Title: Father, my father
Rating: G
Pairing / Characters: The Kurosaki family
Word Count: 585 words
Warnings: Spoilers for Isshin's past?
Summary: The other side of Kurosaki Isshin…
A/N: He's not just an idiot, I don't think. Mah, here's my take on him…
Isshin knew Ichigo blamed himself for Masaki's death; even though he tried to bully him out of it, nothing seemed to work.
The first day Ichigo came home babbling incoherently about the ghosts, Isshin realized the nature of the legacy he had passed down to his son.
Whether in life or death, Isshin tries to save lives, and he wants Ichigo to do the same – he supposes this is the reason he picks stupid fights with his son to increase his strength – although he'll never tell Ichigo that.
The night Ichigo left for Soul Society, Isshin knew exactly where he was going.
Not only that, but he went to see his old friend and forced him to swear that he wouldn't let Ichigo come to harm.
The nature of Ichigo's zanpakutou is a mystery to Isshin, as well as how he managed to achieve bankai in such a short period of time, although he suspects Kisuke had something to do with it.
Isshin did his best to raise his children properly, but for a shinigami turned human, it was difficult to understand how to be both mother and father to his daughters.
He bought Karin a night gown once, a pale yellow confection that Masaki would have loved; even though Karin told him she hated it, she still wears it to bed.
Being a captain is far easier than being a father, Isshin supposes that if he didn't have centuries of patience on his side he would have murdered someone years ago.
The day Rukia set foot in the Kurosaki household, Isshin knew exactly who she was, and he recognized the gigai she wore as being Kisuke's creation immediately.
It took three years of marriage and the birth of their son before Isshin plucked up the courage to tell Masaki what he was, somehow he wasn't surprised when she said she already knew.
Some of the people who come to his clinic pass on, but they never leave alone, because Isshin is always there to guide them.
The only thing that truly scares Isshin is that his skills will become so rusty that he won't be able to protect the people he loves.
The other thing that scares him is that Kisuke will one day seek him out to finish that drinking competition the two of them started years ago.
When Isshin looks at his son, he sees himself; and feels the desire to protect him from the world's evils before he becomes as disillusioned as Isshin himself is.
He worries constantly about Yuzu who, in his opinion, is growing up far faster than even her brother is.
He never says it directly, but knows that Masaki would be proud of him and the children despite the stupid mistakes he made in bringing them up.
Being a doctor is the closest to heaven that Isshin can attain, having given up his shinigami lifestyle for a human woman.
He feels his heart ache when he looks at Yuzu, because she looks more and more like her mother with every passing day.
Isshin truly loves his children, and will do anything for them, including tormenting them because he wants them to be as strong as Masaki was.
True strength is being able to give up what you love for the sake of the greater good, in Isshin's eyes; he did exactly that to have a family.