We Are Family

It had been 2 weeks since Ichigo came to live with me and everything was going smoothly, Ichigo is back to being happy and bubbly and we’re having so much fun. I love having my girlfriend live with me, sometimes we stay up watching movies, and sometimes we just cuddle, either way, it’s never a dull moment.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” she asked.

“Mum asked me to take you shopping,” I told her.

“Aww that’s so sweet, but I’m afraid I don’t have any money,” Ichigo chuckled.

“Err, excuse me. What sort of boyfriend would I be if I let you pay for anything you want?” I asked.

“And what sort of girlfriend would I be if I splurged all your money?” she smiled.

“Ichigo, what’s mine is yours, so splurge away,” I told her.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yeah, besides you’ve already stolen my clothes, my brother, my parents, might as well my money too,” I winked making her laugh, “Actually there is one thing you haven’t stolen from me.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“My last name,” I smirked.

Ichigo’s face went as red as her hair, “D-do you want me stealing your last name?”

“Mhm,” I nodded taking a step closer.

“Kyo,” Ichigo mumbled, looking back, we were standing in the stairway, and my parents were in the living room, so they could see us if they just looked our way.

“Hmm,” I hummed, still taking steps forward.

She looked at me pleadingly while also gesturing towards my parents, who still had no clue what was happening. I smirked and held my hand out, Ichigo smiled back and slipped her hand into mine as we walked hand-in-hand down the stairs.

“Ahh young love,” Dad commented, not looking up from his newspaper.

“Going somewhere?” Mum asked.

“Dad,” I whined, rubbing the back of my neck, “And yes, Ichigo and I are going shopping.”

“Oh good. And make sure you don’t let her pay, I raised you better than that,” Mum warned.

“Uff, yes mother dearest, may we go now?” I asked.

“Yes,” She smiled, cutely.

“And bring her back safely,” Dad added.

I stopped in my tracks and backed up, “Okay I just want to clarify, are you my parents or Ichigo’s?”

Mum and Dad exchanged a look before looking up at us, “Ichigo’s.”

“Wow. Answer faster next time, will you?” I scoffed.

Ichigo giggled, “Bye,” she waved to my parents.

“Bye, sweetie,” Mum smiled.

“Have fun,” Dad nodded a small smile on his face.

How does my every stoic father smile at my girlfriend but never to me? This is injustice! This is pure favouritism! I won’t stand for it! I will-

“Kyo,” Ichigo lightly nudged my arm, disrupting my inner monologue.

“Yes?” I smiled at her.

What was I talking about again?

“Are you coming?” she asked.

“Oh right, right. Sorry, Mum, and Dad, we’ll see you guys later,” I waved to them.

Ichigo and I made our way to the car parked outside, I opened the door for her so she could get in, and before walking around me, my driver knew where to go.

“So do you already know what you want to get?” I asked.

“Um, yeah just a couple of t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, jeans, leggings, and some other things,” she smiled.

“Whoa, you don’t need ALL that,” I shrugged.

“What do you mean?” She asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

“I mean, jeans and leggings are fine, hoodies and sweaters are something you can borrow from me, or more likely steal, isn’t that MY hoodie you’re wearing?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Well technically I was the one who brought it for your birthday, so doesn’t it make it OUR hoodie?” She grinned.

“Yeah, but that's my favourite hoodie,” I huffed.

“And I’m your favourite human,” she winked.

Where does she come up with answers like that?

“Oh really?” I asked.

“Yes, and as your favourite human I am obligated to also wear your favourite clothes,” she winked.

“Hmm, well I guess it works in my favour,” I shrugged.

“How?” She asked.

“Well, my dear, it’s because it’ll smell like you,” I winked.

“Oh. In that case, then it works in my favour too,” she shrugged.

“How?”

“Because any girl that gets too close to you will know that you belong to me, just because of the way your hoodie smells,” She winked, cheekily.

“In that case, carry on wearing my clothes, then at least it’ll ward off any guy that comes too close to you,” I wrapped an arm around her pulling her close to me.

Ichigo giggled, “You’re funny you know that?”

“Yes, somehow when I’m around you I give comedians a run for their money,” I boasted, jokingly.

We arrived half an hour later at the best clothes shop in town, Ichigo looked around in awe, this place was more on the higher end of the market.

“You like?”

“I love,” she bounced on her toes.

“You’ve never been here before?” I asked.

“No, remember I’m not from around here, and before I met you my life consisted of going to school, coming home, and then school again,” she explained.

“Well, do you want to get some food first or shop first?” I asked.

“Food… no shop! Shopping makes me work up an appetite,” She giggled.

“Okay, shopping it is,” I smiled.

Ichigo looped her arm through mine and we made our way to the different shops, and before any of you came at me, no I didn’t make her carry her bags! As promised, I did take her to get some food after all that shopping, and Ichigo was right shopping does give her an appetite.

“Whoa! Slow down,” I laughed.

“Sorry, I’m hungry, I skipped breakfast,” she told me.

“Ichigo, I uh… I noticed you don’t eat very much, generally, I mean, and I don’t know but it feels like it’s gotten worse,” I voice my concerns.

Ichigo looks down and fidgets with her hands before looking back up at me again, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“Hey no!” I hold her hand and rub circles at the back of it with my thumb, “You have nothing to apologise for, just please tell me, I want to help you.”

She hesitates for a moment before speaking, “I know I don’t eat like normal people. It’s just some days I’m fine and other days I feel like I need to control it. Sometimes it feels like it’s the only thing I can control. I used to get bullied in my old school, I was quiet and shy, and girls used to make fun of me, it didn’t help much at home either, my Mother and Sara used to make comments about my weight too,” she paused to take a shaky breath.

I felt my heart break in two, tears stung my eyes, and I had to look away and rapidly blink to make them go. I had to be strong for her, I had to show her that if no one else was, then I was on her side.

“I’m sorry it probably doesn’t make sense,” She chuckled, through the tears.

“It does.” I nodded, “I may not know exactly what you’re going through, or what you went through, but I want you to know that I’m here for you. I want to know if you’re having a bad day and what I can do to make it less stressful, I want to be there for you, and I just wish you could see yourself through my eyes, you’re beautiful, smart, funny and the best, cutest girlfriend in the whole wide world. Please don’t let a number make you question that.”

Ichigo smiled a little, “thank you.”

“Thank you for telling me, now please eat because we have to go soon, I need to prepare for our date tonight, and before you ask, no I’m not telling you what it is,” I winked.

Ichigo scoffed, “We have a date?! And I wasn’t going to ask that.”

“Oh yeah?” I raised an eyebrow, “Look into my eyes and say that.”

She diverted her gaze and took a squirrel-sized bite out of the sandwich she was eating.

“What I thought,” I chuckled while sipping on my milkshake.

An hour later we were finally home and unprepared for what came next, we walked inside and what I saw made my blood boil, my hands curled into tight fists on my side, and I felt Ichigo’s gentle touch on my arm.

Akabane-san was standing in our living room, screaming at my Dad asking for the whereabouts of his daughter. Both my brother and Mum looked pissed; Dad looked composed but ready to fight if need be.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, walking in with Ichigo.

“I’m here to get my daughter,” he tried to get to her but I blocked his path, and his view of her.

“Touch her and you’re a dead man,” I warned.

“Kyo,” Dad warned.

“Why do you want to see her? Weren’t your exact words if she stepped out of that house then she’s dead to you? How is it that she’s been here for 2 weeks and now you miss her? Did you finally remember that you have two daughters? Or did your Fatherly love suddenly awaken?” I fired question after question his way, I wanted answers and I was going to get them.

“Because she’s my daughter, damn it! I know I was stupid! I know what I did was wrong, I was blinded by stupidity and ended up making the biggest mistake of my life. I was angry and I lashed out, and I know I haven’t been the best father but I want to change,” he confessed.

“Why now?” I heard a small voice behind me. Ichigo came forward and confronted him, “Why now, Dad?”

“Ichigo,” he breathed out, as I took a closer look at him, I could see the guilt on his face, the evidence of sleepless nights was the bags under his eyes, he didn’t look well and for some reason, I felt like it was partially my fault…

“You hurt me. Your wife hurt me. Your daughter hurt me. You kept hurting me over and over again. And I ignored it over and over again. But not this time, because this time you judged the man I love. Sorry won’t cut it this time, Dad,” she argued.

“We’re your family, Ichigo,” this time it was her Mum who spoke, “These things happen.”

“I know. That’s why I left,” she looked away sadly.

“Hitoshi, please do something,” Ichigo’s Dad pleaded with mine.

“Sorry, Chiharu. I side with the kids on this one,” Dad nodded towards us.

“Some friend you are,” Akabane-san spat making Dad flinch.

“You’re right,” Dad nodded.

“What?”

“You’re right. I’ve been a terrible friend in the past, which is why this happened, if I didn’t make that stupid mistake in the past then we’d still be friends, and our kids wouldn’t be hurt.”

“Dad,” Ichigo took a few steps towards her Dad, I was close behind, “If you want to make things right with me, then make things right with Sakurai-san first. I can tell he regrets his past actions, that’s why he took such good care of me, and treated me like a daughter, you always used to tell me to forgive and forget time for you to apply the same thing here.”

Both of our Dads looked at each other as if they were reminiscing something, soon their expressions changed from serious to smiles. I had to blink and rub my eyes at the scene; they were hugging.

“I’m sorry,” Dad told him, patting him on the back.

“I’m sorry too.”

My brother and Ichigo’s sister came to join our side, also smiling while our mothers quickly embraced each other. The four of us had huge smiles on our faces.

Akabane-san then turned to Ichigo, “Do you forgive us?”

“I need some time, but eventually I will,” she nodded.

She looked at me and I nodded, I held her hand and intertwined our fingers. She wrapped her arm around mine and rested her head on it. I kissed the top of her head as we looked at our families finally, FINALLY getting along. Just then I remembered a conversation Ichigo and I had when we first started dating:

“Hey, if you think about it our story is a bit like Romeo and Juliet with the whole our family rival thing,” I point out.

“Oh yeah,” Ichigo laughs.

“But do you think it might end that way?” she then asks.

“No, it won’t because at the end of the day, we’re not stupid and we’re not going to kill ourselves just because our families don’t approve!” I assure her.

I kept my promise.