Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and locations belong to Tite Kubo. Kyouraku Emiko and Kuchiki Takahiro belong to Algernon Fenton.
What I Did For You
Chapter 1:
Ukitake wiped his brow with his sleeve and stepped back to admire his handiwork. A round birthday cake was sat on the kitchen counter in front of him. It was covered in white frosting; flowers and butterflies were piped on top in various pastel colours. Ukitake smiled to himself. The cake may not be perfect, but he was proud of his effort. He just hoped Emiko would like it. His little girl was turning three; Ukitake was determined to make her birthday a memorable one. Carefully he covered the cake and put it to one side, ready for later. He just hoped Shunsui wouldn't find it first. His partner was still fast asleep. Ukitake had decided to leave him as he was. He would cause less trouble that way. Ukitake chuckled to himself and washed his hands, walking into the lounge as he dried them on a towel. The room had been transformed. All the furniture had been moved to create space; a large purple blanket had been spread on the floor in their place. Cushions had been placed around as well, creating the look of a picnic. Pink and purple ribbons were pinned to the wall; a large birthday banner was hanging over a pile of brightly wrapped parcels. Ukitake carefully walked around the blanket, making sure he didn't disturb anything. A large sack was sitting against one of the walls. Ukitake opened it and tipped out the contents. Several of Emiko's toys fell to the floor. Ukitake had snuck them out after he had put her to bed. He began arranging them on the cushions, creating a teddy bears picnic. Ukitake placed the last toy, Emiko's cuddly lion Tuti. He had tied a pink ribbon around the lion's neck, something the toy itself did not look too happy about,
"Isn't this a bit much, Juu?"
Ukitake turned at the voice. Shunsui was stood sleepily in the doorway. A pink yukata was draped loosely around his shoulders, his hair messy and covering one of his eyes. Ukitake laughed and walked over to his partner, wrapping his arms around him and starting to untangle his hair,
"It probably is, but Emiko will love it, don't you think?" he said, giving Shunsui a soft kiss "You wouldn't deny your princess her special day would you?"
"Of course I wouldn't" Shunsui nuzzled into Ukitake, yawning "I'd do anything for her"
Ukitake chuckled, pulling away from his partner. He took hold of Shunsui's yukata and tied it closed,
"How about you start by making the little lady's breakfast?" he said "She'll be waking up now she's heard you awake"
Loud giggles echoed from the bedroom as though on cue. Ukitake gave Shunsui a knowing smile, letting him go. Shunsui yawned again and headed into the kitchen, scratching the back of his head,
"Oh, and don't touch that cake!" Ukitake shouted, smirking at the whine he got in response. He left the lounge and headed to the bedrooms. The giggling grew louder; it was accompanied by thudding noises. Ukitake opened his daughter's bedroom door. Emiko was jumping up and down on her bed, Bunny bouncing around wildly as it dangled from her hand. The pillows and bedsheets had been thrown on the floor, along with several cuddly toys from the shelf above the bed. Emiko squealed when she saw Ukitake, practically launching herself off her bed and into his arms,
"Mama!" she shrieked, cuddling him tightly "Love you Mama!"
Ukitake chuckled, holding Emiko close and kissing the top of her head. Emiko nuzzled into him happily, clutching his yukata. Ukitake began stroking her hair,
"Good morning sweetheart, Mama loves you too" he smiled at her "Happy Birthday"
"Yay! Party day!" Emiko giggled and beamed up at Ukitake "When Taka coming to play?"
"Soon, sweetheart" Ukitake carried Emiko out of her bedroom and towards the kitchen "But first, someone needs their breakfast"
"Daddy?" Emiko asked, blinking cutely. Ukitake smiled at her, finding her adorable,
"Well, Daddy does need his breakfast too" he said "But I was thinking of someone else"
"Mama!" Emiko pointed at him excitedly "Mama eat too"
"Yes, Mama will eat" Ukitake began to tickle Emiko's tummy, making her shriek and giggle loudly "We need to fill this little tummy as well"
Emiko continued to giggle, squirming wildly in Ukitake's arms. Ukitake chuckled and kissed her cheek, carrying her into the kitchen. Shunsui had just finished making the breakfast, setting plates of omelette on the table. Emiko squealed and wriggled in Ukitake's arms, reaching for Shunsui excitedly. Shunsui smiled and lifted her up, spinning her around before cuddling her close,
"Good morning, Princess" he said, kissing her cheek and tickling her with his stubbly chin "Happy Birthday"
Emiko giggled and cuddled into Shunsui, pressing her lips against his chest and giving him sloppy kisses. Shunsui stroked his daughter's hair and placed her in her high chair, placing a bowl of chopped omelette in front of her. Emiko dug her hands into the bowl and began to eat happily. Shunsui sat in the chair next to her, eating his own omelette,
"So Juu, how long until the guests arrive?" he asked, looking at his partner. Ukitake sat down at the table,
"About an hour, I think" he said "Maybe a little less, you know how Byakuya gets about punctuality"
Emiko squealed loudly and bounced in her high chair, dropping her breakfast all over the floor,
"Taka!" she shouted "Taka's here!"
She bounced more, several pieces of omelette flew from her hand and hit Shunsui in the face. He laughed, reaching over and taking Emiko's hands,
"Easy Princess" he said "He's not here yet, and he can't come if you're still eating breakfast"
Emiko blinked, looking rather alarmed. She grabbed her bowl and started shovelling her food in her mouth. Ukitake frowned and moved the bowl away from her. He gave Shunsui a look of disapproval,
"Slow down sweetheart, don't make yourself sick" Ukitake looked at his partner "I think daddy needs to go get changed now"
"Yeah yeah, I hear you" Shunsui stood up, placing his plate in the sink as he left the kitchen. The shower was heard a few moments later. Ukitake sighed and finished his breakfast. He loved Shunsui dearly, but he could still be the biggest pain in the neck when he wanted to be. Ukitake gave a small smile. Shunsui may be a big kid at times, but he couldn't imagine him any other way. Ukitake stood and placed his plate in the sink. Emiko ate the last piece of her omelette, holding up her bowl happily,
"Finished Mama!" she said "All gone!"
"Good girl" Ukitake picked her up "Time to get dressed then"
He carried her towards the bathroom, catching sight of Shunsui in the bedroom across the hall. He was dressed in his usual clothes, looking at his reflection in the mirror as he tied his hair up. Shunsui smiled, waving at them in the mirror. Emiko squealed and waved back, almost toppling out of Ukitake's arms. She giggled at her own silliness; Ukitake simply shook his head,
"What are we going to do with you, sweetheart?" he said "Little monkey"
A short, sharp knock sounded at the door. Emiko immediately gasped, smiling excitedly,
"Taka's here!" She tried to squirm from her mother's arms "Time to play with Taka!"
"Hold on Princess, you can't let your guests see you still in your jammies" Shunsui ruffled Emiko's hair as he walked past "It's unbecoming of a lady after all"
He kissed the top of her head, making her giggle. Ukitake carried her into the bathroom and neatly closed the door. Shunsui walked through the lounge to the front door, opening it for the guests. Byakuya, Renji and Rukia were stood on the front deck. Both Renji and Rukia were carrying stuffed toys. Rukia had her beloved Chappy while Renji had a worn looking red monkey. Byakuya had no toy; instead he was carrying his son. Takahiro was dressed in a green kimono, patterned with red fish and tied with a red obi. His hair had been tied up in a tiny topknot, resembling his father's. The toddler was beaming happily, trying to carry his Seaweed Ambassador toy and Emiko's present at the same time. Shunsui chuckled at him as he let them inside,
"That's a lot for such a little guy like you to carry" he said "You must be really strong"
Takahiro nodded eagerly, beaming as he held up the gift excitedly,
"Stwong like Mama!" he squealed "Make Meeko smile!"
The gift began to slip from his fingers, Takahiro gasped and clutched at it desperately, his Seaweed Ambassador toy slipped instead and dropped to the floor with a squeak. Takahiro stared at it and started to whimper. Shunsui quickly scooped it up,
"I've got him" he showed the toy to Taka "You just hold tight to that present"
Takahiro nodded vigorously, clutching his box tighter. Shunsui smiled and lead the group to the lounge,
"Pull up a cushion, I guess" he said, gesturing to the picnic Jushiro had set up. Byakuya was the first to move, kneeling on a nearby cushion with Takahiro,
"Ukitake-taicho has certainly put a lot of thought into this" he said, looking at the lion toy's bow curiously. Shunsui shrugged and grinned,
"You know Juu, he'd do anything to make Emiko smile" he said "Not that I'm any different, to tell the truth"
"I think its cute" Rukia smiled, kneeling on a cushion and placing Chappy next to her "A proper teddy bear's picnic"
"Ruuuuukiaaaaaa!"
An orange blur flashed across the picnic blanket. The lion toy had disappeared from its spot. Rukia gasped, the lion suddenly flying at her chest. She acted out of instinct, punching the toy straight into the wall. The lion crumpled to the floor with a distressed squeak, looking extremely dazed. Shunsui stared at it with slight alarm, even Byakuya seemed slightly concerned. He was holding Takahiro close, the little toddler had tried to hide behind him in fright when the toy had moved. Rukia ignored the others, marching over to the lion. Renji followed her, a frown creasing his brow. He seized the toy by one chubby paw, lifting him up and dangling him upside down,
"What's the big idea, ya creepy little doll?" Renji glared at the toy "Don't you cause enough trouble in the World of the Living without bugging us here too?"
"Abarai, do you somehow know this doll?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow, bemusement in his voice. Renji nodded,
"Yeah, the little rat usually hangs around with Ichigo" said Renji. Rukia folded her arms,
"He's called Kon" she said "He's a Mod Soul, and clearly he's been sneaking around again"
"I didn't choose to come here and babysit Princess Drools-a-lot!" snapped Kon "Ichigo abandoned me!"
"Guess I need to have a talk with Ichigo" Rukia smiled in amusement "Still, giving you to a toddler is not the worst thing he could have done, he was at least trying to be nice"
"Are you kidding me?! I hate that snot nose little brat!" Kon squirmed angrily "I wanna kick her right-gah!"
A hand had darted out and grabbed Kon's head, squeezing it so tight the seams were in danger of splitting. Shunsui had moved next to Renji and grabbed the toy, he'd moved so fast and silently no one had noticed. He was still smiling, though his eyes held an uncharacteristic amount of rage. Kon had clearly overstepped the line,
"I think we've heard just about enough from you" Shunsui spoke calmly. He raised his free hand and punched Kon hard in his stuffed tummy. The toy gave a loud, painful squeak as he crumpled under Shunsui's fist. A small green pill popped from his mouth, hitting the floor and bouncing away. Byakuya caught it before it could disappear under the sofa, lifting it up and examining it curiously
"This is a Mod Soul?" he said, turning it in his fingers "They were supposed to have been all disposed of"
"They were, but this one somehow slipped the net and ended up with Ichigo" Rukia plucked the pill from her brother's fingers "I can keep hold of it until I can return it to him"
"Yes, keep it safe" Shunsui smiled, his eyes glinting "Because if it turns up anywhere near my daughter again you probably won't get it back"
He left the lounge and walked into the kitchen. Rukia blinked, taking her place back on her cushion. Renji knelt next to her and leaned in close,
"Remind me not to get on Kyoraku-taicho's bad side" he whispered "And I thought Byakuya was scary when he was pissed off"
"Oh my, did we miss something?"
Renji and Rukia looked up at the voice. Ukitake had finally appeared from the bedroom, dressed in his uniform and haori. Emiko was stood by his side, clutching his hand tightly. She was wearing a light blue kimono, patterned with soft pink butterflies and tied with a matching obi. Her hair had been left hanging in loose curls. It was simple, decorated with two hairpins similar to the ones Shunsui wore. Rukia smiled and jumped to her feet,
"Why, Miss Emiko, you look beautiful" she said, bowing "Like a princess"
"I am a princess!" Emiko smiled proudly "Mama says only proper princesses get clothes like mine!"
She let go of Ukitake's hand and began to twirl, making her kimono sleeves flare. Takahiro looked up when he heard Emiko's voice (he had been preoccupied with poking his Seaweed Ambassador toy, expecting it to jump up any moment). He gave an excited squeal and leapt up, jumping at his friend and knocking her over as he hugged her tightly. Emiko giggled as she fell on her behind. She hugged Takahiro back and gave him a big sloppy kiss on his cheek,
"Taka!" she said "I missed you!"
"Miss you Meeko!" Takahiro covered Emiko with his own sloppy kisses "Play now?"
Emiko nodded eagerly, she grabbed Takahiro's hand and dragged him onto the blanket. The pair began play wrestling with each other, squealing and giggling loudly. Ukitake smiled as he knelt on a cushion next to the others,
"They're so lucky to have each other" he said, watching the toddlers play. He turned to look at Byakuya "You know, Takahiro reminds me a lot of you when you were a child"
Byakuya tensed, his cheeks turning pink. Rukia and Renji snorted and laughed, covering their mouths with their hands,
"I bet you have all sorts of stories about him, Ukitake-taicho" Rukia looked at her captain expectantly. Ukitake nodded, ignoring the very pained look Byakuya was giving him,
"Rukia my dear, you have no idea" Ukitake chuckled "The mischief Byakuya used to get himself into, not to mention his complete disregard for clothing"
Renji snorted again, smirking and laughing even louder. Byakuya gave Ukitake a very dangerous look, his cheeks going red,
"Ukitake..."
"Oh yes, as a toddler he was forever stripping his clothes off and running around the manor and gardens" Ukitake continued to ignore Byakuya "Quite the little nudist he was"
Byakuya looked ready to take his Zanpakuto to Ukitake and then turn it on himself. The noble was almost redder than Renji's hair, slowly trying to hide his face beneath his scarf,
"Juu, the host is not supposed to embarrass his guests" Shunsui reappeared from the kitchen, carrying trays of party food. He began to set them out on the blanket carefully,
"Besides, this is Emiko's special day" he smiled "It's high time we got this party started".
It was almost evening by the time the party ended. Emiko and Takahiro had finally exhausted themselves, having spent all day running around and playing. Obviously all the sugary party food had kept them going, sending them into continuous sugar highs. The group were currently on the deck in the garden, watching the setting sun while enjoying tea. Emiko was cuddled up to Shunsui, using his kimono as a blanket. She was nodding repeatedly, trying to fight off sleep. Takahiro had already drifted off. He was curled up on Renji's lap, snoring softly as he clutched his Seaweed Ambassador. His topknot had long since come undone, his hair falling messily. Renji stroked his son's hair and drained his tea cup, setting it down on the deck,
"I think it must be past someone's bedtime" he scooped Taka into his arms, the little boy stirred but didn't wake "Shall we head home, Byakuya?"
Byakuya nodded, placing his empty tea cup down as well. He turned to Ukitake and Shunsui and bowed his head politely,
"I hope you don't mind if we beg our leave" he said "Takahiro has had a wonderful time, but I fear we are in danger of overstaying our welcome"
"Not at all, Byakuya, we appreciate you all sharing Emiko's birthday with us" Ukitake smiled "But it is getting late after all"
He stood up, waiting to walk the guests to the door. Shunsui nudged Emiko gently, the little girl almost asleep against his side,
"Emiko, princess, Takahiro is leaving now" he said softly "Say goodnight"
"Night night" Emiko whispered sleepily, her eyes closing. Shunsui chuckled, kissing her forehead gently. Ukitake chuckled as well, leading the guests to the front door,
"Thank you again for coming, safe journey home" he nodded to Byakuya and Renji as they walked through the door, giving Rukia a hug as she left as well. He stood on the deck, waving until they flashstepped out of sight. Ukitake breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, it was over. He knew Emiko had enjoyed her party, but he had found it very tiring. Ukitake closed the door and walked into the lounge, examining the leftover food and plates. He yawned and turned away,
"It'll still be there in the morning" he muttered, walking to the bedroom. He could hear Shunsui's voice coming from Emiko's room, soft and low as he read her a bedtime story. Ukitake smiled and walked in quietly, watching the pair. He waited until Shunsui had finished reading before walking to the bed,
"Well, sweetheart, have you enjoyed your birthday?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Emiko nodded sleepily,
"Yeah, so much fun" she yawned "Specially playing with Taka"
She snuggled down into her covers, cuddling Bunny close. Ukitake leaned down and kissed her forehead, Shunsui leaned down and kissed her cheek afterwards,
"Don't forget to make your birthday wish, princess" he said "You don't want to miss it"
"I already made it daddy" Emiko opened her eyes a little "I wished really really hard!"
"Is that so?" Shunsui smiled "And what did you wish for?"
Emiko smiled sleepily, looking at her parents,
"A little brother or sister".
And so we start a new story! Wooo!
This follows on from Stole~ It's starts a little after Toshiro's baby is born. There are hints in later chapters of Stole to what this story is about. And, if I have done my research correctly, this is the first mpreg to feature this character as the baby momma~
This opening chapter is just a little cuteness to set everything up~ Enjoy cute kiddies and Ukitake embarrassing Byakuya
And don't forget to wave to Kon when you see him!