Momma's Boy
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.
Tatsuki cocked her head sideways as she examined a little boy.
She had decided to visit her old dojo and pay her teacher a visit every five years or so. The children would surround her as always being the Vale Tudo Champion as she had dreamt when she was much younger. She was barely in Karakura nowadays since she was always traveling.
She was still looking at the child with much curiosity. Out of her many visits since she came back, this was the first time she had seen the boy. He had short, spiky, black hair and determined amber eyes. His stance was slightly wobbly and his helmet was a size too big for him. She mused that it was around his age too that Ichigo had started his lessons.
She chuckled when memories of her youth flooded in her mind. Ichigo had been a wimp then always crying, always clinging to his mother...always grinning like an idiot.
She flinched and frowned.
Now wasn't the time to think of Ichigo like that. He is strong and powerful. Heck, even without his Shingami powers, he had always been stronger than her. It definitely wasn't because of his superiority as a male. She's beaten men ten times bigger than he was.
Tatsuki snorted. She did not take this fact very well. She should probably schedule a rematch with the guy. Vale Tudo champion wasn't just a label after all.
She was brought out of her thoughts when a boyish cry pierced through the dojo. She looked over to the boy she had observed earlier to find that he was the one crying. Her old master quickly approached the boy and checked him for injuries. His opponent had been a little...rough on him. The other little boy looked very pleased with himself though and scurried away to his friends.
Tatsuki squeezed her way to the boy and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She asked in a gentle tone, "You okay, kid?"
The boy was still in tears, but he nodded hesitantly. "I'm fine, lady."
She ruffled his hair in a good-natured manner and reassured him, "Big boy's don't cry, alright?" The kid nodded again and sniffed slightly. He smiled slightly and said, "Dad says that too."
Tatsuki decided that she liked the kid and grinned too. She extended a hand and introduced herself, "My name is Tatsuki Arisawa. What's yours?"
The boy opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, a loud voice interrupted him.
"Oi, brat! Where are you?"
It was a voice that Tatsuki knew all too well. The boy in question quickly wiped any remaining tears in his eyes and shouted back, "I'm not a bwat, Dad!"
Dad...?
The orange-haired man stepped into Tatsuki's view. Sure enough, it had been Ichigo Kurosaki who had yelled out. He went over to where the two were standing, well, Tatsuki was crouching and was clearly taken aback at the sight of the woman.
"Tatsuki, when did you get back in town?"
The little boy looked at the two adults and tugged at Ichigo's brown pants. Ichigo quickly scooped the boy in his arms while Tatsuki stood up. The boy cocked his head and asked, "You know big sistaw, Dad?"
Ichigo gave the kid a bright smile. "Sure do, kiddo." He frowned when he noticed his child's wet cheeks and said, "Have you been crying again?" The child froze before shaking his head rather fiercely.
Tatsuki smirked and said cheekily, "Kinda reminds me of you when you were younger, Ichigo." This time, Ichigo froze before looking at the woman and narrowing his eyes. He placed the child on the floor, letting him mingle with the other children. He went back to the woman with a scowl.
"Did you have to bring that up right now?"
Tatsuki retorted back, "Of course I do. What better a place than the first time we met and I first kicked your butt?"
The frown grew deeper.
A sharp remark was at the tip of his tongue, but he was interrupted by Tatsuki once more. "So when was the kid born?" Her eyes trailing to the little boy who was currently playing a round of hide and seek with his fellow classmates.
Ichigo held his tongue and settled for a soft glare instead. He answered briefly, "He's five years old now." His amber eyes followed his old friend's and he couldn't help smiling at the sight. This, of course, did not escape Tatsuki's sight, but she decided not to tease the poor man. Instead, she smiled along with him.
Tatsuki had missed the giant grin on Ichigo's face...no matter how stupid it had been. At least, he was happy and he rarely scowled...so deep. She was about to say something to him too when a deep, feminine voice made both their heads turn to the source.
"Ichigo..." It was low and could easily be called threatening.
Tatsuki could've sworn that she had seen the grin on Ichigo's face widening before his whole face paled.
Ichigo gulped, "Rukia..." He had clearly forgotten about her. She did really look angry. Her violet eyes were glaring into her husband's with her arms crossed and stance ready to kill. They were not the only two, however, that noticed her as Ichigo's child could be clearly seen waddling his way towards her.
"Mommy!"
Immediately, the small woman's face softened, but not before sending a quick glare towards Ichigo. She clearly wasn't finished with him. She cradled the little boy in her arms and gave him a light peck on top of his head.
The child grinned wildly.
Tatsuki took a step back. The grin looked so familiar. The wide ear-to-ear toothy smile that was nagging at her brain. The same smile that annoyed her all those years ago.
The very same smile that was always on Ichigo's face.
She double-checked. Sure enough, the grin was an exact replica and when Rukia nuzzled her nose against his neck, his smile stretched even more.
"A momma's boy, isn't he?"
Tatsuki jumped slightly and she nodded hesitantly. After their wedding five years ago, Rukia had disappeared back to Soul Society. How or when during that five years was the kid born she had no idea.
Mother and son was the center of attention as the pair radiated with happiness and Ichigo looked like he was itching to join the pair, but at same time he didn't seem to want to destroy the happy picture.
That or was it because of the heated glare sent his way from his wife?
The child seemed to notice this as he lifted his head from his mother's chest. He looked back and forth between his parents before he decided to settle his amber gaze on Rukia. He tilted his head in question, "What did daddy do again? When did you come back, mommy?"
Rukia's nose crinkled in thought before her lips curved into a haughty smirk. She put on her best actress voice and even added a napkin against her eye for good measure. She had a good grip on her son's waist.
"Daddy made mommy wait for an hour underneath the cruel sun even if she just came back from her tiring trip."
The boy gasped before he gave his father a glare and a scowl. The boy resembled an angry Ichigo, only smaller and cuter but still frightening nonetheless.
The look of pure anguish on Ichigo's face was priceless. Oh, how Tatsuki wished she had a camera with her at that moment.
Rukia could only laugh as Ichigo deflated even more. Teasing him was her life. She kissed her child on the cheek, a token of her appreciation, before she settled him back down on the wooden floor.
She used a white towel from her bag and wiped the little boy's face clean with sweat. The child grinned wildly and when the tiny lady outstretched her arm with a warm smile that Tatsuki thought the ice princess wasn't capable of, he eagerly grabbed unto it. The pair, then , exited the dojo.
The scene had shocked the champion to no end and a side glance to Ichigo told her that her classmate had not expected it either. But then, his look of confusion suddenly turned into a smile.
Not a grin or a smirk, but an endearing and loving smile that Ichigo used to only give to his mother, one that Tatsuki had not seen for quite some time. The other time he had it was on his and Rukia's wedding right before they sealed the deal to be bound together for life.
She walked Ichigo to the doorway of the dojo where they parted ways with a wave and a promise to meet each other again. He then strode to the silver car parked to the right. The shinigami rested against its hood and the little boy nowhere to be seen. Tatsuki presumed that he was securely seated inside the car.
When he was given the Kuchiki glare, Ichigo hesitantly neared Rukia before he picked his tiny wife up and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. He then deposited her into the front seat, gave one last wave to Tatsuki, entered the driver's seat and drove away.
Tatsuki leaned against the wooden frame of the doorway. She didn't even get to ask for the kid's name.
She shrugged to herself. There is always time for that later. Ichigo was, after all, only a call away.
She tapped her finger against her chin. She didn't even get to chat with the boy that much but he certainly takes after his mother, height and all.
She smiled. A momma's boy.
'Like father, like son.'
Author's Notes: I've posted this up both on DA and LJ. I guess I should have a Bleach story in my FF account too. My very first Bleach and IchiRuki story. Something I thought of while watching the first few episodes again. Sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors. Hope you enjoy!