Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Seireitei Monogatari ❯ Rukia's Dating Service - Hanatarou ( Chapter 123 )

Title: Rukia's Dating Service - Hanatarou

Characters: Ichigo, Hanatarou, Rukia

Rating: T

Warning: Slight Language, Speculation

Words: 1047

Description: In the end, he'd had fun, and that was all that mattered.

 

Dedication: To InfernumEquinomin, who wanted one of these dates to involve bowling.

 

 

“It was actually Ganju's idea,” Hanatarou had said to him with his characteristic half-grin, full of uncertainty and hope. He lifted a hand, patting over his hair. “He was the one who found this place.”

 

Amid the noise of pins and balls and feet sliding over perfectly polished wood flooring, Ichigo could only incline his head in understanding. He winced as he heard the sound of a strike echoing through the building and the resulting cheer from a rowdy - and drunk - crowd a few lanes over.

 

It smelled in here, just a bit. And his feet didn't quite fit into his shoes, but it was the closest to his size that they had. They were also uncomfortable and a disastrous bright red, but that was the least of Ichigo's worries.

 

The truth of the matter was that Ichigo was losing. Badly. He wasn't that fond of bowling to begin with, but what man didn't hate losing? And not only was he losing badly, but he was being beaten by Hanatarou, the least sporty person he knew. Outside of Keigo anyway. Ichigo was fond of Hanatarou, but facts were facts. And yet, he was still losing.

 

Clatter! Clang!

 

Another X lit up the board. The third strike of the night for the little healer.

 

Ichigo felt his eye twitch. Great. Now, he was turning into Toushirou.

 

“Eh-heh.” Hanatarou laughed sheepishly as his score went up once again, trotting over to reclaim his blue and white speckled ball. “Turns out, I'm pretty good at this.”

 

“No shit.” Ichigo grabbed his own bowling ball that was borrowed from Goat Face as evidenced by the garish Hawaiian colors decorating it.

 

His first throw netted him three pins. The second two more. “And meanwhile, I suck ass,” he added, watching his rather unimpressive numbers rack up on the scoreboard.

 

Hanatarou was quick to reassure him. “You just need practice, Ichigo-san. Don't worry. Ganju was just as bad.”

 

Unfortunately, his reassurance failed miserable as it didn't make Ichigo feel a whit better about his general lack of ability. And comparing him to Ganju only made things that much more terrible.

 

Ichigo slid into the plastic seat with the wide, gaping crack and watched as Hanatarou picked up his own bowling ball, stance just a bit wobbly. And then, he was all business and focus as he approached the lane, aiming with purpose at the pins. Several minutes later, a spare lit up the screen.

 

He couldn't help but wonder if Aizen - err, Sousuke - would be as good at bowling as this. Well, of course he would. Evil incarnate aside, he was an overlord, and they were just naturally good at everything. It came with the territory. Now, Izuru. He was probably a different story. Ichigo wondered if the vice-captain had as much skill as Ichigo in that regard. Which is to say not at all.

 

But then, he realized he was thinking of someone else - two someone elses - while on a “date” with another and forced himself back to task.

 

“You are good at this,” Ichigo commented with a sense of disbelief. The clumsiest person he knew could bowl like an American pro. “You really like it, huh?”

 

Hanatarou grinned abashedly. “It's relaxing,” he answered as the crowd on the other side of them grew rowdier, celebrating their own continued success.

 

Not yet ready to embarrass himself, Ichigo sat back in his chair and sipped at his cherry slushy. “So why'd you come on this anyway? Rukia find something to blackmail you with, too?” He wouldn't put it past the conniving bitch.

 

Ichigo put down his drink and ambled to his feet, listening for the healer's answer as he bowled a relatively high score. Not quite a spare but at least eight of the damn things went down. Thank kami for small favors.

 

“Not quite.” Hanatarou shook his head, taking his own short break as he plopped down in his seat, looking quite adorable with little strands breaking free from his ponytail and framing his face. “I didn't realize it was going to be a date until the last minute.”

 

Ichigo considered, watching Hanatarou for a long moment. As many disastrous - and not so disastrous, thinking fondly of his most recent one - dates as he'd been on, he'd come to recognize a thing or two. Even with his perpetual obliviousness.

 

“You're not gay, are you?”

 

Hanatarou, in the midst of bowling, startled at the unexpected statement. His ball twirled right into the gutter. His first of the night. An unintentional bonus. Looking over his shoulder warily, Ichigo was surprised to find the healer blushing. He rubbed his hand over the back of his head, eyes cast towards the floor embarrassed.

 

“I'm sorry, Ichigo-san,” Hanatarou admitted, big blue eyes apologetic. “I admire you, but…” He sighed. “But I love my wife very much. Even though she has been gone for a long time now.”

 

His face was sincere, filled with the same wistful sadness that Ichigo often saw with his own father. And Ichigo should probably be surprised by the revelation that his friend had once been married, but truthfully, he wasn't. If Byakuya - cold and stern and awkward as he was - had found a woman willing to marry him, Hanatarou could. Hell, if Goat Face could find someone willing, then Hanatarou definitely could. Besides, the part of Ichigo that loved Shakespeare and sonnets found it just a bit sweet. Not that he would ever admit that aloud even on pain of death.

 

Missing Ichigo's internal debate, Hanatarou was quick to reassure. “It's nothing against you, Ichigo-san. Really. But--”

 

The teenager waved him off, rather relieved that he had been right. “Rukia's fault, not yours.” It wasn't as if he had expected anything. “Why did you agree then?”

 

“We're still friends, right?” Hanatarou smiled reassuringly, already trotting over to reclaim his ball for one more try. “I thought it would be fun.”

 

That Ichigo could understand. Hanatarou was one of the easiest Shinigami he knew to get along with.

 

“It's a little fun,” he agreed and on the whole considered the whole thing to be quite successful.

 

And when Hanatarou managed to bowl a spare in the second half of the frame, Ichigo didn't even envy his score.

 

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