Innocence

Kids, children – they all had that “cute and lovable, you must adore me!” look. Well, until they opened their mouths and then their real nature was revealed.

“But Kisuke-san aniki calls you with chan, why can’t I? whined a little dark haired boy, crossing his arms and putting on his best “succumb to my wishes, or I’ll tell my big brother” look.

“Kaien-kun,” I began, sighing as I reached out to ruffle up his hair affectionately, “your brother calls me that because he’s … a really good friend. I told him he could.”

Kaien changed expressions faster than anyone I knew, I had to say. One minute he was looking like a kicked puppy and the next he had a devious little smile in place. That smile slightly unnerved me. I almost saw myself in this boy and I had to wonder if Kaien wasn’t becoming more like both Isshin and me. It was a scary thought. That kind of combination would be disastrous for all of Soul Society. It was bad enough Isshin was slowly corrupting his little brother, now I seemed to be doing the same.

“Yoruichi-san doesn’t call you that and you said she’s known you forever and ever!” pointed out Kaien. Sometimes kids could be a little too perceptive for their own good.

“Yes, well, Yoruichi never uses chan for anyone.” Two could play at this game. “She prefers the term ‘baka’, I do believe.” This had the satisfying effect of distracting Kaien, the little boy too busy giggling to keep up his side of the argument. What I said next, while knowing it would keep Kaien’s determination to call me ‘chan’ going, was begging to be asked. “Why do you want to call me Kisuke-chan, anyway, Kaien-kun?”

The giggling abruptly stopped and the kid’s round cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I – I wanna be just like nii-san!” Kaien proudly proclaimed, chest puffing out even while his face remained a dark red. “He’s just so cool. When mommy died, he took care of us all and everything! And then Kuukaku said he shouldn’t be doing that stuff and kicked his ass, sure, but then he became a shinigami and – and he’s just so cool!” The kid was rambling, yes, but I understood every word. Anything concerning Isshin – whether it was his past, his present, his future - always had me fascinated, wanting to know more about him than I ever could. “And – and then aniki met Kisuke-san and he was so happy ! He couldn’t stop talking about you the first time he came to visit!” This was new. “Everything he had to say had ‘Kisuke-chan’ in it!”

“And Yoruichi,” I stated with a roll of my eyes. “You’re forgetting her, too, you know. You met her once, remember?”

“But aniki just wants in her pants.” I was shocked this kid even knew what that meant. I would have to talk to Isshin about that later. It was one thing to be a pervert, it was another to make a kid a pervert. “So that’s all he ever talks about concerning her! When it comes to you, he’s all respecting and stuff!” Ah, that kind of hurt knowing that all he ever saw me as was a comrade, nothing more – but it was better than nothing.

I held up a hand to stop his energetic babbling. “I’m sure Isshin wouldn’t appreciate you spilling all his deep, dark secrets, Kaien-kun.”

He halted mid-sentence and cocked his head to the side, brow furrowed. “Kisuke-san, can – can I ask you something?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you like aniki?”

I smiled and then shrugged, turning my head to look out at West Rukongai. We were both sitting on the porch of Kuukaku’s new residence for the kids, and the view was nice from here; just the right angle to see the clear sky and the expansive field Kuukaku had chosen to put the house up on. “I guess since he’s my comrade, I have to like him, Kaien-kun.”

Kaien gave me a look that plainly said he knew I was lying. “But you always stare at Isshin-nii-san! Like – like Isshin-nii-san does with Yoruichi-san!”

This kid was perspective. I shrugged again, much more stiffly this time. I would have to be careful here or this would get back to Isshin, and I really didn’t want that. “Isshin and I are just friends, Kaien-kun. No need to be worried for your aniki.” I forced another smile and reached out to ruffle his hair again. He allowed the gesture, but I could tell he wasn’t about to drop the subject. Shibas, they were all the same in that respect. That stubbornness, that stupid determination, that foolhardy persistence – it was going to get them all killed one day.

“I’m not worried about my aniki, he can take care of himself,” Kaien said, pulling me out of my morbid thoughts. “It’s you I’m worried about!” He glowered at me – honestly, he glowered. It was rather cute on such a cherub face, though, and I really couldn’t take him seriously. I think that was the only reason I broke into laughter. If anyone else had said that, with as much seriousness as Kaien had intended, I wouldn’t have done so. But Kaien was just so adorable trying to act like his older brother. “Hey, don’t laugh at me!”

I wiped away the tears of laughter working their way down my face and waved a hand in the air wildly. “I can’t help it, Kaien-kun, you’re just so cuuuuuuute!” I pulled him onto my lap, still laughing, and hugged him tighter than I ever remember hugging anyone. “You’re such a sweet kid, thinking only of little old me!”

Kaien’s face pouted up at me, still mad that he hadn’t been taken seriously, but he hugged me back all the same. “You know why I’m not worried about aniki as much as you?”

“Why’s that?” I asked, curious despite myself. Damn my curiosity.

“’Cause he has you.”