The reception immediately followed the wedding ceremony. Long card tables were brought out and the chairs were placed around them. Ichigo and Rukia were quickly ushered to the head table, the only one covered by a table cloth. Yuzu and Karin bustled in and out of the house, delivering bowls of fruit salad and trays of appetizers to each table. Chad and Isshin manned the grills of roasted meat and vegetables, standing diligently with spatulas in hand.
Still dazed, Ichigo turned to his new wife. "It is… I mean, she is… the baby's a girl?"
Rukia smiled and squeezed his arm. "Yes, I found out this afternoon. She's all curled up in a ball, with a head like an alien!"
"So I guess I know which one of us she takes after," Ichigo teased.
It was a surreal feeling, sitting before friends, family, and acquaintances as a married man. He was just barely a man in the first play, and a soon-to-be-father. When he looked at Rukia, seated in a mountain of fluffy tulle, his stomach turned uncomfortably. Their child was conceived on a night of reckless, stupid passion, long before he had even admitted to himself that he loved her. The realization left a bad taste in his mouth, but he figured not much would've changed even if the circumstances had. Instead of letting the past rule the present and future, Ichigo shook the bad thoughts from his head and turned to the task at hand: simultaneously eating dinner, socializing with guests, and keeping an eye on how much his father was drinking… lest he decide to make a toast and reveal anything embarrassing about him.
Byakuya eventually sat himself at the head table, gracefully claiming the seat to the left of Rukia. She greeted her brother with far more confidence than an hour before. She was married now; there nothing left for him to fight her on, at least for now. "Brother, I found out the sex of the baby today."
When Byakuya looked up from his tea cup, Rukia took that as her cue to continue. "I'm having a girl."
Her brother's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but that was the extent of his reaction. "I see. The child is doing well them, I assume?"
Rukia nodded, smiling softly. "Yes, happy and healthy. She's growing fast." After a brief pause, she went on. "Brother, I'm—I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you over the years and the shame I've brought to the Kuchiki family, but I bare the Kurosaki name as of today, so I hope you can find peace now."
For the first time in ages, Byakuya cracked a smile. "The day I find peace is the day they place me in my grave. You're a smart girl, Rukia, but often times too headstrong for your own good. You've brought our name honor just as many times as embarrassment. You may be a part of that wild boy's family now, but continue to represent the Kuchiki name well and I shouldn't have any complaints."
"Y-yes, of course, thank you!" Rukia stared wide-eyed at her brother, shocked by his sudden show of acceptance… especially after how coldly he had regarded her earlier. His "change of heart" was a surprise, to say the least. When he turned back to his tea without a word, Rukia knew the moment was over. A tap on the shoulder brought her attention back to the party.
"Hey," Renji mumbled, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers. He wore a matching tie and vest with his hair tied back in a neat ponytail. If he hadn't looked so uncomfortable, Rukia would have assumed he put the look together himself.
"Hey! It's been forever!" Her eyes lit up at the sight of her oldest friend.
Renji turned to greet Ichigo and the two shook hands briefly. "Mind if I borrow your bride for a moment?"
"Go right ahead." Ichigo said, scooting his chair over to allow Rukia room to stand.
The two weaved through the tables and party-goers until they found quiet in the Kurosaki's living room. Rukia plopped herself on one end of the couch with Renji on the other. Only then did he speak naturally, no longer restrained by the judging eyes of the guests. "What the fuck, Rukia?"
Rukia jumped, but she couldn't say she didn't see it coming. "I was—"
"The last time I saw you, you were to rip his head clean off his shoulders and now you're marrying him?! What the hell is going on?"
"I'm sorry, Renji, really. The last time I was in the Soul Society I know I promised to see you, but then I had a bit of an altercation with my brother and just forgot, okay? I'm telling the truth."
Renji's ears burned an angry crimson, a telltale sign he was trying to keep his temper. "Yeah, okay, fine. I believe you, whatever. But why, why did I not know of this wedding until the invitation was placed in my hands? Rukia, how long have you been planning this? How long have you been… seeing him? What—" his voice trailed off as a held breath hissed through his teeth. "What are you hiding from me?"
Rukia wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to start from the beginning and tell him all about how, despite wanting to rip him to shreds 95% of the time, she actually loved Ichigo; how they sex completely out of the blue with no preparation or thought involved; how when she first found out she was pregnant she thought about grabbing him and running away because he was the only one she could trust… and yet she didn't. She couldn't. Rukia leaned over and grabbed Renji's hand. She was doing that a lot as of late, as if establishing a physical connection would make her lies any more sincere or believable. "I truly am sorry, Renji. I should have told you sooner. I didn't mean to be shifty or secretive about this. Everything just happened so quickly."
Defeated, Renji stood and turned towards the sliding glass door, watching the wedding party absently, a lost look in his eyes. Rukua resisted the urge to reach for him again. Finally, he turned back to her. "I'm sorry for overreacting. It's just a wedding. None of my business." Her offered her a forced smile before leaving out the front door.
Rukia waited a moment before returning to the backyard. A nervous knot formed in her stomach, supplemented by the routine kicks from baby. Ichigo was chatting with his old school friends when she reached the head table. When he turned to his wife, he gave her a perplexed look. "Where's Renji? Everything alright?"
"He left. I—I feel awful. I was so absorbed in my own problems that I left him in the dark."
"Huh." Ichigo leaned back in his chair, brow stitched together in thought. "Y'know, that's not the reaction I was hoping for. I kinda wanted him to try and fight me or something."
Rukia laughed tiredly as she resumed her spot beside him. "After that conversation, I wish he had too."
The rest of the evening went on without a hitch. The guests ate, danced, and talked merrily amongst each other. It wasn't until shortly after midnight that the last group cleared the backyard. The Kurosaki family let out a collective sigh that quickly turned into a groan at the sight of the backyard. Isshin shooed the newlyweds away from the scene, telling them to go enjoy their "honeymoon."
Up in their shared bedroom, Rukia shed her dress in exchange for a pair of sweatpants and an old, stretched t-shirt.
"Ready to go?" Ichigo asked, poking his head in the room. He himself had chosen an equally casual outfit of athletic shorts and tank top.
"Go where?" Rukia wracked her brain for an answer. Did they have something planned?
Ichigo chuckled. "Don't worry about it. We have to hurry if we want to catch the next bus into the city."
When they reached their destination, they were in an area of Karakura town that Rukia did not recognize. A super market stood in front of them as they hopped off the bus, but Ichigo immediately turned to face the buildings across the street. There were three of them, each about five or six stories tall. Ichigo threw out his arms. "Ta-da!"
Rukia looked the buildings up and down a couple times before she realized they were apartment complexes. "Who lives here?"
Disheartened, Ichigo lowed his arms. "We do."
A/N: *big sigh* HI THERE. It's been a long time since I've been around these parts. Sorry. I don't have any good excuses this time. I'm just a lazy fuck who can't get herself together long enough to write. After I wrote the last chapter, I realized I hadn't written anything about the reception, so I decided to make it a two part chapter.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or whatever, feel free to review or even just message me here on ffnet. I promise I don't bite.