Ichigo knew he was fighting a losing battle. He could feel his body giving out on him, his limbs felt like lead, his eyes were drooping with what felt like a thousand pounds. He wondered if and when he would start hallucinating. His hands laced tightly together, his knuckles white with effort as two very powerful forces fought within his body. Caffeine and absolute exhaustion.

Goddamn time zones.

Ichigo took another gulp of what felt like stale, cold coffee and winced. He snarled bitterly at the taste, he hated cold coffee and the coffee shop had closed hours ago. Not to mention the one person that Ichigo knew to drink coffee cold (and only cold) was the one who had gotten him into this predicament in the first place.

His unofficial pain-in-the-ass, rumored girlfriend, and the only person ever to sleep in his closet; Kuchiki Rukia.

It also happened to be her 200th birthday.

While the fact that she was two centuries old disturbed Ichigo it wasn't as much as the fact that she had asked for two hundred candles on a freakin' Chappy the Bunny cake. Ichigo worried that Yuzu would give in to her demands and burn the whole damn clinic down.

But, regardless of his fears, Ichigo knew (better than anyone) that Rukia would be expecting (even if she didn't say it) for Ichigo to call her sometime tomorr—err, he meant today. Even if he'd had to stay up until two freakin' thirty in the morning to do it.

Ichigo fumbled with his phone, blinking furiously when sleep began to cloud his eyes. His fingers stumbled over the small keys as he dialed a number he'd memorized.

Ring.

Ring.

Ri—

"What the HELL?!"

"Good morning sunshine." Ichigo smirked.

"ICHIGO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU—" A muffled thud sounded through the receiver, along with a string of curse words.

Ichigo blinked. "Rukia? Rukia are you okay?!"

"Hang on!" Her voice was faded, like she was shouting from far away. "Don't hang up yet! I'm coming!"

"Ichigo? Ichigo you better not have hung up on me!"

Ichigo chuckled. "A little clumsy this morning Rukia?"

She growled, which made Ichigo feel incredibly thankful for the thousands of miles that separated them. He was, for once, out of range of her fist. And foot. Both were equally lethal.

"Well maybe that's because this stupid idiot I know is calling me at six in the freakin' morning."

Oh yes, very thankful.

"So," She was still snarling, "what the hell do you want?"

"I didn't think I could call you later today I have finals."

"So?"

"Uh…."

"WHAT!?!"

"…happy birthday?"

"Crap! It's my birthday?!"

Sometimes, Ichigo mused, the gods had way too much fun making him torturing him.

I know. I know. This took me a while. Well for the past week I haven't had access to the internet. And the rest of the time... well yeah I'm lazy.

Anyway, I've gotten it out. Some of you might be dissapointed it isn't a continuation of the missed phone call. Well too bad. This is what came out so this is what I'm posting.

You don't like it don't read it or get over it.

Much love,

ETERNALEATER.