Zaraki Day-Care [Sandbox Society]
[Characters]: Zaraki Kenpachi and the babies: Hikaru, Masaki, Susumu and Ren & Yuu. Also, Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, Tousen Kaname and Ukitake Jyuushiro.
[Summary]:The Sandbox Society have fun with Ken-chan.
[Word Count]: 2500
[Prompt/Inspiration]: "WOW! You’re almost as tall as my Dad!" prompted by gokuma and this drawing by
bosska_ak.
[Finished]: 29.June.2009
[Beta]: not beta-read
[Warnings]: Implied Male-Pregnancy and just some EXTRA fluff.
[Rating]: PG
[Notes]: Hikaru is marianek 's; Susumu and Ren & Yuu are a joint creation of gokuma ,
bosska_ak and me.
We've decided to call this AU, sandbox_society . ^___^
Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters © Kubo Tite. Save a few OCs product of fangirl brainstorming.
Susumu hopped down from his Papa’s lap and toddled down towards the twins. Midway to Ren and Yuu he stopped and came back up to give his Papa a big hug, so that Papa knew he loved him very much.
For some reason - Susumu didn’t understand very well yet - his Papa couldn’t see when Susumu smiled at him or threw his kisses, nor did he have a bushy, furry tail like Daddy did; a tail Susumu could hold on to and show all of this fluffy, warm thing that filled his chest. The same warm thing he felt whenever he got to sleep tucked in between Dad and Papa or jump in the puddles that appeared on the garden after it rained.
So because his Papa couldn’t see it, Susumu had to turn back and give him a very strong hug - strong like Dad hugged Papa and him - so that Papa knew.
“Bai, bai, Papa!” Susumu said as he nuzzled his Papa’s legs.
“Goodbye, Susumu.” His Papa held him close and gave him a kiss on his furry right ear; it tickled and his ear twitched twice against Papa´s smiling lips. “Be good.”
“’kay. Bai, Papa!”
And now, with all the proper goodbyes said, Susumu ran to join the twins.
***
“HMPH!”
Susumu hit something very big that nearly sent him to the grass.
He looked up.
And up.
(Could this be Dad?)
And up.
(It sure was big enough!)
And finally up into the face of a man (not Dad then!) with an eye patch and spiky black hair with ticking thingies on its ends.
He was very tall and Susumu let him know it: “WOW! You’re almost as tall as my Dad!”
The man made a strange face, like Susumu did when he sucked on a lemon, and said, “Ah! Am I now?”
“Hum-hmm,” Susumu agreed.
The man eyed him for sometime wearing that lemon-eating face and then flashed him a wicked grin that Susumu couldn’t help but return, his tail swishing happily from side to side.
“Ya go and join th’ twins till the other squirts get here.”
“’kay.”
Susumu took three steps but then remembered something the twins had said about the man that looked after them. Of him being huge and with an eye patch and spiky hair. Seeing that he was to be looked after by the same man today, that must be him. He did have the eye patch and spiky hair but he wasn’t that huge; his Dad was way bigger than that!
But Susumu was a well behaved little boy, everybody said, and so remembering his good manners, he turned back and bowing said, “I’m Komamura Susumu. Nice to meet you, Sensei.”
The man let out a laugh that kinda sounded like a bark and told him, “no sensei here. I’m Zaraki Kenpachi, but you can call me Ken-chan. Now get going to the twins.”
“Uhm. Okay, Ken-chan.” Susumu waved and finally ran over to where the Kyouraku twins were, sitting on the grass with blue and green haori, munching happily on something sweet.
***
“Hello! Yuu-niichan! Ren-niichan!” Susumu waved at them, knowing exactly which was which. Not many people did that, besides Daddy and Papa. It was one of the reasons they liked Susumu so much. That and his fluffy tail and silky ears.
“Hi, Susu-kun!” They both answered in unison, getting up from the grass to greet the smaller boy with pets to his ears and soft tugs on his bushy tail.
“Want some?!” They offered to share the treats their Daddy had given them with Susumu. Who took the sweet and ate it, his tail rapidly swaying in delight.
Yuu looked over at the man that had brought Susumu that was now standing with Ken-chan and asked, “is that your Papa there, with Ken-chan?”
After a quick glance back at Ken-chan, Susumu smiled, his ears perking up. “Yeah, that’s my Papa.”
Ren, after studying the man from afar, commented, “he’s strange.”
“What you mean?” Susumu demanded.
“Well, he’s got those strange glasses.”
“That’s because he doesn’t see with his eyes!”
Both the twins’ eyes widen with the revelation as Susumu continued, “he sees with his hands and listens really, reeeaally, well.”
“Wow, really?” Yuu asked, fascinated with this power of Susu-kun’s Papa. He knew of a lot of Papas’ powers but he’d never heard of seeing with the hands.
“Hum-hmm!”
Ren still wasn’t that convinced. How could anyone see with his hands? This needed more finding out.
“How does he do that?”
“Well, you know when your Dad or your Papa looks at you to see if you poperly washed your face in the morning?”
They nodded with dread. Their Daddy could be very strict with face-washing. He had, on occasion, threatened them with a full bath, had they not washed their faces poperly.
Seeing they were familiar with the ordeal, Susumu kept explaining, “my Papa looks with his hands, to see if I’ve watched it all away. He never misses a single bit. Even bits me and Dad didn’t find!”
Yuu was amazed with Susu-kun’s Papa ability. He looked again at the dark-skinned man with new interest.
But Ren still felt a bit suspicious of that amazing feat. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Susu-kun, but he needed to know more before he would completely accept such an awesome power. He’d have to ask his Papa and Daddy. But for now he would admit a little awe and ask Susu-kun more about this fantastic Papa of his.
“What is your Papa’s name?”
“Hmm?!” Susumu didn’t look sure of what Ren meant. “It’s Papa.”
“No, silly! That’s what he is!”
Susumu’s ears flattened against his head in distress. And Yuu stepped in.
“Don’t bully him!” he said, as he put an arm around Susu-kun.
Ren cried out, in his own defence, “I wasn’t!”
Ignoring his brother, Yuu pulled Susumu closer and told him softly, trying to reassure him, “what Ren means,” and here he looked with a Ken-chan-like stare to his twin, “is that Papa isn’t your Papa’s name.”
If possible, Susumu looked even more confused and his ears, had they been the same colour of his hair, would have disappeared into his little dreadlocks. Yuu tried to explain a bit better, but this was hard stuff for a little kid like Susu-kun.
“You know, like me and Ren have a Papa too and then Hikaru-niichan has a Papa too.”
Susumu nodded looking a tiny bit less confused but he still inched closer to Yuu when Ren moved towards them.
“And you know that we’re our Papa’s and Daddy’s kids. But our names isn’t kids?!”
Susumu nodded again and this time remained still as Ren tried to pet his ears back up to their normal place, and as he too joined the explanation.
“Our Papa’s name is Kyouraku Shunsui and our Daddy is Ukitake Jyuushiro. Do you know what I mean?”
“Oh, I think I see now.” His ears twitched a bit in Ren’s hands.
“It’s prolly what your Dad calls him. At home.” Yuu supplied.
“Yeah, I know that! Dad calls Papa, Kaname. And Papa calls Dad, Sajin.”
“That’s it then. That’s your Papa’s name!” Yuu confirmed. “Kaname.”
Susumu’s ears went straight up again, in wonder, grinning at Yuu and turning his head so that Ren’s hands could pet behind his left ear.
***
Hikaru, heir to the Kuchiki house, trotted down the small hill away from his Dad and uncle Ichigo and in the direction of the twins and Susumu, followed by closely by the very small little girl that held onto his hand for support with a surprising strong grip.
When the three boys - who had been huddled together - spotted him, they ran up to meet him.
“Hikaru-niichan!” They greeted him, enthusiastically.
“Hello! Yuu-kun. Ren-kun. Susu-kun.” Hikaru greeted them in return, smiling widely like his Dad did. Or so he hoped.
The little girl, still holding onto his hand, was hidden behind his legs but peering at the three boys with awe.
The boys looked at her curiously and then at Hikaru, waiting for introductions. Hikaru felt proud at his choice of friends and grinned.
“This is Kurosaki Masaki,” he introduced. “Masaki -chan, these are my friends.”
The boys smiled at the orange-haired little girl with huge dark-blue eyes. “Hello, Masaki-chan!”
Masaki’s eyes became even wider as she looked between the boys, clearly not certain where to keep her attention, if on the boys with the same face or the one with a swishing tail and perky ears. The waging tail proved too hypnotic to his little cousin and she yelled: “Doggy!!!”
Susumu growled low in his throat and Masaki, scared, hid completely behind Hikaru.
“I’m not a dog! I’m a fox boy!” Susumu explained, affronted at the mix-up with his species.
Hikaru felt Masaki peer out from behind his legs - the firm grip of her tiny hands wrinkling his hakama - and whispered, “fox?!”
Susumu, a bit calmer now, nodded.
Masaki stepped forward bravely, tentatively trying to pet the fluffy tail. After a few strokes Susumu was purring and had gained a friend for life, as Masaki started on one of her never ending chats. The ones she only imposed on people she liked and trusted.
“So where did you find the broad?” Ren asked.
Hikaru laughed. He sounded just like uncle Ikkaku.
“What?! My Papa says that sometimes. And I bet yours does too!” Ren said defensively before joining Hikaru in the laughter.
“Yeah. Dad sometimes does! And when Father hears him, he gets really cross with him and usually says something like ‘he’ll never get any again’. But I never really got what it is that he won’t give Dad again.”
“Yeah. Adults are strange!” Yuu agreed, smiling. “So, the girl?”
“Oh! She’s my cousin. Uncle Ichigo is her Dad and aunt Rukia is her Mommy.”
The twins nodded at the information but Susumu looked up from his talk with Masaki with a puzzled expression and asked, “what’s a Mommy?”
They all looked between them.
“Hmm... well it’s... hmm...” Yuu tried.
“It’s when...” Ren said.
Hikaru who knew a bit about this subject, having been around an actual Mommy and all, explained, “It’s like a Dad only she isn’t a boy. She’s a girl.”
Susumu looked even more confused. “It’s a girl Dad?!”
“Yeah, something like that.” Yuu helped, patting Susumu’s back.
“Hmm. ‘kay,” Susumu said, still looking doubtful.
“You better ask Ken-chan.”
They all looked at Ken-chan, who was talking to the Dads and hitting Masaki’s Dad on the back in what looked like a very harsh hello.
“Hmm... Maybe I’ll ask my Dad,” Susumu whispered.
They all nodded and agreed wholeheartedly. Hikaru knew Ken-chan was way cool but some things were better asked to your Dads and Papas and Fathers and, he heard, even Mommies.
The adults were now coming back down to say goodbye to their kids so that they could go on their next adventure with Ken-chan.
Hikaru wondered what they would do today.
Frog catching?
Maybe fishing, he’d really like fishing.
Or play zanpakutou with sticks found in the woods.
His wonderings distracted him and he didn’t notice his Dad coming up behind him and hugging him. He didn’t mind it. At home! Here, in front of his friends, not so much. He was a big boy after all and he told his Dad that by trying to break loose and protesting.
“DAD!!!”
“Yeah. Yeah. I know. You’re a big boy now. Sorry, I keep forgetting.”
But even saying all that, he didn’t loose the hug any less. Well, Hikaru could do what his Dad wanted. It wasn’t like the twins weren’t being hugged by their Dad or Susumu nuzzled by his Papa.
So Hikaru hugged back, just as tightly as Dad and even gave him a quick kiss to the face.
***
“Troops, let move out!” Zaraki called out to the band of kids.
“YAY!” They all screamed and jumped up and down around Zaraki.
“Weapons ready?” he asked and they all picked up their butterfly nets, waving them about in the air.
“Then let’s move out! Single line! March!”
They all fell in line; red-haired Kuchiki heir taking point, the twins at the back and in the middle, fox-y boy with Masaki toddling behind, holding on to his tail. Butterfly nets on their shoulders like a riffle, they marched down the narrow path through the grass ahead of Zaraki.
He swept up the little girl who squealed in delight as he put her on his shoulder; a most advantageous point of view for something so small.
“March, troops. Left! Right! Left!”
“LEFT!”
“RIGHT!”
“LEFT!”
[OMAKE]
“Do you think they are safe with Zaraki?” Tousen asked his companions, as the kids marched off in front of the 11th division captain.
“Yep! Couldn’t be safer than with Zaraki,” Renji replied, a smile on his face.
“I don’t mean will he be strong enough to protect and fight to keep them safe. I know he is capable of doing so. But I mean he’s so... and they are just...”
Ichigo nodded and placed a calming hand on Tousen’s shoulder. “He’s brilliant with them. Didn’t he take care of Yachiru for all those years? She didn’t turn out that bad.”
“Yes, well... he has no love for me or Sajin”
Ukitake too put a hand on Tousen shoulder and added, “He doesn’t care who their parents are. It’s all about the kids. Don’t be worried, he will be all right and have loads of fun and be safe.”
“And as a bonus,” Renji piped in, “tonight they’ll get home so tired and spent that they’ll drop dead in their beds and only wake late tomorrow morning. And you know what that means?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Ichigo looked confused. Tousen missed the gesture. And Ukitake grinned.
“Me and Shunsui always have such lovely nights when the twins spend time with Ken-chan!”
Now both Ichigo and Tousen looked confuse.
“It means some extra time with your man, or in your case,” Renji elbowed Ichigo, “woman. With no interruptions. No tummy aches or nightmares.” Renji leered.
The confusion turned to embarrassment and a lot of cleared throats. Renji and Ukitake chuckled, mischievously.
“Seriously, you guys! And I’m the one married to the Ice Prince. Looking at you no one would know that you have children. Prudes!!!”
“Not everyone can be a pervert like you, Renji!” Ichigo attacked.
“Yeah. Yeah. Prude!”
“You...”
Leaving the two hot-headed men to solve their differences, Ukitake approached Tousen and once again tried to reassure him of Kenpachi’s qualities with children.
“Kenpachi is amazing with the kids and always gets them back in one piece, dead tired but always wanting to return for some more time with Ken-chan.”
Having finished their scuffle Ichigo and Renji joined them.
“Have no worries about it.”
“Susumu will have a blast.”
“I will trust your judgement. Thank you for your words.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Anytime.”
“Sure thing.”
June2009©MarinLiliz
___________________________________________________________________________________
In case you have any doubts:
- Hikaru's dad is Abarai Renji and his father is Kuchiki Byakuya.
- The twins', Ren & Yuu, papa is Kyouraku Shunsui and their daddy is Ukitake Jyuushiro.
- Susumu's dad is Komamura Sajin and his papa is Tousen Kaname.
- Masaki's daddy is Kurosaki Ichigo and her mommy is Kuchiki Rukia (she actually has "ordinary" parents). Also she's named after Ichigos's mother.
[Summary]:The Sandbox Society have fun with Ken-chan.
[Word Count]: 2500
[Prompt/Inspiration]: "WOW! You’re almost as tall as my Dad!" prompted by gokuma and this drawing by
bosska_ak.
[Finished]: 29.June.2009
[Beta]: not beta-read
[Warnings]: Implied Male-Pregnancy and just some EXTRA fluff.
[Rating]: PG
[Notes]: Hikaru is marianek 's; Susumu and Ren & Yuu are a joint creation of gokuma ,
bosska_ak and me.
We've decided to call this AU, sandbox_society . ^___^
Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters © Kubo Tite. Save a few OCs product of fangirl brainstorming.
Susumu hopped down from his Papa’s lap and toddled down towards the twins. Midway to Ren and Yuu he stopped and came back up to give his Papa a big hug, so that Papa knew he loved him very much.
For some reason - Susumu didn’t understand very well yet - his Papa couldn’t see when Susumu smiled at him or threw his kisses, nor did he have a bushy, furry tail like Daddy did; a tail Susumu could hold on to and show all of this fluffy, warm thing that filled his chest. The same warm thing he felt whenever he got to sleep tucked in between Dad and Papa or jump in the puddles that appeared on the garden after it rained.
So because his Papa couldn’t see it, Susumu had to turn back and give him a very strong hug - strong like Dad hugged Papa and him - so that Papa knew.
“Bai, bai, Papa!” Susumu said as he nuzzled his Papa’s legs.
“Goodbye, Susumu.” His Papa held him close and gave him a kiss on his furry right ear; it tickled and his ear twitched twice against Papa´s smiling lips. “Be good.”
“’kay. Bai, Papa!”
And now, with all the proper goodbyes said, Susumu ran to join the twins.
***
“HMPH!”
Susumu hit something very big that nearly sent him to the grass.
He looked up.
And up.
(Could this be Dad?)
And up.
(It sure was big enough!)
And finally up into the face of a man (not Dad then!) with an eye patch and spiky black hair with ticking thingies on its ends.
He was very tall and Susumu let him know it: “WOW! You’re almost as tall as my Dad!”
The man made a strange face, like Susumu did when he sucked on a lemon, and said, “Ah! Am I now?”
“Hum-hmm,” Susumu agreed.
The man eyed him for sometime wearing that lemon-eating face and then flashed him a wicked grin that Susumu couldn’t help but return, his tail swishing happily from side to side.
“Ya go and join th’ twins till the other squirts get here.”
“’kay.”
Susumu took three steps but then remembered something the twins had said about the man that looked after them. Of him being huge and with an eye patch and spiky hair. Seeing that he was to be looked after by the same man today, that must be him. He did have the eye patch and spiky hair but he wasn’t that huge; his Dad was way bigger than that!
But Susumu was a well behaved little boy, everybody said, and so remembering his good manners, he turned back and bowing said, “I’m Komamura Susumu. Nice to meet you, Sensei.”
The man let out a laugh that kinda sounded like a bark and told him, “no sensei here. I’m Zaraki Kenpachi, but you can call me Ken-chan. Now get going to the twins.”
“Uhm. Okay, Ken-chan.” Susumu waved and finally ran over to where the Kyouraku twins were, sitting on the grass with blue and green haori, munching happily on something sweet.
***
“Hello! Yuu-niichan! Ren-niichan!” Susumu waved at them, knowing exactly which was which. Not many people did that, besides Daddy and Papa. It was one of the reasons they liked Susumu so much. That and his fluffy tail and silky ears.
“Hi, Susu-kun!” They both answered in unison, getting up from the grass to greet the smaller boy with pets to his ears and soft tugs on his bushy tail.
“Want some?!” They offered to share the treats their Daddy had given them with Susumu. Who took the sweet and ate it, his tail rapidly swaying in delight.
Yuu looked over at the man that had brought Susumu that was now standing with Ken-chan and asked, “is that your Papa there, with Ken-chan?”
After a quick glance back at Ken-chan, Susumu smiled, his ears perking up. “Yeah, that’s my Papa.”
Ren, after studying the man from afar, commented, “he’s strange.”
“What you mean?” Susumu demanded.
“Well, he’s got those strange glasses.”
“That’s because he doesn’t see with his eyes!”
Both the twins’ eyes widen with the revelation as Susumu continued, “he sees with his hands and listens really, reeeaally, well.”
“Wow, really?” Yuu asked, fascinated with this power of Susu-kun’s Papa. He knew of a lot of Papas’ powers but he’d never heard of seeing with the hands.
“Hum-hmm!”
Ren still wasn’t that convinced. How could anyone see with his hands? This needed more finding out.
“How does he do that?”
“Well, you know when your Dad or your Papa looks at you to see if you poperly washed your face in the morning?”
They nodded with dread. Their Daddy could be very strict with face-washing. He had, on occasion, threatened them with a full bath, had they not washed their faces poperly.
Seeing they were familiar with the ordeal, Susumu kept explaining, “my Papa looks with his hands, to see if I’ve watched it all away. He never misses a single bit. Even bits me and Dad didn’t find!”
Yuu was amazed with Susu-kun’s Papa ability. He looked again at the dark-skinned man with new interest.
But Ren still felt a bit suspicious of that amazing feat. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Susu-kun, but he needed to know more before he would completely accept such an awesome power. He’d have to ask his Papa and Daddy. But for now he would admit a little awe and ask Susu-kun more about this fantastic Papa of his.
“What is your Papa’s name?”
“Hmm?!” Susumu didn’t look sure of what Ren meant. “It’s Papa.”
“No, silly! That’s what he is!”
Susumu’s ears flattened against his head in distress. And Yuu stepped in.
“Don’t bully him!” he said, as he put an arm around Susu-kun.
Ren cried out, in his own defence, “I wasn’t!”
Ignoring his brother, Yuu pulled Susumu closer and told him softly, trying to reassure him, “what Ren means,” and here he looked with a Ken-chan-like stare to his twin, “is that Papa isn’t your Papa’s name.”
If possible, Susumu looked even more confused and his ears, had they been the same colour of his hair, would have disappeared into his little dreadlocks. Yuu tried to explain a bit better, but this was hard stuff for a little kid like Susu-kun.
“You know, like me and Ren have a Papa too and then Hikaru-niichan has a Papa too.”
Susumu nodded looking a tiny bit less confused but he still inched closer to Yuu when Ren moved towards them.
“And you know that we’re our Papa’s and Daddy’s kids. But our names isn’t kids?!”
Susumu nodded again and this time remained still as Ren tried to pet his ears back up to their normal place, and as he too joined the explanation.
“Our Papa’s name is Kyouraku Shunsui and our Daddy is Ukitake Jyuushiro. Do you know what I mean?”
“Oh, I think I see now.” His ears twitched a bit in Ren’s hands.
“It’s prolly what your Dad calls him. At home.” Yuu supplied.
“Yeah, I know that! Dad calls Papa, Kaname. And Papa calls Dad, Sajin.”
“That’s it then. That’s your Papa’s name!” Yuu confirmed. “Kaname.”
Susumu’s ears went straight up again, in wonder, grinning at Yuu and turning his head so that Ren’s hands could pet behind his left ear.
***
Hikaru, heir to the Kuchiki house, trotted down the small hill away from his Dad and uncle Ichigo and in the direction of the twins and Susumu, followed by closely by the very small little girl that held onto his hand for support with a surprising strong grip.
When the three boys - who had been huddled together - spotted him, they ran up to meet him.
“Hikaru-niichan!” They greeted him, enthusiastically.
“Hello! Yuu-kun. Ren-kun. Susu-kun.” Hikaru greeted them in return, smiling widely like his Dad did. Or so he hoped.
The little girl, still holding onto his hand, was hidden behind his legs but peering at the three boys with awe.
The boys looked at her curiously and then at Hikaru, waiting for introductions. Hikaru felt proud at his choice of friends and grinned.
“This is Kurosaki Masaki,” he introduced. “Masaki -chan, these are my friends.”
The boys smiled at the orange-haired little girl with huge dark-blue eyes. “Hello, Masaki-chan!”
Masaki’s eyes became even wider as she looked between the boys, clearly not certain where to keep her attention, if on the boys with the same face or the one with a swishing tail and perky ears. The waging tail proved too hypnotic to his little cousin and she yelled: “Doggy!!!”
Susumu growled low in his throat and Masaki, scared, hid completely behind Hikaru.
“I’m not a dog! I’m a fox boy!” Susumu explained, affronted at the mix-up with his species.
Hikaru felt Masaki peer out from behind his legs - the firm grip of her tiny hands wrinkling his hakama - and whispered, “fox?!”
Susumu, a bit calmer now, nodded.
Masaki stepped forward bravely, tentatively trying to pet the fluffy tail. After a few strokes Susumu was purring and had gained a friend for life, as Masaki started on one of her never ending chats. The ones she only imposed on people she liked and trusted.
“So where did you find the broad?” Ren asked.
Hikaru laughed. He sounded just like uncle Ikkaku.
“What?! My Papa says that sometimes. And I bet yours does too!” Ren said defensively before joining Hikaru in the laughter.
“Yeah. Dad sometimes does! And when Father hears him, he gets really cross with him and usually says something like ‘he’ll never get any again’. But I never really got what it is that he won’t give Dad again.”
“Yeah. Adults are strange!” Yuu agreed, smiling. “So, the girl?”
“Oh! She’s my cousin. Uncle Ichigo is her Dad and aunt Rukia is her Mommy.”
The twins nodded at the information but Susumu looked up from his talk with Masaki with a puzzled expression and asked, “what’s a Mommy?”
They all looked between them.
“Hmm... well it’s... hmm...” Yuu tried.
“It’s when...” Ren said.
Hikaru who knew a bit about this subject, having been around an actual Mommy and all, explained, “It’s like a Dad only she isn’t a boy. She’s a girl.”
Susumu looked even more confused. “It’s a girl Dad?!”
“Yeah, something like that.” Yuu helped, patting Susumu’s back.
“Hmm. ‘kay,” Susumu said, still looking doubtful.
“You better ask Ken-chan.”
They all looked at Ken-chan, who was talking to the Dads and hitting Masaki’s Dad on the back in what looked like a very harsh hello.
“Hmm... Maybe I’ll ask my Dad,” Susumu whispered.
They all nodded and agreed wholeheartedly. Hikaru knew Ken-chan was way cool but some things were better asked to your Dads and Papas and Fathers and, he heard, even Mommies.
The adults were now coming back down to say goodbye to their kids so that they could go on their next adventure with Ken-chan.
Hikaru wondered what they would do today.
Frog catching?
Maybe fishing, he’d really like fishing.
Or play zanpakutou with sticks found in the woods.
His wonderings distracted him and he didn’t notice his Dad coming up behind him and hugging him. He didn’t mind it. At home! Here, in front of his friends, not so much. He was a big boy after all and he told his Dad that by trying to break loose and protesting.
“DAD!!!”
“Yeah. Yeah. I know. You’re a big boy now. Sorry, I keep forgetting.”
But even saying all that, he didn’t loose the hug any less. Well, Hikaru could do what his Dad wanted. It wasn’t like the twins weren’t being hugged by their Dad or Susumu nuzzled by his Papa.
So Hikaru hugged back, just as tightly as Dad and even gave him a quick kiss to the face.
***
“Troops, let move out!” Zaraki called out to the band of kids.
“YAY!” They all screamed and jumped up and down around Zaraki.
“Weapons ready?” he asked and they all picked up their butterfly nets, waving them about in the air.
“Then let’s move out! Single line! March!”
They all fell in line; red-haired Kuchiki heir taking point, the twins at the back and in the middle, fox-y boy with Masaki toddling behind, holding on to his tail. Butterfly nets on their shoulders like a riffle, they marched down the narrow path through the grass ahead of Zaraki.
He swept up the little girl who squealed in delight as he put her on his shoulder; a most advantageous point of view for something so small.
“March, troops. Left! Right! Left!”
“LEFT!”
“RIGHT!”
“LEFT!”
[OMAKE]
“Do you think they are safe with Zaraki?” Tousen asked his companions, as the kids marched off in front of the 11th division captain.
“Yep! Couldn’t be safer than with Zaraki,” Renji replied, a smile on his face.
“I don’t mean will he be strong enough to protect and fight to keep them safe. I know he is capable of doing so. But I mean he’s so... and they are just...”
Ichigo nodded and placed a calming hand on Tousen’s shoulder. “He’s brilliant with them. Didn’t he take care of Yachiru for all those years? She didn’t turn out that bad.”
“Yes, well... he has no love for me or Sajin”
Ukitake too put a hand on Tousen shoulder and added, “He doesn’t care who their parents are. It’s all about the kids. Don’t be worried, he will be all right and have loads of fun and be safe.”
“And as a bonus,” Renji piped in, “tonight they’ll get home so tired and spent that they’ll drop dead in their beds and only wake late tomorrow morning. And you know what that means?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Ichigo looked confused. Tousen missed the gesture. And Ukitake grinned.
“Me and Shunsui always have such lovely nights when the twins spend time with Ken-chan!”
Now both Ichigo and Tousen looked confuse.
“It means some extra time with your man, or in your case,” Renji elbowed Ichigo, “woman. With no interruptions. No tummy aches or nightmares.” Renji leered.
The confusion turned to embarrassment and a lot of cleared throats. Renji and Ukitake chuckled, mischievously.
“Seriously, you guys! And I’m the one married to the Ice Prince. Looking at you no one would know that you have children. Prudes!!!”
“Not everyone can be a pervert like you, Renji!” Ichigo attacked.
“Yeah. Yeah. Prude!”
“You...”
Leaving the two hot-headed men to solve their differences, Ukitake approached Tousen and once again tried to reassure him of Kenpachi’s qualities with children.
“Kenpachi is amazing with the kids and always gets them back in one piece, dead tired but always wanting to return for some more time with Ken-chan.”
Having finished their scuffle Ichigo and Renji joined them.
“Have no worries about it.”
“Susumu will have a blast.”
“I will trust your judgement. Thank you for your words.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Anytime.”
“Sure thing.”
June2009©MarinLiliz
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In case you have any doubts:
- Hikaru's dad is Abarai Renji and his father is Kuchiki Byakuya.
- The twins', Ren & Yuu, papa is Kyouraku Shunsui and their daddy is Ukitake Jyuushiro.
- Susumu's dad is Komamura Sajin and his papa is Tousen Kaname.
- Masaki's daddy is Kurosaki Ichigo and her mommy is Kuchiki Rukia (she actually has "ordinary" parents). Also she's named after Ichigos's mother.