Ah-ah-ahh . . . .

Berry Angel by Boogermeister

20- Rough-housing

"Thirty seconds left . . . . he must make it, or the other team will win. He shoots . . . . and score!" laughed Tensa, as he tossed a popcorn into his sleeping stepfather's mouth. For the past hour, he and his friend Michirou had been playing around in the house while Starrk was in deep sleep on the couch. They decided to pull pranks on him, as the teen assured that he wouldn't wake up even if there was a gas explosion nearby.

"Whoa, he got like, ten popcorns in his mouth," smirked Michirou. "You sure he wouldn't wake up, Tensa?"

"Trust me, only the sound of my mother's angry voice can do it," he shrugged. "This isn't the first time that something happened to him during his naps. Once, my Aunt Yuzu decided to paint his nails and he barely got mad over it."

"That's retarded," his friend scoffed with a smirk.

". . . . Though he was a little pissed when I put make-up on him some years ago," he mused. "Even Mom laughed about it after he sent him on an errand."

"Your family's weird, man."

"Blame my Grandpa for that," sighed Tensa. "Come on, let's see if we could throw gummy bears at him-" They suddenly heard the door being unlocked and Ichigo stepped inside, carrying an armful of grocery. "Uh-oh . . . ."

"Tensa, you're home . . . .?" he called out.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Huh, why'd you answer it like that?" he frowned before walking into the living room. His frown deepened at the sight of two teenagers and his lover covered in popcorns. ". . . . Do I need to know what was going on?" he questioned.

"No you don't?" Tensa muttered sheepishly.

"Fine, I don't . . . . but I do need to know that you two clean up this mess immediately," he huffed as he walked to the kitchen. "Starrk! Wake up, and see what Tensa did!"

"Huh?" Starrk mumbled, only to frown in surprise when he felt the snacks in his mouth. He spat them out and groaned as he stood up, proceeding to dust the rest off his hair and clothes. "Man . . . . I should start sleeping on the bed from now on," he mumbled.

"You say that every time, Starrk," sighed Tensa.

"I don't hear any sweeping . . . .!" scowled Ichigo from the kitchen. The teen boy groaned, even as a Soul Reaper he must obey the 'Mama Bear' or suffer the consequence.

21- Trouble 4

"Nanao-chan, have you seen my hat and coat . . . .?" pouted Shunsui when he came across his Vice-Captain, only donning the standard white haori. "I know I fell asleep with it on, but it just disappeared. Did someone steal it from me, my dear Nanao?"

"I don't know what came of your clothings, sir," Nanao curtly replied. "Maybe you just misplaced them during your drinking."

"No . . . . that never happened before," he frowned. "Maybe someone else knows, I'll see if anyone can tell me." He then walked away with a confused pout. Nanao sighed lightly and shook her head, though her Captain was one of the strongest and well-experienced ones in Squad 13, the man was a big baby sometimes.

"Out of all the things . . . ." she sighed as she walked through the hallways. Suddenly, she saw what Shunsui was looking but it was now the least of her problems. Tensa, Ichigo's young son, was playing with the straw hat and the floral pink coat. He giggled when he attempted wear the hat and walked around with it on. "Oh . . . ." she smiled a little at the sight.

"Huh . . . .?" Tensa turned to notice her and smiled. "Hi . . . .!"

"Hello there, are you the little thief?" she questioned as she knelt down.

"Uh . . . ." he simply smiled before noticing the book in her arm. He understood books, as things with scribbles on the papers in which his mother verbally deciphered to him back in Hueco Mundo. "Tah! Tah . . . .!" he pointed out at her book.

"Oh, this?" muttered Nanao, showing him the book. "This is just records for the Eighth Squad. Sorry, it's not really a storybook as you assumed."

"Huh?" Tensa frowned in confusion.

"Oh, there you are . . . ." sighed Ichigo as he suddenly came by. "Tensa, what have you been up to? I was told that Yachiru just dropped you off here."

"Mama . . . .!" smiled Tensa, completely forgetting the hat as he ran up to him.

"Man, if she said that she was done playing with you, she should've came to me," he sighed as he picked him up. "Sorry for the trouble . . . ."

"No problem," replied the Vice-Captain as she stood up. Ichigo nodded and left, just before Shunsui came back.

"Oh! You found them, my dear Nanao!" he beamed, picking them up. "Did you see who was it that took it?"

"Well, sir, it's complicated . . . ." she sighed.

22- I Can Do It 2

For a while Tensa stared at the brush in his hand, he knew that the thing was used for hair. Everyone in the family used it, and they often helped him brush his hair. But he wanted to brush someone's hair with it now, as he wandered throughout the house. As expected, he found Starrk napping on the couch as usual and he walked up to him. "Ah . . . ." he mumbled, pressing the bristles against his disheveled strands.

"Hm . . . . what is it, Tensa?" mumbled Starrk as he woke up, only to notice that his hair was being brushed. "Oh, that . . . .? Oh well . . . ." As soon as he woke up, he fell back asleep while the toddler continued. But Tensa was slowly getting bored, he wanted to brush someone else's hair after him.

Soon, his grandfather came by, loony as usual. "Goat!" he giggled as he ran up to him.

"Ah, my dear grandson!" beamed Isshin as he picked him up. "What is it that you want?"

"Tah!" he smiled, attempting to brush his hair.

"Aw, Tensa's trying to style Grandaddy's hair!" Isshin smiled with overdramatic tears. "Grandpa loves you so much-"

"Shut up!" scowled Ichigo as he kicked him down out of nowhere. "Come here, Tensa . . . ." Tensa smiled as he was picked up by his mother, the teen's orange hair was getting longer and shaggier and it was the perfect thing.

"Mama . . . .!" he smiled, trying to brush his hair.

"Hm? You wanna brush my hair, Tensa?" Ichigo smiled a little. "You learned so much things since living here . . . ."

"Hee . . . ."

23- Gone

"What? You guys are not coming back anymore?" questioned Ichigo, as he stared at Rukia and Renji in slight disbelief. "How come?"

"They said that Starrk's not considered a threat according to our reports," shrugged Rukia. "And because of that, we are not needed anymore."

"But . . . . can you still come back to Karakura Town?" he asked.

"No, not unless there's some Hollow sightings but that's been insignificant ever since after that battle," muttered Renji. "Sorry, Ichigo . . . . but this would be the last time we'll see each other." Ichigo frowned sadly, he couldn't believe that two of his best friends will be gone forever despite his detachment to the Soul Society.

"That sucks . . . ." he sighed, cradling his two-year-old son in his arms. "Tensa's gonna miss you guys."

"I know, I'll miss him too," frowned Rukia. "I'd like to stop by as easily as I want to, but I still have duties as a Soul Reaper."

"I understand . . . . why don't we make a best of this and have a day with him?" suggested Ichigo.

"What's the point? That kid don't know my name anyway," Renji grumbled, wincing slightly when Rukia punched him in the arm.

"That's a good idea, Ichigo," she smiled. "What should we do?" Ichigo glanced up as he pondered, it was the middle of winter so not much can be done outdoors. Museums should be opened today, but doubted that the red-head could stay still to stare at paintings.

"Damn . . . . what is there to do?" he frowned.

"We could just stay here and play with him."

"Why . . . .?" Renji groaned, earning another punch.

"Fine, go nuts," smiled Ichigo. "You're lucky that everyone else's gone for the day, aside from Starrk."

"Yay . . . .!" smiled Tensa, clapping his hands.

Moments later . . . .

Renji frowned a little as the toddler splattered bits of paint at his face. He didn't mean to do it, as Tensa was busy mixing blue with yellow on paper. "Look! Tah . . . .!" he exclaimed, realizing that the colors became green.

"That can happen sometime . . . ." sighed the red-head, leisurely dabbing purple paint on his paper.

"See, Tensa? Mine's always the best, right?" smiled Rukia, as usual she doodled cartoonish bunnies. Tensa giggled and nodded, his hands and arms were completely covered with washable paint. "Are you done? Let's get you cleaned up."

"Yah!" Next came crayons, and the toddler doodled colorful scribbles on the wall. It was a bad habit, Isshin encouraged him while Ichigo and Yuzu frowned at the behavior. Starrk, however, was just neutral about it. "Deeh-deh-deeh . . . ." he hummed.

"Don't do that . . . ." frowned Renji, moving him away from the wall. Tensa pouted but quickly lost interest as hunger rumbled gently in his stomach. "Great, this kid's hungry," he sighed.

"Fwies! Fwies!" smiled Tensa.

"Can we take him out to eat?" pondered Rukia.

"We could find something for the kid to eat here," muttered Renji. Skimming through the kitchen, the two Soul Reapers managed to find goldfish crackers and the toddler simply relented into eating the snack.

"Rookee . . . .?" muttered Tensa, handing out a cracker to her.

"Thanks, Tensa," smiled Rukia.

"Monkee!" he smiled, handing Renji one.

"Gee, thanks," he sighed. After the snack, Tensa decided to go upstairs to look for Starrk. His mother was on the bed reading when the toddler came into the room.

"Tensa . . . .?" muttered Ichigo, who then noticed Renji and Rukia coming in. "What's wrong, guys?"

"Th-arrk . . . ." Tensa smiled as he opened the closet door, instantly a hand stuck out to pick him up. "Whee . . . .!"

"What're you bothering me for this time?" Starrk sighed tiredly, but the child simply giggled. "You don't appear to be sad that they're leaving."

"I don't think that he completely understands it," muttered Rukia, sitting next to Ichigo. "But I wonder, though . . . . that once we're gone, it might mean that you're completely done with the Soul Society, Ichigo."

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked in surprise.

"Yeah . . . . that's our only connection to you," she frowned sadly. "We're still your friends, and it might over twenty years before we meet again, considering what Kisuke predicted for Tensa."

"Oh . . . ." he sighed, glancing at his son attempting to coax Starrk out of the closet. "I might be an old man the next time we meet, and you guys will still look the same. But . . . . it was my choice to break off my association with the Soul Society, so my son will have a better life here."

"Your family's crazy enough as it is, but it's still better than over there . . . ." Renji smirked a little.

"That much is true," sighed Ichigo, his mind vaguely shifting back to the hellish life within the white walls of Las Noches. "But it doesn't mean that I won't miss you guys, you're my best friends."

"Ugh, don't get all sappy and dramatic," he joked.

"Screw you, I'm being serious," he scoffed.

"I know, I know . . . ."

"Even if decades went by as days, we would miss you so much," smiled Rukia. "But who knows? Maybe we'll see you sooner than expected."

". . . . Yeah, I believe so," Ichigo smiled back, giving her an one-armed hug.

"No, you can hug better than that, Ichigo," she scoffed happily as she took his other arm and hugged back. The teen would have rolled his eyes at the demand but let it go.

"Let me get in on the action," grinned Renji as he joined in, ruffling at the shaggy orange hair.

"You idiot . . . ." he smirked, but he suddenly felt small arms around his leg. "Huh?"

"Mama . . . ." Tensa smiled, glancing up at him. Ichigo blinked and smiled back, pulling him up to join in on the hug.

". . . ." All four of them were unaware of the former Primera coming out of the closet and stared at the warm sight. He felt like he should belong to the last occasion.

". . . . Starrk?" Ichigo frowned, when he felt an arm on his back and the brunet's chin against the shoulder.

"I'd like to join in too," Starrk simply replied. Ichigo sighed, but let him join in, it would be first and last time that this will happen.

24- Cry

"Tensa . . . .? Tensa, what happened?" Ichigo frowned concernedly when he picked up the six-year-old from karate practice and realized that he was trying to hold in his tears. "Don't tell me that this is from losing again."

"N-no, Mama . . . ." snifled Tensa, vainly rubbing at his wet eyes with his sleeves.

"Then what . . . .?" he muttered.

"Th-the teacher . . . . he said that I'm not good enough for his class," he whimpered. "And I tried so hard too, I'm almost close to a black belt . . . ."

"Shh, don't cry," Ichigo consoled, his fingers stroked through the right side of his hair. "I'll try to talk to your teacher right now, okay? He has no right commenting about you like that."

". . . . All right, Mama," mumbled Tensa with a short nod.

"All right, stay right here," smiled the man as he went inside the dojo.

Five minutes later . . . .

The ambulance blared as it drove away; onlookers just stared and gossiped to one another, unaware that Ichigo was nearby with an amused smirk on his face. "See, Tensa? Told you that I'd talk to him," he smirked.

"Did you kill him, Mama?" questioned Tensa.

"I could have, but I still have to go to school," he smiled as they walked away. "I can't afford to go to jail . . . ." The next time Tensa went back to the dojo, the once-strict teacher instantly cowered when he saw him with his mother.

Nobody should ever mess with Mama Bear again.

25- I Can Do It 3

Tensa giggled lightly as he kept up with Lily, with his small hand gripping at the thick leash. Starrk was pretty lenient whenever he looked after the child, as he followed after the two closely. "Lee-Lee, go!" smiled the toddler. The dog trotted a tad faster but not too fast, and he squealed as he jogged after her.

"Be careful . . . ." Starrk sighed. He knew that Ichigo would disapprove of letting his young son walk around outdoor by himself. But he was close by, so he should be safe. Or so he thought.

"Oof!" Tensa winced when he tripped on a sidewalk crack and fell. Starrk was immediately by his side, quickly helping him to his feet and checked for any damage. He found one, a small scrape on the palm of his hand. "Ow . . . .!" whimpered Tensa.

"It's all right, Tensa," Starrk sighed in assurance. "It's not bleeding . . . ." The toddler glanced at the very small injure, it hurt but knew that the hurt was going away. "Your mother usually kisses it to make it feel better," he muttered, gently he planted his lips against the soft skin. "Does that work, Tensa?"

"Yah . . . ." nodded Tensa, as he put up a warm smile.

"Good, because I believe that I couldn't take the thought of being throttled by your mother," he replied with a small smile.

26- Namesake

"Mom . . . . what was the point of naming me 'Tensa', aside from being named from your Bankai?" Tensa mumbled with interest. Ichigo, who was preparing dinner, paused in his work to stare at his teenage son in surpise. Though the boy was already following his mother's footsteps of being a substitute Soul Reaper, he was still a little uneasy of telling parts of his dark past.

"I dunno . . . . it just came to me the moment I held you in my arms for the first time," he muttered. "It was first name that came to my head when I first saw you."

". . . . My name means 'heavenly chain', was there a reason for naming me with a meaning like that?" he asked. Ichigo sighed heavily as he moved to sit next to him by the table, folding his hands together.

"Because, Tensa . . . . you were the only person that kept me alive during my imprisonment in Las Noches," he frowned sadly. "In a way . . . . you were my little angel whenever I felt depressed or angry, and my heart eased little by little." Like a mother would, he reached out to grasp at his son's hands. "That devil, he gave me an angel . . . . but I don't regret of having you, Tensa."

"Huh . . . .?"

"If I hadn't had that one chance of meeting Rukia all those years ago, then you wouldn't be here right now," he smiled lightly. "That's the reason why I named you that. Kinda like how my parents named me Ichigo . . . ."

"Like 'strawberry'?" grinned Tensa, earning a ruffle at his chestnut hair.

"That joke never gets old," he sighed. "My father once told me, a long time ago, that my name means 'one who protects'. And it suits me, all I wanna do is to protect those I love . . . . especially you, Tensa."

"But, Mom . . . . I can look after myself, I'm almost grown now," Tensa muttered. Ichigo gazed at him and smiled anyway.

"A mother's job to look after her kid never gets done," he sighed. "I will still watch over you, no matter what. Even if you're seventy and wearing diapers again."

"Gross," the teen scoffed a little but Ichigo laughed. "But . . . . thanks, though. Sorry if I opened up any old wounds."

"You didn't," smiled Ichigo, standing up but he leaned down to kiss at the top of his head. "Any answer I have for you eased the last bit of burden inside of me." He then went back to the stove, grumbling a little when he noticed the pasta was sticking a little. "But right now, you're ruining the dinner."

"Sorry, Mom . . . ." shrugged Tensa.

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Until the next chapt!

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