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When Orihime screamed it ran through him like a bolt of lightning. Especially since she was screaming his name, at the moment, and the underlying tone implied that she was going to murder him once this was all over.
He was thankful that only Ryuuken, his father, and his mother were in the room now that he watched Orihime’s “fairies” zipping around. They had warned that the clinic was the best place for this to happen since she wouldn't be able to control her powers, but he hadn't quite believed them.
When he saw the head emerging and inadvertently passed out, leaving his soul holding her hand and a crumpled body on the ground, he was even more glad they had chosen the privacy of their clinic instead of Ryuuken’s hospital. His parents burst out laughing and he even saw a hint of a smile on Ryuuken’s face.
“Your father did the same thing, boy,” he smirked. “Only Kisuke’s tether made it even more comical. Now push, dear.” he told Orihime.
Several more screams, during which “the little mean one,” as Ichigo referred to the black fairy, shouted in his ear “How dare you do this to us!!” while the others wove circles around Orihime and Ryuuken’s heads, and he was a father. Ryuuken handed Orihime the boy and smiled. If Ichigo hadn't been so awestruck by the tiny thing he'd created that just came out of his wife, he'd have had more time to gape at an Ishida smilingly. Instead he stared down at the boy, who had stopped crying already and had comfortably settled into his mother's chest.
“I like it there too.” he muttered softly with a small smile.
He realized he was crying when his mother gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I'm glad you're here for this, mom.” he said, never taking his eyes off the tiny bundle but putting his hand over hers.
“Me too.” he heard her say, the smile and tears evident in her small voice as well. “He looks just like you did,” she laughed. “of course, it's not as much of a shock for you two to see that red hair, my strawberries.”
“I wonder what kind of terror he’ll be when he comes into his powers…” Isshin wondered aloud. It seemed no one in the room could tear their eyes from the bundle in Orihime’s arms except the doctor who was busy cleaning up and then called in his support, Keiko, Uryu’s fiance with the bassinet as they readied to get Orihime and the baby cleaned up as well.
“Pass him to his father, dear, let him hold him before we take him for his bath.” Ryuuken told Orihime and, exhausted, she did.
“Oh, dad, I’m sure he’s going to be truly terrifying. He can already see me, I think.” Ichigo laughed, realizing that the newborn was already responsive to him in his present state.
“They really don’t see all that well when first born,” Isshin laughed. “And he can feel you powers or not, but I suspect you’re right. We will see if he also inherits any visord abilities. Kisuke is looking forward to studying that. You have them and Orihime has been attacked by hollows several times - so you might be in for a wild ride. Sorry you won’t have the tether I did, but we need you too much. Honestly with it not being just one essence in particular, we don’t even know if it would work.”
“Great.” Ichigo said, looking at his wife who had fallen asleep - her powers having already healed her body and returned to the hairclips holding back her hair.
“We love you.” Ichigo said, kissing her forehead and she smiled softly.
“I hate to do this, Dad,” Keiko smiled at him, “But I need to give him a bath.” she reached for the small child and he handed him over reluctantly. “I’ll bring him right back.” she promised.
Ichigo nodded and took this time to get back into his human form. “I’d give you all the post labor instructions but she’s already back to normal so it seems unnecessary.” Ryuuken said with a miniscule shrug. “Still, coddle her. Her hormones are not easily healed by her powers and those will be a force to be reckoned with potentially.”
Just then a loud wail was heard from where Keiko was bathing his son, and Ichigo realized that Orihime’s screams were not the only ones which now sent protective bolts throughout his entire body.