218A/N: Several to thank for the first chapter:bubbleboss1022, curio cherry, Lalaith Quetzalli, Scyler, Dark Inu Fan, hollownature, darklover, Melibells, KitElizaKing, Assault Godzilla, and OPrincess ShinigamiO. And thank you to everyone who added this or its author to their lists. I have exciting news my loyal readers! For all of you who enjoyed "Saying I Will," you'll be glad to know that it was nominated for "Best IchiRuki Fanfiction Over 15 Chapters" at the Ichi/Ruki award site BlackMoonxSun. See my profile page for the web address. It's low on the totem pole so if you'd like to see it win, please go vote. I can't forget to thank whoever nominated it, so from the bottom of my heart, "Thank you!"
Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.
Gifts for a Princess
Moral Support
The senior classrooms were dead silent Friday afternoon as every student taking the college entrance exams the next day were frantically studying. Even Keigo, whose likelihood of scoring above fifty percent was almost zero, had buried his head in a book for probably the first time all year. Ichigo took notes like his life depended on it and knowing the women in his life, it could very well. While his mother would likely let him off with only a "You did your best," if he bombed the test, Rukia and his boss would have his head.
Ishida and Inoue arriving at the door caught his attention and he glanced up to see why they had interrupted him. A small, black spot hovered behind them before flying over their shoulders and towards him. Amber eyes widened when he recognized the Hell Butterfly and held out his hand as if to wave at his friends. Those that could see the insect gathered around his desk, wondering why something from the Soul Society was visiting him.
"What's that?" Keigo asked, thankful for any excuse to stop studying. He felt like his brain was turning to mush.
"That would be a Hell Butterfly," Ishida explained, pushing up his glasses.
"It brings messages to and from Shinigami in the Soul Society; and apparently to and from the Living World." Orihime continued knowledgably.
"Who would be sending you a message?" the sandy haired boy asked, confused. The others of the "Substitute Group" stared at him as if he was an idiot before Ichigo took pity on him.
"It's probably from Rukia. I sent her a message last night. Well, Karin sent it really but I'm sure she realized who it was supposed to be from." The lunch bell rang and the students who couldn't see the butterfly left to eat some place besides the classroom. "This isn't the same one though."
"You probably killed the last one," Ishida muttered under his breath just as Chad joined them.
"Shut up, Quincy."
"After you, Shinigami."
Before they could start bickering, Rukia's voice came from the insect. "Listen up, idiot, because I'm only going to say this once: You had better ace the test that is making you break your promise to me. And I expect a present for my birthday. By the way, this butterfly belongs to Nii-sama so don't kill it. Like you did the last one…"
At her words, the messenger flew around in agitation before settling down once more and letting them finish listening to Rukia's words. "The soutaicho wants to speak to you when you get here so when you arrive, go directly to the first division. Do not pass by my squad and do not collect Captain Zaraki on your way."
"Bossy midget," Ichigo muttered.
"That's all."
"Rukia-chan certainly hasn't changed."
"Oh, I forgot something." Rukia's voice became hesitant before she continued. As she spoke, the butterfly seemed to hesitate briefly before touching the daiko on the lips and taking off to hide behind the Quincy. "Thanks for the kiss." Without waiting to see if Ichigo wanted to reply, the messenger flew out the window and returned to the Soul Society.
The friends were silent for several seconds before the ribbing began. Too stunned to speak, Ichigo allowed the questions and teasing to flow around him. His face was beat red, embarrassment the foremost of his emotions. "Now, now, guys leave him alone," Orihime pleaded, not wanting to upset her friend further. Rukia had obviously meant the message to be private.
"I never thought Rukia-chan would be so bold, Inoue-san."
Finally tuning into the conversation, Ichigo scowled when he heard Keigo add the diminutive onto his friend's name. "Oi, you'd better stop adding 'chan' to Rukia's name. If her brother ever finds out, he'll slice you into a thousand different pieces and let the Hell Butterflies eat you for lunch."
"Oh, come on, don't be a spoiled sport. Or are you just getting possessive now that you two are going out?" Brown eyes glowed suggestively and Keigo wiggled his eyebrows back and forth.
"We're not going out," his friend retorted almost angrily.
"It would seem, Kurosaki, that that kiss suggests otherwise." Ishida smirked in amusement when his friend turned red once more.
"I haven't asked her out yet. I was kind of hoping to do that when I saw her next. And you know what Byakuya would do if he knew my intentions." The girls looked at him sympathetically, Tatsuki having heard all about the sixth division's captain from Orihime. Chad stood stoically by giving silent support while Ishida seemed caught between being in sympathy with Ichigo's plight and wanting to laugh at him.
"I'm sure that Captain Kuchiki will allow Kuchiki-san to date you." The flower spirit wielder nodded in encouragement.
"Thank you, Inoue but you know he hates my guts."
"Sadly, if everything Hime has told me is true, he's more likely to skewer you than let you into the family." The martial artist grinned mischievously.
"Like I'd ever be a part of a stuck up noble clan that has treated her like a pariah since she was adopted."
"She's a noble? Rukia-chan's a hime?" Keigo asked incredulously, stars appearing in his eyes.
The others ignored him, too intent on Ichigo's rant to bother with his delusions of grandeur. "Say, Kuchiki-san said she wanted a birthday present from you. Isn't her birthday tomorrow?" Orihime tapped her chin with a slim index finger, eyes closed in thought.
"Yeah, I'm going there as soon as I'm done with my test. The twins bought her gifts on my behalf but I need to find a gift box to put it in because they went overboard."
"What did they get?" Ishida asked, interested despite himself.
"Kanzashi of all kinds. They apparently raided a new store in the mall." Just thinking about entering the shop designed for females unnerved him. He hoped that he didn't have to go back there to get the box.
"I know that place. If you really want a box that'll fit the hair combs and pins, they have a lot that look really elegant."
"Tatsuki-chan, those aren't cheap…"
"Tch, it can't cost any more than what I already forked over. Trust me, I took one look at the receipt and nearly fainted. At least Byakuya can't complain about the cost."
"Then we should go after school," Tatsuki said, cracking her knuckles as if readying for a fight.
"Why are you going? I can find the place myself." He'd just look for all of the girls coming in and out with bags that had the same logo as the box the girls brought home.
"Finding it wouldn't be the problem," Ishida added, sadistic thoughts coming to him. "Watching you enter the store without bolting might be one, though."
The orange haired daiko gazed at the Quincy, and dread crawled up his spine. "You're coming to laugh at me."
"Kurosaki, your low opinion of my motives is quite insulting. I'm merely going to lend some friendly, moral support." Light reflected off of Ishida's glasses as he gave a slight smile.
Ichigo was afraid of that.
If anyone found a group of high school students walking en masse into a store clearly for women odd, no one said anything. That two girls seemed to be leading three guys along was enough to suggest that the males had been brought along unwillingly. Pictures of Kyoto's most famous geishas lined the walls, giving an elegant feel to the place. In one corner kanzashi clearly for brides were proudly displayed while the rest of the store seemed to be taken up by hair combs and pins for everyday use. At the front counter there were several under lock and key and Ichigo had the nasty suspicion that the ones his sisters had chosen had come from that area.
"Can I help you?" a clerk asked haughtily, clearly believing that none of them had the means to buy anything but the cheapest accessories.
"Yeah, my sisters came in here the other day to buy some combs for a friend's birthday but they didn't get a box that can store them."
"Preferably in cherry or some other dark wood," Ishida added, just to make the Shinigami more uncomfortable.
"Do you happen to know what kind were bought?" the young woman inquired, clearly believing he didn't know one from the other.
"You name it, they bought it," the war hero sighed, pulling out the receipt. Chad saw the total at the bottom and whistled under his breath before making a mental note never to ask the twins to go shopping for him.
"Oh, my, I remember this purchase. Your sisters certainly have good taste, Kurosaki-sama. I believe your friend is right, though, one made of cherry would best fit this collection." She made her way to a far corner, ornate boxes displayed to advantage. "This one will have space for everything they bought before and still have room if your friend has any of her own."
The box, inlaid with gold trim depicted a garden scene of sakura trees, the petals and branches painted on in such a way as to curve and make the best use of the surface area. Each drawer had a handle made of mother of pearl; each tinted a different color to resemble jewels. A lock secured all the drawers and the top, only assessable by using the key dangling from a ribbon attached to one hook inside. At the very bottom of the cherry tree on the lid sat a small animal, its ears at attention as it gazed at the falling petals. The addition added a touch of whimsy to the whole thing, making the box elegant instead of overbearing.
"That's a rabbit, isn't it?" Ichigo said resignedly, noting the price tag.
"Why, yes, how observant of you."
"He'll take it," Tatsuki announced, grinning from ear to ear.
"She's going to love it," Orihime sighed.
"Aa," Chad agreed.
"Sap," Ishida teased although he thought Kuchiki-san would adore the whole thing.
"That's what I was afraid of. I'll buy it."
"You have good taste, Kurosaki-sama." Pleased with the customer's decision, and the commission that she would get, the clerk lifted the box gently from the display and carried it to the counter. When Chad noticed she was having difficulty, he easily took it from her, much to her delight. "Now, just let me show you how to put in the combs and pins so they won't get damaged and will fit. The bira-bira, ōgi, and tsumami kanzashi are especially difficult as they tend to tangle if one's not careful."
The gang spent the next fifteen minutes learning how to put away the hair accessories and the guys at least were thankful to be out of the store as soon as she placed the box in a heavy duty boutique bag and Ichigo signed for the charge to his bank card. Once at the food court, they ordered dinner, heads still reeling from the mini lecture they'd just had.
"Thank goodness that's over." Ishida wiped his glasses, a thin film of sweat clouding the lenses.
"I didn't know there were so many different kinds of kanzashi." Tatsuki sipped from her drink, glad to be away from the clerk.
"The midget better appreciate this," Ichigo grumbled. His bank account had taken a large hit in the last week, mostly without him knowing.
"I'm sure she will. Oh, you know, we should get her gifts too. It's her birthday after all and I don't think Kuchiki-taicho will have a relaxing celebration. Maybe she'll even have to work tomorrow. Her captain gets sick easily and she could very well be stuck looking after everyone." The collection of friends paused and exchanged looks as Orihime began imagining the petite Shinigami stuck chained to her desk in servitude because Ukitake was too ill to let her have a day off.
"Inoue, I don't think Byakuya would…"
"Oh! You know what would be even better? We could all go and wish her a happy birthday. I bet her family will have some stuffy party that she'll be bored to tears with. If we were there, she'd be much happier."
"Ah, Inoue…" Ishida
"Orihime, we can't just go to the Soul Society," Tatsuki tried to reason. "It's for souls, remember?" She really didn't want to go there ever again, even when she died. Confronting Aizen hadn't exactly left a good impression of the place on her.
"Oh, don't be silly, Tatsuki-chan. Urahara-san has a machine that could change us into souls. That's how we went the first time. I'm sure he'd be glad to do it again." With the wind firmly in her sails, she stood, collecting her garbage. "Let's all meet up at the university gate when we're done with our exams. We can go to the shop from there." Without waiting for the others' reply, the healer left them.
"How the hell did it go from being just me to all of you?" Ichigo questioned, stunned.
"That's Orihime for you," Tatsuki sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better go find something Kuchiki-san would like. Have any ideas, lover boy?"
"Chappy," Ichigo answered without thinking. "Guess I should go home and study for a bit. I'll call Urahara and ask him to set up the machine. And here I was hoping I could just open a Senkaimon and be done with it."
"You can do that?" his childhood friend asked, surprised.
"Sure, it's relatively easy actually; I'd just never tried it before. Figured I'd have to use kido or something. I can't control my reiatsu enough yet to use that so I was afraid I would blow myself up."
"You know, if you don't think they'd like us being there, you could always leave without telling Orihime."
"Nah, you'll be okay. They don't like intruders for obvious reasons but we've been there enough that they don't really mind it anymore. I'm sure a human who stood up to Aizen without any actual powers would make you a hero to Zaraki's squad. Your reiatsu's strong enough so you should be fine if you meet any of the captains or lieutenants. Besides, I could use the help. Remember, I'm supposed to talk to Gramps first when I get there. The rest of you could go find Rukia."
"In other words, you need moral support," Ishida said.
"That and you could take her gift from me to the estate. It's probably best if I don't carrying it around with me. Too many questions would arise and Zaraki might end up destroying it if he attacks me before I can get it to her. The last thing I need is for Rukia to find out what I got her before she actually opens it."
"Whatever would you do without us, Kurosaki?" Ishida sighed dramatically, a slight grin on his face. "Well, I suppose I should be off and find an appropriate gift too. See you tomorrow and try not to fail the exam."
"Very funny. Later, guys." Ichigo left them to return home, frowning at the bag he carried.
"You shouldn't tease him too much, Ishida," Chad said, crumpling his food wrapper. "He's really nervous."
"I know, but if we let him think about things too much, he might do something stupid."
"What could be dumber than trying to date the sister of a guy who hates you?" Tatsuki asked, following the two out of the food court.
"This is Kurosaki we're talking about. Do you really want to find out the answer to that question?"
"Forget I asked."
"Wise decision."
A/N: Three more types of kanzashi:
1.) bira-bira- also called Fluttering or Dangling style, they have metal strips that hang from the ornament so that they can move independently.
2.) ōgi- also called Princess style, they are metal, fan shaped and kamon-imprinted kanzashi with aluminum streamers held in place by a long pin.
3.) tsumami kanzashi- literally "folded fabric hair ornament." Made from tiny squares of silk folded into petals using origami techniques. Flowers may contain anywhere from 5 to 75 or more petals, depending on the particular flower made.
Oh, did I mention I got this from Wikipedia before?