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"I'm home!"
"Welcome home, Orihime." Orihime smiled before wrapping her arms around her husband, hugging him. Ichigo smiled back at his wife as he leaned down to peck her lips.
"How was your day at work today, Hime?" He asked backing away.
"It was good." Orihime, a bit confused, looked here and there as if searching for something or rather someone, before she whispered something to her husband.
"Where is our little troublemaker?" Ichigo smiled in response before leaning closer and whispering something into her ear.
"You might be in for a little surprise." Orihime returned her husband a meaningful smile before feigning to search for her son.
"Hmm? Where's Kazui? I can't see him." Orihime deliberately spoke in a high tone to give the little one an indication as she looked here and there.
All of a sudden, Kazui emerged from behind Orihime, not knowing that his mother was already aware of his presence. "Boo!" He yelled as he tackled his mother from behind.
"Oh my! You just scared me!" Kazui giggled before running up to hug her and she complied as she bent down to hug him back.
"Welcome back, Mama!" Kazui exclaimed as he snuggled into his mother's warm embrace. Orihime smiled as she patted his head. "Thank you Kazui..."
Kazui was now three years and a few months old. And this little guy here was quite the chatterbox.
Orihime loosened her grip on the child as he backed away and started rambling...
"Mama Mama today Papa and I goed to the park and played!"
"Oh my, that's amazing! Did you have fun?"
"Yes!"
"And then Papa and I comed back home and played again!" The child's vocabulary was not quite the best, but it was okay because he was still learning.
"But Kazui you should let Papa do his work. If he plays with you all day, how will he complete his work?" Orihime reprimanded. Kazui whined in return. "But Mama..."
"Don't worry, now you and I can play together so Papa can do his work and then rest, right?" She spoke as she caressed his cheek, and he smiled in return.
"Ok Mama!"
"You don't need to worry about such things, my deadline's still far away." Ichigo spoke as he approached the mother-son duo.
"But-" Orihime was cut off as Kazui tugged onto her skirt, diverting her attention to him.
"Mama Mama cake?" Kazui questioned his mother whose eyebrows raised a bit in realization before they knotted in guilt.
"I'm sorry, I forgot..." Kazui's face fell at her answer. Orihime kept her hand on her chin, as if contemplating something, before her eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers.
"How about we bake a cake together, Kazui? It'd be your first time baking!" Kazui's face lit up at the suggestion as he jumped with excitement. "Yayy baking!" Ichigo smiled looking at the excited mother-son duo. Looking at them carefully made it even more clear...
His son and his wife had the same smile. Or more like their son had inherited her smile.
So Fortunate. He had always been thankful for that...
"But you know what you need to do before that, right?" Orihime bent down a little to face her son, who vigorously nodded his head before speaking.
"Washing my hands! "
"Yes, good boy! " Orihime patted the child's head before he left. Orihime smile before she washed her hands and started preparing things for the cake. She had retrieved almost whatever was needed- sugar, butter, eggs, baking soda, powder and so on. But there was a catch, they were out of flour and another bag was kept at the top shelf, of course where she couldn't reach. Orihime tried to retrieve the bag but it was of no avail. She sighed as she gave up and decided to get a chair; but before she could turn away, she felt a familiar presence behind her...
"Don't keep things on the top shelf if you can't get them." Ichigo smiled as he got the bag and kept it on the shelf.
"There is something called Kitchen Management, Sir." Orihime pouted at him. Ichigo chuckled a bit before snaking an arm around her waist. He tugged onto her hair tie, pulling it away as he let her hair fall loosely on her shoulders before he swiped it away.
"Really?" He whispered as he nuzzled onto the nape of her neck, his breath on her skin making her shudder.
"Ichigo kun..." Ichigo placed a small kiss on her neck before he turned to whisper something in her ear.
"Hime... how about we—"
"Mama! Washed my hands!" Orihime immediately pushed Ichigo away from her, who was shocked and flustered as he looked at his wife and then his son.
"Wow Kazui is really a good boy, isn't he?" A flustered Orihime bent down and patted Kazui on the head. Kazui looked a bit confused as he looked at his parents before he got a stool and stood beside Orihime who was tying her hair back.
"Mama, can I do that?" Kazui pleaded as he looked at his mother scoop the flour and add it to the mix. Orihime smiled before handling him the scoop.
"Just one." Kazui carefully added the flour to the mix and smiled happily at his mother. He turned to take another scoop before Orihime stopped him. "No more." She instructed. Kazui pouted at his mother in return. "But I want to add more!"
"Sweetie, if you add more, it'll just ruin the cake... I'll let you stir the mix after this." Kazui, satisfied by this, smiled at his mother. "Ok!"
"Oh My, you got flour all over your face." She spoke before she leaned down and gently cleaned his face with the hem of her apron. He got down from the stool as Orihime handed him the bowl. "Stir it gently like this. " She instructed as Kazui looked at his mother gently stir the mix.
"Fun!" Kazui exclaimed happily as he stirred the mix in the bowl.
"No Kazui, don't tilt it or you'll spill it on yourself!" Orihime exclaimed as she pre-heated the oven and simultaneously prepared the ganache. Kazui was a bit baffled at her words, Orihime turned to help him before Ichigo arrived and held the bowl.
"How about I hold it like this while you stir, little chef?" Ichigo suggested. Kazui smiled at his father.
"Yes Papa!"
When the family worked together, baking like this seemed like a piece of cake. Kazui looked with fascination as his mother transferred the mix into the mould and then transferred it into the oven.
"Now?" Kazui asked his mother.
"Now we wait." She answered.
"How much?"
"Hmm about 30 minutes."
"I see..." Kazui spoke as he started counting his fingers, even though he did not know anything about counting yet...
"Is it done? " He asked after a few seconds.
"No Kazui, it'll take more time coz we just started." Kazui's face fell at her answer. Of course 30 minutes was an uncertain time for a three year old...
"Oh... "
"How about we clean up till then?" Orihime suggested as she saw Kazui vigorously shake his head. "No!"
Orihime pondered something before her lips curved into a smile.
"Do You know that clean children are allowed to have two slices of cake? But since you don't want to get clean, I think I'll have to give—" Before she could complete her sentence, she saw a determined look on Kazui's face as he exclaimed. "I will clean up!"
Orihime grinned as she saw the child leave. Ichigo approached her looking a bit worried.
"I know you did that to convince him, but two slices of cake..." Orihime just smirked at her husband.
"Leave it to me, hubby!"
As Orihime helped Kazui clean up, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder what his wife was thinking. His son had seemingly inherited his wife's sweet tooth, but two slices for a child seemed too much...
All of his doubts melted away when he saw Orihime cut the small piece of cake which she meant to give Kazui in two parts. Kazui looked elated as Orihime placed them in front of the child. "Woah! thanks you, Mama!"
Ichigo smiled as he approached his wife and slung an arm around her shoulder.
"You're really an awesome mother, aren't you?" Orihime returned him a smile before leaning against his chest. "Says the one who looks after him the whole day?"
"Oh Honey, that's the least I can do as a Stay-at-home Dad." She smiled again at his answer.
"Do you want cake?"
"Sure."
---
"The cake was yummy, Mama!" Kazui exclaimed excitedly.
"Thank you Kazui."
"How about we play now?" He spoke as he tugged onto her skirt.
"Sure." Orihime patted him on the head.
"Yayy! " The child jumped in excitement.
Orihime smiled looking at him. Right now, Ichigo was working, so she had to take care of Kazui without making much noise.
Moments later, they were in the living room playing together. Kazui giggled as he saw his mother hold the dinosaur in the air before it landed on the train.
"And the dinosaur climbs on the train and saves the whole city from the bad Robot!" She exclaimed as Kazui giggled again at the play.
"Isn't that supposed to be the opposite?"
"Ichigo kun..." Orihime turned around to look at her husband. Had she disturbed him?
"Mind if I join you guys?" He spoke as he sat beside them and held onto a soft toy. Orihime looked at him quizzically, her eyebrows knitted with worry. As if understanding her worries, Ichigo replied with a smile. "My work for the day is finished."
"I see." Her features relaxed as she smiled at him.
After playing with his parents for some time, Kazui went to a friend's house to play. Right now, Orihime was in the kitchen and Ichigo was beside her drinking water.
"Preparing dinner?" He asked as he kept the glass on the sink.
"Mhmm." Orihime felt him approaching her. She gasped when she felt him wrap his hands around her waist and pull her against him.
"Want me to help you?" He offered as he nuzzled her face into her neck.
"Well..." She turned around to face him.
"Are you hitting on me? I won't be falling for that... I am a married woman y'know? " She teased as she showed him her ring. Looking at the mischievous smile on her face, Ichigo decided to play along.
"Getting fiesty, aren't we?" He leaned closer before he felt her gently push his chest away. "You're doing that again."
"Do you love your husband that much?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"I love him and our son more than anything in the world." She answered as she wrapped her arm around his neck.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"You're all dressed today, is that for him?" He ran his hands along her waist as she smirked at him again.
"So what if it is?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "After all everything I do is for him." She spoke as she held his face and brought it closer till their noses were almost touching.
"Really?"
"Ye-" Before she could say anything after that, Ichigo closed the distance between them and kissed her. Orihime smiled before kissing him back.
They say that the spark of love dies sometime after marriage. Newlyweds are often affectionate to each other, stuck together like magnets. But as time passes, the power of those magnets weaken and the same couple doesn't even like to face each other, constantly complaining how everything in the marital life is boring. Ichigo had seen various of such examples with his own eyes.
Of course that doesn't apply to everyone, because the opposite was also true i.e. love not dying through the marriage, instead just growing stronger and stronger with each passing day. The biggest example was his father, who, decades after his mother's death still loved her the same. Ichigo used to believe that his father was sappy and embarrassing, but having Orihime in his life made him understand his father a bit more. His and Orihime's relationship may not exactly be like his parents, but Ichigo believed that their love was similar to his parents, growing more each day...
Every morning when he would wake up and see her greet him with a smile, he would fall in love with her all over again.
Every time he would see her play with their son, he would fall in love with her all over again.
Every time she would flirt with him playfully and then kiss him right after, he would fall in love with her all over again.
Every time she would wrap her arms around him and cuddle with him, he would fall in love with her all over again.
And every time he remembered that she was his life partner, his lawfully-wedded wife, the mother of his child, and the only woman he loved in all the three worlds... he would feel like the happiest being in the world, as if she had been the one he had been fighting for all along, the reward of his love and his labor.
Maybe he was so lost in his thoughts and the kiss that he did not realize when they had moved to the couch in the living room, with her sitting on his lap. They were not exactly making out, but were instead sharing small, soft kisses that made their hearts flutter; the moment was so placid that it felt unreal.
But every such moment, or the other, has to be ruined by something. This time, it was ruined by the beeping of the rice cooker.
"The rice's cooked." Orihime spoke backing away. Ichigo nodded his head in answer; they smiled at each other before she left the room. Ichigo looked at the clock and sighed.
"Let me get Kazui back..."
-----
"Oh my, did you finish your vegetables Kazui?" Orihime exclaimed as Kazui smiled back at her.
"Yes Mama!"
"Good boy!" She ruffled the child's orange hair as he grinned. But Orihime noticed something strange in his demeanor, he was too calm and had a somewhat curious look on his face as if he wanted to ask something.
"You want to say something?" Orihime saw the child hesitate. "Umm..."
"Ask anything." Orihime spoke as she kneeled down and patted the child's head again.
"Mama, Papa... Where do babies come from?"
Ichigo, who was in the background drinking water immediately spat the liquid in shock and Orihime's eyebrows raised at the sudden question by their son. Her eyebrows knotted a bit before she sighed.
So it was that time now...
"Kazui, what made you think about babies today?" She smiled as she cupped the child's cheek.
"Sato is going to have a younger sibling. But I could not see the baby anywhere, I thought Sato was lying but Aunty telled me it was true..." Kazui explained as he saw his mother keep her chin between her thumb and index finger, as if contemplating something. "I see..."
"You see, when Mama and Papa fall in love and get married, they then ask God to give them a child and the God answers their wishes after some time and gives them a child." Orihime explained but her answer did not seem to satisfy Kazui, who still looked as confused as before.
"But where do they come from?"
"Huh?"
"Do God leave children at shrines? Did I come from a shrine?!" Kazui looked a bit perturbed at the thought. Orihime couldn't help but smile.
"No, Kazu..." Orihime spoke as she splayed a hand on her belly.
"You came from Mama's tummy." Kazui's eyebrow's raised a bit in shock. "Mama's tummy?"
"Yeah."
"Did you eat me?!" Kazui's face was filled with horror and Orihime chuckled at the child's innocence.
"No Kazu..." She smiled as she patted the child's head. "You were made in Mama's tummy, and that's where you grew up until you were ready to be born." She tried to explain more clearly. This time, Kazui's eyebrows relaxed a bit in understanding.
"Is that how all babies are made?"
"Indeed."
"Can Daddy have babies too?" Orihime opened her mouth to answer before she saw Ichigo approach them.
"No, but he can help Mama in having babies." Ichigo answered as he picked up Kazui in his arms.
"Woah..." Kazui looked amazed as he processed the new information he'd gotten from his parents.
"Hope you get that." Ichigo saw Kazui grin before he excitedly raised his hands up in the air. "That's amazing!"
Ichigo and Orihime shared a meaningful looked before smiling at each other. That is, until Kazui decided to put his parents into a difficult position once again.
"I want a sibling too!" He exclaimed looking at his mother. "Mama, please give Kazui a sibling!" Orihime was all flustered at Kazui's words. She looked at Ichigo who looked as flustered as her.
"Kazui, I don't think—" Orihime was interrupted by Kazui again.
"Papa, please help Mama and give Kazui a sibling!" Kazui pleaded as he tugged onto his father's shirt. Ichigo sighed as he tried to divert the topic.
"Let's talk about that next time Kazui, let me tuck you to the bed first..."
---
"Children really are innocent, aren't they?"
"Yeah."
"What are you smiling at?" Ichigo questioned as he approached his wife. She was smiling while looking at a piece of paper that Ichigo immediately recognized.
"That's... "
"The Father's Day card Kazui made you. I found it in the drawer of your office while looking for my cellphone." Orihime smiled as she looked at him and then the card. It was a simple card with random drawings and no wishes. Orihime could see a stick like thing with a tinge of orange on top of it, which she concluded was her husband. She remembered how she and Kazui had made the card together for him because Kazui wanted to give his father a gift, even though he'd barely started to draw.
"I see... " Orihime could see her husband blushing, something that made her smile again.
"I'm glad you cherish it. " Ichigo saw Orihime sigh as she kept the card on the bedside table.
"But I'm a bit jealous." She pouted.
"Why? "
"You got a card from him, but I didn't get any on Mother's Day." Ichigo smiled before he plopped beside his wife. Orihime opened her mouth to speak again. "But I can't blame Kazui. He could barely hold a crayon at that time. "
"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he'll give you plenty of those cards as he grows up. " He reassured as he held her hands in his own. Orihime smiled.
"You think so?"
"Mhmm."
"Let me get a change of clothes. " He smiled at her in return.
A life like this was so perfect... A wife like Orihime, a child like Kazui, a perfect job, a small yet warm home and—
"Oh my God!!!" Ichigo's train of thoughts was crashed when he heard his wife's scream. He immediately got up and went to her aid.
"Orihime, what's wrong? " Orihime looked shocked and a bit flustered as she pointed towards something. His eyes followed the direction of her finger and everything became clear.
"K-Kon chan... "
Kon was in Orihime's closet, rolling around in her clothes, specifically in her lingerie. A vein popped on Ichigo's forehead.
"Kon..." At the threatening tone of Ichigo's voice, Kon immediately got out of his Lala land and looking at how the Substitute Shinigami glared at him, the color immediately left his face.
"I-Ichigo? " Kon stuttered.
"What on the earth are you doing in my wife's closet? " Ichigo spoke in a low tone making Kon flinch.
"I... "
"Especially in her undergarments. " Ichigo added, a threatening smile persistent on his face. Kon gathered up some courage and tried to make an excuse. "This place is comfortable y'know? And Kazui already fell asleep so... "
"You want me to believe that?" Ichigo raised a brow at the lion plushie.
"Yes! "
"Want me to kill you? " This time, Kon felt a sudden surge of courage and might run through him.
This was too much! This bastard here married such a pretty woman and even had a child with her, but him lying in a pile of clothes was a crime? That when he was brought here to babysit his son and got absolutely nothing in return for that.
Suddenly a thought crossed Kon's mind which made him even angrier. He got out of the closet and pointed a paw at Ichigo before scoffing at him.
"You're the one to talk! You married the prettiest woman in Karakura and got away with it! Even had a child with her! Tell me Ichigo, why can't I lie in a beautiful woman's closet while you get to—"
"Shut up! " Ichigo roared and all of Kon's 'courage' and 'might' melted away into thin air.
"The only reason I bought you with us was so you could take care of Kazui but you just can't get rid of your shitty and perverted actions! " Ichigo gritted his teeth as he picked up the lion plushie by the head.
"I—"
In the background, Orihime took her clothes before leaving Kon and Ichigo alone in the room.
When she came back Kon was lying on the floor all beat up.
"I feel kinda bad for him... " Orihime spoke in a pitiful tone as she looked at him.
"Don't. "Ichigo answered before he picked up Kon and thew him out of the room.
"This is the third time in the month I've seen him do such things... " He scoffed.
"Now now don't be angry. " She splayed her fingers on his forehead, in an attempt to straighten his frown. He smiled down at her before she smiled back and hugged him. "That's more like it"
"Let's sleep. " Ichigo backed away and laid down on the bed as he gestured Orihime to join him, she grinned and scooted closer to him before hugging him. He buried his hand into her hair before kissing her on the forehead. Orihime, in turn buried her face in his chest as they cuddled.
"Let's go visit Yuzu chan and Karin chan this weekend." She suggested.
"Hmm why? "
"No particular reason, I just think Kazui would be very happy to go play with his grandfather and Aunts." She answered as she played with his hair.
"Ok let's do that. " He answered as he kissed her forehead once again.
That was when they heard the door open with a creak.
"Kazui? "
"Mama Papa, can I sleep with you? " The child asked innocently. He was wearing a blue night suit with dinosaur print and was carrying a plushie with him. But the thing was that he looked rather scared.
"What happened sweetie? " Orihime got off the bed and knelt down in front of him.
"There's a monster in my room."
The couple couldn't help but smile. To think that a child who could see souls and tried to befriend them would be afraid of such imaginary monsters...
That was so adorable!
"Yes, you can sleep with us. " Ichigo spoke as he patted the space beside him. Kazui smiled as he tried to climb the bed.
"Careful." Orihime held him by his arms and helped him climb onto the bed.
"You brought Mr. dinosaur with you?" Orihime asked and Kazui smiled in answer. "Yes! I cannot leave Mr. Dinosaur alone or he would be afraid!"
"You're right about that." She smiled before she laid beside him and kissed his plump cheeks.
Kazui rambled about random things as his parents listened to him. But it was only a matter of time before sleep took over him.
"Is he asleep?" Ichigo whispered. Orihime gently nodded her head in answer.
"So cute." She mouthed looking at Kazui and Ichigo smiled looking at their son and then his wife. He ran his hand along the blanket before taking hers in it. She looked at him before smiling back.
"I love you." She mouthed. Ichigo's eyebrows rose a bit before he returned back a mischievous grin.
"Like I don't know that." She pouted at his answer before gently slapping him on the shoulder as he suppressed a chuckle.
"That's not nice of you, Mr. Ichigo 'mean' Kurosaki."
"And I know that, Mrs. Orihime 'adorable' Kurosaki."
"Stop that, you're being cringey..." She narrowed her eyes at him, not liking the smug look on his face.
"You started that."
Kazui shifted in his sleep causing Orihime and Ichigo to freak out, before she gently patted Kazui on the chest and he turned to the other side, now facing his father.
Ichigo and Orihime breathed a sigh of relief and looked at each other before chuckling softly.
"I love both of you..." Orihime spoke again. "Very much."
"Me too." He pulled her a bit closer and kissed her on the forehead.
Orihime smiled before she took his hand in hers and kept them near Kazui's chest as if shielding him. He smiled back at her before lacing their fingers together.
It was another tranquil day for the Kurosaki family.