Regifting
Title: Regifting
Rating: PG
Fandom: Bleach
Spoilers/Warnings: AU
Pairing: Jyuushiro Ukitake x Retsu Unohana
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.
Theme: #24 - Never Give Anyone A Fruitcake.
Summery: Retsu has a better idea about this.
Regifting
There were things that Retsu did not approve of at all. And this particular immigrant from Western tradition was one of them. She liked many of the holiday traditions that they practiced here in England, but Retsu did not approve of fruitcakes in any way shape or form. They didn't even taste that good to her mind. Of course, that was assuming that one could actually cut the dense thing into pieces. Retsu had actually been given some that one couldn't accomplish that feat.
She'd been here three years now, and Retsu still couldn't figure out the appeal of a fruitcake. Still, that wasn't something she was going to worry about at the moment.
"Shunsui, Nanao and your room is at the top of the stairs. You can go ahead and take the luggage up there." Retsu instructed. "Jyuu, your room is down that hallway, second door to the right."
As the boys wrangled luggage, Nanao grinned at her. "How are you doing?"
Retsu sighed. "Better now that you all are here. Thanks for coming."
Nanao just laughed. "Not a problem. We've missed you. Besides, Shunsui finally found an extravagant expense of money that I can't refuse. He knows very well I've always wanted to visit England. And we've brought you a number of things you've mentioned being homesick for in your emails."
Her friends would be staying for an entire month. Well, Shunsui and Nanao would be going off on their own for at least part of that time but still. It didn't take long for the boys to get the luggage settled, and the four of them ended up in the little sitting room in front of a roaring fire. Retsu's friends caught her up on the latest news and events back in Japan everything from the fact that Toushirou is finally dating Momo to Kisuke's latest mad invention. Retsu in turn shared several of her adventures in England so far, including the odd incident in London with a former army doctor and his flatmate. They had just gotten into the tale of the practical joke war that had been going on between Gin Ichimaru and his penpal Patrick in the State when someone knocked at the door.
The second Retsu saw her next door neighbor, Mrs. Jensen, standing at her doorstep she had a sinking feeling. It increased when the woman held out a wrapped package to her.
"I know you have guests, dear, so I made up a little something for you all." She pressed the parcel into Retsu's hands. "Have a Happy Christmas."
She glanced down at the package. Retsu just knew what it was. She politely thanked Mrs. Jensen. With a sigh, Retsu shut the door. Nanao's head popped into the hallway.
"Retsu?"
"Just my neighbor." She glanced down at the package. "I'd better take care of this."
"What is it?"
"A misguided attempt at being neighborly. I'll just be a moment."
It didn't surprise Retsu in the least when she ended up with an audience in the kitchen. She carefully unwrapped the package. Oh god. It was a fruitcake. They were doomed.
"What is that?" Shunsui poked it.
"It's a fruitcake. I'll have to figure out some way to get rid of it."
Jyuushiro shook his head. "It doesn't look so bad."
"Trust me when I say that you don't want to eat it." Retsu shrugged. "The things are deadly."
Jyuushiro laughed. "Oh come on."
"I've been here three years. I made the mistake of eating a piece of fruitcake the first year. I haven't made it again.
He reached out and tore a piece off of the cake. "Really now, Retsu, you've got to be exaggerating."
"Jyuu, don't-"
It was too late, he'd already taken a large bite. His reaction was immediate. Jyuu grabbed a napkin to spit out what was left. He took a deep breath. Jyuushiro didn't look so good. Retsu frowned at him.
"I told you not to eat it."
He started to cough. She sighed and got a glass of water.
"The things are soaked in alcohol for nearly a month or sometimes longer. They can practically bleed brandy."
Shunsui's eyes lit up. Nanao groaned.
"You just had to tell him that."
Retsu glared at Shunsui and scooped up the fruitcake. She might be kissing her good relationship with her neighbor goodbye, but Retsu didn't think she had any choice. There were some things that had to be done for public safety.
"Don't even think about it Shunsui. Nanao, keep the boys from killing themselves please. I am getting rid of this now. Next year all fruitcakes are banned."
Rating: PG
Fandom: Bleach
Spoilers/Warnings: AU
Pairing: Jyuushiro Ukitake x Retsu Unohana
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.
Theme: #24 - Never Give Anyone A Fruitcake.
Summery: Retsu has a better idea about this.
Regifting
There were things that Retsu did not approve of at all. And this particular immigrant from Western tradition was one of them. She liked many of the holiday traditions that they practiced here in England, but Retsu did not approve of fruitcakes in any way shape or form. They didn't even taste that good to her mind. Of course, that was assuming that one could actually cut the dense thing into pieces. Retsu had actually been given some that one couldn't accomplish that feat.
She'd been here three years now, and Retsu still couldn't figure out the appeal of a fruitcake. Still, that wasn't something she was going to worry about at the moment.
"Shunsui, Nanao and your room is at the top of the stairs. You can go ahead and take the luggage up there." Retsu instructed. "Jyuu, your room is down that hallway, second door to the right."
As the boys wrangled luggage, Nanao grinned at her. "How are you doing?"
Retsu sighed. "Better now that you all are here. Thanks for coming."
Nanao just laughed. "Not a problem. We've missed you. Besides, Shunsui finally found an extravagant expense of money that I can't refuse. He knows very well I've always wanted to visit England. And we've brought you a number of things you've mentioned being homesick for in your emails."
Her friends would be staying for an entire month. Well, Shunsui and Nanao would be going off on their own for at least part of that time but still. It didn't take long for the boys to get the luggage settled, and the four of them ended up in the little sitting room in front of a roaring fire. Retsu's friends caught her up on the latest news and events back in Japan everything from the fact that Toushirou is finally dating Momo to Kisuke's latest mad invention. Retsu in turn shared several of her adventures in England so far, including the odd incident in London with a former army doctor and his flatmate. They had just gotten into the tale of the practical joke war that had been going on between Gin Ichimaru and his penpal Patrick in the State when someone knocked at the door.
The second Retsu saw her next door neighbor, Mrs. Jensen, standing at her doorstep she had a sinking feeling. It increased when the woman held out a wrapped package to her.
"I know you have guests, dear, so I made up a little something for you all." She pressed the parcel into Retsu's hands. "Have a Happy Christmas."
She glanced down at the package. Retsu just knew what it was. She politely thanked Mrs. Jensen. With a sigh, Retsu shut the door. Nanao's head popped into the hallway.
"Retsu?"
"Just my neighbor." She glanced down at the package. "I'd better take care of this."
"What is it?"
"A misguided attempt at being neighborly. I'll just be a moment."
It didn't surprise Retsu in the least when she ended up with an audience in the kitchen. She carefully unwrapped the package. Oh god. It was a fruitcake. They were doomed.
"What is that?" Shunsui poked it.
"It's a fruitcake. I'll have to figure out some way to get rid of it."
Jyuushiro shook his head. "It doesn't look so bad."
"Trust me when I say that you don't want to eat it." Retsu shrugged. "The things are deadly."
Jyuushiro laughed. "Oh come on."
"I've been here three years. I made the mistake of eating a piece of fruitcake the first year. I haven't made it again.
He reached out and tore a piece off of the cake. "Really now, Retsu, you've got to be exaggerating."
"Jyuu, don't-"
It was too late, he'd already taken a large bite. His reaction was immediate. Jyuu grabbed a napkin to spit out what was left. He took a deep breath. Jyuushiro didn't look so good. Retsu frowned at him.
"I told you not to eat it."
He started to cough. She sighed and got a glass of water.
"The things are soaked in alcohol for nearly a month or sometimes longer. They can practically bleed brandy."
Shunsui's eyes lit up. Nanao groaned.
"You just had to tell him that."
Retsu glared at Shunsui and scooped up the fruitcake. She might be kissing her good relationship with her neighbor goodbye, but Retsu didn't think she had any choice. There were some things that had to be done for public safety.
"Don't even think about it Shunsui. Nanao, keep the boys from killing themselves please. I am getting rid of this now. Next year all fruitcakes are banned."