#tapfic

“But…I wanna go with Mommy and Daddy.”

Renji chuckled and adjusted his hold over the course of his next few strides. “Sorry, kiddo. We talked ‘bout this, remember? Only Shinigami’re allowed to go to the Livin’ World.”

Like a nostalgic vision from the past, Rukia’s childish pout glared back at him. Well…almost. The chin wasn’t quite right and the hair was completely wrong both in color and style. But other than that, the tiny girl he held in his arms could’ve easily passed for his wife’s doppelgänger back when she was a child, right down to the way in which she hunched her shoulders and gave a grumpy huff.

“No fair,” she grumbled, now deliberately refusing to look at him as if her defiance would somehow change things. By maintaining a fixed stare on Soukyoku Hill off in the distance she was trying her very hardest to keep a steeled face, he knew, but even before her lower lip started trembling a small trickle of moisture was already making its way down her flushed cheek.  

“Oh…now…Ichika…” Renji halted and sighed helplessly as the tears flowed faster and bouts of sporadic hiccupping began, all the while praying no one would notice.

No such luck. On a sparsely populated street like this, a tall man with bright red hair standing awkwardly in the middle, sobbing child in one arm and a large satchel in the other, easily stood out. Several curious onlookers turned their way as they passed, a few even offering him sympathetic looks before hurrying on. Those Renji felt obligated to acknowledge and his unfortunate response came out as somewhat of a painful grimace.

Of course he hated seeing his precious little girl upset like this, but what could he do? It was completely out of his hands. Deciding who could and couldn’t leave Soul Society was and had always been up to the Central 46, and he highly doubted they would change the policy now for a two year-old. Even if said two year-old did happen to be the child of two of the Gotei 13’s strongest lieutenants.

Unfortunately, explaining this to her, even in the simplest of terms, wasn’t enough. Being so young, the scope of her worldview just hadn’t yet expanded beyond their immediate family, the Kuchiki clan, and Mommy and Daddy’s friends who played with her sometimes. As far as she understood, whenever there was something she wanted or needed, no matter what was wrong, her parents would always be there to make it right. To her, they could do anything!

Yet now her father was telling her this was a problem he wasn’t going to fix? In her eyes, it meant he could but didn’t want to. Which of course, was not true, but imagined or not, the guilt of being at all responsible for what she saw as a devastating betrayal by her beloved Daddy still tugged painfully at his heart. So much so that Renji was half tempted to start crying right along with her until a gentle voice at his side spoke up in his defense.

“Shhh…Daddy knows it’s not fair, sweetie. And it makes him very sad that we can’t bring you this weekend.”

Wearing that affecionate, beautiful face Renji loved so much, Rukia reached up and tenderly rubbed Ichika’s back. Despite 17 inches of distance separating their statures, he wholly felt every drop of soothing warmth she emitted towards their distraught daughter.

“But you know what? If you keep working hard at your lessons, you’ll be enlisted as a Gotei Apprentice soon enough. As seated officers, Daddy and I can request special permission for Apprentices to accompany us to the Living World.”

Giving a small sniffle, Ichika clumsily rubbed her leaking eyes with one chubby fist. “Then…I can go, too?”

Rukia put on an encouraging smile and squeezed the foot dangling down closest to her. “I promise…when you’re an Apprentice, you can come with us any time you like,” she vowed.

Ichika finally looked back to Renji in a silent plea for reassurance; It was up to him to bring it all home and thanks to Rukia’s efforts he knew exactly what to do.

So in one smooth motion, he set Ichika on the dusty road and knelt before her as close to her level as he could get, though there was still over a foot of growth required on her part before seeing eye-to-eye in this position would be remotely possible. Gently, with the comforting touch he’d acquired from fatherhood, the few stray tears that had been missed were expertly brushed away without a trace. He discretely wiped his damp thumb on one pant leg and grinned.

“Hey…Mommy’s right, ya know. You’re doin’ real well with your lessons,“ Renji declared. Just thinking about it triggered a small rush of pride to well up in his chest. “‘Fact…I’d figure you’re a lot stronger ’n we were at this age.”

Her downcast eyes lifted immediately. “Really…?”

Renji grinned wider and poked her shoulder. “I’d be shocked if they didn’t come knockin’ down our door beggin’ ya to join up by the time you’re six.”

He was saying all this now to make her feel better, of course, but it actually wasn’t a lie. Even before she was born everyone had been certain Ichika would inherit at least some of her parents’ talent, so as soon as she could stand and hold a (wooden) sword on her own Rukia insisted they begin training her. During the first lesson it was confirmed that yes, she did indeed possess remarkable reiatsu and spiritual capabilities when she shocked both of them by producing a perfectly formed miniature orb of energy after seeing the technique demonstrated only once.

True, Mommy and Daddy probably should’ve said something before now. But thankfully, the pep talk had done its job. Like a rainbow breaking through storm clouds, a hopeful smile finally emerged.

Rukia adjusted the two bags slung over her shoulders (her own plus Ichika’s) and joined them on the ground. “But for now, Ichika, your job is to be a good girl for Oji-sama while Mommy and Daddy are away at Ichi-nii and Hime-chan’s wedding.” She swept aside the wisps of red hair framing Ichika’s round face. “Can we count on you to do that?”

The simple action had brought into prominence the sole hair-related genetic trait Ichika received from her mother: One small lock in the middle of her forehead that stubbornly sprang back into place almost immediately. With determined confidence, the fully formed miniature Rukia puffed up with one final sniff and gave her parents a grand nod. “Mm!”

“‘Atta girl!” Renji wrapped one arm around her and pulled her in close. “Now how ‘bout we get a move on…don’t wanna keep Oji-sama waitin’, do we?”

“N-nooo-oo!” Ichika shrieked and giggled at the flurry of kisses and playful noises assaulting the top of her head. Only when Renji was satisfied that all traces of the previously unhappy mood had been destroyed did he release the squirming toddler-now sporting a cheeky grin topped off with a lopsided ponytail-and stand back up. While brushing the dirt off his clothes, out of the corner of his eye he saw Rukia give an exasperated huff and reach out to quickly fix the destruction left in the wake of his affections before following suit.

The final leg of their family trek to the Kuchiki estate was completed hand-in-hand with Ichika happily trotting between Rukia and himself (uncomfortably hunched, of course, but he was used to it by now). Once they were mere steps from their destination, however, Ichika wrenched out of their grasps and ran ahead through the entrance gate, calling out, “Seike-san! Seike-saaan!”

Just inside, Byakuya’s personal attendant stood waiting for them on the paved walkway. At the sound of his name, he looked up and caught sight of the little girl happily bounding towards him. The old man’s normally serene expression instantly blossomed into a warm smile.

“Why, hello there, Ichika-sama!” Seike bent over to greet her with a respectful bow of his head once she had skittered to a halt. “And what brings you here today?” he asked curiously, though Renji knew he was actually fully aware of the next six days’ arrangement.

“Well. I’m here staying…with Oji-sama!” Ichika announced proudly while rocking back and forth with her hands wringing together in front of her.

“Are you now?” Seike adjusted his glasses with a very convincing look of surprise on his face.

“Yes! Because…Mommy and Daddy are going to the Living World.” She pouted and gave a dejected sigh. “But I can’t go, too.” To cap off this display of misery, she sagged her shoulders low and ground the toe of one sneaker into the stone path.

Renji nearly snorted out loud. That kid could really lay it on thick when she wanted to…and it wasn’t hard to guess who she got this from.

But ever the good sport, Seike played along with Ichika’s antics and let his face fall into a sympathetic frown. “Oh, no…I’m very sorry to hear that.”

Satisfied that she’d suckered him in with her little performance, Ichika instantly recovered with a screech of laughter and clapped her palms together. “It’s okay, Seike-san! Because guess what?” She cupped her hands around her mouth and leaned forward to tell him in a loud whisper, “I’m gonna be a Shinigami soon!”

Somewhere behind him Rukia let out a stifled cough, which Renji immediately recognized as not an actual cough, but her polite attempt to keep a laugh suppressed.

Oh boy…

When he had said “by the time you’re six” what he meant was “probably in four years,” so definitely not anywhere near “soon.” And when that did happen, as Rukia had stated, she would be enlisted in the Gotei as an Apprentice, not a full-fledged Shinigami.

But rather than put a damper on the bubbly mood they had just managed to bring out minutes earlier, Renji simply kept his mouth clamped shut and shrugged to himself. She’d learn the differences eventually.

“Ahh! Is that so?” Seike chuckled with a knowing twinkle in his eye as Ichika grinned at him and gleefully twisted herself from side to side, “Well, I have no doubt you will make a fine Shinigami, Ichika-sama!”

If there was one worldly concept Ichika had actually grasped in her short existence, it was the polite thing one should say in response to a compliment. She giggled and hid her mouth behind her fingers with a squeak of “Thaaank you!”

“Rukia-sama. Renji-sama.” Seike straightened and acknowledged the two of them. “Byakuya-sama is taking his daily walk through the gardens. Please follow me.”

Impatient as always, Ichika did not comply and instead darted around Seike to make a beeline for the grove of trees in the distance. When she spotted the familiar figure among them, strolling over the koi pond’s painted bridge, her face lit up with a gasp of excitement and she sprinted towards it as fast as her little legs could carry her.

“OJI-SAMAAAA!!!”

Byakuya, looking oddly relaxed in casual garb of light blue and grey with freely flowing hair, waited patiently until she was thundering over the wooden planks before crouching down to meet his niece. Ichika took a flying leap into his outstretched arms and flung her own around his neck in the biggest, squeeziest hug she could muster. He returned it in kind and held tight as the rest of the adults joined them on the bridge.

If someone told Renji years ago that this sight would become a commonplace occurrence, he would’ve most likely laughed in that person’s face. And then told them to go home and sleep it off. Even now, after witnessing the captain fully (and dare he say it…happily) accept his daughter’s enthusiastic greetings many times over, Renji was certain he would never, ever get used it.

“Hello, Ichika. You look well.” Still on one knee, Byakuya held her out at arms length and looked her up and down. “That’s a very pretty…” he frowned slightly, “garment…you have on.”

Her face brightened at the intended compliment, nonetheless, and she cheerfully informed him, “Thank you, Oji-sama! It’s from Ishi-san!”

Rukia, having just given Ichika’s overnight bag and a few last minute instructions to Seike before he took it into the house, walked over and knelt beside Ichika with a hand on her shoulder. “Ichika, why don’t you tell Oji-sama what those are?” she suggested after noticing the puzzled look on her brother’s face.

Thanks to the generosity of their friends in the Living World, Ichika’s wardrobe from the time she was born boasted a mix of modern Western and traditional Soul Society clothing so she, unlike a good majority of people in the Seireitei, was equally comfortable sporting either style. Now that she was old enough to voice her own opinion on the matter, she would frequently switch between the two depending on what she felt like wearing that particular day. More often than not, on the days she wore human clothes one of them (usually Rukia) ended up having to explain the various pieces of her outfit to friends and colleagues.

“It’s…they’re, um…” Ichika’s face scrunched up tighter than the time Rangiku gave her some sour candies to try in her effort to remember what Ishida had said when he presented them to her. It was understandable if she’d forgotten; Her birthday was over a month ago and the excitement from opening a whopping 127 presents in total had left her dazed and reeling by the time she was finished. So as Renji expected, it took some quietly murmured prompting from Rukia before she came up with the answer.

“Ohhh…veeerrr…Oh! Over-alls!” she proclaimed happily and lifted up the bib to show off the flowers neatly embroidered on the dusty pink denim.

After a brief examination of the bold designs, Byakuya closed his eyes and nodded his head in understanding. “Ah, yes…overalls. They suit you nicely.” He stoically straightened himself and then his haori. “Now then, Ichika, shall we see how the fish are doing today?”

Ichika’s eyes widened. “Are they in the water now?” she asked in a hushed voice.

A hint of a smile crossed Byakuya’s face. “Yes, they are in the water, as always.”

“So we can see-we can please see them?” Ichika corrected herself mid-sentence even though she wasn’t posing this as a question of permission, so there was really no need to.

“If that is what you desire.” The smile was no longer merely a hint now.

Ichika drew herself up and nodded. “Why yes, I do desire…that…” With Byakuya in tow, she marched over to the railing and tried to peer around and over the banisters, but unfortunately her tiny size meant she lacked the height necessary to obtain an unobstructed view of the pond. She looked up at Byakuya with a disappointed frown. “Ummm, it’s not working, Oji-sama. I’m sorry…we can’t see the fishies today.”

Laughter was another thing Renji never thought he’d witness coming from Kuchiki Byakuya, but there it was.

“Do not worry, this is a simple fix,” Byakuya assured as he lifted her high up into the air. Once he had one arm wrapped securely around her torso and the other pinning her lower half in place against him, he allowed her to put her hands on the railing and lean forward so she could peer into the pond. Ichika flailed and squealed with delight when she spotted several brightly colored fish circling in the water directly below her.

“Nii-sama.” Rukia took the opportunity to step forward and bow deeply to her brother. “Thank you so much for allowing us to leave Ichika in your care.”

“As I have told you before…there is no need for thanks.” He calmly watched Ichika puff out her cheeks and smack her lips in imitation of one of the fish as if she was trying to commune with it, then added, “I am not bothered in the slightest.”

Whether this was true or false, it was still rather impressive how unfazed Byakuya seemed by Ichika’s determination to destroy his carefully put-together appearance. Maintaining such poise while keeping hold of a wiggling toddler whose wild thrashing threatened the likelihood of a whacked nose or eye and every sporadic kick sent crumbs of dirt tumbling down his pristine clothing had to require extreme effort on his part, but he never let it show. No…Oji-sama’s adoration for Ichika outweighed whatever inconveniences she wrought upon him, and he would endure it all without complaint for even the tiniest sliver of her happiness.

“Well…needed ‘r not, we’re still grateful knowin’ she’s in good hands while we’re gone. Puts our minds at ease, ya know?” Renji told him with a nod of his head-a much more casual gesture than he would’ve normally dared to attempt. However, in this rare instance, formalities had no place in an acknowledgement of understanding between equals: Two men, driven by their devotion to a pair of sisters, each entrusting the other to protect what was most precious to him and the woman he loved. It was the one bond they shared as brothers-in-law that was built on true mutual feelings, and one that Renji didn’t take for granted.

Despite never openly admitting this to him, Byakuya knew. And ever a man of restraint, the look he returned was brief but just as steadfast in its recognition. “Yes, of course. Be sure to give my sincerest regards to Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime on their marriage.”

Renji nodded again, this time with all due respects as subordinate and family member in place. “Will do, Captain.”

Byakuya lowered his head to address Ichika, still deep in “conversation” with her fish friends. “Ichika, it’s time to say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy.”

Ichika looked up and waved vigorously. “Goodbye to Mommy and Daddy!” she chirped with enough cheerfulness to fill the space between those rosy cheeks with the widest, brightest smile possible.

“Bye, kiddo. We’ll be back to getcha in a few days, okay?” Renji couldn’t help chuckling as he stepped forward and lovingly ruffled her hair. This was done quickly, though he felt a strong reluctance to remove his hand once it made contact. She was a troublemaker for sure, but it was indisputable he and Rukia had made a kid that was too damn cute for her own good sometimes.

“Okay, Daddy!”

Looking slightly teary-eyed, Rukia reached out and gave Ichika’s ponytail one last motherly fix. “Goodbye, sweetie. Have fun, and mind Oji-sama. We love you so much.” The kiss she placed on Ichika’s forehead lingered slightly longer than usual.

“Yes, Mommy,” Ichika mumbled when Rukia finally pulled away. A shadow of a pout crossed her face and it made Renji’s heart drop several centimeters in anticipation for that day’s second round of devastated tears. However, within seconds the threat had faded and her attention was already back to the fish, drawn by the sounds of playful splashing.

Rukia stayed rooted in place, watching with pursed lips and furrowed brow, until Renji gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine,” he murmured as encouragingly as he could. Whether this was meant to reassure his wife or himself was unclear even to him, but it worked well enough for her to nod and accompany him off the bridge and down the garden path without hesitation.

“Ah, Rukia…Renji…” Byakuya’s voice called after them just as the two of them were about to step out of earshot.

They turned back immediately to find Byakuya hadn’t moved at all from his spot on the bridge. In fact, he didn’t bother to look up as he stated, with utmost nonchalance, “You will have a fair amount of time to yourselves this week. It would be wise to make the most of it.”

The effort it took Renji to force out a smile made his face feel like it was cracking in half. “Ah…y-yeah. That…good. Good thinkin’, Captain!” He kept it up so long one eye started twitching.

Yes, there was the other thing he would never, ever get used to: His captain doling out advice on his love life in the form of some sophisticatedly subtle innuendo.

“Of course! Thank you, Nii-sama!”

And it had completely flown over Rukia’s head, as usual.

“We should really take Nii-sama’s advice, though, Renji,” Rukia said once they’d passed through the gate and left Byakuya far behind, “We are arriving earlier than necessary and staying through the weekend.” She put a finger to her lip and furrowed her brow in thought. “Perhaps a day of sightseeing in the city would be…”

Renji’s loud burst of laughter cut her off. “Rukia…yanno that ain’t at all what he meant.”

“But what else would he mean by ‘make the most of-‘?“

“Look…what’s the one thing we never get to do…’an I mean really get to do anymore? Think about it…he knows damn well that the next few nights’ll be just you ‘an me in a fancy ass hotel room…alone…no distractions…no chance our kid’ll come burstin’ in at the worst-ahhhh, you’re gettin’ it now.” Renji smirked at the color slowly filling Rukia’s cheeks. “Honestly, should just skip the subtext next time ‘an say flat-out, ‘Rukia…Renji…enjoy those uninterrupted, uninhibited maritals while you can!’”

She stared at him, aghast. “Renji! He wouldn’t…you can’t be serious...”

“Oh, but he does and I am, “ Renji snorted, secretly relieved that she was finally being let in on the indignity he’d been subjected to by her brother since the day they were married, “‘An seein’ how he is with Ichika, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s hopin’ to get a few more outta us.”

“A few more what? Children?” Frowning, Rukia shook her head from side to side. “I don’t think that’s…well, it’s not something I was…” she looked up at him suddenly, her eyes wide. “Renji…are you saying you…?”

“Oh, hell no,“ Renji answered with zero hesitation, “That one’s a handful ‘an a half as it is. Fuck me if there’s two ‘r three of ‘em runnin’ around.”

Rukia laughed with relief. “Yes. One is enough, I think.”

“Yeah.” Renji lightly rubbed her shoulder. “’Specially with your impendin’ captain’s promotion ‘an all.”

She sighed and softly grasped his hand. “That’s…still quite a ways off, Renji.”

“I know, I know,” he chuckled, “You wanna wait ‘til she’s gotten a little bigger, amirite?”

“Yes.” Rukia closed her eyes and sighed once again. “At least until she can take care of herself and help around the house, when both of us are busy. Once she’s an Apprentice that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Right…but just so ya know, I’m more ‘n willin’ to pick up any slack at home if ya take it now,” he said seriously, “Even if it means I gotta step down as Lieutenant temporarily. Or…not so temporarily.”

He knew he’d said the wrong thing when something inside Rukia snapped. She wrenched his hand from her shoulder and whirled around to face him. “Abarai Renji, how dare you even suggest such a thing! I will not let you give up being a Shinigami…and throw away everything you’ve worked for…just for my sake!” Her eyes blazed with anger.

Gently, Renji gathered up her shaking fists into his grasp. “Rukia…much as I love bein’ a Shinigami, it’s not what I’ve worked for. Not even close.”

“But…then what…?”

Renji gave her hands a pointed squeeze. “This. Us. You…’an Ichika…you’re everythin’ I’ve worked for. I trained ‘an got strong so I could give ya the life you deserve, ‘an be worthy ‘o standin’ by your side.“

Rukia’s hands wiggled apart and gripped him just as tightly. “You were always worthy, Renji,” she declared hotly, tears brimming, “You didn’t need to prove anything…I wanted you by my side.”

“Well…yeah…I know that now,” he scoffed (while trying very hard to contain the sheepish blush that suddenly popped up on both cheeks), “But geez, Rukia… bein’ a Shinigami is nothin’ in the long run. It’s just a position…a title. Give that up for you? Easy. Hell, I’d give up bein’ alive for your sake.”

Judging by Rukia’s sharp intake of breath, she was gearing up for one heck of a protest, so he pressed a finger to her lips before that could happen. ”Ah, ah…sorry…there’s nothin’ you can do to change that,” he told her with a firm nod of his head.

Despite the “sorry,” his words and the accompanying smirk he wore while expressing them weren’t the least bit apologetic. Why would they be? He wasn’t sorry for loving Rukia, nor the child she bore him, with every fiber of his being. And he certainly wasn’t sorry for swearing to his soul every waking moment that he would protect his precious family at all costs, would do anything for their well-being. She had to know by now he would never go back on the promise he made to her all those years ago as he held her close and shielded her from the slashes of Aizen Sosuke’s sword with his own body.

On the other hand, he knew by now that Rukia was just as fiercely devoted to their family, and he knew it was why she’d made a firm decision to hold off accepting the captain’s position she deserved and was more than ready to take on. Unfortunately no matter how hard Renji tried, or how much Rukia resented him for it, he would never be able to fully suppress the innate desire to do anything he could to make it happen. At any rate, her frosty scowl made it clear that she was also very much aware this was one of those arguments neither of them could fully win. Not when both were coming from opposite sides of the same exact place.

So, in lowering his hands, Renji silently telegraphed his concession and patiently watched her face sift through a wide assortment of emotions until it finally settled on defeat. She sighed heavily. “Fine. But I’m still waiting, Renji.”  With a haughty toss of her head, she spun and marched away, calling back over one cocked shoulder, “And there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

Renji caught up in less than three measured trots and casually fell into stride next to her. “Eh, I figured. Still worth a shot, though, right?”

Rukia deliberately rolled her eyes in the opposite direction with a huff. “You are so infuriating…”

After a quick visual scan up and down the street to make sure no one nearby was watching (all clear), Renji bent over and delivered a swift kiss her forehead with a soft, “Love you, too.” She almost got away with appearing indifferent to his affections but unfortunately for Rukia, pink cheeks weren’t as easily suppressed as glances and smiles.

By this time, they had arrived at the 6th Division’s Senkaimon and going through all the necessary checkpoint procedures meant their conversation was put on hold for several minutes. With clearance confirmed and Hell butterflies assigned, each slipped inside their Gigai and entered through the open portal into the Dangai.

“Anyways…I’m lookin’ forward to some quality alone time with ya once the weddin’s over,” Renji told her as they walked through the dark tunnel. He ran through a series of quick arm stretches to make sure his Gigai was properly calibrated, then patted his satchel thoughtfully, right over the pocket where he’d stuffed an extra item when she wasn’t looking. “Forgot to mention this before, but I brought a little somethin’ special I think you’re gonna like…”

He saw her perk up out of the corner of his eye, but refused to elaborate. After all, a little teasing now meant more fun in the bedroom later, where any seeds of anticipation he carefully planted would no doubt produce some very satisfying outcomes for both of them. So Renji turned his immediate attentions elsewhere, though he still kept a close watch on Rukia as her impatience steadily mounted in proportion to the length of his silence.

“And? Are you going to tell me what this ‘something special’ of yours is?” she finally demanded when the end of the passage lay directly before them.

Renji pretended to observe the Hell butterfly circling his head with great interest. “Now why would I do that when the whole point of showin’ it to ya is to getcha nice ‘an turned on?” he wondered aloud as innocently as possible.

Rukia’s eyes widened even further than they already had in the dim light. “I-is that so?” Flushed, she bit her lip and gripped her own bag tightly. “Well…a-as it just so happens, Renji…I may have…also…brought something…special…” she announced, staring very intently at the ground.

The doors began to slide apart then, slow and steady, just like the eager grin Renji felt spreading over his face. Things were definitely getting interesting. “Ohhh? Well, guess I’m really lookin’ forward to this week now,” he smirked, and in a bright burst of sunlight, the two of them happily stepped into the Living World together.

*looks at title and summary sheepishly* Did I do that...? B]c

No, even for the Abarais (and extended Kuchiki) not everything is happy happy joy joy all the time but families aren’t perfect, are they? What counts is making it work through love and patience, and knowing how to support one another. That, imho, is a TRULY happy family.

Two year-olds are the cutest little things on the planet. Many thanks to all the people who’ve ever uploaded videos of their toddlers to the internet and to Justin McElroy for creating “The Daddy and Charlie Show” and Charlie of course. I wouldn’t have been able to write little Ichika half as well if I didn’t have all this wonderful content to study.

Ichika got at least one birthday gift from every person they knew. Of course, family members gave her much more than that (eight from Mommy and Daddy, 15 from Oji-sama), however the big winner was, in a surprising twist, Captain-Commander Kyoraku with 19 presents and over a dozen party poppers. Her favorite present was a pair of (real) white rabbits, both of which she insisted on naming “Zabimaru.” This may have been because Renji recently showed her his bankai for the first time and she thought it was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen.

“Let’s hear it for our former 6th Seat Abarai, the new father!”

At those words, a chorus of cheers erupted from the gathered group of 11th Division soldiers and echoed off the high ceiling of the dojo.

Flushed from the attention, Renji grinned and rubbed the back of his neck while his past comrades threw up their arms (or in the case of a few, small personal possessions) and punched the air with each hearty shout in celebration of his newly attained life status. Their lieutenant, on the other hand, casually smirked and folded his arms in stark contrast to the boisterous merriment of his troops behind him. Being a close family friend meant Ikkaku had already gotten his chance to celebrate and voice his congratulations shortly after it happened; any excitement he felt over the matter likely wore off ages ago.

“Yep. Nice goin’, Renji,” he remarked with a lazy tilt of his head as Renji sheepishly mumbled his thanks to anyone who could actually hear him.

Renji briefly glanced around. “Heh…well, ya know, I did have some help,” he chuckled, catching Rukia’s eye and giving her a sly wink.

“Ohhh, is that how it was?” Rukia rolled her eyes in return and adjusted her hold on the bundle she carried without looking. Of course, she knew the baby within remained perfectly undisturbed. After a month of practice it was only natural she had this skill mastered. But even so she looked down, anyways…how could she resist such an adorable face when it was just begging to be smiled at?

“I think someone needs his memory checked,” Rukia cooed at the baby, “Hm? What do you think, Ichika? Is Daddy going senile in his old age?”

In typical fashion, Ichika merely blinked once and proceeded to jam several fingers into her mouth.

“Hey now, I ain’t that old,” Renji commented to her with a wry smirk while still focusing his main attentions on everyone else, “’Sides, we’re practically the same age, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but unlike you, I aged rather well,” Rukia remarked while attempting to stopper an impending waterfall before it could dribble down Ichika’s chin; Luckily, she learned early on to keep a spare cloth tucked into the blankets for that very purpose.

A thoughtful look crossed Renji’s face. “Mmm…that ya did,” he agreed, pausing his repetitions of gracious nodding to look her up and down a few times in a pointed manner. A very pointed manner.

As in, the kind that tended to make her warm, pink, and fidgety all over.

Rukia hastily looked away and concentrated as hard as she could on wiping off every last drop of drool once Ichika had stopped chewing on her own hand. While stuffing the cloth back into the nest of blankets, out of the corner of her eye, Rukia noticed a slender figure slip out of the still rambunctious crowd and sidle closer. She noticed, because he was making a fairly big show of rubbing the end of his braid between his fingers until he finally flicked it away with a cheerful, “Ahh, Rukia-chan…may I see her?”

As another close friend, Yumichika had also already given his regards to Rukia and Renji, however during every hospital and subsequent home visit he flat-out refused to come within ten feet of Ichika. It caused a bit of awkward confusion between all of them until Renji finally confronted him about it and, as always, Yumichika was only too eager to make his feelings known.

“Newborns,” he had explained with a dramatic wrinkle of his nose, “are such repulsive little things, all gangly and red-faced…and that dreadful incessant squalling. It’s nothing personal, really, I just simply can’t stand the sight of them.”

So after all that fuss, his request came as a complete surprise…and not without a teensy hint of suspicion. Nevertheless, like any new mother, Rukia eagerly welcomed every opportunity to show off her precious, perfect offspring, and this was no exception. With a nod and a smile brimming with pride, she held out the baby to Yumichika.

Tucking one finger firmly under his pursed lip, he squinted and leaned forward to meet her with measured delay, likely bracing himself for the worst as well as preparing to deliver one of his usual scathing assessments. Almost instantly, though, Yumichika’s scrutinizing gaze softened when it met the pair of bright violet eyes curiously peering up from within the blankets, and he even smiled upon catching sight of the brilliant red hair clearly inherited from Renji. Since the day she was born it had been long enough to be lovingly gathered into a tiny ponytail by her father every single morning and today it was clipped with a sky blue bow to match her outfit

“Well, I’ll be…” Yumichika mused, sounding somewhat relieved, “The two of you actually made quite a beautiful baby. I’m impressed.”

Renji’s head snapped around. “Oi…what’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded while sharply eyeing the division members who had taken Yumichika’s cue and excitedly began flocking to view little Ichika for themselves.

Yumichika straightened and backed away from Rukia to make room for them, hand on hip, and gave a toss of his glossy violet locks once sufficiently clear of the crowd. “She isn’t hideous. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? And here I was worried you might be burdened with an unappealing child for the rest of your lives,” he called to Renji over the rising din of cooing and awing.

“Haaah?! There’s no way in hell that was ever gonna happen! She’s Rukia’s kid, for cryin’ out loud!” Renji shot back, his upper lip curling slightly.

And yours, Rukia thought to herself, trying not to make it too obvious to the many people clustered around her that she was eyeing the way his defined jawline clenched with great interest. Yes, Renji’s fiercely passionate displays of emotion (especially those concerning her) were just something she was naturally attracted to and after much resistance she eventually decided it was best not to fight it.

“What of it?” Yumichika’s voice cut through her thoughts, “Ugly parents make beautiful children all the time, surely the reverse can…“

He abruptly trailed off and perked up, alert. Renji did the same a second later, as well as Ikkaku and a few of the other high-ranking officers in the vicinity. Rukia was about the ask what was happening when she, too, felt the heavy weight of an immense power swiftly drawing near and outside an angry voice bellowed from the direction of the 11th Division’s barracks:

“THE HELL’S ALL THIS COMMOTION ABOUT?”

“Oh dear…that can’t be good,” Yumichika sighed and somberly shook his head just as the dense spiritual pressure crashed down over the area. With a shove so violent one of the doors was nearly knocked off its track, the one and only Captain Zaraki Kenpachi burst into the dojo, his hair, clothes, and eyepatch wildly askew.

“C-Captain Zaraki!”

“Good morning, sir!”

“Nice to see you, Captain!”

“Bah!” Kenpachi responded to his subordinates’ flustered greetings with an irritated grunt as he scanned the area for the source of the disturbance. Of course, being surrounded by almost 95% of the room’s occupants at this point, it was identified almost immediately and his raging scowl locked onto Rukia. He had yet to even start moving before the crowd around her completely parted and shrank back, only able to cower wide-eyed as they watched from the sidelines.

With the first step Kenpachi took in their direction, Rukia’s stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. She quickly glanced down at Ichika and was relieved to find the baby appeared completely unfazed by it all, too busy amusing herself with the moving lumps created in the blanket by kicking her own feet. That managed to bring Rukia some inner calm, at least. By contrast, Renji frantically materialized at her side at once and threw an arm protectively around her and Ichika to shield them from the encroaching fury, which managed to cross the entire room in less than ten heavy stomps.

“YOU! Whaddaya think yer doin’ gettin’ my squad all riled up at this hour?” the captain growled, towering over the huddled family in an intimidating display of his full 6’8” stature (though it appeared closer to an exact 7’ at that moment). His beady eye, puffy and bloodshot, squinted back and forth between Rukia and Renji several times before it widened in surprise.

“Ehhh? Abarai ‘an Kuchiki? Arentcha still on leave? The hell’re ya even doin’ here?” he crossed his arms and frowned suspiciously at them, though thankfully his menacing posture appeared to be deflating at the confirmation of their identities.

“Ah, good morning, Captain Zaraki! Sir!” Renji replied with an appropriate manner of decorum while maintaining his defensive position, “We are still on leave, yes, we just figured now the baby’s gotten bigger it’s ‘bout time everyone met ‘er so we’re goin’ ‘round to all the divisions today.”

“That’s right, sir!” Rukia added, almost struggling to keep Ichika from kicking herself right out of her arms at this point, “She’ll be one month old tomorrow!”

“Oh…?”

Kenpachi finally noticed the wriggling baby Rukia was holding and the tone of ire surrounding him outwardly morphed into one of great interest. After a moment of silent contemplation, he reached up and pushed aside the patch covering his right eye. Several blinks were allotted for adjustment to the bright fluorescents overhead before he looked back down with his freshly unobstructed view. The longer he studied Ichika, the deeper the crease in his brow grew.

“Cute kid,” he finally remarked with the type of nonchalance that indicated his statement was more hastily thrown-out default than sincerely held opinion. The eyepatch slid back into place. “She gotta name?”

Rukia nodded and formally presented the squirming bundle to him as best she could without raising the risk of dropping it. “Captain Zaraki…Renji and I would like to introduce to you our daughter, Abarai Ichika.”

Upon hearing her full name, Kenpachi’s frown twitched upward just a tic. The difference it made to his expression was infinitesimal but it was enough that some of the unease Rukia had managed to shake off earlier started creeping back.

Suddenly, he bent over until his gnarled façade hovered inches above Ichika’s thrashing feet.

The moment Ichika sensed his presence, all movement ceased and she stared, unblinking, straight into the renowned face of death looming over her. Not in fear, as so many before her had, but in absolute, unabashed awe, eyes wide with wonder and mouth open slightly in her own baby version of an astonished jaw drop. It was as if Zaraki Kenpachi’s unrelenting glare was the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her short little life.

The captain took his time eyeballing every last visible millimeter of Ichika, tilting his head from side to side and occasionally letting out what sounded like an approving grunt or two. Unsure what to make of this, Rukia glanced uncertainly at Renji; His grip on her shoulders tightened but he said nothing while Kenpachi inspected their daughter up close.

When he unexpectedly lifted his hand and began to manually poke at Ichika’s fists, however, Renji started and loudly cleared his throat.

“Uh…Captain?” he asked, “What’re-“

“So,” the captain ignored Renji and addressed the infant he was examining instead, “Yer Abarai Ichika, huh?”

Being only a month old, Ichika gave no verbal reply to his question, but his calloused finger lightly jiggling each individual knuckle on her left hand earned a visible response. One by one, her fingers slowly uncurled and started feeling at this fascinating new thing that was prodding her in an almost playful fashion. She even smiled when it “flew” across and repeated the same procedure with her other hand.

Rukia found herself feeling a slight twinge of admiration at how patiently and without complaint the finger’s owner was allowing the baby to “catch” it every so often and examine it in any way she desired (including some not-so-gentle whacks) for a few moments before making her chase after it again.

Perhaps…she and Renji fretted prematurely over nothing. After all, had not Captain Zaraki Kenpachi himself raised and cared for a little girl before? True, she was simply a corporal manifestation of his powers, but no one, not even Kenpachi, was aware of this at the time. For all intents and purposes, he appeared to share with her the same sort of bonds a father would share with his own daughter.

Well…a DECENT father, at any rate, Rukia mentally clarified as the sneering face of a certain 12th Division captain and self-proclaimed “father” flashed in her mind.

But just as Rukia was about to fully relax, the unthinkable happened: Ichika’s tiny hands wrapped all the way around the captain’s finger…and squeezed.

The sharp crack! of his knuckle made Rukia’s heart stop. Next to her ear, she heard Renji suck in a breath and the reiatsu he had managed to keep subdued until then spiked with a panicked surge. Those who could see what was happening, including Ikkaku and Yumichika, all exchanged apprehensive looks amongst themselves. No one made a sound or dared to breathe, or perhaps the suffocating tension in the atmosphere rendered them incapable of doing so. The birds outside had mysteriously gone quiet as if they, too, were waiting for something, for anything, to happen.

With everyone watching as the tip of his finger blossomed into a deep purple, Kenpachi stayed silent and his face remained unreadable. Was he indifferent? Annoyed? Angry? It was impossible to tell, and in a situation involving a man so volatile he would cut down his own allies if they got in his way, not knowing made them far more nervous than knowing it was any one of those answers.

How Rukia wished with all her might she and Renji had not decided to leave the zanpakuto at home that morning, for all the good wishing would do when there was no way they could have foreseen the need for protection hours ago if they were just as in the dark here and now, in the last moments of teetering precariously on the edge before plunging into the unknown. And yet…maybe they would never know? Anticipation, in its agonizing cruelty, had a way of grinding the world to a halt until everything, even time itself, seemed as though it would remain unmoving for the rest of eternity. It certainly felt that way now.

Then, ever so slowly, those hardened grizzled cheeks wavered and Kenpachi’s scarred mouth stretched wider and wider, pulling itself into a rather unsettling smile that ran nearly from ear to ear. With a jerk of his shoulders, he threw back his head and the most euphoric and unrestrained roar of laughter ever emitted by a captain of the Gotei 13 rang out through room. It rumbled through the rafters, shaking every joist and beam, rattling every timber until even the floorboards trembled beneath their feet.

Rukia (and Renji as well) automatically recoiled, from both shock and the deafening sound, but moving away entirely like her conscience was desperately urging her to was not an option; Ichika still maintained a vice-like hold on the captain. All they could do was wait for the wild laughter to die down…and pray things did not get any worse than that.

“HA! That’s a nice grip ya got there, Ichika!” Kenpachi declared gleefully once he regained his composure. Bending over Ichika again, he lowered his voice to an almost soothing register. “Ahhh…yer gonna be real strong someday, arentcha? I can tell. You’ll be an elite Shinigami…just like yer parents. So be good for ‘em ‘an do exactly what they tell ya to, ya hear?”

“Captain…” Rukia breathed, hushed.

If Kenpachi heard her, he made no indications. Instead he straightened and stood there gazing silently at Ichika, that overjoyed smirk holding strong until she finally decided the novelty of his finger had worn off and let go. Chuckling to himself, Kenpachi turned and strolled away, casually massaging his finger back to its normal color as if getting manhandled and bruised by an infant was just a normal Monday morning occurrence.

As soon as Captain Zaraki was out of earshot, Renji spun Rukia around to face him and all but dove into the blankets Ichika was wrapped in. “She alright? He didn’t do anythin’ funny to ‘er, did he?” he muttered as he frantically pawed through them.

Rukia shook her head; Ichika appeared perfectly fine, smiling and clumsily smacking around Renji’s hands like she was attempting to “help” him check things out. Once he was certain, beyond a doubt, that his little girl was unharmed, Renji gave a sigh of relief and turned his attentions to Rukia. With utmost care, he brushed her slightly tousled hair back into place, making sure to give her cheek a gentle caress on each pass, and asked softly, “’An what about you? Are y-“

“ABARAI! KUCHIKI!” Kenpachi suddenly barked from across the room and thoughtlessly interrupted the tender gesture.

They both flinched and whipped around. The captain had stopped next to the roughed up door from earlier, still hanging lopsided on its hinges, with his back to them.

“When yer girl’s ready ta join up,” he slowly twisted his head and leered over his shoulder with an expression so sinister the room itself seemed to darken, “Send ‘er my way, got it?”

A chill ran through Rukia’s entire body, so cold it made her instinctively shiver and clutch Ichika ightly to her chest. “Y-yes, Captain,” she replied in unison with a rapidly paling Renji.

Kenpachi’s grin widened until every sharp, gleaming tooth was on full display. With one last unsettlingly pleased glance at Ichika, he turned and dramatically swept out of the building.

The second his ragged coat hem disappeared from sight around the corner of the barracks, Rukia suddenly found herself and Ichika being unceremoniously ushered towards the front entrance by Renji’s tense hand on her upper back. In the blink of an eye, he had donned his sandals (somehow managing to jam her into her own in the process) and whisked the three of them out the door, all while loudly proclaiming something about forgetting Ichika’s favorite toy at the house to the thoroughly confused crowd of Shinigami watching them.

When the 11th Division compound had shrunk to a speck on the horizon, Rukia-nearly tripping over herself to keep up with Renji’s long hastened strides-looked up at her husband’s taut face and quietly asked, “Renji…about what Captain Zaraki said…are we-”

“We are not,” he interrupted stiffly and hurried her along even faster.

They went straight home without stopping by any other divisions that day.

I started a comic and realized it would never get finished so enjoy this short story adaptation with pieces of the more finished panels scattered throughout instead. XD

It’s only been a month since Ichika was born here so Renji and Rukia are still experiencing new parent jitters and reactive tendencies…obviously this’ll wear off eventually since they let her join what’s basically the military at, what, 6 or 7 years old? lol And of course they probably started training her themselves while she was still very little. But right now Renji’s all “Oh heeeell no, I am NOT handing my baby girl over to the 11th!” He was a member once, he knows what it’s like. And he knows darn well Kenpachi wouldn’t hurt a baby but, again, he’s in Super Overprotective New Dad Mode right now and not thinking straight.

As for Kenpachi? No truly evil intentions there. He’s just SUPER jazzed he reserved the kid of two of the strongest lieutenants in the Gotei 13 for his team. Gotta keep up the 11th’s status as the toughest division, after all. XD

Morning is when he shines brightest.

He stirs at dawn, peeking over the horizon of their twisted blankets like her own personal sunrise and the subtle gleam in his dark eyes hint at what will soon follow; A warm kiss, perhaps, or a touch whose lingering itch rapidly simmers into something more.

Many times now he has stoked her into a relentless fervor. And many times she has found herself amazed by how one man can effortlessly kindle what lies smoldering beneath the surface with so little.

Before long skin is scraping against skin, sparking like a flint, and quick as a flash those sparks catch and ignite, incinerating everything in their path. Anything left between them is suddenly gone without a trace and two are fused into one.

“Rukia…” her name is burned into her brow with every scorching kiss pressed upon it, “Oh god…Rukia…”

He moves with such an intense, uninhibited rhythm that his long hair…long undone from its plait…lashes around him in a wild frenzy. The first rays of the sun hit those fiery red locks just right and for a moment it creates the dazzling illusion that he has been set ablaze, or become fire itself, a whirlwind of bright flames that lick at her flesh with the same searing heat as his tongue.

Yes…he is fire and his passion radiates white-hot when he makes it known to her, here in this insulated corner of daybreak where wanton desires are released and eagerly received as they engulf her without restraint At the heart of his raging inferno, she is fully consumed inside and out. Only ashes remain.

But from those ashes she will later rise with the moon, an elegant phoenix renewed with noble confidence and strength; For like the moon, night is her domain.

That is why at dusk the lamps remain unlit and the screens facing the garden are left open until inside and outside blur together, nearly indistinguishable. The cool evening air saturates the entire room and pierces through any bared skin with its chill, but he does not mind such exposure. Not when surrendering to it means the chance to witness her take command in her element.

Passively he watches her delicate figure drift above him, a vision of porcelain beauty set against the darkening sky and wreathed in the translucent mist that trails in the wake of each sighing breath. So measured, so fluid is every movement he finds himself wondering if time itself is slowing. Or maybe, he is simply so in awe of her his senses are dulling to compensate.

With shimmering stars reflected in her eyes she senses him observing her and her thin gaze hardens with deliberate determination. But her cool exterior does not waver, not even when the moon finally pulls off their blanket of shadows and washes a pallid glow over them. Her dewy skin glistens, just like those stars, and as if in a trance his hand reaches out to glide over that smooth, pale cheek.

“Renji…” her voice skims wistfully across his palm and a heavy serenity smothers him until he can barely breathe, “Ahh…Renji…”

Every shiver, every longing gasp she makes nearly renders him immobile and he is at a loss for words. Even when supine, her regal aura remains steadfast as he drowns her in his devotions. Calmly, and with utmost pensiveness, she watches him with those glassy amethyst eyes tinted to a deep azure in the dim light.

Numbed as he is, he is somehow able to will his stagnant body into scraping together the last shards of reverence his lover so rightfully deserves. How fully she trusts him to prove his unwavering loyalty to her like this, he will never be able to comprehend.

One final shudder and everything grinds to a halt. Frozen for a moment in the vastness of eternity just the two of them, all is peaceful.

He is fire.

She is ice.

Each is a powerful and deadly force on their own, but together they are immeasurable.

Married.

The sharp click of the lock sliding into place barely registered.

We’re married.

Sound bites from the conversation played over and over like a broken record in his mind as he shuffled back into the house.

“…ah, see? Toldja he’s still up.”

“Renji…? Rukia…? The hell you guys doing here?! It’s almost midnight!”

His feet dragged and felt like they were made of lead every time he lifted a leg to mount each step. Going up the stairs took twice as long as usual.

“We’re sorry for the short notice, Ichigo, but this was too important to wait.”

“Lemme guess…you got a promotion? No…you were kicked out of Soul Society. Ah, wait, I got it…you secretly eloped and you’re on the run cause Byakuya found out.”

“…hey that’s impressive, he’s actually closer’n Inoue ‘an ya didn’t even hafta give ‘im a hint.”

“That’s not close at all, Renji! Nii-sama knew AND approved!”

His bedroom was in sight now but it still felt miles away.

“…wait….no way……”

“Well, actually…yeah. Me ‘an Rukia completed our nyuseki today. We’re married.”

“The wedding is in two weeks. We’d be honored if you and the others were present for it.”

He didn’t bother turning on the light after he closed the door. There was enough illumination from the streetlamp coming through the window (even with the curtains mostly drawn) and that’s how he was able to walk straight to his bed and flop down on it. And then he simply lay there and stared at the ceiling. Sometimes he found if he stared hard enough in the dark, he could just make out the shape of the lamp mounted above him.

“So…they got married, huh?” he asked it. He didn’t know why…it wasn’t like it could respond. But saying things aloud occasionally gave him the kick-start he needed to sort through his thoughts.

Honestly when it came down to it, the notion of Renji and Rukia’s relationship turning romantic at some point wasn’t that surprising, especially where Renji was concerned. Two confrontations with him were all Ichigo needed to realize he was head over heels in love with her. It really wasn’t that hard to notice once all the tough talk and bravado were stripped away; The guy basically wore his heart on his sleeve.

Rukia, on the other hand…now she was a hell of a lot harder to figure out. Sure, there were a few times she’d talked about Renji and the history they shared, but she never once actually specified what the nature of their relationship was. That was probably one of those emotional vulnerabilities she was reluctant to discuss with other people, so he was never entirely sure if Rukia’s association with Renji went beyond close friendship. Not until Renji thanked him for bringing them “back to where they once were,” and Ichigo finally got the sense what they shared between them was something not entirely platonic and definitely not one-sided.

Even knowing that, it was still hard to say when they’d gotten serious about each other since number one, they never told him (until that night, obviously) and number two, they never really acted like a couple in public. But really, when taking into account some of the people they associated with, he couldn’t exactly blame them for wanting to keep their private life just that. So suddenly springing it on him that they were legally married and the formal ceremony would take place in two weeks was more like pulling a light sucker punch than dropping an entire bombshell.

Although, looking back on it, he probably could’ve come up with a better first response than squinting at them and scoffing.

Come to think of it…Ichigo still had no idea why he reacted like that. Smiling and offering congratulations, like any normal person would do, was apparently not a thing his instincts had ever heard of. At least he had the voluntary sense to do that. Eventually. But not before fumbling through a hasty apology to his bewildered (not to mention, slightly offended) friends.

Still wallowing in his thoughts, he groped around on top of the comforter for his pajamas and after a minute only came up with the bottoms. Whatever. Right now, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to get to bed as quickly as possible. Taking off his jeans in the dark fared simple enough, it was figuring out which side of the flannel pants was front that gave him a bit of trouble. But again, too tired to care. So what if he went to sleep wearing backwards pants? No one was going to see him anyways. He yanked them on and burrowed under the covers, feeling just as sullen as before.  

Outside, two distinct laughs suddenly echoed through the alleyway. Great. Another thing to keep him awake tonight. Well, at least someone in the vicinity was having a good time. Ichigo hooked his finger under the curtain and lifted it slightly, just enough to see directly in front of the house. The late-night revelers were a little off to the right so he had to shuffle around and angle himself in the corner of the window to actually see them properly. It took a minute but when he realized who they were, he almost dropped the curtain in surprise.

Okay, he’d have to scratch that “never really acted like a couple in public” point because he was witnessing it right now with his own two eyes and he had to admit, it was actually kind of sweet.

Guided by the glow of the streetlamp, Rukia was ever so daintily traversing the low wall surrounding the hedges like a tightrope walker while Renji strolled along on the ground at her side, acting as spotter and escort. With this arrangement, she was actually a head taller than him for once, though if this bothered him at all he was doing a fantastic job of hiding it. Their faces weren’t very clear due to distance and time of night but they both seemed in equally high spirits. And relaxed. More relaxed than he’d ever seen them before. Also, was it his imagination or did Renji just take something out of his mouth and exhale a small puff of smoke? Ah, right…Rukia mentioned once that he liked to have an occasional cigarette while in a Gigai and by the tone of her voice, it sounded like she didn’t mind at all. That was probably why they hadn’t gone back to Soul Society just yet.

They stopped when they reached the end of the wall so Renji could clamp his cigarette between his lips, then let go and turned back in perfect sync, Rukia’s long layered skirt fluttering out around her legs and settling just as her hand landed in Renji’s. Unfortunately, the first step she took forward from there wasn’t very stable (probably due to her watching Renji instead of where she was going) and she almost took a tumble into the bushes. Regaining her balance didn’t take too long though, not when Renji held tight the entire time. In the moment after the near misfortune they stood perfectly still, hand in hand and face to face, hair and clothes swaying gently in a freshly picked-up breeze.

The cigarette was suddenly flicked to the ground where it glowed bright orange for a few seconds before going out completely under the heel of Renji’s boot. Then Rukia tugged her muffler away from her face and leaned forward with her arms wound around Renji’s neck and his hands moved to her waist aaand there was no mistaking it now; They were kissing. Not a quick little peck on the lips either, nope, this was full-on TV romance drama level kissing. After some time Renji even lifted her up off the wall and held her tightly in his arms, the two of them still going at it without a care in the world.

At that point, Ichigo figured his uninvited gaze had overstayed its welcome. He let the curtain fall back into place so the newlyweds could continue their moonlight rendezvous sans optical intrusion. Well…good for them. They deserved to be happy together, he knew that. Then why was he feeling so down all of a sudden? Like some irrational little voice in his head was telling him it wasn’t fair for them to act content and in love right in front of him? It was almost as if he was…

Ichigo froze. No, that was absurd. She may have dramatically changed his life for the better, but he never saw Rukia as anything other than his most trusted ally and mentor figure. And Renji? Not his type. At all. But even though he was racking his brain for another word to describe this emotion seeping into him like a stain, only one kept coming up.

Jealousy.

“Ridiculous. I’m not jealous.” He rolled back to his initial position and sighed at the ceiling in exasperation. Just as before, the lamp up there refused to comment. That irrational little voice down in his head, however, was only more than happy to offer its input.

Is it so ridiculous?

“Of course it is.”

Are you sure? Maybe you ARE being a little resentful.

“Why the hell would I be resentful?”

Because they’re reminding you of something you want.

“I don’t want anything.”

Oh, but you do. And you want it desperately.

“No. I don’t.”

Denying it won’t change how you feel about her.

Her…just like that, the dark in his room wasn’t so dark anymore: A smile bright with laughter…golden brown eyes, shining like the sun…a glimmer of blue riding flowing waves of auburn…

Giving a scoff, Ichigo flung his forearms over his eyes to block out the images. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

You can lie all you like, Ichigo, but we both know the truth.

Harder and harder he pressed, until brightly colored spots danced across his vision. “I am NOT in love with her,” he insisted, so quiet and weak there was no possible way anyone who heard would have accepted this as the truth. Even his own ears found it hard to believe the words coming out of his mouth.

He eased the pressure and watched as every last spot slowly faded away, waiting for a snarky reply. But there was nothing more from the voice, only the weight of heavy silence and pitch black crushing down on him. And instead of abstract splotches, it was forming a new set of images before his eyes.

This time, he was down on the pavement under the streetlamp, watching Renji take a drag of his cigarette while Rukia hopped up onto the wall next to him. He saw Renji smile and stretch out his hand to Rukia in an unusually gentleman-like fashion. He watched Rukia take it, blushing, and allow Renji to guide her as she sashayed along the narrow wall. And then it wasn’t Renji anymore. He was Renji. Or rather, Renji (along with his cigarette) had vanished and Ichigo was somehow tagged in to replace him.

But he’d barely taken one step before Rukia’s small fingers lengthened within his grasp, her appearance faded and dissolved away until he was looking into an entirely new face. Different, yet it was just as familiar and warm as the hand now clinging tightly to his.  

“Promise you’ll catch me if I slip?” Those curious amber eyes peered down at him.

Ichigo smiled softly and gave the girl’s hand a quick squeeze. “I won’t let you fall,” he vowed.

Merely four steps later, her ankle buckled and she keeled dangerously toward him with a startled squeak. But as promised, his honed reflexes and steady arms were her saving grace.

Safely secured in his embrace, she laughed sheepishly. “Heh heh…sorry…I wasn’t paying attention…” In the light her smile looked so beautiful like that, framed by long locks of hair stirring in the wind.

“Hey…it’s fine.” Gently, he slid her down his front until her feet skimmed the ground. She landed with a soft thump. “I’m here for you.”

The way she lowered her lashes and blushed made his stomach flutter pleasantly. “I know,” she whispered. His heart thrummed under the button she was toying with on his sweater. “Um…can I kiss you, Ichigo?”

If he were a teakettle, he would’ve been whistling a happy tune by now. Laughing, he brushed her bangs aside and leaned forward to meet her. “You don’t need to ask, you know…”

The kiss tasted just like her…so sweet, so pure. Like honey, or spring right after a light rainfall. Yes, it sounded stupid when he thought it but that was really the only way he could describe it. A dizzying happiness bubbled up inside with every sigh she made, and he pulled her into him until he could feel every soft curve mold flush to his body. Round, plush curves that gave easily in his hands and he relished in the little gasps she made with each firm squeeze. But soon, it wasn’t enough…he needed more.

When her back bumped into the glass doors, she giggled excitedly. And when he dropped to his knees and fumbled clumsily under her dress, she eagerly helped him by gathering up the hem and lifting it out of the way so he could slide her tights and panties down her legs. After that, he lost himself completely in everything she had to offer: Her intoxicating flavor on his tongue, her flushed smooth skin under his fingers, the way she exhaled when she whimpered his name, high and breathless.

“Ichigo…ahhhh…Ichigo…”

He’d never done this to a girl before but Ichigo figured he was probably doing something right judging from the secondhand tremors passing through him and the set of fingernails digging painfully into his scalp. By his hand (well, technically his mouth) she was rapidly coming undone and it didn’t take long before the end was in sight.

“I-Ichigo…ohhh, I-I think I’m…”

Ichigo pulled out for one last gulp of air and murmured only a single word as he dove back in for the finale push:

“…Orihime…”

Suddenly, a surge of adrenaline rushed through him. Ichigo opened his eyes and straightened up with a start…not from hunched over on his knees in front of the clinic, but from lying flat on his bed, in his bedroom. Outside, a chorus of sparse chirps heralded the first yawning sunbeams as they stretched through the thin curtain and half-heartedly cast his room in a faint light.

Morning. So it was all a dream.

Now he just needed to wait for his body to catch up to his brain but that wasn’t proving an easy task. Taking in deep measured breaths did absolutely nothing to calm his racing heart. The t-shirt he’d fallen asleep in was damp with sweat and when he looked down at himself he saw he wasn’t the only one waking up nice and early. Fantastic. What a wonderful start to the day this was turning out to be. And all thanks to his subconscious’ stupid imagined scenario about making moves on Orihime.

The second surge hit and his stomach heaved violently. With the last remaining dregs of erotic ecstasy completely burned off, exhilaration quickly gave way to horror. Dismayed, Ichigo curled in on himself.

Damn this…I’m nothing but a selfish brute.

He felt numb and sick with guilt. How could he think about Orih-about Inoue in such a disgusting manner? Inoue…his friend. Who’d always been there for him when he needed her, who trusted him with her life. Only the foulest of perverts would have such lecherous thoughts about someone who’d been nothing less than a faithful companion to him. What would she think of him if she knew he’d gotten completely hot and bothered from a fantasy about kissing her and…and holy shit, he fantasized about putting his mouth on Inoue. It was nothing short of reprehensible.

Worst of all? While Ichigo knew it was wrong, he still wanted so very badly for it to be real. He wanted to be with someone who was kind, brave, compassionate, and beautiful. He wanted to walk hand in hand with her, laugh with her, protect her, fight by her side, and god yes, even kiss her and touch her in ways that made her feel incredible. Because that someone was the most wonderful person he’d ever met and he wanted her to know it every waking minute for the rest of her life.

That someone was Inoue Orihime.

Ichigo hung his head in shame. No, there was no denying it anymore…he was utterly and hopelessly in love with her. What he witnessed last night outside his window, the happiness between two newlyweds who were so in love and so ready to spend the rest of their lives together? That was exactly what he desired with Inoue. And it pained him to the depths of his soul that this would never happen. He knew he couldn’t be with her; Inoue didn’t see him in that way and she certainly didn’t deserve to have any unsolicited confessions or advances sprung on her out of nowhere.

So then he did the only thing he could think to do in this position: Lay a hand over his forehead and give a weak laugh. And another. And laugh pathetically some more. Because fuck everything.

When he couldn’t milk ironic amusement from his pitiful situation any longer, Ichigo collapsed back onto his bed with a heavy groan and an abrupt realization that from the depths of his emotional turmoil had sprung a newfound respect for a certain idiot redhead.

Because how the hell someone could feel like this about a woman for 50 years without losing it, he had absolutely no idea.

Author’s Notes: It took me a little longer to get a good enough grasp on IchiHime to feel comfortable writing it like this. But I got so many requests after FBlWY that I couldn’t shake it off and while writing a series of short stories several ended up focusing on them. I was considering illustrating this but since it turned out more as a study on Ichigo’s thoughts than anything else nothing felt quite right.

The conversation Ichigo has with himself is supposed to be like the conversations he had between himself and his Hollow powers...except here they aren’t trying to mind-murder him. They’re just being that annoying friend who won’t leave you alone until you admit you like someone. lol

Tack! Tack! Tack!

Rukia froze, the cup of hot tea only midway traveled on its journey to her mouth. Through the translucent haze billowing over the rim, she could make out the blurred silhouette near the hearth in the kitchen area, busy juggling multiple changing supplies and one fussy infant and making no indications he had noticed the knocking at their front door. In fact, he had yet to even acknowledge her and she had walked passed him multiple times in the previous five minutes.

Well…this was certainly annoying, but it was also hardly surprising. Based on personal experience, she knew he was likely too absorbed in the task at hand to hear it, or any other sounds in the vicinity for that matter, which is why she raised her voice a little louder than generally accepted for indoor use when she set her cup back down and asked, “Renji…are you expecting someone?”

He shook his head as best as one could with a box of wet wipes tucked tightly under their chin and all their concentration directed at undoing the fasteners of a rolled up mat pinned under their knee. “Uh-uh.”

Rukia’s fingers began toying with the hem of her sleeve. “Are you sure?” she prompted. The soft navy fabric twisting into her palm had an oddly soothing effect, however when it managed to slip out of her grasp she decided not to bother retrieving it.

“…euyah.”

Lifting her cup again with a sigh, Rukia tried a different approach. “Was there something you were supposed to do today? Did someone borrow something from you? Did you borrow something?” Her nails tapped smartly on its hard enamel, a pale beige glazed with flecks of chocolate brown.

In truth, she was not actually nagging him, but rather trying very hard to avoid being forced to leave the drink and comfortable position she had just sat down to enjoy. After all, staying up most of the night trying to soothe a miserable baby in the midst of cutting her first few teeth meant Mommy earned her relaxation time fair and square. Why should she give up such a rare luxury simply because someone decided to come bother them?

But with each question, Renji’s scruffy crimson ponytail would once more swing gingerly from side to side as he continued his attempt at opening the stubborn snaps, even through the second set of knocks. Realizing her plan to scapegoat him into answering the door was probably a lost cause, Rukia soon let the subject go in favor of actually getting to taste her tea before it grew cold. Since Inoue had advised her to drink it hot when she gave it to her that was exactly how she intended to consume it.

Once sufficiently nested on her zabuton with her legs tucked off to the side, she lifted the cup and tilted it into her mouth. The dark liquid flowed over the rim, past her lips, until her tongue was completely submerged. She let herself bask in the rich flavor for one breath, in and out through the nose, and refrained from swallowing until her palate had been thoroughly steeped with the taste.

Mmmm…earthy and sweet, with a faint aftertaste of something…flowery? As always, Inoue’s recommendation proved nothing short of perfection and satisfaction. Contented, Rukia sighed into the cloud of steam and watched it swirl away in thin coiling tendrils. It was nice being able to taste and smell properly again now the side effects of pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding were no longer throwing her senses out of whack.

Outside her self-contained bubble of nirvana, Renji (who was admittedly starting to look very enticing with his hair thoroughly disheveled and dark grey yukata about to drop off one shoulder) had finally managed to yank hard enough for the last snap to pop apart. The force of the blowback might have thrown him completely off balance had he worried at all about keeping the yukata and box of wipes in place, but possessing the reflexes of a parent meant every last ounce of effort went into saving himself and Ichika. While the two of them thankfully remained upright and stable, the yukata slipped and fell open and the wipes tumbled down his half-bared chest, bouncing once on the dark wood floor in front of him and landing upside down a few inches away.

“Fuckin’ hell…stupid thing…piece ‘o garbage…” he grumbled loudly at it (though not half as loudly as the baby he was holding) and, with a groan of exasperation, leaned away to grab the rest of the supplies behind him. Lacking the weight of his knee to restrain it, the mat instantly sprang unrolled and settled itself into a flatter state, helped along by the various objects he heaped onto it.

With all prep work complete and his clothes tugged back into their proper place, Renji’s demeanor instantly flipped from disgruntled consumer to overenthusiastic salesman the moment he laid Ichika on the quilted surface of the pad.

“Ooookay, Ichika!” he declared with a clap of his hands and an extra dose of excitement in his voice, “Daddy’s gonna getcha all nice ‘an clean now, how’sat sound? That’ll make ya feel better, huh?” Employing the keen instinct for baby pacification he had somehow been blessed with, Renji alternated rhythmically bounce-pushing Ichika around horizontally on the mat and tickling each of the three blue-eyed patchwork bunnies hopping around on the front of her lavender sleeper until the angry little grunts quieted down into soft coos and giggles.

Rukia leisurely sipped her tea, primarily focused on pinpointing that third flavor, but also allotting a small portion of her attention to watching Renji effortlessly charm their daughter. A pleasant warmth spread from her head all the way down to bared toes burrowed into the thick maroon fabric under her.

As Renji swept the necessary items into place around himself, a third (far more impatient) round of knocking echoed through the house. This time, he heard it…and was subsequently so surprised he nearly lost his hold on a jar of Vaseline. With an expression closely resembling that of a startled rodent, Renji whipped around to look at Rukia.

“Uhh…that for you?”

“If it was, wouldn’t I have answered it the first time?” Rukia drew in a deep whiff of the thinning fog of vapor in front of her face. Ah, yes, flowers…sakura blossoms, most likely. She helped herself to a bite-sized wafer cookie (also sent by Inoue) from the package sitting on the tray beside the teapot.

One tattooed brow cocked. “The first-?”

BAM! BAM! BAM!

“Abarai…Kuchiki…I know you’re in there. Open the door. I need to speak with you,” the unexpected visitor called out. Though frustrated and heavily muffled by several layers of screen and wall, the voice was undoubtedly that of the 12th Division’s lieutenant.

Renji squinted in the direction of the entranceway like it would somehow help him see right through the solid wood separating them from the outside. “Akon? The hell does he want?” He kept staring even while undoing the front of Ichika’s sleeper, making rather impressive time for someone with such large fingers in comparison to the tiny round buttons.

Maintaining her air of aloof tranquility, Rukia calmly swallowed the cookie and continued alternating sips and inhales with her eyes closed. “I have no idea.”

She heard a variety of different materials rustling around, along with Ichika happily repeating her current favorite vocalizations, as he went through several steps of the changing process without a word. Then, “…well can ya find out?”

Rukia cracked one eye and pouted at him over her cup. “But Renjiii…” she sighed heavily until the force of her breath made little ripples start moving across the surface of the tea.

“But Rukiaaa…” he replied in an identical tone of exasperation, with a pointed shake of the wet wipes in her direction.

With another hefty sigh, she set her cup down and rose from her cushion. Fine. He won this time. Although…in the grand scheme of things, did diaper duty ever really count as “winning”? Rukia did find a small measure of vindictive satisfaction in deciding it most certainly did not, so she was able to open the door and bow her head to Akon with some genuineness to her smile. Even after nearly toppling over from stumbling through the entryway with her left foot not yet properly seated in its sandal.

“Akon-dono, hello! This is a pleasant surprise!” She somehow regained her balance and shoved the toe edge of the sandal into the floor behind her right heel until her foot finally slid into place.

“Kuchiki…about time, dontcha think?” Akon tapped his spindly fingers on his crossed arms, unimpressed.

“Right…yes, I apologize for making you wait. We…ah…had some important things to take care of first,” she fibbed and slid the door open further with a rather sloppily executed welcoming gesture, “Won’t you please come inside?”

“Great, thanks. This’ll only take a…” he paused with only one foot fully through the doorway and took a moment to closely study her: Bag-eyed, probably smiling at him a little too widely, wearily propping herself up against the door panel she was holding open. “Rough night last night?”

“Every night,” Rukia corrected him with every last drop of false cheer she could muster injected into those two words. He entered sans any further commentary.

Once rid of his footwear, Akon immediately stepped up and loitered in the middle of the entrance hall while she turned his sandals around, curiously eyeballing his surroundings. At the very moment she was preparing to de-sandal herself, he remarked, “Nice place you got,” with a particularly intent glance through the half-open side of the receiving room. From where he stood, he had a clear view of the tokonoma, currently featuring a small vase of (out of season) flowers under the beautiful handwritten scroll her brother had gifted the family on their wedding day…

…along with the series of haphazard piles containing outgrown clothing, broken toys, and other miscellaneous baby paraphernalia that had built up in front of it over the past five months.

Oh no!

Her sandals went skittering wildly across the genkan floor in her frantic ascent to the foyer. Rushing to the screens almost as fast as if she had used shunpo, she hastily slammed them shut and whipped back around, beet-faced and utterly mortified the shameful secret she had constantly lectured Renji about concealing before letting people into the house ultimately ended up being discovered on her watch.

“Ahhh…th-thank you…it’s normally not in this state, but with the baby…things just…well…”she laughed sheepishly and fiddled with a lock of hair, only to realize with yet another surge of embarrassment that she had forgotten to comb it since getting out of bed a few hours earlier.

He nodded and emitted a noise that sounded vaguely sympathetic, which did help some, but she still scrambled desperately to find a new subject. “Ummm…I…uh…there’s a pot of tea…in the main space…would you care for a cup?”

“Sure, why not?” Akon adjusted the white lab coat he wore over his shihakusho and slunk towards the living area where Rukia ushered him, past Renji’s kneeling form across the way in the kitchen.

Currently occupied with holding up the baby’s ankles in one hand and using the other, with the help of his chin, to unfold a clean diaper, Renji could only offer their guest an unrefined eyebrow raise in acknowledgement. “Akon-san.”

“…Abarai.” His addressee nodded to him curtly and entered the main living room behind Rukia.

Hitching up the hem of her yukata, Rukia knelt before the tea cabinet in the corner and slid open the lower compartment that housed their less formal earthenware set. Technically, she should have been using the finer set painted with orange and gold koi for a guest, however, the cup she was currently using had come from this one, so for consistency (and thicker sides that were less likely to shatter should she drop one in her perpetual state of fatigue) she pulled out another of the spackle-patterned cups. On a whim she grabbed a second, for Renji, before closing the panel.

Back at the table Akon had already pulled up a cushion opposite the side where her cup rested, reclining with his back to the doorway they had entered through. He seemed not to notice when she joined him and began preparing his drink (though he was paying enough attention to absentmindedly decline the cookies she held out to him), instead opting to tilt his head over his shoulder and observe with great interest as Renji finished buttoning Ichika back into her sleeper.

After washing up, Renji vaporized the refuse his chore had generated with a simple kido spell (simple, yet it took nearly two months of practice before Rukia would let him use it anywhere near the baby). With a grin and a wiggle of his fingers, he proudly exhibited his empty hands in front of her face.

“’An lookit that, we’re all done! Now…whoa, hey! Get that outta your mouth, little missy! How’s Daddy supposed to do your hair all nice if ya eat the tie?”

Ichika’s response to Renji’s question came out as something along the lines of a raspy, “auhh vah brrrr!”

“Yeah…exactly.” Renji nodded solemnly and smoothed out the thin blue ribbon he had just confiscated from her between his fingers. In just a few quick motions, he twisted up a tiny tuft of red hair on top of her head and skillfully tied the ribbon around it in a neat little bow. Once that was done, he swiftly scooped her up under his arm. “’Kay, Ichika! Let’s go show Mommy ‘an Akon-san how pretty ya look!” He headed their direction with Ichika gleefully kicking and blowing raspberries all the way.

Leaving the teapot next to its tray for the moment, Rukia made sure to smile with her whole face when Renji sat cross-legged on the cushion beside her and held Ichika out. “Oh, you look so beautiful, Ichika!” she raved enthusiastically, “And what do we say to Daddy? We say, ‘thank you, Daddy, for doing such a good job with my hair!’” Holding one chubby hand in each of hers, Rukia gently moved Ichika’s arms in various motions to emphasize each word as she said it.

Ichika smiled widely the whole time, even throwing up her hands on her own and letting out a gleefully long “Heeeee…!” when Rukia let go and finished with a big “you did it!” kiss to her forehead.

Sounding more bored than amazed, Akon appeared to closely study Renji’s handiwork and commented, “Impressive.”

“Nah, not really.” Renji plopped the baby into a sitting position on his lap and held her against him with one hand. “Ya get real quick with it after a few hundred times…ain’t that right, Ichika?” He lightly twiddled one of her rosy cheeks while making soft clicking noises with his tongue.

Having finished topping off her own cup, Rukia swished the teapot and found a good amount of liquid still sloshing around inside. Well, good thing she had the foresight to bring that second cup. She hovered the spout over it. “There’s still some tea left…do you want any, Renji?”

“Hmm, that depends, Mommy,” Renji’s gaze suddenly darkened and he leaned towards her with his voice lowered to a husky whisper, “Does Daddy get a kiss now if he thanks ya for doin’ a good job with his tea, or does he hafta wait til later for somethin’…special?”

Rukia sputtered and nearly dropped the teapot onto the table. A thousand possibilities as to what “special” could entail whirred through her mind at once and it sent her reeling into a mental tailspin.

What a disgrace…Over a year of marriage (and one child) later and here she was, still getting thoroughly flustered over her husband’s suggestive flirting outside the bedroom like a blushing newlywed. She was only lucky that Akon was too busy attentively watching Ichika take hold of Renji’s sleeve and bat it around to notice what Renji had just done to her. But of course. That boorish oaf always knew exactly the right moment to offer up lewd propositions only she would notice, even while others were present.

Regaining her hold on the teapot, Rukia glared at Renji, heart hammering wildly. “D-do that again and next time you’ll be wearing your tea instead of drinking it,” she hissed, even though in truth she would never dream of wasting such good tea by pouring it all over Renji. Well…at least, not while anyone else was around, otherwise she would…NO. STOP. Now was not the time, they had company.

Satisfied, Renji snapped back to normal and gave her a pleased grin; Rukia did not pour him a single drop of tea until he had wiped that off his face.

“Mmmmm!” Ichika suddenly flailed her hands around in front of her and started pitching forward in urgent rocking motions towards the table.

“Hey, what is it, kiddo? What’s goin’…ahhh…” Renji chuckled and picked up the bright yellow ring she was reaching desperately for. “Right…there ya go!”

The moment Ichika had the ring tightly clutched in both fists, into her open mouth it went. And this, for some reason, seemed to please Akon the most.

“So…emotionally developed enough to interact with others…able to successfully convey basic intent...adequate control over motor skills…and she’s teething already.” He swirled his mug thoughtfully while Ichika bit into the soft plastic with a barrage of garbled “mueh mueh mueh” sounds.

The way he said this, coupled with the strange fascination he had been exhibiting towards her daughter from the moment he laid eyes on her, made Rukia suddenly feel a much different kind of anxiety and she stopped pouring into Renji’s cup. “Um, yes. That’s good, right? It’s not too early?”

After taking a sip of his tea, Akon shrugged and jimmied his long, pale fingers through his ragged mop of dark hair. “Can’t say. I have no more idea than you do. Don’t look at me like that, I only deal with artificial beings and genetically modified experiments,” he glowered when both of them gaped at him in disbelief.

“Right…yeah.” Renji absently started twirling the tails of Ichika’s hair bow around his index finger. “So…uh…bit unexpected ‘an all, but it’s nice ‘o ya to drop by ‘an see us, Akon-san.”

The cup plunked down on the lacquered tabletop with a dull clink and Akon folded his arms reluctantly. “As much as I’d love to stay and chat for a while, this isn’t a social call. I’m here at the request of my captain.”

“…Oh?” Rukia returned the teapot to its tray and briefly exchanged wary looks with Renji, whose ribbon-wrapped finger stilled mid-wind.

“He requires assistance on a certain matter and you two are the only ones who can help him out.” The area of smooth skin just above Akon’s eye that would have normally sported an eyebrow on anyone else lifted at them. “Of course, he expects your agreement and full cooperation.”

Even in the fog of her fatigue, something about all of this was not sitting well with Rukia’s instincts…and judging by the series of creases that were forming at the corners of his eyes, Renji was experiencing a similar sense of unease. So it was without remorse that she informed the man across the table, “With all due respect to Captain Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant Akon, our leave of absence was extended and isn’t over for another month and a half. We aren’t permitted to engage in official Gotei business until-”

“Believe me, he’s already aware of that,” Akon cut in before she could finish, “What he’s asking for doesn’t exactly count as official Gotei business, however…” he paused, obviously intending to complete his explanation eventually, but there was no need. The brief deviation of his gaze towards the baby happily chewing away at her teething ring in Renji’s lap was all they needed.

Every nerve in Rukia’s body zinged at once, like she had just been dunked into a vat of ice water. Her hand automatically jumped to her side a split second before remembering Sode no Shirayuki was not with her at the moment but resting on a stand in the bedroom, right next to Zabimaru. In her peripheral vision, she saw Renji execute the same reflex (nearly yanking out the hairbow), then his eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on Ichika.

“The fuck does that freak want with our daughter?” Renji snarled, canines flashing.

“Oi.” The subtle warning tone was likely spurred by the insult towards his superior. “At least hear me out before doing something rash, will ya, Abarai?” Eyeing Renji’s posture as it grew progressively more defensive, Akon relaxed his own once more and leisurely lifted a hand at them.

“I promise, it’s nothing bad. The captain merely sent me here to observe her developmental progress for now, but…ahhh, well, how should I put this?” He briefly massaged under one of the horn-like protrusions on his brow. “If she met certain criteria…I’ve been instructed…to…set up a play date. For the girls.”

For close to a minute the only sound in the room was the mix of slurpy chomping and nonsense babbling coming from Ichika. Then Renji’s face scrunched up entirely and he let out a loud “…Haaah?”

“A play date. With her. And Nemuri Hachigou. To play together.” Akon spelled out dryly with a nod at Ichika.

The dense atmosphere of spiritual pressure Rukia and Renji had been unconsciously building up around themselves slowly deflated, but Rukia refused to let her guard down completely just yet. “That’s…that’s it?” she questioned sharply, “There’s nothing more to this…’arrangement’?” The cookie package rustled as Renji dragged it across the table towards himself.

“That’s it.”

“Er…well…” Slowly, Renji plucked out a cookie with his sights tilted down at Ichika, lost in her own little world of munchy, chewy satisfaction, completely detached from what was currently going on around her. He frowned again after the cookie had entered his mouth. “…why…?”

“It’s the captain and he has his reasons, that’s why. Sorry if you were looking for specifics…he doesn’t exactly broadcast everything he’s thinking.” Akon sighed and closed his eyes. “Look…no one this close in age was around last time Nemuri was this young. I figure he’s interested in observing how an adolescent mod soul responds to socialization with another kid, especially a kid with the same level of potential. Granted, Nemuri is older by more than a year but she’s remarkably gentle with smaller things. Based on what I’ve gathered here and during lab tests, in my opinion she and your daughter will get along well together.”

“But you said so yourself…she's a mod soul, artificially created in a lab. Ichika was conceived when we…ah…um…” Rukia faltered, heat rapidly rushing into her cheeks. She heard Renji quietly cough up his cookie. “…th-that is…Renji fathered her, and I…I carried and gave birth to her. Wouldn’t they be too different for-?”

“The way I see it,” Akon interrupted bluntly with his eyes still shut, “Any soul, no matter how it came into being or who it belongs to, has the intrinsic potential to form a connection to another soul, in some way. It’s interesting, though…seeing as the two of you are close friends with humans and the like, I guess I expected you to understand that without my saying.”

With his piece said, Akon threw back the rest of his tea in one gulp and left them to digest this in shameful silence while Ichika slowly nodded off, still sitting upright in Renji’s hold and clinging to the teething ring.

He was right. There was nothing they could say to dispute his words without denying the bonds they shared with their friends and allies. Things such as social status and state of being mattered not; It was their mutual feelings that brought them together and transcended such trivialities. But above all else, the desire for some form of acknowledgement…love, companionship, worshipful adoration, even fear…burned bright in the hearts of every being they encountered, whether conscious or not. Denying a soul manifested in the form of a young child the chance at a positive, beneficial camaraderie outside the social circle she had been confined to for most of her existence by her parental figure would be exceedingly cruel.

And as she watched the deep purple of her daughter’s eyes thin out into slits, Rukia realized, with a heavy pang of guilt, Nemuri was not the only little girl their refusal would take this opportunity away from.

“Right…” she reached over and smoothed back a soft wisp of red hair from that tiny, serene face. “Please inform Captain Kurotsuchi we would love to have Ichika and Nemuri Hachigou play together sometime soon. Noon two days from now will work just fine, I think?”

Renji nodded his approval. After she had gently eased the ring from Ichika’s grip and laid it on the table, he carefully relocated the baby the cradle of his strong arm where he could easily help along her transition into slumber.

Rukia watched, and found herself fighting hard against the romantic urges welling up from deep within at the sight of his tender, loving expression. She adored that expression, as it was one he only ever put on for his child and his wife; For Ichika and for her. Renji noticed and, with a knowing smile, discreetly wove his fingers through hers under the table. It came as natural as taking a breath for them now.

“Shhh…atta girl…there we go…that’s it…” back and forth he rocked Ichika, softly whispering as her breathing slowed and her body relaxed, his hand still joined with Rukia’s in secret all the while.

Akon waited patiently until Ichika had fully drifted off before responding to Rukia, “Good. He’ll be pleased to hear you’ve accepted his proposal.” He braced his hands on his knees and heaved himself into a standing position. “Ah, well, thanks for the tea, but I really should get back to work…no, no, please, don’t get up, I’d much rather let myself out.”

Turning lazily on his heel, he flapped one hand at them over his shoulder, the other he jammed into the pocket of his lab coat, and made to leave the room. Just as he was about to pass through the parted screens, however, Akon froze, braced on the frame, and through the fabric of his pocket, the outline of a fist visibly formed. His head tilted a fraction before he spoke aloud.

“You know, I have to confess…lately, I’ve found myself wondering…if the previous Nemuri had someone to call a friend…a real friend…how differently things might’ve turned out. I suspect we’ll know the answer to that soon enough though, eh?”

Then he was gone, nothing more than a fading shuffle of footsteps moving through the entrance hall, pausing briefly, then disappearing entirely as soon as the door slid shut with an dull clack!

Throughout it all Ichika remained safely undisturbed in her father’s arm, only shifting to let out a wistful sigh when her parents came together in an affectionate embrace above her.

5½ YEARS LATER…

In the Gotei 13, few people outside the 12th Division ever set foot inside the laboratories of the Department of Research & Development unless required by an order, for work-related business. It was entirely possible most found them uninviting, even eerie. Within the darkened rooms, the only light emission came from things like giant tanks full of bubbling fluid or the computer screens forever relaying information or wall mounted monitors, along with the buttons that controlled them.

How comical…to think a god of death could be repelled by something as trivial as the dark. But this was only a theory, really. Whatever explanations they had, it was better they stayed far away from it all. No, not for safety reasons, of course, (that was barely a concern…Shinigami were easily replaceable, after all) but the absence of unnecessary bodies and the nonsense they brought with them meant more room to work without distractions.

That was the philosophy of the man who currently stood within one of those rooms, studying the flickering computer screen before him with rapt eagerness, bathed in a sickly green glow from the numerous experiments fermenting in the row of tanks behind it. Suddenly, between those focused golden eyes and painted shapes of black a wide grin stretched over his pale face; The long-awaited news had arrived at last.

“Hmph…So the West 55th block is finally completed? Those imbeciles sure took their sweet time finishing it…Now, to expand the secret underground network…”

Tongue between his teeth, he tapped out a series of commands. All at once, multiple streams of fluctuating data flashed themselves at him, disappearing as swiftly as they appeared. Tauntingly swift. Hmmm…perhaps the system was making a pitiful attempt to trip him up? Ha! What foolish nonsense. With his superior intellect, rapid data accumulation, even in competition against the likes of a computer, was mere child’s play. With utmost ease, every last integer that materialized in front of his attentive eyes was absorbed and instantly analyzed.

“Let’s see…” he murmured to himself. His mind sped through the calculations; Within seconds he had his answer and…ah, yes. As predicted, what little equipment he had been able to secretly install during the heavily overseen construction process was insufficient for gathering all the necessary information. No matter…statistics collected firsthand were the most precise anyhow, why would he ever complain about going the extra step to ensure utmost accuracy?

“We’ll have to do a cursory overview of the location on-site.” He spun about, calling over his shoulder as he did so, “Hurry along, Nemuri Hachigou!”

As always, he heard her before he saw her: A pattering of tiny sock-clad feet on hard floor, soft little gasps of breath, then into the light she burst forth, dark hair and shihakusho fluttering and blurring into streaks behind her as she ran.

“COMING, MAYURI-SAMAAAA!” she trilled at the top of her lungs.

Mayuri winced. The child’s voice was far too piercing. That was something he failed to foresee during the modification process. Next time, he would rectify this little issue first.

“I told you…you don’t have to shout like that.”

Mmmm, make that…if there was a next time. No good ever came from being presumptuous.

“Ohh!”

The top of her head bounced into his peripheral vision. This time, he caught sight of her shoulders puffing out for the wind-up and was sufficiently braced for the next cheerful yell that penetrated the air.

“SORRY, MAYURI-SAMA!”

She merrily skipped along next to him, eyes shining. He shook his head and sighed out loud.

“I swear…how you wound up this way is a complete mystery…”

Author’s Notes: I love working with ways to write new characters and a pretty dry but logically insightful thinker like Akon was no exception. You might have noticed that not only does Akon give exactly zero effs about conforming to houseguest etiquettes, he actually does the opposite or deliberately contradicts them in some way (ex: he sits with his back to the door) The guy obviously has a blasé disregard for generally accepted rules…he smokes while he’s working in the lab for Pete’s sake. XD I loathe Mayuri as a person but like any character with motives far removed from my own he is brilliant fun to play.

When Renji and Rukia’s daughter finally arrived, she was late.

 As in, “half a week past her due date” late.

 And because everyone involved was under the reasonable assumption that she would come before or on the projected day given by Captain Kotetsu, this unexpected delay of events selfishly interrupted the lives of people who had already organized their schedules for after said day. It was already highly inconvenient for those who resided in Soul Society, but it was even more so for the ones living on an entirely different plane of existence.

 Typical. Only her first day of life and she was already throwing baby-sized wrenches into Ichigo’s plans. Just what he’d expect from something spawned by those two.

 They were important plans, too. He was supposed to be treating Orihime, his girlfriend of eight months now, to a date that included a morning walk in her favorite park, lunch at a new restaurant downtown, and a movie of her choice; His intended birthday gift to her. Since he was swamped with classes during her actual birthday on the 3rd of September and had several major assignments due in the weeks following, he had worked extra hard to make sure this day, the 23rd of September, would be free of conflicts and he could devote all his time and attention to her. After all, Ichigo knew these were the things she treasured from him more than anything else and he would walk the world over to give them to her. Twice.

 When he thought about it, that’s what he loved most about Orihime.

 They had been together as a couple since mid January, though he had definitely harbored a crush long before that, and her even longer still. Ichigo had to reluctantly admit: If Renji hadn’t decided to play matchmaker (at his own wedding, no less) and figuratively thrown Orihime into his arms (which, ironically, Ichigo had literally done to him with the woman he had just married), he might not have ever found the courage to act on his feelings. He was happy enough being around her even just as her friend, and he didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize their relationship or make her uncomfortable. All he wanted was to see her happy and safe.

 Even though Renji had given him the perfect opportunity, he still couldn’t bring himself to confess to her at the wedding and instead asked that she make time for him so they could discuss something important. It had taken almost two weeks to find that time when both of them could sit down and properly talk, but they put in the effort to make it work. It meant they had to quite literally meet up during work hours while she was on break, but at that point Ichigo didn’t even care anymore. He just needed to come clean to her somehow.

 When he was finally able to look her in the eye over a platter of fruit tarts and quietly tell her, “Inoue…this may be selfish of me but I need you to know my feelings. For you. I like you a lot as a friend. And I think…I might also like you as something more,” Ichigo definitely didn’t expect her to break down and give him a confession of her own in return.

 Her feelings, as it turned out, were the same as his. Though she deeply desired more, all she ever wanted and expected from him was his company and loyal friendship, if it meant he could be happy.

 Ichigo ended up waiting around until her shift was over and walking her back to her apartment where they drank tea and ate more sweets and stayed up talking well past midnight. It was almost 1am when he finally arrived home and was promptly submerged in a tidal wave of nosy questions from his prying family. That was probably why he held off until April to officially tell them he and Inoue (he would soon start calling her Orihime after that) were dating.

 Funnily enough, they’d actually already deduced it for themselves from the amount of time she spent at their house, not to mention alone with him in his room.

 September rolled around and he and Orihime were better than ever…still close and growing closer, still enjoying spending time with each other, still determined to make the other as happy as they could possibly be. The only dynamic that had truly and drastically changed between them was…well…in a physical proximity sense.

 And speaking of which, in the days leading up to their date Ichigo found himself secretly hoping that she’d pick a boring and easily ignored biopic or something lame like that so they could sit in the back of the theater and find a better way to pass the time.

 That morning had gotten off to a good start. After getting up early enough to take the first shower (allowing him as much hot water as he wanted) and gulping down a quick breakfast, he zipped himself into a jacket appropriate for the brisk autumn air and set off to meet Orihime at the park to kick off their walk-lunch-movie date. It was approximately 10:46 am, 20 minutes into the “walk” part, when both their phones buzzed and lit up with identical text messages:

 GET READY!!! BABY COMING SOON!!!

 At Orihime’s insistence, Ichigo reluctantly agreed to set aside their plans for another day so they could wait on standby for any further updates on the baby’s progress from Renji (as they had promised and intended to do when she was supposed to be born, four days ago). Bare minimum decent as it was, if it could reassure Renji and Rukia to know they were only a text or call away should something drastic happen, then all the better. It wasn’t like there was anything they could actually help with since this was all going down in Soul Society and they were…not in Soul Society.

 After two and a half hours of sitting on his bed and twiddling their fingers to radio silence, the message they’d been anticipating finally arrived:

 SHE’S HERE!!!

 This one was accompanied by a photo of a sweaty and exhausted-looking Rukia lying on a hospital bed and giving the camera a weary, but noticeably happy, thumbs-up.

After studying the photo, they remarked to each other with some amusement that considering the wording of the message it would have made more sense for Renji to send a picture of the baby instead of Rukia. But as his next message informed them, they had already been given priority clearance to come to Soul Society right away so they would see her for themselves very soon.

 3:55pm, they all stood in the street just outside of Ichigo’s house waiting for the gates to appear so they could cross over: Himself, Orihime, and Chad.

 Next to him, Orihime fidgeted and wrung her hands excitedly. And next to her, Chad loomed over, tall and massive as ever. Ichigo swore he got bigger every time they met up. He was training practically every day, though, (and had even shown up straight from the gym still in his workout gear) so it actually might not have been his imagination.

 A light breeze blew a small flock of leaves past them and ruffled his hair. Sighing, Ichigo took one hand out of his pocket to brush it back in place somewhat awkwardly. It was weird not feeling the long strands he was used to having since he was a kid; He had recently cut his hair short on a whim and had yet to grow accustomed to the new style.

 Actually, that was a lie…he cut it because Orihime had mentioned a few times in passing that she thought a short haircut would look good on him and he’d finally given in to curiosity. Thankfully, it turned out she’d been right. It made him look his age, maybe even older.

 Not to mention, it was worth seeing the look on her face when he showed up on her doorstep unannounced to show it off.  He really liked making her blush and smile like that.

 “Hm. This feels a little strange,” Chad suddenly remarked.

 Ichigo dropped his hand and jammed it back into his jacket pocket. “I know. Hard to imagine those two idiots with a kid isn’t it?”

 Chad shook his dark curls. “No. I mean us going to Soul Society like this without Ishida.”

 “Oh. Right.” Ichigo shrugged. “He said he was fine with it. You know how busy he’s been recently.”

 “Still, it is sad.” Orihime tucked a strand of hair behind her ear wistfully. Her blue flower hairpin flashed brightly in its disturbance. “We don’t get to see him much anymore. I hope this doesn’t mean-”

 Ichigo let out a defiant huff before she could finish. “That doesn’t matter, does it? Ishida’s still our friend. We’ve been through things together, we still have those bonds and share the same feelings. That’s not going to change, even if we don’t see him as often as we want to.” He then noticed the other two smiling strangely at him. “What…?”

 Chad smirked and Orihime let out one of her musical laughs. “Nothing,” they replied simultaneously.

 Ichigo sighed. He adored his girlfriend and his best friend dearly but sometimes he just didn’t get them.

 At 4pm right on the dot, they felt the telltale spike of energy and shift in the wind that heralded the appearance of the Senkaimon. Seconds later, it materialized in front of them. The doors slid smoothly open to reveal the dark dank passageway of the Dangai, and its lone occupant.

 “Kurosaki Ichigo. Inoue Orihime. Sado Yasutora.” A familiar cool masculine voice addressed each in turn. Three hell butterflies fluttered out to meet them and circled impatiently around their heads as if to say “Hurry up! Get moving!”

 Ichigo gestured in greeting to the approaching figure with his hand still inside his jacket. “Yo, Byakuya! Congratulations!”

 “Rukia and Renji had the child, not I.” Byakuya eyed him with blatant disapproval for his supposed mistake. Although, that wasn’t saying much since the man always gave off the impression that his sole purpose in life was to bestow unforgiving judgment on everyone around him.

 Stepping through the doorway with the others, Ichigo shrugged. “Yeah, but you’re an uncle now, that’s something we still congratulate people for.” The doors clanged shut behind them and he fell into step next to the captain. “So, congrats, Uncle Byakuya! How does it feel to have a new niece?”

 “Oh. Yes. Good, I suppose.” Byakuya closed his eyes and turned away with a curt nod. “Thank you,” he added hastily.

 Ichigo smirked to himself. There were things even the great Kuchiki Byakuya wasn’t immune to and getting caught off guard by his own emotions was one of them.

 Of course, now that Byakuya had clammed completely shut, that was the extent of this discussion. For almost the rest of the way the four of them walked the bumpy, oozing tunnel to Soul Society in awkward silence, their butterflies flapping out little halo-like paths over their heads. It wasn’t until they caught sight of the bright light streaming in at the end of the channel that it was abruptly lifted.

 “Byakuya-san?”

 He looked slightly taken aback at being addressed after such a lengthy pause in conversation but he indulged Orihime anyways. “Yes?” he answered in a stern, clipped voice as if he was attempting to discourage any small talk in a very roundabout way.

 However, he’d apparently forgotten this was Orihime he was talking to and being Orihime, she wouldn’t be deterred by something like that. She pressed on shyly. “Um…have you seen her yet? The baby?”

 “…I have.”

 With that bit of knowledge, she gained new confidence and perked up considerably. “Really? What’s she like?” Orihime asked him eagerly.

 Byakuya glanced at her for a split second before replying with some reluctance, “Very small.”

 This was not surprising information. Not counting children, out of their entire group of acquaintances (Shinigami or human) Rukia stood the shortest at less than 4’9” tall. On top of that, she was incredibly slender and it was pretty much a given any baby that grew inside her would reflect this, plus the bump in her stomach did not end up being very big in the end. So knowing that, what Byakuya gave them wasn’t exactly useful information, either.

 When Orihime continued looking at him expectantly, he sighed in defeat and went on, “But she is healthy. She has Rukia’s eyes. And a full head of hair. Renji’s hair,” he added begrudgingly as if this was somehow Renji’s fault.

 Unprompted this time, he paused and took a breath.

 “You will not be disappointed. She is…adorable.”

 Ichigo raised his eyebrows. Was that a smile on Byakuya’s face, or was he imagining things? And the measured steps he was taking…had they suddenly become lighter? Unsure, he looked over at Chad, who shared his sentiments with a silent shrug.

 Byakuya only accompanied them as far as the gate, immediately excusing himself and shunpo’ing away the second he stepped foot onto the ground and his hell butterfly detached from his aura. Something told Ichigo this was his way of dealing with the embarrassment of letting so much emotion towards his newborn niece slip out in front of them.

 Well, it made him seem more human at least. Or…soul.

 The 4th Division’s main medical building (where Byakuya had been decent enough to direct them before darting away) wasn’t busy at all that day. In fact until they walked through the doors, the entire reception area was completely deserted save for one person seated at the first aid station nearby. The poor thing was swaying back and forth on his stool with the glazed over look of someone who’d been stuck in one spot with nothing to do for hours.

 “Hey, Hanataro!” Ichigo recognized who it was and waved. “D’you know where Rukia’s room is?”

 The zoned-out Shinigami yelped and shot several feet off his stool from shock. Displaying remarkable recovery time for someone so lethargic, he snapped back quick as a whip, standing straight at attention and braced for the impending reprimand for slacking at his post. When he saw it was only Ichigo and co. he immediately relaxed his posture and put on a relieved smile. “Oh, hi, everyone! Um, yes, it’s just down this hallway. Follow me.” He motioned for them to accompany him down the closest corridor and they followed his lead.

 As they walked, Hanataro looked at each of them and asked eagerly, “Are you here to see the baby?”

 “Yes!” Orihime nodded, excited, and moved closer to him. “Have you met her yet, Hanataro-kun?”

 Hanataro blushed rather furiously at this question. “Ah…well…you could say I was one of the first people she met,” he laughed nervously and fiddled with the strap of his backpack.

 Chad slowed pace and tilted his head. “You…delivered her?”

 Thoroughly appalled by this suggestion, Hanataro vigorously shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. “Oh…no…no, I wouldn’t even trust myself to do that! Captain Kotetsu was the one who delivered her. But the lieutenant and I checked her over and took measurements right after she was born!” He paused with one finger in the air and mouth slightly agape. After thinking hard for a moment, he scratched his chin sheepishly. “Um…I forgot what they were. I was sent away once I did that.”

 “That’s okay. We’ll…get them from Renji or something,” Ichigo assured, knowing full well they would completely forget by the time they actually got to him.

 “Right…ah…I’m sorry, but I do have to get back to my work. Her room’s right there.” After pointing it out, he waved and hurried back down the hall to his station. The others continued on.

 Up ahead there was a flash of red and Renji popped forth from the room Hanataro had singled out. When he spotted the approaching trio, his face immediately lit up and he waved at them with all the enthusiasm of a puppy bounding over to say hello to its favorite human. They had seen Renji get worked up when he was feeling strong emotions many times before, but never like this. Right now he looked positively giddy with elation.

 “Ichigo! Inoue! Sado!” His loud booming voice echoed down the hall and practically knocked them down with its intensity. “Gladja could make it!”

 A passing orderly carrying a tray full of surgical supplies and bandages winced. “Excuse me, Lieutenant Abarai…I understand this is a happy occasion but I must ask that you please keep your voice down. There are recovering patients on this floor,” he insisted, balancing the tray with one hand and gingerly rubbing the ear closest to Renji with the other.

 Wide-eyed, Renji shrank back and rubbed the back of his head guiltily as the orderly continued on his way. “Ah…right. Sorry.”

 “Yo, Renji,” Ichigo greeted once they reached him, “everything good? How’s Rukia?”

 Renji dropped his hand and grinned broadly with a sing-song voice, “Come ‘an see for yourselves!” He whirled around in a flurry of ponytail and shihakusho and proceeded to prance back into the room with an overly accentuated bounce in his step.

 Ichigo glanced at Orihime, who looked back at him and giggled under her breath. He had to agree with her; Renji was acting a little silly, even for him. Any other day and Ichigo would have given him grief for it. But considering the circumstances he supposed he could let this one instance slide. After all, the guy did just witness the birth of his first child, he had every right be stupidly happy about that.

 And come to think of it…that goofy demeanor sort of reminded him of his own father. Maybe it was a Shinigami dad thing? Ichigo hoped it wasn’t contagious. Or hereditary.

 “Rukia! They’re here!” Renji announced in a raised whisper when the three of them followed his lead through the door.

 From the bed in the center of the room, Rukia rolled her heavily lidded eyes. “I heard you the first time, Renji.” But she smiled warmly at her friends in greeting as they filed in and lined up at the end of her bed, right in front of the small table where various gifts and flower baskets had begun to accumulate.

 Then the bundle in her arms stirred and gave a tiny squawk of a cry.

 “Shhh…it’s okay.” Rukia gazed down and crooned in a soft tone Ichigo had never heard her use before as she tenderly rocked it. “You have some visitors, sweetie. Do you want to meet them? They want to meet you.” She spoke every syllable so slowly and deliberately he started wondering what the hell kind of drugs they were giving her to make her talk like that. And use a very un-Rukia-like word like “sweetie”.

 Perched on a chair drawn up beside the bed, Renji watched them with a joyfully pained expression, like he was on the verge of crying any second. He even gave a minute sniff and drew his sleeve across his eyes.

 Good grief, Ichigo thought to himself. Renji was blubbering so badly it was starting to remind him of Orihime. Which, of course, was perfectly fine when it was Orihime, but Renji displaying that type of disposition was just plain bizarre.

 Rukia suddenly looked up and frowned at the three of them. “What are you standing there for? Get over here and say hi to her. She’s a baby, not a virus,” she scolded. That sounded much more like the Rukia they knew; Raking them over the coals for something as trivial as their failure to properly greet her hours-old child who understood approximately zero words of spoken language.

 Unsurprisingly, Orihime made the first move. Nervously jittering from hairpin to boot tip in her mix of excitement and apprehension, she shuffled around and sat on the bed next to Rukia. But when she looked down at the bundle, her hands flew up to her face and the timid look underneath gave way to one of pure joy.

 “Ohhh…Rukia-san…Renji-kun,” Orihime gasped softly, “She’s beautiful.” She glanced between Renji and Rukia with a hopeful expression. “Um, may I…is it alright if…”

 “Would you like to hold her, Inoue?” Rukia prompted, giving her a gentle smile.

 “Yes! Please!” Orihime beamed and held out her arms.

 Carefully, under Renji’s contented observation, Rukia handed their daughter over to Orihime. “Be sure to support her head,” she instructed, “There you go, Inoue. That’s it.”

 The second Rukia had placed the baby in Orihime’s arms, something magical occurred.

 His girlfriend’s face blossomed into the most radiant smile Ichigo had ever seen and suddenly it was as if everything warm and soft about her had multiplied exponentially. As he watched, awestruck, she settled the baby in the cradle of her embrace so smoothly and delicately it looked like she’d been holding children all her life. Perfectly at ease with playing the role of this child’s caretaker, she almost looked more natural and motherly holding it than Rukia, the actual mother.

 On second thought…that one could’ve been his own bias talking. There was a strong possibility being kicked in the face one too many times by Rukia may have severely damaged his ability to view her as “motherly” in any way.

 When Orihime looked up at him, even her eyes were shining.

 “Ichigo-kun…Sado-kun,” she whispered tearfully and held out the blanket for the boys to see, making sure she was still supporting in all the right places. They both moved over and peered at the sleeping baby swaddled within.

 Byakuya wasn’t kidding…she really did have a full head of hair and it was the exact shade of crimson as her father’s. It almost looked like someone had cut off the end of Renji’s ponytail and glued it onto his daughter as a wig. Thankfully the rosy color dusting her chubby cheeks and delicate button nose wasn’t nearly as bright, or the effect might have made her resemble a miniature circus clown. Thin rows of dark fluffy lashes lay shut over each eye, occasionally twitching in her state of peaceful slumber, and the more Ichigo looked the more her features fluctuated between each parent. Everything about her was a perfect combination of both, though the way her nose crinkled daintily as she stirred and parted her lips with a barely audible whimper was definitely all Rukia.

 A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed it back to look at Rukia and Renji. “That’s amazing. She really looks like you guys,” was all he could think to say.

 Rukia rolled her eyes. “Well duh.” Despite her tone, the small smile she wore gave away how much she genuinely appreciated his comment.

 Chad leaned over and cautiously pulled back the blanket with one thick finger to get a better look. “Does she have a name yet?” he asked Rukia in his deep melodic voice.

 Rukia opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Renji frantically leaping to his feet. “Oi! Of course we gave her a name! It’s Ichika! Abarai Ichika!” he insisted. He sounded highly insulted, like Chad had just accused him of being a terrible father for leaving his newborn child nameless. Which Ichigo knew he hadn’t, but again…Renji was having a very unusual day today, he could let it slide.

 Chad seemed to share his thoughts. “Right. I see. Sorry for being presumptuous, Abarai.” He nodded sincerely and let the blanket fall back into place, at the same time Renji sat down again while muttering, “Damn well should be…” under his breath.

 Orihime paid no mind to the exchange and lit up at Rukia. “Ichika? Oh! What a lovely name! Like the flower, right?”

 Renji’s jubilant demeanor promptly returned. “Right! Exactly! Thank you, Inoue!” he commended her while haughtily raising one tattooed eyebrow at Chad as if to say “Why can’t you be like her?” Chad wisely ignored this.

 “We thought…since you all embroidered strawberry flowers on my wedding veil, well…” Rukia smiled fondly and looked down at her lap. “It just seemed appropriate. Both the meaning of the flower, and in honor of all you’ve done for us.” Beside her, Renji nodded proudly.

 To the surprise of no one, Orihime’s waterworks were going full blast now.

 “Well, that makes sense,” Ichigo laughed and scratched his head, “But for a second there I thought you named her after me.”

 The bed creaked and Renji and Rukia both looked around at him with identical disbelieving stares. “Why the hell would we do that?” Renji asked incredulously.

 Ichigo stared back, feeling one eyebrow start to twitch. “Because people name their kids after friends all the time! And what’s wrong with naming a kid after me?” he asked, annoyed.

 “Not my kid!” Renji shot back. “You can go ‘an name your own kid after yourself.”

 “Maybe I will!”

 The argument didn’t get any further than this because right then Ichika decided it was the perfect moment to interrupt them with a grumpy whine and squirm awake in Orihime’s arms. All attentions drew back to her as her little balled fists broke free from the blanket with a jerky stretch and she gave the biggest yawn her small toothless mouth could muster. When her large round eyes fluttered open Ichigo saw that, once again, Byakuya was right: They were the same deep indigo violet as Rukia’s.

 The tears stopped flowing and Orihime blinked down at the infant. “Hello, Ichika-chan.” she said softly.

 Ichika blinked right back at Orihime and attempted to stare at her. It was a valiant effort, but with how blank and unfocused her eyes remained no matter where she moved them it was more like she was aiming her pupils in a general upward direction than actually staring. Then she frowned and wriggled a little as if she was checking for something. When she finally seemed to realize the person holding her was not one of her parents, Ichika’s tiny face suddenly screwed up and she began to wail. Loudly.

 Caught off guard and not entirely sure what to do, Orihime stiffened. Her large brown eyes darted wildly from side to side.

 “Um…there, there. Shhhhh. It’s okay, Ichika-chan,” she whispered and tried rocking her the way she’d seen Rukia do it earlier. From what Ichigo could tell it was a perfect imitation yet it didn’t seem to do anything. Ichika’s piercing screeches continued ringing out, to the dismay of everyone’s eardrums.

 Renji sprang out of the chair and practically vaulted over the bed to get to the screaming baby. Shoving Ichigo and Chad aside (with a little more roughness than called for), he scooped her out of Orihime’s arms and started parading around the room with some kind of weird skipping trot to his gait. “Oi, Ichika! Hey, hey, what’s wrong? Daddy’s here! See? You’re fine!” he chanted with gusto as he rocked her.

 To everyone’s astonishment, Ichika went silent almost immediately.

 Trying to wrap his brain around what he was witnessing as Renji gamboled back and forth, Ichigo raised one eyebrow and looked at Rukia. She shrugged and crossed her arms with a languid shake of her head. “She likes it when he does that. We have no idea why, but it’s the only thing that’ll get her to stop crying.”

 “Ah.” Ichigo felt it best not to ask how they found that out in only a few hours.

 “Uh, Rukia, I think she’s actually hungry now.” Renji had finished his little cantering routine and returned to his spot beside the bed. Now that he was completely still, they could see how comically massive Renji was compared to his daughter…she was small enough for her tiny body to fit comfortably in one of his hands. (Three for three, Uncle Byakuya)

 “Is she? Finally. Give her here.” Rukia held out her arms and began talking in her weird high-pitched mush-mouth speech again once she had ahold of Ichika, “Are you hungry, Ichika? Do you want to eat? Okay. Let’s get you fed.” With Ichika tucked securely in the crook of one elbow she reached for her collar but hesitated when she noticed Ichigo and Chad were still watching. Her face reddened. “D-do you mind?” she stammered, refusing to look either one in the eye.

 They hastily whipped around.

 “Oi, Rukia, do you have to do that now?” Ichigo’s cheeks burned, out of the corner of his vision he could see Chad’s visible eye widen as he shifted his weight. “Can’t you hold off until-”

 “My child is hungry now so I am feeding her now, you imbecile!” came her irate (normal) voice from behind them, “If you have a problem with it, you are more than welcome to leave!”

 After a moment’s hesitation, Ichigo stiffly shook his head and Chad muttered, “No…no problem.”

 “S’alright. You can turn around now.” Renji sounded like he was trying very hard to restrain himself from laughing.

 When they did so Ichigo was thankful to discover that Renji, despite his overt amusement with the situation, had thoughtfully planted himself on the bed between them and Rukia to act as a sort of living privacy screen. He leaned forward with one arm on his knees and gave Ichigo an incredulous look. “What, you’re not used to it by now?”

 “No, I’m not! Everyone who’s ever given birth in the clinic went straight to the hospital after.”

 “I ain’t talkin’ about that, ya dumbass.” Renji rolled his eyes and lowered his voice. “You’ve seen Inoue in less, right? So how’s this,” he jerked his thumb back at Rukia, “botherin’ ya?”

 “Well, yeah, but…I MEAN-” Ichigo clamped his mouth shut and mentally cursed himself. Renji wasn’t supposed to be aware of that little detail about his and Orihime’s relationship. In fact, seeing as it had only happened a few times so far and they’d agreed to keep it between the two of them for the present, he had no idea how anyone would manage to figure it out for themselves…and judging by the genuinely surprised look he was giving him, even Chad had been completely oblivious until that moment. The only possible way Renji could know was if he’d said something that gave it away it in casual conversation without realizing. Either that or Renji was more observant than he’d been giving him credit for all these years.

 Attempting to shrug off his massive slip-up, Ichigo closed his eyes for a few moments and calmly replied, “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s not my girlfriend. I don’t want to see any part of her I don’t have to.”

 “Well, I’ll give ya credit for bein’ faithful.” Renji lolled his head around slightly to address Orihime, who was still far too busy fawning over the baby to pay attention to him, “Ya got lucky, Inoue. Mosta the guys I know would-“

 “Would you leave Orihime out of this already? She doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with any of your dirty nonsense!” Ichigo snapped, protective instincts kicking into overdrive now that Orihime had been directly involved.

 Sensing this, Renji snorted and held up his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever ya say.” Orihime looked up and blinked at both of them in confusion.

 “Ichigo!” exclaimed Rukia suddenly, most of her still hidden from view behind Renji, “What did you do to your hair?”

 He knew she couldn’t see his eyes but that didn’t stop Ichigo from rolling them anyway. “What, you just noticed that?”

 “I’ve been a bit preoccupied by other things today, or did you not notice that?” she answered dryly.

 Orihime smiled eagerly at Rukia. “It looks nice, doesn’t it?”

 Rukia was noticeably silent before she answered haltingly, “Uh…sure, I guess.”

 Seeing Orihime’s face fall slightly at Rukia’s not-so-enthusiastic response, Ichigo reassured her with a nonchalant wave of his hand, “Eh, don’t bother asking her opinion on this one, Orihime. She clearly prefers long hair on guys.” He looked pointedly at Renji.

 “Damn straight she does,” Renji smirked proudly with a flourished twirl to his waist-length scarlet mane.

 “N-not true! You just…happen to have long hair. That’s all!” Rukia argued back hastily.

 Even though she was fooling absolutely no one with that transparent claim, Renji still found it necessary to lean his head back at her and drawl wryly, “Oho? Then why’d I remember ya sayin’ somethin’ ‘bout my hair ‘an new uniform makin’ me irresistible the night we-“

 “RENJI!” Rukia snapped at him in warning, sounding far too frantic for someone claiming they never thought or said anything of the sort.

 He heeded her admonition and said no more about “that night” but since she couldn’t see him, Renji glanced at each human in turn and smugly mouthed, “She loves it,” while gesturing to his hair.

 A croaked gurgle sounded from Ichika and signaled feeding time was over. Renji turned and took her from Rukia while she put her clothing back into place. This time, Ichigo and Chad respectfully averted their gazes to the ceiling until a soft cough from Orihime signaled it was safe to look back.

 They watched with some fascination as Renji slung a small blue towel Rukia handed him over his shoulder and started gently patting Ichika on the back when he had her settled upright against it. Though “tapping” was a more accurate way of describing it since he could only fit two of his fingers on her tiny back.

 For anyone who had fought alongside Renji in battle (or fought him directly), this was a strange sight…the same guy they’d witnessed punch through walls and chuck his enemies almost a football field away with those massive powerful hands of his, now using them to handle this delicate little baby as softly as if she were made of spun sugar.

 Ichigo didn’t realize he was staring until Renji looked at him strangely and grunted, “What?” Shortly after, Ichika let out a quiet burp.

 “Nothing. You just…actually look like a dad right now,” he admitted with a casual shrug. Renji raised an eyebrow questioningly. Ichigo could tell he was putting on a face as blankly dull as he could make, however when he laid Ichika over his arm to re-adjust her wrappings and gently brushed his hand over her wispy red hair he was no longer able to hold back the proud smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 As if this suddenly jogged her memory, Orihime gasped and jumped up off the bed. “Oh! Renji-kun, could you bring her here and sit next to Rukia-san? I promised Ishida-kun I’d send pictures since he couldn’t come.” She produced her phone from her jacket pocket and backed away several paces.

 Nodding cheerfully, Renji took her vacant spot and reached around Rukia to pull her close until he had both his girls securely gathered up into one big family cuddle. Startled and visibly annoyed by Renji’s spontaneous act of physical affection (in front of their friends, no less) Rukia immediately whipped her head up and tried to shoot him a Look. One tender smile and a loving squeeze to her elbow from him, however, and she was soon quietly snuggled into the embrace, even relenting enough to lay her head on his chest. Ichika proceeded to fall back asleep in the warm nest of her parents’ entwined arms.

 While Orihime held up her phone and told them to say a bunch of nonsense words before taking the picture, Chad leaned over to Ichigo with a low hum and commented, “They’re a good looking family, huh?”

 “Yeah.” Ichigo nodded and watched Orihime snap multiple shots. “They really are, I gotta admit.”

 Chad regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. “I wonder…” he paused and glanced over at Orihime, sitting happily with Renji and Rukia as the three of them admired the batch of photos she’d just taken.

 Ichigo eyed him suspiciously. “…What?”

 Chad smiled and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Oh, nothing.”

 Ichigo knew his friend well enough to recognize that type of smile meant it actually wasn’t nothing, but he was prevented from calling him out on it by the boisterous arrival of a group of all-too-familiar Shinigami. After dodging several tipsy greetings (and discreetly questioning why the hell so many of them were that drunk this early), the three human visitors decided it would be best to take their leave.

 To be more precise, two of the human visitors decided it would be best to take their leave while working to persuade the reluctant third, as she kept prolonging her goodbyes in an effort to stay with the baby as long as possible.

 “Come by any time you want! We’re off duty for the next three months!” Rukia called out as they walked out the door. With one last wave goodbye at Ichika, now buried within the midst of a new throng of admirers, Orihime gladly assured her they would.

 The entire journey back through the Dangai, she could not stop talking about baby Ichika. And astonishingly, Byakuya now seemed openly keen to hear all the good things she had to say about his niece.

 “I’ve never seen a tinier baby before! The way Renji-kun held her in his hand…it was so cute! And you were right, Byakuya-san, her eyes looked just like Rukia-san’s! So much of her looked just like Rukia-san! And Renji-kun, too.” Orihime sighed happily and gazed at the photos pulled up on her phone. “Oh, she’s going to be so pretty when she gets older! Don’t you think?” She looked up and addressed Byakuya directly with this question.

 Byakuya nodded politely to her in agreement as she rambled on but once she switched her attention back to the photos, he turned slightly away and quietly sighed, “If she takes after her mother, ” under his breath.

 Ichigo, being the only one who heard him say this, quickly stifled his laugh with a rough cough that sent his hell butterfly reeling and almost crashing antennae-first into the wall of the tunnel. Byakuya said nothing but shot him a subtle warning glare as it fluttered back into place.

 The sky was starting to darken when they finally stepped back into the Living World as the doors closed on Byakuya’s retreating back and the small flock of butterflies that followed. Orihime was staying with the Kurosaki’s for dinner that night so Chad said his goodbyes as well and left them together outside of Ichigo’s house.

 Ichigo surveyed Orihime, flushed from the cold and shivering slightly. Without thinking, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up at him in surprise. “Oh, Ichigo-kun…I’m fine, really! But aren’t you going to be cold now?”

 “Nah. I’ve got extra layers on,” Ichigo assured her, “besides, we’re going inside aren’t we? It won’t be for long”

 “Ah, yes…you’re right.” Orihime smiled and held the jacket around herself. She really looked cute wearing his clothes, even if they were a little big on her. He couldn’t help the smile that broke out when he thought this, and actually almost didn’t notice he was doing it at first. If the way she bashfully bit her lip and pulled the jacket tighter was any indication, Orihime definitely noticed.

 “Ichigo-kun?”

 “Yeah?”

 It was getting hard to see in the twilight but he could still make out the way Orihime pursed her lips and gazed at him with an expression that could only be described as hopeful. She started, “Seeing Ichika-chan…and seeing all of them together…it made me think…” Suddenly she blushed and turned away from him.

 “What?” Ichigo asked, genuinely interested to hear what she was going to say.

 After a moment, she hummed softly and tried again.

 “Ah, it’s just that…Renji-kun and Rukia-san seemed a bit different. But it wasn’t in a bad way. Even for Renji-kun,” Orihime murmured thoughtfully. She laughed a bit and looked back up at him. “Becoming a parent really changes you, huh?”

 The memories of Rukia cooing and fussing over her daughter and Renji frolicking about like some giant red and black rabbit played back in his mind, much like the movie they were supposed to see that day.

 “Yeah,” Ichigo snorted rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, “But don’t worry, Orihime. I don’t think we’ll change too much. I swear I’m not gonna get as dopey as Renji. Or my old man. And you’re already kind of the mothering type, right? At least Karin and Yuzu seem to think that. So you won’t be too different, either. Although…”

 He trailed off. Orihime’s mouth had dropped wide open and she was staring at him in shock.

 Automatically fearing he’d said the wrong thing, Ichigo frantically scrambled to think of a way to fix it when he realized it wasn’t what he said, it was the implication of what he said that his girlfriend was reacting to.

 Because he had just insinuated he was certain they would have children together in the future.

 Nearby, the streetlamps had started flickering on. Ichigo felt his face flare up right along with them and this time he was the one blushing and turning away from her. With a loud cough, he attempted to pull himself together and ended up awkwardly stammering out, “Oh…uh…I…that was…I just…”

 “Do you really mean that?”

 Caught off guard by her question, Ichigo froze. He knew by her tone of voice she wasn’t talking about believing parenthood wouldn’t change them. But did he really have an answer for what she was asking him? And if he did, was it too soon? What should he say to her? He didn’t know any of these things. Yet something compelled him to address it in some way and so, slowly, he turned back around to face her.

 Orihime was staring at the ground now, shyly twisting the ends of her long silky hair in the fingers of one hand while keeping his jacket in place with the other. The bright streetlamps made it much easier to see and the more he looked, the more they cast her in an ethereal glow and gave her the extraordinary appearance of a being emanating pure light. Or that could have been because on her face there was a smile: The same soft shining smile she wore when she looked so beautiful and peaceful cradling Ichika in her arms.

 In that instant, he was sure.

 Ichigo took a deep breath.

 “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Author’s Notes: Orihime...what can I say about her? Such a loving caring sweetheart. XD I do have a lot of fun writing characters with snark and sass but it’s always nice to write characters who don’t have a mean bone in their body. I have no doubt that in canon she was genuinely excited and happy for her friends and fell in love with Ichika the moment she met her. And yes I do believe each couple had met the other’s kid at some point before chapter 686. It was just the children themselves had never met each other since Ichika had obviously never been to the Living World (Rukia’s comment on how she’d been given “special permission” to come to the Living World now that she was a Shinigami Apprentice) and Ichigo and Orihime had probably never taken Kazui to Soul Society since he was so young.

Renji and Rukia were probably a little awkward and clumsy as parents at first since they most likely had no experience with infants (or if they had, it’d been a while) but I have no doubt they quickly got the hang of it.

That’s all, folks! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little passion project of mine. Please feel free to share/reblog/leave comments+suggestions. :)

INDEX

COVER

PART I - The Reception

PART II - The Threshold

PART III - The Culmination

PART IV - The Issue

PART V - The Denial

PART VI - The Relay

PART VII - The Wait