Author's note: Happy Valentines Day! I know this is pretty much a Hallmark holiday, but I still feel as though I should celebrate it anyway with some wonderful, unabashed fluffiness!
But, this is not going to be an UlquiHime OneShot... no... this is actually for Jinta and Ururu! I think that those two would make an adorable couple, plus their characters are fun to write!
Please enjoy and make good choices this Valentines Day~!
"He's up to bat. Professional baseball player Jinta Hanakari is going for his hundredth-straight win, earning the title of Best Ballplayer in the World. The pitcher's winding up... the bases are loaded... if Karakura's number-one baseball star can make this hit out of the fence, then the losers will have some crying to do to their mommies. And the pitcher thro-"
"Hey, Jinta..."
"WHAA!"
Jinta crashed forward, tripping over his toy baseball bat and slamming headfirst into the ground. He was up again in a flash, eyes burning back at that tiny, annoying voice.
Ururu stood silently, holding two brooms. With the same gloomy expression she always wore, Ururu extended one out to him before he could stand up. "Kisuke says to stop messing around and start to work on sweeping some more..."
Jinta blew out a puff of air, kicking up the dust around his face. "That's your job!"
"Master wants us both to do it..." she mumbled.
With an angry snarl, Jinta snatched the broom from Ururu's hand and promptly shoved the bristles in her hair.
"Ow, that hurts Jinta..." Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes.
Jinta huffed and shoved a few more times to prove his point. He hadn't done something like that in forever, probably because he hated seeing Ururu cry.
He knew it was sappy and stupid of him, but he always felt really bad when she cried. When he actually started to care was unknown to him, and it made him really angry when he just didn't know why.
He picked up his bat and hefted it over his shoulder, scowling. He walked through the back gate and down the street.
Picking his ear with his little finger, Jinta walked casually down the street, deciding to leave the candy store and that stupid Ururu behind.
Jinta was bored, however, so he let his eyes travel around the street. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people around, which was very rare. He noticed quickly that they were all couples. His pout increased and he felt like hitting something.
"What the heck...?"
Couples couples couples. Pairs pairs everywhere. Holding hands, chatting about nothing, kissing! Ew. And they were so loud about it, too. Why couldn't they just keep their happy and hormones to themselves? Grown ups were so stupid...
Jinta closed his eyes, huffing at all the nonsense. "Just pathetic. You won't see me makin' googly eyes at anyo-" he tripped over something, landing flat on his stomach with arms and legs akimbo. His toy bat flew off.
He was up in a second, fist raised. "HEY, WATCH WERE 'YER GO- Oh, Orihime..." He shriveled.
Orihime smiled and cocked her head to the side. "Good morning, Jinta," she greeted warmly.
Jinta already felt his face get red. "Sorry, Orihime, I didn't mean to trip on your groceries..."
"What's going on out here," a voice resounded.
Jinta was immediately intimidated, which was saying something. But no one in their right mind wouldn't be afraid of that psycho Orihime brought home after the Winter War...
"I asked you a question," Ulquiorra stated, looking not at all amused.
Orihime wrapped her arms around one of Ulquiorra's. "Everything is o~kay! I set down the groceries to peek in the window, and I guessed Jinta tripped!"
Jinta blanched. How could that girl even risk touching that guy? Maybe she was more ditzy than Kisuke would give her credit for...
Ulquiorra didn't respond, merely sending Jinta a cursory glance before picking up the groceries and leaving both of them behind.
Once Jinta was sure that he was out of earshot, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
Orihime placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about him," she hummed, "he's just cranky because he didn't eat breakfast this morning. What brings you out here, Jinta?"
Jinta gulped. That smile was just too hard to resist, no matter how old a man you are. "Uh-huh... yeah... Um..."
The air for Jinta suddenly became awkward, but Orihime just continued smiling down at him as if nothing was wrong. He started feeling uncomfortable, worried that the Arrancar would come back soon. He was about to leave when Orihime started up again.
"So, do you have a date for Valentines day yet, Jinta~?"
The boy blinked. "Valentino day? What's that?"
Her face suddenly became bright, her childlike cheeks chubbing up around her eyes. How the heck could she do that!? She beamed, "Silly Jinta! Valentines day is an American holiday! It's one special day every year that couples get to give each other gifts and express how much they- uh... like-like each other~!"
Normally Jinta would have lost interest right there on the spot, but something about the newness of Valpine's day intrigued him. He plastered on his, 'indifferent' face. "Couldn't they just do that every day?" How were those words even coming out of his mouth!?
Orihime looked thoughtful a moment, pressing a finger against her chin. Her doe-like eyes wandered away as she explained, "Well I guess that's true, but it's supposed do be a day totally dedicated to... uh... like-liking someone, even if you forget." She closed her eyes and bounced on her heels, smiling down at Jinta. "Today is Valentines day~!"
Jinta's pupil's grew a tad smaller. "Is it like Tanabata?"
"I guess you could say that," Orihime giggled.
Jinta scratched at his collar, looking down the street at all of the stupid, smushy couples. Suddenly, he had a thought. "Don't you have a like-like person?"
Orihime blinked. "Aahhh... what?"
"For Valprints day."
Orihime suddenly got nervous. She crouched away from Jinta, in a surprising combination of cuteness and awkwardness, shaking her hands in and out. "It's not like that, really! Ulquiorra and I were just running errands, that's all! Neither of us had work today and-"
Jinta was totally lost. Ulquiorra?
When he didn't know what to do next, Jinta was suddenly yanked up by the collar. He squirmed and kicked at first, not paying attention to Orihime's bewildered face. Jinta looked up at his captor to see Tessai, with- uh-oh - his grumpy face.
That pale bastard of an Arrancar walked up behind Orihime and gave her a slight tap on the elbow. As if by some unfamiliar cue, Orihime nodded to him, and he just- disappeared!
Damn flash step...
Orihime looked over to Jinta and Tessai, smiling. "It's time for me to go now. Bye-bye Tessai, bye Jinta," she walked away, or maybe it was skipping, some kind of awkward combo. She waved above her head, turning back with a bright-eyed face and that childlike smile, "Happy Valentines day!"
Tessai carried Jinta back to the shop, thrusting a broom into his hand. Ururu stood next to him, sweeping in a casual manner all her own. Jinta huffed and swept back and forth, sending a glare towards Ururu. Why did her hair look so pretty in the sun like that? Gross.
"You told on me," Jinta accused quietly, for some reason having no desire to yell.
Ururu looked up, eyes droopy like a dog, and watery too. But her face was so cute and red... Dammit!
"I didn't tell... I never tell..."
Jinta was suddenly confused. She had to be lying, she had to be! Who else could have-
Kisuke's voice suddenly sounded from the front counter of the candy shop. "It was our lovely Espada friend~! He told me- although quite rudely- that our little red-headed whelp of a workboy was pestering his gal'!"
Jinta was suddenly incredulous, and looked on Kisuke with a mixture of confusion, hatred, and just plain annoyance.
"Anyway," Kisuke continued, "Ururu! You've been working hard, why don't you take a break?"
Ururu bowed, nodded, and promptly thrust the other broom at Jinta and walked straight out the door. What was her problem?
Eventually, Jinta had managed to get a break as well. He was lucky that Kisuke was so easy going.
Jinta's mind wandered over to the concept of Valentines day. Orihime had talked so highly of it, he could not help but think of its importance.
As he walked down the- still busy -streets of Karakura, he allowed himself to look at all of the flower displays. The contemplation of Ururu's favorite color came to mind, but as soon as he realized it, he purged the thought from his mind with a dismissive pick of the ear.
The flowers were out of his price range anyway.
He continued walking, avoiding looking at the disgustingly happy couples loitering on the streets. This holiday was more than idiotic.
Jinta soon crossed over into the school zone of Karakura Elementary. He heard the familiar sounds of torment. A good bullying session would be helpful to forget about Valentines day...
When he came over to join, his pupils dilated at the sight of the victim. This wasn't the normal "nerdy" kid with glasses, this was Ururu!
And she was crying!
Jinta suddenly became a ball of red-headed fury. He punched a kid in the back of the head, not really caring who it was. The other few boys shouted in anger and alarm, making their way to help their friend. It wasn't long before they went after him, too.
Jinta managed to get in a few good hits, but he wasn't scaring these kids off in the slightest. He kicked, scratched, pulled, bit, but still, these kids were relentless, and damn good fighters.
Suddenly, little fingers chopped the nearest boy square in the neck. He fell with eyes full of shock to the floor.
"Don't be worried," Ururu said. "You will just be paralyzed for a few hours."
Jinta was overwhelmed at how awesome Ururu was. He knew that she was powerful, enough to decapitate a Hollow! But somehow he had seen her as being weak. He suddenly felt ashamed.
Ururu attacked the last bully, and he was down in a matter of milliseconds.
They both walked away, their feet carrying them subconsiously back to the candy shop.
Ururu was quiet until, "Why did you do that, Jinta...?"
Jinta's face turned red. "Uh-uhhh... I don't know, why are you asking dumb questions!?"
Ururu nodded, and stayed quiet for a few steps. "Thank you," she whispered shyly.
Jinta blushed harder. Damn that Ururu...
As they neared the entrance to the shop, Jinta saw a convenient little dandelion growing out of the soddy dirt. He quickly ran over to pluck it, and was back in front of Ururu in a matter of seconds. He held it out to her gloomy- maybe surprised? -face.
"Happy Volictis day," he grumbled, looking away in embarrassment.
Ururu was quiet, but plucked the weed from his hand and stared at it thoughtfully. She looked back up at him and smiled slightly, her eyes narrowed and dreamy. "It's Valentines day, Jinta."
"I know!"
"No Jinta, it's pronounced 'Valentines'."
"Oh... Well happy Valentines day, then!" Jinta quickly left Ururu in a huff. He was so sick and tired of her at the moment, he shut himself up in his room. Noticing the thick redness on his face, he ferociously rubbed his cheeks in an effort to make the color go away. No dice.
He plopped on his bed instead. Maybe sleep would carry away this troublesome day for good... his eyes began to grow heavy...
He sat up in bed with wide-eyed shock. "WHERE THE HELL IS MY BASEBALL BAT!?"