Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
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"Hey, Ichigo! Which ride should we go on next?" a bubbly Rukia asked.
"Doesn't matter," Ichigo replied dreamily, "so long as we're together."
"Yes, but it's your birthday, so you decide!"
"Being with you is a good enough present, Rukia."
"Oh, you! I'm so glad I married you!"
"Ha, not half as happy as I am!"
They both laughed at that.
Unfortunately, the laughter could not last and it had to end.
This was a dream, after all.
---
The stifling, humid heat from the July heat wave was not the only reason Ichigo woke drenched in sweat.
Drearily, he turned off his alarm clock before its obnoxious could start a couple minutes later. For a moment, he considered going back to sleep. Back to the sweet illusions, and away from an unpleasant reality. But...
"...I hate dreams..."
Ichigo decided he may as well get up and get on with his day. After a quick shower, he lazily got into his school uniform and put on his watch. Unwisely, he glimpsed at the date on his watch.
That's right.
It's my birthday...
---
"Hohoho, my boy is seventeen now!" boisterously exclaimed Isshin as he nudged his daughters during breakfast. "Isn't that great, girls? This means there's one less year 'til he leaves the house! Let's party!"
"That's not great, dad!" rebuked Yuzu, upset by the thought of her older brother leaving.
"Just ignore him, Yuzu," advised Karin, "he's just an idiot. Oh, and happy birthday, Ichigo."
Ichigo grunted.
"Ichigo, why can't you be happy on your birthday for a change?" whined Yuzu, "You've been like this ever since...ever since..."
And Yuzu proceeded to burst into tears.
"Since mom died," finished Karin, hugging her twin, "Really, you need to-"
Mentioning Masaki was a mistake, though, since their father became crazed and started screaming about visiting her grave again, effectively interrupting Karin.
Throughout the chaos, Ichigo ate his breakfast with a scowl. Abruptly, he noticed that something was missing. As Yuzu was busy dealing with their fanatic father, he turned to his other sister for answers.
"Hey, Karin, where's Rukia?" he asked, still frowning.
"Oh, she ate quickly and left early this morning," she informed him. Then, her face became sly. "Hey, why are you asking? Do you miss her?"
"Of course not!" Ichigo denied through gritted teeth, "I'm just...curious."
"Curious about what exactly?" pressed Karin, "She sleeps in the same room as me, so I can tell you her-"
"Enough," he interrupted, "I'm going to school."
This is why I hate my birthdays so much... With a plate half-full of food behind him, he left his abnormal family behind. They always suck. And... He looked at the empty seat at the dinner table.
It looks like today will be no different.
---
"Happy birthday, Ichigo!"
"What's it like to be seventeen, eh? Happy birthday!"
"Hey, I got this for you. Happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday..." grumbled Ichigo, remembering his classmates, "happy birthday my ass!"
"Ah, there's our birthday boy!" a voice called out.
Ichigo turned his head in the direction of his voice. It was his friends: Mizuiro, Keigo, Chad, and Ishida.
"What do you guys want?" he ventured as they drew near, uneasy, "Can't you see I came to this rooftop to get away from everybody?"
"Everybody? Don't you just mean-"
Three pairs of hands closed over Keigo's mouth. Ichigo just stared at them.
The gaze was rather intimidating.
"Uh, maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea," wisely reconsidered Mizuiro, and Ichigo's four friends left him to his own devices.
Another bad birthday, indeed, and more memories assaulted Ichigo.
---
"Yo," Ichigo greeted Rukia dully, as usual, spotting her in their classroom.
"Hey, Ichigo," Rukia replied without looking away from her book.
When it was clear she had no more to say, Ichigo gawked at her.
"What is it, Ichigo?" Rukia enquired, bothered by Ichigo looming over her.
"...That's it? You've got nothing more to say?"
"What else is there?"
"...Nothing."
"Then could you move over a bit? You're blocking the light. I really need to study so I don't fail any more classes."
"Fine. By the-"
The sound of a phone ringing disrupted the conversation.
"It's a hollow," surmised Rukia, "I'll handle it."
Before Ichigo could say anything, she dashed out of the classroom. He attempted to follow her out of the class, but found himself suddenly surrounded by a group of classmates walking in.
"Hey, Ichigo, happy birthday!"
---
"Why didn't you let me handle that hollow?!" Ichigo shouted at Rukia after they locked themselves into his room after school. "You know you've got to work hard to fix your grades and stay at school! You can't stay in the human world if you lose your cover!"
"Keep quiet, Ichigo!" scolded Rukia, making no effort to control the volume of her own voice. "It was weak, and I finished it off with one blow!"
Furious, Ichigo glared at her.
"And stop with the glaring!" Rukia yelled at him, "You've been doing that to me all day! What are you so mad about?! You don't usually get so angry when I go off to fight hollows!"
Ichigo paused as she returned his glare with twice the force.
"All right..." he confessed, "I'm mad because you forgot my birthday."
"Huh?"
Both stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.
"Uh, Ichigo?" now it was Rukia's turn to reveal something, "I didn't...I didn't know it was your birthday."
"Huh?"
Both stared at each other awkwardly, again. Ichigo was the first to crack up and start laughing. Before long, Rukia joined in with him.
"Really...Ichigo, you need to communicate more," she recommended.
"Yeah," he agreed.
Both stared at each other. Not so awkwardly.
"Hey! Ichigo! Cake!" the obnoxious father roared like a barbarian.
Grinning for a change, Ichigo rushed downstairs.
This birthday wasn't so bad, after all... he thought.
---
After she was absolutely certain Ichigo's was no longer nearby, Rukia's face bunched up in a collage of emotion and she kicked the bed in frustration.
Covertly, she pulled out a small box with a simple note attached to it:
"Idiot..."
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The End
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Ah, this one was rushed to get it in on time for the final day of the festival for Ichigo's birthday, so I don't like how it turned out. Hopefully, some who read this did, though.