Drabble #8
Title: The Family Jewels
Words: 1236
Authors: Mizu and The Rose Society
Spring is often overlooked by some as simply a transitional phase between winter and summer. The snow melts into rain and the velvet nights into daylight. White frosted fields shift to the green associated with new growth. In the little town of Karakura, the beginning of spring was just a natural awakening from the long hibernation of winter.
For Ichigo, it was definitely a wake-up call, particularly when Rukia shook him hard enough to rattle out his brain at four in the morning.
"Ichigo!" She hissed, gritting her teeth.
Ichigo shook his head, feeling slightly disoriented from his rude awakening. He expected it by now, as Rukia had her food cravings at the oddest of times. These cravings and her irritation associated with being hungry seemed to magnify, particularly at eight-and-a-half months into her pregnancy. Last week, she even had the audacity to ask for home-made mushroom-flavored ice cream and Korean barbeque at five in the morning. Ichigo didn't know a single thing about making ice cream and they didn't own a grill!
"What do you need?" He asked patiently, as it was now part of his daily routine to tend to the requests of his wife, no matter how impossible they seemed or how disgusting the food order was to him. At the very least, he'd tell himself, that it wasn't him carrying their unborn child. A rather unpleasant image of him being pregnant and enjoying a jar of pickles in curdled milk came to mind. Shaking his head vigorously to clear his mind of the image, he turned to his petite wife. How she never managed to get herself sick from all these odd food combinations was beyond his understanding.
"Ichigo, haven't you been listening?" She said, obviously agitated, her fingers digging into his arm painfully. Ichigo blinked, thoroughly baffled. Rukia looked more distressed than usual as she said as calmly as she could, "I need to go to the hospital, now."
After Ichigo and Rukia left for the hospital with Renji driving the car, Byakuya was left alone in the house. Certain events (read: the impudent and honor-less Kurosaki boy hadn't had enough self control to keep his grubby paws to himself and had debauched Byakuya's little sister ahead of schedule) had forced the Kuchiki noble to purchase a house in the human world for Rukia. There was no way a member of the noble Kuchiki family would be born in a tiny apartment in Karakura-cho, no matter what a certain orange-headed thorn in his side said.
Byakuya got dressed in pressed black slacks and a crisp light blue dress shirt. Who knew how long it would take for Rukia to give birth? After all, Kuchiki nobles never allowed themselves to be rushed. Making sure his kenseikan was in place, Byakuya walked calmly to the telephone to let Kurosaki's family know of the situation.
"NANI????"
Karin and Yuzu rubbed at their sleepy eyes as they walked into the kitchen. Their crazy father was screaming into the telephone.
"Oi, goat-face," yawned Karin. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Before Karin could punch him, Isshin slammed down the phone and turned to his daughters. The grin on his face was almost scarily huge and Yuzu could swear there were sparkles dancing around Isshin's head. His hands tucked under his chin, Isshin began wriggling like a schoolgirl with her first crush. He then flew to the poster in the living room and began sobbing happily at Masaki's picture. "Oh, anata, we're going to be grandparents! Our darling Rukia-chan is right now giving birth!"
Yuzu gasped. "We have to hurry to the hospital! Karin, hurry, go get dressed. We need to get there as soon as possible." Karin had already pounded up the stairs, not willing to miss being the first to see her nephew's or niece's face.
"Well, is it a niece or nephew?" Asked Yuzu excitedly, looking forward to her aunt duties, whatever they would be. "I'd really like a niece, so I could bake cookies with her!"
Ichigo looked dazedly at Yuzu, his mind preoccupied with a thousand other questions centered around his wife's well-being. Was she going to be all right? Was the baby going to be all right? Why haven't they called him in yet? What's taking so long? He shook his head. No, it would not do to dwell on questions that he could not answer. Tousling his little sister's hair affectionately, giving her a little half-smile. "I don't know yet. Rukia said she wanted it to be a surprise so we never checked."
Yuzu nodded. "So long as the baby is healthy, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or girl!" She declared.
"Yeah," Agreed Ichigo, "Thanks, Yuzu."
"Hmph! Well I think I'm getting a grandson," interjected Isshin, leaning in and whispered as (in)discreetly as he could to his son. "I can't wait until he gets his first zanpakuto!" Ichigo glared in response, obviously not sharing his father's certainty. "And what makes you so sure it's a boy, old man?"
"This!" Isshin said happily, his hand suddenly flew to Ichigo's crotch. He wiggled his fingers and Ichigo blanched, frozen in place. "The Kurosaki family jewels never fail to produce sons! You, my son, are a living example!"
"That," Ichigo removed his father's violating hand and grasped tightly around the wrist, "does NOT go there!"
The last thing Isshin remembered that evening was flying across the waiting room.
The large group of people excitedly entered the spacious private hospital room. Initially, Ichigo had protested the idea (and cost) of a private room but Byakuya had simply raised an aristocratic eyebrow, hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto, and replied "You were the one to debauch my sister before you could financially provide for her needs. Therefore, you have no say in this." Grudgingly, Ichigo had stopped arguing.
They crowded around Rukia's form in the hospital bed. Ichigo was at Rukia's left side, holding her hand and giving her one of his rare smiles. Rukia let her eyes scan the group. Everyone was here. Karin, Yuzu, and Isshin (although unconscious) were all behind her husband, inquiring about her well-being. Her brother was at her right side, a small smile on normally expressionless face, and Renji was beaming behind him. Even Chad, Orihime, Uryuu, and Tatsuki had made it in time. She bit her lip against the upwelling of emotions inside her.
The nurse entered the room and immediately the large group quieted down. She congratulated the young mother and respectfully asked if Rukia would like to see her babies.
"Babies?" Everyone except Ichigo looked at Rukia in surprise. Instead of answering them, Rukia asked the nurse to bring in her children. With a gasp, the group watched as two nurses entered the room, carrying two baby girls. Yuzu started tearing up as Karin gave Rukia and Ichigo a thumbs up in congratulations. Both Rukia and Ichigo were given one of the girls.
"Surprise," Rukia said, her eyes on her bewildered brother and Renji.
Byakuya gently fingered the baby's head of dark hair. "Twins," he whispered, his voice awed.
Ichigo grinned. "Yup."
"What are their names," asked Orihime, even as she stood on her tiptoes to get a peek at the babies.
Rukia looked at Ichigo, her eyes softening. Her husband gave her a loving smile before answering.
"Kurosaki Masaki and Kurosaki Hisana."
The End.
(Finally.)
