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Ichigo was the epitome of perfection itself, Isshin was more than aware of that.
He is not surprised, considering that his son's aura shines as if it were the sun itself, but still he is not prepared for the consequences of that.
---
The first -supernatural- person Isshin suspects is Rukia Kuchiki.
She is no taller than her younger daughters, but the sparkle in her eyes tells him that she has seen, she has lived much longer than she appears.
And Isshin gets worried, because Kisuke warns him that yes, Kuchiki is a shinigami.
His son has a shinigami sleeping in his own closet and Isshin can't even beat a weak hollow.
He is frustrating.
"I promise, Isshin" Urahara's eyes are hidden under his hat and there is a cat walking between his legs, but Isshin knows that he speaks the truth, and no more than the truth "I will protect Ichigo, no matter what it costs"
So he trusts Urahara and the cat between his legs.
That doesn't mean that he completely trusts Kuchiki.
---
A week later; Ichigo spends more time with a sword in his hands than in his own bed, and the dark-haired shinigami has become a constant in his life.
More than that, she has earned a name: Rukia. Kuchiki Rukia.
When she looks at Ichigo, his amethyst eyes sparkle, and Ichigo's respond with equal intensity.
---
Rukia disappears.
Yuzu doesn't remember her mere existence, Karin is suspicious but keeps her questions quiet, and Isshin has to act like he doesn't see his son's defeated shoulders.
--
Ichigo leaves for a couple of days. Yuzu can't act as happy as she is known for and Karin doesn't seem as sharp as she always is.
When Ichigo returns, he has scars under his clothes and a deeper than normal frown, a worried arch on his young face.
Isshin wants to take him in his arms and tell him that he is fine, that he can stay here in Karakura living a life without danger. But at this moment he makes the theater of a man without powers, without knowledge of what there is after death.
So the most he can do is tell Ichigo that he will always be there for him.
--
The second person Isshin suspects is Abarai Renji.
He comes for a simple mission, to keep an eye on Karakura so that it doesn't get devoured by the dozens of hollows that appear in the town every week.
"And you didn't hear it from me" Kisuke says, leaning on the staff that guards one of the most dangerous zanpakutos Isshin has ever seen "But maybe Abarai-kun gets too close to Kurosaki-kun for no reason at all"
--
The next target of his suspicion is, to Isshin's utter horror, Zaraki Kenpachi.
No need to think of Yumichika or Ikkaku as suitors, they're too focused in each other to think about Ichigo in that way. Neither Toshiro, who is too young to have any idea of love, or Matsumoto, who gave his heart to the closed-eyed captain.
Which leaves Zaraki vacant.
At first Isshin thought Nah, that the only attraction Kenpachi could feel was towards the intense battle bloodied with pain and not much more than that.
And then Zaraki stops his eyes on Ichigo, on the curve of his tiny waist and the bare skin that his school uniform shows.
Isshin is going to commit a crime.
--
Is there still more?, Isshin wonders, feeling the flickering reiatsu signatures he can pick up with so little spiritual sense.
He walks up to Ichigo's room, thinking to bow his head and listen to whatever matter they're discussing.
Isshin doesn't expect to see, through the half-open door, Hirako Shinji sitting on his son's bed.
Ichigo snorts, standing at an angle Isshin can't quite see, and Shinji smiles.
"You're so cute, Ichigo. It's not like I can hold back when you look that pretty."
Ichigo stutters, tripping over something and quite possibly coloring his face red.
"You-!"
Hirako lets out a laugh and stands up, climbing to Ichigo's open window and preparing to leave.
Just before saying goodbye, he looks directly in Isshin's direction.
--
Urahara hums, drinking the hot tea Tessai had so kindly prepared for them.
"He was probably just teasing you"
Isshin doesn't seem pleased with that answer. "That's no reason to call Ichigo pretty"
Kisuke says nothing, watching the grimaces on Isshin's face.
"Seriously, why does my son have to attract so many shinigami?"
"It could be his talent" jokes the blond
--
Isshin decides that shinigami are nothing compared to hollows.
They're cheeky, every single one of them, sliding through Ichigo's window right under Isshin's nose. Disrespectful and annoying, not to mention possessive.
The blue-haired man wraps his arm around Ichigo's waist. The cinnamon-skinned blonde locks her son's arm around him and doesn't seem to want to let go. The tallest among them sticks his mouth to Ichigo's neck and bites. The one with the big vibrant green eyes brushes a few away with a single glance, and when the one who had been dozing for what seemed like forever gets up, everyone seems to freeze and make spacr for him on his way to Ichigo.
All while Isshin watches and pretends he has no idea why Ichigo seems to be a mix of embarrassed and upset.
