This is my Birthday fic for Ichigo. I just finished it like last night, and was rushing to edit some things earlier. Right now the lower left side of my face is numb, and I'm starving so I'm gonna make this quick.(I had a dentist appointment if you cared to know) I hope I kept Ichigo In-Character because it was hard writing him. Actually I hope everyone is In-Character. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach I would't be writing fan fiction.

Warm orange and cool violet danced on a stage of pale blue color. Edges blending together till he couldn't spot where they separated, he watched the spectacle with a face full of thoughts. Watching the sun slowly descend towards the horizon, he leaned back against the park bench. A warm summer breezed played with the leaves on the trees, blowing dust into his eyes. Absently he rubbed it away, and stared at the ever sinking sun. The color of the twilight sky reminded of him of her dark blue, round eyes. His thoughts drifted back to a month earlier, and he smiled, if just slightly.

She had spent a few days in the real world, and had spent it running around wasting his time. Even though she had spent a good amount of time in the real world, she still had the childlike innocence that amazed him, and irritated him at times. She would ask about the simplest things and bug him with never-ending questions. Like an idiot he had answered most of them and dragged himself around town with her. Like an even bigger idiot he had paid for her purchases and nearly went broke, not that he had much money in his wallet to begin with. She had left in the middle of the night, and left a note telling him that she was called back to Soul Society. He had been glad that she had wiped his family's memories with that stupid little device of hers. He didn't feel like explaining why the orphaned friend of his disappeared again.

With a scowl present on his face, he got up from the bench and walked back home. The city noise in his ears, and his mind somewhere else he made his way back home. She hadn't told him why she had left, but he didn't need to be a genius to guess. Soul Society had probably given her a mission and it's been going on for a month now. There was no need to worry really. She could take care of herself well enough. Why was he even thinking about her, out of sight out of mind right? He scoffed and kicked a pebble across the street.

The badge swinging from his waist had been silent for the whole day, not that he was complaining. A guy deserves a break on his birthday. Not that he had been doing anything worthwhile today. He hanged out with Chad, Uryuu, and Inoue for a while until they had to go and do their own things. Inoue had baked him a cake, Chad had bought him a jacket, and Uryuu…had given him a shirt with the Quincy logo on the back. The cake was in his room, not brave enough to try the greenish, brownish slice. He had hung the jacket in his closet, and the shirt thrown into his closet. Maybe it had landed on Kon and suffocated him, if he was lucky.

"I'm home!"

"ICHIGO!!" Rolling his eyes he dodged and walked towards the kitchen.

"Hey Yuzu, Karin."

"Happy Birthday Ichi-nii!"

"Hey, happy birthday."

"So Ichigo where have you been? Huh? With some nice girls maybe?"

"Shut up perverted old man."
"You're finally grown into a man, Ichigo! We must have the talk…"

Throwing a plate at his dad's face, he felt his vein throbbing. Seriously there was something wrong with that man. Disappear for a few hours and you face all this craziness when you get home. Turning away he looked at the cake Yuzu had made. It had more edible color than Inoue's had, and he looked at the decorations. The icing was orange, white, with guitars surrounding the "Happy Birthday Ichi-nii!" scrawled in messy cursive.

"Karin wrote the words and I baked the cake! Do you like it Ichi-nii?"

"Thanks a lot, Yuzu, Karin."

"You shouldn't be thanking us! It's your birthday!"

Karin watched the table scene. Her dad was dancing in front of the framed picture of their mom, Yuzu was talking animatedly while Ichigo listened, and ate the slice of cake. His eyes were distant, and she was sure anyone would have noticed. Of course, her family wasn't the one to pick up on those little signs. Her dad was too…crazy, and Yuzu was too focused on talking. Maybe she should mention the girl that snuck into his room earlier. Smiling to herself, she decided not to and reached for a slice of cake. He would find out sooner or later.

Having finished his second slice of cake, Ichigo walked to his room. Not bothering to turn on the lights, he flopped down on the bed. Outside the full moon casts a silver glow on the world. The night sky was free from any clouds and it was quiet. The only noise coming from downstairs, where his family was watching a TV show. He watched the moon, letting his mind wander and sat up when something jumped across the rooftops. The figure changed into a cat mid-leap, and sprinted towards a pair of kids on the street. He lied back down, and realized it was just Yoruichi, and those kids from the shop.

He looked around his room, stopping at the framed picture on his desk and cocked his head when he saw a neatly wrapped box nest to it. Sitting up, he grabbed it off the desk and stared at the folded note attached on the top. The paper was exactly the same as the one on his desk and he unfolded it.

Ichigo,

I borrowed some paper from your desk to write this.

I only had enough time to drop off the package and write this note.

I'm still on assignment, but I had a bit of free time today.

Today's your birthday, and I wanted to give you this gift.

No need to thank me, your speechlessness is enough.

I'll be able to visit again in a few days.

I'll see you then.

Happy Birthday!

Rukia

"Speechlessness? As if I would thank her after that note."

Placing the note on his desk, he removed the top, and gritted his teeth when he saw what was inside. It was a dozen little bars of chocolate with a strawberry and a white bunny decorating the top. Taped to the inside of the lid was a note, again, but the paper was different. She probably wrote the notes at different times.

I decorated and made the chocolates at the mansion earlier today.

You're the strawberry.

I'm Chappy.

I aimed for realism.

Happy Birthday!

Rukia

PS – I miss you by the way.

"How the hell do I look like a strawberry?"

He picked up a bar and looked at it. If she had made them at Byakuya's house, he could have done something to them. Satisfied that there was nothing wrong with them, he popped one into his mouth and let it melt. It was actually pretty good. He read the note again and looked out the window. The taste of melting chocolate in his mouth, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. After a few seconds only the faint aftertaste was left and he stuffed the box into his desk. Staring into the moon, a smile made its way of his face.

"I don't need a reminder to know that, idiot. I miss you too."

--SHARED MOMENT--

Glancing across the forest meadow, where tents where arranged for the squad to sleep, she hugged her knees to herself, careful to keep her balance. The branch of the tree she was sitting on was thick enough that she wasn't in immediate danger of falling. From up here, she could see the forest spreading for miles and miles. Just a few more days, and the squad training exercise would be over. Earlier, the captain had let her take a few hours off to make those chocolates and deliver them.

Overhead a full moon brightened the night sky, and she smiled. Looking at it, her mind in a whole different world, she leaned against the rough bark of the tree. In the real world, what would be doing now? She closed her eyes and pictured his expression when he read her notes. It would be hilarious. Letting her eyes drift back towards the moon, she smiled again and whispered words that the wind carried away. Even though the person that they were meant for wouldn't hear them, she still whispered them to the silent night.

"Happy Birthday, Ichigo. And I'll see you soon."

I might change the title if I think of anything better. Since I suck at separators, that "--shared moment-- " thing is a separator. It was something else, but it got changed and messed up so many times.
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Bye-Bye
-Moonlight-
-It blooms into a sweet flower, but bears a poisonous fruit-