Title: Birthdays
Inspiration: Number of reviews :)
Pairings/Character: Mix-n-match as you like.
A/N: Thanks for liking my work! I really do try to reply all reviews, so please do leave a word! Also, it's kind of odd how the lifespan of shinigami seems so much more protracted.
When she turned eighty, she had felt so bored that she dug out all the old records of her family's and read through all of them. One of the leather-bound books, with the words "DO NOT ATTEMPT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES" and the phrase "WE REALLY, REALLY MEAN IT!!" scrawled over it in what appeared to be flaking blood, was quickly opened and the contents digested.
Yoruichi never regretted learning that particular skill: who would suspect a cat of all the pranks happening in Seireitei?
Gin remembered turning eighty when he was still Aizen-sama's lieutenant. Unlike his pathetic efforts to celebrate his captain's birthday (1), the party held for him had been perfect. Plenty of sake, plenty of pretty young things, plenty of presents.
But what he felt was the best of all? Gin would never tell, but it involved a quiet room, Aizen-sama, another man, and quite a fair bit of pain.
Unohana could recall her eightieth birthday very well, seeing as that was the day she took lieutenant position. It was also the last time she actually celebrated her birthday. Every year following that, she would need to be at work on her birthdays. Even then, she wouldn't change her way of life for all the birthday celebrations in the world.
Besides, she still received gifts.
Renji had spent the Gotei's gift sum he received on his eightieth birthday on a small cheesecake, and gave it to Kira anonymously. He had seen his friend's wrists purple with bruises, and noticed the limping gait that Kira was hiding very well from other, less observant eyes.
If he had known Kira would feed it to that captain of his, Renji would... still have bought the cheesecake.
Iba celebrated his eightieth birthday at home with his mother.
The following night he spent it at a pub with Ikkaku, Yumichika and Zaraki-taichou, drinking until the wee hours of the morning, throwing up on the sidewalk and engaging in a no-holds-barred brawl. Thankfully the captain had returned to the division to read a bedtime story to Yachiru by the time, otherwise no one would get out of the pub alive.
The next day he submitted his request for transfer out of the Eleventh and earned a beating from a hungover Ikkaku and Yumichika.
Kyoraku Shunsui loved birthdays. He loved giving presents and flowers and hugs and, if it was a birthday girl, kisses. And if it was Juu-chan's birthday, he'd add something extra on top of the lavish gifts he bought.
But he seldom bothered about his own, since the best birthday for him was his eightieth, when Juu-chan made captaincy and gave him a daisy as an encouragement gift.
Hisagi's eightieth birthday was… memorable. First his room was booby-trapped by Ikkaku and Yumichika, causing him to hobble about with a sprained elbow and swollen ankle for the day. Then he had to take his captain's place at the Academy's guest lecture – and he had to deliver the keynote speech. In the evening he was ambushed by Matsumoto's 'home-made dinner' but she had flounced off without comforting his poor stomach.
Thankfully the night was saved by Renji's impromptu "just us" supper party, because that meant the day after his birthday began exactly as Hisagi wanted.
Matsumoto wondered often how she would celebrate her young captain's eightieth birthday. One thing for sure, she would make sure there were tons of sake and alcoholic drinks.
She had to spend her eightieth birthday sober. No one should ever have to go through that horror.
A/N: (1) refer to Beaten, Aizen Gin fluff for more details :)