Title: Balloons for Rukia
Rating: G
Pairing / characters: Kuchiki Rukia, Kuchiki Byakuya, Inoue Orihime, Kurosaki Ichigo
Word count: 316 words
Warnings: Nothing really, unless… um… Rukia's near execution?
Summary: Rukia, Ichigo, and an unusual birthday gift
A/N: I don't know where this one came from, honest, but it's short and sweet, not quite a drabble, not quite a ficlet…
Birthdays were never really celebrated in Soul Society.
No one knew why; some said it was because birthdays were often painful reminders of the mortal world, still others suggested that in a world where aging could take decades and many souls were older than they seemed, no one actually cared.
(well, almost no one.)
The day Rukia celebrated her birthday, Byakuya tried to celebrate it with her. His birthday wishes were a little too stiff and a little too formal, but Rukia appreciated it nonetheless. (Byakuya never really knew what to do with his emotions, even when he meant them.)
Among the gifts Rukia received that day was a kimono from her brother, chocolate from Renji, an outfit from Matsumoto that she had no intention of wearing EVER, but the one gift she truly wanted did not put in an appearance.
'He could have sent a card,' she confided to Inoue. 'Even if he hated birthdays, he could have sent something…'
Inoue licked shaved ice off her fingers. 'Kurosaki-kun is always late,' she remarked.
Rukia shrugged faintly, and leaned back on her elbows, closing her eyes. She was on the verge of falling asleep when an elbow in the side caught her immediate attention.
'Kuchiki-san, look! Look!'
Rukia's eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring up at hundreds of odd shapes in the sky. Rabbits and cats and ducks cavorted in the sky alongside hearts and flowers and stars, and it took her mind a full minute before it made sense of what she was seeing.
Balloons.
The slowly setting sun gave the bright shapes an orange cast, but Rukia didn't notice. Her attention was Ichigo's bright hair and tender smile.
'What – what –'
'I figured you've never seen 'em before,' Ichigo told her, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. 'So… happy birthday, brat.'
Rukia managed a smile through her tears. 'Thank you,' she whispered.
Owari