Rukia had a feeling that this was going to be the worst birthday ever. In the days leading up to her birthday, Ichigo had become quite distant. At first she didn't mind it. He was a high school student after all, he had a lot of work to do aside from the substitute shinigami work that he did.
Even so, Rukia couldn't help but feel a little bit hurt. She had specifically asked her captain for this assignment because she had wanted to spend her birthday week with him. If she had known that he was going to have so little time for her, she wouldn't have bothered.
She was glad that while she was on assignment, Kiyone and Sentaro would take care of all the paperwork. As glad as she was that she became the vice-captain, the paperwork that came with all the other responsibilities was the only downside. Now she understood why Mastumoto-san would skip out on it.
Rukia stared up at the wall clock, counting down the seconds until the final bell would ring and end the school day. She didn't have to pretend to be a student, but she wanted to be able to spend time with her friends while she was here. She thought that the best way for that to happen was for her to attend classes with them.
In her mind, it would have been like old times. Attend class, eat lunch with Orihime and the girls, and walk home with Ichigo. While she did attend class, she didn't get to eat lunch with Orihime because the other girl was busy with some Home Economics project.
She couldn't even eat lunch with Ichigo and the guys because Keigo had some illness that was contagious in close contact that Rukia wasn't immune to, or some other flimsy excuse. Mizuiro actually told her the truth: Keigo was still mad at her for disappearing and ignoring Ichigo after the incident with Aizen.
As for walking home with Ichigo, that hasn't happened since she arrived. He only walked with her the first day she was here. For the days that followed, he had practice or a club meeting of some sort. Rukia didn't even know that Ichigo had that many clubs.
She had checked all the schedules for the day. The only clubs that met were the Home Economics club, which Ishida and Orihime were a part of, and the Computer Club, which, from what Rukia heard, was excited about something called 'Dejimon Tri'. She was willing to bet her next month's salary that Ichigo didn't have to stay late at school.
She would have lost that bet.
The bell soon rang and their teacher dismissed them. Rukia gathered her things slowly, knowing that Ichigo would stop by her table anyway. Not a few seconds later, Ichigo leaned against her desk.
"Ready to go home?" Rukia asked, stuffing the last of her Chappy pencils into her bag.
"You have to go on ahead," Ichigo replied apologetically. "I have to wait for the HomeEc Club to finish so I can walk Inoue home."
"Oh?" Rukia asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. She had no idea that Ichigo and Orihime had that arrangement.
"Ah yeah," he replied, awkwardly keeping his gaze from her. "I sorta-"
"It's like that, huh?" Rukia teased, or she tried to. She thought that she was doing a pretty good job of hiding her hurt feelings. Even though her facial muscles felt tense, she must have been pulling it off because Ichigo blushed.
"It's not like that!" he denied.
"Sure it isn't," Rukia just smirked at him, but inside her heart was breaking. At least she knew where she stood with him. "Well, I'll go on ahead. I need to get my things ready."
"Huh?" Ichigo asked, clearly puzzled by her statement.
"I need to get back to Soul Society tomorrow," she explained. "Something came up."
Like the fact that she had the sudden urge to lock herself in her room in the Kuchiki Mansion and not come out for a while.
"Do I need to come?" Ichigo asked, suddenly turning serious because of how alarmed he was at her announcement.
"No," she shook her head. "Just paperwork. Nothing important."
"Oh," Ichigo replied. "Alright then. I'll see you at home then?"
"Of course," Rukia nodded. "I wouldn't suddenly leave without saying goodbye."
"I'll walk you out," Ichigo offered, but Rukia waved a hand in denial.
"No need," she assured him, rising from her seat. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later."
Rukia gave him a cheery wave at the door of the classroom before she left. As she walked through the school, she let the nostalgia run through her.
The days when she was Ichigo's priority, no that's not true, the days when being a substitute shinigami was Ichigo's priority were over. Rukia didn't know if it was because of how long he was out of commission when he lost his powers or because he realized that he had a life, a human life, and decided to live it.
In any case, Rukia was certain that this was going to be her last day in Karakura High School. The rest of the gang were graduating and going off to college soon, she would have no reason to come back. As vice-captain, she would have no time to come back.
Even if she did, she had no inclination to return. Not when Ichigo and the others were gone. Maybe not even when Ichigo was around, summer vacation and all that. But Rukia doubted that she could stand by and pretend not to be jealous if she saw him with Orihime.
They were her friends, the both of them. She could be happy for them, but that didn't mean that she wasn't hurt by it.
Things were different now. She had to accept it.
The walk back to the Kurosaki house was long. It gave Rukia the time she needed to clear her head and ease her mind.
She was happy for him, she really was. Even if she had to repeat that to herself over and over just so she could believe it.
He never even remembered that it was her birthday.
Rukia wiped away the tears that she didn't realize were there. It was stupid, she gave a sharp laugh. She was a shinigami, a vice-captain, a decades-old being. Silly little things like broken hearts and forgotten birthdays shouldn't be bothering her.
She stopped by the river, remembering the good times she had had with Ichigo there. She was tempted to stay there for a while, but the weather was chilly, and although the cold didn't bother her, normal people would wonder why a girl was standing by a river in the cold.
Rukia continued her walk home, as tempted as she was to summon a hell butterfly to lead her back to Soul Society or go over to Urahara's place and go directly home, she promised Ichigo she would stay until the next day. She tried not to break promises.
When she arrived at the Kurosaki House, it was silent. Yuzu and Karin had their own after-school activities and Isshin could've been off to who-knows-where, so Rukia didn't wonder at the silence. She slide her key into the front door and let herself in.
She fully intended to go directly upstairs and rest, when party poppers exploded somewhere to her right as soon as she closed the front door behind her.
"SURPRISE!"
Rukia stared at the collection of people inside the living room, which was decorated with balloons and a 'Happy Birthday' banner.
Her friends were there, not only Chad, Ishida, and Orihime, but the others from school who knew that she was a shinigami, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki. Yuzu and Karin were there, holding empty small party poppers while Isshin stood behind them with a rather large one. Urahara and Yoruichi-san were there as well, smiling at her.
People from Soul Society were there too. Her Nii-sama curiously inspected the empty popper he held in his hand. Beside him, Renji was giving her a huge grin. Others were there too, her Captain (Sentaro and Kiyone were left at the barracks), Captain Kyoraku (and Vice-Captain Nanao), Captain Histugaya and Vice-Captain Mastumoto (the latter would never miss a chance to skip out on work, and her captain came along just to drag her back to Soul Society).
"What?" Rukia asked, which was as eloquent as she could be given the current situation.
"Happy Birthday," Ichigo said, appearing from the kitchen with a cake.
As they all wished her a happy birthday, Rukia smiled and thanked them all. Soon enough, they were busy mingling, and she was walking from one person to the next thanking them all for their kind birthday wishes (and gifts).
"It was all Kurosaki-kun's idea," Orihime told her, when Rukia made her way to the other girl. "He even learned how to bake a cake!"
"This is his?" Rukia asked, gazing in wonder at her cake slice. It was really delicious.
"Oh no," Ishida told her. "All the cakes Kurosaki made were terrible. We bought this one at the bakery."
"It's the thought that counts!" Orihime insisted.
Rukia chuckled as Ishida listed all of Ichigo's attempts and what went wrong with them. Orihime defended each and every one of those attempts.
"Heart felicitations Rukia," Byakuya greeted as she went over to him and Renji.
"Thank you very much Nii-sama," she replied.
"I am very proud of you," he told her. "And we await your return to Soul Society. The servants at the Mansion have prepared something."
Rukia nodded. She would have spent more time with him, but Renji pulled her aside with a semi-apologetic look shot at his Captain.
"Yo," he said in greeting.
"Renji," Rukia replied.
"Happy Birthday, huh?" he said. "Can't believe you're an old goat."
"Like you're one to talk," she said, her earlier Kuchiki composure slipping away as she adapted her earlier Rukongai attitude, as she was wont to do whenever she was with Renji. "You're older than me."
"Eh that's true," Renji conceded. "Who knew we'd live up to as old as we are?"
They smiled at each other, remembering their shared past and the friend who were no longer with them. After a moment, Renji wandered off.
Much later, when everyone had left and Yuzu shooed the rest of the family away so that she could start cleaning up, Ichigo asked Rukia out for a walk.
"Did you enjoy your surprise?" Ichigo asked as they reached the river. They stopped by the riverside, not going directly to the bank.
"Yes, thank you," Rukia said, suddenly polite.
"Sorry if I haven't been around much," he apologized. "I've been trying and failing to make you a cake."
"I know," she smiled. At his surprized expression, she explained. "Ishida and Orihime told me. In detail."
"They did?" Ichigo shook his head. "Of course Ishida would."
"They meant well," Rukia said. "They wanted me to know that trouble you went through."
"Only to buy you a cake in the end," he sheepishly said.
Rukia just giggled.
"How did you get home before I did?" she asked, quite certain that she left the school before Ichigo did.
"Ah," he said. "We all jumped into Chad's van and drove. What took you so long to get home?"
"I was thinking," Rukia admitted.
"About?" Ichigo prodded.
"Things," Rukia said. "Us."
"Us?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
"What's with that look?" she asked, shoving him in the side.
"Oh nothing," Ichigo smiled. "So there's an us?"
"I wouldn't know," Rukia shrugged. "You seem to have a thing with Orihime."
"Inoue?" Ichigo asked. "Oh no, she and Ishidia are the ones who have a thing. They were just helping me make cake. Were you jealous?"
"Why didn't you ask Yuzu?" Rukia said, ignoring his question. As embarrassing as it was, she did become a bit jealous, not that she would admit it.
"With you around?" Ichigo asked. "It wouldn't have been a surprize if I was suddenly learning how to bake with your birthday so close."
"True," Rukia agreed. "Still, I can't believe you would learn something just for me."
"I learned Bankai for you," Ichigo pointed out. "Baking a cake was easier."
Rukia laughed. He did do a lot for her. And because of him, her abilities grew as well. They were good for each other, despite being from two different worlds.
She looked up at him just to see him looking right back at her. He leaned down, and she knew what was going to happen next. She rose on tiptoe to meet him halfway.
It was just a press of lips, but it warmed Rukia up better than anything else. Ichigo's hand found hers and he squeezed.
Ichigo smiled at her as they pulled away from each other.
"Happy Birthday Rukia."
They walked back to the house, Ichigo holding her hand the entire way.
Oh my, this is soooo late! But at least I got it uploaded! Huzzah! And huzzah to our White Ice Queen! Tanjoubi omedetou Rukia!