Freya: hail-o, hail-o… my right arm is numb… the sportsfest is over, and I missed Byakuya's birthday! (does a little dance around the Mexican hat) anyway, Kazu's gonna kill me (though I am already dead XD) if I don't contribute to the fics here the Bleach-fandom… so, here goes a little GinBya bday fic… I have no idea what I'm doing… though, this is probably the first seriously (???) GinBya fic I've written… don't expect greatness!! I am warning you!!

And yes, I am aware that it is cliché. Screw the world.

"Kiss me."

Now, Gin thought that was mildly predictable and somewhat unfair.

"Alright."

Byakuya thought he was kidding.

It was the 31st of January, and Ichimaru Gin was asleep. Sunny as it was, with birds flying here and there, he really couldn't care. He'd been shot with a bout of insomnia last night, and he so very much wanted to get some decent day's sleep, that he chose to ignore any and every sound the outside world made.

He knew he'd forgotten something, something gravely important, something he shouldn't have forgotten but did so anyway- that was why he couldn't sleep. It was annoying, and irritating, and dammit, it made his smile twitch when he thought about it.

But not now.

He'd think about it when he woke up. What mattered now was his sleep, his coveted, luxurious, undisturbed sleep…

…

… …

… … …

… … … …

He groaned. That's it, he head to find out what was so special about today! Then, he could go sleep the next three weeks off, school and shinigami duties be damned.

The silver haired shinigami got up from his futon and hurriedly donned his uniform, not caring if he woke his dorm-mates up. This was important, his remembering was important.

It wasn't like him to forget things. He had a great memory for fats and data, just that his expression didn't show it. Gin would admit it, he looked lazy.

Maybe Byakuya knew.

As he walked (stormed) through the hallways of the Academy, he couldn't help but think that between the two of them, it was mostly always his duty to remind Byakuya of a few little things. Like saying no to people he should say it to, being nice to a select few (this done via a draw-lots) and other, small, inconceivable things.

Like feeding pets.

Or sleeping.

Or eating.

Or birthdays.

He stopped.

He stood there, in the middle of the hallway, comprehension slowly dawning in his mind.

His smile twitched again.

He'd forgotten Byakuya's birthday.

A Kuchiki did not sulk.

Moreover, a Kuchiki did not sulk on top of the tower of penance at the ungodly hour of six in the morning, glaring at anything that crossed his vision, an almost-kinda-sorta-mustabeena-pout on his face.

Currently though, Byakuya was not counting himself as a Kuchiki, lacking the (stupid) kenseikan he'd been sent as a present. What a crappy present it was. He would've laughed in derision, like Gin once did.

He bit his lip.

But maybe being a Kuchiki was the only way to stop this absurd bubble of tantrums threatening to spill out the moment he took a breath. The only thing that could remind that he was supposed to be unfazed by all of this, that he had to hold his head up high no matter the situation.

His lip was hurting.

Gin wasn't supposed to forget, goddammit, he was supposed to be the first one to greet him and throw cake at his face and hand him a present that may or may not have been weird but then Byakuya wouldn't mind because it was from him and then they would go off and play another prank on some other innocent by-stander passing it off as an accident or an order from a captain or something…

Seriously, his lip was really hurting now.

The sound that jarred him from these senseless thoughts was the very same one that sent him into a mild fit of annoyance.

"…Byakuya."

A Kuchiki would stay calm… even if it was pointless to do so.

Gin looked at his friend, wondering if he should say anything more. Then again, maybe if he did, they'd be taking a little stroll towards the Soukyokuu. He didn't like that particular type of stroll.

"Gin."

Byakuya was annoyed at him, Gin could tell. It was there in the way his voice was too light and airy, as if he'd been holding his breath since dawn; in the way that he refused to face him and simply stayed there, looking at (what Gin knew to be) nothing in particular.

He looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry."

Byakuya's shoulders tensed, the phrase being foreign and unexpected- and so very much like his friend. No one ever apologized for forgetting his birthday before.

Then again, he thought, no one ever did. Even his annoying godfather had sent him gifts…

"…you do know what this means…"

Gin looked up, just in time to catch his friend stand up and face him. His lips look swollen. He'd been biting them, hadn't he?

"Don't you?"

Gin has to nod, because he truly does know. It reminds him of that time Byakuya lost a bet and had to do everything and anything Gin asked him to do for three days (Gin's not that cruel- so he says over the braids and ribbons and all the cups of strawberry ice cream).

This is just like that time, but then Gin knows that things like that never happen twice. This time was different. Specially different.

He puts up a smile and walks towards his friend, hands behind his back and silently wishing it wasn't something too hard- like playing tag. Shunpo or no, Byakuya was quick and he was lazy.

There was a grave difference.

"So what does Kuchiki Byakuya want as a birthday present?" he asks in a sing-song voice that shields the world form his nervousness. Byakuya, too. But that's because he's preoccupied with something else.

His eyes are averted but sharp with certainty when he says,

"Kiss me."

Now, Gin thought that was mildly predictable and somewhat unfair.

"Alright."

Byakuya thought he was kidding.

His lips are soft against his, exactly as they looked, all plaint and smooth and very sweet. Gin is aware that he sounds disturbingly poetic in his head right now, but being the person that he is, he couldn't give a damn.

He held up his face with two fingers just under his chin, he was only a few inches taller after all. His other hand is held behind his back, and their robes don't even touch each other as the breeze passes by. Gin is careful, and Byakuya is blushing.

Blushing, but still had some of his wits about him, which meant a good deal of his pride and… some other thing. Quite bravely, he let his hand creep up to the side of Gin's face, if only to pull him closer. Slightly, ever so slightly, Byakuya let his tongue slide over Gin's, earning a small yelp for his effort.

Gin almost drew back, if not for the fact that Byakuya now had an arm around his neck and was currently not letting go. Initially, he planned it to be a chaste kiss, as his friend had not specified, but then…

Who was he to deny the birthday boy his gift?

They were kissing, yes, on top of the tower of penance as a sort-of birthday present and Gin couldn't help but think he'd finally rubbed off on his friend. It was no longer gentle, like what a first kiss was wont to be, but neither was it senseless, both boys lost in the moment.

No, Gin thought, it was if they were meant for this. They fit perfectly (and this was special, because nothing was perfect in his eyes, 'xept for those few times when he found Byakuya asleep), and he couldn't really think of anything better to do aside from kissing Byakuya.

Well, there was one thing…

The silverhaired shinigami pulled away, trying to catch his almost-forgotten-but-very-much-needed breath, blood red eyes open and curious and stuck on the Kuchiki's face.

Byakuya was still blushing, but he was looking down now, not trusting himself to ever look at his friend's face ever again. That's it, he'd just officially ruined their friendship, the only one he'd ever had, and the only one that would ever count, in his opinion. He was going to completely pull away now, and let go of his friend's robes and possibly run away.

A hand grabbed his wrist.

"You're not thinking of running away, are you?"

The Kansai accent was back, in the way his breathlessness was apparent, and Byakuya looked down.

"…I…"

Gin smiled and moved his grip so that he was holding his friend's hand (and here he was thinking maybe it wouldn't stay that way for long), tracing the inside with his thumb.

"Will get a much better birthday present come next year. Alright?"

Now Byakuya dared to look up, only to have a swift kiss pressed to his forehead. His unoccupied hand reached up to the violated forehead, frowning lightly at the boy before him.

Gin merely smiled.

"Happy Birthday."

Freya: ah yes, the review button! Now it shall be called the 'hit-the-authoress-over-the-head-with-a-stick-button' because of her utter failure in making a fic. Kazu, forgive me. World, do your worst!! I know I suck, let's see you try to make me feel more horrible about it!!