Hi! I bring you this nice one-shot (for now) about Valentine's Day.

It's set in the first Valentine after the blood war, so I hope you like it.

You know, this is an IchiRuki.


Chocolate Heart


Valentine's Day


There was so much to repair in the Soul Society, so much to rebuild and so many deaths to mourn, that the days went by in a busy way, one after another, always with some activity that required all possible attention and concentration.

There was no time to laugh or be happy.

There was no... life.

It wasn't until a week before that Rukia realized the date, when she was going through old papers and found an old calendar with a small notation that marked the day as: "Chocolate for nii-sama."

Rukia remembered when she had marked it there, when she had researched with Urahara about the meaning and when she had made a large chocolate piece in the shape of the Wakame Taishi to give to her brother.

A human tradition that she quickly explained to her brother when she handed him the present as if it were something sacred.

Byakuya had appreciated it, praising the elegance in the design but wouldn't eat it, so Rukia offered him several pieces of chocolate right then and there, of which Byakuya took a couple to eat.

Rukia was proud of that and when she told Renji about it, he complained that he should have gotten chocolate as well because he was her friend. Rukia, who had only thought of Byakuya, gave the leftover chocolate to Renji and told herself that next year she would give it to her close friends.

Rukia sighed, putting down the calendar, and set about thinking about her own things, but at night, the idea of chocolate came back to his mind when he was about to sleep.


Two days later, a package from Urahara's shop was waiting for her at the Kuchiki mansion.

Inside the package there was everything she needed to make homemade chocolate, some common molds and others not so common, and the classic heart-shaped one. Urahara had been kind enough to add the meaning of the heart-shaped chocolate.

Rukia used the remaining nights to make the chocolates, and at the end of the day she was proud of her own work because she liked how the two pieces of chocolate she made looked.

A little joy for the day, even if it was a simple human celebration.

Early on Valentine's Day, while she was having breakfast with her brother, she presented him with the chocolate Wakame Taishi she had made for him.

Byakuya received it and Rukia could see a very subtle smile on her brother's face as he thanked her for the gift. Right after, Rukia offered him some small cherry blossom-shaped pieces of chocolate, which Byakuya took and ate in front of her.

Again, Byakuya refused to eat that chocolate Wakame Taishi because it was too pretty. Byakuya didn't use that word to describe it, but it was what he conveyed to Rukia by the way he looked at the chocolate.

Rukia went to her squad and worked all day, like every day after they finally calmed down, but she found herself thinking many times about what she had to do when she got out of there and getting nervous.

She didn't have to be nervous, but she was.

On her way out, she met Renji and they walked together to the Kuchiki mansion while talking about all the work they had in those days.

When she arrived at their destination, Renji made a comment that sounded like a complaint about the large piece of chocolate that adorned Byakuya's desk, which seemed to have been placed there for all to admire, and Rukia preferred to remain silent because her cheeks turned a nice pink color.

It felt nice inside her to know that her brother was proud of her.

To make Renji stop complaining, Rukia gave him a little bag of candied chocolate that she ordered for him.

At night, after asking Byakuya for permission to go to the human world using the Kuchiki family's senkaimon, Rukia took the second piece of chocolate she had crafted, adjusted the pretty kimono she wore, and crossed over to Karakura Town.

It was late and she was aware of it, as well as that Ichigo might be sleeping, but that was the only free moment she had and if he didn't value it, she would hit him and not give him any chocolate.

She reached the Kurosaki house in three steps, knowing the path by heart and following the trail of Ichigo's reiatsu, which was as familiar to her as Byakuya's.

Rukia entered Ichigo's room through the window, as she used to do all the time, and discovered that Ichigo was lying on the bed, his eyes closed and his breathing easy. The study lamp on and the book open on his chest told Rukia that Ichigo had fallen asleep while studying.

She glanced around the room where she had spent the most exciting two months of her life, and discovered that there were heart-shaped chocolates on Ichigo's desk. Ichigo was quite popular even though he seemed like a bully, and it made her feel that maybe, and just maybe, the chocolate she had chosen for him hadn't been the right one.

Rukia was about to leave but the noise behind her alerted her and fixing her attention on the bed, she discovered that Ichigo was awake, sitting up and staring at her.

— Do you come in at night to see me sleep? I knew that's why you slept in my closet!

— As if I wanted to see a fool sleep. Also, you snore.

Rukia defended herself against Ichigo's words and crossed her arms, expecting him to defend himself, but he didn't.

— Yuzu and Karin gave me chocolates, I think there are also Orihime and Tatsuki's. Fortunately I don't have to respond to any of them next month.

Ichigo didn't have to explain to her, but he was, and she felt anxious at his surprise confession.

— That's rude of you. You're supposed to answer them, or something.

Rukia tried to shake off her nerves to get back to safety, and Ichigo scratched the back of his neck a little uncomfortably.

— It's supposed to be answered to who is a love interest, but Karin and Yuzu are my sisters, Tatsuki is my childhood best friend, and Orihime is a friend.

Rukia nodded, understanding the tradition better even though she already knew that. Human traditions were complex, but this explanation from him made her feel relieved.

A strange silence formed between them and Rukia seized the moment and with both hands held out the box where she had placed the heart-shaped chocolate for him.

— Appreciate it, because it was a lot of work for me to do it and I hardly had time.

The words came out a little rougher than usual, but it was the best way Rukia had to mask the nerves that mysteriously washed over her at that moment.

Again, silence settled between them for a moment until Ichigo got up from the bed, walked over to her and took the box with the chocolate, trying to caress both of Rukia's hands in the process.

— Thanks, Rukia.

Rukia turned completely red from the way Ichigo had caressed her hands, from how warm they were and from all the sensations that touch caused her at that moment. As well as the way he said her name, so deep and husky it seemed to make her tremble.

She was grateful that it was night and that the lamplight wasn't enough to define the colors that adorned her face.

— Uh... Yeah, well... I have to go. And you better like chocolate or I'll never give you anything again.

— If I die from poisoning, I won't have to taste anything again.

Rukia rushed at him to try to take back the chocolate, which she did with patience and effort and had been insulted by that fool, but Ichigo prevented her. The struggle was ridiculous, because Ichigo was taller than her and no matter how she tried to retrieve her box of chocolate, she just couldn't.

Yuzu yelled from outside, asking if everything was alright because it was late and he was making too much noise, and Rukia and Ichigo froze for a moment. Ichigo assured his sister that he was fine, that he had stumbled in the dark, and Yuzu walked away.

Rukia stepped away from him, smoothing her kimono and clearing her throat.

— If you die, you will go to Soul Society and there I will beat you until you die a second time.

Ichigo was about to protest but Rukia left the room using shunpo, her cheeks red and her heart racing.


Glossary:

Nii-sama: Lord older brother. Rukia's respectful way of referring to Byakuya. Byakuya nii-sama is something like "Lord older brother, Byakuya".

Wakame Taishi: This is the Seaweed Ambassador, created by Byakuya. The sand sculpture that Byakuya makes in the beach chapter.

Senkaimon: Gate and path used by shinigami, aka soul reapers, to move between Soul Society and the human world.

Reiatsu: Spiritual pressure. It is the energy of the soul that allows shinigami, arrancar and quincys to move and remain standing.

Shunpo: Quick steps. Technique that allows the user to move from one point to another with extreme speed.


Happy day for everyone!