She was so, so late with his birthday gift and wishes and felt seriously horrible considering that he made her birthday the best thing she could have ever hoped for. Chewing on her lip, Rangiku waited until everyone left the barracks and it was only him. Licking her lips, she approached him, shoulders slumping before lips parted to speak. ” Happy birthday, yes I am aware I’m late and I’m a horrible girlfriend but I got you something.” Opening the necklace, she stepped in close, putting it around his neck. The necklace was simple in it’s beauty, and she had it ingraved with the words 強さ、パワー、永遠の愛。私の心は永遠にあなたのものです。
For the first time in what must have been a century or so, his birthday hadn't felt anything like a birthday usually did.
Sure, he was treated to the same revelry as he was in birthday's past, with his hard-drinking soul treated to all kinds of worldly delights. His belly had filled itself to the point of near-bursting, his muscles had been made sore beyond belief from nearly endless combat, and in the end, he was left reveling in the events of the day. It was everything Ikkaku could have asked for, but it was empty. Instead of submitting to slumber with a sloppy grin, he was left frowning, knowing that without her, it just wasn't much of a birthday after all.
Dejected as though he was by Rangiku's absence, it wasn't something that killed him. In the midst of his training, he had lost himself to the world, ignorant as to his dwindling crowd. Before he knew it, he was alone, which was just the way he liked it. Even so, he felt his fatigue start to wear on him, and after another solid round of push-ups, he brought himself to a kneeling position. Just barely, over the sound of his rapidly beating heart, he could hear steps coming towards him.
Before he could proceed to deem this individual a friend or foe, that fact was confirmed for him. The voice of this person made his eyes widen, and his form drew still. She had come, and he did not quite know how to react to this. Was he supposed to be angry at her, was he supposed to express some sort of glee? Ikkaku's emotional ebb was low, and he could only numbly stare ahead while she spoke.
She was sorry, and in her words, he could hear that she meant it. That might have been enough for him, if not for her gift. He felt the cool metal of this necklace slide around his neck, his gaze shifting to look upon it. The words engraved upon it meant something to him, and it brought a tired smile to dried lips. Willing himself to stand, he looked upon her, sweat-slicked hands reaching to pat her shoulders.
Words, for once, were something he didn't have a problem with, and for once, he could will himself to be a little less guarded inside his own barracks. A kiss against her forehead was his first reply to what she had done, and the second was his coarse admitting of what the both of them should have known.
"You came around, and that's good enough. As far as I'm concerned, my birthday isn't anything without you in it. Since you came around today, this is my real birthday, and every day you're around is like that. Call me a bullshit sap if you want, but that's the facts.
You're here, and I'm glad that you came. And you know what? You're the best gal this ugly bastard could have."
