This Birthday - Bleach OC

Ah, again, how did I get stuck with him? Not that I minded being with him—especially not alone like this—or looking after him...but his singing is starting to give me an earache. I moved to cover my ear with my hand so that I might block out the loud voice violating my ear, disguising this motion as tucking my hair behind my ear. He, of course, did not notice or pay any mind to this motion of mine, being far too engrossed in his sozzled singing.

Technically, he was older. Technically, he was wiser. Technically, he was stronger. Normally I would not question any of those things about him. Seeing him like this, though,…killed off just a little of his grandeur in my mind. …And yet I couldn’t bring myself to discreetly mention that he should stop his boisterous singing or politely ask if he might lower his voice. And I also could not find it within myself to distance myself from him somewhat or make a motion to outright leave him here alone with his singing and drinking.

Maybe it was because I knew he wasn’t even drunk—he was just enjoying himself—or maybe it was because I actually might be drunk—I was sort of enjoying this. Whatever it was, though, this day—this date of birth of mine—was certainly turning out differently than any before it. I slid my hand down from my ear as I slid my eyes back to him, a warmth settling in both my smile and my eyes as I gazed at an listening to him. “….Happy Birthday,” I said to myself, speaking so very softly that I was basically inaudible while he was singing so very loudly.

Or, at least, I had thought I was inaudible. All at once, though, his song died off and he set his drink down as he turned widely around to be facing me. “What was that? It’s not my birthday, Ayumi,” he said, giving me an odd look like he thought that I’d had a bit too much to drink. How could he give me that look over merely saying “happy birthday” after he had been loudly singing war songs for nearly an hour now?

Though it was a shock to me that he had heard my words, I managed to maintain my composure as well as my smile. “I know today is not your date of birth, Yamato. It is mine,” I said simply, acting as though this fact meant very little. I didn’t want him attempting to start up a last-minute, two-person birthday celebration. I didn’t want anyone attempting to have any sort of party for my birthday. I was not one to celebrate it in any way. Honestly, wishing myself a happy birthday just now was the greatest extent of celebration I had done in years—and it had only been because his cheeriness had been overwhelming and spread to me.

“What’s that? This is your birthday? I hadn’t the faintest clue! Why didn’t you say something earlier, when the others were here as well?” he asked, looking astonished over this information.

“Ah, I… didn’t feel like saying anything earlier,” I said. It was the truth. Well, the most simple form of it. I didn’t feel like explaining that I simply did not celebrate my date of birth. Besides, I doubt that he would have been able to understand my choosing to forgo birthday celebrations. He had the biggest birthday bash in all of Soul Society every year come his date of birth. It was very much fun, I will admit, but it just was not my style to do such a thing for myself. It was just a bit useless to celebrate your birthday when you id not technically age, was it not?

“Oh? Is that so?” he asked, grinning wickedly suddenly as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders without forewarning, “Are you sure you just didn’t feel like it earlier because you wanted your birthday celebration to be a party for two?” He let out a loud laugh after this, showing that he was obviously joking with me. However, the faint colour that came to my cheeks at his words was no joke.

I honestly had not intended to have a party at all, whether or not it was a party for one or two or everyone. Nonetheless, it seemed having a party for two was now inevitable, and that he was the only other one participating in my party…. Well, honestly, had I had a choice and had this all been my choice, I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to spend this birthday with.

My companion resumed his singing once more, now belting out a rousing round of “Happy Birthday”. This birthday was definitely turning out far different from any birthday I’d had before it…and it was undoubtedly turning out far better than any birthday I’d had before it, too.