Title: My only love sprung from my only hate. Part 4

Disclaimer: I own the bag of pocky that makes a guest appearance. Kubo Tite owns the characters.

Spoilers: Up through the Soul Society arc.

Summary: Byakuya and Yoruichi get ice cream, Ichigo and Rukia tour Urahara's new garden, and Rukia's diet comes to a sudden end.

If you haven't yet, I recommend reading my oneshot, The Taming of the Shrew. The proposal Rukia refers to later in this chapter happens in that story.

New Japanese words to help understand things:

Kushi-dango –sweet dumplings, a dessert that is often served on a stick

Later that day…

While she would never admit it to Ichigo, Rukia was relieved they no longer had to worry about where to hold the wedding or the reception. And, since the meeting with the park manager was cancelled, it gave her more time to strategize…er, plan…for her wedding.

She was just crossing "Reserve reception hall" off her to-do list when she heard the door buzzer. Since everyone had scattered for the day, leaving her as the only one at home, Rukia went to answer the door. She plastered a cheery smile to her face (in case it was one of Karin or Yuzu's friends) and opened the door. And blinked at the scene before her.

Her brother stood at the door, one hand raised to ring the buzzer again, a vanilla ice cream cone in his other hand. He seemed more…perturbed…than usual. Yoruichi stood slightly behind him, licking a cone with green tea ice cream and rainbow sprinkles. She seemed more…amused…than usual.

"Where's Kurosaki?" Byakuya inquired, and Rukia caught the undercurrent in his normally monotonous tone of voice. And how fast can I hurt him?

"Hello, Rukia, isn't it a lovely day?" Yoruichi grinned mischievously, one fang showing.

"Yes, it is," slightly stunned, Rukia opened the door to let the two into the house. "You went for ice cream?"

Yoruichi breezed past and Byakuya followed more slowly, his eyes scanning the room. No doubt looking for Ichigo, Rukia supposed.

"Your brother treated." With a wink Rukia wasn't quite sure she understood, the former Shinigami captain settled onto the floor. She patted the spot beside her, which Byakuya pointedly ignored. He remained standing near the entryway.

With a shrug, she turned back to Rukia, who had settled on the other side of the coffee table. "We went by an amusement park on the way here, and I made him get on the Ferris wheel." Yoruichi leaned forward and whispered, loud enough so that Byakuya could hear "I don't think he likes heights."

Rukia blinked. Did her brother just roll his eyes?

"Ah," Yoruichi leaned forward, eyeing the notes that were spread across the coffee table. "I see you are doing some wedding planning."

"Yes. Ichigo and I were supposed to meet with a manager to schedule the park for our wedding," Rukia began, smiling softly, "but I guess those plans have changed."

"Better eat your ice cream, Byakuya-bo, before it melts and ruins your pretty shoes." Yoruichi finished her cone, popping the last bite in. "So, no meeting then?"

"No, Ichigo cancelled it." Rukia suddenly remembered her brother's initial question. "He went with Sado and Ishida to get fitted. Ishida is not as good at making men's clothing as he is at making dresses."

"So Ishida is making the gowns only?" Yoruichi leaned back on her elbows and tilted her head back, looking at Byakuya upside-down. "Have you seen them yet? They have sequins and feathers."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, glancing at his younger sister. Rukia tossed a pillow at the purple-haired Shinigami, who gracefully caught it before it hit her in the face.

"She's lying," Rukia assured Byakuya, and then muttered to herself, "though they very nearly did."

"I am sure your choice is very tasteful."

"And befitting a Kuchiki?" Yoruichi flashed the fanged grin again. "Come on, Byakuya-bo, I know you were thinking it."

"Rukia has generally made the correct decision when left to her own devices." She beamed at the rare compliment from her brother. Byakuya continued, his tone level and calm. "Besides, the only way you, Yoruichi, would ever wear feathers is if you had just eaten a canary."

Did Byakuya just make a cat joke?

Yoruichi laughed, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. "Got me there." She leaned forward on the table, winking at Rukia. "I think the kushi-dango we ate at the park made him a little punchy."

"Perhaps it would have," Byakuya calmly refuted, "if you had not eaten all of it."

"You don't like sweets – I was saving you from them." Yoruichi waved dismissively.

"A Ferris wheel, ice cream, and kushi-dango," Rukia knew she really shouldn't find her brother's misfortune so funny, but hanging out with Ichigo had apparently taught her several bad habits, "it sounds like the two of you had a busy day."

"We left Urahara at the shop and went to play." Yoruichi stretched leisurely. "He should have the room design completed in a day or two for you to approve."

"That soon?"

"He works faster when he's not disturbed." Yoruichi shot Byakuya a look then laughed at his deadpan expression. An inside joke, Rukia decided.

While Rukia knew Urahara was a genius, she sometimes forgot it with the whole ridiculous clothing and flamboyant behavior. But as the eccentric store owner showed off the completed spirit room, she had to admit, the man was brilliant. And maybe a bit of a romantic, considering his enthusiastic attention to detail.

Instead of the old ladder, the guests would enter the room on curving stone slabs. They passed through a series of gates before arriving at a bridge that crossed the base of a waterfall. The stream fed into the long koi-inhabited pool, lined with further stone slabs and bordered by blooming sakura trees. Down the length of the pool ran a wooden bridge, flat and wide enough for two people to walk comfortably side by side. At the end of the bridge, stairs rose to a simple shrine, little more than four wooden posts holding up a tiled roof.

Curving off from the stairs was a trail that led to a recreated version of the East guest house, with traditional sliding screens that made it possible to open the house to the elements. Urahara assured them that it would have more than enough room to house all the food for the reception.

For Rukia, it was perfect. The East Garden was one of her favorites growing up. She used to sit on the bridge and watch the koi fish swim for hours. Her fiancé, however, had issues…

"Oh, hell no," Ichigo crossed his arms, glaring down at her. "No sakura blossoms."

"You proposed to me under a sakura tree, moron." Rukia met his glare, standing on her tiptoes to try to give herself more height. She barely reached Ichigo's shoulder.

He snorted. "That's because I knew your brother was in soul society at the time. I don't trust that bastard not to sneak attack me with his damn bankai while it's camouflaged by the freaking pink blossoms!"

"Nii-sama wouldn't do that! He's too honorable!"

"That honor didn't stop the bastard from sneaking up from behind while I was stopping your damn execution!"

"He gave his blessing to this wedding!" Rukia furiously poked him in the chest, knocking him back a foot. "Why would he try to attack you now?"

"Because that twisted bastard would find it funny!"

"Yare, yare!" Urahara stepped between the two, waving his hands. While he normally enjoyed the disorder this couple seemed to spread, he had a timetable to keep. "Why don't we change the sakura trees to fall gingko trees? They have lovely golden fan-shaped leaves that look so nice against the pond."

Rukia sniffed disdainfully, turning up her head. "That would be an acceptable alteration."

Ichigo scowled. He hated when she turned into the prissy little princess. "I can live with it."

Urahara smiled broadly, clapping the couple on the back. "Wonderful! Now, if you two lovebirds would excuse me, I have to use my genius brain to figure out how to transfer your 400 guests from Soul Society to my humble little shop."

Rukia's head whipped around, her eyes widening. "How many guests?"

Ichigo and Urahara quickly exchanged panicked looks. Aw, hell...

Ichigo side-stepped the creaky board by the bathroom and slowly made his way downstairs. He paused as he neared the door of the kitchen, noticing that the light was on. He prayed that it was Karin there to join him on a cookie raid; he didn't think he could take another late-night tea-party with Rukia's brother.

He inched around the corner then broke into grin. Rukia was sitting at the table with a full bag of pocky sticks. Correction, an empty bag of pocky sticks.

He propped his shoulder against the doorframe, leaning casually. "Oi, Rukia!" She whirled to face him, almost falling out of her chair. His grin grew wider. "What happened to that diet?"

I'm noticing an interesting trend: despite all the torture I put him through, Ichigo always seems to get the last word.

This finally ends the four part chapter! Fun fact, the part about Ichigo not liking the sakura blossoms actually inspired this whole little story arc, which means that even though it comes last, it was written first. My muses are disorganized.