"Mr. Kisuke?" Ururu asked the tall, slender man with the ticklish beard, beach hat, and clogs that sat before her in the vast shop. Her companion was sweeping outside. Urahara himself looked lonely. His normal cavalier and carefree attitude replaced with something much more serious.
"What is it Ururu?" He addressed the girl who despite her petite size was quite powerful, and very potent. She looked at him with those dopey, sappy eyes. Urahara had grown to defeat their illustrious yet meloncholy appeal.
"Mr. Kisuke? Were you ever married?" She asked Urahara who's face gradually paled, then quick as ever regained its color. His features gleamed with his usual smart-ass grin.
"WHAT?! Little Ururu just how old do you think I am?!" His ruse must have worked as the little girl just beamed at him with her usual frown.
"Well sir, I think that you're about 35." Kisuke had no response to this. Of course he didn't. The little girl was not even supposed to know that he was once a soul reaper-shinigami- and still was. She needn't know of his past. His past in the Soul Society. Especially not his past as the captain of Squad Twelve.
"More or Less." He shrugged nonchalantly. "And no, I haven't been married." He sighed deeply.
"Were you ever in love?"
Now Kisuke Urahara had not been posed this question in his life. Ururu seemed perfectly harmless and pitiful as always, but her question still hurt him. His secrets, his life were coming back to him. The memories of that girl. The one with the blade. The red princess. Stone cold blood. His.
"No one has lived without being in love." He sighed.
"Not even you?"
"I have loved little Ururu. But my life is none of your concern."
"Mr. Kisuke, I have been with you for almost my entire life. You are like my father. Please, tell me all about her."
"All right.. If I must."
Kisuke Urahara started to tell the story he had longed to for the first time. Little Ururu probably would not comprehend. Whatever, he needed to tell someone. He would feel lifeless if he did not. His life was of no importance. Not even to him. But to Ururu, the fact that someone cared was life enough.
He took a breath.
TBC...