Together Always: A Bleach Thanksgiving
By Spunky0ne
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(To those celebrating with me today, a very Happy Thanksgiving! Wherever you are in the world today, it's always a good thing to stop and be thankful. We have so many blessings in our lives, and the very greatest blessing we have is each other. Thank you so very much to all of the wonderful Bleach lovers out there who, every day, offer me their love and encouragement, and inspire the hundreds of stories that fill my library. Couldn't do it without you. Love to you all! :) Spunky)
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(Within the Shadows: Bazz-B/Haschwalth)
Bazz-B heard a footstep outside the door to his quarters and sat up in bed, grumbling softly to himself as he looked at the time.
Too early in the morning. It's always hard to sleep, but it's even harder when the air gets cold and I start thinking of snow. I start thinking about when we were kids, before Ywach came and everything changed. I wish we could go back to that time...
...I wish...
The door opened and Bazz-B met the eyes of the young female messenger questioningly.
"He is awake, sir."
Bazz-B was on his feet instantly and barely paused to grab a soft, thick hunter green robe to cover his slim body. He tied it at the waist as he followed the dark-haired messenger through the hallways of the quincy palace, and into the infirmary. A white clad healer met him at the door.
"He's awake?" Bazz-B said, unsure he could trust his ears.
The healer nodded.
"He woke a few minutes ago. He was, as you might expect, very confused. He was damaged very badly in the war. His condition is stable and he is improving, but he is understandably anxious and he keeps asking for you. I had some food brought, as he really needs to eat to continue his restoration."
"I'll get him to eat," Bazz-B promised, moving past the healer and into the healing room.
The room was warm and comfortable, made to look more like a bedroom than a hospital room and decorated with items Bazz-B had brought from his officer's quarters. Several little dolls made from corn husks, a battered wooden practice sword, a soft rug made from rabbit skins and a fresh pine garland laid in a circle around the candle that sat in the center of the table where the food tray had been set. Bazz-B walked to the bed, locking his curious green eyes on his old friend's and trying to read his expression.
He registered first, the confusion that the healer had been talking about, then Haschwalth sat up higher and Bazz-B moved forward to position the pillows more comfortably behind his back.
"Here, let me get those for you."
Haschwalth sank back against the pillows again, looking weary and less than fully cognizant. Bazz-B sat down in the chair beside the bed and grinned widely.
"Good to see you awake," he said, smirking, "You've been sleeping long enough. But being asleep is better than being dead, right?"
He noticed that Haschwalth's eyes had strayed from his face and were focused on his arm.
"Oh that," he said dismissively, "The human girl with Kurosaki Ichigo was nice enough to fix it after you cut it off. It's like it never happened."
"But...it did happen," Haschwalth said softly.
"Don't worry about it," Bazz-B chided him, "It was during a war. It wasn't personal."
"Wars are always personal, Bazz-B," Haschwalth said, looking out the window where snowflakes were beginning to drift down from the black sky, "People do monstrous things in wars."
"And afterward," Bazz-B continued, running his fingers through the mussed ends of his red mohawk, "they make peace and they go on."
"Is that why you are here? You want to make peace with me?" Haschwalth said uncertainly, "Why would you do that?"
"Because there was only one reason we were at war with each other and that person is gone."
"Ywach is dead?" Haschwalth asked, a strange shiver going through him.
"Yeah," Bazz-B confirmed, "Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu defeated him."
"And the shinigamis just let us all go?" Haschwalth mused, frowning, "After everything that happened?"
"It didn't take them long to realize that we were as much that guy's victims as the shinigamis were. He was just using us all for food...but you already knew that."
Haschwalth sighed and closed his eyes, feeling inside the return of quiet solitude.
He really is gone.
He is no longer in my mind.
I am free of him.
He noticed Bazz-B smiling at him and regarded his old friend curiously.
"Who is commanding the quincy army now?" he asked, "Are there surviving officers?"
"No one's commanding really," Bazz-B explained, "Ishidas Ryuuken and Uryu have been working to fix things with the shinigamis and they've been kind of governing, you know...helping folks set up farms to grow food, healing the injured and restoring what noble families still have heirs."
Bazz-B smiled proudly.
"Hey, I was given back the village that my family led before the war."
Haschwalth frowned.
"But that city was destroyed."
"Sure," Bazz-B agreed, "but it's being rebuilt. The palace there is almost done. It just needs a lord and his family to run it."
Bazz-B grinned more widely at the look of sadness that touched Haschwalth's face for a moment.
"So...you'll be leaving?" Haschwalth asked somberly.
For a moment, Bazz-B seemed to return to the cocky and brash little boy he had been. He smirked and slipped a hand into Haschwalth's squeezing and pulling him gently to his feet.
"Not without my best friend!"
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(The Litter: Ichigo/Grimmjow)
"Dinner's almost ready, Onii-chan!" Yuzu called out brightly, setting a bowl heaping with mashed potatoes on the one open spot on the food laden table, "Are you going to wake Grimm-kitty-chan?"
"You really shouldn't call him that," Ichigo chuckled, ruffling his sister's hair, "He's even more grouchy than usual lately.
"Eh, you'd be grouchy too if you were stuffed like a turkey, full of squirming babies," Karin said, smirking saucily.
"That's squirming Kurosaki babies," Isshin said proudly, "Can't believe I'm going to be a grandpa. Masaki would be so happy."
"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, a sweeter smile touching his lips, "Mom would have loved this."
He looked back at the fully stocked table and nodded.
"I'll go and get him."
Ichigo walked down the hallway and up the stairs to where the blue-haired man laid in their bed, surprisingly not sleeping, but sitting partway up, holding his belly and panting uncomfortably. Ichigo paused in the doorway, his heart catching.
"Hey uh, Grimm, are you okay?" he asked.
"Am I okay, he asks?" the former hollow repeated sarcastically, "Am I okay? No, I'm not okay! Some obnoxious prick filled my belly full of babies! Do you call that okay?"
"Take it easy, all right?" Ichigo chuckled, holding up his hands defensively, "I'll get my dad and we'll take care of it."
"Oh? And how are you going to take care of it? Do you see anyplace for these little ginger-brats to come out!"
"I told you not to worry about that," Ichigo chided him, "Dad said that since we're in spirit form, the surface of your belly will just thin and open up, and the babies will be born in reiatsu form. It'll be fine. Don't worry."
Sensing that his irascible lover's temper was easing, Ichigo climbed onto the bed and took up a position behind Grimmjow, slipping his arms around the former Espada and rubbing his belly gently as he infused it with calming reiatsu. Grimmjow sighed at the first touch, then fell back against Ichigo, breathing more comfortably and, after a few minutes, beginning to emit a soft, purring from in his chest. The soft rumble made Ichigo smile and lean over Grimmjow's shoulder to kiss the blue-haired man hungrily.
"You should stop that," Grimmjow complained, "You know I'm too far along for sex. What you're doing is kind of like torture."
Ichigo laughed.
"I thought you said that after I fucked up your body and filled it to the top with babies, you weren't going to let me have sex with you again."
Grimmjow nipped his ginger-haired lover's lips and gave him a challenging look.
"Yeah, I said that," he agreed, then he leaned closer and purred into Ichigo's blushing ear, "Next time, I'm filling you full of babies!"
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(Voice of Thunder: Kenpachi/Byakuya, Renji/Tetsuya)
Tetsuya heard a cough, then a loud, commanding cry and sat up slowly, then leaned over the bassinet to lift the little red-haired infant into his arms. Almost instantly, Tetsuya's attendant appeared in the doorway, carrying a bottle of baby formula.
"Thank you, Koji," Tetsuya said gratefully, taking the bottle and coaxing the little tot in his arms into drinking.
"Is someone causing trouble in here?" Renji called out from the garden doorway, "I told you not to wake up Tetsuya. Poor guy barely gets a wink of sleep between house security work, taking care of you and me, and making that cocky little horse pie of his behave himself!"
He strode across the room and bent to meet Tetsuya's lips for a long kiss of greeting. The baby girl's tiny hand reached up and captured a cluster of the long red strands of Renji's thick mane.
"Hey, squirt!" he complained, working her little fingers free and kissing her on the cheek.
The baby giggled and reached up for him.
"Dada Red!" she yelled excitedly.
"That's me!" he laughed, stealing the baby away from Tetsuya, "Daddy's home for the day."
"Oh," Tetsuya said, blushing and looking at the clock, "I see Koji let me nap for too long."
"S-sorry," the attendant apologized, "but..."
"It's not his fault," Renji said, rubbing noses with his daughter, "I put him up to it. You were working too hard and I've been so busy taking care of things at the division while Taichou's on leave..."
Renji broke off and the two exchanged glances as a deep rumble went through the building.
"Whoa," Renji observed, "has he been like that for long?"
Tetsuya nodded.
"He's been having power flares all day."
"I'll bet he's been pleasant to be around," Renji joked, "Has Zaraki taichou gotten back yet?"
"I don't think so," Tetsuya sighed, "He was supposed to be back yesterday, but there's been no word."
"Damn, no wonder he's having power flares."
"I'm sure he'll get back soon," Tetsuya said, climbing out of the bed and slipping a robe around his slender form, "But we should go and sit with Byakuya-sama for a while."
"I don't know," Renji said, smirking and handing their daughter to Koji, "We might just get blasted back out the doors."
"He's not that bad!" Tetsuya argued, tickling their daughter's cheek, "Here now, Akane. Go on with Koji and he'll let you see Arashi."
"Ashi?" the baby inquired, looking around, "Ashi?"
"He's outside," Renji laughed, "We don't let horse pies in the house!"
"No-no!" the baby said sternly.
Tetsuya and Renji watched as Koji carried the baby out into the gardens, then started out along the wooden walkway as another hard rumble shook the manor.
"Eh, are you sure you wanna do this?" Renji asked, slipping an arm around his slighter husband, "He's pretty out of sorts."
"It will be fine," Tetsuya chuckled, nuzzling closer as they approached Byakuya's bedroom and paused just outside to listen.
"What could possibly be taking so long?" Byakuya snapped angrily, his reiatsu making the house shake forcefully, "He promised he would be back before I was due. That was two days ago, and this baby isn't going to wait any longer!"
"I...I'm sure he'll be here any time now," Byakuya's longtime attendant said bracingly, slipping a hand into the pregnant noble's and washing his sweating face, "Please try to slow down your breathing."
"The fool probably got lost trying to find his way back from the encampment. I am going to kill him for running off to satisfy his damned bloodlust while I'm here, huffing and puffing like a racehorse and having our first child!"
"You must calm down, Byakuya-sama," the old house healer said soothingly, placing a hand on Byakuya's bare, rounded belly and watching as it glowed warningly, "Your agitation will only cause more power flares. You are already giving the house a good shake. You don't want to bring it down altogether, ne?"
"If he isn't here when this child is born, I'll be bringing down more than just the house!" Byakuya shouted, "That bastard promised!"
Renji's eyes widened and he exchanged glances with Tetsuya.
"I'm not going in there first!" the redhead hissed softly, "He doesn't like me as much as he likes you, especially cause I got you knocked up before our wedding!"
"Oh, I suppose you're right," Tetsuya agreed, "Stay here a moment. I will go and see if I can calm him."
"Yeah, good luck with that..."
Tetsuya put on a friendly smile and entered the bedroom, then winced as the room shook again and a blast of wind rushed through his wavy hair.
"Ah, s-sorry Tetsuya," Byakuya panted, his eyes reflecting a moment of intense disappointment, "I thought you were...someone else."
"Come now, you know Zaraki taichou won't miss the birth of your child," Tetsuya assured him, sitting down at his cousin's bedside as Byakuya's healer and attendant quietly escaped the room, "I'm sure there was good reason for the delay."
"But I am going to have this child any moment!" Byakuya panted, rubbing his prominent belly, "That beast said it meant something to him that I was going to have his damned child, so why in kami's name isn't he here to see it!"
"I'm sure there's a good explanation..."
Tetsuya broke off, reeling as a huge shape filled the open garden doors and Kenpachi stepped into the room, his clothes hanging in tatters and blood leaking down one damaged arm. Byakuya's head turned and his eyes took in the macabre sight, then his lips curled and his reiatsu blazed mercilessly.
"Hey there, princess, sorry I'm late."
"Y-you're sorry!" Byakuya huffed, panting harder, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! I can't believe you were out there fighting while I was lying here trying not to have this child without you! You had me worried sick you weren't coming back at all!"
"Aww," Zaraki drawled, moving closer and dropping into the chair beside Tetsuya, "You missed me. That's sweet."
Tetsuya read the look of fury in his cousin's eyes and swiftly abandoned his chair, hastening out the door as the room shook and Byakuya's angry voice rang out again.
"Don't be ridiculous! I don't know how one could miss you when you come in looking like death warmed over and smelling like blood and brimstone!"
"I thought you liked a little bit of blood on me," Kenpachi said, looking down at himself, then back at Byakuya, "You said it was sexy...you know, back when you got stuck in that cave with no powers and I came to get you, and we..."
"I remember!" Byakuya snapped, cutting him off, "You are not getting out of this by seducing me."
"Yeah, I have to wait until you pop out this kid and go back to normal size first," Kenpachi snickered.
"How dare you!" Byakuya shouted, "You big, smelly, monstrous bone-headed APE! I wouldn't..."
Byakuya's words disappeared suddenly as Kenpachi leaned over him, grabbing his wrists and holding him down as he delivered a long, melting kiss to his husband's scowling lips. Byakuya struggled for a moment in his grip, trying to bite at the mouth that attacked his, but found all of the fight in his body disappeared in the stunning beauty of his beast husband's amorous kiss. As angry as he was, he was spellbound by the wonderful feel of Kenpachi's tongue as it plunged inside and slid along his, then curled around, tasting and enjoying, before plunging in deeper and enjoying every inch of the noble's surrendered orofice. By the time he broke away, Byakuya's seething anger had drained away and he only looked back at Kenpachi with weary eyes, then down at his swollen stomach.
"So now, let's do this thing," Kenpachi said, grinning widely, "I'm here, kid. Come to Papa!"
Smiling, he placed his hands on Byakuya's glowing abdomen, while Byakuya frowned and arched an eyebrow.
"As though your mere presence is enough to..."
He went still as the glow around his belly flickered, then slowly, a sparkling golden cluster of reiatsu began to emerge.
"That's my kid!" Kenpachi said proudly, "Knows who the boss is, right?"
"I suppose we'll see about that," Byakuya said, smirking and shaking his head.
Kenpachi captured the little cluster in his hands and moved closer to Byakuya so that the two could watch as it gradually thickened and took on the form of a tiny infant. Neither man could speak for a moment as they took in the little girl's shock of wild black hair and large grey eyes.
"Will you look at that?" Kenpachi mused in a soft rumble that brought a little smile to Byakuya's usually solemn lips, "Didn't know I could make something that cute...or a girl! We had a girl!"
The baby looked up at Kenpachi and her little mouth opened into a surprisingly blustering howl. As she loosed the sound, the men stared in surprise at the crack of thunder that rumbled through the room with it.
"I didn't know it was stormy," Byakuya mused.
"It's not," Kenpachi laughed, "It's our girl that's stormy. And when she's ruffled, she's going to let the world know. There's only one name for a kid like that."
Byakuya looked up at him questioningly.
"Kaminari."
"Kaminari," Byakuya repeated, touching their daughter's lovely face, "Welcome to the family."
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(Miracles: Shunsui/Juushiro)
Shunsui sat in a chair in the waiting room outside surgery in the fourth division, his face buried in his hands and forcing himself to breathe slowly.
It's going to be fine. They're going to be fine. We're going to get through this and we're going to be a family.
But the words were hardly comforting as his mind drifted back through the past few months, the battles that had devastated Soul Society, the ones that had ended the soul king's life and the one that had finally been the end of the tyrant quincy king. A shiver went through him as he remembered the screams of his longtime love, as Mimihagi's black hand had emerged from his body and reached up to challenge Ywach.
I thought it was over for us. We both thought it was. That was the arrangement for that piece of the soul king giving Juushiro more time...more time to grow up, more time to get strong, and time for us to fall in love. Yes, we gained so much in exchange for what he paid.
We never expected that he'd survive.
But when Ywach consumed Mimihagi, the contract ended. And even though his body was cured, he didn't have to die. And after the war ended, we had something we thought had been lost. We had a future...a life to plan together.
Even then, we didn't know that we'd be receiving this gift.
The healers said that it was because Mimihagi's transcendent reiatsu affected him. But whatever the reason, this little one is a miracle. I just hope that the price of this miracle isn't...
"Kyouraku soutaichou," Isane said, touching his shoulder, "Would you like to hold your son?"
Shunsui's breath caught and his head rose out of his hands. He stared almost sightlessly for a moment, then was stricken with the sight of a tiny pink body, perfectly formed pale features and swirls of white hair. Wide cobalt eyes gazed into his and the baby's little fingers curled around one of Shunsui's that tried to touch him. Isane set the baby in his arms and he sat, just admiring every inch of the little miracle his true love had given him. The moment was so perfect, he didn't want to end, but his heart quivered in his chest and he could hardly make himself ask the one thing that could break this dream to pieces.
"Juushiro?" he whispered.
"He's going to be fine," Isane assured him.
Shunsui's breath caught in his throat and he nodded wordlessly, fighting down the threat of tears.
"It was a difficult delivery, but he was determined to come through."
"Has he seen the baby?"
"Not yet," the healer told him, "He was unconscious when the reiatsu was removed, but he is waking now. I thought you would want to be there."
"You thought right," Shunsui said, rising onto unsteady legs to follow Isane down the hallway.
They entered the recovery room and Shunsui moved to his husband's side, sitting down and holding their little boy where Juushiro could see. The white haired man smiled wordlessly, at first not seeing, then he spotted the baby boy and his expression warmed into a divinely beautiful glow.
"You did well, my love. We have a beautiful, healthy son," Shunsui said, laying the baby in Juushiro's arms and watching as his husband's green eyes shone with happiness.
"He's perfect," Juushiro whispered, touching the baby's face and little pink fingertips, "I can't believe he's finally here."
He paused and his smile faded slightly.
"It's hard to believe I'm here."
"Well, you are," Shunsui said, brushing the long white strands away from his pale face and bringing their lips together, "And right here is where you're both going to stay. Right here, with me."
Juushiro's lips quivered and tears of joy leaked onto his face as he and Shunsui hugged each other with the baby carefully positioned between them.
"I'm so grateful. With you is the only place I ever want to be!"