46. Mystery

"I heard Yuzu's been sick lately. Some mysterious illness, they say." Kira commented sympathetically as he accompanied Hisagi to the Senzaikyu for the Captains' and Lieutenants' meetings. "Yeah," Hisagi confirmed the rumor. "I took her to Squad Four this morning to get checked out. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"You aren't worried at all?" Kira asked, looking at Hisagi in surprise.

"Of course I'm worried." In so small part thanks to Captain Kuchiki's story of what happened to his wife Hisana, who like Yuzu tended to wander the Rukon District tirelessly when not taking on difficult tasks, like running a noble household or a daycare full of small children.

"I wouldn't worry too much." Iba called out, approaching them. "After all, something nice may just come of this 'mysterious illness'." He added, giving Hisagi a nudge with his elbow. Hisagi and Kira exchanged questioning looks. "What do you mean, Iba?" Kira asked.

Iba rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, Hisagi was sure of it.

"Come on, you guys. I heard Yuzu was puking her guts out over at Squad Four this morning, and that she's been tired really easy when playing with the children." Iba said, each word like a prod at both Hisagi and Kira to get something through their thick heads already.

It honestly wasn't that hard to see what the lieutenant was getting at.

"Yuzu is not pregnant." Hisagi snapped perhaps a little too loudly. He turned a bit red at the way Iba smiled at him.

"She could be." Kira pointed out quietly. "It's a possibility."

"Or she could have the flu, or any of the hundred other illnesses out there that make you vomit and tired easily." Despite his words, Hisagi was forced to watch Iba and Kira exchange amused smiles, and every smile sent his way throughout the rest of the day was tainted by embarrassment, as Hisagi strongly suspected Iba and Kira weren't alone in their line of thinking.

It was worse the next day, when they each knew they'd been right.

Iba and the rest of the men's association tried to throw a party.

47. Gift

"Please."

"No, Dad."

"Pretty please, Yuzu."

"No, Dad."

"Oh come on! Your brother and sister will never name a kid after me; you're my last hope!"

"Dad, leave her alone." Ichigo interjected, glowering at his father.

"What she names her child is hers and Hisagi's business." Said Karin, joining her brother in glaring at their father. Isshin remained unperturbed and pressed forth with annoying the hell out of his youngest. Yuzu busied herself with braiding Mikan's long strawberry-blond hair, pointedly ignoring her father's pleads.

"I'd change my name to Isshin for you, grandpa!" Mikan cheered, smiling brightly at her grandfather. Tears glimmered in the corner of Isshin's eyes as he returned his adorable granddaughter's smile. "Oh, Mikan! At least you love me!" Isshin exclaimed, plucking the girl up from the floor of Yuzu's sitting room and swing her about. Mikan visibly regretted her words of comfort and looked to her father for help. In a flash, Ichigo rescued Mikan from Isshin's clutches and had the girl sitting in his lap. Isshin pouted at his son as he sullenly re-seated himself at the tea table.

"Fine, fine. You can't blame a guy for trying though, can you?" Isshin said, serious now. The Kurosaki siblings all spared their father a smile. They all liked him best when he wasn't being a total goof ball. "It would have been a nice gift to your dear old dad, you gotta admit." Isshin added, grinning. "Give it a rest, Dad." Karin sighed.

"Actually," Yuzu began, and all eyes focused on her. "Shuhei and I were planning for the baby's name to be a gift...or really a tribute to someone." She explained.

"Who?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Yuzu hesitated, and then, instead of actually answering, she said, "If we have a boy, we've decided to name him Masahiro, with the kanji for 'justice prospers'."

48. Honor

"It's funny how almost immediately after deciding not to get married, you get pregnant." Kukaku laughed and gave Yuzu's hair a playful tussle as if she were still a little girl. "I guess nature had different plans for you and Hisagi." She said. Yuzu gave Kukaku a sheepish smile.

"Kukaku, aren't we supposed to be planning a party?" Karin cut in, giving her cousin an exasperated look. Kukaku waved a dismissive hand. "We have seven whole months to plan, Karin. I swear you spend too much time with that uptight Captain of yours." Karin narrowed her eyes at Kukaku and held up a large poster board riddled with colored post-its and diagrams, numbers, names, and dates. "Well it's a lot to plan. The heads of the other four Great Noble Families are going to attend, as well as the Captains, a ton of lower-ranked nobles, members of Central 46, and rich people." Karin said, gesturing to the poster board.

Yuzu was felt a bit overwhelmed. "Do we really have to invite so many people?" She asked. "They'll invite themselves if we don't. And we can't afford to not host the party, I'll admit." Kukaku sighed. "The Shiba Clan is on shakey footing, as we haven't been restored to our noble status very long. Parties like this one for your child and the one we threw to honor Mikan's birth are important because they give us a chance to brown-nose and network, as well as show off a little."

"This didn't seem so daunting when Mikan was on the way." Yuzu lamented.

Kukaku and Karin chuckled and shook their heads. "It'll be easier this time around, trust me." Said Kukaku. "If things become overwhelming, just keep in mind that half of the Soul Society will be lining up to kiss your ass as well as your baby's ass in seven months." Yuzu burst out laughing. "Well, when you put it like that!" She snickered into her hands.

49. Nest

"Aunt Yuzu?" Mikan asked uneasily. Yuzu gently shooed away the children crowding her to show her their cute little drawings and gave her niece her full attention. "Yes, Mikan?"

"Remember when I climbed that tree outside of yours and Uncle Shuhei's cottage?" Mikan asked. Yuzu did remember. She'd nearly had a heart attack when she came outside to put the laundry out to dry only to find her niece hanging from, of course, the highest and thinnest possible branch on the entire tree. Yuzu had summoned up years of experience to give Mikan the most authoritative order possible to climb down immediately. "Of course I remember, Mikan. You had me so worried." Yuzu answered.

Mikan shuffled her feet awkwardly and avoided Yuzu's gaze. "Do you remember that bird's nest I found on the way down?" She whispered. Yuzu's brows began to knit themselves together. "Yes...why do you ask?"

Mikan grew bright red.

"And do you remember when I asked if people laid eggs like birds to have babies?" The girl asked, eyes trained on her feet. Yuzu smothered a giggle. "Oh you poor thing!" She managed without laughing. Mikan let out a prolonged groan. "I hate how adults lie and then laugh at us kids when we believe them." She grumbled petulantly. Yuzu hugged her as she tried to restrain her giggling with the help of her niece's hair.

40. Blank

"Why do people stare at our son?" Yuzu asked Hisagi as the pair strolled towards the Squad Nine headquarters after paying Ichigo a lunchtime visit at Squad Eight. Yuzu looked thoughtfully upon the infant swaddled in her arms. Hisagi joined her in his endeavor.

He honestly hadn't noticed that people stared at Masahiro, and he didn't see any reason why they would. Masahiro was a perfectly normal baby, according to Squad Four and all Hisagi's earlier knowledge of babies, lacking as that was. He was a seven pound, three ounce ball of cute with dark hair that didn't do much aside from eat and snooze his days away peacefully, as all babies should.

"Maybe they just think he's really cute." Hisagi suggested.

Yuzu shook her head. "No. When people see him, especially the first time, they always seem to do a double-take. I wonder why." She said, continuing her pensive examination of her son.

"Let's ask." Hisagi declared, knowing this mystery might only succeed in worrying Yuzu senseless that something was off about their child. "I guess." Yuzu murmured uncertainly.

They waved over the first soul reaper they came across, which happened to be Rikichi of Squad Six. "What is it, Captain Hisagi?" Rikichi addressed Hisagi as he approached. He gave Yuzu a polite bow of his head. "Yuzu and I wanted to get your opinion on something." Said Hisagi. Rikichi blinked in surprise. "My opinion?"

"Yes, well," Yuzu shifted Masahiro's sleeping form in her arms, bringing him to Rikichi's attention. "People are always giving our baby funny looks. Is there something strange about Masahiro?" She inquired worriedly. Rikichi looked between the Captain, his lover, and their child with astonishment. Finally, he gave Masahiro a good long look.

When he was done, he gave the parents a sheepish smile.

"I think I may know the problem." He said, and then pointed at Hisagi's face with a grin. "Considering who his father is, I think people are weirdly surprised that Masahiro came out blank." Rikichi explained.

"Blank." Hisagi and Yuzu parroted in unison, both utterly befuddled by what they'd just heard.

A/N: That last one was inspired by Tumblr.

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