Disclaimer: I don't own any Bleach characters, just any OC's that might appear. I'm not sure yet. ;)

Author Note: Nothing to do with the Shinigami, just Bleach characters in Karakura. Rated T for some language. Oh, and Toshiro's tall and has the bod of an eighteen year old here. Still has the same hot boyish face tho. Yayy!

*Note later added* This first chapter is in third person, but then I changed to first person between Toshiro and Momo in Chp.2. Then, I change to just first person with Momo. I promise it'll stay like that for the rest, but still, apologies for any confusion. =S

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Momo Hinamori breathed in deeply. She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a wild peach tree grove, taking in the scent of the fallen blossoms. Large clusters of her namesake, peaches, grew on the trees, swollen with the sweet juices and fruit flesh still growing within the fuzzy skin. Momo smiled. She still remembered the day she asked her mother what her name meant.

"Mama, why did you name me Momo? It's a stupid name." a six year old Momo asked in English while biting into a large peach.

Her mother laughed. "Why, Momo, Momo means peach in Japanese. You're eating your name right now!"

Momo stared in horror at the peach in her hands. "I'm eating myself?!" she shrieked. She promptly threw the peach at the trash can, satisfied with the plunk sound it made as it hit the bottom.

Her mother laughed again. "No, sweet. You're named after what you're eating, for you're as beautiful as the flower the tree brings forth and as sweet as the fruit it produces. That's why you father decided to name you Momo. He saw a peach tree outside my hospital window after you were born."

Momo still wasn't convinced. "Then why didn't you name me Peach? It sounds better than MO-mo to me." She emphasized her name, and made a face at the way it sounded.

A warm, deep male voice answered. "So that you'll never forget your heritage. Japanese is a beautiful language, and you won't forget it if your name is of it."

Momo squealed and tackled her father around the knees as he came through the door, returning from a long day at work.

"Konnichiwa, akachan." said her father as he picked her up around the waist and kissed her inky black hair. Momo understood him, since both her parents demanded that she learn Japanese, even though her father was American. He also knew Japanese, for he'd met Momo's mother in Japan as an exchange student.

"Papa! You're home!" Momo hugged her father around the neck, and kept him in a strangle hold until he walked over to the couch and flopped down onto its cushy peach-colored surface.

Her mother joined the two, and the family wrestled each other for the good spots until at last her father was on the main, plush cushion, her mother was sitting on his lap, and Momo was lying across the arm rest. The happy family fell asleep that night with each other's warmth surrounding them.

Momo sighed. She still didn't like the way her name sounded, but she enjoyed the thought of being named after her favorite fruit.

She suddenly felt rather nostalgic. She was now about to turn seventeen, and her parents had decided to move from Washington to this itty-bitty town called Karakura town for her remaining school days. Her mother had grown up here, and she was sorely depressed that they hadn't come sooner.

She and her father had hoped that Momo would grow up more in touch with her heritage, but now here they were when she was about the graduate. Momo decided she was going to get the most out of her time here. She deeply missed Washington, but was extremely excited to start school here and learn where she had come from. Plus, this peach grove she'd found gave her the serenity she'd lacked in her life in America. She was happy they'd come.

"Momo!" she heard her mother call from the house. This forest was basically their backyard, since they lived on the edges of the town. Momo sighed. Serenity time over. Time to meet the neighbors her mother had been gushing about.

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Toshiro Hitsugaya was annoyed. No, he was more than annoyed. He was angry.

"C'mon Hitsugaya. You know you want me." cooed a blonde girl that had trapped him against an ally wall. Seriously. I can't even walk home through allies without being ambushed anymore? thought Toshiro bitterly. What're these girls' problems?

One of the girls in question, the blonde, waited expectantly for an answer. Seeing her so up close just made Toshiro dislike her even more. It was obvious that she'd dyed her previously black hair into that blinding shade of blonde, and that she spent hours upon hours everyday applying what Toshiro estimated to be three inches of make-up on her face. How could anyone even lift their eyelids with that much stuff on their eyelashes? If she'd been a bit more natural and less maniacally-obsessed over him perhaps he would've like her, but only as a friend. And currently, her proximity and attempts to seduce him were really pissing him off.

"Get off me, Leiko Satō. I don't like hitting girls, even if they ambush me on my way home." was his icy reply.

The ditz giggled. "Why d'you call me by my full name Toshiro? Whatever. You're cuter when you play coy."

Toshiro?! The hell? Who gave her permission to call me that? Toshiro growled. Fine, if this girl was going to keep on going like this, she'd just be ignored like the five thousand other girls who'd tried to win him.

Leiko squeaked in surprise as Toshiro's strong arms simply lifted her up by the waist and placed her roughly to the side, and she stared after him in horror as he walked passed her. Yes! Another one pissed off! He thought to himself. More quiet time for me. "Excuse me, miss. I have to get home to meet someone, and you're in the way." he said dully as he passed. Leiko's eyes narrowed. Who was he meeting?

Leiko was pissed off, but her determination also strengthened. Why doesn't he like me?! she thought shallowly to herself. No matter. She'd get him some way or another. The blonde smiled evilly as Toshiro disappeared around the corner. Some way or another.

Toshiro exhaled deeply as he was liberated of that ally and of that idiot. Now, he thought to himself, to meet this neighbor Mom and Ichigo's mom've been gushing about...He sighed. It was probably just another possible bridge-club joiner that he'd have to smile politely to.

Oh how fortunate for him that he was totally, utterly, wrong.

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Teehee first fic! Please R & R! I might turn this into something big if enough people read, villains and angst and all..I'm not picky! 1 or 2 reviews is all I need to keep going. Oh, and apologies to Larxenethefirefly for stealing the fangirl idea, but I think its cute when people are jealous with Toshiro involved. :)

btw, I promise that Momo/Shiro fluff will be a main theme in this story, and just enough angst to take away any superficial feelings. Review for fluff! Cookies for first five to review. =]