Brothers by Circumstance
A/N: This was a story I was thinking of writing after chapter 430 of Bleach came out, but really didn't want to write until I saw the episode and really think. I had intended that these be three separate chapters from Ryuuken, Ichigo and Orihime's point of view, but I decided to cut it down (no pun intended) to just Ichigo's only. By the way, this is not by any means, slash. It is a kind of understanding between them and takes place between chapters 430 and 431 of the manga, and episode 345-346 of the anime. This is my first attempt at a Bleach fanfic, and writing the characters of Ishida and Ichigo, so please forgive any ooc-ness that may occur.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, they belong to their respective owners.
The golden hues of the afternoon shone brightly in the little town of Karakura as high school students were walking home from their arduous day of lessons and after-school activities. A bright orange haired boy walked slowly down the streets, carrying his schoolbag over his shoulder, deep in thought. Someone had slashed down Ishida Uryuu, his classmate and a Quincy, just the day before and it had got him thinking. If there were another enemy they would have to fight.
Kurosaki Ichigo sighed. With his own power gone, and no longer being in contact with the Seireitei made him feel uneasy. Ishida had been the sole protector of Karakura Town since that time, and with him wounded and in the hospital, any hallow attack would make them vulnerable.
The former shingami clutched his bangs with annoyance. Ishida had said the night before that he didn't know who attacked him, but it was Ichigo's firm belief that Ishida was too proud to say, and perhaps wanted revenge for himself.
Whatever the case, Ichigo thought, I'm gonna march into that hospital and make him tell me!
But that sudden spout of anger quickly died out as his steps slowed, and he watched the birds pass by overhead. Ishida was a strong person by many means, but even being attacked would leave some sort of shock. He'd seen it many times while helping his father treat his patients. It might take time for his classmate to remember the events of that night.
Luckily, he had a plan that was begun early that morning.
Sprinting the rest of the way home, Ichigo shook off his school shoes and went into the kitchen where his sister were waiting for his arrival home.
"Welcome home onii-chan!" Yuzu chirped as she turned from the stove where she was evidently cooking the evening meal. Karin was already sitting at the kitchen table with her elbow on it, her head in her chin looking ill-tempered.
"What's the matter Karin?" Ichigo asked nonchalantly, pulling out a chair so he could sit at the kitchen table.
She shot him a glance before answering in a bored tone, "Nothing."
"By the way Yuzu," he said, now addressing his other little sister, "did you buy the ingredients that I asked you to?"
At this, the brown-haired girl turned with a huge grin on her face. "Hai! And I made it."
"Thanks Yuzu. It's for my friend in the hospital. I'm going to deliver it after dinner. I'll be up in my room doing my homework." he said, already half way up the steps to the second floor.
The last vestiges of twilight had faded as Ichigo arrived at Karakura General Hospital, holding a little bowl and soup spoon in a plastic bag. He remembered where his friend's hospital room was, but with the hallways looking the same, it was easy to still get lost amid the white and blue trim.
Chad was right, it was done by Ryuuken, eccentricity must run in the family Ichigo thought dryly, but finally, found Ishida's room.
Before he knocked, Ichigo heard a deep voice spoke behind him. "You're here to see Uryuu, Kurosaki-kun?"
Ichigo turned and saw the firm and pinched face of Ryuuken Ishida, the director of the hospital. He bowed respectfully to the elder man.
"Eh, hai, Ishida-sensei." Ichigo responded, lifting the plastic bag into the other's line of sight. "I brought the miso soup for Ishida-eh-kun."
Ryuuken pushed his glasses up his nose with two fingers, like his son. "Ah yes, the arrangement we made over the phone this morning.
Ichigo had surprised that Ryuuken by calling him early that morning to inquire whether or not Ishida was well enough for a visitor later that day. The doctor agreed that a visit would be warranted, and before getting off the phone, Ryuuken had nonchalantly mentioned, "Uryuu likes mackerel miso soup." which made he'd taken that as a hint.
"Go ahead in, I'll wait until you've finished your visit and check in on him." Ryuuken instructed.
The former shinigami nodded, and turning, knocked.
"Come in." A tired voice called back.
Ichigo entered the room and saw that the curtain had been drawn back, and the occupant of the bed revealed. Ishida Uryuu lay mostly horizontal, save for his which was up only slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Ishida snipped, "I thought I told you yesterday that I didn't know what happened."
Ichigo tried to look unabashed, "Is that any way to treat someone who came to give you a present?"
The shinigami saw his friend look a little surprised.
"Your father told me that you haven't eaten tonight so-" he pulled the covered bowl, which he opened, and soup spoon from the depths of the bag and placed it on the tray table next to the patient. Again, the teenaged Quincy looked a little bewildered, "It's mackerel miso soup."
"How did you-"
"Eh...I overheard you telling Orihime that it's your favorite food. Hospital food isn't great. Yuzu always makes great meals for patients at the clinic." Ichigo said, attempting to not look as though he were lying. He felt that perhaps like Ishida, Ryuuken was too proud to show that he cared for his son.
"My sister is an amazing cook." Ichigo said with a smile.
"So you imposed on your sister to make something for me and present it as a gift? That was nice of you." Ishida said in a half sarcastic tone. But Ichigo knew that he was touched by the family kindness that extended to each of the Kurosaki family.
"Eat, Ishida." Ichigo commanded while trying not to laugh.
The Quincy glanced at the meal, picked out the spoon, and muttered, "itadakimasu" before he took a sip of the meal. His eyebrows rose with surprise. "This is delicious."
"Told ya."
Ichigo took a seat next to the bed in the chair as Ishida continued to eat his meal.
"Ishida, I know you're in shock from your wounds, and before you ask, I've seen that in dad's patients. But-if you should remember anything, at least let Orihime or Chad know. We've all known each other for 3 years now, If we don't trust one another after all the battles..." he shrugged feeling that he didn't need to complete his sentence.
"To trust one another as allies and-" Ishida muttered, but then blushed "as fr..as friends."
"You make it sound like friendship is a bad thing, " commented Ichigo, "But I don't blame you, I mean you're an only child with a father who's director of a hospital, and doesn't agree with you being a Quincy. Dad's always busy with his patients, but I have two little sisters, so I'm not alone. But..." he shot his friend a look that almost resembled sympathy, "I suppose that living up to your father's expectations is hard, especially having to prove yourself as a Quincy. But having friends is an important, they can be there to fall back on. I may look tough, but really I just don't like seeing people suffer."
"I remember when you said that the first time we fought together. You remarked that you didn't want to see people suffer as you did when your mother was killed by a hallow." the teenaged Quincy remarked, putting down his spoon and muttering, "Gochisoosama deshita."
"Ya know," Ichigo began, looking up at the tiled ceiling, "I always wondered how my pop and your father knew one another. I bet they were the same way we were, and are now as friends. I'm sure your dad's threaten mine with a few of those Quincy arrows when he was annoying." he chuckled, and his friend smiled slightly. "I had the luck of going through some family pictures while dad was gone, and I found this one." He handed the photo to the other boy.
Ichigo noticed Ishida's eyes grow wide. "This is..."
"Ya, was a little surprised when I found it."
The picture was of two women holding their toddler sons. One had short wavy dirty blonde hair and was holding a round faced boy with spiky orange hair wearing kaki colored shorts and a red t-shirt. The other was a sallow faced woman with long stringy raven hair holding a child with the same colored locks and blue eyes that was wearing spectacles who wore a white t-shirt and blue shorts. Ishida turned it over and read the inscription.
Kurosaki Masaki and Ichigo aged 2 and Ishida Shinju with Uryuu age 18 months. Ichigo noted a slight hint of sadness in the Quincy's face.
"Ishida...your mother...died didn't she?" He knew the answer with the other's startled glance, "I just knew when you looked at that picture."
"Yes. My mother, well she wasn't a very strong person and became ill very often. A cold turned into pneumonia, and despite my father's best effort she died. I was 7. My sensei died when I was 10."
Kurosaki turned his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry. When my mom died, I tried to be strong and hold in my emotions, but I only ended up hurting my pop and sisters. It's not good to be alone, or to feel that way. We're..we're kinda brothers by circumstance. You lost your sensei and I lost my mother to Hallows. Though-" he grinned, "I had to get it through your thick skull that your sensei wanted to prove that Shingami and Quincy were meant to fight together and not against one another." And with that, the sallow faced boy smiled a little and handed the photo back to its owner. Ichigo bent it, then tore it into two pieces.
"Kurosaki!" Ishida hissed, "That's a precious family photo. I don't think your father will take kindly to ripping it!"
"It was on the bottom of the stack," replied the orange haired boy, "and besides, it would be selfish of me to keep a picture like this all to my self." he explained, handing the half with Ishida and his mother to him. "Dad has a huge picture of mom on the wall in the living room. I always have Yuzu and Karin go upstairs before me, and then I tell her goodnight. Now I can always keep her with me." He noticed Ishida's eyes blinking with tiredness, and gathered up the eating utensils and put them back in the bag.
"Get some sleep Ishida." Ichigo instructed as he turned towards the door.
"And your giving me orders, why?"
Ichigo turned his head to look at him with a smile, " 'Cause I'm older than you are."
"Shut up Kurosaki," Ishida replied trying not to laugh.
"Goodnight Ishida."
The End