#3)

Title: First Contact
Characters/Parings: Urahara Kisuke & Kurosaki Ichigo. Mentions of Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki.
Rating: PG
Words: 1000
Summary: They had met long before everything started.
Warning/s: Slight spoiler about Ichigo's past, as well as Isshin and Urahara being... well... you-know-what. Also involves some crack theories. You have been warned.
Dedication: To all Isshin and Urahara lovers out there. Hope y'all like this one.
Author's Note: Yeah, there really isn't enough stuff about Isshin and Urahara round here. So yeah; hope all of you folks understand this. Inspired somewhat by some wacky dreams once again. Although, I rather like this drabble. -chuckles weakly-

It was on the twenty-first of June when Urahara actually first met him.

On that particular day, the sky was overcast with clouds, the usually bright summer sun shielded by the gloomy, semi-opaque clouds that surrounded the bright blue sky. Kisuke thought that it was pretty good time to go out for a walk – it had been raining for the past few days without fail, and he was getting rather bored being cooped up within his little 'Urahara Shoten' candy shop. So leaving Tessai in charge for a while, the ex-captain stretched his legs out as he went for a little walk in the town.

He walked around the place, taking in the sights if the numerous sights and sounds that was around and about. It was rather early in the morning, so there weren't many people. The store owner grinned and smiled at the various people who was looking at the oddball man. Of course, he had been through this many times before due to the odd choice of clothing he usually was seen about wearing (the traditional sandals, kimono and haori plus the green and white striped bucket hat). So, anyway, along with his trademarked wooden cane that stored his dear old zanpaktou Benihime as well as stuffing his favorite paper fan into the folds of his clothes, he continued down the relatively empty streets of Karakura Town.

It was after about an hour or so wandering about the main area then did Urahara headed off into the more sparse areas of the town, into the graveyard on the outskirts to pay his respects to Isshin's wife. He heard from the fellow ex-captain that Masaki had died a few days ago due to an accident. Hearing about the death of his dear friend's wife was indeed rather sad and tragic after all. Perhaps if he would perform konso on her soul if he ever chanced upon it. After all, it was the most he could do for the now powerless ex-shinigami captain – the usually cheerful man had lost his powers because of him as well.

As the man was lost in his numerous thoughts, he never noticed that there was already another who was there before him until Urahara finally had the sense to look up from his paper fan.

A young boy with unbelievably bright and spiky orange hair stood in front of Masaki's gave, tears pooling in his small eyes. Urahara would place him at around nine years old or so, with a rather strong body. His lanky body donned a deep yellow hoodie jacket over a loose orange shirt. He wore simple blue pants and shoes, and his childishly huge head was lowed over the grave of Isshin's wife.

Even from this far, Kisuke could already see Isshin's deep chocolate eyes in that boy.

That boy... he's Kurosaki Ichigo, isn't he? Isshin's eldest child... realized the exiled captain as he cautiously walked towards the child. His sandals clipped-clopped noisily upon the dusty ground of the graveyard, shaking the boy out from his thoughts as he turned a shaky head towards the store owner.

"Hello," the ex-shinigami greeted softly to the orange-headed boy.

"Good Morning..." the child said in return, although his voice was a bit soft despite the tranquility of the early day. "Are you here to pay respects to kaa-san as well?"

The quaint man simply smiled as he replied, "You could say. I'm here from time to time to pay respects to the deceased," Urahara lied. He really didn't want to say that Isshin was related to him now – he figured the boy had more than enough to go through right now. He then looked at Masaki's grave. "So... when did your mother die?"

"Four days ago," whispered Ichigo. "...and I killed her..."

Kisuke looked at the boy in shock. "You killed your mother?" he asked incredulously.

The orange-headed kid nodded in shame. "It was raining. I was walking back from class with my mother. We were passing the river nearby when I saw this girl standing at the bank. The girl suddenly fell, and I ran down the slope to stop her. And then suddenly... I was lying down... and my kaa-san..."

Urahara nodded in kind understanding. "It wasn't your fault. Anything could have happened then. Besides, it really wasn't your fault."

"It was my fault!" the child indignantly almost yelled back in response. "If I hadn't tried to stop the girl, kaa-san wouldn't have died!" Saying that, Ichigo broke into tears in front of the enigmatic shopkeeper. "It was... all my fault..."

"There, there," the man tried to comfort as he patted the boy's head. "It already happened. No use going on about it, eh?"

However, deep inside, Kisuke knew better. He knew that Masaki's death was no accident. From what he had heard, she had probably been killed by a Hollow. Possibly even Grand Fisher, if the mysterious girl was taken into account. Lord knows just how many times that beast had used that tactic to get his meals. Not to mention that said Hollow particularly liked to eat females. On that thought, the man took a closer look at the boy's reiatsu. Even for his age, it was already abnormally high – but that would be the result of being the child of an ex-captain after all.

The boy sobbed, choking back his tears as he rubbed off the tear streaks staining his face. "Ye-yeah, I guess," he said, bending down to pick up his small bag that lay on the foot of the grave. "I think I'd better leave now. Thank you," Ichigo muttered softly as he bowed in gratitude.

Kisuke smiled. "You're welcome."

As the exiled shinigami watched the boy leave, he couldn't help but wonder just what this amazing child would become in the near future. Maybe he would meet him someday once more.

As usual, Urahara Kisuke couldn't be more than right.

Hikari ga matomo ni sashikomanai
Kimi wa maru de hikage ni saita hana no you
Nozonda hazu jyanakatta basho ni
Ne wo hanasarete ugokezu ni irunda ne

- Ichirin no Hana, Bleach OP 3