything?

Her lips parted as she ran down the alley, acting on pure instinct.

Am I… going to die?

Just then, the thing that until this point had been intangible, unseeable, just a feeling, suddenly reached out and grabbed her leg. With a strangled cry, Lucia toppled to the ground, raising her head just in time to feel the thing's shadow pass over her. Her leg was burning, both of her knees screaming in pain, but she couldn’t even muster the strength to crawl away.

It's on top of me- it's going to kill me!!!

Before the terror of that moment had time to fully sink in, something flashed behind her.

Just like that, the oppressive, terrifying sensation disappeared, as if it had never been there at all. Still shaken, Lucia rolled over to look back above her, blinking a few times as her panicked vision calmed.

"Oh, it's you. Are you alright?"

To her surprise, none other than the shopkeeper from yesterday, Urahara, stood there. In his hand was some sort of weapon, which he was just sheathing back into a cane-like object. Lucia didn't answer at first, unsure if she was just seeing things or not.

"I-I don't know…" Her voice trailed off as she sat up a little more. Her eyes darted around, still on high alert. "That- that thing, did you-" Her gaze fell back on his, to see that now he looked surprised.

"...you could see it?" Urahara asked, disbelief lacing his voice.

Lucia quickly shook her head, gulping. Urahara nodded, reaching up and rubbing his chin. "Huh… you could feel it though?" Lucia nodded, paling a little.

Oh… so there was something there. But… what is it? Why is Urahara here? Did he really…"

Urahara quickly noticed Lucia's continued silence, his face softening. "It's alright now, though. Come on-" He moved towards her, extending a hand. Lucia glanced up at his face, and relaxed a little. She nodded, and took his hand, allowing him to pull her back to her feet. She stumbled a bit, her knees still weak from the encounter. "You alright?"

Lucia drew in a shaky breath. "Y-Yeah. I think so." She looked around one last time, then realized that his hand was planted gently on her back. Clearing her throat, she pulled away a little. "What was that thing? I- I couldn't see it,"

"Hmmm…" Urahara's eyes darted around, unsure of how to answer. "It's a long story… uh… well, have you ever felt that sensation before? Obviously, nothing like what happened tonight, but similar?"

"I have," Lucia replied, slightly worried about how he seemed on edge still. And the way he kept looking at her, as if he were surprised about something. "A few days ago, I felt it following me, and then it was on the street outside my apartment, and…" She faltered for a second. "A long time ago. Back in America. I thought I was crazy, so I didn't say anything, but-"

"Well, long story short, you aren't crazy," Urahara cut in. He gave her what was supposed to be a comforting smile, even though this new information was slightly disturbing. "Listen- I thought I sensed it before, but now I know for sure; you possess a very… very faint spiritual energy. There are creatures who can sense that too, and they'll come for you like this one did tonight."

"H-Hold on!" Lucia exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Creatures? What do you mean?"

"They… well. They're like spirits. Come on-"

Before Lucia could ask any more questions, he grabbed her arm and guided her back down the alley towards the street. Lucia stumbled but quickly matched his fast pace. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home."

Lucia didn't protest, silently thankful that he was staying with her for now. Despite this scary and unexpected situation, Urahara at least seemed to know what he was talking about, even if he was having trouble explaining it all to her. “Trouble” wasn’t the right word, though. Even through her shock, Lucia could tell that Urahara was holding information back from her on purpose. Maybe, for now, that was a good thing.

"So… will one of those creatures come for me again?"

"...Maybe."

Urahara frowned to himself, the shadows around his eyes growing deeper. Lucia felt that fear start to grow back. Almost as if he could sense it, Urahara's mood suddenly perked back up. "But that's alright! If you feel it again, all you have to do is come visit me, ‘kay?"

"...okay."

Lucia wasn't really in the right mind to ask questions, even if more were burning in her chest. But tonight had left her in shock; she would have time to get answers later. For now, it was all she could do to weakly answer him.

"...this is my place."

"Right." Urahara came to a stop, looking over at her again. "You sure you're alright?"

… who knows.

Lucia nodded anyway, swallowing thickly. Urahara smiled, satisfied. "Alright. Well…" He reached out, patting her on the shoulder in what was supposed to be a friendly manner. "Have a good night. You know where to find me."

With that, he turned and started to walk away. Lucia watched him for a moment before turning towards her door, drawing in a shaky breath before she opened it.

… what on Earth just happened…

#s/i: lucia #kisuke x lucia #🍃 kisuke #writing #my writing #:)

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julisa-s · 2 years

Text

They are in love and married

#goognight <3 #s/i: lucia #kisuke x lucia #🍃 kisuke

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julisa-s · 2 years

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Doodle + outfit??? 😊😊😄😄

#s/i: lucia #she cuts her hair as part of a disguise lol #find out what happens to her after I'm done reading this arc 🤓#kisuke x lucia #🍃 kisuke

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julisa-s · 2 years

Text

yeah <3

#kisuke x lucia #s/i: lucia #🍃 kisuke #my art

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julisa-s · 2 years

Text

Part 4 Ship: Lucia x Kisuke Note: I finally got around to finishing the next installment of this little story. Warning for alcohol consumption

Life continued on as usual, at least for a few more days. Wednesdays were Lucia's least favorite days at school, the peak of her work week where she started to feel burnt out. Luckily, it was usually followed by two more pleasant days leading up to the weekend, but on Wednesday itself, Lucia found it hard to focus and keep herself motivated.

But today in particular, Lucia was having a worse time. She barely slept the night before, and was plagued by a stress headache in the morning. By lunch time, she managed to escape her noisy classroom to eat, but found it hard to stomach her food.

… I must be dehydrated. That's all.

Of course, that was stupid. Lucia didn't want to think about what all this uneasiness could mean.

"Lucia? Ready?"

Lucia looked up from her desk at the sound of a knock at the classroom door. Misato was standing there, a smile on her face.

"Oh, um…" Lucia looked down at her desk, where she was still working on her lesson plan for tomorrow. "Go home without me, this is going to take a while!"

Misato nodded, looking a little worried. "Alright… just call me if you need me. And don't stay too long! All work and no play is bad for a girl like you."

"OK! Thanks, Misato."

Once the door shut again, Lucia let out a tired sigh and let her forehead rest on her papers.

She felt chills. Her hands were trembling.

This feeling… it's…

After buying herself with her work for another hour, Lucia finally got up, but instead of heading home right away, she made her way down to the office, to the back room that served as the school's lost and found. She knew she would be in danger on the way home; she finally realized what this growing uneasiness meant. Something was watching, waiting for her.

She rummaged through the pile of belongings for a minute before pulling something out. Ah! This will do, she thought. She had chosen an umbrella, one of the longer ones that tapered off into a sharper tip. At least I can protect myself, until I make it to Urahara. Now, I need to hurry!

Without any more waiting around, Lucia headed out into the dim streets, her heart pounding in her chest.

....................................

"Eh? You're leaving already?"

"You know I can't stay here for long. You're lucky I stopped by for as long as I did."

"You're breaking my heart, Yoruichi."

The small black cat trotted alongside Urahara as he walked, having gone out for a few errands before heading back to his shop. The streets were empty, letting Yoruichi speak out loud for once.

"Hmph. Well, I'll come back soon enough," she said, her yellow eyes scanning the street as they walked. "I'm interested to see whether you keep that human woman around for long."

Urahara raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Lucia? Why wouldn't I keep her around? We're friends now, after all." He flashed Yoruichi a casual grin. "Training her has been loads of fun. Plus, I'm interested in her power."

"Sure," Yoruichi replied, rolling her cat-eyes. "I'm sure you're interested in other parts of her, too. But you know this can't end well, Kisuke."

Urahara didn't reply for a moment. His silence told Yoruichi everything she needed to know.

"...she's a very kind girl. I like her, too. But she will die if you keep her too close."

"...maybe." Urahara's shoulders slumped for a moment, before he looked back down at Yoruichi, his brow furrowed. "But, she's stronger than you think. I can feel it. And-"

Suddenly, he froze. Yoruichi did too, the fur on her tail puffing up immediately. Both of their eyes widened as they looked at each other.

"....Lucia!"

"Come on, this way!"

Yoruichi bounded ahead, Urahara sprinting right behind as the two of them raced towards the violent disturbance they both felt.

..................................................................

"Ah!"

Lucia stumbled back, brandishing her umbrella ahead of her. Her heart was pounding, eyes flickering all around the area in a panic.

She didn't make it back to the shop before the Hollow she sensed earlier caught up to her. Instead, it appeared right behind her in yet another alley, no other soul in sight, which gave Lucia no choice but to turn around and fight it with only her senses and her umbrella.

Stay calm! Think of everything Urahara taught you-

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. She couldn’t see a damn thing, which was expected, but made the whole encounter ten times more frightening. It was hard to focus, to try and track where the Hollow was as it circled her, preparing to pounce, and she was only just able to throw her umbrella up in time to feel something slam against the feeble weapon. Lucia cried out in fear, feeling the metal within it start to snap. Without any warning, the Hollow’s strength surged, pushing her backwards.

Focus! Stop panicking- otherwise, you’re going to die!

Gritting her teeth, Lucia quickly regained her balance, just like Urahara taught her, and lunged forward, swiping the sharp end of her “weapon” at the monster. Of course, it wasn’t going to do anything, but it might give her a moment to escape. She felt the tip glance off of something solid where there was visibly nothing, then disappear.

There! I got it to retreat! Now, one more time-

Feeling emboldened, she lunged again, hoping to hit something more vital and then make her escape. However, there was nothing.

Huh? Did it back up that much-

Then, something hit her in the stomach, hard. The pain was immediate and visceral, like acid burning through her clothes and into her flesh. Without even a moment to scream, Lucia was flung away, her umbrella thrown out of her hand.

For a moment, she flew through the air, dazed and in pain, unsure of where the ground was positioned relative to the sky.

But then, instead of slamming into the concrete road or the brick wall, someone caught her.

By the time Lucia’s senses came back, allowing her to gasp for breath and grab her injured stomach, she was safely sitting up, one of Urahara’s strong arms around her.

“Are you alright?”

It took a moment for his words to register, as Lucia blinked up at him, still dizzy. “O-Oh-” She quickly nodded, drawing in another shaky breath before she looked ahead again. “I was on my way to find you, but-” Her voice started to shake again, the momentary lull in her adrenaline allowing her emotions to well up.

Urahara’s hand gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, gently but firmly. Lucia gulped, watching as he stared straight ahead at the Hollow. “It’s alright. You did well.”

You did well.

The praise made Lucia’s heart skip a beat. But her hands were shaking, her heart was pounding, and her knees were weak. And yet…

You did well.

No!

I haven’t finished yet!

Watch this, Urahara!

Gathering all of her remaining strength, and ignoring the burning pain in her torso, Lucia reached out, and grabbed the hooked end of his cane, which he held about halfway down its length. Before Urahara could react, she had pulled free of his grasp, and with one smooth movement, rose to her feet and unsheathed his blade.

“Lucia?! Lucia!”

She felt his hand swipe at her once from behind, in an attempt to pull her back, but he just barely missed. Swallowing her fear down, Lucia closed her eyes, shutting out all sounds and sensations, except the feeling of the Hollow ahead of her.

“How do you actually kill a Hollow?”

“Kill one? I don’t think you should make that your goal.”

“I know… but I’m just curious.”

“...You have to completely split their mask, or cut off their head.”

“Oh… yeah, I doubt I could do that, if I can’t see where their head is.”

Bullshit! Who needs to see?? I’ll let this sword find the mask for me!

Without any hesitation, or stutter in her stride, Lucia swung the sword, keeping her eyes shut and trusting her instincts completely.

She felt the blade hit something solid yet again, but this time, instead of almost breaking like her umbrella, it sliced right through the Hollow like butter. Lucia was a bit startled by the pure efficiency of this blade, but didn't let that stop her; she followed through with the strike, until she had cut through it completely. With one last burst of Reiatsu, the creature's presence abruptly faded away.

…. It… it's gone!!!

Holding her breath, Lucia opened her eyes, staring ahead, astounded. Then, she looked over her shoulder, back at Urahara. He was still kneeling there on the ground, staring up at her, aghast. Lucia's heart was pounding, and her pain was starting to seep right through the adrenaline, yet she managed to smile.

"I- I did it! I really-"

She tasted something coppery in her mouth. All of the sudden, the hand that held Urahara's sword started to burn. His expression changed from shock to horror, and he suddenly lunged forward.

"Lucia! My sword- drop it! Drop it-"

His panicked yell rapidly faded from Lucia’s awareness, a dull, staticky buzz replacing his words.

…what… what’s happening-

Lucia’s eyes flickered closed, her knees buckling, and the sword that was burning her hands slipped out and clattered to the ground.

......................................................................

What felt like a lifetime later, Lucia finally started to come to, sucking in a shallow breath as her eyes popped open. For a moment, she was blinded by light, and immediately winced, turning over and covering her face. “Ow…”

The sounds of the room were still muffled in her ears, but she vaguely heard someone saying something to her, before what felt like a hand gently placed itself on her shoulder. Lucia stiffened up, then looked up from her hands at the blurry scene.

“...U-Urahara? Where am I? What happened?”

His face was the first part to come into focus, as he leant over her with a concerned look in his eyes. Lucia blinked up at him slowly, but noticed his mouth twitch into a relieved smile.

“At the shop. I carried you back here after you fainted.”

“...fainted?” Slowly, Lucia sat up, assisted by a hand on her arm. She winced a little, a stinging pain shooting through her hands. She looked down at her palms, to see that they had been bandaged up. Oh, right… at the end of that fight, I suddenly felt sick, and collapsed. “Did the Hollow do this?” she asked, looking back over at Urahara. She tried her best not to glance down at the hand that was still lingering on her shoulder, but took a moment to notice that they were indeed back in his shop, presumably in one of the rooms in the back. It was cozy, warm light spilling from the ceiling above, a kotatsu table placed in the corner.

“...not quite.” Urahara winced a little as well, his gaze averted from hers. “It happened right after… my sword…”

His voice trailed off, and Lucia followed his gaze to the corner of the room, where his “cane” was leaning against the wall.

“Oh… I remember,” Lucia replied, blinking again as the memory came back into her mind. “You were telling me to drop it.”

“Right.” Urahara looked back at her, relieved that she didn’t seem mad. “You moved so fast, I didn’t have time to be shocked until it was over.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “My, my, I trained you a bit too well. But, still-” He sobered up a little. “That isn’t an ordinary sword. It’s a soul cutter- the weapon of the shinigami. You’re lucky that mine is sealed within the cane, she could have killed you.”

Lucia had never heard his voice this serious. She gulped nervously, glancing over at the sword one last time before looking back at him. “Oh… I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just taken it.”

“It’s alright.” Urahara relaxed a little, giving her a brighter smile. “You didn’t know, after all. And we all got out of it in one piece, right?”

After a moment, Lucia nodded, returning his smile. “Right.” She gulped, balling up her bandaged fists excitedly. “Plus!! I actually defeated one! Without seeing it, too! I knew I could do it!” She paused as Urahara suddenly started to laugh. “What? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing! Nothing’s funny-” he assured her, covering his mouth to keep his chuckles under control. “It’s just… you’re so-”

Just then, the door slid open, causing the two to jump in surprise.

“Mr. Urahara! She’s awake!”

Lucia looked over to see three people poking their heads inside the room, two children and a large, mustached man. She recognized them all as employees of the store, but she had never spoken to them before.

Urahara sighed, shaking his head. “Yes, yes she is.” He seemed a little annoyed, but masked it quickly. “If you’re going to be hanging around here, go get us something to drink. Water, perhaps? Miss Lucia needs to get her strength back after her fight.”

Miss. Lucia… Lucia sucked in a breath, feeling her cheeks heat up at the strangely affectionate tone in which he said those words. Or maybe it was just how she felt when he said her name at all.

… what are you doing? Where is this coming from…

“Uh- actually-” Lucia said quickly before the trio could leave. “Um… you wouldn’t happen to have something… stronger, would you?”

Urahara raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t help but laugh a little at the request. “You heard her! Go get some of our finest, Tessai!”

“Right away!” The three quickly ran off, leaving Lucia and Urahara alone briefly.

“Here, the table.” Urahara jumped to his feet, eagerly dragging the low-lying table over to the center of the room, kicking the flat mat that Lucia had been laying on to the side. “You had a good idea, we might as well celebrate all of our small victories.” He sat down next to Lucia again, crossing his legs. “Have you ever had sake?”

“Sake?” Lucia repeated, shaking her head. “Oh- no, I-” She laughed nervously. “I usually just stick to beer… that’s what I meant by stronger-”

“Oh, then you’ll love sake,” Urahara assured her, giving her a wink. “If you don’t, then I’ll drink the rest.”

“...alright.”

Damn it… I have work tomorrow. But… Lucia sat silently as Tessai returned with two (large) jugs of steaming sake. Drinking with Urahara? I can't pass that up!

“Here goes nothing…” she muttered to herself as she poured her first glass, giving it a quick sniff before holding it up to her lips. With a choked sound, she managed to swallow the tangy liquid in one go. She winced, unsure what to think. “Huh…”

Urahara chuckled at her reaction. “Don’t worry, the more you drink, the better it tastes.”

Lucia raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I wonder why that is.”

“Drink a little more, and you’ll find out~ Don’t worry-” He gave her an innocent smile, holding up his own glass. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“PSST- Mr. Urahara?”

With an audible growl (A GROWL? GROWL??)Urahara snapped his head back towards the door to see Tessai poking his head back in, the two children behind him. “What?”

Tessai gulped. “Sorry- do you need anything else? Or-”

“We’re fine, you three go home!!” Urahara assured him, putting on a smile again. “I’ll walk Lucia home later! Thanks for the good work today!”

Getting the message, Tessai and the others quickly excused themselves and left the pair alone once again. Urahara sighed before turning back to Lucia, who was gingerly sipping on her next glass. “Sorry about them.”

“They could have stayed with us,” Lucia said, lowering her glass to speak. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Ah, it’s fine.” Urahara waved his hand dismissively. “They’ve worked hard enough today, they deserve to head home. And anyway, I don’t want the kids around alcohol.”

“That’s very responsible of you,” Lucia replied, nodding along. Sucking in a breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed the rest of her glass. “Eee…” she winced again, then opened her eyes again. “Those two… are they yours?”

“No, no,” Urahara quickly answered, staring down at his glass. “But, they’re special kids. You could probably tell.”

He was right. Although she had never spoken to them, Lucia had felt them staring at her whenever she came into the shop. She had no doubt that they knew all about her, and knew the details of her training.

“... plus, they don’t have anyone else, so I take care of them here.” Urahara sighed, sipping at his drink. “So, I’m not their dad, but it probably looks like it sometimes.”

“...that’s very good of you,” Lucia said after a moment, her voice quiet. Urahara looked up from his glass, seeing the little smile on her face. “Taking care of those who have nowhere else to go… you’re a kind man, Urahara.”

He let out a little huff of disbelief, smiling to himself as he shook his head. “Ah, I don’t know about that. I just do the bare minimum, that’s all.”

“The bare minimum?” Lucia repeated, looking up at him, her eyes widening. “Not at all! I mean- helping me wasn’t the bare minimum, was it?” She gulped, her cheeks heating up a little. “You saved my life, back then, and then today, and probably again in the future. I’ll always be thankful for what you taught me.”

“...hmph.” Urahara shrugged his shoulders, his gaze falling back down to the table as his smile faltered just a little. “You’ll be able to protect yourself, from now on. I’m sure of it.”

“Well, that’s kind of what I meant.” Lucia averted her eyes. “I wouldn’t have gained these abilities if you didn’t help me.”

“You had to bully me into helping you though, didn’t you?”

Lucia frowned, looking back up at him. “Huh? Are you trying to get me to change my mind?”

“No, no!” Urahara suddenly laughed, tilting his head. “I’m just teasing. I take full responsibility for your great and unwavering power~”

“Hey! What do you mean-” Lucia stopped herself before she could get too indignant. “Ugh. Whatever!” She huffed, sipping at her next drink. “You’re not going to change my mind- you’re nice, and I like you.”

“Oh? How many of those have you had?”

“Three.” Lucia smiled, glancing over at him out of the corner of her eye. “You’re right, the more I drink, the better it tastes. It’s not so bad after all.”

“See? I told you.”

It felt… strange. Ever since she woke up, Lucia felt weirdly at ease, hardly phased by the flirtatious conversation between her and Urahara. Even the adrenaline of earlier had worn off, the dread completely gone. She felt confident, competent. The only anxiety that plagued her now was the soft fluttering of her heart in her chest every time she and Urahara exchanged a glance.

“... did you notice how surprised your friend looked when she first saw us together?”

“Hmm?”

Lucia had been leaning back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. A pleasant, warm feeling radiated from her chest, causing her eyelids to droop and her skin to heat up. She looked over at Urahara, who had leaned forward on the table, his empty jug of sake on its side next to hers. “Surprised? What do you mean?”

“You know.” Urahara shrugged, blinking slowly. His eyes seemed even farther behind his mysterious hat than usual. “Like… we were an unlikely couple. I’m surprised she believed our story.”

“... is it that weird?” Lucia asked, blinking a few times as she took in his words. Normally, the mere mention of the word “couple” would have sent her into a blushing mess, but right now she was feeling rather calm about it. “I’ve seen weirder.”

“Hmm. If you say so.”

He winked.

…. Why did he have to do that?

Lucia looked back up at the ceiling, her heart starting to pound.

I… I should do something.

They were all alone, and Lucia was out of sake. She would gain no more courage tonight than she had in that moment.

Why does he deny it? After helping me, helping those kids, after watching over this town… he’s kind. You’re a good person, and I like you, Urahara. You’re so… so…

But she was tired. Everything seemed wonky…

“Urahara?”

“Hmm?”

He looked over to see that Lucia had moved next to him, a determined look on her face. He raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Is there something you need?”

“...y-yeah.”

You.

Without really thinking about it, Lucia moved; but only her hand. She reached up, and with a quick flick of her hand, knocked his striped hat right off of his head. She stared up at him for a moment, face blank. Then, she smiled, and a laugh escaped her lips.

“You alright?” Urahara asked, chuckling a little at her reaction. “I didn’t… expect that.”

“I was curious-” Lucia giggled. “You always look so mysterious! But underneath, you’re…” She wobbled a little. “You’re… you’re…”

She didn’t finish. Her voice trailed off, and she tumbled right into Urahara’s chest. It was a good thing that she had fallen asleep right then, otherwise, her reaction would definitely have embarrassed her.

“... a sleepy drunk? Hmm.” Urahara said to himself, immediately catching her so she didn’t slide and hit her head on the ground. He sat there for a moment, still, his arms wrapped around her relaxed body. He could feel her breathe, softly but steadily. Then, he let himself tip back onto the floor, cushioned by the soft seating mats around the table, Lucia still fast asleep against his chest.

The sound of soft footsteps lulled him from his stupor, someone quietly entering the room. Urahara let out a sigh, opening his eyes.

“I thought you were leaving, Yoruichi?”

“I was.” The small black cat stopped a few feet inside the room, having slipped in through the crack in the door. She sat down, her golden eyes flickering over to Lucia. “I wanted to see what you would do. So, you’ve decided to keep her around?”

After a moment of silence, Urahara sighed.

“... I can’t.”

She was so warm, so soft and gentle as she slept.

“She can protect herself now. Hanging around me is only going to make her life worse. She’s… too kind to be with someone like me.”

“...I’m sorry, Urahara.”

He didn’t answer, just closed his eyes, letting the heavy sleep take him away as well.

#s/i: lucia #🍃 kisuke #kisuke x lucia #writing

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