The beginning is the end is the beginning

[quincy_dilf]

Who: Kurosaki Isshin (isshinkurosaki) and Ishida Ryuuken (quincy_dilf)
When: Hella backdated to June 1st blame me
Where: The baseball diamond
Summary: Isshin is nonchalant about his death. Ryuuken has a few arrows words to say about this.
Warnings: Tsundere, fluff, etc.

Comments

[isshinkurosaki]

Isshin rubbed at his eyes and sighed, tucking away his NV for now. He was going to head home and crawl into a nice hot bath. Though he knew that it wasn't possible, he felt dirty, dead somehow and he was sure that a long soak would remove some of the icky feeling.

And then he had a lot of work to do. He had to get in contact with Ryuuken, to let him know... what? That he wasn't dead anymore? That he was sorry for dying in the first place. Either way, the very moment he was done with his bath, he was going to go visit him. Maybe with some flowers, a bottle of sake and some takeout. Would he be at the hospital or at his apartment?

Isshin took his NV out, flipping it open to have a glimpse at the time. It was because of that motion that he missed the majority of the explosion. He looked up at the noise, startled to see Ryuuken coming through the smoke at him, looking utterly furious.

"Thinking?" He asked, surprised and not-sure if he should run and hide or not. "I wasn't thinking of anything, Ry--" A thought struck him. What if this wasn't the Ryuuken he'd grown close to?? "-- Ishida." He finished, lamely.

[quincy_dilf]

Oh, that was it. Isshin's post had been way too casual, and now he was calling Ryuuken by his family name? A vein stood out in Ryuuken's forehead as he fought to get himself under control, his infamous Quincy pride warring with his equally infamous Quincy temper.

"How can you be so casual? Do you know what I've--" Been through, he finished, but did not say aloud.

An arrow whizzed by Isshin's head, Ryuuken stepping closer in the same instant.

[isshinkurosaki]

Ryuuken shot at him! He ducked, covering his head. "Ishida!" He cried out. What had he done this time? Casual? Casual?! What had he done that could possibly be considered casual? He'd even called Ryuuken by his last name.

"What are you so angry about! Stop!" He'd done nothing wrong! At least, he didn't think he had!

[quincy_dilf]

Ryuuken advanced on Isshin fully intending to do him some kind of harm. Except when he got close and looked down at him he seemed so...defenseless. After everything that had happened, Ryuuken couldn't do it. His wrath, mighty as it was, could never be a match for Isshin's innate charm.

"You are the strongest person I know. How could you..." Ryuuken sighed and his bow dissipated.

[isshinkurosaki]

Isshin peeked up through his arms as Ryuuken came closer. Once the bow was gone, he stood up, looking extremely confused. The strongest person he knew? Did that mean that this was his Ryuuken? The Ryuuken of before would never had said anything like that.

Hesitantly, he moved forward, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ryuuken?" He asked, cautiously. "Ryuuken, I'm sorry. Whoever it was ... they took my powers from me before ..." He turned his face away.

"Are you all right?"

[quincy_dilf]

Ryuuken could tell Isshin was reliving painful memories. He ached for him in a way he could never fully explain or admit to. And he was apologizing when he had done nothing wrong. It had just been Isshin's way of coping, and Ryuuken had stomped all over it.

The hand on his shoulder felt warm, and suddenly, all Ryuuken could think was that Isshin was right there. That he wasn't gone anymore. That he was back.

Ryuuken grabbed Isshin's shirt with both hands and leaned in so his head was resting against Isshin's neck. It was a light touch for most, but a full blown bear hug to someone like him.

"Isshin, I...thought you were gone forever."

[isshinkurosaki]

Ryuuken grabbed at his kosode, then leaned in against him. He stared down at the white hair against the black fabric of his uniform as if confronted with a strange new species of wildlife.

He'd always initiated their physical contact before. (Not counting any chocolate related kisses, of course) So something like this was an amazing shock to him. Gently, as if he were afraid of startling Ryuuken off, he put his hand on the back of Ishida's neck.

"I wouldn't do that, Ryuuken." He said, softly. He rested his forehead against the top of the Quincy's head. He thought it over, then whispered, "I wouldn't leave you alone like that."

[quincy_dilf]

The touch was comforting. Ryuuken closed his eyes and just took it in--the warm press of fingers against his neck. Isshin's fingers. Isshin's neck brushing his cheek. He had never felt more relieved. All the tension left his body at this and the softly murmured words. It was a ridiculous statement and Ryuuken knew it, but he didn't care. He wanted it to be true more than anything in the world at that moment.

Ryuuken didn't say anything, not trusting himself. He simply tightened his hands in the fabric of Isshin's uniform and exhaled a shaky breath.

[isshinkurosaki]

Isshin smiled and brushed his fingers through the soft hair at the back of Ryuuken's neck, turning his head so that he could kiss his hair. This... this was better than the bath he'd thought he'd wanted. So long as he was holding Ryuuken, he just knew that everything would be fine.

He didn't know what Ryuuken had gone through. He couldn't have known, after all. But it seemed like it had been a hell of a lot for the emotionally-challenged Quincy. He'd been left alone with nothing to hold onto. It must have been horrible - like... well, like how Isshin had felt when he had lost Masaki. Isshin didn't want that to happen to him ever again. He wanted to give something to Ryuuken so that he'd never feel like he was alone. The human needed something to know that Isshin cared deeply for him, and always would, despite anything that might come between the two of them.

"I love you, Ishida Ryuuken." He said, simply and honestly.

[quincy_dilf]

Ryuuken relished the feeling of Isshin's fingers sliding through his hair as well as the soft kiss that followed. It made his heart clench with a vaguely familiar longing that was only satisfied by Isshin's declaration of love.

It felt so right that Ryuuken was unable to move or speak for a moment. When he finally did, Ryuuken lowered his arms to wrap around Isshin's torso. This was an almost alien territory to him, so he was unsure of how to proceed. However, he did know one thing for certain--and that was that he loved Isshin too. Ryuuken wasn't sure how Isshin had managed it, but Isshin had eclipsed his wife's memory to become invaluable to him. Ryuuken knew he would never be the same again. So, with the feeling of warmth suffusing him, he made his reply.

"I love you too." His heart had never felt lighter.