Waking up in strange places was becoming a habit that Ichigo wasn't certain he liked. At least this time he had a blanket over him and a pillow under his head, though he couldn't remember getting either of those.

Still, the floor was not a comfortable place to sleep.

Ichigo sat up with a grimace and rubbed the grit from his eyes, taking a look around. Ishida was asleep on the couch, expression peaceful and content, and Ichigo resolved to be as quiet as possible. His friend needed all the solid sleep he could get, after all.

The rest of the room was as he remembered it, with furniture pushed against the walls and everything in a bit of disarray, but… there was no sign that he had lost control of himself at any point. The small tufts of fur scattered around were from Ishida grooming his wolf form, and beyond that there was nothing else to indicate that last night he had been a wolf instead of a human. It was a relief.

(He wasn't a danger.)

(He was still himself.)

A familiar duffel-bag sitting on the side-table caught his eye, and Ichigo wrapped the blanket around his body and rose to investigate. It looked like one of his bags, the one he took with him when he spent the night at Chad's place, but he was drawing a blank as to how it could have gotten here.

(Had Chad brought it? Had Tatsuki? His sisters?)

(He'd thought Ishida wanted to avoid everyone for a time…)

Ichigo opened the bag and peered into it, confirming that it was his, then glanced at Ishida. Taking a shower and getting dressed in his clothing sounded perfect, but if Ishida woke up and panicked…

He slung the bag over his shoulder and moved back to the couch. "Hey," he said, combing a hand through Ishida's hair until his friend started to stir. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Mmm..? Ichigo..?" Ishida blinked sleepily up at him, leaning into the touch.

Ichigo bit back his amusement at the unconscious use of his name and repeated, "I'm going to take a shower."

Ishida hummed and rolled over, pulling his blanket up higher and burying his face in the pillow. "Mmkay."

Chuckling softly at the dismissal, Ichigo went to get clean. He didn't bother hurrying; the moon might not be in the sky but it was still close to full and their senses were sharper because of it. Just the sound of running water would alert Ishida to where Ichigo was.

By the time Ichigo wandered back into the main room, clean and dressed in one of his softest shirts, Ishida was on his feet and slouched against a kitchen counter. His hair was mussed from sleep and he was staring blankly into a mug of tea, waiting for the microwave to finish reheating more food.

"Morning," Ichigo greeted him.

Ishida grumbled something unintelligible and downed his tea, then went to tend to the food in the microwave.

"You alright?" Ichigo asked cautiously, wondering if he'd done something to annoy Ishida or if his friend was just… not a morning person.

"I… think I overslept," Ishida admitted as he set a bowl of food on the counter near Ichigo and settled back to poke at his own. "Kurosaki…"

He hummed in question and nibbled on the food Ishida had given him, waiting for him to gather his thoughts.

"I need to visit Urahara today," Ishida finally announced. "I was… speaking with him a bit last night while you were asleep." He eyed Ichigo side-long, then made a face and refocused on his food. "You can come with. I asked. He doesn't mind."

Ichigo froze, thinking about all the times Urahara had pulled his hat down and turned away, unable to even meet his gaze. He wasn't banned from the Shoten, but there was so much guilt and shame emanating from Urahara that being in his presence was uncomfortable. Even Tessai wasn't his normal self, no matter how much he pretended.

(And he hadn't even seen a trace of Yoruichi since the end of the war.)

"Kurosaki," Ishida called in concern. "You don't need to come, I just… wanted you to know you can." He set his bowl down and opened his phone, fiddling with it for a moment before setting it down on the counter next to Ichigo's elbow. "Here. Uhm… if you want to see that he agreed."

Ichigo glanced down and snorted at the sight of the kaomoji on the screen.

"Did you know he texts like that?" Ishida complained, a tiny smile pulling at his lips. "It's terrible."

"Be glad he didn't resort to nothing but kaomoji to talk," Ichigo replied absently, skimming the brief conversation and letting Urahara's words turn over in his mind. The idea that Urahara had been trying to help eased something in his chest, but… why hadn't the man just told him? "Ishida… you sure you want to do this? I… it's not… I know how you feel about Shinigami…"

Ishida scoffed and snatched his phone back. "He's not exactly a Shinigami, is he? Besides, he's been moping almost as much as you've been. And with only me left… I don't know. There's really not much point in secrecy anymore, is there?"

"What about this whole… this?" Ichigo tapped his human nails against the counter in indication.

"I doubt he'll manage to find any references in the books I'm bringing. Most of it was in the less technical books." Ishida pushed away from the counter and ran a hand through his hair, tucking his bangs behind his ears. "But I doubt it will take him long to figure it out anyway."

Ichigo scowled and finished off the last of his food. Ishida was right. If Urahara didn't already know about the curse, it wouldn't take him long to discover that there was something different about them. "And you're… alright with that?"

Ishida fidgeted with his phone and shrugged, not meeting Ichigo's gaze. "Are you planning to come?" he asked instead of answering. "I… want to get started as soon as possible."

"Yeah. I'll come." If only to keep Ishida company. He wasn't certain he could handle Urahara's guilt with his senses sharpened by the moon-phase, but he refused to leave Ishida alone with someone who made him uncomfortable. His friend was taking a risk for Ichigo's wellbeing; the least he could do in return was keep him company.

Relief flickered across Ishida's expression and Ichigo knew he'd made the right choice. "Alright. Let me grab the books I want to bring and we'll go."

Ichigo watched Ishida retreat from the kitchen then pulled out his phone and unlocked it. He needed to have a few words with Urahara first.

(If the man would even respond to him.)

Ichigo: if u do a single thing to break ishidas trust i'm setting tatsuki on u
Hat'n'Clogs: ∑(O_O;)
Ichigo: were coming over with books
Ichigo: would have been nice to know what u were up to, hatnclogs
Hat'n'Clogs: (_ _) i didn't want to give you false hope Kurosaki-kun
Ichigo: tch
Ichigo: the hell was i supposed to think? u up and retreating any time i showed up?
Hat'n'Clogs: (_ _)
Ichigo: stop that
Ichigo: u didnt make me do anything
Ichigo: again.
Ichigo: stop taking blame u dont deserve
Hat'n'Clogs: i could have done more
Hat'n'Clogs: found some other way
Hat'n'Clogs: something
Ichigo: when u and ishida get my powers back, im going to fight u until u stop the damn pity party
Hat'n'Clogs: ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴

He snorted and turned his phone screen off, ignoring the vibration of another message arriving. He'd said his piece and now it was up to Urahara and Ishida to work things out together. There was no doubt in his mind that those two would find an answer; Urahara already had an idea and Ishida said that there were Quincy arts dedicated to healing the soul. Whatever they came up with was bound to be unique but… it would work.

(He trusted them both.)

Ichigo tore his thoughts away and crossed the room to drop onto the couch, refocusing on the scent of home and the sounds of Ishida moving about instead.

He'd survived against all odds, gone from a Substitute Shinigami to a werewolf, and now… now he just needed to have confidence in his friends. They would find a way to heal him or they wouldn't, but either way he would never allow himself to be that weak again.

(His pack needed him. His friends needed him.)

(He knew how to use being needed as an anchor until he could find his own balance again.)

(He'd overcome this.)

Ichigo kept watch on Ishida as they got closer to the Shoten, hating the way his friend's expression became pinched and his shoulders hunched more with every meter they crossed. He wished he could do something about it, but he just… didn't have the words to sooth Ishida's fears.

(Wasn't even certain what Ishida feared.)

His own stomach was in this throat, his palms sweaty and his senses dialed to the max. He dreaded the coming meeting, dreaded Urahara's forced cheer and flat scent, but anticipation sang down his spine at the chance presented.

There wouldn't be an immediate answer, he knew that, but… Quincy arts were so different from the little he'd learned of Shinigami arts. And Ishida seemed so confident, so certain that some of the Quincy arts to heal soul damage could be used to help him. If there was anyone in the Three Worlds who could translate Quincy arts into a way to heal him it would be Urahara.

So he swallowed his emotions and nudged Ishida with his shoulder as they stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Shoten. "It'll be fine," he murmured, letting Ishida lean into him. "You and Urahara will figure this out."

Ishida shot him a sour look and pulled away. "I know that."

Amused by the way Ishida was bristling, Ichigo followed his friend to the front door of the Shoten where Jinta was goofing off. "Hey, Jinta," he greeted the boy. "Urahara mention we were showing up?"

Jinta wrinkled his nose and rested the broom on his shoulder. "Yeah. He's in the back." He looked between the two of them, expression turning dark and mulish. "Whatever the hell you told him, you better not've been lying."

"No promises it'll pan out," Ichigo warned Jinta, not willing to lie about the chances. "But… there is a chance what Ishida found will help."

"If you say so."

"It's more than he has right now," Ishida snapped, striding past and sliding the door open. "We'll figure something out."

Ichigo chuckled and ruffled Jinta's hair, then hurried to catch up with Ishida. Urahara was exactly where Jinta had promised, waiting in the common room with tea and snacks set out.

"Ishida-kun, Kurosaki-kun, welcome." Urahara leaned forward to pour them tea as they sat across from him. When he sat back, his brows were furrowed and his gaze was sharp, darting between Ichigo and Ishida.

He was already sensing something off, Ichigo suspected, but at least it was better than the guilt and inability to even look at him. Stomach finally starting to settle, Ichigo reached out and made two plates of snacks and handed one to Ishida. They'd eaten barely a half hour ago and his nerves made the thought of food unappealing, but… from what he'd read in Ishida's journal, it was best if they kept things on hand to eat.

"Here." Ishida leaned over and dropped the bag of books closer to Urahara. "That's not everything I have but I think it's the relevant ones. I'll do what I can to assist, but… I don't know how much help I'll be." He grimaced and focused on the plate of snacks, poking at what Ichigo had given him. "Most of it… doesn't make much sense to me."

"Ah, we can fix that I'm sure!" Urahara chirped as he pulled the bag closer and began to rifle through the books. "I've never examined Quincy arts before, so we'll both be learning as we go!"

Ishida's head jerked up, eyes wide and excited, before his expression closed off and he looked away. "You don't need to," he demurred.

"Nonsense!" Urahara huffed and waved his fan as if to sweep Ishida's words away. "I'm not a Quincy, so how will I ever see these arts in use if I don't teach you as we go?"

Ichigo pressed closer to Ishida and Urahara began to flip through the different books. Fine tremors shook Ishida's body and Ichigo could hear Ishida's breath catching every so often. He said nothing though, just offered his comfort and let Ishida gather himself in peace.

(He knew the shock of suddenly having a way forward again.)

(Ishida would be alright. They'd both be alright.)

(No matter what happened.)

Urahara ignored them in favor of the books, though Ichigo was certain the man knew what his words had caused.

"Can you read them?" Ichigo asked, watching the way Urahara slowly flipped through the pages.

"It's been a while but it's coming back to me. I was bored a few decades back and picked up a few random languages." Urahara flipped another page and paused, eyes widening. "Oh my… Ishida-kun, please tell me all these books contain diagrams?"

"Yes?" Ishida sipped at his tea then set his cup down, hands settling into his lap and fingers linking together. "Almost every technique has at least one. I… can't entirely understand them because they're more complex than what I'm used to reading, but… they're there."

Urahara made a pleased noise and flipped through a few more pages before closing the book and setting it aside. "You'll need to teach me what you know so I can read the diagrams, but I have a good feeling about this. Thank you, Ishida-kun."

Ishida relaxed, tension draining from his body and a tiny, relieved smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I'll do my best."

"Shall we begin then?" Urahara asked, replacing the books in the bag and closing it. When Ishida nodded and scrambled to his feet, Urahara grinned and rose as well, bag of books in hand. "Kurosaki-kun, you're welcome to come back with us if you want. We won't have anything today but I could probably find something for you to do while we're learning?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Ichigo grabbed the two plates of snacks and rose to follow Urahara down the hall and to his lab. Ishida was relaxing, but Ichigo still didn't feel comfortable leaving his friend alone just yet.

Urahara ushered them both into the room and glanced around, then paused with an awkward laugh. "Ah, uhm… forgive the mess. I've been focused on things other than cleaning…"

"You mean you've been chasing Tsukabishi out of here every time he tries to tidy up," Ichigo said dryly, moving to stand in a mostly clean spot.

"Mou, so cruel!" Urahara pouted at him while dropping the bag of books atop a stack of books covering a chair. Hands freed, he moved towards the large table in the center and began to hastily tidy up the books and notes covering it. "Ishida-kun, there are stools in the back. Let me get this cleared off and we can begin, okay?"

Ichigo drifted over to the center table and set the plates of snacks down. He accepted a stool from Ishida with a nod of thanks and hopped up, leaning his chin on his hand and scanning the scattered notes that Urahara hadn't cleared yet. Urahara's messy script covered the pages, broken by mathematical formulae and scribbled diagrams. None of it made sense to him, but all of it undoubtedly related to him based on Urahara's conversation with Ishida last night.

"Ah… I think I have some books about Shinigami arts around here, if you'd like..?" Urahara asked as he swept the last of the scattered notes into a pile and straightened them out. He rubbed at the back of his head and glanced around the room with a sheepish expression. "I think that's it though? Sorry, Kurosaki-kun…"

"It's fine," Ichigo reassured. He couldn't do anything with the knowledge now, but… but maybe in time he could experiment and try to put some of it into practice. Just because he learned best by doing didn't mean he was incapable of book work.

Urahara gave him a weak smile and retreated to a bookshelf to collect a small stack of books that he set at Ichigo's elbow. "Here. Something in here might interest you?"

"Thanks' Hat'n'Clogs." Ichigo considered the books, running thoughtful fingers over unmarked bindings, before plucking the top one from the stack and flipping it open. Tidy, handwritten script covered the lined page; he'd only seen Urahara's legible writing a handful of times, but it shared enough characteristics with his quicker shorthand that Ichigo was certain the man had written the book.

He glanced at Urahara thoughtfully and arched an eyebrow when Urahara met his gaze. Except instead of a cheerful deflection or an actual answer, Urahara twitched and looked away, shoulders hunching as he focused on the Quincy books.

(What in the world..?)

Ishida shot him a puzzled look, frowning at the way Ichigo just shrugged, then sighed and rubbed at his temple. Instead of asking though, he just dragged one of Urahara's notebooks closer and grabbed a pen, looking up at Urahara as he asked, "Where would you like to start?"

"Ah! Uhm… how about with the diagram basics that you know?"

"Very well. There are seven basic notations…"

Ichigo set the handwritten book down on the table and hooked his feet around the legs of the stool. Urahara's lab wasn't the most comfortable place he'd ever studied, and he was already beginning to feel cold again without Ishida pressed against his side, but he'd make due.

Content for the moment, Ichigo focused on the book Urahara had written for him and let the conversation wash over him.