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Ichigo sorted through paperwork. All this menial work killed him on the inside but he did it so Rukia wouldn't have to. Being your wife's vice-captain was...interesting to say the least. Sure there was a lot of responsibility, but he enjoyed looking out for her.
Not that she really needed him to.
Ichigo knew that Rukia could take care of herself but he enjoyed being close to her. A feeling of perpetual dread rose within him every time he thought about being separated from her. Maybe it was anxiety from their previous separations; he didn't know, neither did he care.
As he sorted some assignment orders into a pile to give to Rukia he heard a frantic knock on the door.
"Come in," he yelled as he threw the papers into a haphazard stack.
Yuta, the 3rd chair of the 13th squad, his direct subordinate, stuck his head through the door.
"Ah, fukutaicho, emergency, you have an important visito--" Yuta was bumped out of the day by a small child with black long hair. She could have been no older than 5 or 6.
Ichigo's eyes widened, "Kaori, what are you doing here?" he said, walking over to his daughter. He picked her up into his arms and looked her in the eye. Her eyes were exactly like her mothers.
"I got into a fight at school...they might have sent me home..." Ichigo sighed. She definitely got that side of her from me.
Ichigo waved Yuta to leave the room as he placed Kaori on his desk.
Putting both of his arms on either side of her, Ichigo tried to be intimidating, but honestly he couldn't with his daughter, she could break him down easy.
"Who started the fight?" he questioned.
"He was teasing me! That's not nice..." She moped. Maybe the other brat likes her, he thought. The idea of that was not one that Ichigo welcomed.
"Well it's not nice to fight, you have to be the better person all right? Your mother, or me for that matter, want you to be safe and smart okay?"
Kaori nodded. Ichigo brushed a few strands of hair off her face and kissed her on the forehead. A warm smile from her was his response.
"You're not going to tell Mama are you?" She whispered as Ichigo picked her back up into his arms and gently walked in circles around the room.
"Eh...I think maybe we can keep it our little secret right? As long as you do your homework and keep your grades up I don't think she'll care too much," He whispered back as Kaori enveloped him in a hug.
"What's your little secret?" Rukia said as stepped through the door which had been left slightly ajar.
"Oh, hi honey..." Ichigo responded flatly. "You look beautiful today."
"Flattery will get you nowhere berry boy," Ichigo flinched. "Does this story have anything to do with why my baby is home so early from school?" She questioned as she walked over to grab Kaori from Ichigo's arms.
Ichigo tried to make it quick, "Some boy was picking on her and they got into a fight. They sent her home, it's kid stuff."
Rukia glared at Ichigo and then gently back at her daughter.
"Who was the boy? I can probably get him suspended!" She whispered to Kaori.
"Rukia..." Ichigo said apprehensively.
"Only kidding," Rukia replied nonchalantly. "but still Kaori, secrets aren't good! You can tell me anything, I'm your mom, and I love you and I'll do anything to protect you," Rukia reassured as she hugged her daughter.
Ichigo loved seeing Rukia be motherly. He knew his wife was an amazing warrior who withstood more than she deserved to so far in her life; but this...brought out something different in her. Something rare and breathtaking. It made his stomach flip every time that he saw it.
"Oh then can I tell you about that time Daddy took me out on a mission with him?!" Kaori excitedly yelled.
Crap.
"He...did...what?" Rukia slowly said as she looked at her husband.
"It was so cool! Zangetsu this, Zangetsu that! He's so strong! That hollow was scary though..."
"Honey! We need to talk later!" She said with a smile on her face as she took Kaori back to her office. He hated when she used that overly happy voice. It never meant anything good.
His feelings were proven correct a few hours later. Of course after all the yelling, they always found themselves in bed somehow, so it wasn't all bed.
"You better never sneak her in on a mission again..." Rukia said, her face buried in her husband's bare chest.
"It was an emergency!" He responded.
"Always have to be the hero and put yourself, and this time others, in danger, why did I marry you?" She questioned.
"Good question...sometimes I think I don't really deserve someone as great as you. Sometimes I'm an idiot."
Rukia looked up after his sudden admission.
Grabbing both sides of his face she looked him straight in the eye. "Shush, you know I love you more than anyone can imagine. Your adventurous side always keeps me on my toes. And for the record, you're always an idiot."
He laughed and then proceeded to lean in with a deep kiss.
As things got more intense, and more loud for that matter, they heard a knock on the door.
"Mama?" The door opened and Kaori poked her head in. "I can't sleep."
Rukia, her face completely flushed, tried to calm herself as she turned to address her daughter, "Oh baby what's wrong?"
"What were you and daddy doing?" Kaori quickly asked.
"Oh...uh..." Rukia stuttered as Ichigo poked his head from outside of the sheets.
"It's a secret," Rukia finished.
"Mama you said secrets aren't good! You should tell me!" She yelled, jumping up and down.
Rukia groaned. She elbowed her husband in the chest as she tried to appease her daughter, who was now more awake than ever.
"Love you too," Ichigo chuckled.