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Ichigo knew what he was getting into, is the thing. While he hasn't known Rukia long enough, it didn't take an idiot to put two and two together: namely that her cool exterior came with her adopted last name, and that both had a reputation as near-royalty for a reason.
Cold and untouchable, Rukia's unimpressed façade was known throughout campus for getting Professor Aizen to sweat when she didn't react at all to his usual charms. Even when he dialled it all the way up, and Yoruichi had gone from rolling her eyes to seriously considering filing a complaint with HR.
Hinamori, who'd been the last unfortunate TA to fold like a house of cards for him, claimed Rukia had to be a witch.
Honestly, Ichigo wouldn't put it past her.
But if that was the sum total of who Kuchiki Rukia was -- aloof heiress to a multibillion yen conglomerate -- he wouldn't be in this mess.
Which mess?
Well, that answer is multi-layered.
See, Rukia may present herself as the perfect heiress, but she isn't. Not really. Part of it was being adopted as a teenager. The other part of it was that Rukia just wasn't like that.
She only cared for her appearance in the sense that she couldn't present herself in a way that would bring her family disgrace. She couldn't afford to skate by classes because she had something to prove to both her family and the faculty. She was only quiet and cold because she could feel the press of people's expectations of her and the only way she knew how to handle it was by pretending not to care.
In her defence, it worked.
Not so much the first time Ichigo met her though.
Then, she'd been in a tree.
According to her, she'd been trying to save a cat who'd gotten stuck, only to have gotten stuck herself. The cat, had at some point, gotten bored and abandoned her. Which was why she was alone up there.
Rukia had been quick witted even when she was embarrassed, and had snarked and bantered with him until Ichigo offered to help her down without laughing at her.
He did both, and because he'd been contrite (and she, adorable, when she pouted at him) had taken her for coffee after, and that had been that.
Except that wasn't quite all of it.
Even though Ichigo knew from the grapevine what kind of family Rukia was a part of, he didn't quite know.
It wasn't like she picked expensive places for their dates and expected him to pay. In fact, she seemed to prefer vegging out in his clothes at his dorm room, watching series and eating takeout together. Or going for walks. Or accompanying him to do his grocery shopping. Or that time he took her out for street food and karaoke.
The problem was that Ichigo was friends with Renji who knew Byakuya, Rukia's adopted brother, and found it fit to inform Ichigo about the expectations Rukia could have: flower arrangements, fruit baskets, dinner reservations, and tickets to exclusive art installations and shows.
"She hasn't asked for those things," Ichigo argued.
"Of course not," Renji spluttered. "There's no polite way to say, 'you're not doing enough' is there? Besides. Even if she's not holding out for those things, what girl doesn't like to be treated special?" Snorting, "You don't think she'll be happy eating cup ramen with you forever, do you?"
And Ichigo had scoffed, but the seed had been planted, and four months later, here he is: in a Chappy costume doing a "happy birthday" dance for Rukia's nephew.
Not that Rukia knows he's in the costume. While he stands by the sentiment that Rukia doesn't care about the things Renji mentioned, that doesn't mean Ichigo thinks she doesn't deserve them.
Rukia has a reputation as a princess for a reason, and he's going to do whatever he has to in order to treat her like one.
Hence, the Chappy costume and the "birthday dance".
Usually Ichigo just has to greet customers with a wave and the occasional wiggle ("Shut the fuck up, Keigo"). Then there's the twice an hour dance he has to do with all the wait staff in the restaurant, and then it's back to loitering around, posing for selfies. Sometimes, though, he gets booked for birthday gigs.
He wouldn't mind it. He gets paid extra, even. Definitely worth it just to help set up the venue and make an appearance for two hours.
But Urahara did this on purpose.
Adorned with a birthday crown and applauding seriously, Kuchiki Daisuke has a placid expression not dissimilar to his father's. However, his eyes are bright and sparkly, a sight not at all different to Rukia's, who is sitting beside him on a plastic chair made for children. There are practically rainbows and whimsical bubbles floating around them.
The two of them look in love with him.
Ichigo internally sighs, and stops just short of shaking his head fondly.
After his little routine, he poses for pictures with all of Daisuke's pre-school classmates, the classmates' respective parents, Daisuke and his parents, and finally with Rukia.
He's so glad Chappy doesn't talk.
Beneath the Chappy head, Ichigo awkwardly smiles with her.
She doesn't notice, obviously, and is perfectly polite if not overjoyed to be there at all.
(What did he say? Adorable.)
Over her shoulder, he sees her send the best of her selfies with him to him, and Ichigo's smile softens.
Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, the end of his alloted time approaches and soon enough he's bidding goodbye to the birthday boy, his court of small children, and Rukia.
Slipping into the employee bathroom to change, it's easy enough to get the body suit into its bag. But the Chappy head doesn't fit. Ichigo is used to carrying it though so it isn't an issue.
Or it shouldn't have been.
As he's slipping out the backdoor of the employee area, he's texting Rukia one-handed to triumphantly inform her that they're going to dinner. Renji suggested the place. Hisana approved it. It was going to be great.
Not a second after Rukia replied, "Can't wait!" did he bump into someone, dropping the head of his Chappy costume.
"Shit, sorry, I --"
Brow furrowed over a familiar set of blue eyes, Rukia's lips pursed in a moue of confusion. "Ichigo?"
Shit. "Ah, Rukia? What are you -" At a loss, he waves a hand. "I was just -"
"Lost your head?" Then, slowly, his girlfriend asks, "When you said you were working, I thought you meant tutoring. I didn't know you did this too..."
Taking the offered head of his Chappy costume, he rubs the back of his neck. "Well, uh. Tutoring pays for most of my bills, this is just an...extra." It's almost the truth. As a student, most of his fees were taken care of with scholarships, the tutoring was to pay for everything else. The Chappy gig. Well. It was just a coincidence that Extra and Rukia had the same number of letters.
"Extra," she repeats, incredulous, and then, somewhat horrified, "Am I...a line in your budget?"
"It's financially responsible."
"Oh my god." Rukia, "Did you get this job for me?"
"I like eating fancy too," he defends, but there's no cooling the blush on his cheeks because he can explain the dates, sure. The gifts were another thing entirely. It wasn't his fault she was obvious about what she liked. Getting her a signed art book from her favourite horror manga was a no-brainer. It was their three month, it wasn't like he bought it for no reason!
Visibly torn between looking fond and crying, the latter of which makes him drop the head of his costume again to grasp her shoulders. Immediately comforting, he says, "Hey, c'mon, don't make that face..."
It's too late, she's definitely crying now. "You're being so sweet, why."
"Ah, it's just -- I can't always get you nice things, but you deserve them so..."
"Shut up, just shut up," she demands, and it should be less effective when she's crying and hugging him, but it helps that he's confused. Ichigo is soothing a hand down her back when she says, hiding against his chest, "You're the only nice thing I care about."
Oh.
It's his turn to hide his face into her hair and groan. "Don't --"
"Shut up, it's true," she insists. "Who else could make me feel safe and happy just by being there? If you're going to go so far to get another job just to take me out, I can tell you how important you are to me. Got it?"
He's still hiding his burning cheeks into her shoulder, but he manages a nod. "Ah. I got it, Rurin."
At the use of the nickname Rukia buries herself further into his arms. "You're a sap."
He chuckles. "Only for you."