Conversations
Disclaimer:Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.
A/N: It's past midnight.
It was past midnight.
The squeaking of a fan and scratch of a fountain-pen drowned out the silence that night usually brought. The occasional rustle of paper broke the monotony.
Then abruptly the soft scritching stopped.
The blonde man seated at the paper-strewn desk glared hard at a corner of the room. Then he suddenly decided that it was of no interest to him. And the busy scribbling continued.
"Use the front door next time Kurosaki. I might have shot you through the head just now."
Isshin detached himself from the shadows.
"No way those arrows of yours could've gotten that close." He was smirking.
Ryuuken made an impatient noise but did not stop writing.
"What do you want Kurosaki?"
"To talk. You busy?"
"Yes." The scrawling became, if possible, louder to emphasize his point.
"Shame. I want some tea."
"Go get it yourself."
"Is this how you treat your guests?"
"This is how I treat uninvited guests."
"You're a cold man Ryuuken."
"I know." He shoved his finished reports into his outbox, took up a fresh stack and resumed writing.
Isshin pulled up a chair and sat down.
"You are not wanted here Kurosaki." Ryuuken's voice could cut diamonds.
"I said I want to talk. As a friend to another."
"No shinigami is my friend."
Isshin tugged at his collar.
"What I don a black hakama and suddenly I'm a total stranger?"
"I repeat, I will not associate myself with your kind." His contempt was thinly-veiled.
Isshin folded his arms. "How about as a doctor to a colleague?"
The pen still scratched ceaselessly at the paper. That meant Ryuuken couldn't give a damn.
Isshin had a feeling that wouldn't work anyway. He took a breath.
"As a father-"
Ryuuken paused for just a half second in his work. It was a fleeting moment, unnoticeable by those who were inattentive.
Isshin was anything but inattentive.
"To another who worries about his son."
Ryuuken's tone was neutral now. "Son."
Isshin sighed. "Just to refresh your memory, the kid's name is Ishida Uryuu, he's got black hair like his mom (bless 'er soul), likes sewing, wears glasses like you-"
"I know who Uryuu is Kurosaki," snapped Ryuuken.
"Has low blood pressure (you better advise him on his health) loves onigiri-" It was hard to stop Isshin on a roll. "Top student in his class. Recently went to Soul Society and lost his powers. Now a sitting duck for any murderous Hollows in the area-"
"You have made your point Kurosaki." Ryuuken had finally stopped writing. "And I already know all those things."
"Including the 'went to Soul Society and lost his powers' part?"
"Yes."
"Very good. You won't tell me how you found out right?"
Ryuuken's silence was answer enough.
"Fine, fine. So what are you going to do about it?"
"I am required to do something?"
"He's your kid."
"Uryuu does not acknowledge me as his father."
"So does Ichigo. Only he likes to reiterate the fact with a kick to my face."
Ryuuken tugged off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. As usual, talking to Isshin gave him a headache.
"At any rate, Uryuu has told me countless times before that he can take care of himself."
"I think you missed hearing me say 'sitting duck for any murderous Hollows in the area'. And lemme tell you, Hollows are a generally murderous lot."
"No I did not."
"You don't expect me to believe you'd just sit by and watch your son become Hollow fodder?"
Ryuuken's face was stony.
Isshin snorted. "And Ichigo calls me a tough parent."
Ryuuken's face could freeze an avalanche in its tracks.
Isshin sighed and leaned forward. "Look Ryuuken, things are heating up in Soul Society. Talks of war and stuff. And you can bet our kids'll get involved sooner or later. So they'll need all the help they can get."
Ryuuken slid his glasses back on. "What you shinigamis do is none of my business. And it should be none of Uryuu's either."
"Uryuu will make it his business if I know him. He'll help his friends any way he can, powers or no. That's dangerous."
"That's stupidity."
"Call it what you want, but Uryuu will stand by his friends." Isshin paused for breath. "For that he needs his powers. I know you can give them back to him."
Ryuuken was silent.
"I know you'll do what's right." Isshin got up and made his way to the window. "You might hate Uryuu's guts, you might think he's an absolute fool for risking himself for a bunch of shinigamis but there's no way in hell you'll let him get killed 'cause he's your kid, your son, your flesh-and-blood."
The window was opened and Isshin balanced himself on the ledge. "You'll do the right thing in the end and I know 'cause I'm a father too and I'd do the same for Ichigo."
Ryuuken looked up coldly. "Really? If you knew, if you were so sure - then why still come here?"
Isshin scratched his chin. "Just wanted to rub it in your face." He smirked and, with a gust of wind, was gone.
------
There were two hollows.
That simple sentence rammed home into Ishida's brain.
Two hollows. One was disguised as the other's upper body. He had been fooled…
There was an animal shriek of triumph as the Hollow made a lunge at the defenseless Quincy.
A scream of pain.
Not from the human but from the same Hollow, now missing its tongue.
"My, my… You look pathetic Uryuu…"
Ishida heard his name, recognized the voice, turned, saw and knew the man.
"Ryuuken…"
You'll do the right thing in the end.
Damn Kurosaki and his bloody moral speeches.
owari