Title: Eternal Promise
Category: Anime/Manga ยป Bleach
Author: Evangeline Britannia
Language: English, Rating: Rated: K
Genre: Romance/Friendship
Published: 10-14-08, Updated: 10-14-08
Chapters: 1, Words: 1,693

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Eternal Promise

By S J Smith

It was a lovely day in the early summer and the Urahara shop was busy. While Ururu, Jinta and Tessai were tending to the customers; Kisuke was in bed sleeping off a headache. Just then a cat jumped down onto the bed where Kisuke was resting and woke him up. "What's wrong Kisuke? Why are you in bed when your shop is full of customer's?" Yoruichi asked. Suddenly like a flash of light from a camera, the cat transformed into a human woman.

Kisuke looked at Yoruichi with eyes full of pain and discomfort. He had known Yoruichi for a century and he now wished that she hadn't woken him up. "I've got a headache and it doesn't help when the customers come in ten to the dozen. I need extra help for the shop. I can't always rely on Jinta, Ururu and Tessai to do all the work," Kisuke said, as he sat on the edge of his bed.

Yoruichi sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. She had just come back from visiting a friend and had told her all about Urahara's shop. "Don't worry about that. I think that you'll be getting some help very soon," she said, as she stood up and dressed herself. Kisuke looked at her once again and smiled. Of all the years he had known her, Yoruichi was always there for him to help him out.

That afternoon a young woman with blonde hair came to the shop. The atmosphere was peaceful now and the birds were able to be heard singing to each other as they flew over the clouds. Kisuke was outside the shop with Jinta and Ururu. "Thank you for tending to the customer's this morning. I was happy that you were here to help out," Kisuke said, as he handed Jinta and Ururu some sweets. Jinta looked up and smiled at Kisuke.

He always looked up to him as a sort of older brother who always valued his little brother being there to help. Ururu looked at Kisuke and smiled too. "Thank you for always defending us like you're our parent. Though we're not blood related, we are a happy family that loves to work side by side," Ururu said, smiling.

Kisuke looked at both Jinta and Ururu and smiled. "My I didn't think that we were like a family. But you're right Ururu we love to work side by side. I'm happy that you think of us all being a family," Kisuke said, as he hugged Ururu.

Suddenly the young woman walked closer to the three of them and stopped. Kisuke looked up and saw her. "May I help you?" he said, as he walked towards her. The young woman looked at him and shyly tilted her head towards the ground. Nervous of what she wanted to say, she sudden plucked up the courage and looked at Kisuke.

"My friend told me that you need help to run the shop. That's why I'm here. I'm very good with customers and I don't mind cleaning," she said. Kisuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. He suddenly thought back to what Yoruichi had said about help would be coming soon. But he didn't expect it right away.

"What's your name?" Ururu asked, while Kisuke just starred in amazement. "My name is Ami," Ami said, as she looked at Ururu. Jinta looked at Ami and saw that she didn't look very strong. Jinta walked over to Kisuke and stood next to him. "What are you going to do boss? She doesn't look very strong," Jinta said, whispering into Kisukes' ear.

Kisuke sat next to Jinta and starred at Ami. It was true what Jinta had said, but Kisuke wasn't one to judge a book by its cover. He didn't mind what Ami was capable of, as long as she was committed to working at the shop.

"Well I guess that I could do with someone to help out. So your Name is Ami. My name is Kisuke Urahara. Welcome to my shop," Kisuke said as he stood up and walked over to Ururu and Ami. Ami smiled at Kisuke. That was the first time that she smiled since she was born. Ami had never known true kindness and never had anything to be happy about. When Kisuke had agreed to let her work at the shop, he was the person that had changed her dark miserable life from the day she was born up until that moment, into something worth living for.

"Thank you so much Mr. Urhara. I won't let you down," Ami said, as she hugged him. Kisuke enjoyed Ami's hug and felt proud to be the one to give her a job. Whilst in the sweet embrace, Kisuke felt warm and happy. It was as if someone was telling him that he was right to bring happiness to her. When Ami let go of Kisuke, he was smiling very delightfully.

"Wow I can't believe that someone is actually delighted with getting a job at my shop," Kisuke said, he still was smiling. Kisuke looked at Ami and knew that she had been all alone for along time. The way he looked at her, told Ami that he knew all that she had been through. Suddenly Yoruichi walked outside. "I see you've met my friend, Ami," she said, as she walked over to Kisuke.

Ami looked at Yoruichi and knew that the woman that now stood next to Kisuke was her friend. Kisuke looked at Yoruichi and saw that she had a smile on her face. Yoruichi was always helping her friends out. She had known Ami since she was a little girl, struggling to survive. "May I talk to you for a moment?" Yoruichi asked Kisuke, as she looked straight at him. Kisuke looked at her and walked into the shop with Yoruichi tagging behind.

"What is it? I've hired Ami as a new employee. I must admit you have a nice friend who is compassionate about working. She's also very friendly," Kisuke said. "I've known Ami since she was a little girl and I pitied her for how she was left to raise herself. She has always lived in a cave in the heart of the woods next to the river. In all the years I have known her, I have never seen her smile and she has never known true kindness. Ami has never been happy and hasn't had anything to be happy about. Today I saw her smile for the first time in her life. It's because of you Kisuke that she is able to feel happy and feel loved," Yoruichi told Kisuke, as he starred at her.

"So you want me to take her in?" he asked, as he looked at Yoruichi. Kisuke hadn't known that making Ami happy would result in Yoruichi telling him about Ami's lonely up bringing. Kisuke felt empathy for Ami. But when he remembered the hug she gave him, he realized that must have been the very first time when she was shown kindness. Kisuke had a feeling of compassion whilst he was held by Ami and that made him feel love for her.

"You mean that you want me to love Ami?" Kisuke asked Yoruichi, as he walked over to the window. Outside Ururu and Jinta were playing a game with Ami. As he watched Ami, he noticed that she was delightfully playing with his friends. In that split second of watching her, he had suddenly felt something for her too. "Maybe you could just make her happy by telling her that you will always be there when she feels sad or lonely," Yoruichi said, as she too looked out of the window.

Yoruichi knew that she was jealous of Kisuke's affection for Ami. But she just wanted to make her friend's cheerful. If it meant Kisuke and Ami being together as a couple, than Yoruichi wouldn't have any right to keep them apart. "Whilst I was held by her, I felt a sort of kind and loving nature just through us touching. I'm sorry that I have fallen in love with her Yoruichi. Knowing what she has been through in life, don't you think that maybe we belong together? It's like you said, I was the one who made Ami smile and also want to go on with life," Kisuke said, now he walked outside to be greeted by Ami, Jinta and Ururu.

When Ami seen Kisuke smiling so delicately at her, she shyly tilted her head at him. Not knowing very many people in her life, she was a very shy person. "That does it!" Kisuke said, as he walked to Ami. He suddenly put his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest. Locked in his arms, Ami felt a warm loving sensation that she had never known before. "I want you to be with me forever by my side. I have heard about your past and I want to make you happy. I will never make you cry as you have shed so many tears before," Kisuke said, as he still held Ami in his arms.

Hearing this, Ami held her head up and kissed Kisuke's warm tender lips. She now knew what love felt like. Kisuke drew more closely to Ami and pulled her to him. In just that afternoon, he had grown attached to her. She was the one that had woken him up to love and he was the one who had given Ami life again. They were both in the same situation. Kisuke was an outcast and Ami was left with no-one to take care of her. They were both lonely. Ami knew that Kisuke needed her as much as she needed him. But what fate had in mind for their destiny was soon to come.

The End