Hi, i brought another chapter... :)
Ps: Si nu uitati daca sunteti romani, care mai stationati pe aici, faceti-va simtita prezenta! :)
-jelly, maybe there will be ichiruki... there is still a lot coming until the "big final"
-Star fire girl 788, yep... i can't believe i actually wrote something cute :))
-saiya-jinPan140, i will continue to update soon since i have some chapters written in advance :)
-adamxero, it's Haruna... and yes your presumptions are right.
-j.v, thank you!
-annia9semi, it was? thank you :)
-Noctis Vee Caelum, the only thing i can say is that she will make her a choice the day/ night after her birthday.
-Araiae4u, i'm still caught between the two of them... i mean i know how all this will ends, but sometimes when i write ichiruki moments i start to think "poor Byakuya" and when i write byaruki moments i start to think that Ichigo doesn't stand a change without Rukia.
-Hekka, it would have been easy to break the engagement if it would have been a true farce... the problem is that on the beginning it wasn't a joke for any of them.
-SchelmaAnimeFan, yeep... I found out that Byakuya is not dead... yet... he's in coma or something like that. That's crazy, haha!
Enjoy... mind the english mistakes :)
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Happy Birhday
Goroza was heading to his favorite daughter's room to announce her that he will be out for the rest of the day so he will entrust her with receiving the rest of the appointments. He was in a good moon since, lately, she hasn't got herself in troubles of any kind and also she stopped drinking in the middle of the day.
When he arrived and noticed that the door of her room was opened. He knocked in the threshold prepared to cheerfully greet her, but then his cheeriness suddenly disappeared. He found his daughter packing some human male clothes.
"What are these, dear?" he asked, cutting all the greeting and introductions.
"French friezes!" she replied sarcastically as she laid the clothes on her bed. "What else could this be than a black suit?..." and after a pause she asked thoughtfully: " Do you think I should put a grey tie because it matches his eyes?"
Goroza cocked his eyebrow.
"What are you planning, dear?"
On that question, she turned to him with an ecstatic smile and shouted as she spread her arms:
"A surprise birthday party!" and after a pause she added. "For two only…"
Goroza replied to that enthusiasm with a straight face.
"Don't look at me like this!" she replied innocently. "I will not meddle! I promise… I'll just give him the cloths, some tips… and then off he goooooeees!"
Goroza frowned.
"Him, who? And off he goes where?" he asked.
She smirked, but chose to not give him an answer. Goroza continued to look at her suspiciously for a couple of seconds, but since she reassured him that she "won't meddle" which meant that she will home, he concluded that no matter what she was doing, it was harmless.
"Anyway…" he finally said. "I'll be gone for the rest of the day. Nanakuma's son had invited me to his new home…"
"Oooh, how nice!" she commented, but her attention was focused on matching the suit with an appropriate tie. " I see that you two are on better terms now. Very… very… very nice…" and after a pause she added. " A blue tie will do also … because sometimes his eyes seem to be blue…"
"Haruna, I will ask you to stay home and receive the guest with appointment."Goroza said.
"I can't!" she nonchalantly replied. "I'm meeting with Toto now…"
Goroza put on a weary face.
"Ask my brother to receive them…" she added immediately.
"But Haruna…" he insisted, since among his three children he had always preferred her.
"I think I will stick with the blue-grey one… It will be like a stain of color! Yep, good choice!" she said still facing the clothes. She gathered all in her arms and then turned to her father with cheerful smile. "So go talk to my brother! I'm leaving now!"
With no reply that could cross in his mind, he remained hopeless, watching his daughter leaving.
"Say "hello" to the Nanakuma couple from me, daddy!" she added from the hallway.
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"Did you hear something?..." Isshin asked.
"I think it was a yawn…" Yuzu answered with her ear stuck on the door.
"Well, let's enter then!" he shouted with a whispering voice.
"But if she's still sleeping you'll scare her to death…" Karin commented.
Isshin made a weary face and then turned to Ichigo.
"Well?" he asked impatiently. "You say, Ichigo! We enter or we'll wait another 10 minutes?"
Ichigo's face turned red.
"Why is he acting like this?" Isshin addressed annoyed to his daughters. "It was his idea, wasn't it?"
Ichigo's face turned even redder.
"Chicken!" Isshin commented and put his ear on the door.
Then Yuzu turned to her brother and instantly, her eyes widened scared:
"Onii-chan!" she snapped with the same whispering voice. "Hold the cake properly! You're dropping it on the floor!"
With trembling hands Ichigo tried to hold straight the plate with the cake he and Yuzu made that morning. It's been like this for ten minutes. The four of them were standing in front of Ichigo's room, waiting for Rukia to wake up, so they could burst inside with a "Happy birthday" choir, since it was 14 January.
Ichigo swallowed his tongue. Now that he was so close, he didn't feel like it was a good idea. It's been a week since Rukia recovered all her strength. If she won't like the Happy Birthday song, she will definitely kick him…and it will definitely hurt! If she won't like the cake, then she will throw it on his face. He wasn't prepared for any of these scenarios. His hands started to tremble again.
"Oh! She woke up! She's definitely awake! I heard the TV!" Isshin snapped and turned to the rest of the team: "Ready? At three!"
Yuzu and Karin nodded affirmatively.
"One… Two…"
"Dad…" Ichigo tried to say.
"Three!"
Isshin opened the door and all of them started in intonate the classic "Happy Birthday" song with a bad English accent. With a forced grin, holding the cake, he followed then.
The first thing he saw was Rukia In bed, with eyes wide open and a speechless expression, while dropping the TV remote on the floor.
"Oooooh! Happy birthday, daughter!" Isshin snapped after the song was over and he practically thrown himself over her in order to hug her.
"Happy birth day, Rukia-chan!" she sisters said also.
"I'm so happy you're spending this day with us!" Isshin added with corrodible tears. "Look, Look! Yuzu made a cake … and even Ichigo helped!"
Here, Isshin let go of Rukia and he pulled Ichigo closer , who until that moment stood silent in the threshold, holding the cake with the same trembling hands and the same embarrassed expression.
When Rukia saw him, her eyes got even bigger. Without knowing what to say, he just spoke the first words came to his mind:
"H-h-happy B-Birthday, Rukia!"
She didn't reply. She just lowered her gaze to the cake he was holding:
"Did he… really helped?" she asked.
"Of course!" Yuzu replied cheerfully.
"Literally, he followed Yuzu's instructions… so we won't set fire to the kitchen!" Karin added with a smirk.
"Ichigoo! I'm sooo proud you!" Isshin begun to cry again. "My son it's so romantic!"
"And you, dad, are so lame…" Karin commented apathetically.
But Rukia didn't watch the Kurosakis getting into their daily quarrels. She kept looking at the cake in Ichigo's hands and a cute smile appeared on her lips. She carefully took the cake from his nervous hands and put it on the bedside. Then she turned to Ichigo and suddenly jumped on his arms.
"Thank you so much!" she said.
Ichigo was taken by surprise. He didn't even know how to react, when Rukia approached his ear and whispered: "I love you so much, Kurosaki Ichigo!". Still shocked and unable to reply he just hold her tight in her arms.
The Kurosakis watched the scene more than surprised, until Isshin came to his senses and a pervy smile appeared on his lips:
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! " he stared to shout and gave a meaningful glare to his daughters in order to sustain him.
"Kiss! Kiss!" Karin also started say laughing, immediately followed by her shy twin.
Ichigo's face instantly turned again red. He was prepared to turn to his father and kick him out the room, but then Rukia bite her lower lip, put her arms around his neck…and gave him a quick kiss on his right cheek.
"That's my daughter!" Isshin shouted while applauding.
Ichigo was speechless. If he ever had an intention of saying something when he entered the room, now it was completely vanished. But two different and strange thoughts crossed his mind in that moment: First was that Rukia was taller and she could reach him only by standing on her toes. The second one was that he was hungry.
"Shall eat the cake?" Rukia asked a little embarrassed, but still keeping the cheeriness in her voice.
"Here?" Yuzu asked.
"Of course!" Isshin replied. "It's allowed! Today we're eating in bed!"
"Then I should better go and get the plates and the teaspoons!" Yuzu replied.
Then Ichigo reconsidered the problem. He wasn't hungry… There were just the butterflies in his stomach that Rukia was giving him every time she was getting closer.
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Carrying a big package, Haruna knocked on the door of the 6th captain's office and before she could receive the permission she entered.
"How are we today, my lord?" she asked with an obvious irony in her voice.
"Fine" Byakuya replied monosyllabically, trying to ignore her carelessly and nonchalantly way of circling his office, uninvited. "I have told you thousands of times. Do not enter in a room unless you receive the permission" he added coldly.
Haruna suddenly turned to him with a bored expression and leaned over his desk, curious about the document he was reading:
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Work" he stated.
"Hmmm…" she commented. " And how long will it take for you to finish it?"
He looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"If you want me to be honest I'd say "forever and get out of this room"… but if I'll make an effort and be polite I'd say "A lot so I will call for you when I'm done". In both situations you'll be compelled to leave, Nene-cha."
"Hmmm…" she stated untroubled.
Byakuya frowned. She was restless and he knew that no normal person would stand a chance in front of her insistences. He put aside the report he was reading:
"What do you want?" he asked.
She turned to him surprised.
"What do I want? You , happy… I thought it was obvious." She answered nonchalantly.
He gasped trying to maintain his calm. He hated when someone was interrupting from his work. That was one of the reasons he loved Rukia. She never interrupted him, not even during week-ends.
"I was referring to this particular moment, Nene-cha…" he added. "You wouldn't have come here, unless you'd wished for something…"
This time Haruna frowned annoyed.
"That's quite cold and unfair from you, Toto!" she snapped. "How many times did I actually wished for something that was exclusively in my benefit?"
Byakuya remained silent. The answer was obvious: "never", even though her ill natured temperament made everyone think the opposite about her.
"I was just remembering whose birthday is, today …" she said, breaking the silence.
He cocked an eyebrow. He didn't like the sound of her words.
"And I was asking myself if you have already sent her a present …" Haruna continued.
Byakuya remained silent for a couple of seconds, and then he finally decided to answer her question:
"I would have, but I prefer to give her a present when she will be back home, which should be by the end of the week since she had finally recovered her strength."
"I see…" Haruna stated visibly displeased.
"But I will call her later and congratulate her…" he added immediately.
Haruna cocked her eyebrow.
"Congratulate her?... For what exactly?" she asked intrigued.
"For her birthday, obviously…" he replied slightly annoyed as he retook the document he was early reading.
"Hmmm… lovely..." she stated, trying to abstain herself from more acidic commentaries. Again they remained silent for a couple of moments when she finally added: "Well since you haven't sent of a present yet, I was thinking of sending one myself!"
"How… thoughtful" he stated with his eyes fixed on the document.
"Aren't' you curious to know what is my present?" she asked.
Byakuya gasped and put the paper aside once more. He knew that it was futile to tell her that he's not interested.
"Yes, Nene-cha… I'm curious. Tell me of what kind of present have you thought of sending?"
She grinned and replied:
"You, Toto!"
He frowned confused. In order to enlighten him, Haruna put on his desk the package she early brought with her.
"What is this?" he asked without touching it.
"It's an Armani suit…" she replied cheerfully. "Trust me it's high quality and very… very expensive. So you don't have to worry about wearing cheap human clothes."
He frowned.
"What is the meaning of this, Nene-cha?"
"Well isn't it obvious, Toto? Tonight, you are going to that Karakura town and surprise Rukia on her birthday. The fiancé who had travelled two words only so he could be with his beloved future wife on her birthday, am I romantic or what?"
His eyes widened.
"Ha! I caught it!" she added. " That glare, a moment ago! You just wished you had thought of this before me! I knew it! It's such a great idea!"
But Byakuya return to his work. He was nervous, but fortunately his stoic composure did not allow his feeling to transpire."
"Nene-cha… I'm busy right now…" he replied coldly. "Unlike you I don't spend my day playing cupid… I have a squad to rule… and an enemy wondering freely in the human world who nearly killed Rukia! So forgive my straightforwardness, but I believe working to find Oza in order to protect Rukia it's more important than parading in an Armani suits …"
Her eyes widened.
"Do not think Nene-cha, that I forgot what Oza did… It would be foolish of you to presume that I could indulge him to step on the memory of my parents! His getaway is a stain on the Kuchiki pride and it must be immediately averted!" Byakuya added icely.
She turned his face away from him. For a moment, fear took over her. It was the fear of knowing what would become of her If Byakuya would find Oza. It was the worst scenario she could imagine. That's why it would never come to reality … because she will be the one to meet Oza first! Coming to her senses, she turned again Byakuya. Oza was still far away and she other things to take care of in this moment:
"This was not about Uncle Oza… This was about you and your fiancé…"
Byakuya didn't reply.
"Weren't you the one who last month was yearning so much to see her?"
"And weren't you the one who told me that I should stop being possessive and overprotective of her? Weren't you the one who told me to give her space?"
She rolled her eyes exasperated.
"That was different! Now it's her birthday for all kamis' sake!" she shouted. "Really, Toto! You're an outstanding gorgeous man, but you are cold and you know nothing about women!"
Again, no reply.
"Fine! I can see that you have a lot to handle right now…with Renji being also gone, it must be hard … I will leave for now! But I'll be waiting for you at home." She added and took the package from the desk, heading to the door. "Just try to finish up early, ok?"
Silence.
"I meant… earlier than usual!" she added and she shunpo-ed out of his office.
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When Yuzu returned with the plates, the Kurosaki family was sitting in bed, waiting for their slice of cake. Ichigo was starring at Rukia wondering if her unusual good mood wasn't just a dream. He didn't really got the chance to ask for a confirmation because no one was paying attention to him. Isshin was telling Rukia the adventure Ichigo and Yuzu went through that morning with preparing the cake, while Karin took the remote control, changing from the teleshopping channel Rukia was early watching, to MTv.
It all looked like a warm and cozy family scene. So beautiful that it seemed unreal.
"That day I presumed that I was dreaming… so I allowed myself to do whatever I wanted… I even permitted myself to kiss him in front of his family… I even convinced all his family to have cake in bed…and i was never happier." Rukia would have thought later about this day, when she would be older, surrounded by her grown up children.
Children with black hair and grey eyes… children with black hair and amber eyes. She would love them the same way, but that won't stop her from smiling painfully, every time she would think of this day.
This day, that was about to change her life forever…
But now, she knew nothing of what life had reserved for her. Today she was just happy, enjoying every moment to the fullest.
"Thank you… thank you all for this day!" she said.
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Kind of a strange ending for this chapter... maybe something is about to happen...
Anyway, as usual let me know what you think ... Meanwhile i'll try to come back with a soon update.