42. road trip
Title: Summer Vacation, Take Two
Word Count: 350
Rating: G
"You're joking."
Tatsuki couldn't help the wicked smirk that rose at the openmouthed, dumbfounded, and slightly horrified expression. "It's a great idea."
His mouth snapped shut sharply, the usual scowl returning with an angry vengeance. "When I planned on taking Rukia to the beach for our honeymoon, I didn't plan on taking everyone else with us."
Tatsuki snickered. While she should be sympathizing with her childhood friend's predicament, the idea was just to absurd for her to not want to support it.
And mock Ichigo. Mercilessly. Who could pass that up?
"You know, she'll be happy to spend time with everyone."
And just like that, Ichigo was scowling fit to kill, but he didn't say anything. He really was a sucker for the really important women in his life. Just like with his sisters, if it made them happy then he'd choke on his pride and stay silent.
It really was just too easy to not use it against him every now and again. "She was so excited to go with every one."
"I'm sure." He snarled, giving her a hateful look as the trap snapped shut. If she already knew that everyone was going and wanted it, he couldn't try to call it off now.
"But," she drawled slowly, savoring the waiting silence. "I suppose someone really aught to explain to her that there aren't really mermaids that keep pet Lock Ness Monsters where we're going. She'll be very disappointed if she gets there and has to find out the hard way she can't take a sea serpent home as a pet."
"What?" he spluttered after several false starts.
"Well, I can only assume she wanted to keep one. She and Orihime were talking about how big a tank she'd need to keep one in, and how many pudding cakes they would need to feed one every day…"
When he bolted off, she really thought she'd done him a service letting him stop this now rather than later.
There were still the skeleton pirates to deal with, but that was one of the things she was looking forward to.