Birthday Wishes

Disclaimer: The all-powerful Kubo-sensei owns Bleach. I am but a pale comparison.

Summary: Rukia's never had a birthday. Ichigo plans to remedy that situation.

Pairings: IchiRuki.

"I don't get it."

Such had been the off-repeated phrase throughout the entire evening. With a forlorn sigh, Ichigo realized this had probably hadn't been a very smart idea. Maybe he should have just let it go. Maybe he should have just given her a card and been done with it.

"No, Rukia, you have to blow out all the candles at once."

"Why?" The Shinigami wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. Her face loomed above the pink-frosted cake.

Ichigo sighed again resignedly. "Because otherwise you'll end up with a ton of boyfriends."

Rukia quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. "And this is seen as bad because…?"

Smack!

Ichigo's head made contact with the table. "Because…" Damn. Couldn't think of anything.

Rukia smirked at him. Then, drawing a big breath, she leaned toward the cake with determination.

"Wait, wait, wait! Rukia!"

The Shinigami froze, her cheeks bubbled out. With a glare, her eyes met Ichigos. "What now?"

Ichigo planted his hands on the table. "You forgot to make a wish!"

Rukia crossed her arms. "What?"

"A wish. You make it before you blow out the candles, and then it will come true."

Rukia cocked her head, considering. "That's stupid."

Bitch. "No, it's not," Ichigo argued, though those had been his exact thoughts on the subject since he was a kid. But the other option was to agree with Rukia, and he wasn't sure he could do that without the universe imploding. "It's in the birthday rule book."

"Could I see this rule book, by chance?"

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well, no, but…"

"Then it's stupid."

Ichigo glared at her. "Just make a wish, Rukia!"

"What if I don't want to?"

His eyes rolled melodramatically. Why am I doing this again? "Isn't there anything you've wanted in the least? Come on, there has to be something," he insisted when she shook her head in a negative gesture.

Her brow knitted seriously. "Well, there is-"

"NO! Don't tell me!" Ichigo clamped a hand over her mouth. In reply, she stuck out a tongue at him. He quickly removed his hand in disgust.

"If you tell anyone your wish, it won't come true," he explained, wiping the saliva on her sleeve.

She drew it away forcefully. "That's stupid, too," she muttered.

"Yeah, well, that's how it is."

She seemed to consider this. "So, when does it happen?"

"What?"

"When does my wish come true?" she asked impatiently, planting her hands on her small hips.

"How should I know?" Ichigo asked, his eyes rolling skyward. "Honestly, why does this have to be so complicated? You make a wish, blow out the candles, and your wish comes true."

"Yeah, but when?" she pestered.

He sighed. "Look. It could come true today; it could come true a thousand years from now." Providing she lives past tonight. "Just make the damn wish already."

Rukia blew air through her teeth. "All right, all right." With that, she drew another breath, and blew out all the candles in one shot.

Ichigo glowered. Fuck. None left.

When Rukia looked up, the substitute Shinigami was regarding her curiously. "What?" she asked, a little self-consciously.

"What did you wish for?" he questioned.

She glared, looking down to hide the fact that her face was now bright red. "You said that I couldn't tell anyone."

When he didn't reply, she added helpfully, "Or else it won't come true."

"Yeah, but there's nothing saying I can't try and guess," he countered.

She grit her teeth. "No," she said.

"Is it about family?"

"No."

"Does it somehow involve bunnies?"

"No."

"Does it have something to do with food?"

"No."

"How about school?"

"No."

"Friends?"

"No."

"Shinigami?"

"No."

He frowned. "Is it… romantic?" he hazarded at last.

She blushed furiously. "No, nope," she denied forcefully.

But he was already grinning. "I know! It's Renji!"

She stuck out a tongue. "Yuck. He's like, my brother." Which was true, of course. She could no longer fall in love with the red-haired pineapple than she could with Nii-sama. Which was just a plain creepy thought.

Ichigo crossed his arms. "Well, who then?"

Rukia quickly began to pick up her stuff. "Good-bye, Kurosaki-kun," she said in her best modern-Japanese. "See you at school tomorrow." She turned to go.

In a sudden, rough movement, Ichigo grabbed her and turned her around in a kiss.

If she wasn't already dead, she probably would have died right there.

"Is it me?" he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She squirmed.

"Ichigo, what the hell?" she said, struggling against his arms. He just pulled her closer.

And kissed her again.

Okay, she was definitely dead now. Before, she was kind on the fence about that.

"How'd you know?" she managed finally.

He drew back, eliciting a slight whimper from her which he reveled in. "Lucky guess," he shrugged. His expression had returned to its usual scowl. "Eat your cake, bitch. I don't like pink."

She smacked him. "Call me that again and you're dead," she replied, and turned away, feeling her face heat at the fresh image of his lips on hers.

He picked up her bag, which she had dropped. "Rukia, how can you have lived as long as you have and never heard of any birthday traditions?" he asked disinterestedly, handing it to her and at the same time completely changing the uncomfortable subject.

She shrugged. "I never said I hadn't heard of any," she muttered.

His eyebrows raised. "What have you heard, then?" he asked.

She hesitated, then suddenly took his face in her hands and kissed him hard.

"One to grow on?" she suggested sheepishly when they had pulled apart again.

Ichigo was looking at her speechlessly. "Well, actually I think that one involves spanking," he said once he had found his voice. At her quickly muffled look of disappointment, he added hastily, "But we could probably change it to involve kissing, too." He had forgotten how her eyes could sparkle like that when she was happy.

"Now, let's see," he continued briskly. "You said you were about three times my age, which would make you…. plus one to grow on…"

Her lips were suddenly pressed against his again. "Today I turn one thousand," she breathed.

For once, he deigned not to argue.

:Owari: