Work Text:
It was a rather well-known fact that Ichigo had a big heart, with too much love for those around him. Despite his cold exterior, he was a soft man, in the best way possible. Kind, self-sacrificial, and a truly wonderful person.
So, no, Isshin wasn’t that surprised when Ichigo told him that he had two partners. Because, once again, his son was a man with a heart that was far too big for this world. His son wasn’t meant to love only one person — he actually deserved to get all of that love back, and it seemed like it wasn’t a task only for one person.
However, what was, in fact, a surprise was who Ichigo’s partners were.
Now, Isshin wasn’t going to assume, no, that wasn’t like him… okay, maybe he did assume and maybe he did call Yuzu to debrief, all while sobbing next to the poster of Misaki. And, maybe, just maybe, he’d assumed that one of those people he was dating could’ve been Rukia, or maybe Orihime. Hell, even the Quincy kid seemed like a good possibility (even though, if that had been the case, Ryuken would’ve already threatened Ichigo, or Isshin, or both of them). To be fair, Isshin kinda hoped it was Sado; that kid was a gentle giant and polite, too. Great manners, that one.
What he did not expect was seeing his former subordinate and an Arrancar appearing on his doorstep, both in their gigai forms.
To be fair, Toushiro wasn’t the problem here. Actually, he was quite a sweet kid — despite the cold exterior and the occasional snark and the short temper, Toushiro was a truly good kid (he did watch him grow up, after all), and Isshin didn’t doubt he was going to love Ichigo like he deserved.
The main problem was, of course, the Arrancar. Now, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Ichigo sometimes saw good in places that weren’t exactly worth it. Sure, some people were misguided, some needed someone to show them some kindness, but some people… well, they were like Grimmjow.
“Ichigo,” said Isshin, trying to keep his voice even. They were all sitting in the kitchen, Isshin sitting by the head of the table, while Ichigo sat across from him, both of his partners on each side of him. To be fair, it looked like an interrogation scene — Toushiro definitely looked like he was about to get interrogated, however, Grimmjow looked far too relaxed, slumped in his chair.
“Yes?” Ichigo tilted his head to the side, having the nerve to look confused. God, it didn’t matter that his son was an adult, he was still a dumb boy.
Isshin vaguely gestured at both Toushiro and Grimmjow, hoping it was going to explain everything. Considering the even more confused look on his son’s face, it didn’t explain anything at all. Lovely.
“I’m very happy about the fact you chose Toushiro as one of your partners,” said Isshin, trying to keep his voice even, “he’s a good man. Very responsible and kind, even when he tries to hide his soft nature.”
Almost on command, Toushiro cleared his throat, pointedly looking away, as if that was going to help him with hiding his flushed cheeks. Of course, the boy hated to be called out like that — one of the many things Isshin had found out while being the Captain of Squad Ten so many years ago.
“However,” continued Isshin, crossing his arms over his chest, “why exactly are you dating an Arrancar? I mean, he did work under Aizen and he was also one of the people that tried to kill you. Just, you know, in case you forgot about it.”
Grimmjow raised both of his eyebrows, but still looked incredibly bored, as he spoke up, “In my defense, I used to be much worse. And, by the way, I didn’t even kill him, actually. It was Ulquiorra that killed him,” he said, shrugging one shoulder, as if that was supposed to make it any better. He looked at Ichigo, cocking his head to the side. “You were dead for a bit, weren’t you?”
Ichigo nodded. “Yup.”
Toushiro only sighed, rubbing his temples — he represented how Isshin felt on the inside.
Isshin clicked his tongue, narrowing his eyes at Ichigo. “You’re grounded.”
Ichigo blinked slowly, his eyebrows knitting together. “Dad, I’m an adult,” he said, exaggerating all the syllables, “and I also don’t even live in your house, anymore. I have my own apartment and everything. I haven’t lived in this house for a few years now, in case you’ve forgotten about it.”
“I don’t care,” muttered Isshin. “You’re acting like a child, so you get grounded. I mean, really? Dating an Arrancar? Are you actually serious?”
Grimmjow sighed loudly, slumping further in his chair. He even had the nerve to look annoyed — no manners, that one! Who raised him? Well, probably Aizen and that explained quite a lot now that Isshin thought about it.
“I'm dating both Grimmjow and Toushiro because I love them,” said Ichigo, his voice firm.
Isshin groaned, rubbing his temples. He'd expected an answer similar to this — once again, Ichigo and his big heart against the world. Despite how much he wanted to seem unfazed by the world and tried to seal away his feelings, he had so many big emotions.
Ichigo definitely took after him and Masaki in that aspect — he'd even combined it, that fool.
“I'm aware of that, but…” Isshin trailed off, frowning. How was he supposed to approach this? He wasn't too good at this, after all. Masaki would've done a much better job, he was sure.
Instead, Isshin turned to Toushiro, raising one eyebrow at the boy. Surely, his former subordinate was going to take his side with enough pressure, no? “And you? Are you okay with that?”
“You really need to stop talking about me like I'm not here,” mumbled Grimmjow, rolling his eyes. Ichigo only snorted when he heard his complaints.
Toushiro fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, not answering right away. Isshin noticed how Grimmjow tensed — this was the first time he expressed anything other than indifference this entire time. How interesting…
“I didn't know what to think of Grimmjow at first,” began Toushiro, letting go of the hem of his shirt. He straightened his back, as he looked pointedly at Isshin.
“The fuck you mean you didn't know what to think of me?” asked Grimmjow, sputtering.
Ichigo put one hand on Grimmjow’s shoulder, forcing him to stay seated. His son even looked amused. Was this normal?
“But,” continued Toushiro, shooting Grimmjow a quick look, “I was lucky enough to get to know him. I understand that you are worried; he is an Arrancar, after all, but Grimmjow is a good person.”
Isshin could only stare at Toushiro for a moment in complete silence, his mouth agape. Toushiro was talking with so much confidence and sincerity, and for a second, he was convinced this was some sort of an elaborate plan to make Grimmjow look better.
However, at the same time, Toushiro wasn't one to partake in something like this. On top of that, he lived to protect those around him, so he would've done something if Grimmjow had been an actual threat to Ichigo.
Isshin sighed, turning his head to the side just enough to look at the poster of Masaki on the wall. What would've she said? If she had been still alive, what would've she done?
“I understand that you don't like me,” spoke up Grimmjow, making Isshin turn his head back. “You have every reason to hate my guts, I don't blame you. But, y'know, I care about your son. He can be stupid and reckless, but he's strong and kind, or whatever,” he added, clearing his throat. His face twisted into a grimace, and Isshin wondered if it was painful for him to talk this openly about things.
God, Ichigo really liked his men to be emotionally constipated, huh?
“Point being,” mumbled Grimmjow, rubbing the back of his head, “I have no reason to hurt him. Sure, we were on different sides, but that's in the past now. So, there's that.”
Ichigo was smiling like a fool, as if Grimmjow had said something actually romantic. His son was so hopeless, it wasn't even funny.
But Toushiro had this extremely soft look on his face, so it seemed like this was a very rare occurrence. Dandy.
Isshin sighed, but finally nodded. “Alright, alright,” he mumbled. “You love each other. And the two of you care about my son.”
Grimmjow and Toushiro both nodded at the same time.
Isshin looked at Ichigo, offering him a smile. “I want to believe that if your mom had been here, she would've supported and trusted your decision to love these two, so I will do the same.”
Ichigo actually beamed at the words. “Thanks.”
“You could always be more grateful,” huffed Isshin, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not all parents would allow this, y'know?”
“Yeah, yeah,” mumbled Ichigo, waving his hand. “Thank you, dad, you're oh so kind.”
Isshin could feel his eyebrow twitching at the words. “This isn't how I raised you.”
That evening, the three of them stayed for dinner, since for once Karakura seemed to be calm, with no Hollows around. Isshin wasn't going to lie here, it was strange to have his former subordinate and an Arrancar in his house, bickering about what they were going to order, all while Ichigo stood in between them, looking like this was exactly where he wanted to be.
There were many things that Isshin didn't know, despite how long he'd been alive and how many things he'd seen over the years. But he did know one thing. Isshin knew exactly what it looked like when Ichigo was happy — this was probably the happiest Ichigo had ever been.
And maybe that was enough.