Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Word Count: 436
AN: Mini-monsters are explorers and once they learn something... trouble… And well Bya's kid- naturally…
Oh- and for all those who indulge Happy Thanksgiving!
A Kiss for Shelter
This is Ours
He could hear laughter- laughter in the western rooms…
The most perfect laughter and his son's answering coos (clearly he was as delighted by his mother as she was by him)…
He stepped in silently to lean lightly against the doorframe.
"Do it again. Go on! Do it again!" Xochitl coaxed with enthusiasm. She rotated her wrist, using her hand to indicate as she leaned over her son on the floor.
Takuma grinned his toothless grin up at her, his legs frog-kicking at air. Soon his excitable movements ceased and his face fell into seriousness.
Xochitl giggled.
A look of concentration perhaps too old for his young face passed over his features and the boy arched his back… Suddenly he was flopping over onto his stomach, his legs again kicking jauntily, this time in triumph.
Xochitl laughed and clapped her hands, "Again!" The child readied himself for another attempt.
"He is not a performer, Xochitl." Byakuya spoke dryly from the doorway.
The woman looked over her shoulder at him cheekily, "But it's cute!"
Byakuya's grey eyes flicked toward the ceiling before he airily strode in and sat down next to her.
Turning toward him she smiled, "Your son, is, adorable." She leaned into him and he accepted her kiss on the cheek graciously, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
Had her attention not been stolen almost immediately by the baby rolling over yet again she might have seen the half smile appear on the noble's face.
"Our son…" Byakuya said eying his son speculatively, "His eyes… are strange."
Xochitl blinked in surprise turning her head to frown at the captain.
Byakuya did not look at her as he explained, "There are hints of green..."
"Ahh…" For a moment the woman's gaze grew distant, but she smiled slowly, "My grandmother- she had green eyes."
It was his turn to look surprised, so much so that he turned to look at her with concern. But before he might speak a clunk from across the room snatched their focus.
Byakuya flashed across the room to catch the cup mid-fall from the table Takuma had bumped in his rolling circuit of the room.
Xochitl jumped to her feet as the boy began to sniffle. She picked him up as his lip began to tremble, "You bumped your head, my love? There now- you are just too fast!"
Mother and father watched for a moment as the child seemed to steel himself, containing a whimper and swallowing back his tears. After an approving nod Xochitl looked up to meet Byakuya's eyes.
"Intrepid and brave. You are your father's son."
AN: So its pretty well done…Just trying to figure how to end it honestly... And this one here well… it could signal a whole new plot- but I don't know- I've been kicking around an idea- but… Time. I need time! And I know it's best not to make promises. We shall see…