So, these prompts seem to be providing suitable relief from my school work since I don't have to think much when writing disconnected drabbles. So, Study break = writing time.
Break up
"Oh, Captain, are you alright?" Rangiku cooed, wrapping Toushiro in a lung-crushing hug as soon as he stepped foot in the office.
Toushiro spluttered and managed to turn his head just in time to avoid being suffocated. "Let go of me, Matsumoto," he huffed.
Rangiku just hugged him tighter. "If you need anything, anything at all, I'm here for you."
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't have to hide it, Captain, let it all out. I understand how it feels." She began to stroke his back.
Toushiro sighed. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Let what out?"
Rangiku slowly craned her neck back to look at him. "Didn't you and Ichigo break up?" she asked haltingly.
Toushiro's eyebrows rose and he pulled himself from her arms. "What?" he spat in outrage, "No, where did you hear that?"
Rangiku chewed the inside of her cheek and paled visibly. "Oh crap..."
That night, after doing his best to clear up the rumour – by chewing out anyone who dared enter his office to offer him consolation – Toushiro confronted Ichigo at the dinner table.
"Ichigo, we're alright, right?" he asked softly.
The redhead paused mid chew. "Huh?"
"I mean, us, our relationship." Toushiro set down his eating utensils and placed his hands in his lap.
Ichigo swallowed and cocked his head. "Yeah... I thought so. Why, what's wrong?"
Toushiro laced his fingers together. "The rumour that we broke up was going around and I would like to know where it started."
Ichigo scowled. "Why is everyone in the Soul Society so interested in us? I hope they're not like that with every couple. Or is it just because we're gay?"
"Ichigo."
The redhead sighed, "I dunno, I was talking with Renji and he asked about us. I told him that we've been arguing a bit more since we moved in together. I guess someone overheard us and things probably snowballed from there."
Toushiro looked glumly at his food. "We have been arguing a lot more, haven't we?"
"It's only because we moved in together; we're still figuring out how this works, Shiro. It doesn't mean I love you any less, or want to break up."
"I suppose..."
Ichigo sighed softly. "Come on it was just a rumour. Who are you gonna believe; me – your boyfriend –or someone you don't even know? You're stuck with me, Toushiro Hitsugaya, so learn to deal with it."
Cheater
Rangiku was scary, Ichigo decided. She rounded on him like a lioness and had him pinned to a chair by her gaze alone.
"If you ever cheat on him, if you ever hurt him in anyway, I don't care if you're a substitute shinigami or a decorated war hero, I will end you. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," Ichigo squeaked.
Meeting
It came as a shock to everyone when Ichigo died. Contrary to popular belief, he had not gone out with a bang; he had, for an unknown reason, slipped away during his sleep. The doctors said it that his heart had given out, everyone knew that that was bullshit; Ichigo was one of the fittest people in Karakura town. Toushiro believed that Ichigo had simply wanted to stop aging, so he wouldn't be old and wrinkly while his husband looked like he was still in his twenties. He decided that forty-eight was as good as any age to go. He only had crow's feet around his eyes and his hair was still mostly orange.
Ichigo waltzed into the Tenth Division one rainy morning and plopped himself down on Toushiro's couch without so much as a greeting.
"I think it's time we finally discussed what division I should join," he said as he looked to Toushiro.
"Hmm? Why?" Toushiro asked, barely looking up from his paperwork.
"I have more free time now."
"Why is that?"
"I died."
Toushiro froze. A large ink splotch appeared on his paper as he slowly turned his head to glare at the redhead. "What was that?"
"Yeah. Woke up this morning next to my body and I couldn't get back in."
A long minute of silence passed.
"You don't have to look so shocked. We both knew that my situation was different than regular souls; my chain of fate was already broken." Ichigo shook his head.
"You can't just spring this on someone, Ichigo. You're dead?" Toushiro huffed, running a hand through his hair.
"It doesn't change anything."Ichigo shrugged.
"Are you joking? It changes everything."
Two days later was Ichigo's first formal meeting as one of the Gotei Thirteen. He stood next to his husband as the captains discussed what was to be done with him. Technically he was strong enough to be a captain, but he had no training and knew nothing about how to run a division. They thought that the best course of action was to have him study under a current captain to learn the ropes. Now, they just had to decide which one.
Ichigo said firmly that he would not work with Captain Kurotsuchi, or Kenpachi for obvious reasons. He was not suited for a division such as the Ninth, Fourth, or Second. He was not keen on training under Shiniji again, and Ukitake was not in the best health. So that left Captains Kyoraku, Kuchiki, Komamura, Hitsugaya-Kurosaki, and Yamamoto.
"Well it's obvious we can't put him in the Tenth either," Captain Kurotsuchi said, wagging his finger.
Toushiro rolled his eyes; it was only a matter of time before someone brought it up. He would have broached the subject himself if Kurotsuchi hadn't been so quick.
"And why the hell not?" Ichigo asked fiercely.
Toushiro put a hand on his arm to calm him down. "We're too close," he explained, "It wouldn't be practical."
Ichigo sent him a look and he knew that they would be talking about this later. In the end it was decided that Ichigo would study under Captain Komamura. But, though the redhead was pleased with the outcome of the meeting, he was not very pleased with his husband.
"So, you don't want to work with me?" Ichigo asked, folding his arms across his chest.
Toushiro sighed softly as he shrugged off his uniform in preparation for bed. "It's not that I don't want to work with you, it's just that my judgement on you is skewered."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Toushiro sat down next to Ichigo on the futon. "We're married; in love, if you please. As much as I loathe admitting it, when it comes to you I don't always make the best decisions."
"What are you talking about? You're a freaking genius, Shiro; you always make good decisions-"
"What if we're on a mission, and I have to choose between you and something else? What if I end up compromising our entire situation just because I don't want to see you get hurt?"
Ichigo was silent for a while. "I doubt we would be going on any missions during my training."
"Okay, then how would I punish you, or act as your superior when I see us as equals?"
Ichigo picked at a loose thread on the sheet. "I guess that would be a bit strange, huh? You could just be harder on me than the other soldiers."
"But that wouldn't be fair, would it? I don't want to be your boss, Ichigo; we're a team."
The redhead sighed softly, but wrapped an arm around his husband and pulled him close. "Why do you always have to be right? I thought we would finally get to spend more time together."
Toushiro nuzzled into his chest. "Well, now you'll only be a few divisions away rather than an entire world. It's a step in the right direction."
Wine
"Ichigo, look at the prices; we can't afford this!" Toushiro hissed and shut his menu with a snap.
Ichigo grinned at his fiancé from across the table. "Let me worry about the price, Shiro."
Toushiro rolled his eyes. "How can I? We've been spending so much on the wedding."
"Let's forget about all the stress for a while, huh?"
Toushiro huffed, but picked up the menu again. "Even their salads cost the same as a down payment on a house," he grumbled.
"Stop worrying about it, babe. If we couldn't afford this, I wouldn't have brought you here. Now, do you want red or white wine?"
Toushiro raised an eyebrow. "Water."
"Shiro."
"Neither."
"So what will you drink at the reception. When everyone has champagne, what will you be drinking?"
"Apple juice; I don't care."
Ichigo chuckled. "Let's start you off with the white."
Formal
"Isn't that your date getting all cosy with your brother, Karin?"
Karin Kurosaki folded her arms across her chest. This was around the eighth time she was being asked that question. Who cared what her date was doing? He was her date and, therefore, no one else's concern. "Yeah, they are a couple after all."
"Oh that's... wait what?"
"Yes, I took my brother's boyfriend to the formal. Put it in the school newspaper for all I care."
"Why?"
Karin rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Because we're good friends, and Ichigo's chaperoning."
Coming out
"What is it you wanted to tell me, Ichigo?" Isshin asked.
Ichigo swallowed. Under the kitchen table, he grabbed Toushiro's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Dad... I'm..." Toushiro ran his thumb over his knuckles comfortingly and Ichigo took a deep breath, "I'm gay."
Isshin smiled gently. "I was wondering when you were going to tell me."
Ichigo blinked. "You... you knew?"
"Of course I knew. What kind of father would I be if I didn't notice anything? Besides, it would take a complete moron not to see how you two look at each other." He glanced between Ichigo and Toushiro. "I'm happy for you by the way; you couldn't make me any prouder, son."
"You're proud that I'm... gay?" Ichigo asked slowly, his eyes light up slightly.
"Yes, and I'm proud that you managed to nab Shiro," he sent his son a thumbs up. "Good catch, my boy."
Ichigo bent over and rubbed his temples while Toushiro blushed heavily.
Music
It came as no surprised that Toushiro liked classical music. It was a surprise, however, to find out that he liked heavy metal as well.
Lollipop
"Where did you get that?"
"Basket on your desk."
"Ukitake sent another one?"
"Do you really hate candy that much?"
"I don't hate it-"
"Here try this."
"No. You've already licked it. Gross."
"Seriously? We kiss on a daily basis; my tongue has literally been inside your mouth."
Forgiveness
Toushiro stared in absolute horror at the shattered glass that littered the living room floor. Ichigo was going to kill him. He wasn't really sure how this had happened; he was cleaning the shelf with a rag and a bottle of polish, tripped over that damn rug which always curled up at the edges – he had told Ichigo a thousand times that it was dangerous – grabbed on to the shelf to keep from falling, and the next thing he knew there was a loud crash. He immediately dropped to the floor and tried to salvage the crystal plaque, but it was in too many pieces, and he had no idea where to begin.
Ichigo wasn't a materialistic person, not at all, but the plaque was a symbol of one of his biggest achievements. He had been the valedictorian of his university class. It was something that he had tried really hard for, something that no one had expected from him. Heck, even Toushiro had been surprised. Because Ichigo was usually a giant goofball it was very easy to forget how smart he was. He liked to invite people over and see their expression as they looked from the valedictorian award to him. But now the proof of his hard work and intelligence was scattered all over the living room floor.
"No no no no no nononononononono," Toushiro groaned and gathered up the largest of the shards. The sharp edges cut into his palms, but that was the least of his worries. There was no way that he was going to be able to piece this back together.
"What happened to your hands, Shiro?" Ichigo asked the moment he arrived home from work.
Toushiro hung his head; the confrontation had certainly come quicker than he had expected. He thought that they would have at least made it to dinner. He eyed the bandages that he had wrapped around his fingers and palms before clasping his hands behind his back, keeping them away from Ichigo's sight.
"Shiro," Ichigo prompted impatiently.
Toushiro swallowed. "I'm sorry, Ichigo, I honestly didn't mean to. I was cleaning the shelf in the living room and... and I knocked over your valedictorian award. It broke; it shattered into so many pieces, and I couldn't fix it. I'm so sorry, I'll find away to fix it, I swear. I can get you a new one; I – I can contact the university and see if they would-"
"Hey," Ichigo silenced him, "It's okay."
"No, it's not. I know how much that award meant to you-"
Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "Well I guess it did mean something, but, Shiro, it's not that big of a deal. Don't worry about it, really. It was just a plaque; I couldn't do anything with it anyway. "
Toushiro blinked. "But-"
Ichigo pulled him into a tight hug. "I said don't worry; the diploma was all I needed anyway. I do wanna see what you did to your hands, however. You cleaned them before wrapping, right?"
Money
Ichigo did not like asking for help. He knew that this was one of his greater faults, but he liked to think of himself as self-sufficient. Asking for help almost seemed as if he was giving up, like he had failed. A part of him knew that this was not so and that he truly shouldn't try to do everything by himself, but he just couldn't bring himself to ask. This was how he ended up almost starving during his second year at university.
He was working a part time job to pay for rent and groceries. But he had miscalculated how much his textbooks would cost that year, and, as a result, had to put the money that he would have spent on food towards his books. He had no idea how he was going to get food for the next few months; he didn't have a meal plan, and he felt guilty asking his friends or family for money. The first week wasn't so terrible; he had some instant ramen and a couple bags of cheetos, but when even that ran out he began to quietly panic.
He was on the second day of not eating and was beginning to feel sick. He had a headache since the night before and his stomach felt as if it was eating itself. During his first lecture he had to hold his stomach to muffle the loud embarrassing noises it was making, and when he came back to his apartment he slept for the rest of the day, missing his midday class. He would have slept all afternoon, if his phone hadn't woken him up. Toushiro was outside and wanted to be let in, so he stumbled to the door and tried to put on his usual energetic facade.
"Hey," he said, smiling as he pulled Toushiro into a tight hug. "What's up? You don't usually visit on weekdays."
The shinigami shrugged. "I got off early today; we don't have that much work this week. Were you busy? I thought we could have an early dinner or something."
Ichigo scratched the back of his neck and tried his best to ignore his pounding headache. "Um, sure, just let me change first."
Ichigo slunk back into his room wondering how the hell he was supposed to pay for dinner. He pulled on a clean shirt and dug through all his jeans and jacket pockets for any spear change that he might have lost track of. He found a few coins and a crumpled up bill, but it was nowhere near enough for dinner for two people. He could just tell Toushiro that he wasn't feeling very hungry that night.
They went to a small cafe down the street. He told Toushiro to get his food first, but when he got to the cash register he found out that the shinigami had already paid for both of them. He thanked his boyfriend with a peck on the temple and tried to eat as if this wasn't his first meal in two days.
The next day his stomach was grumbling painfully once again and he was scrambling to think of ways to distract himself from the hunger. He did not expect to find Toushiro waiting by his front door with a large, covered, white bowl in his hands. Ichigo could smell the food from where he stood and he felt his mouth begin to water.
"Hinamori made this," he explained, holding up the bowl, "and, as always, she made too much. I can't hope to eat it all, so here."
Ichigo couldn't believe how lucky he had been two days in a row. Momo's food lasted for three days and Toushiro showed up right after, as if he had been spying on his boyfriend. He took Ichigo out for dinner again, and paid for everything. He didn't eat much and even gave Ichigo his leftovers to take home.
Ichigo wasn't stupid; the first two times may have just been coincidence, but he knew what Toushiro was trying to do. The question was how he had found out.
"You know, you don't have to pay for me this time," Ichigo grumbled when Toushiro dragged him to yet another restaurant for lunch.
"Oh?" Toushiro said, with a raised eyebrow, "And what will you use to pay; your charm?"
"You don't have to do this, Shiro; I can manage on my own."
Toushiro dropped Ichigo's arm and spun around to face him so suddenly that the redhead almost crashed into him.
"You're always on my tail for trying to do everything myself, so why is it any different when it comes to you? Now, I don't know how the hell you thought this was going to work, but, as far as I know, if you don't eat you'll die. I'm not about to let you die from your stupidity and stubbornness. We're going to get lunch, I'm paying for it, then we're going grocery shopping and I don't want to hear a peep out of you. Got it?"
Ichigo sighed, "How did you find out?"
Toushiro huffed and grabbed his hand again. "I'm not oblivious, Ichigo. You were complaining how money was going to be tight this month, so I intended to help you out. It wasn't until I saw your empty apartment did I know how stupid you were being."
YouTube
Toushiro was slightly technologically challenged. He knew how to work Ichigo's laptop for the most part; he knew his way around the word and processor and data analysis programs, but he was a bit disoriented by the internet. Ichigo had to refrain from cooing at his befuddled expression every time he accidently opened Google.
They had missed one of Toushiro's documentaries last night. The shinigami had been looking forward to seeing it, but something had come up at the office and he had ended up staying late. Ichigo, therefore, had introduced him to YouTube the next day.
"We can watch TV from your laptop?" Toushiro asked slowly as he watched Ichigo type.
"Well, it isn't exactly TV, but people upload shows to the internet. So, don't worry about missing that documentary of yours."
Toushiro blinked. "I don't understand."
The redhead turned the screen towards him. Sure enough the documentary he had missed was beginning to play.
"So, if this isn't TV then what is it?"
Ichigo simply chuckled in response and pulled Toushiro onto his lap, so they could watch the movie together.
This prompt set was donated by ShiroStrawberry :)
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-Mymomomo