The alarm clock rang right at 6:00 am. Ryuuken opened his eyes unwillingly and turned it down. The room was stil dark. He let his legs down to the floor, and walked to the bathroom without wearing his glasses.
As the water poured, he saw a blurry sight of the man getting old. "Your hair is now gray", he said to himself. "And you still haven't achieved to do anything. Good doctor, bad citizen, bad father. Not a good one."
Ryuuken was a kind of man who wasn't able to show his feelings easily, not even to himself. Deep inside he was trying to be close to his young son, but obviously it wasn't enough to remove the distance between them. He believed being tough equals being strong. "I won't go down. I won't go down just because she is not here anymore. I never did… Ah, as if it still matters…" He hit the cold water to his face and walked to the kitchen after chilling his skin.
The refrigerator was pretty empty, and there were nothing inside the cookie jars anymore. He let the coffee machine start, and sliced some bread.
"Dad, can't we eat anything different from eggs? I'm tired of having it every morning!" Two little hands were wrapped around Ryuuken's waist. He turned back and smiled: "But they're very healthy for you kids, Uryuu."
"But Mom used to cook something new everyday!" said Uryuu and pouted. Ryuuken opened his mouth and attempted to say something but then gave up and put his hand on Uryuu's little shoulder. "Bear it for today, son, I'll prepare something else tomorrow."
Uryuu nodded and sat down. Serving the breakfast, his father joined him. They both began eating in a mutual silence. Ryuuken looked at his innocent, ocean-blue eyes. He remembered how he was afraid to go to schook. "Dad, I need you", he had cried. "Don't leave me alone!"
He took his coffee and sat down. Strawberry jam and bread –that was his breakfast. He could skip it although he knew it's the most important meal of the day. "Doctors know how to stay healthy, but it doesn't mean that they this, take care of yourself well, Uryuu." He took a sip of his coffee, then suddenly stood up and left the kitchen immediately.
xxx
Uryuu opened his eyes, questioning why he was alive and trying to recognize the place. Then he remembered the last thing he saw before passing out: A Quincy arrow. "Ryuuken…" he murmured. He realized he hadn't said it with hatred. Ryuuken came in with that usual self-confident expression on his face.
"So you are finally awake."
Uryuu frowned. "Why did you save me?"
"It's because you couldn't make it on your own. Again."
"I didn't need your help at all."
"You didn't? You shouldn't have let yourself be saved by me, then."
"So what do you want me to do now? Be grateful to you?"
"Stop being rude to your doctor, maybe."
"Sure, Ryuuken. You are as sarcastic as ever."
Ryuuken kept himself calm."You are still weak like a baby, the worst Quincy of all. You weren't able to protect yourself, and I'm here just as your doctor. What I'm trying to say is, you can't call me Ryuuken. Understood?"
"No one asked you to bring me here! If you don't like my behavior, you can unleash me, Ryuuken!"
Ryuuken turned his back without arguing about it. "As a patient, you are forcing yourself too much. I'll have someone bring your breakfast. And then I will have to check your body once again. Rest well until then." He left the room calmly.
"Is he still mad at you?"
Ryuuken's cool face turned into a surprised one: "Kurosaki, what are you-"
"Envy me, Ishida! I have two angels and a brave Shinigami, and see, what you have is just a rebel!" Isshin said with a playful tone.
"Shut up, Kurosaki." Ryuuken went ahead nervously.
"Wha-? No arrows anymore?"
"Get away. I'm too busy to talk to you."
Isshin simply stood there, shocked.
xxx
"Dad, will mama ever return?"
"Uryuu, she…I don't know how to say it to you, son, your mother is…"
"I know she won't. I miss her, dad. Will you leave me, too, like she did?"
Stopping being the tough guy, he hugged his son tightly. "I'm always by your side, son."
"You were afraid to be left, and now you don't let anyone be close to you…" Ryuuken thought and shook his head to get rid of the memory. He was already used to being alone, what was missing then?
Meanwhile, Uryuu suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Am I missing the old days? No, Uryuu, you cannot forget what he has done. It used to be good, but the past is the past. Besides, he was never a good father! Cold-hearted, selfish, narrow-minded…protective…He…did protect me."
He got up and looked for his glasses and clothes. None was there. "Oh, I'm such a burden to him! I think I'll leave without my stuff." He opened the door slowly and walked out.
An hour later, he arrived home. "God, it's a pain to walk home with a wounded body…" he sighed and stepped in. A blurry silhouette began moving. Uryuu tried to see what it was, but failed.
"I knew you would come back here immediately." The silhouette spoke.
"Who are you?" Uryuu asked, trying to control his slight fear.
"Can't recognize me, four-eyes?" it laughed in an insane tone.
"Stop making fun of me!" he tried to bring his bow, but nothing came out.
"Oh dear, I see you are out of power." The silhouette came closer. Uryuu's eyes widened. "I-Ichigo? W-What happened to you?"
"Nothing much, I've just killed the Ichigo you knew and taken over!"
"Were you the one who stabbed me before?"
"Right!" Ichigo's Hollow shape pointed Zangetsu at him. "And now I'm about to repeat it!"
"Why are you doing this?" asked Uryuu, stepping back. Ichigo pushed him to the wall. "Because I hate ya, Quincy boy!"
Uryuu closed his eyes not to see the Zanpakutou sink his body. Seconds later, he felt Ichigo's body fall on his. He fell down on his knees with it and saw the blood gliding.
"But…It's not my blood… What's going on?"
"Don't you see? You were on the edge of getting killed as soon as you left the place under my wings!"
"D-Dad?" Uryuu gasped.
"So, I'm finally 'dad' again." He smiled warmly and gave him a hand to help him stand up.
"How did you know I'm here?"
"My silly boy, I knew it from the beginning!"
"Oh, I see." Uryuu gulped and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for everything, dad."
Ryuuken embraced his son softly. "I am sorry for not being a good father to you, Uryuu."
Beaten by the pain of the old scars, Uryuu fell into his father's arms. "I love you, dad" he said with a faint voice.
Ryuuken held his unconscious son carefully and caressed his hair. "I love you, too, my beloved son."