Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I'd rather drink it than than champagne...okay not really.
Title: Champagne
Genre: Challenge a Day: July 12th
Rated: T
Ichigo frowned curiously when he walked downstairs from his bedroom to see Rukia scrutinizing something left on the kitchen counter.
"What' s that?" He asked taking a seat across from her looking at what seemed like a gift basket.
"I think it's an early birthday present for you." Rukia said as she took it upon herself to unwrap it. Pulling a bottle from the top she tilted it and read the label. "Looks like it's a type of alcohol." She narrowed her eyes and tried to sound out the name. "Champ..hag...knee? Is this foreign?"
Ichigo grabbed the bottle from her while Rukia settled on going through the rest of the gift and finding a note. "It's champagne." Ichigo corrected. "Who the heck would send me champagne?"
"Kyoraku-taicho." Rukia smirked as she read the note aloud. "Dearest Kurosaki-kun, I know you're not of age in the realm of the living, but live a little and have some fun on your birthday. Signed Shunsui. P.S. Jushiro sends his best wishes and these candies." Rukia glanced down and saw the bottom of the basket littered with sweets. "Oh that's really kind of them."
"That guy..." Ichigo sighed. "What's with him trying to get me drunk?"
"You should be thankful he sent anything at all. It was very thoughtful of him and Ukitake-taicho to do so." Rukia picked through the candy and popped a piece of taffy in her mouth. "If you don't want to drink it," She mumbled while chewing, "You could give it to your father."
A look of fear and revulsion crossed Ichigo's face at the mere suggestion. "Encourage goat-face to get drunk? Are you kidding me Rukia? No way."
They sat for a moment staring at the bottle, the sound of Rukia's chewing the only thing heard in the quiet house.
"Well it seems like a shame to waste it." Rukia observed when she finished her candy.
Ichigo rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "I wouldn't wanna insult Kyoraku-san..."
Rukia grew tired of his hesitation and rolled her eyes. "Ah just do as the note says and have fun." She advised with an encouraging slap on the back. " It won't hurt anyone to enjoy a gift."
"But it's against the law." Ichigo argued weakly.
Rukia rose an eyebrow and gazed at him shrewdly. "And you're such a rule follower eh?"
"Oi, don't compare me to you." Ichigo complained. "You're the one giving away her powers and getting thrown in jail." He mulled it over for a second more, tapping his fingers on the counter before shrugging and reaching for a corkscrew. "Go get some glasses." He relented.
Rukia grinned and reached for the cupboards for some cups.
"Oi, not those." Ichigo called, still working slowly on the cork so as not to make a mess. "Use the nice ones."
Rukia turned back over her shoulder and frowned. "What nice ones? What's the difference?"
"The ones you can't reach. And it's just tradition." Ichigo answered. "Let's switch jobs." He handed Rukia the bottle and went for the fancy and delicate glasses on the highest shelf. He hooked a finger over the edge of one and turned to motion towards the hallway. "I'll meet you upstairs in my room. I don't want Dad coming home and thinking I'm willing to share."
Rukia paused before she made her way upstairs. "Shouldn't you worry about getting in trouble if drinking is so illegal?"
Ichigo snorted. "Not with my irresponsible example of a parent. He's been slipping Yuzu and Karin sake for years."
Rukia smirked and went up to the second floor as Ichigo gathered the glasses carefully, along with Ukitake's candies and some fresh fruit. When he got to his room, they practically had their own indoor picnic set up complete with music playing softly from his stereo.
Ichigo looked around for a second and bashfully scratched his head. "This...kinda feels like a date." He muttered mostly to himself.
Rukia looked up from pouring the glasses and blinked. "A what?" she asked, handing him his flute of champagne.
Ichigo shook his head and accepted the drink. "Ah nothing. Uh here's to...uh Kyoraku-san and Ukitake-san."
"Kyoraku-taicho and Ukitake-taicho." Rukia agreed. "And to you Ichigo."
He rolled his eyes and gave a modest half shrug. "It's not my birthday yet."
"Fine, then to me for keeping you company until then." Rukia smirked and held her glass delicately for Ichigo to tap. With a crystalline tink they each brought the champagne to their lips, took a sip, and promptly spit it back out.
"What the hell is that?!" Ichigo gagged letting fizzy drops dribble down his chin and onto his shirt.
"It's alcohol." Rukia reminded him before wiping her face and taking another large swig despite her previous reaction.
Ichigo stared as if she were deranged. "Why are you drinking more of it then?! That was gross! I don't know why anyone likes to drink in the first place."
Rukia grimaced as she swallowed half her glass and finished with a shiver. "Renji told me that to enjoy alcohol you have to drink a lot of it."
"Yeah right." Ichigo sneered skeptically. "Was he trying to get you wasted or something?"
"It helps with the taste!" Rukia argued holding her empty glass up as if it were proof. "He said something about your taste buds getting used to it. Like...like when you brush your teeth everything tastes off. When you drink a lot everything tastes better."
Ichigo started at her dubiously but took another drink anyway. Rukia waited for him to finish his glass before filling hers again and together they downed the next serving in one go.
"Okay..." Ichigo admitted smacking his lips together. "Maybe he wasn't just pulling your leg."
Rukia hiccupped and covered her mouth in embarrassment as her cheeks flushed. "Ah, excuse me. I think the bubbles are tickling me."
Ichigo felt a swirl in his head but ignored it as he reached for the bottle again. "Yeah, I think I can still feel the first sip fizzing on my tongue. It's kinda..."
"Tickly." Rukia asserted holding out her glass for more.
They'd quickly downed more than half the bottle before Ichigo remembered the other snacks he'd brought from the kitchen. He grabbed a grape and tossed it at Rukia, hitting her right cheek.
"Your aim needs improvement. " Rukia giggled and grabbed for her own grape, throwing it at Ichigo's nose.
"Nah, your aim needs improvement." Ichigo teased with a crooked grin. "I've just got a smaller target." He threw another grape, this time completely missing Rukia's face and hitting this closet door. "Damn. You're too small."
"I'm a perfectly normal size." Rukia swayed stubbornly. She opened her mouth wide and let Ichigo attempt toss after toss until they'd run out of grapes and Ichigo had to resort to bigger fruit.
Sucking down the last drip of champagne from the bottle, Ichigo frowned when his perfectly aimed strawberry bounced off Rukia's head and onto his computer. "Dammit." He cursed while Rukia pointed and laughed at his miss.
"You're moving around too much." He decided as he crawled forward and pushed Rukia to the fruit riddled carpet. Her giggles doubled, as did her squirming, so Ichigo had to hold her face still until he finally landed a strawberry in her mouth and pressed it against her lips.
Rukia protested and cried out, "Cheagher!" in a voice garbled by the strawberry pushing into her mouth. Ichigo left his finger resting against her lips as she chewed, oddly focused on the red tint and sweet smell coming from her lips.
"It'sh really good wisth strawberriesh." Rukia commented against Ichigo's finger. She stayed in her spot and reached into the bowl to pull out another strawberry, holding it up for Ichigo to try.
He opened his mouth obediently and let her feed him , nodding as he chewed. "Too bad we're out of champagne." He mentioned when he finished.
"Hm." Rukia made a sound of agreement and randomly plucked another fruit to feed him. Ichigo leaned forward and took her finger between his teeth.
Rukia slowly pulled her finger back, inching Ichigo closer to her face until they shared the same breath of air. She felt drawn by the faint smell of the last champagne on his lips, and Ichigo's attention was again captured by her lips until they were tasting each other in a tingly flavorful kiss.
Neither realized exactly what they were doing until Ichigo slipped his tongue against Rukia's, and she found he tasted entirely different from any fruit he had fed her earlier. He stroked the inside of her mouth slowly, sucking the tip of her tongue and eliminating all the traces of alcohol and fruit until there was just them. The fizzy sensation was gone, and instead heat seemed to resonate through both of them.
Ichigo pulled back, licking his lips and blinking the haze away from his eyes. Rukia did the same and stared in slight confusion at the unusual proximity they'd found themselves in.
Ichigo blinked a few more times before his head cleared and his eyes widened to a reasonable amount of surprise considering Rukia was underneath him and they'd just shared a kiss.
"Ichigo." Rukia's voice seemed loud in the awkward silence and Ichigo met her gaze with rapt and slightly fearful attention. "I think I'm sitting in fruit." She squirmed a bit and a squishing sound confirmed her statement.
"Ah, s-sorry." Ichigo quickly got up, feeling an instant head rush from the champagne and from the weight of what just occurred.
Rukia hobbled to her feet, leaning on Ichigo's desk and when they made eye contact, matching pink blushes spread on their faces.
"S-sorry!" Ichigo said again for an entirely different reason. He looked around the mess of his room, anywhere but Rukia and held his head when the dizziness swayed once more.
"There's...no need to apologize." Rukia struggled for something rational to say in light of the situation. "That was just...we're just..."
"Too young to drink?" Ichigo offered offhandedly. To his surprise Rukia snapped up, swayed a bit, and agreed with him.
"Yes! Underage! This is why underage humans are not allowed to drink." Rukia explained in defense of their actions. "My gigai must also be affected by the age limit. So that's why we..."
"Right!" Ichigo quickly interrupted. "We were...under the affects of alcohol. Uh...I think we've definitely learned our lesson."
"Yes. " Rukia added. "I mean your room is a mess. Yuzu will be upset if we don't clean it."
"We should get started then."
"Absolutely." Rukia agreed again.
Instead of moving however, Ichigo stayed in his spot and Rukia stood motionless in hers across the room.
"Perhaps..."Rukia ventured to break the silence but still did not meet Ichigo's eyes, in fact she avoided them more so. "When you do come of age..."
Ichigo finished for her, staring pointedly at a strawberry staining his carpet. "We'll get champagne in a room Yuzu doesn't have to clean."
AN: Hehe, perhaps it's cliche, but lemme tell ya, it's cliche for a reason. My first time getting drunk...yeah never mind... Just enjoy the fic please! ^-^
