A/N: So this is probably my favorite chapter yet. It's in Tamotsu's POV, and I just can't get enough of that little kid. He's inspired by my baby nephew, AJ.
Disclaimer: We all know that I don't own Bleach so why do I have to type it every time? It's just crushing my little heart!
Orihime kissed him on the forehead a few more times. "Mommy loves you! Okay?"
"I know…" Tamotsu whispered.
She patted his dark brown hair down and rubbed his cheeks. "God, you need a haircut," she said to herself out loud.
Tamotsu was becoming restless as all of his other classmates ran inside while his mommy was still giving him kisses. He shifted from foot to foot impatiently.
"Mommy…" Tamotsu whined and looked around the parking lot once more to see it clearing out.
Orihime fixed the buttons on his sweater and plucked a few pieces of lint off the shoulders. "Tamotsu I want you to have a good day-"
"Mommy…"
"-and listen to your teacher, please!"
Tamotsu huffed. "Mommy, I have to go!"
Orihime looked up to see the parking lot empty. "…Oh…" She stood. "Well… I'll see you later, Monkey."
Tamotsu turned on his heels and walked towards the building.
Orihime waved once more. "Bye Monkey!"
Tamotsu mumbled a "bye" and opened the door to his preschool.
Orihime continued waving until she couldn't see him anymore. Her smile soon became a frown. Orihime could have sworn Tamotsu heard her and Ichigo's argument the other night. He had been giving her the cold shoulder all morning and Orihime couldn't wrap her head around it… Orihime rocked on her heels. Maybe her little Monkey was growing up…
The baby squirmed in her belly. She was becoming more active nowadays.
Ichigo told her not to worry about the custody battle. He said that she should focus more on the baby and her pregnancy. Ichigo said he'd set up an appointment with Yoruichi and he told her to just think about all the ultrasound pictures they'll have.
Ichigo told her to just enjoy the calm. Enjoy the quiet. He said they'll get past it again and not every road is smooth. Their family just had more bumps than normal.
The woman returned to her car.
…
Tamotsu placed his jacket in his cubby and hung his book bag on the opposite hook.
"Kurosaki!"
The child looked up to see Miss Haruguchi standing over him.
"Kurosaki, why are you late?"
"My mommy-"
She clapped three times and Tamotsu immediately quieted down. She placed her hands on her bony hips. "Now, get to your table with the others so we can start our lesson!"
"But-"
"Butts are for sitting young man! And no talking back, because I'll always win."
Tamotsu let his head drop and walked away from the horrid woman. Because I'll always win. He'll show her who wins.
The other children were laughing and talking about things Tamotsu had no interest in.
What he was truly interested in was why mommy was always arguing with daddy.
Last night they said this word… It didn't sound good… Custody didn't sound good.
Tamotsu loved daddy and he loved mommy, but mommy was always crying. She was always upset. Maybe it was daddy who always made her upset. That made Tamotsu upset. It made him mad at daddy.
He even tried giving mommy a cookie… well… it was a picture of a cookie, but a cookie all the same.
Maybe he should try-
"Umf!" Tamotsu fell to the ground after bumping his head on something very hard. He rubbed his head to keep the hurt out.
"Ouch!" A tiny voice said.
Tamotsu opened his eyes to find a girl he's never seen before, rubbing her forehead vigorously.
She had short brown and was kicking her legs in the air from the pain. She wore pink and green sneakers and every time they hit the floor, the sides would light up. "Oow!" she whined.
Tamotsu blinked and stared at the girl. She has never been in his class before…
"Everyone," Miss Haruguchi clapped. "Get to your seats- Kurosaki, what are you doing down there?" She grabbed Tamotsu and the girl and lifted them off of the carpet.
Tamotsu looked back at the girl who was now staring up at their teacher.
"…I was just-"
"Never mind that! Get to your seat."
Tamotsu frowned and walked to his table with the rest of his classmates.
"Now class, we have a new student today. Her name is Misoka Kobayashi." She let the class soak her in with her short, sandy brown hair and big greenish-blue eyes. "Misoka, will you tell the class one special thing about you?"
Misoka's orbs widened. Her chest began to move up and down rapidly and Tamotsu could see the fear in her eyes.
She squeaked.
The class giggled. Tamotsu didn't.
Miss Haruguchi clapped her pasty hands together. "Now, now, class, quiet down." She smiled back down at the frightened child. "Misoka, how about you try again. And this time speak up."
Misoka nodded and swallowed.
"My name is Misoka... I like math and numbers…"
"Bravo, Misoka!" This time, Miss Haruguchi clapped in encouragement. "Here, we love numbers!"
Tamotsu scowled. The boy loved numbers. He loved counting and he loved math, but Miss Haruguchi could manage to turn something so wonderful into a robotic assembly filled with ignorant children and drone filled voices.
"Misoka, will you please sit by that young man right there." Miss Haruguchi pointed right at Tamotsu.
The girl walked to his table and Tamotsu scooted over to make room.
Miss Haruguchi told them to take out their copybooks and went on and on about the curve of a G.
She stood at the chalkboard and showed the class what she was talking about. "You don't want to close the G all the way because then it will look like an O or a Q…"
Tamotsu wasn't paying attention. He already knew his letters. Every night, mommy would show him a different letter and he had to repeat it.
Instead, he was looking at that new girl. She was sitting right next to him. She wasn't paying attention either but was coloring on the edge of her copybook.
What was she drawing...? There was a curve, then another curve… it was… it was…
"Flower…" Tamotsu whispered.
Misoka glanced at him.
Tamotsu blushed. Her eyes were so… different.
She went about her business and continued her artwork.
Miss Haruguchi turned around from the board and caught Tamotsu staring at the girl.
"Kurosaki!" Tamotsu looked at the old woman. "Pay attention please…" Miss Haruguchi considered. "Misoka, what does this spell?"
"Grass." Misoka said without looking at the board.
"Very good, Misoka!" Miss Haruguchi went on explaining the G sound and what other words four letter words start with G.
Tamotsu was the only one in class who was able to follow along without looking at the board… This girl is definitely different. "That's a pretty flower." He whispered to her.
She looked back up at him and stopped her drawing. "Thank you. My granny taught me."
Tamotsu lifted a brow. "Granny… What about your mommy?"
She blinked. "…I don't have one…"
"Remember that G can make many sounds…"
The boy cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "I don't have a mommy."
"What about a daddy?"
She shook her head.
Tamotsu couldn't understand it.
"…Like germ and grass sound different but start with the same letter…"
"Doesn't your granny teach you?" she asked him.
Tamotsu smirked. "I don't have one."
It looked as if she wanted to gasp. "Why?"
It was Tamotsu's turn to shrug. "But I have a mommy and a daddy and a grandpa."
"I have a grandpa too, but not a mommy and daddy." Misoka went back to her flower. She sat up again and asked him another question. "So who teaches you how to draw?"
Tamotsu buffed up his chest and smirked again. "No one, I learn myself!"
Miss Haruguchi turned away from the board. "Kurosaki, if I have to tell you one more time to quiet down and pay attention, I'll send you to time out!"
Tamotsu deflated in defeat.
Misoka giggled.
Something inside the boy fluttered then. It was like a bunch of tiny bells went off when she giggled like that.
Tamotsu vowed that he'd make her do it again by the end of the day.
…
Ichigo got a call last night from a surprising person...
It was Renji telling him that Rukia was in jail and Byakuya would have his head if he got involved.
It didn't tell Orihime about it. He wouldn't tell Orihime about it. He has had enough of pulling his family into the drama.
Ichigo dialed the number to the police department that was holding her.
"Can I speak to someone in booking, please?"
The officer cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Sure, give me one minute."
Ichigo was transferred to another line where he asked the office how much it would be to bail Rukia Kuchiki.
"Kuchiki Rukia?" The man looked through the bookings. "She was bailed this morning."
Bailed? Someone bailed her out already?
"Thank you." Ichigo pressed end and dialed Ishida's number.
"No, no, no." Ishida shook his head. "You'll be mentioned I the media a few times about the affair but it'll die off. If she's in the spotlight because of some overrated family drama, let her deal with it. You've dragged this company's name through the mud enough."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. Leave it to Ishida to be an asshole. "Look, Uryū, I feel as though something's up. It doesn't feel right."
Ishida scoffed. "What doesn't feel right to you, feels perfectly fine to me. Don't get your panties in a twist, Kurosaki. Especially over a woman who isn't even your wife."
Ichigo chewed on his top lip. "She's an amazing friend."
"That's not the point." Ishida knew he would make excuses.
"I get what you're saying-"
"Let it go, Kurosaki." Ishida scribbled a few notes on his pad and sat up in his chair. "It isn't worth it. Not anymore." He moved the phone to his other ear. "Go home, Kurosaki. Spend some time with Orihime. She needs you the most."
…
"Alrighty, kiddies! It's circle time!" Miss Haruguchi clapped her hands and the children all mindlessly ran to the colorful ABC carpet in the middle of the room.
Tamotsu looked up from his artwork and at the rollicking buffoons. He looked down at his crayon and read the color. "Ter… terk… turquoise…" he whispered to himself.
Miss Haruguchi waved him over. "Come on, Kurosaki. Don't be shy."
Tamotsu slowly put his crayon down and took his time walking over to the rest of the kids.
Sitting pretzel style, the children watched as their teacher made weird sounds and faces that they all had to imitate.
Only his mother could make a funny face and he would laugh. Anyone else just looked strange.
"Okay, so now we'll all count up to the number forty, together." Miss Haruguchi smiled.
They all started in unison. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve….."
Miss Haruguchi walked around the outside of the circle watching every child's face, helping them along if their pronunciation wasn't on point.
"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen-"
Miss Haruguchi stopped. A rigid smile slid on her old face. "… Kurosaki, I mean, Tamotsu… Why aren't you counting…?"
The children and Misoka stopped their rambling.
Tamotsu looked up at the woman with big, brown, innocent eyes, though he was far from it. "I already know these numbers, Miss Haruguchi."
She placed her hands on her knees and hunched over him. "But, Tamotsu, that does not excuse you from doing what you are told," Her smile dropped and her voice deepened threateningly. "Now count."
Tamotsu squint his eyes at her. They continued to stare each other down until Tamotsu finally stood. He folded his hands in front of him and closed his eyes.
"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty…" Tamotsu didn't stop, even after he reached forty.
"Tamotsu…" Miss Haruguchi watched as Tamotsu continued his counting. "Tamotsu, that's enough now."
The students were laughing uncontrollably as Tamotsu reached two hundred. Even Misoka giggled a few times which boosted the boy's confidence to the roof.
"Two hundred and thirty-one. Two hundred and thirty-two, two hundred and thirty-three…"
The old lady stomped her foot. "Tamotsu! I said that was enough!"
He continued.
"If you don't stop, I'll… I'll put you in time out!"
"Three hundred and eighty-eight, three hundred and eighty-nine, three hundred and ninety, three hundred and ninety-one…."
Miss Haruguchi walked over to her desk and dialed a number on her phone that was becoming way too familiar.
"Hello, Mrs. Kurosaki? Hi… unfortunately, no. We are having circle time and he took it upon himself to continue on counting to," Miss Haruguchi turned and looked at the counting boy.
"Four hundred and six, four hundred and seven, four hundred and eight…"
"To four hundred and ten! ... Well, no…. Would you like to speak with him...? …Fine." Miss Haruguchi walked through the circle and got down to the shouting Tamotsu's level. "Tamotsu, your mother is on the phone."
Tamotsu stopped counting and placed the phone on his ear. "Hi mommy! ….I am being a good boy! ... I'm only doing what you told me to do…" He looked up at Miss Haruguchi. "You told me next time to count to five hundred... Yes mommy." Tamotsu handed the phone back to his teach and kept on counting.
"… You want me to what?! I can't allow him to continue disturbing my class… Yes, I understand that… why does he deserve-… I do not want to have to remind you that I am on the last straw-… Yes. Fine."
After three more minutes of incessant numbering, he finally stopped.
"Four hundred and ninety-eight, four hundred and ninety-nine… Five hundred!"
Miss Haruguchi took a big breath. "Thank you, Tamotsu. How wonderful of you to count to five hundred for us…"
Tamotsu smirked and sat back down on the carpet. He snuck a glance at Misoka who looked thoroughly impressed.
He won.
…
Orihime hug the phone up and went back to the kitchen counter.
Tamotsu was acting strange… Orihime picked up a knife. She didn't know if he was acting out because of his age or if it was because she was pregnant.
She read online that children Tamotsu's age begin starving for attention because they know something is going to alter their life like a baby.
Orihime sliced an apple in half, turned it on its side and sliced it again then placed the snack on a small plate.
Either way, Orihime did notice that she and Ichigo weren't giving Tamotsu as much attention as before. Maybe it was because he felt left out.
The pregnant woman walked into the room and eased down onto her couch.
Her and Ichigo's relationship was weird… at the moment. It was routine. She'd wake up, make breakfast, give him a kiss, feed the men in her life, watch him leave, pick up and drop Tamotsu, make dinner, kiss him before bed and repeat.
They never spoke about the other woman, Rukia. It was… a mutual acceptance between the two. Yes, they've both lied and done some terrible things against their better judgment, but if Ichigo didn't love her, then he would have left her. And vise versa.
The commercial break was over and a woman with an extremely tight cocktail dress appeared gossiping about the recent news.
"The lofty Rukia Kuchiki was recently caught in a steaming affair with the audacious Ichigo Kurosaki. She was arrested yesterday morning for being accused of embezzling from her family's prestigious investment company, Kuchiki Brand, run by her adoptive brother, Byakuya Kuchiki."
They brought up two pictures, one of Rukia, the other of Byakuya. They were both entering a car, almost blocked by what looked like a bodyguard.
The woman smiled though the news was far from happy. "Rukia was bailed out of jail this morning and will be making a public apology statement later on this week."
Orihime picked up the remote, changed the channel and flipped through shows but stopped at America's Funniest Home Videos. A dog in a party-hat was chasing its own tail. It stood on its hind legs and tipped over. It was drunk.
Orihime shook her head in disappointment. At least Ichigo wasn't mentioned in the news as much as she thought he would.
That still doesn't make it right.
"I know…" Orihime whispered out loud. "But this is as good as it gets from here…" She sighed and looked down at her ever growing belly. "Isn't that right?"
Orihime could see her squeamish movements through her loose shirt.
It hit her then... She was having a baby. She was having another baby after everyone told her that she couldn't have Ichigo's child.
They said that their bodies weren't compatible. And they said that it would never work.
They said they should give up.
But after worrying and obsessing and crying for days on end and… well, being unfaithful..., she was finally pregnant with Ichigo's baby, having Ichigo's baby.
A baby girl.
She always wanted a girl. A boy was fine and Tamotsu was an angel but it was a girl that always made her giddy with happiness.
Orihime couldn't stop the giggle that rose up inside of her. The being inside of her moved. "You like it when I laugh, don't you?"
No response.
"Your daddy likes it when I laugh…" Orihime sighed. She couldn't wait for the two to meet. It was going to be very special.
Outside, Ichigo drove up into the driveway. He parked the car and got out. He took Ishida up on his offer and was coming home earlier than usual. He wanted to surprise Orihime. He didn't get to see her that morning because he left for work before she woke.
"You'll like him..." Orihime stirred up an image of Ichigo in her head. "He's tall and smart and he has a really big smile, when you can get him to smile… He likes castella and pot-roast… and pizza… a lot of pizza. He can eat a whole two boxes on his own if you let him."
Ichigo quietly opened and closed the door. He saw his wife sitting cross legged on the sofa, tapping her forefinger on her bottom lip. Ichigo loved it when she did that.
"...But he can't cook at all. Though I couldn't cook once…" Orihime crumbled her brow and frowned. "There was this terrible dinner party we had and I made squid and everyone ended up getting sick…" She sighed again. "He wasn't mad at me though… I just had to learn from my mistakes…"
Ichigo didn't show himself. He wanted her to continue.
Orihime lifted her hands above her head as if the baby could see what she was describing. "He has this really spiky orange hair. If he sits out in the sun for too long it'll become very bright and it's hard to look at him because he looks like the sun..." Orihime lowered her hands and chafed her arms in memory. "…His body is warm. I could be freezing down to my toes and all he has to do is give me a hug to warm me up."
Ichigo bit the inside of his lip to keep from bursting in laughter. If he could, he'd hug her for every second of everyday and never let go.
"He's very sarcastic and funny…" Orihime smiled the sweetest smile Ichigo believed to ever grace her face. Orihime was simply sitting, talking to her unborn child, and yet she managed to make it the most beautiful scene he's ever seen. "…He has never made fun of me… And every time we have a serious discussion that we might end up arguing about, he'll agree to disagree with me, which is extremely frustrating…" Ichigo watched her hand return to her swollen belly. "He's a good man. You'll love him. He'll hold you and kiss you and smile for you and only you which I can only get him to do…"
No response.
Orihime looked down. "Do you hear me down there?"
No response.
Ichigo thought it time for him to show himself. He walked out into the light of the living room. "Hey."
Orihime jumped and caught her breath. "Ichigo!" Why was he home? It was way too early! Tamotsu's day at preschool wasn't over yet. Tamotsu would be at recess right about now.
Ichigo placed his briefcase on the ground, strode over to Orihime, kissed her on the mouth and sat down next to her on the couch.
Orihime blinked a few times, not knowing if he was really in her presence. "Why-why are you here…?"
Ichigo sighed as he relaxed on the couch, half resting his head on her shoulder and half sprawled across the cushions. "I took a sick day." He craned to look up at her confused face. "I'm glad I did."
Ichigo took in the way she chewed the inside of her cheek. What was she afraid of? It's not like he got a peek at some of her intimate thoughts of him?
"There's no point in asking if you heard all of that, is there?" she finally said.
Ichigo didn't look up from the television. "Heard what?" he asked innocently.
Orihime blinked again. "Nothing."
The grinning man sat up. "How about I make us some lunch?"
"Oh…" Orihime looked at her untouched sliced apples. "Sure."
Ichigo grinned wider. "You don't have to look scared. I'll just make some sandwiches…" He walked into the kitchen and called behind him: "It's not like I'm going to make squid."
…
"Its recess time, everyone... Just… just go outside. No pushing!" Miss Haruguchi made her way to her desk and plopped down on the chair.
"That boy is working my last nerve…" she mumbled.
Tamotsu didn't leave with the other children. He could care less about taking turns on the swings or being lifted up and down on the see-saw. If he wanted to go to the park and go on the slide, his mommy would take him when he asked politely. And that was enough for him.
But certain words keep on playing round and round in his head.
He left the table and walked up to Miss Haruguchi's desk.
She was scribbling something on a piece of paper. The pressure was enough to rip a whole in the document.
"Miss Haruguchi?"
The older woman nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name being called. She leaned over the desk and saw two big brown eyes staring back up at her.
"…Kurosaki- I mean, Tamotsu…? Why aren't you out with the rest of the children?"
"I want to ask you a question."
Miss Haruguchi rolled her eyes. "What is it now?"
"What does custody mean?"
Tamotsu heard his mommy say it last night. She was crying and she was sad. She was saying that someone was going to try to take him somewhere. Tamotsu didn't want to be away from his mommy.
Miss Haruguchi gasped silently. "…Tamotsu… are your parents going through a hard time?"
Tamotsu just stared back at her.
She put her pen down and folded her hands. "Are they arguing all of the time?"
Tamotsu nodded reluctantly.
"Do you go into large buildings with men in suits?"
Tamotsu remembered when he went into a large building with mommy and daddy… He remembered seeing a room with many chairs and a man on a tall block of wood with a hammer… He nodded his shaggy head.
"Come here."
Tamotsu walked around her large wooden desk and over to her knees.
She looked down at him with a weird smile on her face, almost like she was forcing it.
"Have you heard of the word divorce?"
Tamotsu shook his head.
"…Well… After all of what your parents have been through… With the magazines, and publicity, and all of the other things going on… I think your parents are getting what is called a divorce."
"Divorce?"
"It is when the mommy and the daddy don't like each other anymore. They don't live with each other or talk to each other."
He didn't understand. Mommy and daddy already do that… sometimes. Sometimes they don't.
"You won't live in one house. You'll live in two."
"Not with grandpa?"
Miss Haruguchi shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. You'll live with one parent and then the other. But not at the same time."
"Oh…" Tamotsu looked down, soaking it all in, "okay."
Miss Haruguchi smiled, this time it was wholehearted. "Alrighty? Now go out to recess." She patted him on the head.
Tamotsu walked outside. His classmates were playing tag and climbing the jungle-gym and whatnot.
Tamotsu kicked on a loose rock that rested on the blacktop. The child strolled over to the giant, rubber, monster sized wheel that was wedged into the grass. Tamotsu sat inside of it and contemplated the situation.
His mommy and daddy were getting a divorce.
They weren't going to live in the same house again- ever.
They were going to like each other again- ever.
"Whatcha doing?"
Tamotsu yelped at the surprising voice. Misoka was sitting on top of the wheel, her head was hanging down and she peeped from the outside in with her greenish-blue eyes.
"Nothing…"
She jumped down and crawled into the wheel with him. "You look sad."
"That's because I am sad."
The duo stared each other down. "You're smarter than the others…" Misoka finally said.
Tamotsu took her in with her striped shirt and jeans. He remembered how fast she answered the question. "…So are you."
She grinned. She was missing a front tooth. "My grandpa teaches me."
Tamotsu touched his loose tooth. "What happened to your parents?"
She quickly averted her eyes.
"Did they get a divorce?" Tamotsu leaned forward, eyes wide.
"No!" She crawled out of the wheel and ran away. Tamotsu didn't mean to make her upset, so he ran after her.
"I'm sorry!" He shouted in the air. He couldn't find her amongst the throng of kids.
Tamotsu looked around the jungle-gym, under the picnic tables, and through the slide. She wasn't anywhere.
Tamotsu kicked at another rock. It rolled and rolled until it hit a familiar pair of light-up, pink and green sneakers.
Small shoulders and short, sandy brown hair was bobbing up and down. She was sobbing. Tamotsu walked up to her.
"I didn't mean to make you cry…" Tamotsu waited for her to turn around.
She didn't move but continued to cry.
Tamotsu frowned. "I said that I didn't mean to make you cry. I didn't know that you parents got a divorce."
She turned around and wiped at her puffy eyes. "They didn't have a 'divorce'… they died…"
Tamotsu knew what that word meant. "…Oh…"
Misoka shrugged. "It's okay… I don't remember them… What happened to your grandma?"
Tamotsu shrugged his shoulder too. "I don't know… I just don't have one…"
Tamotsu chewed on the inside of his cheek. He wanted to make Misoka laugh so she would never cry again. "Want to be my friend?"
The girl looked up at him skeptically. "Why?"
He lowered his eyes. "Because I'm about to lose my parents too…"
Tamotsu felt something warm wrap inside his hand. Misoka smiled at him.
He smiled back.
The two heard Miss Haruguchi call the children in.
Hand in hand, the duo ran back to their classroom.
As the class began to finger-paint, Tamotsu nudged Misoka with his elbow. "Misoka…"
Misoka looked up at him. "Hmm?"
Tamotsu thought about how daddy made mommy sad… Tamotsu looked into her greenish-blue eyes. He had come to the conclusion that they were turquoise. "Misoka, I promise I'll never make you cry again… never, ever."
Misoka nodded. "And I promise that I'll always be your friend." She leaned in and hug Tamotsu's astonished form. "Best friends."
…Tamotsu never had a best friend aside from Kon… So he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight. "Best friends…" he repeated in a whisper.
Tamotsu is absolutely adorable. But the next chapter is about baby bonding, since we haven't had enough of that. And what is to come of this upcoming custody battle?
Rocka.