A/N: So here we are again with another story, one of my favorite couples of all time, too. x3 It was a belated birthday gift (for Yumichika), placed on my Livejournal before now but thanks to a latter comment I just now got, I was inspired to upload this to here as well.

Disclaimer: Bleach and everything within that belong to Tite Kubo, blahblahblah.. can't think of anything clever to say.

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~ Birthday Surprise ~

Yumichika hadn't quite realized as his eyes tiredly opened to the glaze of dim sunlight against the walls in what seemed like a pattern, only a part coincidentally being over his eyes, that he hadn't woken up at the normal six a.m. that he usually woke up independently on. His lips parted just a bit and then finally, into a large oval like shape and he lifted a numb hand to cover it, a yawn soon escaping his throat.

As if still half asleep and as if also trying to remember something, he laid there staring forward at nothing in particular. He placed the hand that had covered his mouth on his right cheek, the only cheek not laying upon a pillow. He felt his fingertips drift over his own soft skin before he blinked for the first time that morning.

"..Ik.." He yawned again and then lazily rolled over upon his back, then turned only his head to the opposite side of him, "..kaku..?" But his bald-headed best friend was no longer in the bed beside him. The warm smell of crispy bacon slipped through his nostrils easily a moment later. A smile formed over his lips, a soft one. So Ikkaku had fixed him breakfast? But for what reason.. he supposed just to be kind.

Slowly he sat up, placing both hands on the bed beside himself and arching his back until he heard a quiet pop. Then he sat back normally, hands still upon the sheets, and glanced to the clock. His eyes widened.

"Twelve?!" He shouted. How had he woke up in mid-day instead of six in the morning. Why hadn't he woke--

"Mmn.." His eyes slowly opened, this time not much of any light for the exception of a dusk blue seeping in through the glass of the window. Just like normal. Then he felt a hand on his cheek, calloused by warm and welcoming. His eyes lifted, only half open and still almost completely asleep. "..Ikk..aku..?" Trying his best not to yawn, he managed the question.

He saw his lover smile at him, "Go back to sleep, it's too early." And lips covered his own, almost so light that he was unable to feel them. But as this happened, his eyes slowly closed.

Slowly.. until finally, he was asleep again.

..Ikkaku had told him to go back to sleep, hadn't he? Or was it just a dream?

Yumichika lifted his hand to his forward head, running fingers over the soft, raven strands of hair that he owned all to himself. He was trying his best, his complete hardest, to remember if it were real. He'd been so far gone, too much asleep, to remember if it had happened, and if so--he knew that was the reason. Finally, though. He took in a comforting breath and slipped off the bed.

Breakfast could wait and if Ikkaku was out there, which Yumichika was sure he had to be, Ikkaku knew that all the better. Yumichika had a shower every morning. Every night. Brushed his hair one hundred times after each. And so he did.

About an hour later, Yumichika stepped out from the tub with an all-too delicate, attenuate body on to the fluff of the lilac rug. Soon he'd dried himself off and placed on himself the average clothes he wore everyday for a work day. Long, black kimono-like clothing, then orange turtle-neck-like piece with the arm sleeve. Soon, he had his hair dried as well and finally, last but not least, his eyelash and eyebrow fathers.

Yumichika stepped through the bedroom door, bare feet feeling the carpet in more detail with the nerves in his toes now that he'd just gotten out of the warm shower. Through the hallway, another room and finally into their medium-sized kitchen where all he noticed was a nicely set plate with the complete breakfast of bacon, eggs, grits, hash-brows---everything. A glass of orange juice, napkin and silver-waire. Then.. a note.

But no Ikkaku.

Hoping nothing bad had happened to have caused Ikkaku to try cooking even when he knew Ikkaku most of the time, couldn't cook, and never wanted to, he walked to the table and lifted the small sticky note from the wood.

Then read.

Yumi,

Not sure what time you were going to get up, but I'm sure it was late. Hope you like it, I used those recipes you wrote down and placed in that book in the cabinet. No, there's no poison and yes it's for a good cause. Also, for one time, please don't worry about your weight. It's good, please eat it. Hope it isn't cold.

Ikkaku.

But no whereabouts of the bald-headed best friend of his. He sighed and sat down in his seat, wondering how the plate of food had even managed to stay warm enough to eat by the time he woke up so late.

Placing the note back where it had been, he then lifted a fork up and poked it into the eggs. By the time he tasted the warm, delicious sense of the breakfast he'd been fixed with love from Ikkaku, he had immediately decided that Ikkaku could cook breakfast, no matter what anyone had said. Or.. at least he could when he tried.

Then finally, when he managed to finish and had also found second helpings, he stood and left the kitchen to leave the house. There had to be a reason besides forgetting that the other had fixed him such a breakfast, a note not telling where he was, and wasn't even at home. On top of that, allowed him to go back to sleep as well! Was this some sort of special day? If so, he couldn't seem to remember any.

With this realization in mind, he left out the front door and began down the path to begin searching around the Soul Society. Somewhere had to be Ikkaku, as Ikkaku certaintly hadn't left him for good, that was just completely insane. But as he had went outside and began to search, for at least forty five minutes, all Yumi seemed to see were the average shoppers, shop-workers, and others.

Just when he was about to give up and go home, awaiting for Ikkaku to simply arrive, he heard small running footsteps behind him and the familiar, childish but female voice of a little pink-haired girl.

"Yumi-chan, Yumi-chan, Yumi-chan!" She chanted, repeatedly. Yachiru.

Before he could even begin to turn himself around, he felt a body against the back of his head, legs around his neck and arms wrapped ironically over his eyes. He stumbled forward at the power of her weight, spite her probably weighing only sixty five pounds or less.

"Yachiru, watch where you're going!" He shouted, twisting his whole body around before eventually catching himself in the midst of almost falling into a face-plant. Releasing a rather large sigh of relief, he began to gradually stand himself back up. Expecting a reason from the little girl in less then five seconds before he had to bother and ask himself.

"Ken-chan's in trouble!" She exclaimed. At this, Yumichika immediately lost all reasoning of not getting mad at this girl. Kenpachi was never in trouble and if he was, was five in about a few seconds or usually saved some how by Yachiru herself. Should he even bother telling her she was lying? He wasn't sure, but just as he parted his lips to do so, she shouted again, "So baldy-chan!" She whined.

Yumichika's eyes widened at which. Lying or not, now he couldn't risk a chance. Feeling rather rude for telling himself such, he apologized within thoughts. Though it was true, he supposed he had no right to say so when it came to his Captain. Although when the thought finally smacked him in the face, he immediately blurted out the questiohn as to where they were.

"I'll give you directions, run Yumi-chan!" She shouted, sounding utterly nervous and shocked, as if praying to herself that Yumi could get there in time before one of them were seemingly killed. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs stayed there as well, and Yumichika began to run. Once she shouted "Right" or once she shouted "Left", Yumi would turn each way. Once she shouted to go through a tunnel or continue going straight, Yumichika would. He listened to every word she said, until finally he was wondering just where it was that they were going. It seemed as though it had been almost an hour since they began their long journey.

"Yachiru," He finally spoke up, feeling the wind against his face, feet blurring as he ran about as fast as he could without using his flash steps--not to mention he was using them anyway every once and a while. "Are you sure you're not lost, or.. we're not lost?" He knew the consistency of Kenpachi and Yachiru getting lost, how they were most of the time or always late for missions or meetings held in places they didn't know about, or failing in saving someone early due to having bad direction skills.

"Are you doubting me, Yumi-chan?" She shouted to him, disappointed tone easily heard. Yumichika then sighed.

"No." Big sigh.

Another forty-five minutes later after constant shouts of turn right, turn left, stay straight, go here, go there---Yumichika was shocked to hear something different then he'd been hearing the past hour or so.

"There, there!" She shouted and he saw her small hand shoot out in front of his face, finger pointing towards the building. Yumichika's feet slid to a stop. He looked up the thick cement steps to the two large, double doors that almost shouted at him to stay away. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been called inside the building.

"..Yachiru, why would they be hurt in the building where Captains always meet?" He asked, as if honestly questioning her. He was.

"Are you doubting me again?" She pulled on his hair with fists full of the raven tendrils, "Hurry up before Kenny loses it and baldy gets hurt worse!" And with Yumichika flinching, shouting to let go, she finally released his hair and eventually, Yumi ran in through the double doors.

Immediately, fright and shock slapped him harshly across the face, leaving an invisible red blotch upon his cheek. The shouts, the sounds of popping and other joyous item sounds echoed throughout his ears. He froze, mind having to concentrate hard before he stumbled back and hit the two double doors in which had apparently been shut. Yachiru hopped off, and he only knew this because he felt the light weight leave his bony shoulders. Finally, he saw what was really there.

All the captains, lieutenants, and seated officers were there, either seated at the long tables, random chairs or standing. All smiles while Yumichika gaped at each and every one of them, hearing chuckles and laughter immediately burst through the large room at his apparently hilarious expression. Still his expression didn't change, his heart still having felt those few beats it had skipped. He thought they were in trouble yet here they were, and everyone else too, with wide smiles and grins, happiness in their eyes. What--?

A few streamers he saw still flying through the air, a rainbow of colors, balloons of a diversity floating through the air. He could smell the freshness of snacks and food cooked, and especially certain kinds of candy that he immediately knew Ukitake had helped out getting--the expert of all sweets. Finally, he saw though, the face he had been wanting to see this whole time, the face he was running to save. The man he didn't ever want gone.

Ikkaku.

"Ikkaku!" Before anything else, his shocked expression faded and he was in Ikkaku's arms, his own around the others neck. When shouting his name he had sounded rather worried, Ikkaku becoming aware quickly that his beautiful yet arrogant little friend had been quite the worried sick. He only smiled and wrapped his arms around Yumichika's waist. "Ikkaku, I was so worried, I can't believe---" He felt two fingers over his lips and saw a smirk on the others face. Had he missed something?

"Happy birthday, Yumi." The smirk widened into a trademark grin. Immediately, both wisteria pools widened and the lips parted spite the fingers gently placed in front of them. Yumichika would have to admit that he was completely and utterly shocked at the sudden realization that it was, in fact, his birthday. For a moment, he stayed silent. Then the fingers took themselves away and he realized that Ikkaku awaited a reply with that same grin on his face.

"My birthday," A sudden flirtatious smile gradually crossed Yumichika's lips and his eyes returned to normal. He lifted his right hand from Ikkaku's neck and placed his index fingers tip upon the side jaw-like of Ikkaku's face. He slid it around to his chin and then left it there. "Thank you for the breakfast, 'Kaku, really. It was delicious." He leaned forward, and soon lips found each others and a tongue found the others until a passionate kiss was met between the two of them, a smile just barely hidden within.

Now as everyone else gaped, Yumichika was all smiles.