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ajremixIchigo's birthday, like so many other things, snuck up on me :P
Title: To Protect One Thing
Fandom: Bleach
Rating: G
Word Count: 397
Characters: Ichigo and Masaki. Plus a cameo by Zangetsu
Summary: For Ichigo’s birthday, 2004 (late, as it may be :P). The protector searches for his strength.
It was the first time he got to see his mom all day. He gave his dad and the doctors a glare (which didn’t have much affect because of the chubbiness still in his cheeks) and went up to the high bed. Clambering up a nearby seat Ichigo wrapped his little arms around his mom’s neck and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.
“Hello, Ichigo.” She said fondly.
“Hi, mom.” The little boy looked at his mom. She looked exhausted but beautiful, glowing and proud like Ichigo had never seen her before. Then he looked at the little wrapped, wet thing in her arms and wrinkled his nose. “What’s that?”
“It’s something very precious, Ichigo.”
“More precious than me?”
Laughing quietly she rested her cheek against Ichigo’s head. “Special, like you. And as equally precious.”
He frowned again. “I don’t want something as precious.”
“Sweet heart.” She slowly unwrapped an arm from the bundle and pulled Ichigo against her chest, letting him get a closer look at the thing. “She’s not only precious to me, but to your father and yourself.”
“No it isn’t.”
“It will be.” And he looked up because her voice was soft and heavy. “Isshin and I, we’d do anything to protect you. We would die for you if we had to. And we’d do just as much for her. She is your sister, Ichigo. And if we can’t protect her, we know you’ll be able to.”
Ichigo’s face seemed to crumple. “But if you and dad can’t protect her, how can I?”
“Because it’s in your name.” She settled more fully onto the bed and Ichigo with her. “Your name means to protect one thing. The most important thing.”
“And what’s that.”
His mother smiled at him gently. “Whatever you feel is worth giving your life for.”
Her words nestled in his mind, Ichigo looked down at the bundle again. “….What’s her name?”
“Karin.”
~*~*~*~
It took all of Ichigo’s will to keep his feet, muscle quivering still from the force of the blow.
“Well, boy?” Zangetsu taunted from across the field. “You still haven’t found it yet. You can still give up, you know.”
“Feh!” The boy spat right back. “I’m still alive aren’t I?” He pulled another sword from the ground, spreading his stance, his grin more like a determined snarl. “That means I can still find it.”
Title: To Protect One Thing
Fandom: Bleach
Rating: G
Word Count: 397
Characters: Ichigo and Masaki. Plus a cameo by Zangetsu
Summary: For Ichigo’s birthday, 2004 (late, as it may be :P). The protector searches for his strength.
It was the first time he got to see his mom all day. He gave his dad and the doctors a glare (which didn’t have much affect because of the chubbiness still in his cheeks) and went up to the high bed. Clambering up a nearby seat Ichigo wrapped his little arms around his mom’s neck and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.
“Hello, Ichigo.” She said fondly.
“Hi, mom.” The little boy looked at his mom. She looked exhausted but beautiful, glowing and proud like Ichigo had never seen her before. Then he looked at the little wrapped, wet thing in her arms and wrinkled his nose. “What’s that?”
“It’s something very precious, Ichigo.”
“More precious than me?”
Laughing quietly she rested her cheek against Ichigo’s head. “Special, like you. And as equally precious.”
He frowned again. “I don’t want something as precious.”
“Sweet heart.” She slowly unwrapped an arm from the bundle and pulled Ichigo against her chest, letting him get a closer look at the thing. “She’s not only precious to me, but to your father and yourself.”
“No it isn’t.”
“It will be.” And he looked up because her voice was soft and heavy. “Isshin and I, we’d do anything to protect you. We would die for you if we had to. And we’d do just as much for her. She is your sister, Ichigo. And if we can’t protect her, we know you’ll be able to.”
Ichigo’s face seemed to crumple. “But if you and dad can’t protect her, how can I?”
“Because it’s in your name.” She settled more fully onto the bed and Ichigo with her. “Your name means to protect one thing. The most important thing.”
“And what’s that.”
His mother smiled at him gently. “Whatever you feel is worth giving your life for.”
Her words nestled in his mind, Ichigo looked down at the bundle again. “….What’s her name?”
“Karin.”
~*~*~*~
It took all of Ichigo’s will to keep his feet, muscle quivering still from the force of the blow.
“Well, boy?” Zangetsu taunted from across the field. “You still haven’t found it yet. You can still give up, you know.”
“Feh!” The boy spat right back. “I’m still alive aren’t I?” He pulled another sword from the ground, spreading his stance, his grin more like a determined snarl. “That means I can still find it.”
