Bleach One-Shots

Kisuke Urahara - "You're safe here, you know that?"

TW: domestic violence

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You lay on the floor, blood dripping from your lips and right eyebrow. Your body ached and you felt yourself drifting in and out of consciousness. You had to stay awake. You couldn't let yourself succumb to the darkness, not with the injuries to your head you had sustained.

You didn't even know why he had beaten you. He came home drunk and angry and took it out on you. You begged him to stop but he was a violent force, unstoppable in his rage as he pushed you against the wall and held your throat in a tight grip. You struggled to breathe and through your gasps you asked him why.

He said nothing and instead began punching you in the face. With each hit, you felt yourself die on the inside. So this was how you were going to go out, huh?

You didn't want to cry, but tears began slipping down your face and mixing with the blood. You never doubted he would kill you. He had hurt you emotionally and physically so many times before that you honestly expected to die by his hand these days.

It sickened you at what you had become. Weak and reliant on someone who hated you. You never expected this to happen, but after losing your family you left your home in search of somewhere new. You had found a good man, or so you thought. He showered you with attention and gifts, promised you things you never imagined, and showed you off like a prized possession. However, that slowly changed. He became hateful and possessive. His words began to cut you deeply and he cut you off from the few friends you had made in Karakura, saying they were fake and you didn't need anyone that wasn't him. You disagreed and that was the first time he became violent.

Over time, he became a stranger to you. He hated you, but swore he loved you. His actions never matched his words, but you held onto the fleeting hope that things would get better. You begged him to stop drinking, but he never did. You thought of leaving many times, but you had no idea where to go. You had a little money saved up, but you didn't know if it was enough to be on your own. You had to escape, however, or it would cost you your life.

One night when you made up your mind to go, he came home while you were packing a bag and threatened to kill himself, holding a knife against his throat unless you promised to stay and told him you loved him. Through angry tears you said those words, cursing him in your mind the entire time.

So, you stayed. He promised it would never happen again, but you didn't believe him. You felt empty and broken. Honestly, if he killed you at least it would all be over. You didn't care for your life anymore, especially if this was how it was.

You gave up.

And then one day when you stopped at a little store on a whim, you met a peculiar shop owner in Karakura.

Kisuke Urahara.

And he brought back your desire to live.

He was very nice to you and even offered you a cup of tea as you shopped. He took note that you were wearing a long sleeve turtleneck in the middle of summer, but as someone who dressed eccentrically himself, he didn't think much of it. He mentioned he had never seen you around before and you replied that you didn't get over to this side of town much.

"What brings you over here today then?" he asked with a grin.

You smiled weakly, "Just taking a long walk." You weren't lying technically, but you really were trying to avoid your boyfriend. If you weren't there, he couldn't hurt you.

"It's a lovely day to do so."

"Mhm."

He asked your name and you replied before asking his. Whenever he said "Kisuke Urahara" you felt a genuine smile spread on your face as you spoke, "Nice to meet you, Kisuke."