Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

There are a few more chapters left, so please enjoy!

"Hello? Ken! Come out! We're back!" Ichigo said as he entered into his home with Minoru carrying a sleeping Tetsuya. Ichigo had put down groceries he had bought on the way home from the airport next to the legs of the dining table and went into the hallway.

"Ken'Ichi!" Ichigo called. He repeated his son's name a few more times as he searched through the rooms and the bathroom. It did strike Ichigo as odd; earlier Ken'Ichi told him that he wasn't feeling well enough to say good-bye to Chad. While he did remind him that no one knew when he was coming back, Ken'Ichi simply stayed completely hidden under his bedsheets and asked his father to send Chad his regards.

Speaking of Chad, he didn't think that it would hurt that bad to see Chad actually leave. But then again, they had been together for such a long time. They shared so many firsts together: their first kisses, their first time being "intimate", their first child, and they knew each other better than they knew themselves. Ichigo's mind convinced himself that it was the right thing to do, but his heart was plaguing him, telling him that things shouldn't have ended that way. But it didn't matter now, Chad was already gone.

"Daddy! Come quick!"

Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted and he made his way back to the living room to see Tetsuya sleeping on the couch and Minoru standing next to the dining table holding a letter.

"It's from Ken'Ichi" was all the boy had muttered before he handed the letter over to his father.

As Ichigo read through the contents, his eyes grew wider and wider with shock and his hands began to shake with anger.

Daddy,

By the time you get this, I'll probably already be gone.

Please forgive me for leaving so suddenly, but this isn't something that I can simply talk to dad on the phone with. I've made alot of mistakes in the past few weeks, and going to California with dad is the only chance I have to make things right again.

I won't go into details, but let's just say that he's the only one that can and will understand.

When I come back, I'll gracefully and willingly accept any punishment that you might have waiting for me.

I hate to leave you and my brothers, but I have to do this-there's a part of Ken'Ichi Kurosaki-Sado that I'm now willing to accept and embrace.

And there's a great guy who deserves to know the truth.

Love, your son, Ken'Ichi.

P.S-Don't blame dad. He doesn't know.

Los Angeles. One of the most famous cities in the world. The so-called "Entertainment Capital of the World". Chad had heard so many stories about Hollywood and how this was one of the most ideal places in the world to make it big. The beautiful scenery, the palm trees just outside the airport, the warm breeze, and even the blue stretch of ocean that appeared not too far from the airport. A beautiful new scenery with a new opportunity for Chad to do something he actually enjoys. What could possibly go wrong?

The answer was standing right next to him as Chad was trying to reach Ichigo on his cell phone from the airport lobby.

"Yeah, he's here with me." Chad told Ichigo, who was on the other line. Ken'Ichi could then see his father pull the phone away from his ear as he heard some indistinct shouting from the other end andt it didn't take a genius to figure out that Ichigo was upset, to say the very least.

"Okay, you know what? He's already here and it's supposed to be spring break for them anyway, so how about he just spends a couple of days here with me." Ken'Ichi then heard some quiet mumbling from the other end. It must've have worked, as Chad simply replied "okay, bye" and hung up.

Although Ichigo loved all his kids equally, as long as he could remember (and at least before Tetsuya was adopted), Ken'Ichi had always been Ichigo's favorite and he was a little more spoiled by Ichigo then Minoru was. But this time, he wouldn't blame Ichigo for being angry, even at him. "So, how is he?"

Chad sighed. "I'm not gonna lie. Ichigo's pissed, Ken." Ken'Ichi shook his head in understanding. Ken'Ichi had done his share of childish things in the past, but he had never pulled off anything like this before. Ken'Ichi wasn't expecting his orange-haired father to just simply be okay with. He actually almost hoping to lose his cool.

"Boy, is he gonna whip out the 'welcome home' parade when I come back." Ken'Ichi remarked sarcastically.

"Hmph, he's gonna whip something, all right." Chad chuckled. The only response Chad got was a uncomfortable chuckle from his son.

Ken'Ichi and Chad looked in awe through the window as they drove in a stretch hummer limo through the streets of Los Angeles. The gorgeous and clean streets whizzed by them as well as some famous landmarks, like the Kodak Theatre, and the Chinese Theatre. They could even see the Hollywood sign not too far on the other side.

"This place is almost breathtaking." Ken'Ichi said quietly as he kept his focus out on the streets. "I really like it here."

"Yeah, this is nice." Chad agreed.

Chad's eyes then shifted to his son, who was still completely fixated on the sights L.A had to offer. Although this was completely unexpected and while he did think Ken'Ichi would be a burden, he had to admit that it was nice to bond like this with his oldest son. Chad had really missed the times when he would share the whole day with his boys, especially Ken'Ichi. Things between the two had really been strained ever since Ken'Ichi found out about Chad's infidelity a year ago, but now that it was just the two of them in a completely new city in a completely new country, they both able to get away from their problems and frustrations (at least for the moment) and reconnect again.

"So Ken, what was so important that you had to sneak on a plane without a word to anyone just to tell me?"

Ken'Ichi lowered his eyes from the windows and the glimmer in his eyes that shined from the excitement and amusement quickly faded away. As great as things were for that moment, Ken'Ichi couldn't lose sight on what he had came here for.

"I really messed things up back home, dad."

"Okay, that's a start."

"And I knew that you would be the only one to understand, because... of what happened last year."

Chad raised an eyebrow slightly in curiosity and surprise. He had a vague and familiar feeling of where this was going, although he wanted to believe that wasn't the case.

Ken'Ichi and Chad were walking along the shore of the beach, letting their bare feet feel the sand and the cool tide. An hour had passed and Ken'Ichi told his father his whole story. From the very first day he laid eyes on Toshiro to the first kiss he shared with him. From Dan's resentment of Toshiro all the way to that disastrous night just a few days ago and what Loly did to him. From his growing feelings for Toshiro to his growing distance from Loly and his friends. All the lies, the secrets, the deception, the betrayal, and the cheating, especially the cheating, was now poured out in front of Chad for him to see.

"Wow." That was all Chad could see. Wow. He was surprised that all of this had happened and Ken'Ichi mananed to keep it under wraps for such a while. "So, that's how it all happened, eh?"

"Dad, I screwed up so bad. It's like I couldn't have handled it any worse if I tried." What really tip things for the boy was the look on Toshiro's face when he found out. He was so hurt and crushed. It broke Ken'Ichi's heart to see him that way. That was what was hitting him the hardest. "You should've seen the look on Toshiro's face. He hates me. Everyone hates me."

Ken'Ichi then felt a strong hand softly pat him on the shoulder. "I don't. And neither does anyone else."

"Oh yeah? Try telling that to Toshiro, Loly, Menoly, Menoly, Dan, and the rest of the student population." Ken'Ichi began to feel tears forming in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall. Despite this, he began to choke up. "I've lost my reputation, my girlfriend, my best friend, ... and my... my b-boyfriend..."

"Ken, you're only 14. Believe me, you were just confused was all. You wanted to like Loly, but yet, you couldn't fight these feelings for Toshiro. Kinda like me with Ichigo and Nova." Chad remembered a few years back how although he was with Ichigo, he eventually fell for Nova, hurting his family for those next two years because of it.

"I couldn't choose. I didn't-I didn't want to. I tried to eat my cake and have it too, and now it's spilled all over my lap."

"It's okay for you to have been confused, but you have to choose now. It doesn't matter, it shouldn't matter if you're in love with a girl or a guy, it matters whether you were happy. So who did you feel happier with?"

Toshiro. He instantly answered that question in his head. "...You think I should go talk to him?"

"I think... you should do whatever you wanna do."

"I feel like I can't just leave it like this." Ken'Ichi sat down on the soft and Chad sat closely next to him. "What would you-what did you do when... Ichigo found out?"

It was painful to rethink of that night and all the horrible things they had said to one another, but it didn't take Chad long to remember everything from that scenario.

"Well, I thought the same thing. I didn't want things to end the way it did, but I also thought about how angry was he and how hurt he was, and... how I should just wait and let him come to me."

"How long do I have to wait?"

"But then again, sometimes waiting isn't good enough. You have to be assertive to get the things you want. Maybe that's what I lacked in getting your father back." Chad then stood up from the ground, ignoring the sand on the back of his pants. "Not everyone's gonna like you. Sometimes, you really have to choose. Sometimes you can't have it both ways. Believe me, I learned that the very hard way."

"But what do I do now? I mean, how do I fix things?"

"Start by telling the following your heart to the person you love, and you know who that is."

Chad was met with a sudden and unexpected embrace from his son. Ken'Ichi's hands gripped slightly tighter on his father as he felt strong hands wrap around him as well.

Despite everything they went through, they both needed this. They both missed this.

In that moment for the first time in over a year, Chad and Ken'Ichi felt like an actual father and son again.

A week later...

"Toshiro?" Rangiku called for her nephew. She walked into his open room to see him folding his clothes into a large black duffle bag.

"Where are you going?"

"I can tell you where I'm leaving."

"Are you going home?" Rangiku said with a slight sense of relief in her voice. "To see your grandma in the hospital?"

Toshiro gave his aunt a rather cold and distant glare before answering "...I've decided to stay elsewhere."

"What? Where?" Rangiku asked somewhat incredulously. She was the only family Toshiro had out here in KaraKura Town. Where else-who else could he go to stay with?

"...Uncle Shima. There's a holdout couch in his apartment."

"Shima! He lives all the way in Gifu! Why do you wanna go there?"

"Because life here sucks!" Toshiro angrily threw a folded shirt into his bag, followed by a careless toss of two pairs of jeans.

"Great, Toshiro!" Rangiku sarcastically remarked. "Avoid one drama in your life because of another one, huh?"

Toshiro threw another pair of trousers into his bag when he realized who she was talking about. "There's no drama with Ken'Ichi and me! I'd hafta care for there to be something at all!"

"You're running away from all your problems! Be a man a face up to them!"

"I am a man, first of all." Toshiro coldly corrected. "And besides, after what happened at that party, I want nothing to do with him anymore and that includes being in the same town as him!"

Rangiku sighed a defeated breath. "That's not the point. whenever something beyond your control happens, you wanna pack up and leave first chance you get!"

"That's not it!"

"Then why don't you want to see your dying grandmother, huh?"

Toshiro opened his mouth, but words to justify himself wouldn't come out. All that followed was a defeated breath. "...All I want is for someone to not judge me, and believe me, the last thing I need right now is a relationship."

"Okay, fine, I'm sorry." Rangiku said in complete defeat. "I promise I won't mention your grandmother again. It's just... Toshiro, I think you're really gonna regret it if you don't go see her!" Rangiku was pratically begging her nephew now, but it apparently fell on death ears, as Toshiro ignored her and continued to pack up his stuff, much to her frustration.

"Fine, I give up." Rangiku threw her hands up to total defeat and left the entrance to his room.

A few long moments passed before Toshiro's cell phone began to ring. He walked over to his desk to see that it was Momo.

'Dammit' Toshiro thought. As if his aunt wasn't enough, he was getting sick and tired of her always calling him every one or two days to try and convince him to come back to Nagasaki. Despite this, he answered the phone with a dull 'hello'.

This time, however, was different. She wasn't concerned. She sounded angry.

"Toshiro Hitsuguya, your grandmother is on her deathbed and you're in complete denial, still? What kind of grandson are you? She's been calling your name for days! Don't you care?"

"Of course I care!" Toshiro replied incredously. "How could you even ask me that?"

The dial tone on the other end was the only response that he got.

"H-Hello? Momo?" Toshiro checked his phone. She had hung up on him.

Toshiro's breaths began louder and more agitated and tears began to fill his eyes as he threw the phone on the floor and rushed out of the room. He looked around to see if Rangiku was around. She wasn't. Walking slowly to the kitchen cabinet, he opened it to reveal a bottom of whiskey. Taking one more quick glance around, Toshiro snatched the bottle out and headed outside. He had to get this off of his mind.

Toshiro stumbled around the sidewalk, taking a pained sip of alcohol every four or five steps. He had continued this pattern for half an hour before he walked into a tree and leaned against it. He let out a troubled and pained sigh before he drank the remaining alcoholic liquids.

Not only was Toshiro's vision blurred from the whiskey, he felt tears further obscuring his vision. He closed his eyes and tried to relinquish himself of his worries and troubles. At least for that moment.

Until a familiar voice went through his ears.

"We, uh, need to talk."

Toshiro opened his eyes to see Ken'Ichi standing before him. It had been over a week since the party, but Toshiro remembered it clearly is if it was only five minutes ago. However, he was too slugged from the liquor to curse him out.

"You okay?" Ken'Ichi asked concerned.

"What do you want, Kurosaki? Or Sado? Whatever, what do you want?" Toshiro hazily asked.

Ken'Ichi looked down to his shoes, apparently trying to figure out the right thing to say. "Um, that's just it. I don't know what I what. Or at least, I didn't know."

Toshiro let out an irritated sigh. "Why don't you start making sense."

"...So I have this life here in KaraKura town and it's, uh, it's pretty perfect. Good home, awesome family, good school, great friends, great girlfriend."

Toshiro smirked sarcastically. "Yeah, right."

"...And then, out of the blue you show up, and suddenly, everything doesn't seem so simple anymore-"

"Because that's what I do, huh! I mess up people's lives!" Toshiro barked in an upset and drunken daze.

Ken'Ichi shook his head and replied "No, Toshiro-"

"You are so selfish! You don't think of anyone else! You don't care if you hurt people or not, you only care what you want! You only see your pain! And then, when things go wrong, you do a 180 and blame everyone else! It's always someone else's fault with you, isn't it!"

"No, Toshiro..."

"You know what? Stay away from me, because you'll be-you'll be alot better off." Grabbing the empty bottle of whiskey, Toshiro pushed past Ken'Ichi and ran away, not caring that he couldn't really see.

Scrambling back on his feet, Ken'Ichi chased after him.

Half an hour past as Ken'Ichi ran around town trying to find Toshiro. He had been wandering around aimlessly for minutes trying to find him. He didn't mean to make him upset like that. Toshiro didn't even let him finish! He had to try and explain himself again. He had spent the plane ride back home trying to find the right words and the moment he looked at him, his mind went blank.

"Oh my god! He's be killed!"

Ken'Ichi heard the voice of a woman before he then heard a gathering crowd murmuring and then finally shouting.

"Hey, someone get that kid off that roof!" one man said.

"He's trying to kill himself!" another man said.

"Call the fire brigade!" another woman said.

Ken'Ichi had already ran up to the gathering crowd of concerned civilians when he looked at the fairly tall building that everyone was staring up at and gasped in horror when he saw acertain white-haired boy holding an empty liquor bottle standing on the edge of the roof. He couldn't really get a good look at Toshiro's face, but he looked as if he was sobbing.

Without another thought, Ken'Ichi ran through the growing crowd and ran into the building.

Toshiro stood at the edge of the roof, crying freely to the point where he was hyperventilating. Feeling his anger and bitterness grow stronger yet again, he averted his gaze and looked at the buildings of Karakura Town, and saw the crowd of people underneath him begging him not to jump and that help was on the way. He responded only with a loud curse and threw the empty whiskey bottle down to the crowd, to which they ran back to let the bottle shatter on the ground and regrouped back surrounding the broken shards.

"Toshiro!"

The white-haired boy turned his head to see Ken'Ichi standing about ten feet behind him.

"Toshiro, what are you doing?"

"I'm a coward, Ken!" he sobbed. "I'm a selfish coward! She's literally dying to see me one more time, and I'm too scared to even go back!" Toshiro then took another small step onto the ledge, much to the crowd below's dismay. "I just feel like dirt, Ken... I'm lower than that!"

"No! No, you're not! Whatever it is that's going on, you can fix it!"

"No I can't!" Toshiro turned his whole body around to face Ken'Ichi.

"Yes you can!" Ken'Ichi reassured.

"How? How can I fix it?"

"Start by trusting me!" Ken'Ichi stretched his hand out to pull Toshiro back to safety, but Toshiro sadly shook his head, turned back around, and took small baby steps further out unto the ledge, the air being the only space. the next step would be his last.

With a very deep breath, Toshiro closed his eyes and walked off the edge of the roof. He heard the massive uproar of people screaming, until he felt a pair of hands grab him in midair and yank him back onto the ground of the roof. Toshiro began to sub even harder then before, to Ken'Ichi's confusion.

"What were you thinking?" Ken'Ichi screamed in a misture of worry, concern, and anger.

"I'm fine!" Toshiro choked up.

Ken'Ichi grabbed the white-haired boy and held him close. It couldn't have been just about what had happened between them a week ago. Something else must've have been going on.

"Wait a minute." Ken'Ichi pulled Toshiro far enough to face him. "Who's dying?"

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