I have another excuse for updating late... I brought a new game for my DS and I can't stop playing it. I should get a Wii this year, it's already cheap by now.
Berry Angel by Boogermeister
83- Demon
Tensa glanced around the Seireitei as he followed his mother's closest friends. He just blinked, he doubted that he could remember any of it when he was a baby. From what he was told, many of the Squad Captains took a liking to him . . . . despite of his father. It was partially the reason why his mother Ichigo was afraid to let him go to the Soul Society, he was afraid that the others out here would judge the child. Shrugging off the bad thoughts, he jogged up to Rukia.
"Rukia, is there anything fun to do here?" he asked.
"Um, I usually like to draw, would you like to do that?" she smiled.
"Actually . . . . Mom said something about your drawing, that it's childish-looking," he shrugged.
"Ah, that's just his opinion," she scoffed lightly. "But do you like it, Tensa?"
"It's all right, I guess," he shrugged.
"At least he's being half-honest," smirked Renji, earning a light punch from the petite Vice-Captain. "Ah, we do have fun but it's mostly for grown-ups-"
"Yachiru wouldn't like that, hearing from you," smiled Tensa. "Maybe I could ask her later on, but it'd probably be about eating sweets." As they talked, some of the Soul Reapers walked past them and eyed intently at the young kid. They whispered among themselves, and Renji turned his head to frown at them. What were their problems? "Renji, can we get some food?" asked Tensa.
"Yeah . . . . sure, kid," muttered the red-head as he gave a knowing glance at Rukia, who frowned a little. "Is there anything you'd like to eat, 'cause there's no such thing as fries here."
"Ah, doesn't matter, I'll eat anything," he nodded.
"Then I guess we could go to there, agree?" asked Rukia as she pointed out a nearby restaurant.
"Okay." They walked up to the small restaurant, seeing that it was half-full as they entered. Some of the patrons glanced up and instantly frowned at the oblivious child, who glanced around. "What kind of food do they have here?" he asked.
"Uh, let's see . . . ." Renji sighed, but was interrupted by the nearby patrons' voices.
"Lieutenant Abarai, must you bring that brat here?" scoffed one of them and it caught his attention.
". . . . What was that?" he frowned.
"Renji?" frowned Tensa but was pulled back by Rukia, who tensed in concern. Then he immediately figured it out, they were referring to him. It wasn't long until the bickering soon became a heated argument about whether or not Tensa should be around. It shouldn't be his fault, he didn't have a choice but to come here to control his new powers.
"Renji . . . ." Byakuya suddenly came by and frowned stiffly at the situation, Renji halted his raised fist at one of the men and stared at his superior in a bit of guilt. "What is going on here?"
"Nii-sama . . . ." Rukia muttered, but he already understood it.
"Is there any reason why you decided to have a quarrel with my subordinate?" he questioned the patrons.
"Tch, isn't it obvious?" they frowned, as some glared at the defenseless child. "Why should we care about having this kid as a Soul Reaper? Who knows that he'd become like that bastard?" Tensa said nothing as he glanced down, what was there to say to defend that? It was true . . . . his father was evil from what he had overheard from his mother's bitter ranting all those time.
". . . . I have truly doubt that, there is no evidence to prove it since he had died years before this child's powers were developing," he muttered.
"And why're you defending him, Captain Kuchiki? His father was the reason why you and your sister was nearly killed by him!"
"Yes, him . . . . not the child," frowned Byakuya.
"What . . . .?" Tensa gasped softly and glanced at Rukia. "Is that true, Rukia?"
". . . . It is true, Tensa," she muttered sadly.
"It doesn't matter," the Captain muttered, stepping in front of the two. "Despite of his parentage, this child will not be like him, ever. There is a better chance that his skills will be that of Ichigo Kurosaki's . . . ." He then narrowed his eyes at the men. "I defend this child because I had owed it to his parent, and even as an infant I saw nothing that was considered malice. And another reason why I'm defending him because he is a guest in my estate during his stay. Do you have a problem with that . . . . at all?"
The men couldn't say anything at that, they only stepped away from his intimidating gaze. "Tensa . . . . let's go now," muttered Byakuya as he turned to leave.
"Ah, all right . . . ." frowned Tensa as they left the restaurant. "Um, Mr. Kuchiki . . . ."
"There is no need to feel ashamed about it," he replied quietly. "You're the one that are learning the basic skills just to harness your powers. Nothing more . . . ."
"He's right, Tensa . . . . for now, let's concentrate on your training," sighed Rukia, patting on his shoulder. Tensa nodded lightly, but the unneeded guilt was still there in his head.
84- Stepfather
It shouldn't have happened but it did on that night.
It was very unlikely that Tensa would ever argue with Starrk, but it happened one night when Tensa was fighting against a very strong Hollow. He was significantly injured before defeating it and his mother's friend Orihime patched him up. "Tensa . . . . maybe you should take a breather and let another Soul Reaper patrol the city," muttered Starrk.
"Why? I'm only one who doing this, so it's my job," frowned Tensa as he went back into his body.
"He might have a point, just contact the Soul Society to see if anyone can be assigned here," sighed Ichigo. "Thanks Orihime, I'll see you tomorrow."
"All right, Ichigo," nodded Orihime as she left.
"Anyway . . . . you're trying too hard, Tensa," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're still a child, you need to be concerned about your schoolwork."
"Tch, at my age, you were already taking on stronger enemies, Mom," Tensa frowned.
"But I didn't ask for it, but you have a choice," Ichigo debated. "Why do you think that the Soul Society allowed me to stop?"
"Because they owed you one," the teen blurted out before he could stop himself, and his mother stared at him in disbelief.
". . . . What was that?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes.
"I . . . . I mean that, because you helped them that they should owe you by you not being a Soul Reaper anymore," he explained boldly. Starrk sensed the rising tension from his lover and stood up from the couch. He had a feeling that he couldn't back away from this.
"And why is that?" Ichigo questioned again.
"Tensa, you said enough," frowned Starrk. "We can discuss this later tomorrow . . . ."
"Why? No other Soul Reapers want to be here because of me," he scoffed. "They still think of me as some dangerous enemy. All because of him-"
"Enough of this, Tensa," Ichigo frowned angrily. "Do what we say and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
"No, I'm tired of dodging this topic already, I'm almost a goddamn adult!" he scowled.
"Do not use that tone against your mother like that, Tensa!" Starrk scolded at him.
"No, I need to say what's on my mind!" he argued heatedly. "So what that I'm his son? What can be done about it except to prove myself to the Soul Society that I am not like him? It's not like I wished for it but it just happened!"
"Don't talk like that, you don't understand-"
"Stop it, Starrk! You're not even my real father!"
SMACK!
Tensa's breathing staggered as the pain suddenly stung at his cheek. Slowly, he turned his head glance at his mother, who was beyond mortified with his widened eyes. "How dare you . . . ." he breathed so lowly, so lowly that the tone made Tensa frozen in shock. "He had risked his life for you, helped me to raise you, loved you like any parent should . . . . And this is how you repay him?"
"M-Mom . . . .?" Tensa muttered.
"You have no idea what happened to me there!" Ichigo suddenly shouted at him, and he flinched. "I was drugged, raped, and tortured by that damn monster! For two years, I was nearly broken before my escape! I tried to protect you from him, lost Masaki because of him but it's nothing to you, isn't it? I sacrificed myself for you, and you act like an ungrateful bastard!"
"Mom, I-I . . . ."
"No! I won't hear it, Tensa!" he screeched, unaware that warm tears was beginning to pour from his chocolate eyes. "I would give up everything for you, but you have no idea how much I've tried to protect you from the entire truth! That you weren't even born out of love, just as a living weapon for him!" He breathed harshly as he glared at his son. Tensa stared back in shock, he realized it.
What had he done? Ichigo just shook his head as he took a step back. "It's just nothing to you, isn't it?" he scoffed hurtfully, turning to run upstairs. The sound of the bedroom door slamming shut echoed the quiet duplex. Tensa flinched slightly at the noise before glancing at his stepfather. The usually lazy brunet was just as hurt.
"S-Starrk-"
"Don't talk, just go to your room," he ordered stiffly, moving upstairs without much of a glance at him. But the teen was afraid to move his legs, he just stared down at the floor as his own eyes were stinging with tears. The atmosphere was still thick with tension the next morning, when Tensa realized that his mother hadn't come in to wake him up as usual. But it was different, it was filled with solmnness when he walked downstairs. He saw his mother cleaning the dishes in the kitchen.
But as soon as he stepped closer, Ichigo paused in his action and just stared down at the sink. ". . . . Mom?" he muttered. But Ichigo said nothing, or even turned around. "Mom, about last night . . . . I . . . . I didn't really mean to say that to Starrk," he muttered. "Please, Mom . . . . I'm really, really sorry. I truly didn't mean to say it . . . ."
Again, Ichigo said nothing as he crossed his arms. "Mom . . . ." he frowned sadly as he stepped up to him and reached for his shoulder. But his mother coldly flinched away, and he noticed that. "Mom, I'm sorry . . . ."
". . . . Go to school," Ichigo mumbled, moving past him to go upstairs. Tensa knew it, he had crossed the line as the day slowly went by. What can he do to ease the pain? He knew that he couldn't talk to his mother's friends. They would look at him the same way his parents did.
"Hey, kid," Grimmjow called out to him when he left school. "Hey . . . . what's wrong?" he frowned when he noticed the teen's saddened face. Tensa reluctantly told him, since he was just Ichigo's rival, but the former Sexta's frown deepened at the story. "I could care less about Soul Reapers but what you said to Kurosaki . . . . that was just wrong," he scoffed softly as they wandred through the park.
"It just happened, I didn't mean to say that," sighed Tensa.
". . . . I used to be your old man's soilder, I told you that," he muttered. "I actually didn't care about serving under him. Ever since I first saw Ichigo, I knew I just wanted to fight him again and again. But that stopped when you popped out . . . . and believe me, I kinda blamed you for making him weak."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you were Aizen's kid, and because of that you were expected to be like him," he honestly replied. "But I had a feeling that Ichigo would do something for you. That's why I hid away in the last battle. I promised myself to fight you once you get older."
"But all those times . . . ." muttered Tensa, but Grimmjow smirked a little.
"Nah, I like being around you, guess you can call what we have a friendly rivalry," he sighed. "Anyway . . . . I doubt that Kurosaki hates you, you just accidently opened up old wounds."
"But . . . . neither him or Starrk are talking to me, I really screwed up-" All of a sudden, they felt a heavy amount of reiatsu above them before a giant Hollow materialized.
"Shit," scoffed Grimmjow, while the teen immediately used the soul badge on him. He didn't have time to dwell on his problems now, he now had to defeat the monster.
Later . . . .
"Ugh . . . ." Tensa muttered as his eyelids fluttered open. "What . . . .?"
"Ah, he's finally awake!"
"Huh?" he blinked and realized the glow over him. It was Orihime's power. "What's happening . . . .?"
"Tensa . . . .?" He glanced up and saw his mother kneeling over him, tears trickling over his cheeks.
"Mom . . . .?" muttered Tensa as the glow dispersed and he sat up, only to get hugged tightly.
"I'm sorry, Tensa . . . ." Ichigo mumbled tearfully. "I knew that you didn't mean it last night, but I was so hurt that I . . . . I pushed you away for one time, and looked what happened."
"Huh . . . . what did?" Tensa frowned.
". . . . You were stabbed in the abdomen when you were fighting a Hollow," explained Orihime. "Luckily, Grimmjow saved you and quickly brought you home."
"Tch, that damn Hollow pulled a fast one on us but I killed it," grumbled Grimmjow.
"I'm so sorry, Tensa . . . ." Ichigo muttered, hugging him tighter as he caressed the right side of his hair. "If I had tried to talk to you earlier-"
"It was my fault too," muttered Tensa as he hugged back. "I was angry but I didn't mean to take it out on you and Starrk."
"I know, but I'm still sorry," he muttered.
"Agh, damn it! Both of you guys are sorry!" scowled Grimmjow, turning to leave. "This is some bullshit . . . .!"
"Uh, guess I'll leave you two alone also," stammered Orihime. "I'll see you later, Ichigo . . . ."
"Thank you, Orihime," sniffed Ichigo as his friend left. ". . . . Tensa, I was really angry but mostly at myself. I didn't mean to hold all of that in me but it shouldn't have happened that way."
"I know, Mom . . . ." frowned Tensa. "I'm sorry too, I didn't wanna hurt you and Starrk." He felt a hand on his back and he glanced up to see Starrk kneeling beside the mother and son.
". . . . We understand that, Tensa," muttered the brunet.
"I'm sorry, Starrk," sighed Tensa as he hugged him. "You know I really love you like a real Dad . . . ."
"Of course, I know that," he sighed, patting him on the back.
85- Product
After that ordeal a few weeks back, Tensa constantly thought about what his mother had ranted to him. He had already knew that but to hear it straight into his face . . . . that he was the result of manipulation and the violation of his mother's innocence. Despite being loved by his family and close friends, he couldn't help but think why they chose to. That he was nothing but a 'product' of his mother's rape. His evil father was the reason why he came into that world.
Hueco Mundo, to which his mother often called 'hell'. But he didn't get it, Ichigo even admitted that he was unwanted at first. So why the change? He was told that his mother accepted him when his life was coming back, and the desire to protect him developed as soon as he was born.
But what would had happened if his mother hadn't accepted him at all? He could have been despised for what happened to him, that he was the reason that his life was ruined forever. He wondered why everyone around him does the opposite and welcomed him with opened arms. His only answer was that he was a baby when they escaped. Of course anyone would lower their guards for someone like him then since he was ignorant of his supposed destiny of being a 'weapon'.
Tensa frowned sadly as he hid out on the school rooftop, he was skipping class but it was the least of his problems. All he wanted to do was ask about it to someone.
"Ah! Tensa, you're hiding out here?" Michirou questioned, stepping out onto the rooftop with Naomi. "If you're missing out the classes, then something gotta be wrong." Tensa said nothing as he glanced up at his friends, his face was etched with stress when they walked up to him.
". . . . It's kinda true," muttered Tensa, glancing away.
"What happened, did someone die in your family?" Naomi asked softly as if to offend him but he shook his head.
"No, it's something else . . . ." he muttered. "A hypothetical question, guys . . . . do either of you have a deep family secret?"
"Huh?" Both of them glanced at each other before Michirou frowned in confusion. "What do you mean by that? I think all families have some type of secrets."
"No I mean that one so deep that it could hurt everyone," he rephrased, standing up. "I have that one . . . . it's been with me my entire life."
"Like what? Don't tell me you have, like, a serial killer in the family," he joked lightly with a smirk. But the other teen just frowned, and his friend's expressions faltered. "Oh shit . . . . tell me that I was just joking, Tensa," he gasped.
"Well . . . . you're only half right, Michirou," he muttered quietly, and his friends flinched in a mix of shock and surprise. "Actually, it's about my real Dad . . . ."
"Um, Tensa, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to," muttered Naomi.
"But you guys don't understand," he frowned. "I'm different from everyone else, and I really mean different. You see . . . . over a year before I was born, my mother was sixteen when he was kidnapped by him. He was controlling and manipulative . . . . And because of that, that was how I was born . . . ."
"You mean . . . .? Shit, and to think that I used to bully you during middle school," frowned his friend.
"You didn't know," Tensa mumbled. "That is why my Mom wanted to protect me from the truth until a few years back."
"Then your real father . . . ." The teen turned his back to stare out the horizon of the city, crossing his arms.
"Dead, when I was a little over one year old," he muttered in a stiff tone. "Because my Mom killed him . . . ." He didn't turn back to see his friends' reactions, either because he knew or he rather didn't want to look. "It was in self-defense, my father tried to hurt me and my mother just snapped . . . . stabbed him in the throat." It was the half-truth, like they would believe that his father was beheaded with a sword. "Still, I can't but feel like shit because of what my mother had been through. I couldn't tell if he was smiling for me or to lie to himself that he wasn't affected by the ordeal."
". . . . Tensa . . . ." Naomi frowned sadly, she stepped closer but paused to leave him space. ". . . . Can't you go to a sort of therapist for it?" She was right, but it was easier said than done. In a way, he and his family were a world different from them. His father, Sousuke Aizen, was a powerful Soul Reaper with a god complex, killing anyone in order to achieve his goals. That was why he was born; his father only wanted him just to consume him because of his powers.
That was the reason why his mother constantly wished and prayed that he didn't develop powers but it happened regardless when he was just eleven. Both of his parents were strong, so what can it be done now that he is just as powerful? ". . . . I'll talk to my Mom about it," he muttered, glancing back at the two. "I'll see if anything can be done . . . ."
86- White (A/N: when Tensa's still a preteen...)
Ichigo covered the entire wall in a bright royal blue color. Now that he finally have gotten the lease for his new office, he wanted to change it the moment he saw that the three rooms were a basic white. His friends didn't bother to ask why he wanted to paint the office after one of them brought up the subject. "Why not just leave it white?"
Ichigo stiffened slightly at that before shaking his head and smiling. "No, my patients are children, they'd need to see colors so they wouldn't be afraid of going to the doctor," he shrugged. "Besides, I've heard that white is too sterile to people's eyes . . . ." That was one of the reasons, as he continued to paint in primary colors. He didn't want to dwell on the thought further. White was the only color that he didn't want to see so long, despite that the color meant for purity and other positive things.
To him, it only meant imprisonment in his hell all those years ago.
87- Blood
Ichigo flinched slightly when he sliced a tomato in half, the vegetable (or fruit as his son had informed him) squirted out juice the moment the blade touched the thin skin. "Damn . . . ." he sighed. His shirt was ruined but he resumed dicing the tomato before dumping the pieces into the bowl.
That was then when he glanced at his hands covered in juice. He just stared at it when a brief flashback suddenly came up. His tormentor's blood when he had beheaded him in his Hollow form. When he had lost it from seeing Tensa's own blood. ". . . . Ichigo?"
"Huh? What?" Ichigo blinked back to reality to see his lover frowning at him in confusion.
"What happened? You just blanked out," muttered Starrk.
"Oh . . . . I was thinking about something but I forgot it now," mumbled Ichigo, he reached for another tomato to cut it. He shouldn't think about that again for now.
88- Light
Starrk nuzzled into Ichigo's neck as they finished making love. He glanced at his sleepy face and smiled a little, he looked stunning under the soft light of the bedside lamp. The former Primera had never bothered to ask why they have to have sex with the light on.
Ichigo had already explained it to him that they should do it so he could see his lover's face. Because of one of the nightmares he had of Aizen. "Sleep . . . . we got work tomorrow," Starrk muttered tiredly.
"Hmm . . . . good night, Starrk," Ichigo smiled lightly before closing his eyes, snuggling against his chest. Starrk wrapped his arm around him, just after reaching over to tug the light off.
89- Trust
Ichigo stared warily at the tall brunet Espada before him, he had seen him before but only breifly when his pregnancy was announced. "Ichigo . . . . this is Coyote Starrk," Aizen introduced. "He is the Primera Espada, and from now on he is assigned to look after you and Tensa . . . ." But the teen's body was stiffened in defense as he continued staring. He could sense that the Arrancar was strong, despite the lazy-looking demeanor on his face.
". . . . You don't have to be afraid of me, Ichigo-sama," muttered Starrk, when Aizen left, and Ichigo was slightly startled.
"I just don't want anyone near my son, that's all . . . ." he frowned, but the brunet simply moved to a corner and sat down on the floor. Ichigo frowned again when he realized that he soon fell asleep, he scoffed softly when he turned to go into Tensa's room. The young infant was already awake when he picked him up and cradled him close to his heart. "Hey there . . . . you're hungry, right?" he smiled lightly, reaching for a bottle of milk. In the other room, Starrk peeked one eye opened slightly to see the teen mumbling happily while feeding the prince.
He didn't understand most of human nature so he couldn't comprehend the idea of how to care for an infant. For the most parts he napped for a while as Ichigo's hostility for him softened gradually until the Primera was startled by Tensa's loud crying. "There, there . . . . it's all right," assured Ichigo as he cradled the infant in a gentle manner.
". . . . Why does he cry, Ichigo-sama?" questioned Starrk.
"Huh . . . .?" Ichigo frowned at him and blinked. ". . . . He's a baby, he cries in order to get his needs . . . ."
"And what does the prince need now?"
"Right now, he just needs my attention," he muttered as Tensa calmed down a little. "He doesn't like it when I'm not around . . . ." He glanced at his befuddled expression and his guard lowered as his son's cryinig ceased. "You've never seen anyone cry before?"
"No . . . . I only know that it's human nature to cry but I don't know why," he honestly answered. "I'm a Hollow, and Hollows often lose certain emotions through evolution."
"And some are all right to trust, right?" questioned Ichigo.
"You have every right to still feel hostile against me, Ichigo-sama," replied Starrk.
"No . . . . I'm kinda all right having you around since you just sit there," he muttered. Tensa's bright chocolate eyes glanced up at his mother then at Starrk and cooed as he slobbered on his tiny fists. "Very rarely do Tensa look calm with a stranger . . . . he'd usually scream his head off if someone else tried to hold him."
"So I'm not allowed to hold the prince then?" he asked. Ichigo blinked at that and put up a light smile.
"If you want to . . . . then you could hold him with my permission . . . ."
Tensa squealed in delight when Starrk held him over his head; the young toddler giggled as he was settled back down on the brunet's lap. "Th-arrk, 'gan!" he pleaded.
"Later, right now your mother want you," Starrk sighed when Ichigo walked up to him with a light smirk.
"Come here, you smelly monster," he smiled when he picked up his son. "Time for your bath . . . . Starrk can play with you later."
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Made the drabbles so dramatic here... I'm almost done! Just ten more drabbles!
Read and Review.
I'll update ASAP!