Disclaimer - I still don't own Bleach

Chapter Two - Masaki

Isshin found it completely impossible to concentrate on what the professor was saying and was grateful for the fact that he'd already memorized the course material. Were he a normal student then things would have definitely been bad but as it was he was just keeping himself from being bored during class. At least that was how he rationalized it to himself.

Throughout the lecture he found that his eyes would wander over to Masaki of their own volition. She just looked so beautiful, staring at the professor with rapt attention and only briefly glancing away every so often to scribble a few notes in the notebook that was on the desk in front of her.

"Masaki. . ." he whispered.

He had only been joking with Urahara when he'd spoken about finding a lovely co-ed however now he found that his unspoken wish had been transformed into reality. Stunningly beautiful and apparently possessing the same desire to help people that he did, Masaki really was perfect for him.

All he had to do was convince her of that fact.

Once his first day of classes was over, not that he'd really been paying attention to anything that his professors had to say, Isshin hurried over to the small shop that his friend owned and operated. His first day had been productive and he felt the urgent need to share the day's happenings with someone. Like an ecstatic child he burst through the door of the shop, a wide and somewhat goofy grin on his face.

"Isshin," Urahara said in his customary slow and calm manner, eyeing his friend as the man energetically danced into the room. "What's gotten into you? You're acting even weirder than normal, which is saying something I might add."

"Kisuke," Isshin sang out, doing a little pirouette in place before sitting down across from his friend at the small table where Urahara sat sipping tea as was his habit. "I just met my soul mate!"

"And you just lost your mind," Urahara muttered under his breath as he watched his friend act like more of an idiot than usual. He knew that, for the most part Isshin's idiotic mannerisms were merely to make people think that he was about has as smart as he actually was, however in this moment in time some of his stupidity seemed genuine.

Isshin merely smiled at the harsh words from his friend, not even remotely phased by the remarks. "It's alright Kisuke, nothing you could say to me would dampen my spirits today. Today I'm in love!"

"Alright Romeo," Urahara said in a quiet voice as he offered Isshin a cup of tea and then gazed at the former captain from underneath his hat. "So how exactly do you plan to profess your love to your fair Juliet?"

A blush crept over Isshin's face as he realized that he didn't really have a plan to pursue the young woman that he had met in his Anatomy class. All he knew was that the two of them were destined to be together, having fallen for her the moment that she spoke to him. As to how they were going to get to that point, well he hadn't really given it much thought to be perfectly honest. He knew that it wasn't an answer to the question however all he could do was shrug his shoulders.

"I thought as much," Urahara said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Guess I'll just go about it the same way I go about everything else," Isshin said, offering Urahara one of his famous, goofy grins.

"Blind dumb luck can only get you so far Kurosaki," Urahara said, shaking his head.

Isshin shrugged. "It's always worked for me before."

This said Isshin got to his feet, leaving behind the untouched cup of tea that Urahara had offered him. "I should probably get home," he said, stretching his arms out over his head. "I have a lot of studying to do after all."

"Sure, sure," Urahara said, pulling a fan from the fold of his shirt and flipping it open. "Good luck with that."

Isshin didn't reply to that verbally but what he did do was wave at Urahara over his shoulder. Then he left the shop and made his way across Karakura Town to the building that he called home. The building had too much space for one person but the price was right and you never knew when you might need some extra space.

"I might be starting a family soon after all," the former Shinigami thought to himself as he entered the house and made his way to the living room. Once there Isshin sank down into the plushy sofa that was one of the room's few furnishings.

Placing his hands behind his head Isshin stared out into space, his thoughts once again centering on the young woman named Masaki. He wasn't usually the romantic type, having always been hopeless around girls, but he found himself wanting to do something to impress Masaki.

"But what?" he thought to himself.

Each thought that came to mind was quickly dismissed. He wanted to impress Masaki however he didn't want to come across as a stalker or anything creepy like that. It simply wouldn't do if his future bride and chosen mother of his children filed a restraining order against him before the two of them got to know one another properly.

"No that wouldn't do at all," Isshin thought to himself, a mental picture of himself behind bars coming to mind. "Although considering some of my friends I'm amazed that it hasn't happened already."

Even during his stint as the Squad Ten Captain Isshin had ran around with a rather raucous crowd, not that he would have had it any other way. His friends may have been weird and they were definitely loud, especially when they'd had some sake in their system, but they were fun.

"What to do, what to do," Isshin thought to himself as he lounged about on the cushy sofa. He had never been afraid to go after something that he wanted but, as was the case with the squad that he had belonged to, he had never had much luck at it. He had wanted to be a member of Squad Four, probably one of the few Shinigami who had actually aspired to that position, yet he had been placed in Squad Ten, even after making a request directly to the Head Captain.

He vividly recalled the words that had been spoken to him by Head Captain Yamamoto. "I'm sorry Kurosaki-san but your powers in battle are too valuable for me to allow you to enter Squad Four. You will remain in Squad Ten."

It had been spoken in such a manner as to practically scream out end of discussion and Isshin had bowed respectfully to his superior and left the Squad One office. But he had never fully accepted his role as a warrior, not even when he held the rank of captain.

"But maybe things will be different here in the world of the living," Isshin thought to himself. "Maybe things will be different with her."

A/N - and thus ends chapter two. Hope you enjoyed.