Admiration (Bleach Fanfic)

Game Plan

"Explain to me what is going to happen again?" Toshiro stood next to the far outer wall that led to the Rukongai. It had been some time since he had started flying with Bankai, and while it had become evident that the small sub-taicho had lightened up since then, he still took things relatively seriously.

"We are going to play a racing game with the other divisions," Isshin smiled at the white haired boy.

"I got that part," Toshiro's eyes said that he had very well had heard the tenth division taicho multiple times, but either just plain didn't get how it worked, or that he thought the idea was stupid, or on the other hand, both.

"Two members are picked from each division, excluding first division,"

"That is simple enough to understand too," the temperature dropped, "Please continue quickly and get to the point."

"Well, each division is paired with another division, us being with the fourth," Isshin continued. "Each pair starts at the opposite end of each other, and hurries to the center, switches secondary partners, goes back to where they started, then back to the center again."

"I got that too," came the irritated response.

"One can use any skill they want to get to the center, so long as they don't harm anyone," Isshin stated. "That's what first division is doing today; they are in charge of that. Also, they are to give us the signal to start and serve as our check points."

"And I got that," came the impertinent reply.

"Shiro-chan, what exactly don't you get about this?"

"The point of all this," Toshiro folded his arms across his chest. "I think this is your stupidest idea ever."

One side of Isshin's mouth twitched up, but before he could comment, one of the first division members signaled that it was time to start. He reached down and grabbed the scruff of the boy's shingami robes.

"If I do the shunpooing, we will go faster," Isshin smirked.

"I can shunpoo just fine on my own, what are you mean…" it was then and there that the white haired boy realized that Isshin was going to give him a ride on his back and was proceeding to put him up there. This caused his cheeks to flush a bit. "Oto-san!"

When the tenth division taicho heard the boy say that, he also felt a few seconds later Toshiro's small body freeze with shock. Thus, Isshin loosened hi grip and allowed his charge to slide down to the ground.

He then turned around to see Toshiro standing rigid as a statue of a solider under inspection. His gaze was cast at the ground and his whole face had turned red. Isshin places two hands on the small shoulders. "Toshiro?"

When he received no answer, he let go and wrapped the boy into a hug, pushing the boy's head so that Toshiro's chin rested on the man's shoulder. Isshin could feel Toshiro's heart pounding and his breath coming ragged from the shock.

Isshin took a free hand and careful rubbed between the boy's shoulder blades for a few seconds, then pulled away. A smirk appeared on his face. "So Hitsugaya Toshiro, you going to just stand there, or you going to follow me?"

"Taicho…" Toshiro was still in shock, but he followed what he felt were orders anyway. "Hai."

M

Isshin-san taicho couldn't have been even more ecstatic that day, as the young one had openly and non-subconsciously called him father. He had thought that even would have been a long time coming, but it had happened today.

Sure, Hitsugaya had been completely embarrassed by what he had called his taicho, but that just went to prove that the boy had been completely aware of what he had been saying. It also proved that he while he was embarrassed, he defiantly meant it.