I do, I guess
Chapter one: The terms
"It's not like I'm forcing you into this," Isshin replied seeing the look his son gave him
from across the table.
"Well when I hear the words 'arranged' and 'contract' the word 'forced' sorta floats around in my head a little. I mean don't take it personal that's just how my mind works," Ichigo replied, his fingers fumbling with his spoon that had moments ago been in the bitter coffee this place always sold. Avoiding his father's eyes he watched as a bead of the sour liquid slowly slid down the dull metal and onto the permanently dirty table.
Rubbing his forehead in frustration the doctor managed to ignore his son's still very present smart ass attitude. "Like I said you don't have to be apart of this, there is another way that I can deal with this."
"And what is that! Sell the clinic and loose the house? I may not live there anymore but I'm not going to let that happen." Ichigo replied hotly. "I just find the whole things a little strange that's all. I didn't think people did that anymore." He continued his tone much calmer.
"I know it's a little odd but it seemed like a good idea. I just wanted to run it by you before I made my decision."
Sighing loudly Ichigo could feel this head start to ache yet again thanks to his father. How many times had his father managed to screw things up for him? Ichigo's earliest recollection was his father leaving him at the supermarket when he was three. Only to come running back into the store half and hour later trying to make his son laugh it off.
But this situation, this was very different from anything before. This wasn't a mere traumatizing experience next to a row of shopping carts, no this was something that would affect him for the rest of his life.
"From what her brother tells me she's a nice girl," Isshin continued seeing this son's expression slowly turning more annoyed by the second.
"Every brother says his sister is a nice girl unless she's been incarcerated," Ichigo shot back.
Isshin stroked his beard thinking, "Incarcerated? Nope I don't think she has. Well he didn't mention it. Do you want me to ask before you make your decision?"
Slamming his fists on the table Ichigo felt this self control snap, "It was just a figure of speech!"
Raising an eyebrow his father lowered his hand, resting it on the table, "Its up to you son, your 21 now I'm not going to push you."
Looking down into his cup thinking that maybe he'd find an answer, Ichigo only saw his reflection staring back at him in the dark liquid looking just as confused an upset as he felt at the moment.
When his father had first explained the whole thing, for a second his mind thought it was only some cruel strange joke. Then once he thought about it, no one really makes up a story like that, its just unheard of.
According to his father in recent years the profits of the clinic had gone down, people were more and more interested in the new technologies and techniques that could only be found in the hospitals, leaving many of the small family doctors short on clients and unfortunately his father was one of them. It was either come up with cash to pay for both there clinic and home or sell them both. Fortunately his father had an old friend in a high place who loaned him the money without a problem. But he was as strict with his business as he was with traditions. In there family any sort of exchange of money in very large sums such as this required the families to unite in marriage ensuring that both parties would profit in the end. The eldest child from both families would be the ones to 'I do' and seal the deal. Isshin did think the terms a little odd, especially now days, but he did have a choice to refuse and sell the clinic. Naturally after hearing these strange terms Isshin thought it better to refuse. But after thinking a few moments about this son's love life, or lack there of, chances are he would never find anyone and this just might be the only way. This reasoning was what left father and son starring blankly back at one another in a coffee shop that smelt of smoke and coffee grounds with a hint of exhaust from the rush hour traffic that roared loudly nearby.
Tapping the metal spoon loudly on the table, other hand resting under his chin Ichigo tried to put together all this information that had been thrown at him faster then a dodge ball at a nerd in gym class.
When he thought about it, the decision was simple, marry the sister of the unknown until now so called business partner/friend of his father, or sell the clinic in order to repay the money his father owed on the property. Two simple choices, yet each one held so many problems encased within them just waiting to burst open and destroy his life.
Option one would be to refuse. They would loose the clinic and the house but his father assured him there would be enough money left over to buy a new house and he would manage to become employed at the hospital. But that would mean his sisters would be forced from the only home they knew, and the home his mother had once lived in. At the hospital his father would no longer have the freedom of working for himself. The hospital would alienate him from his family with idiotic shifts and on call work. Plus Ichigo would have to find another place to work other then for his father.
Option two would be to marry this 'girl' he had never met before in this life. Praying that she wasn't some ugly swamp donkey that crawled out of some hole, and was reasonably intelligent so that Ichigo wouldn't find himself talking to the washing machine about current events, and enjoying its response far better then his wife's. And what about living arrangements? Would they live together? Or sleep in the same room? Or bed? God that would be more awkward then laughing accidentally at a funeral. Loving one another wouldn't be a problem, Ichigo didn't really believe in that whole true love stuff anyway. And recently his luck with women wasn't all that great and already he was tired of looking for one to marry so his father would shut up about 'finding that special one'.
Sighing he started to realize that in its own strange way marrying this girl would cause less problems then the other option. Also there was always divorce.
"I'll do it," he muttered softly yet sternly. "I'll marry her."
His father smiled broadly, "I'm sure everything will be alright."
"Ah sure," Ichigo mumbled. "What did you say her name was again?"
"Kuchiki, Kuchiki Rukia."
Hope this story hasn't been overdone so many times that people are like oh crap not this storyline again but I'll try and keep it funny and have the characters act like they should yet still throw in some fluff once in a while.