Chapter Text
It had been six months since Ichigo lost his Shinigami powers. No, more than six months. But he didn't care to count the exact days. Even if he did keep count, there was nothing he could do about it.
At first he was angry. He had felt helpless. All around him were spirits and hollows, he knew , and he could do nothing. Hell, he couldn't even see them anymore. Not only that, but he couldn't even sense spirits at all. He had spent his whole life complaining about the spirits that pestered him, but now he was cut off from that world entirely. Losing his powers was no different than a man losing his arm, except Ichigo was unable to even have phantom sensations.
Once he had come to terms with the situation, he could only leave the town's defense to those he trusted– Chad, Uryu, and Orihime– and, he supposed, Mr. Hat-n-Clogs and gang, and even his father, too. Surely they were enough to do the job. He began to focus more intensely on his studies than he had ever before as a means to occupy himself but each morning when he listened to the news, he wondered if each accident was the work of a Hollow.
By the time the semester had ended, he had climbed to rank fifteen, which was the highest his scores had ever been. Days blurred together and though Mizuiro and Keigo were pleased Ichigo had strangely more free time than before, they complained loudly that he was studying so much. Despite all efforts made on their part, Ichigo found himself drifting slightly away from Chad, Orihime, and Uryu. At school, they would still eat together, but Ichigo found he had less to talk about with them than he had before. His father gave him many lectures– after attempting to strike Ichigo in the face with a flying kick– about how he should take this opportunity to enjoy his youth to the fullest as an ordinary teenage boy, Ichigo did not have much desire to go about as if nothing was wrong.
When his father announced over breakfast this particular morning that the family was taking a surprise trip to the beach, he nearly tried to come up with an excuse to stay behind. Then, he remembered that he was no longer a protector of Karakura, and reluctantly agreed to go. He didn't feel like taking a vacation, but his sisters were both excited– even Karin, for some reason he couldn't explain– and his father had already arranged for the clinic to be closed for two weeks. He couldn't say no.
He sighed as he walked to school and decided to not think on it much. In fact, he managed to think of not much of anything at all until he blinked and became aware that he had made it to lunch without realizing. He sat chewing his lunch quietly and listened to Orihime excitedly talking of the plans she and Tatsuki had made for the break. Chad was quiet as usual until Orihime questioned him about his own plans, which was only to work for a short time since the owner was a kind neighbor and would be understaffed. Next, Orihime questioned Uryu, whose response was as Ichigo expected– studying and attending a local sewing convention. What he hadn't said aloud was how he'd likely be poring over any of the Quincy materials his grandfather had left behind, but Uryu didn't speak of those things around outsiders like Keigo and Mizuiro.
Finally, Orihime's gaze rested on Ichigo. He felt her watching him occasionally the entire lunch period, but now he looked back at her from the corner of his eye.
" Kurosaki-kun , what are you doing for summer break?"
"Huh?" He chewed to put off a response. "My family's dragging me to the beach with them."
"The beach?!" Keigo's eyes widened and he gripped Ichigo's shoulder. "Which one?! You gotta bring us, your best friends of course!"
"Hell no!" Ichigo swatted Keigo's hand away, his brows furrowed. "It's family only! And I didn't wanna go anyway but Yuzu and Karin really wanted us to all go together."
"The beach!" Orihime clapped her hands together. "Which one? You'll have so much fun."
"Eh, I dunno." Ichigo shrugged. "I wasn't really paying attention when they said." He mumbled and scratched his cheek. "I think it was… Isonoura?"
"I-Isonoura?!" Mizuiro and Keigo repeated loudly. "Y-You're going to that resort?!"
"What the heck…" Keigo hung his head… "We're only going to Nagahama… why can't you bring us with you?"
"Everyone knows Isonoura has the hottest women there…" Mizuiro pretended to cry. "But Ichigo doesn't care about our summer fun…"
"You're damn right I don't! Get your own vacation you leeches."
"Ichigo, you're so cruel! I thought we were friends!" Keigo pretended to cry on Mizuiro's shoulder.
"Isonoura? But it's so far." Tatsuki commented with a mouthful of food. "You're going all the way there?"
"I guess so. I dunno why." Ichigo shrugged. "But if it makes Yuzu and Karin happy, I got no right to complain."
"Take plenty of pictures for me, man!" Keigo leaned in closer with his eyes sparkling.
"Get me pictures of all the beautiful women!" Mizuiro nodded and leaned in as well.
"Not a chance!" Ichigo frowned. "I'm not like you guys."
"I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time." Orihime smiled at Ichigo. "Let's all do our best to make great memories this summer."
"Yeah, sure." Ichigo mumbled and quickly finished his lunch. A moment later, the bell sounded and Keigo hurriedly shoveled his food into his mouth.
"Over already?" Orihime said quietly. Tatsuki watched Orihime as she looked at Ichigo, and Tatsuki let out a sigh.
"Hey, you'll see him again once break is over." Tatsuki touched Orihime's shoulder and smiled. "Besides, we have a full itinerary of our own."
"Right…" Orihime nodded, then she posed. "I'm going to get one of everything from the food stalls!” She looked at Tatsuki. “I even found a place where we can try Shirako!”
“S-Shirako?” Tatsuki made a face and waved her hand. “I’ll pass…”
As the group headed down from the roof, Ichigo made brief eye contact with Uryu and their steps slowed. Ichigo spoke first, quietly so the others couldn’t hear.
“We’ll be out of town for two weeks… can you handle everything by yourself?”
“Hmph.” Uryu pushed up his glasses. “Are you doubting a Quincy’s abilities?”
“Hmph.” Ichigo furrowed his brows.
Uryu looked at Orihime and Chad briefly. “We can handle it.”
Ichigo nodded slightly. He didn’t like the idea of leaving, especially for so long, but there was nothing he could do to help even if he did stay behind.
The rest of the day passed quickly and without incident. At one point, Ichigo noticed Uryu excuse himself to the restroom, but he drummed his fingers against the desk knowing he was hunting a Hollow. After the last class had ended, cheering erupted around him as his classmates packed up their backpacks for the last time.
“We made it!” Orihime raised her hands over her head and stretched and was quickly pounced on by Chizuru, who Tatsuki tore away from Orihime and bickering ensued.
Ichigo’s soft sigh was drowned out by the excited chatter as everyone said their goodbyes and the teacher tried unsuccessfully to speak over the noise to remind everyone about the assignments. Ichigo stood and slung his pack over his shoulder, and Chad approached him.
“Have a good trip.”
“Yeah.” Ichigo nodded. “Good luck with that job.”
Tatsuki hit Ichigo’s arm and put her hands on her hips. “Don’t let your attitude ruin this trip for your sisters, okay?”
“As if I would.” He frowned.
“And bring back souvenirs for us, too.” Tatsuki crossed her arms. “Orihime and I are getting souvenirs for everyone, so you’d better not slack off and have nothing in return.”
“Eh? There’s no rule about having to exchange souvenirs. That’s stupid.”
“Idiot! There doesn’t have to be a rule when it’s common sense.” Tatsuki stuck out her tongue, then looked at Orihime. “Let’s not bother with a souvenir for Ichigo, then.”
“I’m going to pick out things everyone will like.” Orihime smiled and clapped her hand. “I’ve been saving money from my job, so I won’t hold back with gifts.”
“Eh? You have a part-time job?!” Tatsuki blinked. “Since when?”
“Heh.” Orihime rubbed her head. “Sometimes after school I help some seniors run errands. It’s really fun!”
Ichigo followed his friends toward the school entrance where they cleared out their lockers and said final goodbyes. When they began to leave the building, he turned to look at the school a final time. He couldn’t explain why, but he had a feeling that things would be very different when he returned.
Ichigo drummed his fingers against his desk. His pencil balanced on his upper lip and his chin rested in his hand. He stared out of the classroom window, not paying attention at all to the lesson. In his ears he could still faintly hear the cry of sea birds and taste the brine of the air on his tongue. It wasn’t until his shoulder was shaken that he blinked and realized he had been picturing another place entirely.
“Come on, Ichigo!” Keigo grinned. “It’s lunch time!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Ichigo stood slowly, looked out the window again, then gathered his things and followed Mizuiro and Keigo to the roof. When they sat, Ichigo looked around.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Uryu’s eating with the handicrafts club.” Keigo answered with a mouthful of food already. “Orihime’s with Tatsuki, catching up with the girls.”
“Huh.” Ichigo sat. “What about Chad?”
“Some of the teachers were having trouble rearranging the desks so he volunteered.” Keigo swallowed and took a long drink. “I can’t believe school’s started back already. Summer is always too short.”
“I know what you mean.” Mizuiro held up his phone and sighed. “All I have left are these pictures.”
“Hmph.” Keigo crossed his arms and muttered. “Stupid… idiot…”
“What’s with him?” Ichigo thumbed at Keigo.
“He was hoping for a summertime fling.” Mizuiro suppressed a smile and closed his eyes to begin eating his lunch.
“He swooped in whenever I was talking to beautiful ladies!” Keigo pointed at Mizuiro and gritted his teeth. “Every time I worked my magic and was about to make them fall for my charms, he’d steal them.”
“It’s not my fault that mature women are drawn to my innocent appearance.” Mizuiro put a hand on his cheek. “It really is a curse sometimes.”
“A curse my ass!” Keigo exhaled hotly and shoveled several bites into his mouth. “You could have at least stayed away until I’d gotten my first kiss…”
Mizuiro held up his phone again and stared at the photo there. "It was a hard goodbye, but such is the nature of hot-blooded summertime romances." He let out a dramatic sigh, closed his eyes, and touched his forehead. "I'll cherish these memories forever."
"Damn it!" Keigo clenched his fist, shutting his eyes tightly, and put his arm around Ichigo's shoulders. "We're hot-blooded, good-looking men, too! We deserve all the joys of our youth and our manhood!"
"Hey, don't lump me in with you!" Ichigo furrowed his brow, pushing Keigo away and holding up his drink so it wouldn't spill.
"Come on, Ichigo, we're all men here." Keigo rubbed his cheek and put his fist on his chest. "Don't you want to have a wild, spontaneous story from your youth to tell your grandkids about when you're wrinkled and grey?" He sniffed dramatically. "To be able to picture the face of the woman who captured your heart but fate decided you'd never see again?"
"Why the hell would I care about something like that?" Ichigo shoved Keigo's face away, then turned away slightly and brought his drink to his lips again. "Besides, what's the point of falling for someone if you'll never see them again?"
"E-Eh?" Keigo and Mizuiro blinked simultaneously. They watched Ichigo drink slowly, his gaze elsewhere, and they looked at one another. Then they leaned in closer and pointed at him.
"Who are you and what have you done with Ichigo?!"
"Something happened on your trip, didn't it?!"
"What the hell?! Get outta my face!" Ichigo swatted their hands away, frowning. "I'm Ichigo, of course! Don't say such stupid stuff!"
"No, the Ichigo we know would never wistfully say a line like that about romance." Keigo pretended to adjust a pair of glasses he wasn't wearing. "He would have left it at just yelling at us to shut up."
"Hm." Mizuiro nodded quickly in agreement, then he grabbed Ichigo's shoulders suddenly to stare unblinkingly into his eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with you today?!" Ichigo glared. "Did both of ya get your brains fried on vacation?"
"I don't believe it." Mizuiro, after staring into Ichigo's eyes, released his shoulders and sat back. He rubbed his nose, pretending to sniff, and put his hands together. "Dear God, thank you for finally turning Ichigo into a man."
"Wait?! What?!" Keigo looked between Mizuiro and Ichigo. "What? What did you see in his eyes?!"
"Heaven." Mizuiro dramatically held up his hand and wiped a fake tear.
"For the love of-" Ichigo stood, packing the rest of his lunch before he stormed back down the roof's stairwell.
"We don't have to worry about him, anymore." Mizuiro put his hand on Keigo's shoulder, winking as he held up a thumbs-up.
"I don't get it." Keigo frowned slightly.
"One day you will. One day." Mizuiro patted his shoulder.
"Damn it! I wanna know!"
Ichigo’s steps were heavy down the stairs and he gripped the strap of his backpack more tightly than he meant to. His brows were furrowed more than usual and he stopped at the landing to think for a moment. Why did he feel so angry suddenly? The more he thought, the more he decided it must be only the frustration of having to deal with his friends’ antics immediately after break had ended. He started walking again, slower than before, and bumped into Orihime.
“Kurosaki-kun!”
“Oh, it’s you, Orihime.”
She looked at Ichigo carefully, noting the details of his expression. “Um, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He looked away.
“Oh.” Orihime paused, shifting in place, and looked back at him. “Did you have a nice summer?”
“Huh? Oh yeah.” Ichigo answered vacantly, then turned to step away. “Excuse me.”
Orihime watched him leave, looking downward as she wondered why he seemed so upset. She knew Tatsuki would likely lecture her for not following him and pressing the matter boldly, but she thought he would prefer to be alone for a while. She left slowly to the vending machine to retrieve a drink for she and Tatsuki both, and she sighed as she returned to the her friends. When lunch ended, she found herself glancing over to an empty desk and wished that she had tried to speak to him more.
Ichigo sat on a hill overlooking a river for after school. He watched the water reflect the light for some time, then he exhaled, forced himself to stand, and walked home slowly. Most days, he headed straight home and started on his homework, but today he had felt the urge to take the long way home. It was hard for him to believe that another semester had already started and he had lost track of time by the water, but it didn’t matter much, he thought. There was nothing in particular he needed for rush for. Even his father’s ‘surprise’ attacks at his tardiness weren’t a problem for him, and, besides his homework, he had nothing else to do. He walked past a familiar place, remembering the vase of flowers that had once been there, and continued on his way. By the time he’d gotten home, the sun was beginning to set and his father was waiting for him by the front door.
Ichigo dodged a flying kick easily and slipped off his shoes. He muttered ‘I’m home’ and headed up the stairs without his usually bickering. Isshin picked himself off of the floor and furrowed his brows, looking upstairs for a moment before Yuzu announced that dinner was ready. Ichigo ate– when Yuzu brought him a plate– and finished his homework quickly. He laid on his bed when he finished with nothing more to do than stare at the ceiling. After a while there was a rumbling and he heard the downpour begin.
“This storm’s come out of nowhere.” He looked out the rain-streaked window. “It reminds me of…”
Karin called for Yuzu, who popped her head into the bathroom.
“Karin? What’s the matter?”
Karin swatted at the air with one hand and held a towel over herself with the other. “There’s a really annoying ghost here that won’t let me take my bath in peace! It’s just nagging me that someone is standing outside the clinic.”
“But we’re closed right now.” Yuzu looked over her shoulder and listened to the clap of thunder. “Who could it be?”
“I don’t know!” Karin waved the spirit away again. “Just go check the door! I want to have my bath.”
“R-Right.” Yuzu closed the bathroom door and padded softly down the stairs. She peered out of the Clinic’s door, then she unlocked it, and cracked it open. “I”m sorry, we’re closed right now–” Her eyes widened. “Oh!”
Ichigo heard the clinic door open and close, followed by some small activity downstairs, and he sat upright and shook his head. He assumed Yuzu had seen a poor, stray animal caught in the rain again, so he started downstairs to remind her that stray animals didn’t belong in the clinic.
He watched Yuzu speaking warmly with a person who had a large towel draped over her head. His sister help dry the person’s arms and face.
“You’re totally soaked! How long were you outside for? Why didn’t you call and say you were coming over?”
“Sorry.” The person apologized quietly. “My phone died.”
“Ichigo!” Yuzu noticed his presence. “Get me some more towels, please! And some fresh clothes.”
“Yuzu, you know we’re closed.” Ichigo grumbled. “It’s not our job to help people who just forgot their umbrellas and took a walk in the rain.”
“Ichi!” Yuzu put her hands on her hips.
Ichigo stood rooted in place when the stranger lowered the towel that concealed her face and she turned to look at him.
“It’s you…?”
“Hi.” The familiar face smiled slightly.
“Ichi, don’t be rude!” Yuzu pointed. “She traveled all this way to visit and caught up in that big storm! She’ll catch a cold if she doesn’t get dry.”
“R-Right…” Ichigo turned quickly to fetch a handful of towels and slowly approached their guest. “Uh… here.”
“Geez, don’t be so stiff!” Yuzu took one of the towels and continued to pat the girl dry. “We all were friends at the beach not long ago.”
“It’s okay.” The girl waved her hand, then moved a piece of hair behind her ear as she blushed. “I did come by unannounced.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Ichi!” Yuzu frowned. “Fresh clothes, first, please!” She looked at the teen. “You can’t fit into Karin’s or my clothes, so I hope it’s okay if you wear something of Ichi’s.”
“Of…?” The girl cleared her throat and shook her head, looking down to conceal a blush. “T-That’s fine.”
Yuzu looked at Ichigo expectedly and he let out a short sigh before returning to his room to grab a spare shirt and pants.
“Is this fine?”
The girl nodded and Yuzu nudged Ichigo.
“Show her to a room where she can change.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” Yuzu held up a towel. “I’ll clean up the water that got on the floor.”
“Fine.” Ichigo looked at the girl, motioned slightly with his hand, and then started back upstairs. “Come on, then.”
He stood outside as she stepped into behind one of the examination curtains with his back turned. At first he said nothing, but his cheeks warmed at the sound of undressing, more towel-drying, and then redressing.
“What are you doing out here, Manami?”
The girl paused for a moment, then pulled the shirt over her head. She recognized his scent in the fabric and she quietly wrung out her hair with the towel.
“I wanted to see you.”
His cheeks flushed faintly and he crossed his arms. “It’s rude to drop by without even calling.”
“I never got your number. I only gave you mine, remember?” Came her soft reply behind the curtain.
“O-Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Still. The Clinic’s got a phone.”
“My phone has been dead for a while.”
“Geez.” He furrowed his brows. “Don’t be ditzy and learn to charge it.”
Manami gripped the curtain gently, standing behind him. “My grandpa took my phone when he grounded me. I couldn’t.”
“Huh? Grounded?” He turned to look at the curtain.
She nodded, though he couldn’t see her. “He cancelled all of my events for the rest of the year, too.”
“Why?” Ichigo raised his brow. “Why’re you still hiding?” He scratched his head. “...Do the clothes not fit?”
“No, they’re fine.” She mumbled.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Ichigo, there’s something…” Manami bit her lip. “Something I need to tell you.”
“Stop beating around the bush already.” Ichigo stepped behind the curtain and found himself staring.
Her tan had faded slightly, as if she’d been avoiding the sunlight, but her hair still retained its of its sun-streaked color. Still damp, it framed her face and clung to her cheek, and she was exactly as he had remembered her… with one exception. His shirt fit her tighter than he had expected, but rather than simply being stretched in the chest, it seemed too small around her abdomen, too.
She blushed and quickly held the towel in front of her stomach, then bit her lip and met his eyes. “I… thought it would be better to talk about in person than over the phone.”
“Talk about… what?”
“Um… well, I’m kind of… a little bit… sort of…” Manami drew in a breath, then lowered the towel to show her stomach, whispering. “Pregnant.”
“Pr…?” He stared. “W-What?”
“I-I’m sorry to show up so suddenly… and have to tell you like this.” She looked down at herself.
“Hold it right there! What are you saying?!” Ichigo looked her over, then furrowed his brows. “This isn’t something to joke about.”
“I-It’s not a joke.” Manami hugged the towel close. “I didn’t believe it at first, either… but it’s true.”
“But… we…” Ichigo’s eyes widened again. “O-Oh…” His face reddened. “T-This kinda stuff can’t happen if it’s just once, though!”
“Ichigo!” Isshin drew back the curtain, and both Ichigo and Manami jumped.
“Dad!”
“M-Mister Kurosaki… h-hi…” Manami’s words caught in her throat and she flushed. “Y-You didn’t happen to hear… um…” She swallowed as she looked at Isshin’s expression, and shrunk behind Ichigo when she noticed Yuzu standing there, too. “Ah…”
Isshin wiggled his finger for them to follow. “Let’s talk.”