A/N: Random plot bunnies!

Title: When Isshin met Masaki

Summary: She was beautiful, I was handsome. Every day she brought me more joy and more surprises, but we weren't your average love story. (Isshin's POV)

Rating: T

Spoilers? Unless you weren't aware that Isshin is/was a Shinigami, then no.

I can remember each day clearly. Not one memory of her is blurred or muddy. I was captain of the thirteenth squad. I enjoyed my life, it was perfect! I worked hard, I trained my troops, and I was well respected by Soul Society.

Perfection never lasts.

I was sent out on a routine trip to the living world. It was a warm but cloudy summer day. I looked to be in my early twenties—seeing as I had died at fifteen. In Shinigami years, I was almost two-hundred. Then again, I never counted those years. Time moves quickly here.

Hollows are weak creatures...I had cleared the area that I was designated and that's when I saw her. Oh! How my heart thundered, seeing her flowing brown hair and warm eyes. She was with her friends having lunch. It was on that very day that I knew I wanted to watch over this mortal woman. I can't explain my feelings, for it could have been love at first sight, but to this day...I don't know.

For weeks, I kept an eye on her. She was a brave woman, who stayed out of trouble yet knew how to handle every situation. My good friend, Urahara was the first to suggest it.

"Well..." he said waving his fan in front of his face. "Why not leave Soul Society to be with her?"

I ran a hand down the length of my face. "Leave my squad?" They were like family to me.

"I heard Ukitake was willing to take your place..."

I rubbed my chin and pondered this...but the one problem was that...She had no idea who I am.

&3&3&3&3

It was autumn when I first heard her name. Masaki. I committed it to memory, I whispered it in my sleep, for it was the name of my angel. Oh! The nights when I would lie awake and wonder what life would be like with her!

As I had grown accustom to, I followed Masaki from work. She was humming softly while holding her pink umbrella in her hand. Nothing was out of the ordinary...that is until she turned into an alleyway.

I wanted to wail out in horror. "No! My love! It's dangerous!" I quickly followed her once more. Yet, I found no evil hollow or a mugger, rapist, and the list goes on. She turned around in the middle of that disgusting and still very dangerous alleyway. Her brown eyes connected with mine and I felt my heart stop.

"Are you some sort of...guardian angel?" She asked, so so sweetly in that gorgeous voice of hers. My face felt frozen with shock.

"Y-you can see me?" I pointed to my chest in a rather foolish manner.

"I have been able to for a long time now..." A small smile on her pretty face. There was just a hint of worry...or fear in her eyes. I wanted to tell her everything, about my world and hers, the line in between.

"Perhaps...it's fate then...that I can see you." Masaki said and she reached out, touching the fabric of my black kimono. Her eyes widened when she realized...I was real. "Do you have a name?" She asked removing her hand and how I longed for her touch once more.

"Isshin Kurosaki." I grinned a very wide and stupid grin.

"Thank you, for protecting me. When you're around...those terrifying beings stay away." Hollows. I wanted to correct her, yet I forgot how my lips worked. Little raindrops started to fall and hit her face, my clothes, the dirty ground and I motioned towards her umbrella.

"You should open that." I said and Masaki laughed. I imagined, if angels existed, that's what they would sound like.

"I enjoy the rain." Masaki tilted her face upwards and let the water hit her skin.

"Ah." I replied lamely. I didn't know how she felt about me. Here I was, a very handsome man. We were in the same age range—human years. I wanted to impress her. "Masaki? Do you mind if I walk you home?"

"You do everyday, why should today be any different?" She opened her umbrella and stepped to the side so I could share it with her. It was a truly tender and adorable act. Knowing she could see me wasn't just a mystery...it was a blessing. Urahara's words floated into my mind and I felt my stomach fill with butterflies. To live a normal life with Masaki...it'd be a dream come true.

&3&3&3&3&3

When winter came around, my Vice Captain was taking care of nearly everything. I was in the living world, spending my days and nights with Masaki. She found it exciting to have an 'invisible' boyfriend. I was waiting on Urahara to contact me about the gigai, but for now we were happy.

It was before the New Year that I had to return to Soul Society. Urahara was waiting for me in my quarters and he looked much older than he really was.

"Yoruichi and I are planning on leaving..."

"Commander allowed it?" I questioned, with one eyebrow raised.

Urahara gave a small laugh. "No...no...we have...things to do. Sorry, old friend." Urahara stood up and I knew that was the end of our conversation. Moments later, I was called to speak with our Commander.

I had a feeling it was going to be an eventful day...so I was prepared when I stepped into the long hall with the Commander in his chair.

"Kurosaki."

I bowed out of respect.

"Reports tell us that you have spent countless months in the living world."

"That is true, sir."

"Do you have a reason?"

"To keep the town safe."

"Lies!" The Commander smashed his cane against the wood. "There are lesser Shinigami protecting that area. You are a Captain, we need you here."

"There are twelve other Captains." I knew arguing was...stupid. A fool in love. That's all I was.

"Silence!" The Commander twitched his eyebrow. "You have been taken in by a woman!"

I gave a nod. But my love for her burned deep within my heart, so I raised my head and my voice was strong.

"I love her! You have never reprimanded us for love! We have never been punished for marrying! Why is it so wrong that I fell in love with a human?"

"We are dead, Kurosaki!"

"We all die! Shall I suffer and wait for her to join me? When she may have no memory of me!"

"It is a sacrifice you must make for you squad."

"She knows enough! She won't reveal our secrets, she loves me too! I wish to be with her."

"You are lucky, Kurosaki." The Commander seemed to be scowling at me. "That you a strong and valued Shinigami."

"There are plenty of strong and valuable Shinigami!"

"You are no longer permitted to go to the living world! We need you here!" The Commander was denying me my love...my life...the only woman to take my heart and hold it gently. I felt something twist in my stomach.

"I step down as Captain." I grabbed the front of my white robe, with a mighty pull, I tore it off. He did not look surprised.

"You abandon your comrades?!" No, he was not surprised. He was upset. I stood my ground.

"My comrades will have a new leader. Ukitake is filling my role, he is a good man who will lead my squad with honor and virtue." I was determined and I wasn't going to loose.

There was a heavy pause.

"A human and a Shinigami...you are a fool, Kurosaki."

"I am a fool." I admitted with a small shrug. "But I have spent decades with Soul Society...I wish to live."

The Commander stared at me but said nothing. I turned on my back, holding onto just a scrap of fabric that once was my Captain robe. I had no regrets.

&3&&3&3&3&3

I had my gigai and to everyone else in Karakura, I was just a nice man running a clinic with his beautiful fiance. Urahara ran a shop but was on the 'down-low' as he said. Our life was blissful, every morning I would awake to see my angel lying beside me.

Masaki was full of surprises.

"What is that called...when you send someone to Soul Society?" She asked one morning while we sipped our coffee together and listened to the news in the background.

"A soul burial." I stated calmly and the look on Masaki's face was one of curiosity. She tapped an elegant finger onto her chin, her sparkling brown eyes looking to the ceiling.

"I'd like to see one."

"Why?" I choked on some of my coffee.

"Because I wish to know what will happen when my spirit leaves my body..."

"My love, Soul Burials are only preformed to souls who remained on earth. Most people move on just fine..."

"Isshin...please?" How could I deny her?! This gorgeous, young, brown-haired beauty. My love. My life. I turned my back on Soul Society, left that chapter of my life, broke the rules to be with her. I never went into my Shinigami form. Unless a strong Hollow appeared, I was just a normal young man.

"Okay." I nodded and leaned over the table. She giggled and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. Masaki was so cute when she did that, so very modest about our relationship. It was just so pure.

&3&3&3&3&3

I popped the green pill into my mouth and my body flopped back onto the bed. The torn piece of my Captain's robe was now around my arm. I helped Masaki onto my back and she clutched onto my shoulders as I jumped from our bedroom window.

I never went searching for a lost soul. It was fun, actually. Almost like hide-and-seek!

We found a older woman wandering around a street corner, mumbling to herself. Masaki hopped off my back and stood away as I walked forward.

"Hello, miss." I greeted and the elderly woman nearly had a heart-attack—too bad she was already dead.

"Have you seen my grandson? We were just walking along and I can't find him!" I shook my head sadly. This woman was in denial about her death...maybe she didn't even know that she passed on. I calmly explained that an accident must have happened and that she was no longer alive. Which was why she couldn't find her grandson and why she couldn't speak with anyone.

The woman took some time to accept her death. I gave a glance back at Masaki, who had her hands clasped in front of her and her brown eyes were tinted with sadness. I cleared my throat and muttered the incantation before pressing the hilt of my sword to her forehead. The elderly woman didn't flinch...she just...accepted it and disappeared.

Masaki was crying when I turned back to her.

"Masaki! Don't cry—oh—please, please, please don't cry!" I would have gotten to my knees and begged. Her perfect face was streaming with tears. "Oh I knew I shouldn't have let you seen that." I rubbed her back in soothing circles. "I'm so so sorry! Please, forgive me." I bowed my head in shame.

"Isshin?"

"Yes?" I didn't lift my eyes from the pavement.

"When I die...promise me something...promise me you'll do the Soul Burial on me." Masaki said when she had regained her composure. I looked up and saw that her face was honest and sincere.

"Don't talk like that!" I nearly started crying. "I never want to think of my Masaki, no longer alive." I smoothed her hair and wiped the tears off her face. I cupped her face in my hands and stared deeply into her eyes.

"Isshin...we all die. You're a Shinigami...you must know that more than anyone." Masaki gave a tiny laugh but I knew it was forced.

"No, our love will last forever. It will." I nodded, almost numbed by her words.

"Please, Isshin. Can you make that promise?" Masaki asked once more.

"Yes...I can." I leaned down and kissed her in the middle of a street. Granted, it was well past midnight and no one was awake but still...it meant something—that kiss we shared was more than any kiss we shared before. It was as if our barriers between our worlds had finally collapsed. Our worlds were connected just through our hearts.

&3&3&3&3&3

When Ichigo was born, I knew he would possess a ridiculous amount of spiritual energy. His mother could see and talk to spirits, I was a Shinigami. But I move on from the past and to more present times.

Rukia Kuchiki, my third daughter. I knew her last name—and for some strange reason I knew that Ichigo would be with this woman for the rest of his life. Urahara always kept me updated, when I found out he went to Soul Society...I wasn't surprised.

He was willing to go to Soul Society to save Rukia.

I was willing to leave Soul Society to protect Masaki.

When I found out, my son!, achieved Bankai—to save Rukia. I only grinned like an idiot because I knew I would train until every part of me hurt in order to save someone I cared about.

I was overjoyed when Ichigo finally properly introduced Rukia to the family.

Rukia was the only person I knew that made my son happy again. Sure, he'd have that ugly scowl all the time but it was different when she was around. His life improved. Although I do go out of my way to embarrass him but hey! A father's gotta do what he's gotta do.

My boy is as reckless as I was back in those days! Ignore the rules because LOVE CONQUERS ALL!

And you can't tell me that they don't have something going on. I pay attention to Rukia's reitsu and it jumps when Ichigo's around. His bright blue and her milky white auras. They're not aware how much their reitsu's touch and nuzzle one another.

My reitsu is red and Masaki's was pink. She had a strong spiritual reitsu just because of her medium abilities. Our reitsu's would do the same thing, they twirled and danced with each other. Like separate entities of their own.

I even knew the exact moment Ichigo kissed Rukia. Ordinarily, I would have kicked down the door and screamed for him to keep his dirty hands off the precious Rukia-Chan! But, then I remembered Byakuya Kuchiki's face. I also realized that if Rukia and Ichigo got together, Byakuya would be my relative. The hilarity of that image alone kept me from barging in to his room.

What was I talking about again?

Right, Ichigo...I don't know if my son believes in fate. But for me, Fate led me to Masaki and for him...Fate led him to Rukia. The only one to truly stop the pain in his heart and give him the strength to protect.

Oh and for the record...I did preform the Soul Burial on Masaki. But that moment was too tender, tragic, and personal for me to ever release...even in my own monolauge.

A/N: I had a lot more ideas for this. Oh well. Hope you guys enjoyed it even the IchiRuki was more or less at the end...teehee!

Please review and let me know what you thought. Writing 'Serious Isshin' is a lot more difficult than writing 'Crazy Isshin.' It was also difficult for me to see him as a younger adult, mid-twenties without the gray hair or the stubble. Oh well.

Special thanks: GhibliGirl91
She inspired me to finish this. xD