Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
Please enjoy!
Knock knock knock!!
Chad was laying on the couch strumming lazily on his bass guitar. When he heard the knock on the door, he laid his instrument on the couch and got up to answer the doorbell. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a certain 11-year-old standing in front of his door.
"Minoru" Chad said. "What're you doing here?"
"I kinda got in trouble with Daddy so I snuck out." Minoru sheepishly grinned.
Chad shook his head. "Again, Minoru?"
Minoru could only grin widely in response. Chad smirked slightly and motioned his hand for Minoru to come in. Minoru smiled and walked into his father's home.
Minoru was sprawled on Chad's couch, playing around with the bass guitar that had previously occupied that space. Chad was in the kitchen, warming up a plate of curry rice for his son. For the past year, Chad had been living in a small apartment on the other side of KaraKura town. It was much smaller than the apartment that the rest of his family had been living in, which did made sense given that Chad was living alone as well as his personality. Then again, Chad worked as an accountant for a small company and Minoru was pretty sure that Chad could afford a more spacious place, but then again this was Yasutora Sado. The kitchen was connected with the small living room, where two small couches occupied most of the space. Right down the small hallway was two doors on both sides of the hall. The door on the left led to his bedroom and study, while the door on the right led to the bathroom and shower.
"Dad, why live in such a small place?" Minoru asked. "Surely you could afford something better?"
"It's not that bad." Chad replied. "It is pretty cozy and it is comfortable."
Chad walked out of the kitchen area and handed over the plate of curry rice to his son. Minoru sat upright on the small couch and placed his father's bass guitar standing behind the couch. He took the plate and immediately started to eat.
"Thanks Dad!" Minoru said with his mouth full.
Chad nodded as he sat down on the slightly bigger couch and watched his son hungrily devour the plate of curry rice in mere minutes. After he was finished, Minoru put the licked-clean plate down on the coffee table.
"Minoru, how did you get here?" Chad asked.
"I took the bus." Minoru replied.
"So Ichigo doesn't know where you are?"
"No. He didn't even notice that I was gone. He's been too busy talking Grimmjow off the ledge for the past 3 hours."
"You know you have to apologize to Grimmjow, right?" Chad said.
"Grimmjow is not a good dude, Dad." Minoru's face tensed as he replied coldly. "He deserved to hear what I said to him. He's not good for Daddy. I just know that he'll be a bad influence on him, so I got in his face."
"I know you're frustrated, but you're father-"
"Dad! Doesn't it bother you even just a little that Daddy is doing this?!"
Chad sighed. Minoru was right. It did bother him that Ichigo was seeing someone else. Chad actually hated this man just as, if not even more, than the kids did. He and Ichigo had been apart for more than a year now, but he couldn't get over the fact that there was now another man in Ichigo's life. The utter thoughtof Ichigo just touchingthat man what he hated the most. Being with Grimmjow to spite him. To know that Grimmjow was now making love to him like he used to would drive Chad crazy. But at the same time, he had to set a good example for the kids. If they saw him acting that way, they would think it would be the right thing to do. The kids already didn't like the man as it was. As hard as it was, Chad just had to face up to this new reality. After all, what he put Ichigo and the kids through was horrible. He was the one who screwed up. This was his retribution.
When he didn't get a response, Minoru lowered his head. Minoru's bangs covered his eyes but Chad was pretty sure what the young boy was feeling.
"Minoru, this is me now." Chad said as he looked down to try and see Minoru's face. "...Hello?"
"I miss you, dad." Minoru said in a low voice. "We all do."
"I know." Chad softly replied. "I miss you guys too."
Minoru didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the empty plate that stood on the coffee table. He felt like that plate; it once had meaning and had good value, but then it was taken of all there was to take and there was nothing left but an empty plate. The plate was empty. Minoru felt empty.
Chad then got up from the couch and kneeled in front of Minoru and placed his hands on Minoru's shoulders. Minoru kept his eyes locked on the floor when he felt his father's eyes on him.
"Look me in the eyes, Minoru." Chad said. Minoru slowly lifted his head from the floor and his hazel eyes met with his father's brown eyes.
"I'm not any happier about this than you are." Chad said. "I'm living away from my family on the other side of KaraKura, the man I love won't even give me the time of day, and the fact that he has already moved on doesn't make things any better. But I promise, we just have to accept the fact that this is how it has to be for now.
"Dad, I'm sorry, but I just can't accept that. I can't accept Grimmjow."
"I'm asking you to. I'm just acting try and be a little nore understanding of your father and where he's coming from."
Minoru once again lowered his head, his hazel pupils disconnecting with his father's brown ones and meeting with the floor again as his brown locks covered his eyes completely.
"Minoru, I promise.." Chad paused to lift up Minoru's chin. Minoru's eyes were staring back at him through tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes.
"I just want things to go back. Back to the way they were before." Minoru said tearing up.
Chad nodded in sympathy. "We're gonna be alright, Minoru."
Minoru sniffled and shook his head in agreement.
"Loly, wait up!" Ken'Ichi said as he ran up to his girlfriend in the hallways of the school. Loly ignored him and continued to walk. Ken'Ichi quickened his pace and managed to catch up to her. He patted her on the shoulder indicating for her to stop. Loly rolled her eyes and turned around to face her boyfriend just in front of the stairs.
"Wow, you're actually not ignoring me?" Loly said.
Ken'Ichi hadn't talked or called her in a few days. Ever since that whole episode with Minoru at dinner, Ken'Ichi was too embarrassed to even look at her, let alone talk to her.
"Before you say anything, I know and I'm an idiot." Ken'Ichi said. He grabbed Loly by the shoulders and pulled her in for an embrace, hoping that maybe that would buy him a few points in the forgiveness department. He let out a small sigh of relief when he felt soft hands wrapping around his waist.
"I really am sorry." Ken'Ichi said as they separated from their embrace. "I just didn't know what to say."
"Don't feel embarrased. Think of it as reality TV."
Ken'Ichi chuckled at his girlfriend's comment. "It's just, after that whole thing with my brother-"
"It's okay. He's probably just finding it hard adjusting."
"Don't defend him." Ken'Ichi said. "He not trying to adjust at all. You saw him with my father.
"Well, that's because he's miserable at home. He misses his dad."
Ken'Ichi's face tensed. "Hmph, you mean the man who cheats on his spouse, keeps it a secret for years, and bribes his kids when they eventually find out?"
"..So, I take it you still hold a little ill will towards him?"
Ken'Ichi lowered his head. He felt a little ashamed to still be feeling this way. But again, if Ichigo's personality did change, it was because of Chad who made him that way. If Chad hadn't had done what he did, things would've been different, that's what Ken'Ichi kept telling himself.
Thing is, his insecurities regarding his fathers would've stayed the same.
"..I love my father, it's just... what he put us through.. I still haven't completely forgiven him. Minoru and Tetsuya miss him, but I-I can't just forgive and forget."
"So you want Kurosaki-san to stay with Grimmjow?"
"..No, but I- my Dad- he-" Ken'Ichi stammered with what he wanted to say. He signed and gave up on what he wanted to say to Loly. He would've felt like an ass if he had said what he wanted to say. Then again, he felt like an ass for not saying it. Loly noticed this from the look on his face and sympathized for him by kissing him on the cheek.
"It's okay, Ken. You'll figure it out."
"..Yeah."
Ken'Ichi grabbed his book-bag from his locker and closed it firm as he made his way out of the building. From the corner of his eye, he saw a certain white haired boy on the staircase. Toshiro was leaning on the stair-rail with one hand in his pocket while the other was pressing digits into his cell phone. Before Ken'Ichi realized it, he found himself walking over to the staircase. He stopped at the top of the stairs and stared down at the boy on the rail.
'He looks so serious.' Ken'Ichi thought to himself. Before Ken'Ichi could take one step down the stairs, he froze when he heard Toshiro's voice. Obviously, the boy could feel Ken'Ichi's glare from all the way downstairs.
"What do you want?" Toshiro asked. His voice was cold and mean and it made Ken'Ichi shiver slightly. Nonetheless, Ken'Ichi took one step down the staircase with his hand holding the rail.
"Um, hi." Ken'Ichi replied.
"Answer my question. What do you want?"
"Uh, I was, uh.." Ken'Ichi was trying to think of something to say. He didn't want to look dumb by just saying nothing. He had to come up with something to say.
"You were just what?"
"You and I have Amegai-san the same period right?"
"What's your point?"
"You know that project Amegai-san bombed us with yesterday?"
"Yea.."
"...What is it about?"
Ken'Ichi felt like kicking himself for asking such a dumb and random question, but the conversation was already taking a downhill turn.
"Create a newspaper or whatever." Toshiro's eyes were locked on his cell phone. He even look up to Ken'Ichi.
"Oh, so um, do you want to do the project.. together?"
Toshiro stopped pressing the digits into his phone and looked up to meet Ken'Ichi's eyes. Ken'Ichi was a little intimidated by the boy's intense glare, but there was something strangely... tranquil about it. Toshiro's turquoise eyes were locked onto Ken'Ichi's brown eyes. What they saw were soft yet garish colors that they could get lost in. Peaceful eyes that were shining into each other and both of the beholders didn't seem to mind. The small moment was interrupted by Toshiro, who quickly turned his head to the other side to face the wall.
"Okay." Toshiro said in a quickened whisper, but was loud enough to be heard by Ken'Ichi. Ken'Ichi simply nodded and walked back up the one stair and resumed his way out of the building. Ken'Ichi rubbed his head in slight frustration. Why did he get get so tongue-tied and flustered with Toshiro just now? When a realization crossed his mind, he blushed a faint color of red that faded across his face as he hastened his steps.
As much as he tried not to think about it, he had to admit it.
He hadn't been that way since he first met his girlfriend Loly.
Sorry it took so long with this. Lets just say I'm having family issues. Please R&R and chapter 4 will be up very soon.
