A Night Out
Aika had convinced Toshiro to go out for dinner. It was Casual Fun Friday at her favourite restaurant and karaoke bar. Aika wore a short satin dress with a V-neck. It was a dark purple with a silver abstract design that followed the neck line, the wide cuffs of the long sleeves, and the hem. On her feet were a pair of black sandals. Toshiro wore a pair of light grey slacks, a button up long sleeve turquoise shirt, the same colour as his eyes, and a tie the same shade as his pants. On his feet were a pair of brown loafers.
They sat in a C shaped booth that wrapped around the table. As they waited for their food to arrive, in walked Rin, Rangiku, Daisuke, and, of all people, Byakuya. Rin was wearing a pair of denim capris, a dark blue tank top, a short sleeve denim buttoned shirt was worn over top and tied at the bottom, and a pair of flip flops. Byakuya was wearing a long sleeved sweater the same shade as his storm coloured eyes, a pair of white slacks, and black loafers. Rangiku wore a simple pink sun dress and sandals. Daisuke had on a pair of dark green cargo pants, a tight fitting brown tank top and brown leather sandals.
"Oi! Aika there you are!" Rin yelled from across the room. The group walked over to their table. "Shit, Hitsugaya, I didn't recognize you without your uniform."
"Captain, you look great! You should go out more often!" Rangiku piped up, sliding into the booth next to her Captain.
Daisuke sat next to her while Rin and Byakuya sat next to Aika. Making Aika and Toshiro slide next to each other.
"Maybe. If you did your work so that I wouldn't have to do it for you." The small Captain scowled at his Lieutenant. "Who invited you all, anyway?"
"Don't be so grumpy, Captain. Here! Have a drink!"
Rangiku snagged the sake bottle and poured herself and him a cup.
"A little birdie told us that Aika was going to sing tonight. Who would miss that?" Daisuke spoke up for the first time.
He was trying to diffuse the argument that was threatening to erupt. Toshiro angrily grabbed the cup in front of him and downed the contents, forgetting that it was the sake Rangiku poured. He began coughing in surprise.
"Really? Well, if you want to hear me sing then you all have to go up and do a song first." Aika said with a sly look in her eye.
She snagged the sake before Rangiku could pour herself another cup while everyone exclaimed in shock. Aika rubbed Toshiro's back as he regained his composure from accidentally drinking the sake. If they were going to interrupt her evening with the small Captain they were going to pay. Rin signalled the waiter to bring more sake for the whole table. When it came she poured herself a cup and downed it in one shot.
"Well, I came to hear Aika sing. I'll go first while you idiots argue who's going next."
She shoved at Byakuya to let her out and then stalked up to the stage. She started flipping through the song choices. While she was making her choice, Aika leaned into Toshiro.
"This is going to be fun. Just you wait and see."
The small woman could see that the alcohol was already painting a rosy glow on the Captain's cheeks. She poured herself a cup of sake.
"Why did I agree to do this?" Toshiro grumbled.
Matsumoto was going to pay for crashing his date with Aika. Though, he suspected that the small woman beside him had begun her revenge by making them sing. He liked the way Aika thought. Maybe she was right. It might not be so bad.
Rin had picked a song called Venus by Bananarama. She said she liked the name of the band. She was quite good, even going so far as to dance across the stage as she sang. Many cheers, hoots, and hollers, even cat calls, were sent her way as she returned to the table. When the food that Aika and Toshiro had ordered came, the angry woman snagged most of Aika's. Earning her a glare for her actions.
One of the other patrons took a turn next. Once he was finished, Rangiku went up. By then she was well on her way to getting drunk. She picked the song Call Me by Blondie. Unfortunately, she sounded like a dying crow. Rangiku had no clue as to how bad she really was thanks to being tone deaf. After that performance everyone in the bar wished they were, too.
Daisuke went up next. He picked a country song called Firecracker by Josh Turner. He had all the women in the bar swooning as his deep voice rang across the room. After his turn, he got a lot of requests for duets. The woman were crowding around him as he returned to his friends. Everyone at the table started on their second round of sake. Except for Rangiku, who had been on her third when she went up to sing.
Shuuhei and Izuru had come in while Daisuke was singing. Hisagi wore a pair of black denim jeans, a tight fitting white tank, and a black fish net t-shirt with a pair of black shoes. Kira was wearing a light blue sweater, beige slacks and brown loafers.
Shuuhei went up to sing next. He picked the song Take On Me by A-Ha. He sang the entire song to Rangiku amid a lot of eye rolling among those who knew of his crush on the Squad 10 Lieutenant. Though, the woman barely seemed to notice, crushing him a little. While a few other bar patrons went up to take turns, the friends laughed and talked. They critiqued the performances, so far.
"Rangiku, if you promise not to sing for the rest of the night I'll buy you a bottle of sake." Rin said to the blonde woman.
The Lieutenant folded her arms across her chest, pouting.
"I happen to sing pretty good. Just ask, Hisagi-san." Rangiku wiggled her fingers at the Squad 9 Lieutenant, earning her a grin from said man and groans from her table mates. "Fine. I'll take that bottle of sake."
While they sat and listened to the singing, Toshiro's hand had slipped in behind Aika, and was caressing the small of her back. He'd even begun to relax a little. He whispered comments into the small woman's ear from time to time, making her shiver in pleasure.
"Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?" The small Captain breathed into her ear. He was awarded a blush and a smile from Aika.
"No, Captain, you haven't." She was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol.
"Well, let me rectify that right now. You look absolutely stunning." The sake was loosening Toshiro's tongue. Letting him speak his thoughts. When she moved to get up, his eyes widened. "Where are you going?"
"I have a song to sing, handsome. I won't be long." She tapped Rin's shoulder to ask her to move.
"Kuchiki hasn't sung, yet." Rin looked at her husband, smirking.
"I will do so as soon as the current singer is finished." That comment earned a surprised look from everyone at the table. No one thought the noble would actually get up and sing. "Then it will be Captain Hitsugaya's turn."
"What?!" The panicked look on Toshiro's face was priceless.
"Kawasuzu said she would only sing if everyone sang. That includes you, as well." Byakuya calmly said. Rin was busting a gut laughing, Rangiku was giggling uncontrollably, Aika was hiding a grin behind her hand, and Daisuke had let out a guffaw. The noble gave his fellow silver haired Captain a sharp look. "I hope that you aren't going to be the one to deprive us of her voice."
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Good. You can sing after I do." Deliberately misinterpreting Toshiro's denial. The small Captain open and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. Byakuya then stood up to take his turn. He chose the song Friday I'm In Love by The Cure. Toshiro resigned himself to his fate. He would lose face if he backed out now.
"You'll do fine." Aika whispered to him in encouragement. The small Captain took a deep breath, trying to think of what he was going to sing.
Rin leaned back and whispered to Aika. "Byakuya sucks. I should buy him a case of sake so he won't sing. Ever."
"He just chose the wrong song to sing. Give him a ballad to sing and he would do wonderfully," The small woman countered.
"No shit." She looked like she'd been sucking lemons. "I was going to sing a duet with him but I don't want him to make me sound bad."
When Rin mentioned duet Aika got an idea. When the noble Captain finished she grabbed Toshiro's hand.
"What are you doing?" He whispered to Aika.
"We're going to do a duet. Trust me."
When they got to the stage she flipped through the songs until she found the one she wanted. She chose Don't You Wanna Stay by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. To everyone's surprise he had an amazing voice. It harmonized with Aika's voice perfectly. Their song was a hit, with everyone in the bar asking for an encore.
Toshiro bowed out but Aika did two more songs before sitting back down. Once she had finished, the party seemed to wind down. Daisuke took Rangiku home after she had passed out. Rin had become obsessed with the word 'Bananarama'. So much so, that Byakuya did the sleep trick on her. He gathered her up once she was sleeping and took her home. That left Toshiro and Aika.
"Don't tell anyone but that was kinda fun."
Toshiro confessed to Aika once they were alone. His words slurring a bit. He seemed to be having trouble focusing his vision.
"My lips are sealed," she promised. "We should go, too."
"Mmmhmm," the small Captain murmured.
He carefully stood up, wavering slightly. Aika figured she would have to make sure he got home alright. She felt a little unsteady herself. Though, judging by the reddened cheeks of her escort he was the worse for wear.
"Come on, handsome. Let's get you home." She put his arm across her shoulders while hers circled his waist.
Once they left the bar she used shunpo to get to his quarters. Not the best plan because she felt pretty dizzy once they arrived. She stumbled, Toshiro caught her but lost his balance. They ended up on the ground with her in his lap.
"Oops, maybe shunpo wasn't the greatest idea." Aika said sheepishly.
With a surprised yelp from the woman in his arms, Toshiro lurched to his feet.
"Don't worry. I won't drop you." Aika helped open the door.
The Captain shut the door behind him with his foot. Slipping out of his shoes he began kissing Aika while she kicked her own off. He hungrily shoved his tongue into her mouth as he unsteadily made his way to his bed.