They say that to meet someone three times is fate.
~*~
The bookstore was unusually crowded for early morning. Pushing his way past giggling High school girls grouped around a central one, holding the latest Shojo manga; Ichigo Kurosaki, a conservatively dressed young man in a button down dress-shirt and loosened tie over jeans and loafers, made his way over to the last corner of the shop.
Here, less modern Library-bound tomes in crimson and gold lettering lined the shelves. The Classics, as the shop owner had fluttered to him. Shakespeare, Voltaire and though he flushed faintly. Goethe and a few of his more infamous works. Erotic poems, check.
It didn't help either that on the other side... placed conveniently so that customers could browse discreetly without the general populace looking over their shoulder, the Kama Sutra books.
Ichigo had complained of this to Urahara, but the man had breezily brushed him aside, waving his omnipresent paper fan back and forth, saying others liked their peace and quiet as well.
Whatever that meant.
However, since it was his favorite book store and the owner was a family friend-sadly, Ichigo didn't feel the need to change any time soon. As was custom, he reached for a fairly new arrival, one he was saving up to add to his collection, when in the space it left behind, he could see straight into the next shelf on the other side. There a man had lifted out the neighboring title and was peering through back into Ichigo's face.
Almost immediately, he felt a slight flush darken his cheeks for no apparent reason.
The man looked to be about in his late twenties-maybe edging closer to thirty give or take. Had wavy dark brown hair parted in the middle, the tips ending chin-length. His jaw was squarish, his mouth on the thin yet sensual side, a faint goatee darkened his chin. But his eyes...
Abruptly Ichigo realized he was staring and forcibly jerked his gaze down to the book in his hands. Seeing but not seeing the price sticker on the bottom of the cover.
The man was still gazing at him. Drinking him in.
...they were gray.
Involuntarily, he looked again only to find the man had turned his attention back to the neglected book. Ichigo could just see, if he craned his head around the next title on the shelf, the name of the one the man had selected.
He nearly dropped The old Arcadia.
The man was gay!
A bare-chested buff Western cowboy graced the front.
And the title...don't even go there.
Ichigo hurriedly set down the book he had picked up, fairly flying to the front when he heard the man's footsteps coming around the corner.
Oh, hell no! No matter how good-looking the man appeared to be, Ichigo wasn't gay!
And that certainly wasn't going to change anytime soon!
~*~
Half an hour later, the mass transit bus came to a stop. Depositing him two stores down from a little coffee-shop tucked back from the busy promenade, promptly entitled Lilynette's cafe. The proprietor was a small, blond-haired female with a feisty temper and even better Lattes. She reminded him of his friend Rukia in a lot of ways.
In fact he was even willing to bet those two specimens of tomboyish womanhood would get along famously once they were introduced. He really had to bring Rukia with him one of these days...
The door to the coffee-shop swung open, the bell above tinkled faintly. All at once the smells of roasting coffee and brewing pots of the black stuff assaulted his nostrils like a heavenly aroma. The smell of Java. Making his way to the counter, he saw Lilynette herself, attired in a short-sleeve dress with an apron over, hassling one of her new Baristas, Loly-if his memory served correctly. One of his favorites, Neliel, a well-endowed woman with celadon hair and even prettier light green eyes, detached from the coffee machine to glide up to the counter, smiling in welcome.
Behind, Ichigo sensed another approaching, but gave no thought, answering Nel's how are you doing and how are your sisters? His dad had all but drawn up adoption documents for the orphaned woman whom he considered his fourth daughter-Rukia, the bitch, was his third, despite her still having her brother. Whom Ichigo had his suspicions about the man's orientation. Byakuya may act all high and mighty around his subordinate, but Renji had come out of his boss's office with something that looked like a hickey peeking out at the edge of his collar. Rukia denied it all of course.
Ichigo shuddered to imagine the scene which had caused such a mark to imprint itself on the redhead's neck. Maybe all those tattoos were a turn on for Byakuya.
He was taken out of his thoughts by Nel's address to the man hovering behind him.
"If you're looking for Lily, she's over there." Nel pointed out the small blond head tramping toward the register, a disgruntled look on her face. By instinct, Ichigo half-turned, glancing to encounter the gray-eyed man from before.
Swiftly he turned back around, his cheeks flaming.
Dammit! he had been recognized!
A faint smile had played on the man's mouth.
Sensing him move away, Ichigo was about to question Nel on the man's identity and Lilynette's obvious knowing of him as she had practically jumped into his arms at his approach. They were talking-well Lilynette was animatedly, but they were too far for Ichigo to hear what it was they were saying.
And as chance would have it, Nel had moved elsewhere, going out from behind the counter to attend to a customer at one of the tables near the window.
Ichigo sighed and glanced at the clock. Shit! He'd have just enough time to make it to class if he hurried. Where had all the time gone?
Barely pausing to wave off Nel and-his forgotten order, no latte for him today. Ichigo went out, not noticing the gray-eyed man and Lilynette pointing at his back, mouthing his name, "Ichigo Kurosaki."
~*~
The frail white-haired man coughed into his handkerchief, his smile bright to the assembled students. " As you well know, my health has been a hindrance to the Dean and to all of you. Therefore I would like to introduce to you, class, your new substitute teacher for this semester. Please come in," he gestured to the door. A man walked in, attired in a loose pin-striped shirt open at the throat, his slacks were navy and cuffed neatly brushing the tops of scuffed brown loafers.
Ukitake beamed at the man, then to the rest of the class, "I present, Stark Gingerback."
The man's gaze took in the thirty-odd students all staring intently back at him. His look was bored, his tone dry but polite as he spoke--that is until his eye alighted on the second row, five deep and the horrified gaze of Ichigo, attempting to disappear into his seat.
The man was going to be his teacher!
Stark Gingerback smiled.
And Ichigo felt his heart do a faint flip-flop like in the girly mangas.
~*~
If to meet someone three times in the space of two hours was what they called fate...then Ichigo was prepared to fight it all the way.
Especially since he absolutely refused to believe it was because the handsome man had looked straight at him and smiled that his heart had suddenly started racing.
~To be continued~
Disclaimer: don't own Bleach.
AN: I'm off to plant two pink Spider lily bulbs that mum's been bugging me about :p
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