Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: Hi! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I had no idea what to write for this prompt, then I got an idea but it recquired a bit of researching and that's how my evening was spent. I'm not sure if I'm going to post today's actual prompt later because it is my mother's birthday and I'm actually behind. I should be getting ready right now lol.
Anyway, I hope you like it and there will be an explanation at the end of the story of what exactly is going on in here.
Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
See ya!
pink gardenias
Prompt: tradition
Summary: Rukia keeps finding pink gardenias in her room. She has to wonder where they come from.
"You know, Rukia-chan, us, Shiba men, have a special tradition."
Isshin comments one day during dinnertime.
"Special tradition? Like what? Falling down from your chair?"
Karin retorts after swallowing an eggroll, not wanting to listen to her father's rambling.
"Karin! Don't be so mean to your own father! Oh Masaki, our daughter is being disrespectful! This must be Ichigo's fault!"
The father wails as he rushes to his late wife's poster, as he's prone to do.
"Don't look at me. This is your own doing."
Ichigo shrugs as he eats, not really paying attention to the oh so common scene.
"Daddy! Stop crying so much! You're going to ruin the poster and your food will get cold!"
Yuzu scolds her father, pointing at him with her chopsticks.
"Don't worry, Yuzu! I'll never ruin mother's poster! I'm back!"
He exclaims as he sits down on the table.
Rukia observes them, amused by the Kurosakis' family dynamic.
It is always fun to spend time with them.
"Oi! Don't look so happy."
Ichigo tells her as he plays footsie with her underneath the table.
She turns to grin at him.
"Can't help it! Your family's fun!"
She shots back and he merely shakes his head, clearly amused himself too.
Scenes like this are an everyday thing in the household.
The only difference is that Kurosaki-san, for once, really does have something important to say.
"As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted," Isshin suddenly continues before shooting Ichigo an annoyed look.
"─I didn't even say anything."
"Us, Shiba men, have a very important tradition, Rukia-chan."
"You don't say." Karin mutters under her breath.
"Oh, really?" Rukia says, intrigued.
"Yes! You see, Rukia-chan, when a Shiba man falls in love, we have a very special way to show our ladies how much they mean to us! Right, Ichigo?"
Kurosaki-san says the last part while nudging Ichigo.
Said young man immediately grows red in the face.
"Hey, quit it, goat chin!" He complains, shooing his father away.
"And wouldn't you like to know what it is, Rukia-chan?" Isshin tells her.
Rukia nods, finding this new bit of information interesting.
Besides, she can probably use it to blackmail Ichigo whenever he doesn't want to lend her money to buy bunny plushies and the like.
However, before Isshin can say anything, Ichigo stops his father from speaking.
"Shut it, old man! Rukia doesn't need to know that."
Kurosaki-san grows silent for a while, before nodding in understanding.
"I get it, Ichigo."
Then he turns to look at her.
"Sorry, Rukia-chan. You'll have to find out later."
He says cryptically.
And with that, the conversation is over.
But Rukia can't quite forget about it.
It seemed important that she knew.
Yet, for some reason, Ichigo didn't want her to know.
Maybe it was something embarrassing.
Or, knowing Kurosaki Isshin, probably a joke.
However, Rukia does not have the time to think too hard about it as there is another mystery.
For the past few weeks, every single day she's been in Karakura, she has noticed a pink gardenia on her pillow.
The first time it happens, both Karin and Yuzu seem equally as taken aback by its appearance, so it is quite obvious they have nothing to do with it.
Ichigo also acts quite confused by the pink gardenia the first time it happens, so Rukia believes he also doesn't know what is going on.
Isshin, on the other hand, can't stop himself from creepily smiling.
He probably has something to do with it.
Yet he never says anything about it.
Rukia can only infer he wants to keep it a secret for some reason.
And although it is weird to keep finding pink gardenias on her pillow, she doesn't hate it.
On the contrary, each time she finds a flower waiting for her in the room she shares with the twins, her heart can't help but skip a beat.
Gardenias are beautiful flowers.
With their round petals and soft scent.
But there is something so pure about pink gardenias.
Something untainted.
And each one is a gift from nature.
A gift just for Rukia.
So she keeps them.
Each one of them.
She learns how to preserve them when they wilt.
And she keeps every petal.
She preserves them.
She uses some as bookmarks and makes potpourri with others once there are a lot of gardenias.
A few ones become lanterns.
She frames the most beautiful petals to decorate her office.
She never throws them away.
Because each flower becomes a reminder that someone out there, whoever that is, cares for her.
And as such, she treats them as precious presents.
"Have you figured out yet who keeps giving you flowers?"
Ichigo asks her one day.
Rukia just shrugs while smiling.
"Nah, but it's alright. I love them. I look forward to receiving each one."
For some reason he blushes.
He turns away as he scratches his neck.
"I'm glad."
He acts funny, but Rukia doesn't stop to think about the why.
She is just happy about her flowers.
And yes.
Maybe the pink gardenias will always remain a mystery.
But she wouldn't have it any other way.
Because she has the feeling she'll find out soon enough what they mean.
Omake:
"Do you think Rukia-chan will eventually figure out Ichi-nii's been putting flowers on her pillow for months now?"
"I don't know! But it's so romantic!"
"Yeah, but I'm a little fed up with it. There are petals everywhere!"
"Come on, Karin-chan! It's all worth it so that onii-chan can marry Rukia-chan!"
"Che. I guess. Who knew Ichi-nii would become such a sap?"
A/N: Ichigo is such a sap indeed.
So the explanation is that Shiba men give pink gardenias to the women they love (and it is imply, the women they want to marry) to express their love, as in hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers, gardenias mean secret love.
It is a tradition for proposing, but Isshin only tells Ichigo that it is a way to express your fondness for someone, so Ichigo starts leaving flowers for Rukia.
At first, he meant to give her just a few, but seeing as how happy they make her, he just rolls with it and gives her one each time she comes.
The twins found out a few months in.
Isshin obviously knew from the get go.
But Rukia has yet to find out lmao.
It's fine, as Ichigo still wants to keep it a secret.
For now.
Thanks again for reading!
See ya!