Chapter 2
Fair Game

"Daisuke!" Orihime called out. "Come down and eat your breakfast. You'll be late for your trip with Aunt Tatsuki."

"Yes, mom!" the boy said.

Orihime smiled lovingly as she watched her little boy come down from the stairs. As usual, he had this mussed up hairstyle and the ever-glowing smile. He went to her in a 'jumpy' manner and sat down to eat his bacon and eggs.

Well, after the years, Inoue Orihime learned to cook normally. She knew those comments people were giving about her unusual cooking, though she wondered why. For her, the food tasted okay. But, she insisted on changing and feeding her kid right.

But somehow, Daisuke inherited her weird taste. Sometimes, she sees him packing his own lunch, which is a sandwich with jam, bean paste and wasabi in it.

"I wish I could stay over and help you mom," Daisuke said, staring at his mother with those heart-melting brown eyes.

Orihime smiled. "Don't give me that look, Daisuke. I know you hate helping out in the shop."

"Couldn't fool you for a second, can I, mom?" Daisuke said, giggling.

Orihime tickled the little boy, eliciting more laughs from him. "Have fun today, okay?"

"Of course I will mom!" the boy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Aunt Tatsuki is the greatest! Sometimes, I think she's not suited to be a girl; she's more like a boy! She's more fun!"

Orihime laughed. "Now, don't say that. Are you trying to tell me girls are no fun?"

Daisuke smiled apologetically. "Not you mom," he said defensively. "You're fun and hot!"

"Hot?" Orihime asked, puzzled.

"I heard Mai's dad say that you're hot!" Daisuke said enthusiastically. "Though I don't know what he exactly means. I find you warm, but not that hot! I mean, when you hold my hand and walk me home, or when you tuck me in bed."

Orihime felt slightly taken aback by the comment Sensui-san said about her. But she simply chose not to react to it and smiled at her son.

"Don't worry mom, I know what he means," Daisuke said knowingly.

Orihime looked at her son with wide eyes. "You know what?"

"These are the sort of comments that older men give to pretty women," he said. "I'm not the top of my class for nothing, you know."

She said nothing and smiled at this. Her son really was smart, accompanied by the pranks he made around, pretending he didn't know things and looking all innocent. When he really didn't know things, he asked directly.

"You know mom, you shouldn't worry," he said, in that adult-like manner of his. "Mai may be cute, but I won't let her dad near you. I already have a dad!"

She stiffened at this. "Dad?" she said, choking the word out.

"Yeah! Uncle Uryuu," Daisuke said. "He's more handsome and kind and rich. He really likes you."

"How come you say so?" she said in a relieved tone.

"He looks at you as if he's never seen anyone like you before."

She could never fathom how innocent a child can be in telling things that are more heart-wrenching to an adult. Aged minds do think otherwise. Sometimes she wished she could be young again – where nothing seemed to bother her at all, where all problems are simpler, and where everything looked so much brighter…

"Mom? Are you okay?" Daisuke said, tugging her arm.

"Uh – yes! Why wouldn't I be?" Orihime said, smiling at her son reassuringly.

"I swear, I won't let Sensui-san go near you, I promise!" he said, wrapping his arms around his mother protectively.

In these occasions, he would remind her dreadfully of his father…

The protective manner, the look of determination in those eyes, the slight smile – she sees them everyday. Daisuke was a constant reminder of the past, but Orihime learned to live with it. And Daisuke was not the same as his father – this little boy would never leave her, and is twice the man his father could ever be.

She felt her anger again, and doused it quickly. She wanted to get rid of those thoughts when Daisuke was around.

"Mom, you want strawberries?" Daisuke asked.

"Strawberries," she said in shock.

"You whispered something like 'ichigo' while we were hugging," Daisuke said. "Maybe you want to eat to cheer you up!"

Did I just say that? Argh, Inoue Orihime, you are spacing out!

"No… I said 'you should go,'" she said quickly. "Sounds a lot like 'ichigo', huh?"

Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure it was ichigo."

"No way," Orihime said, grinning at Daisuke.

Just then, a honking of a car's horn sounded from the doorway.

"Yay! She's here!" Daisuke exclaimed, running to the door.

Orihime sighed in relief. Tatsuki saves the day.

The door opened, letting in a smiling raven-haired girl who picked up a laughing Daisuke.

Arisawa Tatsuki's features were still the same, only growing a bit taller. Still single and going strong, Tatsuki has helped Orihime out in raising Daisuke. These were one of those times.

Orihime has been placed with a lot of orders that day and couldn't look after Daisuke. It was a wedding, and she was in charge of the floral arrangements. It seemed to be a fairly huge wedding. Tatsuki was planning to go on a trip to Nagasaki and visit some relatives. Orihime begged her best friend to let Daisuke tag along. Fortunately, she agreed.

"Hi Orihime!" Tatsuki said, approaching her friend with Daisuke in her arms.

"Hi," she replied, and turned to Daisuke. "Now Daisuke, don't be too hard on you Aunt Tatsuki. You'll be staying at her cousin's place and I don't want you causing trouble or getting in trouble, otherwise when you get home, I'll give you trouble."

Daisuke simply laughed at her statement. "Don't worry mom. I'll behave. And since you said the word 'trouble' three times in one sentence, I'll be thrice as behave as I used to be."

"You better be," Orihime said, smiling gently and ruffling his hair. "If you're in any emergency, call."

"Yes, madam," Tatsuki said. "It's not as if it's my first time looking after this little tyke. And I'm sure he won't be much of a fuss."

"So we're going to your cousin's house?" Daisuke said. "Do they have kids?"

"Yes. In fact, I have a nephew and a niece about your age," Tatsuki said.

"They're twins?"

"Yup."

"Hurray! This is going to be fun," he said. He ran up to her mom and kissed her on the cheek. "Now lock the doors always mom and remember, don't let Mai's dad come over, even if he begs."

Orihime laughed. "Yes sir," she said.

"Good," Daisuke said in his authoritative voice as he dashed away with his Aunt Tatsuki. "Bye Mom!"

"Bye, have fun!" she said.

"We will," Tatsuki said. The woman turned before closing the door. "And Orihime?"

"Yes?" Orihime said.

"Ichigo will be coming home from America on Tuesday. We're going to have a welcome party in Chad's place," Tatsuki said. "Everything's planned out and they asked if you could do the honors of cooking. Just call Chad when you've decided. He's expecting you to contact him today."

Orihime said nothing and was careful to conceal the turmoil in her mind. He's back, she thought, clamoring, he's goddamn back.
Author: AnnieInWonderland07