Rivalry (Urahara x Reader)

Still

The morning sunlight streamed through the paper shoji screens, casting long, slanted shadows across the floor of my office as I sat, pen in hand, eyes glued to the latest report. My desk was cluttered with papers, the weight of unfinished work pressing down on me. The remnants of last night, though, were what refused to be ignored. I kept replaying the encounter with Gin in my mind—the way he had leaned in close, the warm touch of his fingers as they traced the line of my jaw, and the glint in his eyes that spoke of mischief and something deeper.

Get a hold of yourself, I told my reflection in the ink pot on the corner of my desk. He's just a friend, and he was testing you. That's it. Nothing more. I swallowed hard, trying to dispel the fluttering in my chest that seemed to tighten with each passing second. There was no reason to let him invade my thoughts this way. I was a captain, a strategist, someone who couldn't afford to be distracted by half-formed feelings and impulsive gestures.

Gin's smirk appeared in my mind, a familiar, sly curve that made the memory of his silver hair glint with the same shine as moonlight. It was impossible not to recall how it had brushed across his cheek when he leaned toward me. His eyes, sharp and glistening with a mixture of playfulness and something unreadable, had been too close, too intense. There was warmth in them, and it made me wonder if I had ever really understood him.

The morning chatter outside my office pulled me back from the edge of my thoughts. The sounds of training, the rustle of papers, and the faint laughter of Squad 9 members reminded me that I had a job to do. The squad had been on edge lately, their moods swinging like pendulums—snapping and sulking over nothing. I had to find out why, and I had to do it quickly.

I glanced at the case file in front of me, the fresh ink still a little damp. It detailed accounts of Squad 3's recent members acting erratically—arguments flaring up, sudden silences, and an energy that felt as if it had been siphoned off from them. I could almost see the shadows of exhaustion under their eyes, the stiffness in their movements. Whatever was causing this had to be stopped before it spread further.

With a sigh, I pushed away the tangled web of thoughts about Gin and forced myself to focus. Standing up, I adjusted the folds of my haori, its pristine white fabric brushing against my side like a silent reminder of who I was. This was more important than whatever confusing, fleeting emotions had sparked between us last night.

You're here to work, Y/N. This is your purpose, I reminded myself. And with that resolve hardening in my chest, I left my office, stepping out into the bustling corridors of the Gotei 13, ready to confront whatever mysteries lay ahead.

But even as I made my way toward Squad 3's barracks, I couldn't help but catch the faint scent of jasmine lingering in the air, the subtle trace of a memory I didn't know whether to welcome or push away.

I am just a girl man. Gin is just hot.

-Author