Chapter 2: I still remember you
"Mother, what's wrong?" Erik asked, quite bewildered and frightened at what was going on.
"You." She growled, still trying to stop her legs from going out from under her. "Who are you?"
She felt her boy tremble in fear, felt her heart thump in her chest. Erik whimpered quietly as he stayed behind his mother, sensing the danger.
Orihime stepped backwards, though Aizen remained stationary in the doorway. Erik clung onto her arm, gripping her tight.
What do I do? She wondered, Do I fight, or run? It could be anyone.
She didn't know what to do. She knew she needed to get Erik away, but how? If he went back inside, he'd be trapped. They were on the third floor, and it was a long way down if he jumped out the window to escape. Yet the spiritual energy surrounding her unnanounced guest surely belonged to Aizen Sousuke.
No. She told herself. This is a trick. It has to be a trick. Someone's impersonating him.
Erik trembled behind his mother, quite fearful at this point, not knowing what was going to happen. Or who or what an Aizen was.
"Mummy, who's this?"
Orihime swallowed her fear and soothed her son. "Shh, don't worry Erik, everything's going to be fine. This is an old friend of mine I haven't seen for a long time. Just go back inside, okay?"
Erik obeyed her, taking a few steps back inside the apartment. And she sighed, safe in the knowledge that Gin would protect him if she couldn't.
I have to be strong. She commanded herself. I promised I would be strong.
She was supposed to be strong. Even after all she had been through with Aizen she had told herself she would be strong for her son; for Erik. When she fled from his face before she was strong, when she faced him again to protect her child she was strong, so she could be strong now. There was no difference between then and now, her powers had grown over the years so there was nothing to be afraid of.
"I'm Sousuke." Aizen – no, the impostor – answered her. Smiling softly in a perfect mimicry of her Sousuke. "Don't you remember me?"
"Mummy you're shaking."
"It's alright Erik, you just get back inside."
Erik finally obeyed her, and a wave of relief washed over her.
"Well, aren't you going to let me in?" Aizen asked her. Taking a step forward.
Orihime shook her head. "No. You're not Sousuke." she told him "Sousuke is dead. I killed him."
"Ouch. That's cold. After all we went through together."
Aizen took another step forward, prompting Orihime to put up her shield wordlessly to protect herself, Gin, and Erik. Because there was no way she was going to let this bastard touch her child. This was not Aizen Sousuke, this was a person impersonating him. Except...
He looked exactly like Sousuke had when she had known him. Even his smell. Dark eyes, thick, dark hair, strong jawbone, squared shoulders... still with the same aura emanating from him, that same dark and seemingly infinite power beyond even her wildest dreams. And yet he was still so calm and placid.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Impostor."
"Isn't it obvious?" he told her. Smiling that same soft smile she'd known so long ago. The one that made her stomach feel light, and melted her defences. "I came here to see you."
He took another step towards her, and she only strengthened her shield against him. This impostor.
"You can't be here." she hissed, "You're dead."
"I was."
He raised a hand and gently placed it flat on her shield, as if trying to reach her through the projection. Like it were a window.
"This is a trick." she scowled at him. "A cruel trick. Whoever you are, leave now and stop pretending to be someone you're not!"
Aizen's face betrayed his emotion. He looked hurt, like a kicked puppy.
"You forgot what we shared so easily? All that time we spent together... forgotten in but a single decade? No... the look on your face tells me you still remember... that you don't want to forget. That you still want to feel that way towards me."
He paused. As he normally did for dramatic effect. Indeed, nothing about his demeanour had changed even after ten years of absence and hiding from the world. Ten years of pretending to be dead as the world had believed him to be.
"Do you not remember that night? When the moon was absent from its place in the sky? When you came to me? Hmm, of course you do, how could you ever forget the night you first made love?"
She gasped, and her eyes met his. Time seemed to slow down and the world seem to fade away around them, just like before. Just like it was before the war, before Jacinto, before all of the lies and deceit had emerged to the surface and she'd begun to doubt everything.
"My Sun," he'd smile at her, kissing her deeply. Their child inside her filling the space between them. "How are you today?"
"You're not Sousuke." she told him, tears leaking from her eyes now. "You're not."
"Then let me prove it." he told her, his voice soft and gentle. "Ask me something only the real Sousuke would know."
She did not have to think hard for a question. The Sousuke she knew was very private, not one for public displays of affection or sappy nicknames. In private, however, that was another matter.
"What was your name for me?" she asked him, studying his eyes to weigh the truth of his answer, "When we were alone. What did you call me?"
His smile then was soft, and warm, and tender as he recollected it. "My Sun." he said softly. "I called you My Sun."
A soft little gasp escaped her lips, and she had to lean against the wall to steady herself. Unconciously, she dropped her protective barrier.
"So it is you." she whispered.
They looked at each other as they had back then, until the even thudding of footsteps from inside the apartment brought them back into the present. And the scream that followed them.
"Hit the fuckin' deck!" Gin shouted, scrambling into the hallway, drawing his zanpaktou and readying it to strike, ready to deliver a death blow, "Shoot ta kill, Shinsou!"
Orihime turned, quickly reacting to the blade shooting lightning fast towards them, raising her barrier again. This time to protect Aizen. Because if Gin knew who he was attacking, he'd never forgive himself for killing him. But she was just a fraction of a second too slow, and Shinsou's blade was already whizzing past her as she pressed herself against the wall. Leaving Aizen to protect himself with Kyouka Suigetsu.
Gin stood watching, holding his blade and grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"You," he hissed at Aizen, "Have no right ta touch my family."
Orihime looked up at him, still quite shaken at the sudden violence. Even if it was to protect her and Erik from danger.
"Gin-san!"
Gin grinned at them both.
"Erik told me some creep came in. You okay Hime-chan?"
Orihime got up slowly from her position on the floor, helping Erik up after she had gotten to her feet again.
"Umm, yeah, I'm okay. But it's not what you think. Gin, it's-"
But he didn't let her finish speaking. "Alrighty then, you two get goin' yer gonna be late. I'll call ya when ya get there to make sure yer okay at work."
Orihime sighed, knowing there was no arguing with Gin. "Okay, Gin." she replied, reaching out her hand to her son, who was hiding behind Gin. "I'll leave you and Sousuke to talk. Come on Erik we have to go."
Erik crept forward, school bag in hand and toook his mother's hand. "Bye Gin." he said quietly as he made his way to the door.
And with that she ushered Erik out and they made a run for the car, leaving Gin to watch the intruder contemplating touching the boy as he left with his mother to go to school. Gin just growled deeply as he watched the intruder's hand twitch, and then recoil again when he heard Gin snarl further, retracting his sword.
"You." he said "don't you dare touch my godson."
Aizen looked at Gin, astounded, before he started half laughing as he replied.
"Yourgodson?" he asked, amused, "And who was it who gave you your godson?"
"You tryin' ta tell me my own godson aint mine? I'll kill ya, I raised him! I cared for him! How dare ya try an' tell me otherwise."
"Gin," Sousuke said gently, "Look at who you are talking to."
The man in his doorway had stopped his blade with his bare hand. And it was only then that Gin could really get a good look at him. Now it was Gin's turn to be completely stupefied.
No. No this can't be. He's dead. He's dead an'...
Gin approached him, cautiously. Not believing his eyes. Quietly lowering Shinsou as he stepped nearer. It's him. Gin realised. But it can't be. It jus' can't.
But it certainly looked like him. It certainly sounded like him. And most certainly it smelled like him. And the spiritual energy certainly felt like his lover's.
And Orihime trusted him enough to protect him.
Gin gaped at him. "Oh." he said. Because it was the only sound he could make through the shock.
"Hello Gin." Sousuke smiled, with a soft tone in his voice and gentle expression not seen in more than a decade. "Long time no see."
Gin sucked in a breath, and searched for his voice. "Get in." he hissed. "Get in before somebody sees ya."