The Kurosaki's Friday night dinners with Rukia were cancelled; however, due to popular demand, Rukia and Ichigo agreed to spend Friday night dinners with the Kurosakis, Shibas, and the one and only Kuchiki Byakuya.

According to Isshin, it was to keep the tradition alive.

Joy, thought a dismal Ichigo. Not to mention they always had to take a train every Friday afternoon just to eat their damn dinners.

First course: Cocktails with the Shibas

Rukia was animatedly talking to Yoruichi and Kūkaku about Ichigo's residency at Tokyo Medical University.

In all honesty, the topic itself was boring, but Yoruichi and Kūkaku smiled as Rukia went on and on about Ichigo's achievements and success. But that was their nice side – while they enjoyed teasing Rukia from time to time, Ichigo was their primary target for humiliation. Yoruichi and Kūkaku both lived for hilarity, especially if the receiver was none other than Ichigo himself. Their dark side was reserved for Ichigo.

Rukia was too cool for them to embarrass in public. The girl took down 19 Kuchiki clan members.

Ichigo: only defeated one Kuchiki Byakuya. Big deal.

"So Onee-san, did the little shithead propose to you yet?" Kūkaku asked.

Rukia blushed and shook her head. "It's a bit too soon."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. Their relationship was still progressing like a snail. "Rukia, you've been together for three years. You even left Karakura to work at my law firm in Tokyo to move in with Ichigo. That wasn't too soon. And it definitely wasn't too soon when you decided to start sleeping with him." Yoruichi chortled and nudged Rukia's side.

Kūkaku tried not to choke from laughter as she was smoking her pipe.

"Yoruichi-san…"

"I'm sitting right across from you, Yoruichi-san," Ichigo snarled.

"I know you are, Ichigo," Yoruichi deadpanned.

Before Ichigo could get another word in, Urahara exclaimed, "I can officiate your wedding, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san! I recently became an ordained minister online!"

Rukia and Ichigo looked at Urahara and then at each other. Both of them had different reactions and voiced their thoughts simultaneously.

"No thank you, Urahara-san."

"You can?!"

Ichigo glared at Rukia. "What?! You don't want to marry me?! Didn't you say after I graduate, we were gonna have kids?"

Ganju gasped. Urahara hid his face behind his fan. Yoruichi's Cheshire grin reemerged. Kūkaku dropped her pipe.

Several veins appeared on Rukia's temples and she gritted her teeth. "This isn't the appropriate place or time to discuss this, Ichigo."

"I think it is. Here we are, spending quality time with our family and they're gonna help us get married – something we both want – and there you go, not wanting to marry me! Your future husband!" Ichigo crossed his arms and glared at his future wife.

"Ichigo, I swear to god…" Rukia warned.

"What?" challenged Ichigo.

The two were involved in a glaring match of the century.

"Hey Onee-san, Bonnie-chan can be the ring bearer if you want," Ganju chimed in, effectively stopping their match.

Ganju's screams could be heard, begging his sister for mercy.

Second course: Appetizers with Byakuya

Rukia's and Ichigo's glaring match continued in Byakuya's overly spacious dining room.

The tension was thick between them, even Byakuya didn't want to be enveloped in it.

Picking his wine glass up by the stem, Byakuya twirled the wine, waiting for the two to maybe initiate a conversation.

Ichigo witnessed the snobby act through his amazing peripheral vision and attempted to roll his eyes. Of course, he accidentally blinked, rendering him the loser of this match.

Rukia smirked. "I apologize for our improper behavior, Nii-sama. How's the firm going?"

Byakuya sighed and set his wine glass down. "Quite well, I suppose. But since you resigned and joined the Shihōin firm, we've lost more cases due to some incompetently trained lawyers."

Rukia looked down, quite ashamed of herself for abandoning her brother like that.

Ichigo growled. "Way to make her feel terrible, Byakuya."

"Ichigo!" Rukia reproached.

"What?!" Ichigo challenged. "It's their fault. That family physically, mentally, and emotionally abused you for years! I don't care if they gave you opportunities, you worked hard to get where you are without their damn connections and look what they did to you after you wanted to have your own life! I'll never let that go. And good thing that karma does occasionally exist. The Kuchikis have had it coming to them."

"Ichigo!" Rukia shoved a mussel into his mouth and wildly looked between her boyfriend and her brother, praying that another fight wouldn't erupt.

Wasn't Ichigo upset with her earlier? Why did he project his anger onto the Kuchikis?! Now of all times?!

Ever since they decided on the current Friday dinner arrangements, Byakuya and Ichigo have physically sparred with each other three times. Ichigo insinuated it, bragging about defeating Byakuya in kendo.

"Kurosaki," Byakuya calmly began.

Rukia closed her eyes. She knew another fight was going to occur.

"You're right. The Kuchikis deserve everything." He then turned to his sister and said, "Rukia, I've never had the chance to say this before and perhaps I'm three years too late, but I've always been proud of you. You were always the pride of the Kuchiki family. Please don't forget that." Although it was a rigid gesture, Byakuya placed his hand on Rukia's shoulder and squeezed it.

Rukia was holding in her tears, daring not to break down in front of her brother. "Thank you, Nii-sama."

Byakuya gave her a half smile, which looked Satan-like to Ichigo. "I'll also have you know, Rukia, the 19 Kuchiki members that you defeated are the incompetent lawyers that the Kuchiki elders are thinking of suspending."

Ichigo shuddered when he saw an equally demonic smile on Rukia's face.

"Are the Kuchikis the spawns of Satan?" Ichigo mumbled.

The next plate of appetizers was placed in front of Ichigo.

"Kurosaki, I especially asked my chef to prepare you fugu."

Ichigo sweat dropped.

Third course: Dinner with the Kurosakis

Once again the Kurosakis and Rukia reunited for Friday night dinners. Yuzu had prepared a sushi-buffet like style for them and all were merrily eating the assorted sushi rolls.

Karin noticed that her brother was glaring at Rukia after he devoured every other sushi roll. She rolled her eyes and recognized that her idiotic brother must have done something stupid. She placed her chopsticks down and said, "Alright Ichi-nii, what did you do now? Annoy Rukia-nee again?"

Ichigo's glare tripled and he scowled at his sister. "What makes you think I was the instigator? Couldn't it have been Rukia who's wronged me?!"

"Impossible!" Isshin bellowed. "My lovely third daughter would never do such a thing! It's your fault, my insolent son! You probably want her to stay home and make babies and she refused and so now you're upset with her. Ah-ha! My son! You must not dictate a modern woman's life!"

Instead of punching his father in the face, Ichigo threw his chopsticks at his father and they each landed in both of Isshin's nostrils.

For some reason, Isshin fainted.

"Spit it out, Ichi-nii," Karin droned.

"Ichi-nii, please apologize to Rukia-nee," Yuzu added.

Ichigo was trembling with anger. What the hell was up with his family! He then directed his heated gaze at Rukia, who was still happily eating the assortment of sushi rolls.

Ichigo stood up and pointed his finger at Rukia who calmly stared at his fingertip. "Why won't you marry me?!"

Yuzu gasped. Karin's eyes grew wider. Isshin's head popped back up.

"Rukia-nee! Why won't you marry Ichi-nii?! You've been together forever!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"More like three years, but I guess that's close to eternity, Yuzu," Karin uttered. "But really, Rukia-nee, you two have been banging, so why not make it official?"

Yuzu's, Ichigo's and Rukia's face turned bright red. "Karin-chan! Don't be so crude!"

Despite the embarrassment, Ichigo grinned. Maybe his family could persuade Rukia to marry him!

He looked at his father, who gave him a thumbs up as a sign.

He jumped up and cupped Rukia's hand into his own hands. "Ah, my third daughter! You are in the wrong this time. Why won't you marry my foolish son?! Sure he isn't as handsome as his father. And sure his personality isn't all that great, especially compared to Kaien…"

Ichigo cut him off by throwing a pot at his head.

"…but still, he lurrrvess….you…." Isshin wheezed in pain, but he forced himself to not pass out. This was for his son's future! He can die another day.

All of a sudden Rukia found herself being bombarded about Ichigo's semi positive traits.

Rukia nodded, seemingly considering the Kurosaki's reasons.

Ichigo smirked. His plan was working! Just a little bit more of the Kurosaki trinity's polite coercion and their future will be cemented, bound.

Calmly, Rukia said, "But Ichigo never asked me to marry him. He assumed that we would have a future where kids were involved, but not once has he asked me to marry him, let alone buy a ring. So if anyone is at fault here, it would be Ichigo."

Rukia and the Kurosaki trinity turned to look at the culprit who started this.

Ichigo rubbed his neck, anxiety kicking in. "Oh…I didn't ask you? Are you sure?"

Damn her and her lawyer instincts!

For the rest of the night, Isshin chased Ichigo with a butter knife while Yuzu and Karin profusely apologized for enabling such a debacle in Rukia's presence.

Fourth course: The ending/beginning.

As Rukia and Ichigo were waiting for their train, Ichigo sighed miserably.

Ichigo didn't know what else to say, so their walk to the station was rather quiet, but Rukia was trying to hold in her laughter. She really did feel bad for the orange-haired buffoon.

Ichigo cleared his throat and finally said, "So, I guess marriage isn't on our list huh?"

Rukia sighed. "Ichigo…"

"No, no. It was my fault. I shouldn't have assumed anything. I mean I'm still working on my residency and you're just settling into your new firm. I understand. I just thought that maybe…" Ichigo trailed off.

"Ichigo, will you marry me?"

"Yeah, I thought…huh?!" Ichigo was in disbelief. His mouth was left hanging.

Rukia rolled her eyes and closed his mouth. "That wasn't the answer I expected, but confusion seems to be biologically ingrained in you. Maybe I should reconsider since I will forever be with stupid."

"What?! No!" Ichigo yelled, causing the other people to look at him oddly. Well, the staring might have been reserved for his hair.

"No?"

"Yes!"

Rukia looked at Ichigo and beamed with happiness. "Okay."

But then Ichigo's face became red. "Isn't it my job to propose?"

"Well, you thought wrong. There are no criteria for proposals. You made such a debacle about my not wanting to marry you," Rukia snickered.

"Hey! I…I…"

Rukia took his left hand, kissed it and then she did the unexpected. She put a gold ring on that finger.

Ichigo instantly went red. "Rukia!"

She shrugged, not caring. "I was the one who proposed, might as well seal the deal with a ring. Now when friends and family ask us how you proposed to me, you can tell them exactly what transpired. It's a great story – goes against the norm." Rukia laughed again.

Again, Ichigo went red. Damn her for planning everything ahead without telling him!

He then smirked, surprising Rukia. He grabbed onto her hand and they ran back to the town of Karakura.

"Ichigo?! Don't tell me…!"

Ichigo momentarily turned to look at her cute profile. "Yep. We're gonna go to Urahara Shōten and Urahara-san can officiate our wedding before the night ends!"

"Wow. You must really want to get married to me. Good thing I was the one who proposed," Rukia remarked, a bit out of breath from all that running.

Ichigo smiled. "I'm not complaining anymore. Almost there."

They were married at noon the next day. Urahara called the Kurosakis to attend. Yoruichi called Kūkaku. No one knew who called Byakuya, but he delayed the wedding as he made everyone wait so he could find Rukia a wedding dress.

And Byakuya designated that Friday night dinners to be at his house. Everyone was expected to attend every Friday.

End notes:

First story completed. As personal critiques go, this story probably could have been fleshed out better, but it's done. Been reading Bleach's last chapter again. Ichigo and Rukia sure like to ignore their respective spouses in favor of their normal bickering. The "shared destiny" metaphor – is it perhaps Kubo's message to indicate that regardless of time, Ichigo's and Rukia's familial incarnations are destined to meet, hence the "(re)birth" name/label Deathberry? Then again, maybe it's too much of a close reading on my part? If so, much apologies.

I am most likely not abandoning my stories. Midnight Library is kind of fun for me, but those stories take me hours to plan and write. I might be uploading a working three-four shot, around 1000-2000 words each.

take care.