Bleach - Shattered, Chapter 1
So I have a ton of fanfiction scraps just sitting in my hard drive, collecting dust. Some of them, I'm still planning to complete one day; others, I have relegated into scraps that are unlikely to ever be completed for one reason or another.
This particular piece is one of those that have been dumped into the scrap pile. It's obviously incomplete, which is why I won't be posting it on my fanfiction.net page. But still, there are some parts that are kind of interesting. So here we go.
Title: Shattered
Fandom: Bleach
Summary: Missing from the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya is declared as a traitor. Meanwhile, Isshin finds and takes in a broken child.
Genre: Family/Drama/Adventure
Characters: Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kurosaki Isshin, Kurosaki Ichigo, Matsumoto Rangiku, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Hinamori Momo
Warnings: None
Chapter 1: Family
Darkness was creeping through his sight. The sword lay shattered by that person's feet. His hilt... He needed to reach for his hilt at least. Needed some way to defend himself.
Footsteps approaching. Shadow. Someone lifted him up.
"Let's play a game, shall we, Hitsugaya-kun?"
He couldn't see.
--o--
A cool hand on his forehead.
"He's burning up!"
Sounds. People were speaking. Footsteps.
"Stay with me, kid." A man's voice. The light was too bright. A shadow loomed over him. Dark hair, slight beard. He shut his eyes. It was too painful.
"Doctor!" It was difficult to breathe. Sounds of wheels over smooth floors.
"Don't worry."
--o--
Kurosaki Isshin was not the clown that he always presented himself as. Very few people knew how he was actually like. For example, few knew that he liked taking walks in the afternoon, especially around the park. He doubted his own children knew that even he had to escape the chaos that was his clinic from time to time.
It was on one of these walks that he found his latest patient. A child, perhaps around his daughters' age, on the brink of death. Oh, nothing was wrong with him. Physically, that was. Perhaps a slight fever, malnutrition. No, what truly caught his eye was with Isshin's other special talent.
The kid's soul was about to break.
In all the years he had lived, he had rarely seen cases like this. No matter what was said and done, at the end of the day, souls were pretty hardy things. It took a lot to crack a soul, especially to crack it to a point without breaking it.
Something had happened to the kid. But it wasn't his job to find out. His job was simply to heal the kid.
He had taken the child back to the clinic, hoping to get rid of the mild fever the kid was suffering. He could do nothing for the soul. It would just have to mend itself. But things took a turn for the worse before the day was even out.
He had the kid transferred to a nearby hospital. His clinic was no longer enough for him. And he stayed by as the kid's official doctor. Without identification, or anything else, really, on the kid, it would have been troublesome to find another doctor to take the case. Kurosaki Isshin may have been accused of being a bad father, but no one had ever accused him of turning a blind eye on those that needed his help.
So he had stayed. And he had waited. And finally, when it seemed that it would be the end for the kid, the kid pulled through. The little tyke had a will of steel.
When things stabilized, he moved the kid back to his clinic. He promised to help the kid, but that didn't mean he had extra money to burn on him. Just letting him stay at that hospital was taking a chunk out of his salary. And it wasn't like the kid was insured.
He would probably have to contact the social services soon. He had a feeling that the kid would need it.
--o--
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a brightly lit room. The windows were open, letting a small breeze in. White sheets were tucked neatly around him. The room smelled disinfected, sterile, but not altogether uncomfortable. He had a feeling that he should feel more troubled than he was, but couldn't quite bring enough energy for it.
The door slid open, revealing a tall man with dark hair and a bit of a beard. He was in a white doctor's coat, and was smiling warmly.
"Finally decided to wake up, eh?"
The child didn't answer, simply staring at the man. The man scratched his head, a more habitual gesture than anything else.
"So... Why don't we start with introductions? I'm Kurosaki Isshin, your doctor for the past...Twenty-four hours?" He pulled up a chair and sat in it, looking at the child expectantly. The child wrinkled his brow.
"Do you know where you are?"
The kid had the gall to roll his eyes at him.
"I'm obviously in a clinic."
"Oh ho! So the kid does speak!" Isshin laughed. "Now why do you say a clinic instead of a hospital? A hospital would be the first thing I would think of."
"It doesn't feel like a hospital."
"Why, thank you! I try to do my best to make my patients feel as comfortable as possible." Isshin shifted in his seat to get a better look at the kid. The kid's eyes were alert and observant. A far cry from what it was before.
"So, your name would be appreciated. Or perhaps a contact address?" Isshin prodded. The kid frowned again. Yeesh, kids these days. It seemed like all of them had a permanent frown etched onto their faces. Didn't they know that if they kept frowning, their face would freeze that way?
"...name...?"
"Do you remember what happened before coming here?" he asked gently. The frown deepened. Isshin could feel something shift. The kid's eyes lost their focus, his complexion growing paler. The soul was beginning to shatter once more.
"Hey!" Isshin interrupted quickly. Eyes became sharp once more, and the soul settled back to its tentative state. "Don't worry too much if you don't remember. I'm sure it'll come to you some day." That frown again.
"Well, I can't just call you kid, and without any sort of identification, I'm afraid it'll be some time before we can locate your folks," Isshin said, scratching his chin. "I'm kind of surprised that there hasn't been a missing child's report yet."
"I'm not a child."
Isshin had to stop the smile from creeping over his face. Teenagers. They were all the same.
"In any case, you'll need a name. And a place to stay. I can provide you with both, if you've no better ideas." The kid looked at him with confusion and not a little bit of suspicion.
"Aren't you generous?" The tone was even, but there was a definite bite to it, and a hint of danger. No matter how ridiculous a kid laid up on a bed being dangerous was.
"I don't do half-assed," Isshin shrugged. "If I'm going to help someone, I'm going to help them all the way. I found you unconscious near the park, I helped cure you, and I as sure ain't going to abandon you at this point in the game."
The kid still looked confused, but at least the suspicion was disappearing. Isshin smiled.
"So, a name. How's 'Shirou' sound?" The kid quirked an eyebrow up. "Well, you see, I already have three children, so I figure, you'll be my number four for a while, so why not name you after that?"
"How original."
Well, at least the kid wasn't complaining.
"I've yet to hear from the police or social services, so I guess you'll be staying with us for a while." Isshin looked thoughtful as he heard the sound of the door open to his house, his daughters greeting his son. "You'll stay in Ichigo's room. There's no way I'm letting you near my daughters," he joked. The kid rolled his eyes at him once more.
"You're still a little weak from your illness, so take it easy," Isshin said as he got up. "I've got a few other patients to attend to before closing time, but I'll be back later to introduce you to the rest of the family. Holler if you need anything." He left the room, closing the door with a soft click. When he was sure that the doctor was gone, Shirou climbed out of the bed, testing his limbs.
He almost fell flat on his face, but caught the bed in time. He was weak. Extremely weak. And the little test tired him out more than he expected. He laid back down, closing his eyes. He should be troubled. Very troubled. A stranger was offering to take care of him, and he couldn't even summon the energy to feel more suspicious. It felt as if though he were detached. Like he barely had the energy to just exist.
It was strange. It was uncommon. It was something he couldn't bring himself to worry about.
He was tired. The room was cool. There was nothing he needed to worry about yet. It was peaceful, calm, comfortable, and soon he drifted off to sleep.
--o--
Isshin was worried about the kid.
Not that the kid's reactions were anything unexpected. Still, he had hoped for some sort of clue or remembrance that would allow him to find the kid's family, if not discover what had happened to him. But the kid didn't remember, and Isshin didn't think he would ever remember.
Damage to a soul was quite serious.
Although he didn't like to think about it, it was likely that the kid's parents had been killed in whatever attack had damaged the kid's soul that badly. Perhaps a hollow had done it, or perhaps the kid had gotten caught in the backlash of some rookie Shinigami's kidou. Whatever the reason, Isshin was prepared to accept that he may soon have a new permanent member of the family.
Not that he minded. Actually, it would be nice to have another son in the family. It might make Ichigo hang around his family more, not that he was expecting much.
He closed the door to the clinic, locking up for the night. Ichigo had gone out earlier, but he should be back soon. If he broke the curfew again, Isshin was going to give him the annoyance of his life. He may have been pretty lax with his son's activities, but there were certain rules around the house that he expected to be obeyed at all times, and curfew was one of them.
That reminded him. He should probably check on Shirou again.
He opened the door to his room, flicking the light switch on. The kid was sitting up on the bed, covering his eyes from the sudden light.
"Hey, lazybones." He got a glare in return, despite the kid still squinting from the light. He chuckled. "You ready to meet the rest of the family?"
"There's nothing else to do."
"That's the spirit!" Isshin laughed, slapping the kid on the back and almost sending him tumbling. Oops. "I'll see if Yuzu found any of Ichigo's old clothes. There are bound to be some that fit you."
He walked over to the door, sticking his head out.
"Yuzu!"
"Otou-san! I'm here," Yuzu said, appearing through the door connecting the clinic to the house. "I've got some of Ichi-nii's old clothes. I think these will fit well." She handed the clothes over, trying very hard not to peek into the room. "Well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so hurry up, okay?"
"Thanks, Yuzu-chan." He ruffled his daughter's hair. "Hey, kid! Put these on, then follow me to the other room." He threw the clothes over, the kid catching them deftly. He left with Yuzu to the house, imagining Ichigo's expression. Boy, was the kid in for a surprise. It was his own fault for being away from home all the time.
--o--
Ichigo was the first to admit that he hadn't been at home as much as he could have for the past few weeks--heck, for the past year or so. But surely he hadn't been so far gone as to not even notice when they had a new addition to the family? He was pretty certain that when he left after breakfast this morning, there were only four people in the family, and yet, now there were five.
"Pass me the tofu."
Shirou passed the tofu dish to Karin without a word, the act as natural as if he had done it every day of his life.
Ichigo frowned.
"How was school today?" his dad asked, getting himself more rice.
"Same as always. Our homeroom teacher this year is Sasagawa-sensei. Other than the teachers, practically everyone in our class is the same," Karin shrugged.
"By the way, Ichi-nii, could you help me later to move a bed into your room?" Yuzu asked, her face entreating. Ichigo could never turn her down when she had such a face. But wait a minute...
"Huh? My room?" His frown deepened in confusion. "I already have a bed in there."
"Well, duh," Karin said, rolling her eyes. "It's not for you. It's for Shirou."
"Huh?"
"You're going to have a roommate, just like your sisters! Aren't you happy?" his dad asked, grinning in a weird, sneaky way.
"The hell you talking about?" Ichigo growled. He was going to add a few more choice words until he remembered Shirou's presence. "Uh, not that I mind him living with me or anything," he said in an attempt to fix whatever bridges he had inadvertently burned. The boy's expression of neutrality did not change.
"Great!"
Ichigo felt like he had just been suckered into something. But after dinner, he and his dad hauled the extra bed Rukia had used to his room, moving furniture around to accommodate the extra bed. Ichigo wasn't going to put a bed right in front of the door, like his dad had done when Rukia stayed over. That was just plain inconvenient and stupid.
Other than the bed making the room feel a bit more crowded, nothing else had changed much. Ichigo could still sit at his desk and do homework without any problems, and the potential extra presence in the room made Kon blessedly quiet. It was when the presence entered the room that things became a bit awkward.
The kid simply walked quietly into the room and lied on his bed, staring up at the ceiling or something. Ichigo wasn't really sure, and he wasn't curious enough to turn to look. Still, it was a bit unnerving to have someone just lie there without saying anything.
"So... You're Shirou, huh?" Well, he couldn't start a conversation any lamer than this, so whatever he followed up with had to be better in return. He was awful at this.
"Yeah."
He didn't say anything more.
"Okay," Ichigo dragged out. Looked like the kid wasn't much of a conversationalist, either. Ichigo snuck a look at him. "Hey, I have a shirt like that."
"It is your shirt."
Ichigo could just feel his face freeze in a dumb expression. Way to go in not making the kid feel awkward. There obviously had to be some extenuating circumstances leading to the kid staying at his house, and he was just making it worse by bringing up unnecessary points.
"Oh! Well, it looks great on you!"
Lame, lame, lame...
The look on the kid's face meant that he probably thought so as well.
Ichigo turned back to his homework. It was best to give up while he was still ahead. If one could call this being ahead.
Engrossed in his math problems, Ichigo almost forgot about the kid's presence until he spoke up.
"Thanks."
Ichigo looked at him questioningly.
"For letting me use your clothes. For letting me stay in your room." It was said in a monotone, but Ichigo had a feeling that it was done so only because the kid had difficulty swallowing his pride. He felt his face relax a little.
"Don't worry about it. My family's always up to helping others. Me included."
The kid glanced at him through the corner of his eyes.
"You have a very kind family."
"Nah. They're just a bunch of weirdos," Ichigo waved it off.
"Still. Not many would do what your family has done." The kid paused. "I'm...grateful."
"Don't worry about it. Pretty soon you'll be wishing that another family picked you up," Ichigo joked. The corner of the kid's mouth twitched.
"Maybe."
"Go to sleep. You look bushed," Ichigo recommended. The kid gave a noncommittal grunt, but closed his eyes. His breathing evened out a few minutes later. He really did look tired. Ichigo tapped his pencil against his nose. In the end, he didn't really find out why on earth Shirou was staying with them. Ah, well. There was always tomorrow.
--o--
Ichigo walked downstairs to his dad arguing with Karin, while Yuzu and Shirou set the breakfast on the table.
"I still think he should go to school," Karin insisted, ignoring the plate of food in front of her.
"You can't just bring him to your class. He looks to be a middle schooler, at least," his dad disagreed, starting on his breakfast.
"That's only because he's frowning all the time," Karin said, ignoring Shirou's look of annoyance.
"Morning," Ichigo greeted.
"Good morning," Yuzu smiled, placing a plate of breakfast in front of him. "I hope you don't mind, but you'll be having riceballs again for lunch."
"Thanks, Yuzu," Ichigo said, stuffing a ball into his mouth.
"I'll get him registered tomorrow," Isshin conceded. "I have too many patients lined up today."
"Fine. But you better not put it off just so you can milk it for free labor."
"Karin-chan! Would I ever do that?" His dad feigned hurt.
"You do that to us," Karin muttered.
"Ah, but that's because you're my lovely daughters!"
"Are you being sexist?" Karin asked with narrowed eyes. Isshin spluttered for a reply.
"I'm going to school now," Ichigo said, getting up, trying not to smile. Just another routine occurrence. Same scene, different subject. It was a wonder Karin and his dad didn't get sick of it.
Ichigo wouldn't trade it for the world.
He wondered if that made him as bad as they were.
--o--
Isshin had a feeling that Shirou wasn't the type to loaf around the house being useless, so he had invited the kid to help out at the clinic. It wasn't that he was trying to take advantage of free labor, as Karin had accused him of doing, but that the kid seemed to dislike being in anyone's debt, and being a free-loader definitely fell into that category. He didn't expect him to be any good at anything in the clinic. After all, he lacked the knowledge and experience to be useful. So Isshin had assigned him to the simple task of records keeping. The nurses would be able to explain the task easily enough, and if the kid screwed up, at least no one would die.
He hadn't expected the kid to be so damn good at it, though.
The unorganized files that had already begun piling up, and would usually have required Isshin to work overtime during the weekend to sort out had been quickly filed away in their respective places, and patients who came in had their names, medical history and insurance information entered, confirmed and logged with such efficiency that the nurses were beginning to look at him as some sort of godsend.
Even though Isshin had no hand whatsoever in raising the kid, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud.
Of course, Shirou might have been terribly efficient handling information, but his bedside manner left a lot to be desired. The kid was just...cold. And it wasn't like he was even trying. Isshin had initially attributed the attitude to the kid's unique condition, but after spending some time with Ichigo, the kid's soul should have healed enough for his old personality to begin showing. He could only conclude that the kid had originally been like this, and would probably continue to be.
How boring.
Several times, he acted especially goofy to try to elicit a laugh from Shirou, but all he got in return was a mildly puzzled expression. It was kind of disappointing, but Isshin refused to give up. He firmly believed that laughter was the best medicine, and he refused to let Shirou go until he at least saw the kid crack one smile. Even if the people from the social services came to take the kid away.
Which brought him to another problem. No one had reported a missing child, and Isshin suspected that it would only be a matter of time before Shirou became a permanent member of the family. Not that he was unhappy with that prospect, but the idea of something out there that was strong enough to eliminate the kid's parents, then shatter the kid's soul was worrisome. If the kid had just been eaten by a hollow, there would have been no problem, no matter how cruel that sounded. But it was the simple fact that the kid was alive that was troubling.
Isshin put the thought out of his mind, for the moment. It didn't concern him. If there was a problem, Soul Society would handle it. That was their job. His only job right now was to take care of the living.
As he closed his clinic for the night, he wondered what Ichigo was doing. His son had been home in both body and mind rather frequently recently, for which Isshin was thankful. He had no illusions that the trouble Soul Society was dealing with was over, but he worried for his son. He tried to give Ichigo the space he needed to grow and be his own man, but sometimes he couldn't tell if he was giving Ichigo the freedom to decide his own life, or if he was just neglecting his son. He hoped it wasn't the latter. He would never, in good conscience, neglect any of his children, but after speaking with Ishida, and seeing how Ishida treated his own son, he had to wonder. He knew that Yuzu and Karin were doing all right. It was just Ichigo.
Ichigo was practically never home. It was difficult to tell what his son was thinking, what he was worrying about without prying. And it was especially difficult to see his son suffering while he stood by the sidelines, helpless to do anything. It was better recently. But Isshin knew it couldn't last. Ichigo would go off training, or doing some sort of mission again, and he and his daughters would be left back at square one. It was frustrating to have a kid who could be so incredibly dense at times. And it was frustrating that Isshin was too set in his character as a goofy dad to call Ichigo on it. The relationship the family had fallen into ever since Masaki's death had Isshin fearing what would happen if he broke the mold. He couldn't handle the uncertainty and tension that had followed again.
"Kurosaki-san, Yuzu is calling," Shirou's mild voice broke him from his stupor. He grinned at the kid.
"Oh ho! Calling my daughter by her first name already?" he guffawed. The kid looked vaguely annoyed at the insinuation.
"If I called her 'Kurosaki-san' as well, it would get confusing," he explained irritably. "Besides, she insisted on it."
"In that case, I insist you call me 'Isshin' or better yet, 'Otou-san'," Isshin declared loudly, laughing.
"Not on your life," was clearly written on the kid's expression.
"In any case, Kurosaki-san," he said again for emphasis, "you should hurry up. Yuzu says dinner is ready."
"All right. I'll be right there." Shirou left for the other half of the building, while Isshin inspected the locks once more. Satisfied, he left to join the rest of his family for dinner.
"...just think it's kind of strange that you remember stuff like algebra, but don't remember anything about biology or physics," Karin said, chatting away with Shirou, both already seated. Yuzu stood by the rice cooker, putting rice into five bowls.
"Selective amnesia," Shirou replied rather calmly. Isshin wasn't sure if he was supposed to take that as a joke. Karin rolled her eyes.
"Where's Ichigo?" Isshin asked, sitting down at the head of the table. At that moment, the front door opened, revealing his wayward son.
"Didn't I say curfew was at seven?" Isshin asked, ready to launch into an attack. Ichigo tensed, ready to intercept him, and he decided that just this once, he would let Ichigo go.
"I was visiting friends," Ichigo said, inching towards the stairs, looking at his father suspiciously.
"Well, hurry it up. Dinner's about to start," Isshin said, passing the bowls of rice along the table as Yuzu handed them to him. Karin turned back to Shirou.
"Anyway, you can borrow my textbook after dinner if you like. It would suck going to school without knowing the basics of anything." Shirou made a noncommittal noise.
"So, you going to register him for school tomorrow?" Karin asked, turning back to her father.
"I said that already, didn't I?" Isshin asked, amused. Karin was acting like she was the older sister, and Shirou the younger, when she didn't really look that much older than him. Shirou didn't seem to care either way, though.
"Let's start dinner," Ichigo said, sitting down.
"We were just waiting for you, slowpoke," Karin said, rolling her eyes at him.
"Itadakimasu."
The sound of chopsticks clinking against dishes and bowls commenced as each started eating. Karin continued on her earlier topic of conversation.
"You can borrow any one of my books after dinner, if you want. Yuzu's, too," Karin said, volunteering her sister.
"Thanks, I guess," Shirou said, looking slightly interested. Isshin hadn't pinned him for a bookworm, but perhaps his earlier efficiency with information should have alerted him.
"So how was school today?" Isshin asked in general.
"Boring," Karin shrugged.
"We have a new English teacher," Yuzu elaborated. "I don't think she's very good, though."
"Yeah, her English sounds suspiciously like Japanese," Karin snickered.
"How about you, Ichi-nii? Anything interesting happen today?" Yuzu asked. Ichigo paused in his eating, thinking.
"Not really."
"That Kazuya's decided not to play soccer after school anymore," Karin complained, shoveling food into her mouth. "He wants to go to a 'private' middle school," Karin continued mockingly, "so he has to study extra hard this year. What a dick."
"Karin-chan!" Yuzu reprimanded.
"Now we're down one person for our games," Karin said, slightly chided. "Hey, Shirou, want to join us?" Shirou looked at her with surprise.
"But, I can't--"
"Don't worry about not knowing how to play," Karin grinned. "We'll teach you. Everyone has to start somewhere."
"Ichi-nii, are you free this weekend? There's something I want to buy..." Yuzu started. Ichigo looked at her hopeful expression guiltily. He wanted to go with her. She deserved at least that much from him. But...
"Sorry, but I can't," Ichigo said. Her sudden look of disappointment was like a stab to his heart. Yuzu quickly covered it with a smile.
"Don't worry about it," she said cheerfully. It made Ichigo feel even guiltier. "I'll just have Karin-chan and Otou-san accompany me. Oh!" She clapped her hands. "We also have Shirou-chan's help now. Everything will be fine," she reassured him. Isshin stood up suddenly.
"Well, I'm done. Whose turn is it to do the dishes?" he asked.
"Mine," Karin answered.
"Alright then." He left the dishes in the sink and left to his study. Karin quickly finished off the rest of her rice, placing the bowl in the sink and escaping to her room.
"Call me when you're done," she called over her shoulder. Shirou finished shortly after her.
"I'm going to ask to borrow her books," he said, not really addressing any one in particular. Then he disappeared as well. Ichigo was left in an uncomfortable silence with Yuzu. He felt like such an asshole for rejecting her, and he had a feeling that the others had thought so as well. But he couldn't help it. He had things that he had to do. Ultimately, he was doing all of this for their sake.
Ichigo and Yuzu finished eating at the same time, and they both cleared the table together. Ichigo suspected Yuzu had finished at the same time as him on purpose.
"Tell us whenever you have free time," Yuzu said, putting the leftovers in the fridge. "We never really seem to do anything together anymore."
"Sorry." It was the best that he could do.
"Don't worry about it," Yuzu insisted, turning to look at him. "I know Ichi-nii has his own reasons. You should just do whatever you need to do knowing that you have the full support of your family." Ichigo smiled at her, not really believing her. "I'm serious, Ichi-nii. We're your family. We will always be here for you." The sincerity with which she said it made Ichigo believe her. He smiled again, this time a genuine smile.
"Thanks, Yuzu."
She beamed back at him.
"No problem. Now I'll just go call Karin." She bounced up the stairs, and Ichigo could hear her gentle voice telling Karin they were done. A moment later, Karin and Shirou came downstairs, Shirou hefting a thick science book.
"If you have any questions, you can ask me or Yuzu," Karin said, continuing on a conversation she was having with Shirou. She paused. "You can also ask Ichi-nii, if you want." Karin didn't look at Ichigo directly in the eye, but Ichigo knew that he was forgiven.
He left Karin to do the dishes while Shirou sat at the dinner table, reading the textbook. If he had known nothing about science, he might have thought it was interesting as well, Ichigo mused as he went upstairs. But years of studying the subject had rendered it rather dull now.
He settled at his desk, pulling his homework out as Kon peeked through the closet.
"It's okay for now. He's downstairs reading," Ichigo said, starting on his homework. Kon relaxed, flopping onto his bed.
"It sucks having another person in this room," he complained. "I don't have the freedom I'm used to." Ichigo tuned out Kon's complaints as he started to work in earnest. He might not have time to do this later.
--o--
He left the school building with Kurosaki Isshin, feeling slightly perturbed. The registration process had gone surprisingly easily, and he could start classes as early as tomorrow. No. It wasn't the registration that disturbed him, but rather the name he was registered under.
Kurosaki Shirou.
It was strange to take on another's surname. It made him feel as if he were practically adopted into the family, and he wasn't quite sure what he felt about that. On one level, it was disturbing how easily the family accepted him into their fold, but on another level, it felt as if he had undergone a similar situation before and things had ultimately worked out for the best.
Logically, he knew he shouldn't worry about it. There was nothing he could do right now. If his parents came and revealed his true name, then at that time, he would simply leave with them, and that would be that.
He felt a pang at the thought of leaving the Kurosakis behind.
Where were his parents, anyway?
If they really cared about their child, shouldn't they be looking for him? Or had something happened to them? Did whatever event that had caused his loss in memory cause the death of his parents?
It was a chilling thought. That would make him an orphan. It would mean that he would be dependent on the Kurosakis until adulthood, and he wasn't sure if he could take that. How could he take advantage of their generosity that way?
As if sensing the dark turn of his thoughts, Isshin brought them to an ice cream parlor.
"Want some?" Isshin asked, but entered the store without waiting for a response, expecting Shirou to follow.
Shirou walked into the cold store, shivering a little. He disliked the cold. It made him feel uncomfortable.
"So, what flavor do you want?" Isshin asked, looking through the glass. Shirou shrugged. "Hmm... I've never tried lychee before. But this Summer Wild Fruit combo sounds delicious as well." After contemplating for a few seconds, Isshin ordered the fruit combo, as well as a cone of green tea ice cream.
A moment later, they were thankfully out in the warm sun.
"How is it?" Isshin asked as they walked down the street.
"It's nice," Shirou said, just to be polite. Isshin seemed to read his mind, because he swapped his green tea ice cream with Shirou's fruit one.
"But I already licked that," Shirou protested.
"Who cares?" Isshin asked. As if to demonstrate his point, he took a large bite out of the ice cream. "Try the green tea one." Shirou looked at his cone and licked it a little. He blinked. This actually did suit his tastes more. Isshin grinned knowingly.
"You're like an old man, liking tea flavored ice cream instead of young, wild, tropical fruit!"
"Liking the tea one better does not make me old," Shirou scowled. Isshin laughed. They fell into silence for a while as they finished their ice cream.
When they were done, Isshin finally asked, "Feeling any better?" Shirou looked at him in puzzlement.
"I don't feel ill anymore, if that's what you're asking," he replied, wrinkling his brow. Isshin chuckled.
"An answer that is very like you," he said. Shirou was confused. "I was actually asking if whatever was bothering you has disappeared."
Shirou frowned.
The only way his worries would ever disappear were if he could finally stop being in the Kurosakis debt and find a way to repay them back for their kindness.
"You know, kid, sometimes you just got to take things as windfall," Isshin said, letting out a yawn as he stretched. "Don't think too much about it."
"How can I not think about it?" Shirou muttered under his breath. Isshin sighed.
"Kid, we're helping you because we want to. Because you're not a bad kid," Isshin said patiently. "Don't think that you owe us anything." Isshin could tell that the kid was unconvinced. He tried another approach.
"Think of it this way: Yuzu likes having you there, because she can actually dress you up without you complaining," Isshin said half jokingly, half seriously, "Karin likes you being there because it gives her sadistic pleasure to complain about my behavior towards you, and it also provides her with a potential soccer-mate." Which she wouldn't need if Ichigo still played soccer with her like he used to. He brushed that thought aside. "Ichigo appreciates having another male child in the house, and I like having you there just because." Shirou still looked somewhat skeptical, but that worried frown he was wearing before was beginning to disappear.
"But I don't do anything useful except suck up your food and money," Shirou protested. The kid was such a stickler for details.
"Ichigo does nothing but suck up food, money, and oxygen," Isshin joked, "and yet he's still living with us."
"He is your son. I am not," Shirou said, voice clipped and cold, looking straight ahead. "I am a stranger. A nobody."
"No one is nobody," Isshin said lackadaisically. "And everyone starts off as a stranger. As far as I'm concerned, you are my son, and even if your parents come to claim you one day, you'll still be one of my sons."
Shirou looked at him with sharp, intelligent eyes.
"You know something," he said, not quite accusingly. Isshin didn't answer. They walked together in silence for a bit, Shirou mulling over his thoughts. "My parents aren't coming to get me, are they?"
Isshin didn't know how to answer that. He knew the issue would come up sooner or later, but he had thought that the kid wouldn't ask that until a few weeks later, when there was absolutely no possible way for his parents to still be looking for him. As such, he hadn't prepared an appropriate response.
"What makes you say that?" he hedged instead.
"The way you speak and act... You aren't treating me as a temporary guest. It's as if you're expecting me to become a permanent part of your life," Shirou explained, frowning, refusing to look Isshin in the eye.
Damn, the kid was perceptive.
It wasn't as if Isshin had been trying to hide the fact from him, but he supposed he had wanted to spare the kid of such knowledge for a while longer. He sighed. Kids these days grew up faster than one knew.
"I...suspect that they won't be coming," he said slowly. He wasn't sure how much he could reveal without revealing his secret. The kid walked on in silence.
"I understand."
What the kid understood, Isshin had no clue, but he was thankful when Shirou did not pursue the matter further. When they reached a student supply store, Isshin spoke up once more.
"Let's get a book bag for you." He gestured to the store next to him. "Wouldn't want you using your bare hands, or one of Ichigo's ratty old bags. The bottoms on those things are falling apart, and we should really be throwing them away." Shirou nodded, and they entered the store.
The bell above the door gave a soft tinkle as they walked through, waiting for their eyes to adjust from the sunlight. One wall was covered with varying forms of book bags, while the rest of the store was chaotic order of stationary and various knickknacks.
"Welcome," the shop owner said, smiling behind the counter. "Please feel free to look around. If there's anything you have questions about, please ask me." After they nodded their thanks, she went back to reading her magazine.
Isshin looked at the various colors available. Ichigo would most likely choose a neutral gray, or something equally boring. That kid had no imagination. Yuzu would choose something bright and happy, probably orange, or yellow, or that nice peach colored one over there. Karin would try to assert her toughness and tomboy-ness by choosing a dark, strong color, probably dark blue or dark red. He wondered what Shirou would choose.
Shirou wandered from one book bag to the next, opening each and looking at the inside to see how efficient each were. He felt bad that he was having someone spend money on him again, but figured that this most likely was going to remain his permanent family, so he might as well start getting used to it. Some of the cheaper bags were just bags with a cover, while others were so elaborate on the inside, filled with hidden pockets here and there that they were bordering on the insane. He picked a pale blue one, with just enough pockets and dividers on the inside to be useful, but not so much as to become a veritable maze.
As Isshin paid for the book bag, he felt that the color oddly suited Shirou. It was a pale blue, almost white that Isshin was tempted to describe as the color of ice, while it belied a certain gentleness. Pale blue was a cousin of baby blue, and Isshin couldn't help but smile at the association. Not that he would say it out loud, of course. He had a feeling Shirou's gaze could become as icy as the frozen sea if he wanted.
They exited the store, walking back towards the clinic in companionable silence. It was different from Yuzu and Karin's idle chatter, and it was different from Ichigo's broody silence. In a way, it reminded him of one of those afternoon walks he had taken when he had found Shirou.
When they finally reached the clinic, Isshin immediately got to work. He had many patients to see before the clinic closed, and he couldn't keep them waiting any longer. Shirou went to the family side of the building to put away his new book bag before entering the clinic to help where he could, and the two remained busy until the end of the day.
Chapter 2
This particular piece is one of those that have been dumped into the scrap pile. It's obviously incomplete, which is why I won't be posting it on my fanfiction.net page. But still, there are some parts that are kind of interesting. So here we go.
Title: Shattered
Fandom: Bleach
Summary: Missing from the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya is declared as a traitor. Meanwhile, Isshin finds and takes in a broken child.
Genre: Family/Drama/Adventure
Characters: Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kurosaki Isshin, Kurosaki Ichigo, Matsumoto Rangiku, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Hinamori Momo
Warnings: None
Chapter 1: Family
Darkness was creeping through his sight. The sword lay shattered by that person's feet. His hilt... He needed to reach for his hilt at least. Needed some way to defend himself.
Footsteps approaching. Shadow. Someone lifted him up.
"Let's play a game, shall we, Hitsugaya-kun?"
He couldn't see.
--o--
A cool hand on his forehead.
"He's burning up!"
Sounds. People were speaking. Footsteps.
"Stay with me, kid." A man's voice. The light was too bright. A shadow loomed over him. Dark hair, slight beard. He shut his eyes. It was too painful.
"Doctor!" It was difficult to breathe. Sounds of wheels over smooth floors.
"Don't worry."
--o--
Kurosaki Isshin was not the clown that he always presented himself as. Very few people knew how he was actually like. For example, few knew that he liked taking walks in the afternoon, especially around the park. He doubted his own children knew that even he had to escape the chaos that was his clinic from time to time.
It was on one of these walks that he found his latest patient. A child, perhaps around his daughters' age, on the brink of death. Oh, nothing was wrong with him. Physically, that was. Perhaps a slight fever, malnutrition. No, what truly caught his eye was with Isshin's other special talent.
The kid's soul was about to break.
In all the years he had lived, he had rarely seen cases like this. No matter what was said and done, at the end of the day, souls were pretty hardy things. It took a lot to crack a soul, especially to crack it to a point without breaking it.
Something had happened to the kid. But it wasn't his job to find out. His job was simply to heal the kid.
He had taken the child back to the clinic, hoping to get rid of the mild fever the kid was suffering. He could do nothing for the soul. It would just have to mend itself. But things took a turn for the worse before the day was even out.
He had the kid transferred to a nearby hospital. His clinic was no longer enough for him. And he stayed by as the kid's official doctor. Without identification, or anything else, really, on the kid, it would have been troublesome to find another doctor to take the case. Kurosaki Isshin may have been accused of being a bad father, but no one had ever accused him of turning a blind eye on those that needed his help.
So he had stayed. And he had waited. And finally, when it seemed that it would be the end for the kid, the kid pulled through. The little tyke had a will of steel.
When things stabilized, he moved the kid back to his clinic. He promised to help the kid, but that didn't mean he had extra money to burn on him. Just letting him stay at that hospital was taking a chunk out of his salary. And it wasn't like the kid was insured.
He would probably have to contact the social services soon. He had a feeling that the kid would need it.
--o--
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a brightly lit room. The windows were open, letting a small breeze in. White sheets were tucked neatly around him. The room smelled disinfected, sterile, but not altogether uncomfortable. He had a feeling that he should feel more troubled than he was, but couldn't quite bring enough energy for it.
The door slid open, revealing a tall man with dark hair and a bit of a beard. He was in a white doctor's coat, and was smiling warmly.
"Finally decided to wake up, eh?"
The child didn't answer, simply staring at the man. The man scratched his head, a more habitual gesture than anything else.
"So... Why don't we start with introductions? I'm Kurosaki Isshin, your doctor for the past...Twenty-four hours?" He pulled up a chair and sat in it, looking at the child expectantly. The child wrinkled his brow.
"Do you know where you are?"
The kid had the gall to roll his eyes at him.
"I'm obviously in a clinic."
"Oh ho! So the kid does speak!" Isshin laughed. "Now why do you say a clinic instead of a hospital? A hospital would be the first thing I would think of."
"It doesn't feel like a hospital."
"Why, thank you! I try to do my best to make my patients feel as comfortable as possible." Isshin shifted in his seat to get a better look at the kid. The kid's eyes were alert and observant. A far cry from what it was before.
"So, your name would be appreciated. Or perhaps a contact address?" Isshin prodded. The kid frowned again. Yeesh, kids these days. It seemed like all of them had a permanent frown etched onto their faces. Didn't they know that if they kept frowning, their face would freeze that way?
"...name...?"
"Do you remember what happened before coming here?" he asked gently. The frown deepened. Isshin could feel something shift. The kid's eyes lost their focus, his complexion growing paler. The soul was beginning to shatter once more.
"Hey!" Isshin interrupted quickly. Eyes became sharp once more, and the soul settled back to its tentative state. "Don't worry too much if you don't remember. I'm sure it'll come to you some day." That frown again.
"Well, I can't just call you kid, and without any sort of identification, I'm afraid it'll be some time before we can locate your folks," Isshin said, scratching his chin. "I'm kind of surprised that there hasn't been a missing child's report yet."
"I'm not a child."
Isshin had to stop the smile from creeping over his face. Teenagers. They were all the same.
"In any case, you'll need a name. And a place to stay. I can provide you with both, if you've no better ideas." The kid looked at him with confusion and not a little bit of suspicion.
"Aren't you generous?" The tone was even, but there was a definite bite to it, and a hint of danger. No matter how ridiculous a kid laid up on a bed being dangerous was.
"I don't do half-assed," Isshin shrugged. "If I'm going to help someone, I'm going to help them all the way. I found you unconscious near the park, I helped cure you, and I as sure ain't going to abandon you at this point in the game."
The kid still looked confused, but at least the suspicion was disappearing. Isshin smiled.
"So, a name. How's 'Shirou' sound?" The kid quirked an eyebrow up. "Well, you see, I already have three children, so I figure, you'll be my number four for a while, so why not name you after that?"
"How original."
Well, at least the kid wasn't complaining.
"I've yet to hear from the police or social services, so I guess you'll be staying with us for a while." Isshin looked thoughtful as he heard the sound of the door open to his house, his daughters greeting his son. "You'll stay in Ichigo's room. There's no way I'm letting you near my daughters," he joked. The kid rolled his eyes at him once more.
"You're still a little weak from your illness, so take it easy," Isshin said as he got up. "I've got a few other patients to attend to before closing time, but I'll be back later to introduce you to the rest of the family. Holler if you need anything." He left the room, closing the door with a soft click. When he was sure that the doctor was gone, Shirou climbed out of the bed, testing his limbs.
He almost fell flat on his face, but caught the bed in time. He was weak. Extremely weak. And the little test tired him out more than he expected. He laid back down, closing his eyes. He should be troubled. Very troubled. A stranger was offering to take care of him, and he couldn't even summon the energy to feel more suspicious. It felt as if though he were detached. Like he barely had the energy to just exist.
It was strange. It was uncommon. It was something he couldn't bring himself to worry about.
He was tired. The room was cool. There was nothing he needed to worry about yet. It was peaceful, calm, comfortable, and soon he drifted off to sleep.
--o--
Isshin was worried about the kid.
Not that the kid's reactions were anything unexpected. Still, he had hoped for some sort of clue or remembrance that would allow him to find the kid's family, if not discover what had happened to him. But the kid didn't remember, and Isshin didn't think he would ever remember.
Damage to a soul was quite serious.
Although he didn't like to think about it, it was likely that the kid's parents had been killed in whatever attack had damaged the kid's soul that badly. Perhaps a hollow had done it, or perhaps the kid had gotten caught in the backlash of some rookie Shinigami's kidou. Whatever the reason, Isshin was prepared to accept that he may soon have a new permanent member of the family.
Not that he minded. Actually, it would be nice to have another son in the family. It might make Ichigo hang around his family more, not that he was expecting much.
He closed the door to the clinic, locking up for the night. Ichigo had gone out earlier, but he should be back soon. If he broke the curfew again, Isshin was going to give him the annoyance of his life. He may have been pretty lax with his son's activities, but there were certain rules around the house that he expected to be obeyed at all times, and curfew was one of them.
That reminded him. He should probably check on Shirou again.
He opened the door to his room, flicking the light switch on. The kid was sitting up on the bed, covering his eyes from the sudden light.
"Hey, lazybones." He got a glare in return, despite the kid still squinting from the light. He chuckled. "You ready to meet the rest of the family?"
"There's nothing else to do."
"That's the spirit!" Isshin laughed, slapping the kid on the back and almost sending him tumbling. Oops. "I'll see if Yuzu found any of Ichigo's old clothes. There are bound to be some that fit you."
He walked over to the door, sticking his head out.
"Yuzu!"
"Otou-san! I'm here," Yuzu said, appearing through the door connecting the clinic to the house. "I've got some of Ichi-nii's old clothes. I think these will fit well." She handed the clothes over, trying very hard not to peek into the room. "Well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so hurry up, okay?"
"Thanks, Yuzu-chan." He ruffled his daughter's hair. "Hey, kid! Put these on, then follow me to the other room." He threw the clothes over, the kid catching them deftly. He left with Yuzu to the house, imagining Ichigo's expression. Boy, was the kid in for a surprise. It was his own fault for being away from home all the time.
--o--
Ichigo was the first to admit that he hadn't been at home as much as he could have for the past few weeks--heck, for the past year or so. But surely he hadn't been so far gone as to not even notice when they had a new addition to the family? He was pretty certain that when he left after breakfast this morning, there were only four people in the family, and yet, now there were five.
"Pass me the tofu."
Shirou passed the tofu dish to Karin without a word, the act as natural as if he had done it every day of his life.
Ichigo frowned.
"How was school today?" his dad asked, getting himself more rice.
"Same as always. Our homeroom teacher this year is Sasagawa-sensei. Other than the teachers, practically everyone in our class is the same," Karin shrugged.
"By the way, Ichi-nii, could you help me later to move a bed into your room?" Yuzu asked, her face entreating. Ichigo could never turn her down when she had such a face. But wait a minute...
"Huh? My room?" His frown deepened in confusion. "I already have a bed in there."
"Well, duh," Karin said, rolling her eyes. "It's not for you. It's for Shirou."
"Huh?"
"You're going to have a roommate, just like your sisters! Aren't you happy?" his dad asked, grinning in a weird, sneaky way.
"The hell you talking about?" Ichigo growled. He was going to add a few more choice words until he remembered Shirou's presence. "Uh, not that I mind him living with me or anything," he said in an attempt to fix whatever bridges he had inadvertently burned. The boy's expression of neutrality did not change.
"Great!"
Ichigo felt like he had just been suckered into something. But after dinner, he and his dad hauled the extra bed Rukia had used to his room, moving furniture around to accommodate the extra bed. Ichigo wasn't going to put a bed right in front of the door, like his dad had done when Rukia stayed over. That was just plain inconvenient and stupid.
Other than the bed making the room feel a bit more crowded, nothing else had changed much. Ichigo could still sit at his desk and do homework without any problems, and the potential extra presence in the room made Kon blessedly quiet. It was when the presence entered the room that things became a bit awkward.
The kid simply walked quietly into the room and lied on his bed, staring up at the ceiling or something. Ichigo wasn't really sure, and he wasn't curious enough to turn to look. Still, it was a bit unnerving to have someone just lie there without saying anything.
"So... You're Shirou, huh?" Well, he couldn't start a conversation any lamer than this, so whatever he followed up with had to be better in return. He was awful at this.
"Yeah."
He didn't say anything more.
"Okay," Ichigo dragged out. Looked like the kid wasn't much of a conversationalist, either. Ichigo snuck a look at him. "Hey, I have a shirt like that."
"It is your shirt."
Ichigo could just feel his face freeze in a dumb expression. Way to go in not making the kid feel awkward. There obviously had to be some extenuating circumstances leading to the kid staying at his house, and he was just making it worse by bringing up unnecessary points.
"Oh! Well, it looks great on you!"
Lame, lame, lame...
The look on the kid's face meant that he probably thought so as well.
Ichigo turned back to his homework. It was best to give up while he was still ahead. If one could call this being ahead.
Engrossed in his math problems, Ichigo almost forgot about the kid's presence until he spoke up.
"Thanks."
Ichigo looked at him questioningly.
"For letting me use your clothes. For letting me stay in your room." It was said in a monotone, but Ichigo had a feeling that it was done so only because the kid had difficulty swallowing his pride. He felt his face relax a little.
"Don't worry about it. My family's always up to helping others. Me included."
The kid glanced at him through the corner of his eyes.
"You have a very kind family."
"Nah. They're just a bunch of weirdos," Ichigo waved it off.
"Still. Not many would do what your family has done." The kid paused. "I'm...grateful."
"Don't worry about it. Pretty soon you'll be wishing that another family picked you up," Ichigo joked. The corner of the kid's mouth twitched.
"Maybe."
"Go to sleep. You look bushed," Ichigo recommended. The kid gave a noncommittal grunt, but closed his eyes. His breathing evened out a few minutes later. He really did look tired. Ichigo tapped his pencil against his nose. In the end, he didn't really find out why on earth Shirou was staying with them. Ah, well. There was always tomorrow.
--o--
Ichigo walked downstairs to his dad arguing with Karin, while Yuzu and Shirou set the breakfast on the table.
"I still think he should go to school," Karin insisted, ignoring the plate of food in front of her.
"You can't just bring him to your class. He looks to be a middle schooler, at least," his dad disagreed, starting on his breakfast.
"That's only because he's frowning all the time," Karin said, ignoring Shirou's look of annoyance.
"Morning," Ichigo greeted.
"Good morning," Yuzu smiled, placing a plate of breakfast in front of him. "I hope you don't mind, but you'll be having riceballs again for lunch."
"Thanks, Yuzu," Ichigo said, stuffing a ball into his mouth.
"I'll get him registered tomorrow," Isshin conceded. "I have too many patients lined up today."
"Fine. But you better not put it off just so you can milk it for free labor."
"Karin-chan! Would I ever do that?" His dad feigned hurt.
"You do that to us," Karin muttered.
"Ah, but that's because you're my lovely daughters!"
"Are you being sexist?" Karin asked with narrowed eyes. Isshin spluttered for a reply.
"I'm going to school now," Ichigo said, getting up, trying not to smile. Just another routine occurrence. Same scene, different subject. It was a wonder Karin and his dad didn't get sick of it.
Ichigo wouldn't trade it for the world.
He wondered if that made him as bad as they were.
--o--
Isshin had a feeling that Shirou wasn't the type to loaf around the house being useless, so he had invited the kid to help out at the clinic. It wasn't that he was trying to take advantage of free labor, as Karin had accused him of doing, but that the kid seemed to dislike being in anyone's debt, and being a free-loader definitely fell into that category. He didn't expect him to be any good at anything in the clinic. After all, he lacked the knowledge and experience to be useful. So Isshin had assigned him to the simple task of records keeping. The nurses would be able to explain the task easily enough, and if the kid screwed up, at least no one would die.
He hadn't expected the kid to be so damn good at it, though.
The unorganized files that had already begun piling up, and would usually have required Isshin to work overtime during the weekend to sort out had been quickly filed away in their respective places, and patients who came in had their names, medical history and insurance information entered, confirmed and logged with such efficiency that the nurses were beginning to look at him as some sort of godsend.
Even though Isshin had no hand whatsoever in raising the kid, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud.
Of course, Shirou might have been terribly efficient handling information, but his bedside manner left a lot to be desired. The kid was just...cold. And it wasn't like he was even trying. Isshin had initially attributed the attitude to the kid's unique condition, but after spending some time with Ichigo, the kid's soul should have healed enough for his old personality to begin showing. He could only conclude that the kid had originally been like this, and would probably continue to be.
How boring.
Several times, he acted especially goofy to try to elicit a laugh from Shirou, but all he got in return was a mildly puzzled expression. It was kind of disappointing, but Isshin refused to give up. He firmly believed that laughter was the best medicine, and he refused to let Shirou go until he at least saw the kid crack one smile. Even if the people from the social services came to take the kid away.
Which brought him to another problem. No one had reported a missing child, and Isshin suspected that it would only be a matter of time before Shirou became a permanent member of the family. Not that he was unhappy with that prospect, but the idea of something out there that was strong enough to eliminate the kid's parents, then shatter the kid's soul was worrisome. If the kid had just been eaten by a hollow, there would have been no problem, no matter how cruel that sounded. But it was the simple fact that the kid was alive that was troubling.
Isshin put the thought out of his mind, for the moment. It didn't concern him. If there was a problem, Soul Society would handle it. That was their job. His only job right now was to take care of the living.
As he closed his clinic for the night, he wondered what Ichigo was doing. His son had been home in both body and mind rather frequently recently, for which Isshin was thankful. He had no illusions that the trouble Soul Society was dealing with was over, but he worried for his son. He tried to give Ichigo the space he needed to grow and be his own man, but sometimes he couldn't tell if he was giving Ichigo the freedom to decide his own life, or if he was just neglecting his son. He hoped it wasn't the latter. He would never, in good conscience, neglect any of his children, but after speaking with Ishida, and seeing how Ishida treated his own son, he had to wonder. He knew that Yuzu and Karin were doing all right. It was just Ichigo.
Ichigo was practically never home. It was difficult to tell what his son was thinking, what he was worrying about without prying. And it was especially difficult to see his son suffering while he stood by the sidelines, helpless to do anything. It was better recently. But Isshin knew it couldn't last. Ichigo would go off training, or doing some sort of mission again, and he and his daughters would be left back at square one. It was frustrating to have a kid who could be so incredibly dense at times. And it was frustrating that Isshin was too set in his character as a goofy dad to call Ichigo on it. The relationship the family had fallen into ever since Masaki's death had Isshin fearing what would happen if he broke the mold. He couldn't handle the uncertainty and tension that had followed again.
"Kurosaki-san, Yuzu is calling," Shirou's mild voice broke him from his stupor. He grinned at the kid.
"Oh ho! Calling my daughter by her first name already?" he guffawed. The kid looked vaguely annoyed at the insinuation.
"If I called her 'Kurosaki-san' as well, it would get confusing," he explained irritably. "Besides, she insisted on it."
"In that case, I insist you call me 'Isshin' or better yet, 'Otou-san'," Isshin declared loudly, laughing.
"Not on your life," was clearly written on the kid's expression.
"In any case, Kurosaki-san," he said again for emphasis, "you should hurry up. Yuzu says dinner is ready."
"All right. I'll be right there." Shirou left for the other half of the building, while Isshin inspected the locks once more. Satisfied, he left to join the rest of his family for dinner.
"...just think it's kind of strange that you remember stuff like algebra, but don't remember anything about biology or physics," Karin said, chatting away with Shirou, both already seated. Yuzu stood by the rice cooker, putting rice into five bowls.
"Selective amnesia," Shirou replied rather calmly. Isshin wasn't sure if he was supposed to take that as a joke. Karin rolled her eyes.
"Where's Ichigo?" Isshin asked, sitting down at the head of the table. At that moment, the front door opened, revealing his wayward son.
"Didn't I say curfew was at seven?" Isshin asked, ready to launch into an attack. Ichigo tensed, ready to intercept him, and he decided that just this once, he would let Ichigo go.
"I was visiting friends," Ichigo said, inching towards the stairs, looking at his father suspiciously.
"Well, hurry it up. Dinner's about to start," Isshin said, passing the bowls of rice along the table as Yuzu handed them to him. Karin turned back to Shirou.
"Anyway, you can borrow my textbook after dinner if you like. It would suck going to school without knowing the basics of anything." Shirou made a noncommittal noise.
"So, you going to register him for school tomorrow?" Karin asked, turning back to her father.
"I said that already, didn't I?" Isshin asked, amused. Karin was acting like she was the older sister, and Shirou the younger, when she didn't really look that much older than him. Shirou didn't seem to care either way, though.
"Let's start dinner," Ichigo said, sitting down.
"We were just waiting for you, slowpoke," Karin said, rolling her eyes at him.
"Itadakimasu."
The sound of chopsticks clinking against dishes and bowls commenced as each started eating. Karin continued on her earlier topic of conversation.
"You can borrow any one of my books after dinner, if you want. Yuzu's, too," Karin said, volunteering her sister.
"Thanks, I guess," Shirou said, looking slightly interested. Isshin hadn't pinned him for a bookworm, but perhaps his earlier efficiency with information should have alerted him.
"So how was school today?" Isshin asked in general.
"Boring," Karin shrugged.
"We have a new English teacher," Yuzu elaborated. "I don't think she's very good, though."
"Yeah, her English sounds suspiciously like Japanese," Karin snickered.
"How about you, Ichi-nii? Anything interesting happen today?" Yuzu asked. Ichigo paused in his eating, thinking.
"Not really."
"That Kazuya's decided not to play soccer after school anymore," Karin complained, shoveling food into her mouth. "He wants to go to a 'private' middle school," Karin continued mockingly, "so he has to study extra hard this year. What a dick."
"Karin-chan!" Yuzu reprimanded.
"Now we're down one person for our games," Karin said, slightly chided. "Hey, Shirou, want to join us?" Shirou looked at her with surprise.
"But, I can't--"
"Don't worry about not knowing how to play," Karin grinned. "We'll teach you. Everyone has to start somewhere."
"Ichi-nii, are you free this weekend? There's something I want to buy..." Yuzu started. Ichigo looked at her hopeful expression guiltily. He wanted to go with her. She deserved at least that much from him. But...
"Sorry, but I can't," Ichigo said. Her sudden look of disappointment was like a stab to his heart. Yuzu quickly covered it with a smile.
"Don't worry about it," she said cheerfully. It made Ichigo feel even guiltier. "I'll just have Karin-chan and Otou-san accompany me. Oh!" She clapped her hands. "We also have Shirou-chan's help now. Everything will be fine," she reassured him. Isshin stood up suddenly.
"Well, I'm done. Whose turn is it to do the dishes?" he asked.
"Mine," Karin answered.
"Alright then." He left the dishes in the sink and left to his study. Karin quickly finished off the rest of her rice, placing the bowl in the sink and escaping to her room.
"Call me when you're done," she called over her shoulder. Shirou finished shortly after her.
"I'm going to ask to borrow her books," he said, not really addressing any one in particular. Then he disappeared as well. Ichigo was left in an uncomfortable silence with Yuzu. He felt like such an asshole for rejecting her, and he had a feeling that the others had thought so as well. But he couldn't help it. He had things that he had to do. Ultimately, he was doing all of this for their sake.
Ichigo and Yuzu finished eating at the same time, and they both cleared the table together. Ichigo suspected Yuzu had finished at the same time as him on purpose.
"Tell us whenever you have free time," Yuzu said, putting the leftovers in the fridge. "We never really seem to do anything together anymore."
"Sorry." It was the best that he could do.
"Don't worry about it," Yuzu insisted, turning to look at him. "I know Ichi-nii has his own reasons. You should just do whatever you need to do knowing that you have the full support of your family." Ichigo smiled at her, not really believing her. "I'm serious, Ichi-nii. We're your family. We will always be here for you." The sincerity with which she said it made Ichigo believe her. He smiled again, this time a genuine smile.
"Thanks, Yuzu."
She beamed back at him.
"No problem. Now I'll just go call Karin." She bounced up the stairs, and Ichigo could hear her gentle voice telling Karin they were done. A moment later, Karin and Shirou came downstairs, Shirou hefting a thick science book.
"If you have any questions, you can ask me or Yuzu," Karin said, continuing on a conversation she was having with Shirou. She paused. "You can also ask Ichi-nii, if you want." Karin didn't look at Ichigo directly in the eye, but Ichigo knew that he was forgiven.
He left Karin to do the dishes while Shirou sat at the dinner table, reading the textbook. If he had known nothing about science, he might have thought it was interesting as well, Ichigo mused as he went upstairs. But years of studying the subject had rendered it rather dull now.
He settled at his desk, pulling his homework out as Kon peeked through the closet.
"It's okay for now. He's downstairs reading," Ichigo said, starting on his homework. Kon relaxed, flopping onto his bed.
"It sucks having another person in this room," he complained. "I don't have the freedom I'm used to." Ichigo tuned out Kon's complaints as he started to work in earnest. He might not have time to do this later.
--o--
He left the school building with Kurosaki Isshin, feeling slightly perturbed. The registration process had gone surprisingly easily, and he could start classes as early as tomorrow. No. It wasn't the registration that disturbed him, but rather the name he was registered under.
Kurosaki Shirou.
It was strange to take on another's surname. It made him feel as if he were practically adopted into the family, and he wasn't quite sure what he felt about that. On one level, it was disturbing how easily the family accepted him into their fold, but on another level, it felt as if he had undergone a similar situation before and things had ultimately worked out for the best.
Logically, he knew he shouldn't worry about it. There was nothing he could do right now. If his parents came and revealed his true name, then at that time, he would simply leave with them, and that would be that.
He felt a pang at the thought of leaving the Kurosakis behind.
Where were his parents, anyway?
If they really cared about their child, shouldn't they be looking for him? Or had something happened to them? Did whatever event that had caused his loss in memory cause the death of his parents?
It was a chilling thought. That would make him an orphan. It would mean that he would be dependent on the Kurosakis until adulthood, and he wasn't sure if he could take that. How could he take advantage of their generosity that way?
As if sensing the dark turn of his thoughts, Isshin brought them to an ice cream parlor.
"Want some?" Isshin asked, but entered the store without waiting for a response, expecting Shirou to follow.
Shirou walked into the cold store, shivering a little. He disliked the cold. It made him feel uncomfortable.
"So, what flavor do you want?" Isshin asked, looking through the glass. Shirou shrugged. "Hmm... I've never tried lychee before. But this Summer Wild Fruit combo sounds delicious as well." After contemplating for a few seconds, Isshin ordered the fruit combo, as well as a cone of green tea ice cream.
A moment later, they were thankfully out in the warm sun.
"How is it?" Isshin asked as they walked down the street.
"It's nice," Shirou said, just to be polite. Isshin seemed to read his mind, because he swapped his green tea ice cream with Shirou's fruit one.
"But I already licked that," Shirou protested.
"Who cares?" Isshin asked. As if to demonstrate his point, he took a large bite out of the ice cream. "Try the green tea one." Shirou looked at his cone and licked it a little. He blinked. This actually did suit his tastes more. Isshin grinned knowingly.
"You're like an old man, liking tea flavored ice cream instead of young, wild, tropical fruit!"
"Liking the tea one better does not make me old," Shirou scowled. Isshin laughed. They fell into silence for a while as they finished their ice cream.
When they were done, Isshin finally asked, "Feeling any better?" Shirou looked at him in puzzlement.
"I don't feel ill anymore, if that's what you're asking," he replied, wrinkling his brow. Isshin chuckled.
"An answer that is very like you," he said. Shirou was confused. "I was actually asking if whatever was bothering you has disappeared."
Shirou frowned.
The only way his worries would ever disappear were if he could finally stop being in the Kurosakis debt and find a way to repay them back for their kindness.
"You know, kid, sometimes you just got to take things as windfall," Isshin said, letting out a yawn as he stretched. "Don't think too much about it."
"How can I not think about it?" Shirou muttered under his breath. Isshin sighed.
"Kid, we're helping you because we want to. Because you're not a bad kid," Isshin said patiently. "Don't think that you owe us anything." Isshin could tell that the kid was unconvinced. He tried another approach.
"Think of it this way: Yuzu likes having you there, because she can actually dress you up without you complaining," Isshin said half jokingly, half seriously, "Karin likes you being there because it gives her sadistic pleasure to complain about my behavior towards you, and it also provides her with a potential soccer-mate." Which she wouldn't need if Ichigo still played soccer with her like he used to. He brushed that thought aside. "Ichigo appreciates having another male child in the house, and I like having you there just because." Shirou still looked somewhat skeptical, but that worried frown he was wearing before was beginning to disappear.
"But I don't do anything useful except suck up your food and money," Shirou protested. The kid was such a stickler for details.
"Ichigo does nothing but suck up food, money, and oxygen," Isshin joked, "and yet he's still living with us."
"He is your son. I am not," Shirou said, voice clipped and cold, looking straight ahead. "I am a stranger. A nobody."
"No one is nobody," Isshin said lackadaisically. "And everyone starts off as a stranger. As far as I'm concerned, you are my son, and even if your parents come to claim you one day, you'll still be one of my sons."
Shirou looked at him with sharp, intelligent eyes.
"You know something," he said, not quite accusingly. Isshin didn't answer. They walked together in silence for a bit, Shirou mulling over his thoughts. "My parents aren't coming to get me, are they?"
Isshin didn't know how to answer that. He knew the issue would come up sooner or later, but he had thought that the kid wouldn't ask that until a few weeks later, when there was absolutely no possible way for his parents to still be looking for him. As such, he hadn't prepared an appropriate response.
"What makes you say that?" he hedged instead.
"The way you speak and act... You aren't treating me as a temporary guest. It's as if you're expecting me to become a permanent part of your life," Shirou explained, frowning, refusing to look Isshin in the eye.
Damn, the kid was perceptive.
It wasn't as if Isshin had been trying to hide the fact from him, but he supposed he had wanted to spare the kid of such knowledge for a while longer. He sighed. Kids these days grew up faster than one knew.
"I...suspect that they won't be coming," he said slowly. He wasn't sure how much he could reveal without revealing his secret. The kid walked on in silence.
"I understand."
What the kid understood, Isshin had no clue, but he was thankful when Shirou did not pursue the matter further. When they reached a student supply store, Isshin spoke up once more.
"Let's get a book bag for you." He gestured to the store next to him. "Wouldn't want you using your bare hands, or one of Ichigo's ratty old bags. The bottoms on those things are falling apart, and we should really be throwing them away." Shirou nodded, and they entered the store.
The bell above the door gave a soft tinkle as they walked through, waiting for their eyes to adjust from the sunlight. One wall was covered with varying forms of book bags, while the rest of the store was chaotic order of stationary and various knickknacks.
"Welcome," the shop owner said, smiling behind the counter. "Please feel free to look around. If there's anything you have questions about, please ask me." After they nodded their thanks, she went back to reading her magazine.
Isshin looked at the various colors available. Ichigo would most likely choose a neutral gray, or something equally boring. That kid had no imagination. Yuzu would choose something bright and happy, probably orange, or yellow, or that nice peach colored one over there. Karin would try to assert her toughness and tomboy-ness by choosing a dark, strong color, probably dark blue or dark red. He wondered what Shirou would choose.
Shirou wandered from one book bag to the next, opening each and looking at the inside to see how efficient each were. He felt bad that he was having someone spend money on him again, but figured that this most likely was going to remain his permanent family, so he might as well start getting used to it. Some of the cheaper bags were just bags with a cover, while others were so elaborate on the inside, filled with hidden pockets here and there that they were bordering on the insane. He picked a pale blue one, with just enough pockets and dividers on the inside to be useful, but not so much as to become a veritable maze.
As Isshin paid for the book bag, he felt that the color oddly suited Shirou. It was a pale blue, almost white that Isshin was tempted to describe as the color of ice, while it belied a certain gentleness. Pale blue was a cousin of baby blue, and Isshin couldn't help but smile at the association. Not that he would say it out loud, of course. He had a feeling Shirou's gaze could become as icy as the frozen sea if he wanted.
They exited the store, walking back towards the clinic in companionable silence. It was different from Yuzu and Karin's idle chatter, and it was different from Ichigo's broody silence. In a way, it reminded him of one of those afternoon walks he had taken when he had found Shirou.
When they finally reached the clinic, Isshin immediately got to work. He had many patients to see before the clinic closed, and he couldn't keep them waiting any longer. Shirou went to the family side of the building to put away his new book bag before entering the clinic to help where he could, and the two remained busy until the end of the day.
Chapter 2