Captain: Well, I actually wrote part of this a few years ago. I just never continued it. When I picked it up again, I figured I might give it a shot.

'thinking'

"speaking"

DISCLAIMER: I don't even own a Bleach or Fruits Basket plushie! I can't possibly own the rights to these wonderful animes!

Check

Souma Shigure, the dog of the zodiac, by no means considered himself normal. Besides owning a collection of kimonos that would make fabric stores jealous, he had better than average hearing and sense of smell. He also had a charming, sunny personality. As with most men, he was also confident and assured of his innate sense of direction. So how he found himself at the far southern edge of town when he should have been at his home, outside of town around the northeast border, completely baffled him.

"Waa! I thought I was going the right way!" he moaned loudly. A couple people walking across the street heard him and giggled. Apparently the tall young man in his dove-grey suit was hopelessly lost. Which warrants a chuckle, at the very least.

Stopping by an unassuming store front, the man wrinkled his face in an expression of disgust. To the casual onlooker, that's what it looked like. In reality, Shigure was sniffing the air to make sure this was the place where the strange scent was coming from. 'Bingo.'

A little girl came running out, holding her head and sobbing slightly. Another little one, a boy with spiky red hair came running after her. "Ururyu! Come back here! Baldie-jisan needs..."

Jinta trailed off as he noticed the man in front of him. His companion had hidden behind the tall guy's legs in an effort to get away from her terrorizer. The man smiled brightly. "Ohayo! I'm Souma Shigure. Are you the owner of this shop?"

"Are you stupid or something?" Jinta asked bluntly. "Of course."

"Liar!" Ururyu cried from behind Shigure's pant leg. Pulling lightly on it so he would bend down, she said tearfully "don't believe him, Tall-san. Urahara-san is the owner of the shop."

Shigure nodded solemnly before smiling at her. She faintly reminded him of Kisa-chan. Kisa-chan had a very distinctive scent though. This one had a mishmash of scents, which never boded well in Shigure's mind. "May I speak to Urahara-san, then?"

"Jinta! Ururyu!" a young looking man with blonde hair strolled out of the shop. Shigure had to refrain from trying to get a better sniff of him, too. The problem was, he didn't really smell like anything. The closest scent Shigure could put to him was that of a recent corpse. Not exactly a favorable comparison.

"What have I told you about trying to scare away customers?" Whacking them both on the head with his fan, Kisuke sized up this intriguing young man. Grinning broadly, he continued. "Greetings! My name is Urahara Kisuke, the owner of this fine shop. Have you eaten, by chance?"

Ah, someone around his age! "Ohayo, Urahara-san. My name is Souma Shigure. I did eat, some hours ago. Thank you for your inquiry."

"Why are you here then? Ah! Have you heard of my marvelous products?" Going into his 'impress-customers-slash-ambitious' mode, Kisuke clapped his hands. "You must be here to check my latest merchandise! Some rare books, perhaps? Or would you prefer to try one of my many colors of ink? Or are you looking for a new pen?"

Shigure was surprised. "You know I'm a writer? How?" Since he used a pen name, the author was sure he would never be recognized by name alone.

Kisuke jabbed his paper fan in the general direction of Shigure's arms. "Your wrists. Some of your fingers have ink stains as well."

Shigure frowned. "Ah, but not to worry! I aspired to be a writer myself, once! That makes it easier for me to pick out a fellow Valiant of the Pen!"

At once, Shigure flew back into his irritatingly cheerful self that his charges saw him in. "Of course! I should have realized! That explains your fan. I usually carry one too, but I was on business today. Marvelous things, they are. I think every writer should carry one."

Kisuke nodded happily and made noises of agreement. Grinning idiotically at each other, Kisuke bowed. "Then please, come in Souma-san, and we shall discuss all things of the writer!"

Once inside the shop, Kisuke busied himself making tea. Usually he had his other employee do it, but Tessai was occupied with the kids. Out of the corner of his eye he was making sure to watch this person who smiled as falsely as he did.

Shigure wandered aimlessly through the aisles. The only thing that kept his thoughts from forming on his face was long years of practice. He was curious about this shopkeeper that smelled of corpses. Most of the merchandise looked normal, but there were a couple rows that just weren't right. He didn't need his nose to tell him that. Making a pretense of sniffing the air, he smiled again at the shopkeeper. "The tea smells delicious, Urahara-san."

"Now, now, you are too kind. Please, take a seat."

After both men inhaled deeply and had taken their first sips, Kisuke fixed his opposite with a questioning look, discernible even with his hat. "So, how did you find my shop, Souma-san? Generally people have to go out of their way."

"I followed my nose," Shigure said truthfully. "I, ah, well, I also took the wrong street. I live out of town, to the north, and I thought this was north."

Kisuke laughed. "Well, even though you're heading the wrong way, I'm glad you stopped in. I'll have my man Tessai give you directions. So? What do you write? Any tips you'd like to share?"

Shigure waggled his finger. "Now now, even aspiring writers like yourself have to come into their own without help from us published ones. As for my genre, I suppose romantic fiction would have to do."

Kisuke beamed at him. "Truly? I am glad to hear that! The world needs more romance in it!"

"Indeed! What with things they way they are-"

"And people as they are," Kisuke interrupted.

"Romance will solve the world's problems!" they finished together. Laughing maniacally, the other three shopkeepers all shared the same thought: 'idiots.' As far as Jinta was concerned, if they could be heard laughing outside, then there was something wrong.

Fanning himself, Kisuke continued his informal queries. "I'm curious, Sohma-san. Do you play Western chess?"

"Indeed I do," Shigure nodded with a hand motion.

"Do you fancy a game? The kids are too young and Tessai is usually playing with them. It's rare to find a challenger."

Shigure narrowed his eyes slightly. 'Ah, you give yourself away with a phrase like that Corpse-san.' "As a matter of fact, yes. I have charges of my own and they never seem to play with me."

'Are you actually a family man, then? Or another caretaker?' "Well then, we shall play together!"

While Kisuke was setting up the board, Shigure was interested to note that the pieces were not black and white. Finely cut, for the most part, if some rough edges, but the sides were grey veined with green and an almost charcoal grey shot through with dark yellow. "A handsome set, Urahara-san."

"Arigato! A...friend of mine had it made specially for me. Her idea of a joke."

'Only a joke?' "Well then, as my host which side would you like?"

Kisuke lightly bopped the other man on the shoulder. "Really, what kind of shopkeeper would I be if I chose before my guest?"

"I believe I'll take the darker grey, then. That way I can find my pieces against my suit."

While they laughed riotously about this, Kisuke felt his mind working. 'You find my shop, which is no small feat, yet are unwilling to be the aggressor? So far you are nothing but contradictions, Smile-san."

Shigure grinned, waving his hand over the board. "Traditionally, the lighter colors first, yes?"

'No, you wish to see how aggressive I am willing to be. Not bad.' Inching a pawn forward two spaces, Kisuke hid his face behind his fan. "Your move, Souma-san."

Maybe Shigure had this man figured out wrongly, so far. Either that or he knew what Shigure was hoping to see. Which meant he was an extremely dangerous individual. Shigure rarely left things to chance, so it had to be either of those options. Moving a different pawn forward, he answered quietly "your move, I believe."

And so the opening game began. Try as they might, the players could not get a firmer grasp of their opposite's character. Anyone else would have been frustrated beyond reason by now, but these two had reserves upon reserves of patience. Both of them also had reserves of cheerfulness, which made them that much more competitive.

"Ah, another one gone," Shigure sighed. "You are truly merciless to my pawns, Urahara-san."

"Well, basic strategy. I can't allow my enemy's pawns to become more powerful than my own, can I?" Kisuke grinned broadly. "Besides, you haven't been exactly merciful to any of my pieces, Sohma-san. Especially my rooks."

Shigure mentally winced. 'Caught.' Moving another piece, the author continued in a blasé manner. "Is it just you and your three joyous companions, then?"

"Well, and the friend I mentioned earlier. She only comes by part of the time. How about yourself? Do you have children of your own?"

'How did...' "No, not of my own. I've become the family watchdog of my younger cousins, though." Smiling thinly, Shigure continued. "I also have a friend that stops by on occasion."

Kisuke hid behind the fan again as he pushed forward a knight. 'Watchdog? Interesting choice of words.' "So was it your friend you were visiting for business?"

There. The first sign of something other than theatrical cheeriness. "Ah, partially. I also had to have a word with, well, my financial advisor. Embarrassing, really."

'Oh, you're good Corpse-san.' "My friend was in the area, so I figured I'd say hello. When I left, I smelled something delicious and proceeded to get lost."

"Even though you had already eaten?"

"Of course! There is always room for manju buns!"

'Almost. He's quick in his story though. What's really going on in your head, Smile-san?' Smirking, Kisuke continued. "Is that also required for a writer? I seem to have an ability to stuff manju buns into my hollow legs even when I'm full."

Shigure nodded. "Yep. I think so." Taking another of Kisuke's pieces, the dog glanced covertly at his opponent. "What did you use to write?"

"As much as I like fiction, I'm fairly good with technicalities. I usually try to incorporate the two."

'Technical manuals, then. For science? Equipment? Medicine? Time for some guessing.' "I was never very good with science. I can put words together, but if anything more complicated than the blender breaks down I'm hopeless."

"Oh, there's nothing to it," Kisuke said absentmindedly. "It depends on how it's put together." Even before he finished the sentence, the excommunicated shinigami knew he spoke too much. Most other people would not use that knowledge for anything useful, but this individual was different. Of course, only a fellow actor would recognize when another actor was feigning something. Disinterest, in this case.

'Bingo,' Shigure added to his mentally gleeful rubbing hands. Outwardly he frowned, seeming to notice just how close Kisuke's pieces were to his king. "Hm, might have to be a bit more aggressive."

"Go right ahead! I'll make us some more tea." For some inexplainable reason, Kisuke felt a stab of discomfort in the presence of this man.

Tessai was at the sink. "I could have gotten that for you, Urahara-san," he whispered.

"No problem. You were playing with the kids."

"I wrestled the kids into a nap over an hour ago."

"Hmm?" Urahara looked out, just noticing it was late afternoon and approaching into evening. "Oops," he grinned. "Didn't realize where the sun was."

Tessai raised an eyebrow. "You must be enjoying yourself then."

"Ah, you've come back! I was just getting ready to move but that would have been unfair, right?"

Beaming, Kisuke responded "well, this is just a friendly game! I think it would have been fine with a couple points of unfairness here and there. By the way," the paper fan pointed to the window, "it's almost evening. Would you like to try and make it back before dark?"

Shigure flapped his hands. "Yare, yare. We have a game to finish. Besides, you just bought me a second cup of that delicious tea." Suiting action to word, the seated man took a first sip.

"Aren't you worried about your cousins?" Kisuke asked politely.

Shigure momentarily looked caught, but Kisuke would have missed it completely if he wasn't examining his guest's face. "They know how bad I am with directions. I also wasn't sure how long the meeting with my financial advisor would take, and they also know I was planning to stop by and see my friend." 'Oops.'

'It doesn't seem like you've forgotten them, but you're not ready to return either.' "Well, let's continue playing then, ne?"

Silence reigned for a few moments. "Were you ever published, Urahara-san?"

Kisuke sighed in seeming woe. "Yes, but it was only enough to tempt me into more writing. Not enough to satiate my appetite, but not enough to live comfortably."

"Ah, that's a problem when you're just beginning. If you like, I can have my editor get in touch with the company, see if anything comes of it." 'What's your next move, Corpse-san?'

Kisuke hesitated, then grinned. "That would be wonderful! I'll see where I put my old manuscripts and polish them up to give to you." 'Tricky one, Smile-san.'

'Thought so. Someone really trying to get their work out there always has a copy around. Even if it's not the final version, usually they try to keep it handy.' While he had been speaking, Kisuke had moved. Shigure was contemplating a counter move, when Kisuke asked if his cousins knew he was an author.

"Yes. I had to make sure they knew just how famous I was, didn't I?"

'So you wouldn't be forgotten? That kind of behavior usually means you don't want to be left in the background. Or perhaps...' "Check, Sohma-san."

"Nice one!" Shigure said in approval. Moving his king to safety, the dog found himself reevaluating this strange shopkeeper. Again.

On his next move, Kisuke's knight was endangered. However, he had the option of saving either his knight or his king, since his opponent's bishop had checked the crown. "You're forcing me to make a tough call, Sohma-san," Kisuke complained. He was attached to his knight.

'Of course. That's why I'm forcing you to make it.' Shigure mentally thought at him. 'Will you sacrifice your erratic moves or your king?'

Both opponents could feel the tension in the game rising, even after the problem of Shigure's bishop had been solved. There was no way to tell who could win at this point. Shigure had more pieces on the board, but Kisuke was quietly countering each and every move. A loud yawn broke the silence.

Kisuke brightened when he saw Ururyu rubbing her eyes and coming to sit down. "Ne, Kisuke-san, when are ya gonna be done? I want a story."

Rubbing the girl's head affectionately, the shopkeeper answered "as soon as I'm done with the game."

"But we'll never be done with this game, will we, Urahara-san?" Shigure interjected in a quiet voice. "At least, not before dark!" he added, smiling and rubbing the back of his neck.

Whispering to the girl, Kisuke smiled back at him when she left. "No, not before dark. You should probably leave before your cousins become frantic. Even at their age, they probably still need a guardian."

Surprise flashed on Shigure's face. "Y-yeah, you're probably right." Looking at him intently, all Shigure could wonder was how he had given away his cousin's ages.

Grinning, Kisuke recognized the question for what it was. "When we were playing, you would generally favor the older pieces, by which I mean something other than the pawns."

Mouth twitching at the corners, Shigure said "yes. But you generally did favor the pawns, which makes me think you are far older than you appear."

This time it was Kisuke who allowed some surprise to show through. "I think you might be right about our game, Sohma-san. Chess players refuse to admit they're in checkmate unless they have to."

Turning to Tessai, Kisuke asked him to write down directions to the northeast border.

"Could you make it big, please? I don't want to have to be squinting if I can't return by dark."

Laughing, Kisuke relayed the request. After receiving the paper, Shigure made a big show of making sure he could read the writing. "Is there anything you would like to purchase, Sohma-san, before you are on your way?"

"Hmm, let me check your books again." For at least another 20 minutes, Shigure examined the merchandise. Finally settling on two large volumes, the dog pulled out his wallet to count out the price. "And do you sell any of that tea?"

Kisuke shook his head. "No, I am sorry." Grinning at his customer's crestfallen look, he added "well, I have to lure you back for another chess game, don't I?"

"True. Well, thank you for books. And the game. It was...quite enjoyable."

Bowing deeply to each other, Kisuke waited until Shigure had turned towards the door before calling to him. "I also enjoyed our game. I would not mind having you as an opponent again. Maybe you can start with the lighter pieces, hmm?"

Shigure shot him a small, genuine smile. "Frankly, I was just guessing. I'm slightly colorblind. We shall see, though. Ja ne."

Kisuke could not move or speak. When Ururyu tugged on his arm he smiled at her and shooed her off to bed. "Urahara-san?" Tessai inquired delicately.

"Nothing, Tessai. I hope our guest comes back though. It was nice to play against a different chess master than our former colleagues, for a change."

Initially, Shigure had almost regretted following the girl back from the manju vendor. After meeting the shopkeeper though, he was quite inclined to follow her again.

"Tadaima!" Shigure called to his alarmingly quiet house.

A crash soon assuaged any fear or worry he might have had, though. Sighing, Shigure went up to his room to unpack his new treasures. His eyebrow crawled up his forehead when he realized there was a flat packet between the volumes. He grinned as he found a note informing him that while the tea was not for sale, it could be considered a gift from one worthy opponent to another.

Captain: I'm happy with the way this turned out. I wasn't sure if I should continue it since I'm an amateur chess player at best, but I love these two characters. It was only fitting that they would meet over a game of chess.