Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry,

but I guess you know now, baby

"Wait, so you guys don't have Marvel either?" Ichigo asked as he strolled down the sidewalk with Trunks and Orihime beside him.

Trunks shook his head. "Nope. What's that?"

"They make superhero comic books and now they're turning them all into movies."

"We don't really have superhero movies, but Goten's brother's father-in-law is an action star. All the movies are trash, though."

"Dude, you're missing out. There's Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and I heard Black Panther's in the works, too."

Orihime bubbled with excitement. "Oh, oh! We should all go see Dr. Strange!"

"Oh yeah," Ichigo said. "It just dropped in America, and since I got the hang of flying now, we should take the trip."

"I'm down," Trunks said. "As long as it's not another musical like the one we watched with Yuzu."

"Ahh, come on. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic."

"Well, that one song in there was catchy. You know, the one that goes…" Trunks hummed the tune.

"Come with me," Orihime sang. "And you'll be…"

"In a world of pure imagination,"Ichigo added

Trunks clapped his hands in applause. "Bravo. Definitely gonna learn to play that on the piano."

"Why?" Ichigo asked. "So you can serenade-"

"Your funeral. I'm going to play it at your funeral if you finish that sentence."

"Hm?" Orihime raised her eyebrows. "You're gonna serenade someone?"

"No, no," Trunks said. "By the way, Orihime, you guys make a great duet. You'd probably make an even better-"

Ichigo nudged him. "Okay, okay, quit it!"

"I can play the game just as well as you can."

Orihime gave Trunks a curious look. "We'd make an even better what?"

"Oh, I was just gonna say that you guys would make even better bandmates. We should all start a band." Trunks grinned, then elected for telepathic communication once Ichigo settled. "You like how I saved that?"

"That's the best you could do?" Ichigo said. "A band?".

"Oh, that would be so much fun!" Orihime could not contain her elation. "Ichigo could play guitar, Trunks can play the piano-"

"And you can sing," Trunks said. "Goten can be our drummer, and Jinta can learn the bass." The trio turned the corner into the yard of Urahara's store.

"Well, what kind of genre are we going for?" Ichigo asked.

"Um… " Trunks scratched his head. "How about metal? Or jazz… jazz metal, because I can't imagine Orihime doing screams."

"I can try a growl if you'd like," Orihime said.

Ichigo groaned. "How about we put a hold on our progressive metal dreams and just go see the movie?"

The group approached the porch, where Jinta sat with his head down. Once they arrived, Jinta held up a white envelope to Trunks.

"Special letter for Ichigo and Trunks," he grumbled.

They raised their eyebrows. "For both of us?" Trunks asked. "Who's it from?"

"I dunno, some Soul Reaper dropped it off." After giving Trunks the letter, Jinta put his hands behind his head and laid back.

"Everything alright? Where's Ururu?"

"At some stupid after-school club."

"So you're just out here by yourself?"

"Just open it already."

Trunks tore the top of the envelope open and pulled out a folded paper. He straightened it and read it aloud.

"Dear Mr. Briefs and Mr. Kurosaki, my name is Shuhei Hisagi, co-lieutenant of Squad Nine, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Seireitei Communication Monthly. We are currently planning for our December issue, and we'd like for Son Goten and the both of you to be our feature article for the month. We'd also like to extend an invitation for the three of you to be guests for the inaugural episode of our new radio program, SeireiTalk with Shuhei Hisagi."

"I would like to interview the three of you for one to two hours on Friday, November 11, at 3:00 p.m. If this time works for you, please reach out to me." Goten glanced at Toshiro. "Well, if he's inviting Ichigo, why wouldn't he invite you?"

"Probably because I was the feature of the November issue," Toshiro said. "And I also write a column for the paper every month."

"Okay, I guess I'll go then. I'm kind of excited."

Rangiku chimed in. "You should be. Nobody's gonna be able to keep their hands off of you after this."

Goten chuckled. "You think so? Maybe I'll find someone just like- ah shit, I forgot!"

"You forgot what?" Toshiro asked.

"I forgot to invite Soi Fon to the party!"

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, she's a must-have there… a true party animal."

"I'm all the party animal we need there. Besides, it would make Trunks' day if she came."

"I'm not sure you fully realize who you're dealing with."

"I agree," Rangiku said. "Captain Soi Fon isn't the type to do things for other people. It's a hassle just to get her to take part in events for the Women's Association."

Goten smiled. "Don't worry, I won't take no for an answer."

"Also, are you okay with the interview being the day before the party?" Toshiro asked.

"Yeah," Goten replied. "Shouldn't be a big deal. We still have plenty of time. November 11 is only… tomorrow?!"

"Well, I guess we only have today and tomorrow to clear up all the paperwork and train."

Rangiku and Goten groaned. "But I helped with paperwork yesterday," Goten said.

"Yes, and there's more today, so let's not waste time."

After a long sigh, the two mumbled, "Aye, aye, captain."

"So, what do you think?" Trunks asked Ichigo.

A smile curled onto Ichigo's lips. "I think he made a big mistake of putting us all on a podcast together. His first one, too. Such a shame."

"Should be fun. I'll tell Kisuke to tell his squad for us." Trunks took a step onto the porch, but stopped and turned to the brooding child. "Hey, Jinta?"

"Whaaat?" he groaned.

"Are you doing anything today?"

"Ah, you know, just partaking in my favorite hobby: cloud watching."

"Do you like Marvel movies?"

Jinta sat up with a narrowed stare. "I'm listening…"

"You wanna come see Doctor Strange with us?"

Jinta's eyes lit up. "Doctor Strange?! But that's only out in North America right now."

"Yeah, well, we can fly, so let's take the trip. You coming or not?"

"You're damn right I'm coming!"

The next day, after completing mounds upon mounds of paperwork, Goten laid back in his chair. He propped his feet on the desk he worked on. "Whew. All done, and with…" The clock on the wall read 2:58. "No time, no time left to spare."

He leaped out of the chair and snatched a folded map of the Seireitei. He ran out of the room, threw on one shoe, then hopped on one foot while trying to slide the other on. Goten slipped it on before he took off into the air. With the unfolded map, he tried to pinpoint his destination.

"So Squad Ten is here, and Squad Nine is-" Two familiar energy signals flashed across his sense. "Well, that makes it easier." Goten glided to the Squad Nine barracks, where Ichigo and Trunks stood outside.

"Hey, you're thirty seconds early," Trunks said. "I guess you're excited about this."

"Sorry, I've been budgeting and forging signatures for two days straight. My hand is all cramped up now."

"Well," Ichigo said. "Now that you're here, are you guys ready to hijack this radio show?"

"They're not gonna have a better show than this one," Goten said. The group walked into the first building they saw, and once inside, a slew of Soul Reapers ran from all sides of the room, holding multiple papers and files. Constant keyboard clicks and chatter filled the room.

"Is this a newspaper press or a stock exchange?" Ichigo asked.

Before Trunks or Goten replied, a male Soul Reaper approached them. "You three can follow me this way," he said.

The man led the trio down a hallway and into a room with a large round table to their left. There were four office chairs tucked at the table, and in front of each chair was a microphone, a pair of headphones, a glass of water. To the right of the door was a separate room with a large plexiglass window. A man tinkered with a plethora of sound equipment and monitors that filled the space.

The Soul Reaper opened the door to the separate room and said, "Lieutenant, the guests are here."

"Perfect," he replied. "I just finished setting up." Lieutenant Hisagi exited the room and greeted his guests. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. We have a big schedule this month and we're trying to get used to the new equipment."

"We're happy to be here," Goten said. "Thanks for having us."

"So, are guys ready?"

The group nodded, and they all sat down at the table with their headphones over their ears. The Soul Reaper that guided them entered the control room. He looked at Hisagi and counted down with his finger starting from five before giving a thumbs up.

"Helllooooo all you Soul Reapers and Souls alike!" Hisagi said. "You are listening to WSSS, the Soul Society station, and this is SeireiTalk. I am your host, Shuhei Hisagi, and thank you for joining us in our first-ever episode. To kick off the program, I have three special guests with me today. The first, I'm sure, is a familiar name to most: the Substitute Soul Reaper from Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki. The other two come from across the galactic pond. All the way from another universe, we have Trunks Briefs and Son Goten. With the introductions out of the way, I'd like to thank you guys for being here for our first show."

"Thanks for having us on," Trunks said.

"Thanks but um… what's the rating for this?" Goten asked

Hisagi gave a confused gaze. "I'm sorry. What do you mean?"

"Like… how PG do we need to keep it? I can keep it PG, but I'm just curious."

Shuhei turned to the man in the control room, who shrugged his shoulders. "Well, this is going to air on daytime radio, so let's aim to keep it PG-13 at the most."

"Okay, okay, just checking."

"Wow," Ichigo said. "We've been on the air for thirty seconds and you already asked how wild you can get?"

"I gotta know how clean I have to keep it, and I can do that for the moms and children. Speaking of moms, if any of you are single out there, I'll be taking appointments after this interview at the Squad Ten barracks."

"And here we go," Trunks said. He shook his head, but Ichigo burst into laughter.

"Now we know we're definitely not getting invited again," Ichigo said.

Goten narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. "Ichigo, stop. You barely got on here in the first place."

"Woaaaaahh," Trunks said. "Now we're getting spicy."

"So that's something I wanted to ask you, Shuhei," Ichigo said. He rotated his chair towards Hisagi and leaned in. "I've been busting my ass for the Soul Society and I can't get on the paper, but now these two show up and you break out a bunch of new equipment for them?"

"Sounds like you're salty to me," Trunks said.

"I'm not salty!" Ichigo yelled. "I'm just asking."

Hisagi sighed. "Well, we've always wanted to talk to you, but there was always something happening at the time-"

"See Ichigo," Goten said. "They don't make time for you, but they make time for us. You're welcome."

"I didn't know we had official Haterade sponsors in the building," Ichigo replied.

"That sound like a reference to something I don't know about, but who's hating? Me? Couldn't be. I could never."

"I dunno, Goten," Trunks said. "Sounds like you're hating to me."

"Trunks, you always do this. You sit back, instigate, and rub your hands." Goten turned to Ichigo. "Has he done that to you yet?"

"Of course he has," Ichigo replied. "He's a villain."

"Don't play with me," Goten continued. "I have secrets you wouldn't want to be spilled on these airwaves."

"You wouldn't," Trunks said.

Goten pulled the mic to his mouth. "Pfffff! Say I won't."

Trunks swiveled to the host. "Lieutenant, can you get a hold of your show, please?!"

Hisagi shrugged. "I've lost all control of this show and it's only been three minutes. But yes, I wanted to get through some questions with you guys. For Trunks and Goten, I wanted to start by asking what life is like in your universe."

Goten looked to Trunks. "You wanna answer that?"

"Uh, sure," Trunks said. "We're from Universe Seven, and Universe Six and Seven are mirror universes, so they're pretty much the same. Goten and I were about to start college before we came here."

"Were you both excited to come here and train with two of the most elite Soul Reapers the Soul Society has to offer?"

"Well, we were kept in the dark about who we would train with, so I'd say no. We also got pulled from the last two weeks of our summer vacation. That bummed us out, but if I could speak for the both of us, we wouldn't trade this for the world."

"Wow, that's so sweet of you," Ichigo said with a smile. "I'm blushing over here."

"I take it all back. He's the worst."

"And Ichigo," Hisagi said. "How did you feel when you were told that you and Trunks were going to be training together?"

Ichigo hummed for a few seconds. "Well… I was pretty mad. I can't lie. After the things that happened with Ginjo, I felt like it was another plot against me. But Trunks and I talked, and it turned out to be fine. Now we're all pretty close-knit. Even when we don't train, we just hang out. We share the same humor and interests, so it works out."

"What are some of those interests that you all share?"

"Um… well, we like the same music for the most part: alternative, rap, some jazz. We like anime and movies, too, but we're kind of split on those. We all like to play sports, too."

"I'd like to add that Goten was the craziest running back in high school," Trunks said.

"And I'd like to warn anyone listening," Goten said. "If Trunks asks you to play basketball, and he says he's not good, he's lying, he's absolutely filthy at ball, and you need to run."

Ichigo sat forward in his chair. "Oh my god, this man fooled me so bad. The first time we played, he let me go up 5-0, and then he went all Carmelo on me and won 11-8."

"It's a bad habit of mine," Trunks said. "Goten and I used to go to the courts when we were like fourteen and fool people that were a lot older than us. It was fun to see the reactions."

"What about you, Shuhei?" Goten asked. "What are your hobbies?"

"I enjoy being the editor of this newspaper," he said. "It's very fulfilling for me to investigate and get multiple perspectives on a topic. I'm also saving to get a motorcycle I've been eyeing for years."

"People have motorcycles here?" Ichigo asked.

"No, but someone has to be a trailblazer."

"Speaking of a trailblazer," Goten said. "Is anyone in the Soul Society going to usher in the Modern Age in this place?"

"Oh boy," Trunks mumbled.

Ichigo covered his face with a hand. "He couldn't help himself."

"No, I think that's a good point," Shuhei said. "I think the Soul Society needs to keep up with the Living World and update itself not only in the Research Department but in the rest of this place, too. The problem is that the old guard likes the structure the way it is."

"But let's backtrack a little," Goten said. "I'm not even talking about a digital renaissance or upgrade or whatever. We don't even have beds: we sleep on the floor. I have dust allergies, man. I can't be on the floor. You guys brought us in here to slay your enemies, but we can't even get some elevated rest." Trunks and Ichigo snickered at Goten's rant. "You guys can laugh, but you know it's a fact. I bet Ichigo has a bed."

"Of course I do," Ichigo said.

"What do you mean, of course? Sir, you're a minority here." Goten turned his attention back to Shuhei and sipped his water. "Toshiro's gonna be so embarrassed when he hears this."

"How's that going for you?" Shuhei asked.

"Oh, it's great. We definitely butted heads in the beginning, but we're over that… I think. By the way, Rangiku was talking about you."

Shuhei's body jolted, and his eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Uh oh," Trunks chuckled.

"Got 'em." Ichigo lifted his water and sipped it.

"What did she say, though?" Shuhei asked..

Goten cleared his throat, then folded his hands on the table. "She said that the Women's Association was debating whether your tattoo was for show or if you were telling everybody your favorite position."

Ichigo spat his water onto the ground. Trunks fell out of his chair as they both howled with laughter. Goten leaned back in his chair and joined the howling. Shuhei tucked his face between his hands and shook his head. Even the man in the booth fell victim to a boisterous laughing spell.

Trunks pulled himself back into his chair. "That's it, it's over. Take it off the air! Goodnight, everybody!"

"You better watch your back," Ichigo told Goten. He couldn't catch his breath. "Kensei's gonna beat your ass."

"They're gonna kill me for this one," Shuhei said. "I don't care. This is raw, it's hilarious, and it's everything I didn't know this show needed until now."

The interview lasted for another hour before Shuhei had the trio do a short photo shoot for the cover of the magazine. After they finished, they thanked Hisagi for the interview, and the lieutenant promised he would have them back on soon. Once they exited the building, they wandered down the streets of the Seireitei.

"I can't believe that just happened," Ichigo said. "Please tell me that wasn't live."

"Nah," Goten said. "I heard him say that they're gonna hold it until December for when the magazine drops."

"Hey, do you guys wanna hit the courts and shoot around for a bit?" Trunks asked.

Ichigo drew his head back. "Do they even have courts here?"

"Probably not. Maybe we should ask somebody."

Goten stopped walking. A devious grin spread across his face. "Well, what an unexpected coincidence. I know the perfect person you can ask, Trunks." He pointed to a large gate next to them. "I checked my map before, and it told me that these are the Squad Two barracks."

"One day, I'm going to torture you like this."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll pencil that in for Nevuary 32. You're here, so you might as well say hi."

Trunks groaned. "Alright, but please don't fuck this up for me."

"Nope, we're both gonna stand over there and let you do your thing."

Goten and Ichigo stepped away. Trunks sighed and looked for a doorbell, but after a few seconds, he turned toward his friends. "She's probably busy, anyway."

"Ah, come on, bro," Ichigo said. "Just fly over top and find-" Ichigo stopped as the gate in front of them parted.

Trunks almost jumped out of his skin as a pair of voices emerged from behind the door. Why? Why me?

"Wait, so I'm not picking anything up from the bakery?" A man asked.

"No, I've already told you that three times," Soi Fon said. "Now for the fourth and final time, you're going to the bakery and checking if the cake will be ready by-" Soi Fon froze in place with parted lips when she and her lieutenant walked out. "T-Trunks! What are you doing here?"

"Oh-uh, hey," Trunks said. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Captain, is this the guy that-" Before Omaeda finished, Soi Fon stomped on his foot. Marechiyo grabbed the foot and hopped on one leg. "Ow! What was that for?!"

Soi Fon turned to her lieutenant and whispered. "A little less talking and a little leaving in the other direction, Omaeda."

Omaeda sniffled and hobbled away from her. "You didn't have to be so mean about it."

Soi Fon spun back to Trunks. "So, uh… what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just uh- Ichigo, Goten, and I were doing an interview for the newspaper, and we happened to walk down here, so I'd thought I'd just say what's up."

Soi Fon nodded, but most of her attention fell towards Ichigo and Goten, who motioned for her to keep a tight lip.

Trunks noticed her eyes fall away. "Hm? Something wrong?" Trunks swiveled around, but Ichigo and Goten changed their expressions to look normal.

Ichigo waved. "Hi, nice to see you."

"Great day we're having," Goten said. "The sun is… out."

Confused, Trunks turned from them. "Anyway-"

She already walked away from him. "Anyway," Soi Fon blurted. "I need to leave."

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"It's none of your business."

Soi Fon disappeared before he let out another word. Trunks returned to his friends with his head slumped. With a sigh, he mumbled to himself, "I'll take one execution on Sokyoku Hill to-go, please."

"Ah come on, bro," Goten said. He dropped a hand on Trunks' shoulder. "Don't sweat it. Maybe she has a lot going on today."

"Nothing a little basketball can't fix," Ichigo added. "You can't go into your birthday tomorrow feeling down."

Trunks sighed, then picked up his head. "Alright, I'll live. So are we playing twenty-one or are we running twos?"

"Twos for sure," Goten answered. "But who's gonna be our fourth?"

"Let's go ask Renji," Ichigo said. "He has to know where the courts are."

"Okay, so it's me and Ichigo versus Trunks and Renji."

"Hey!" Trunks yelled. "Who said you get to pick teams, and where are we gonna get a ball from?"

The next day, Trunks, Ichigo, and Goten woke up early to all train together. After that, Ichigo revealed he planned out a day for them: a trip around the world to see the wonders of the Universe Six Earth. They toured Mt. Fuji, the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids in Egypt, Machu Picchu, the Eiffel Tower, and the Grand Canyon.

After their world tour, they arrived in Los Angeles, where Ichigo surprised the three of them with tickets to a Kendrick Lamar concert. Goten didn't know who he was, but Ichigo had played Trunks his three albums, and Trunks fell in love with them and felt ecstatic to be seeing him live. During the concert, however, Ichigo left early, saying that he had to finish an assignment online due that night, so Trunks and Goten flew back to Karakura by themselves.

"Man," Trunks awed. "Am I tripping, or was that amazing?"

"You're not," Goten said. "That… that was one of the best things I've ever seen live, but I was thrown off by all the white people in there saying the n-word."

"Yea, that made me uncomfortable." Trunks paused a second before speaking again. "Hey, do you ever miss home?"

"I miss it every day. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, it's just that this place reminds me so much of it, and all the things we did today, I would've liked to do with my family."

"It's only temporary. Everything's gonna be back to normal soon enough, and then the only thing we'll be worrying about is classes."

"Yea, I guess you're right."

"We're gonna get everybody back, bro, but today's not the day to worry about that. Let's hurry back, though. Kisuke said he's making something special for you tonight."

"Thank god, I'm starving." The two picked up their pace and landed back at Urahara's shop. Trunks walked up to the porch and opened the door.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Trunks!"

"Oh, shit!" Trunks jolted and stared at the group of people that stood in the room.

Ichigo wrapped his arms around his neck. "We gotcha good, huh?"

"Yeah, just a little." He scanned the room and saw many familiar faces: Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Jinta, Ururu, Tessai, Toshiro, Rangiku, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Soi Fon were all there. "Wow, thank you guys so much."

"Thank Goten, first," Urahara said. "He's the one that put this whole thing together."

"I don't deserve you guys. This is awesome."

"Well, the surprises don't stop there," Goten said. "We've got plenty of food, and Rangiku brought all the alcohol. It's gonna be a real party."

"Uh oh, guess it's gonna be one of those nights."

Once the party begun, everyone ate, socialized, and enjoyed each other's company. While Goten locked into a tequila duel with Rangiku, Trunks conversed with Ichigo and Rukia. From his peripheral, Soi Fon exited the shop.

"Hey," Ichigo whispered. "Now's your chance."

"You think I should?" Trunks asked.

"Well, you shouldn't feel pressured," Rukia said. "You might not get a better time than now."

Trunks exhaled before taking a sip of the drink in his hand. "Alright, can you hold this for me?"

Ichigo took the cup from Trunks and watched his friend leave them. "There he goes, empowered by liquid courage. Godspeed, Super Saiyan. Godspeed."

"You know," Rukia said. "You could learn a thing or two from him."

"Rukia, don't give me any of that. I'm playing something called the long game."

Trunks slid the door and stepped outside. Seated on the porch, Soi Fon spun around and met his gaze.

"Sorry," he blurted. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh no, it's fine," she said.

Trunks walked over and took a seat next to her. "So, whatcha doing out here?"

"I… needed some air. It's hot in there."

"The party scene isn't really your thing, is it?"

"Shouldn't you be in there with all of your friends?"

"Well, I'm with one of my friends right now." His anxiety caught a hold of him. "I mean, if it's okay to call us friends. I-I don't mean to assume anything."

"No, I don't mind. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I have a bit of alcohol in me. I don't drink that often, but people keep handing me cups of punch. Did you have any?"

"I had a sip, but I prefer not to indulge."

"It's probably for the best. I'll give it half an hour before it turns into chaos in there. We'll be lucky if the place doesn't burn down." Her lips curled upward for a moment, enough to ease his inner tension. "So, what's really got you sitting out here?"

Soi Fon averted her eyes. "I'm not much of a person for large gatherings, especially when I don't know that many people there."

"I'd say you know more than a few people in there."

"Sure, but the only person I would talk to would be Lady Yoruichi, but she's speaking with Urahara, and I don't want to be a bother."

"Well… what about me?"

"What about you? You can hardly afford to spare time to talk to me with all of your guests inside."

"I can spare time later. Right now, I'd rather keep my new friend company."

"New friend?"

"Yeah, we just made it official a minute ago." He let out a chuckle. "You sure you haven't been drinking?"

"No, I haven't. It's just… Well, I suppose this is the first time I've made a friendship 'official'."

"I'll consider myself honored then." Soi Fon's eyes returned to Trunks. He smiled, but noticed her fingers rubbed against a small square box. "By the way, what's in your hands?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Her arms thrust out to him. "It's… a gift."

"You got me a gift?" Trunks received the box and pulled it apart. Inside rested a golden, round object with a small chain attached to it. He pushed a button on the side, and it opened up to reveal a clock. Trunks studied and marveled at the intricacies of his new pocket watch.

"You're not saying anything," she said. "I knew I should've got something else."

"No, I love it! I can't believe you got me something this nice. Thank you so much!"

The sliding door opened and interrupted them. Toshiro exited with a semi-conscious Rangiku over his shoulder. "Sorry if I'm interrupting you two, but you should go inside now. They're putting candles on your cake."

"Oh, thanks," Trunks said. "Is she gonna be alright?"

"Yeah, this is normal."

"Did I do it, Captain?" Rangiku slurred. "Did… did I win?"

"Oh, you won, alright," Toshiro said.

"Yaaaaay…" she whispered before passing out.

Toshiro sighed. "Trunks, Captain, have a good night. Oh, and watch out for Goten. As you just heard, Rangiku drank him under the table. I'll come back for him later once he… settles down."

They said their goodbyes before Toshiro departed. Trunks tucked the watch in his pocket and stood. "Guess we'll talk more later."

Soi Fon nodded and joined him. They both walked in to an off-key, yet roaring birthday song. In the middle of the room, twenty candles stood atop his cake.

Held up by Tessai, Goten stood at the edge of the room. "Heeyyy, bro! Did she-did she tell you she got you that big oooooolllllll cake?"

"Huh?" Trunks whirled to Soi Fon. "You bought the cake, too?"

Soi Fon crossed her arms. "I had to. He bought a tiny cake for fifteen people."

Goten waved his hand and stumbled. "Pffff, forget you. I'll eat it aaaalllll by myself."

Trunks' gaze widened. "I… I don't even know what to say right now. You didn't have to do all of this."

Soi Fon grunted and averted her eyes. "Don't give me that look. It's nothing, really."

"Make a wish!" Orihime shouted.

Trunks snapped back and approached the table. He paused for a moment before he made his wish.

I wish… I wish that life would be this good forever. Oh, and I also wish Goten doesn't puke everywhere. Can I have two wishes? Ah, whatever.

Trunks blew out the candles, then cut and plated the first slice of cake for himself. He walked back over to Soi Fon and put his finger in the cake's icing.

"Don't even think about it." She held her hand out to push him away. "I'll make that finger another birthday candle."

"Blah, blah, blah. Spare me the empty threats." She moved to avoid it, but Trunks smeared her nose with frosting, which drew a laugh out of everyone else but Soi Fon. She growled, then grew silent. While Trunks looked away, she tapped his opposite shoulder. Once he turned his head, a cake smacked into his face. Soi Fon folded her arms and turned away, but when Trunks laughed, she giggled as well.

Ichigo wasted no time to pull out his phone, take a picture of them, and show it to Rukia.

"Now that's a rare sight," Rukia said.

Ichigo smiled. "Hopefully, it's the first of many. They look so happy together." Beside him, Goten used his hands to stuff his mouth with cake. "Let me get some of him, too. He's gonna want to see these in the morning."