Ichigos POV

I was wakened by my mobile going off.
Grumbling I wrapped myself out of the burrito that's also considered to be my blanket and that I obviously had wrapped around me in the night.
I reached with a slightly shaking hand for my mobile and looked at the display, finding a message from Shiro.
A quick look at the watch on my phone also told me that it was nine in the morning.
I opened the message and read.

Hey, Ichi.
Am free today, wanna meet at the park?
Shiro

'When you have a free day, why are you up already than?'
I thought to myself.
Sighing afterward, I decided to get up as well, since I was already awake now and wouldn't be able to doze off again.
While I stood under the shower I began to feel thankful that Shiro had woken me, because I had the nagging feeling that I had dreamed about something very unsettling, if the arrangement of my blankets and my shaking hand before was any indication.
Luckily I didn't remember anything, but blackness.
I turned the water off and got out of the shower, dried myself and dressed in some casual clothes.

Downstairs I met with Yuzu, who looked a bit surprised at me, she surely hadn't thought that I would be up yet when I could have slept in.
I told her the reason for my getting up early and she smiled brightly, stating.
"You like that Shiro much, when he's able to get you out of the bed so easily."
I didn't know what to say or do, but to try and hide my embarrassment.
Yuzu was way to observatory - behind her innocent attitude - to hide anything from her.

"ICHIGO! WHO IS THE GIRL MY HANDSOME SON FALLEN IN LOVE WITH?"
I heard my idiot-dad call behind me and ducked under the kick flying at my back.
"Shut it, dad!"
My other sister came into the kitchen, stating in a bored manner.
"You know he doesn't swing that way, goat-face."
"Karin!"
I called her in protest.
"What, I just stated a fact."
There's no way, no way in hell, that I really am related to the both of them.
I swear, if it wouldn't be for my mom, and Yuzu, I'd be sure I've been adopted.
"What did I do in my past life, to deserve such treatment?"
I asked staring up to the white ceiling, as if it held the answer I was looking for.

Being fed up with the annoying part of my family, I grab my share from breakfast and head out.
Nibbling at a piece of toast, I pick my mobile and send Shiro a reply.

Sure.
Be there at 10:30.
C ya
Ichigo

When I arrived at the park, Shiro already sat there on a bench, the same he sat on the last times.
'Must be his favorite or something.'
Taking a good look at him I noticed that something was different.
"Hey."
He greeted me and lifted one hand.
"Hi there. You look different from yesterday."
I told him and he than brushed through the back of his hair, combing a ponytail over his right shoulder.

Did he cut his hair?
I was sure that yesterday, the hair from behind the line of his ears had reached to his hips, now the long white hair barely fell to his collar bone and his bangs had been at chin length, but now they were so short that they stood in spikes from his head, just like my orange tresses always did.

"Ah, you noticed? I've been fed up with it. Made me look girly and out of time and it's been a pain in the ass to care of."
He had a point, the shorter hair let him look more like he belonged into the modern time we lived in.
Before you could have thought he had traveled from a medieval time into ours.

I sat down next to him and we started to talk, asking each other about things, we hadn't yesterday.
At some point, and I have really no idea how that happened, we came to talk about historical themes, like hierarchies, politics and life in medieval times.
Shiro knew so much about history, I felt like I was talking with a history book made of flesh and bones.
Oh how I wished I had come to know him earlier, he would have been so useful for my history exams.

Shiros POV

As we talked about the time, long before he had been born, he was glued to my lips and he didn't seem to notice that he was staring.
I smiled and it broke the spell he was under.
"How about a break? It's been three hours already since we started the theme."
"Uh, sure. Shall we go get something to drink. I guess you're thirsty after all that speaking."
'Oh you have no idea.'
I thought to myself, willing my extending fangs back into my skull.
"Yeah, that would be great."

Normal POV

The two spend the rest of the day together, until the sun set and Shiro brought Ichigo home like last time.
He wished him a good night, hugging him shortly and then headed for his own home.
Ichigo entered his house and found his dad sitting on the sofa with someone the teen didn't recognize.
"I'm back dad. Who's your guest?"

Mentioned guest turned around, to look over the back of the sofa.
"Oya, if that isn't the little Ichigo."
The male, with the messy blonde hair and steel gray eyes said.
He raised from his seat and walked around the furniture to greet the orangette properly.
"It's understandable that you don't recognize me. We haven't seen each other since the sad day that your mother passed away. I'm Urahara Kisuke and an old friend of your father."

The name rung a bell in the back of his head, he knitted his brows together, trying to grasp a thin memory, when an image of a man with green clothes and a striped hat hit him.
"Mr. Hat-&-Clogs?"
"Right, that's what you called me than. I see you remember."
The blonde smiled, turning back toward his seat and waving Ichigo to come with him.
"Ichigo, where have you been the whole day? You didn't tell us anything before you stormed out of the house."
His father asked, as he had taken place in one of the armchairs.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I've been out with a new friend. His name is Shiro."

Ichigo noticed Urahara still in his motion at that name and stare at him.
"Urahara-san? Are you ok?"
"Ah, yeah. Everything's fine."
He said, scratching the back of his head goofy and faking a smile and Ichigo noticed that it was fake.
"So, who is that Shiro person?"
Isshin asked his son.
"He helped me yesterday, when someone stole my wallet. He's a very kind person. Though he looks a bit strange, you know he's an albino, but hasn't the eyes those people normally have."
The air around Urahara grew tenser by the second, the more Ichigo told about the man he met, just yesterday.
"Ichigo, I know we barely know each other and I hate it to be the voice of reason, but you should stay away from the man."
The blonde told, locking his eyes on the teens to underline his seriousness.

"Give me one reason why I should do that."
Ichigo demanded, the stubbornness he inherited from his father coming to the surface, which already had decided that no matter the reason he'd been given, he wouldn't listen to it.
"The man isn't who he pretends to be. I know who he really is and being around him is dangerous."
"If he is dangerous, so are you."
Ichigo deadpanned.
"Pardon?"
"I don't know how I shall describe it, so that you understand."
"Just try."
"Alright. You...spread a similar feeling like him. It's strange, but doesn't feel dangerous to me at all."
Urahara looked to his friend Isshin, who nodded and got up with a sigh, leaving the two alone with the excuse he had some forms to fill in at the clinic.

The blonde sighed.
"Fine, it seems like you have the same stolid mind like your father."
He stood up and went over to his coat, producing something from it that was wrapped in paper.
"You've turned eighteen lately, right?"
Ichigo nodded,when Urahara turned back around and came over to him again.
"Well, than accept this as your birthday gift."
He handed the teen the object and when he had unwrapped it, he found it to be a jackknife.
"Please, at least have this always with you, so your father and me can be sure you have something to defend yourself with."
Ichigo tested the knife some times, than put it in the back pocket of his jeans.
"Fine. If it makes you happy I will."
"Thank you. Well, than I'll take my leave. Would you give your father my greetings? I've got some errands myself, so I'm a bit in a hurry now."
Urahara asks, getting his coat and a dark hat and taking his leave toward the door.
"Yeah, sure. Bye Urahara-san."

As the blonde slayer left the Kurosaki household, someone watched him from the shadows and he wasn't pleased the tiniest bit at the sight.

Chapter 6
End