Prompt #030 Selfishness
Title: Doctor, Doctor
Fandom: Bleach
Rating: U
Pairing: IchiHitsu (as always)
Warnings: Slash/two guys in a relationship
Prompt: #030 Selfishness
Summary: Ichigo knew he wouldn't be able to hide it for long.
~~
"Out with it," Tōshirō prompted, folding his arms over his chest with an unwavering look as Ichigo jolted, turning a bemused expression towards him.
"Out with what?" asked the substitute, puzzlement pinching his eyebrows together. He started to twiddle the pen between his fingers nervously, his boyfriend coming to sit on the sofa opposite him. Whereas he, being a teenager, was half-way in merging with the cushions he was slouching against, his work and stationary thrown out around him, Tōshirō perched himself down delicately, his hard glare never faltering.
"Something's been on your mind," explained the taicho, an impatient edge to his tone. "You've been staring at that page for twenty minutes, and you've only written three paragraphs - I know that's an essay due on Thursday."
"I'm fine," Ichigo argued, an almost automatic response that fell from his lips. One white eyebrow quirked upwards; Tōshirō clearly wasn't buying it.
"If 'fine' is an euphemism for 'troubled, anxious, but not wanting to talk about it', then I'll take your word for it," he said, settling back into the sofa to get himself comfortable. The air between them took a dive for professionalism that Ichigo only expected to find in his school's counselling room, and he sighed, putting down the pen before he did something stupid with it. Tōshirō said nothing, but they both knew he had won.
"It's nothing big," started the teenager, pushing aside some of his work to cross his legs together. "Dad's got himself a girlfriend."
Tōshirō was very still for a moment. Of all the things he could have said, Ichigo knew the taicho hadn't been expecting that one. He could understand - parents falling in love (again) was unimaginable, in a sense, and the whole thing did feel quite surreal to Ichigo. He had always assumed, rather childishly now that he thought about it, that his father would never desire anybody other than his late wife, but he supposed falling in love wasn't exactly something you could control.
"...I fail to see how this is 'nothing big'," the taicho said eventually, shaking his head very slightly.
"Well it's not that important," Ichigo interrupted, and then, catching the glare, corrected himself, "Well, you know. Dad can do what he likes. I just..."
Tōshirō urged him on with an appreciative hum. Ichigo honestly did feel like he was at therapy.
"...I just can help but think about mum..."
"Surely she would be happy that her husband has found somebody else?" Tōshirō queried, imagining from the little that he knew about Masaki Kurosaki that she wouldn't be the type of person to feel jealous or spiteful.
Ichigo readily agreed. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with the need to defend his mother. "That's not the problem though - I... I..." he trailed off, sighing and flattening his lips in an attempt to smile. He suddenly seemed so much younger than his seventeen years, body curling in on itself slightly as he grumbled his next words: "I guess I feel like she shouldn't be part of our family. It's selfish of me, I know, but..." He shook his head. "I don't know."
Tōshirō's eyes were soft, like the sea waking after a storm. "Have you spoken to your father about this?"
"God no! I can't tell him! What would he say?"
"Perhaps something along the lines of, 'you're being an idiot son. We're still going to be a happy family.'" Tōshirō replied, his voice deepening in an imitation of the old Kurosaki.
Ichigo felt himself smile. "That was terrible."
"Oh hush," snapped the taicho playfully. "I can't be good at everything - "
" - Soo modest - "
" - Shut up. But really, you should talk to him."
"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo muttered, waving his hand dismissively. They were both smiling now, and Tōshirō felt like he'd done a good job at this comforting business. "Alright, maybe later." He knew Tōshirō would make sure he did. "First I need to teach you how to do good impressions of people."
Tōshirō stuck his tongue out.
Ichigo promptly did the same.