Always Right- Fanfiction Entry for Bleach Asylum's UraYoru FC

The theme was Urahara and Yoruichi: Childhood to Adult. Kind of went about addressing it non-traditionally, but it works I think. Spoilers for the end of the Fake Karakura Arc. Also, before I get complaints, Urahara's characterization pre and post TBTP is different in the manga. I try to do that here too. OK, carry on.

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Something felt different when he awoke that morning. Perhaps, he should have known life would be changed from then on, even if it had already altered beyond what even his mind had expected. Yawning cheerily, while blindly fumbling for his geta, he marked off another day on his calendar. When the red tip of the marker began to form the second slash of the X used to declare the day begun, he paled slightly. Time was simply not on their side.

"Ah," he said softly. "Yoruichi-san?" he queried just above a whisper, the sing-song tones of his voice just beginning to be unmarred by the morning. Her typical resting spot on the window was empty and her brooding presence outside was also absent (she usually took great joy in scratching and meowing at him if he slept in past what she deemed to be a reasonable hour). He turned from the window sighing in disappointment while making the way to his bathroom door. She was never one for being predictable anyway. A smile crossed his lips as he began the repetitive motions of brushing his teeth. They had met this way hadn't they?

He had been crouched over a public water spout in the middle of Rokungai trying to brush his teeth and remain somewhat on par with decency when a pair of dark arms wrapped around his unoccupied arm. Attempting to free his limb, he looked down to notice a small mop of purple hair and a pair of golden eyes gazing, no glaring up at him.

"I need you to hide me," the stranger had said. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. He may have been poor, but he wasn't stupid. He knew her clothes, her scent, and even her appearance all, but screamed: I do not belong here. Now if only he could remember where he had seen purple hair before.

"Hey!" the small girl snapped. "Are you listening to me? I'm being chased." Urahara smiled at the memory. Even then, she was always running.

He had been hesitant as his brain was quickly putting two and two together. The purple hair, the attitude- she could only be one person, the Shihouhin princess. Suddenly he felt a little sick and wondered how well he could tolerate jail. There was another angry jerk on his limb and again, that piercing look. He shifted his weight nervously.

"I suppose I could help," he offered. Her attitude shifted immediately as she released his arm and gave him a disarming smile. He nodded, mute and motioned for her to follow him.

"Where are we going?" she asked trailing behind him. Oh goodness, he really should have checked the area for cops before agreeing to this.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned that you are follow a random boy you met on the street?" he questioned, suddenly a bit more wary of his strange charge. With a few quick steps, she was by his side peering into his face.

"You seemed trustworthy." Oh, well that's nice. He did not know if anyone had told him that before.

"I'm Urahara Kisuke," he said as he continued to lead her through a maze of alleyway. He glanced to his side. "And I suppose you are Shihouhin Yoruichi-sama."

"Hi Kisuke! Nice to-," she paled. "Wait, you know." Crap, he was in trouble. His nerves started setting in as he fumbled for his keys.

"Ah well..." How to fix this? "Despite your stealth princess, there are certain things you just can't hide." ...And a clean save. He was feeling quite proud of himself today, but he swore he heard her snort.

"I can hide from anything," she mumbled. "If I actually didn't want them to find me. They wouldn't be able to; I don't think anyone would."

He gulped. That was...interesting. He shuddered and motioned for her to follow him downstairs as he locked the door. She followed him silently, but she could tell she was analyzing his movements with intensity. Their surroundings had changed; the wall shifted from polished stone to jagged rock. Eventually, she watched him open a door and a dimly lit room greeted them with a small makeshift bed, and papers messily cluttered on a desk.

"You live in an underground house?" He nodded at her and muttered something about building it out of boredom before fluttering about trying to find somewhere for her to sit. The chair, the couch, the mat? None of this was royal. Oh, he had not even cleaned. But, when he turned around the princess had already made herself comfortable on his mattress.

He blanched, "Ah, Yoruichi-sama! Please don't-" He watched her instead recline back into his pillows. She arched an eyebrow.

"What?" she deadpanned. His shoulders slumped. They were going to kill him- hang him at the gallows, and then all of high society could poke at his corpse. He shuddered again.

"You always this jumpy?" She asked looking mighty comfortable on his bed.

"No," he responded. Yes, his mind answered back. Change the subject. "Why are you running away?"

"Got into an argument with my clan," her eyes cast to the floor. "Thought I'd let them miss me for a while. See if they see things my way." They sat in awkward silence. "So you, uh built this place? Pretty snazzy, for a boy." Good, switch from a sensitive subject. He visibly relaxed.

"Yes I did!" he said happily, running over to his desk and producing blueprints, "I build lots of things." She took the paper from him and her eyebrows approached her short purple bangs.

"This is intense stuff. Way beyond what they teach us in school," her voice said, trailing off. Suddenly she was very near his face, studying him. "You must be smart." Perhaps, but right now he was nervous and trying desperately to increase the distance between them. She chuckled at his discomfort.

"You really need to stop being so nervous," she said simply. "I could use someone like you." How? He wasn't sure he wanted to know. "Come back to the palace with me." Oh, okay, wait- what?

"Shihouhin Youruichi-sama," he sputtered, retreating to the other side of the room. "A humble guy like me has no business-"

"It's Yoruichi," she spat, standing to her full height. "And since you insist on my title so much consider it an order." ...Damn it.

"So you're returning home then?" he asked, hoping she would see he was right on this issue and the only one in the room being reasonable.

She smiled and plopped back down on his bed. "Yep," she grinned. "After a cat nap."

A smile crossed his features as he recalled the memory. The echoes of his sandals reverberated through the quiet shop; the usual company was out attending to business. It was an important day after all. It was the day they were to face Aizen. Dutifully, he checked the workings of the gargantuan replica in one of his many labs. He just hoped they were not too reckless with his designs. It was holding, but in the back of his mind he wondered how long it would last. Idly, he twiddled his thumbs, a nervous habit he thought he had kicked. She had always been hard on him at first.

"Kisuke!" she growled. "Stop being so timid!" He winced. How demeaning, even as a cat the recent academy graduate still knew how to make him flinch.

"Ah," he started, resisting the urge to poke the black cat- it was so easy to rile her up-, "but isn't timidity admired by the nobility?" Her response was vicious attack on his finger. He pulled his hand away. "Ouch! Geez!"

"Who cares about nobility? How are you going to lead a division this way?" He scooted away from the approaching cat.

"A division," he murmured, tossing grass her way to make her trek more difficult- that'll teach her. "I'm afraid you mistake me for someone else." Before he could protest she'd pounced on his lap.

"Sometimes you are stupid," she growled trying to make herself comfortable in his lap. He chuckled in response, idly scratching behind her ears.

"To the left," she requested. The cat suddenly felt idle scratches to the right of her instead. "Jerk."

"Stupid, remember?" He was almost certain he heard her sigh in his lap.

"Who's the one who built an underground training area?" ...Was that supposed to be rhetorical, but an angry flick of her tail against his side meant she wanted an answer.

"Uh...me," he offered. She purred in response.

"Who craftily snuck Tessai and I out of the palace of the clan that is the headquarters of espionage for Soul Society?"

"Err," he wondered; come to think of it, he had spearheaded most of those efforts. "Me."

Another purr. "And who's graduating at the top of their academy class and going to be third seat in a few months when I'm named captain?" Well honestly, his class was full of unmotivated individuals so it wasn't hard to-ouch! That stupid tail!

Suddenly, realization dawned over his features as he looked down at the bemused cat in his lap, "...Me?"

She snorted, "And you said you couldn't be a captain." There was a sudden shift in weight on his lap and he found himself staring dumbfounded at a very naked woman before him. She purred, "you have so much to learn Kisuke." It was said that everyone within a five-mile radius heard his scream.

Closing the door to his lab, he grinned again. She had been right again. He became a captain, and had the hardest time controlling his Vice-Captain until he put his foot down, though he was sure deep down, Hiyori probably would always think he was a pushover. He silently hoped that she was alright. If something happened to her again, he wasn't sure what he would or could do. Yoruichi had been there too even though he had tried to exclude her. Part of him thought he would be removing a burden from her shoulders, but she had been appalled that he tried to leave without her. Things would've been different without her here. She was always so confident in everything he did, even when he was unsure himself. Her presence reassured him and he was more productive than ever with his inventions. Being who she was, she would nitpick or tease him, but the glint in her eyes always revealed that she was truly impressed even when she probably shouldn't have been...

Both of them had stared blankly at what seemed to be just be a poorly designed piece of plastic.

"This is your plan to defeat Aizen," she said blankly. He punched her playfully.

"Why yes," he responded just to see her face become incredulous. "No, no it's more of a side project. It's a Soul Phone." Her eyebrow raised as she circled the table suspiciously.

"Eh, where's the wire or the box they always sit in," she asked, "the human phones always have wires."

Urahara grinned. "What can I say I'm a genius," she scoffed at this, "ahead of the times." Her ponytail fell over her shoulder as she began examining it. Even after the many years they spent in the human world, he was still getting used to her hair being that long.

"I like it." She announced. "It's portable." He smiled before prying it from her hands. She frowned. "What are you doing?"

"My dear Yoruichi," he cooed. "I can't have you taking my only prototype." Her features fell into a frown.

"How long would it take you to make another one?" The scientist stopped fussing with the device in his hands.

"What?" he asked. She gave him her don't-make-me-repeat-myself glance to which he responded with his I-heard-you-but-what-does-this-have-to-do-with-anything face. Her foot began tapping with impatience.

"Ah!" He gave up. "A week. A long, grueling, sleepless week," he responded, making sure she heard the emphasis on sleepless, but she remained unmoved. He gave her his just-because-I'm-a-mad-genius-doesn't-mean-I-don't-have-feelings pout. Unfortunately, it was being completely ignored.

"I want to leave in a week," she spat out. He tensed.

"Yoruichi-"

"You know me! I like running. I just can't stay cooped up here all the time. I'm going crazy I-" she stopped, noticing he looked hurt. And he was. How could she just leave? "Kisuke," she reached for his arm. "You know me better than anyone. I have to go. I'll come back-I promise. I just-" her golden eyes searched. He had to look away from her at anything- the wall, the desk, the lamp. He settled for the floor. Part of him knew she was right and that he couldn't just expect her to stay here and watch him fiddle with differing notions on how to defeat Aizen. But, another part of him was unsettled.

"If you didn't like being here all the time," he sighed. "Why did you stay?" A few moments later he heard her shift her weight.

"Because I think," she frowned. "I think I might miss you too much." He nearly choked. The one-and-only Shihouhin princess admitting weakness? Was this a dream? Was this a prank? And her weakness was him. Oh, Kami- he was going to be sick, or irrationally exuberant. His stomach was doing so many somersaults he couldn't be sure which.

"Yoruichi," he said eyes meeting hers. She offered him a weak smile.

"But," she added. "If I had that phone, I could still talk to you and, it wouldn't be bad." His eyebrows pinched in thought. She had gone off before for about a week a time, and she would always return again on his doorstep with a haughty smirk because he was surprised every time. Whatever she was doing, or going- this would be for longer much longer. It was then, he realized he was not sure he wanted her to go, but he knew she was a free spirit. He shouldn't and couldn't make her stay. She had given up everything for him- anything less on his part would be unconscionable. When did she start meaning so much to him? Or had it always been this way?

Yoruichi felt the plastic device slip into her hands as she was wrapped into a fierce embrace. As her shock lessened, she lowered her hands to his back.

"Promise me you'll be careful," he whispered. She chuckled underneath his chin. His grip tightened. "Promise?" he said, the constant melody in his voice hiding how serious he was about this. She chuckled again. Apparently, it was very well hidden.

"I promise," she cupped his cheek in her hand, smiling. "I'll be back faster than you can say, 'dead Aizen.' "

Aizen. The syllables hit him like a thud as he neared the center of the shop and the key to opening the portal to Fake Karakura town. That man had to be stopped, but as he was now he was too powerful. Gripping Benihime, he knew he had to be careful. His eyes drifted towards the doorway almost as if expecting her to have been there the whole time. She knew to be here today, but part of him wanted her to forget. Aizen was ruthless; he would hurt her to get what he wanted. He would hurt anyone. He couldn't lose her this way, not like he lost Hiyori. His jaw hardened with determination and he turned the key.

I'm sorry Yoruichi.

As soon as his eyes opened, he noticed a meditating Kurosaki hidden in the ruins of Fake Karakura Town. Things had already gotten nasty. One of the ex-Shinigami's eyes peeked open.

"Ah," he said, rising to his feet. "Surprisingly timely, for you. Where's your other half?"

Urahara's playful exterior went back into play as he sheepishly scratched his head, chuckling. "I seem to have misplaced her." Isshin raised a knowing eyebrow.

Eyeing the shop keeper he said, "It's OK if you want to protect her Urahara." His hand slowly lowered from his hat to his side, his smile fading into a grim line. "She's just not going to like it."

"I've involved her enough," he said beginning to walk in the direction of the highest reiatsu presence. "I think an old friend is waiting." Isshin smirked as he followed the former Captain into the ruins. It wasn't long before they were greeted by a very familiar face.

Urahara paled, "Oh n-" The slap that connected with his left cheek interrupted his speech. Isshin turned a blind eye.

"What do you think your doing?" the shunpo master spat at his reeling form. "You left without me."

Urahara deflected. "Ah, but Yoruichi-san, I merely thought we wouldn't need you." She scoffed and held open a suitcase complete with a set of white armor on which there was a clear message in his scrawl via Post-it note proclaiming- 'For Yoruichi!'

"A side project," he offered. She rolled her eyes as she began examining one of the boots. Isshin gave him a brotherly pat on the back as his shoulders sank.

"Yoruichi-san," he said, nearing the woman. "I-"

"What's the plan Kisuke?" she asked, ignoring the man's attentions while she pulled on her second boot. She glanced up at him, anger gone. "You do have a plan don't you?"

"Of course, but-"

"Then we are okay. Relax, only so much can go wrong."

But her words were untrue. So much had gone wrong. It was natural the way they fought. Perfection. They had done everything they could, but it still just wasn't enough. Even though it annoyed him so much whenever she was right - he wished this time she had been. As he lay there, his tired eyes came upon her unmoving form lying limp over debris. The proud warrior helpless.

This wasn't supposed to be this way. Wincing and with bloodied fingers, he reached for her- her purple hair, her battered armor, and a smile that seemed like it faded eons ago, but even that was too much. She was so far from him. Why couldn't she have stayed? Why couldn't he convince her? Why couldn't she have just been right so she could flash him a cocky grin and point out his mistakes? Everything was so wrong. And under the beating sun of a fake sky, Urahara Kisuke wept.

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I hope someone found this story pleasing. Even if you didn't, you should tell me why. And if you did, you should tell me why too. The review button is but a small distance away from here!

To whom may be concerned: A Crassulean Metabolism update is just around the corner. The Enigma Variations and Itachi 1/2 will follow.