3/31/10

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Summary: Momo breaks up with her boyfriend, Toshirou, and needs comforting. MomoxIzuru

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, its concept, its characters, its ideas nor its logos. They belong to Tite Kubo. Thank you. Please enjoy!

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The brunette sniffled, pulling her legs up onto the couch and hugging them to her chest. Burying her face in her knees, she let out a soft whimper. It didn't seem right, not dating the silver-haired boy. But if that's what he wanted ... Stupid Rangiku. Stupid Toshirou. Stupid everyone! Sniffling, she raised her cloth-covered hand and wiped her eyes. She wasn't going to sit around in her house and be a sad, weepy little girl. No! She would rise up and get someone better! Someone ... Someone that wasn't Toshirou!

Standing up from her low couch, she wiped her nose with the back of her hand and walked out of the living room towards her bedroom. Changing from her damp sweater and jeans into a whirly skirt with a purple flower pattern and a black t-shirt with a deep purple heart across the stomach, she ran a brush through her long waist-length hair and tied it up in a high pony. She left her room to the front hall, slipping on her black sandals and grabbing her green velvet jacket. Pulling open the door, she stepped out into the warm hallway and inhaled the scent of rain.

It had been storming lightly since the night before, so it was going to be a struggle to stay dry if she was going outside. She wasn't sure why she had changed from something warm, like a sweater, into sandals and a skirt. Sighing and shaking her head, she pulled on her jacket and began the trek towards the door that led out to the exterior stairs.

Just as she was readying to push open the door, she heard the soft murmuring of someone down the hall. She turned her head, curious, and quietly follow the noise. Down the hall and to the right ... She glanced around the corner to see a tall blond picking up pieces of paper. A woman, tall and thin, stared down at him. She shouted something before turning and storming off to the far end of the hall, leaving the man there alone.

The young girl felt something inside of her grow. Sympathy? Loneliness? Whatever it was, it controlled her. She walked around the corner and down to the third door on the right, kneeling down. The blond said nothing as he continued to pick up the papers. Deciding that she should help him, she reached out and brushed her fingers along one of the pages. This startled the man, or so it seemed, for he jumped and snapped his head up quickly. His eyes turned to her and she felt her heart leap. What was wrong?

This sudden action had surprised her and she, balancing on her toes while kneeling, fell back.

"I-I'm sorry," she began, "I-I didn't ... "

"I didn't see you there," he began, turning his eyes away. "I apologize."

A pale blush stained the girl's face. She had never seen this tenant before. Had he just moved in? She pulled herself to the kneeling position before standing, as did the man.

"I was wondering if you needed help."

"Me?" He sounded surprised.

The girl smiled, "Yeah."

"Oh .. well .. I was just picking these up ... " He shifted the papers into his other arm, "It's not a big task."

"Oh .. all right." Pausing, she glanced up at the man who loomed over her. He was tall. But not in an intimidating way ... More of a kind and gentle way. Much taller than her ex-boyfriend, whom she would not think about. " .. um, th-that woman ... ?"

She was unsure if it was rude or not to ask, but she felt compelled to. The man turned and watched her.

"Yes?"

"Ah ... I don't mean to pry, but .. who was she?"

"Oh .. you mean the one that ... ?" He didn't finish his sentence. Sighing, he turned his eyes down and prepared to explain to the young girl what had happened. As he opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off.

"I'm sorry! W-We haven't even exchanged names and I am asking about your personal life! Please forgive me!" He looked up as she placed her hands on her thighs and bowed deeply, her long pony swinging over her shoulder and brushing against the ground. The corner of his lips twitched in a slight smile.

As she stood up, she brushed her pony over her shoulder and smiled. She clasped her hands together and placed them over her stomach. "I'm sorry ... "

"It's all right ... It's no problem..."

"Ah, I .... I'm Momo," she said, sticking out her right hand and smiling, "Momo Hinamori."

The man hesitated before taking her hand with his and shaking it, "Nice to meet you Momo ... I'm Izuru Kira."

She grinned, blushing. "Nice to meet you Kirasan."

"Please," he began in his low voice, dropping her hand, "call me Izuru."

She blushed more, glancing down. "Nice to meet you .. Izuru ... "

Perhaps this heartbreak over the silver-haired boy wouldn't be so hard to get over ...

"Ah, let me get that for you," she reached out and grabbed the papers that were slipping from Izuru's arms. Hugging them to her chest, she beamed up at him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, slightly confused. How could someone be so happy? So cheerful and energetic? Turning towards the door behind him, he pulled out a key from his pocket and inserted it into the door. The quiet 'click' was heard and the man pushed open the door, stepping in. The young girl followed, her heart beating rapidly. Was it a bad idea to go into an apartment with a man she'd only just met?

Izuru passed by her, muttering something quietly. He walked over through towards the end table sitting against the wall. He placed the key on the table and walked towards the left into what appeared to be the kitchen. Momo closed the door behind her and walked over to the table. She placed the papers on the table, looking up. She caught her reflection in the mirror that hung above the table.

Her face heated up with embarrassment. Her eyes were red and puffy and the little eyeliner that she wore was streaked down her cheeks. She licked the tip of her right index finger and began to scrub away at the black make-up. It wasn't coming off.

"Would you like something to drink?"

The cool voice made her jump and she snapped her head towards the hall that led into the kitchen. She blushed at her reaction. "Y-Yeah, sure."

"All right ... " She heard the clattering of a pot being put on the stove and the water running. She glanced back towards the mirror, scrubbing under her eyes with the backside of her wrist. Finally giving up, she crossed between the hall and the open living room into the kitchen. She peeked inside, watching as the man pulled out the kettle from the sink and placed it on the stove. He glanced over at her. "Tea?"

Blushing, she turned her eyes down quickly. "Yes, please!"

" ..... " Kira was silent, staring at her. Her peachy-colored skin matched her name, which he personally thought was beautiful. How could he have not known her? She obviously lived in the apartment complex -- she wasn't wet from the rain outside, which meant she had to have been inside. Unless she had stayed in an apartment with someone and was just now leaving ... that was a possibility. One that he didn't want to think about.

Turning back to the stove, he prepared the water, reaching over to the drawer on his right and pulling out a packet of tea leaves. Would it be all right if he decided to keep her as company for more than an hour? Surely the woman wouldn't come back .. A short temper would cause her to be gone for a while ...

Snapping out of his daydream, Izuru noticed that steam was pouring out of the kettle. He stepped back, surprised. How long did he zone out? Picking out a white handle-less ceramic cup from the counter, he set it upright and poured water into it. Dipping the bags into the water, he glanced over towards the door-less entry. If he could stop spacing out, then maybe he could keep a girlfriend.

Tossing the bag into the sink, he picked up the cup and walked out into the living room where the girl was sitting on the couch, her hands in her lap. She looked up, blushing.

"Oh ... " She took the cup as he handed it to her and smiled at him. "Th-Thank you."

" ... you're welcome." He sat in the armchair across from the couch.

"Ahh," she began after sipping from the cup, "Aren't you going to drink anything?"

"No."

"Oh," the stern and quick reply surprised her. She wrapped her thin fingers around the cup, feeling the warmth radiate onto her skin. She turned her eyes down to the bubbling tea, feeling her face warm up as well. "Thank you very much .. for the tea ... "

"You're welcome." Why would she thank him twice? Sighing, he closed his eyes. He'd been tired of late, and he had no idea why. Perhaps it was all of the stress of moving from this apartment into a new one. Perhaps it was because of his possible ex-girlfriend milling around in an annoyed fashion.

"Th-That .. woman ... ?" Momo began quietly, gaining the man's attention. He opened his eyes to look at her. "She was ... your ... ?"

"Girlfriend."

"Ahh ... " Kanojo. Girlfriend. For some reason, the girl's heart began to sink a little. She had no idea why, considering that she had just met the man. They were only acquaintances. There was nothing between them, Izuru and her. But still she felt a bit jealous and disappointed. "She was very pretty."

"I thought so too."

It seemed a bit rude to Momo that he would say something like that, but considering the circumstance (if she had still been with Toshirou, she would have commented to Izuru about how he [Toshi] was very handsome, but that was not the case), she could understand. She feigned a smile, "You are very lucky."

The depressed-looking man sighed. "I suppose so."

And it was quite rude that he would act that way about the woman he was dating. In the silence that followed, the girl was unsure of what to say. Finally she just blurted out whatever she could think of.

"What is her name?"

"Nanao."

"That's very pretty."

"Yes."

"Hm .. " The two fell silent again, sitting in the dimly-lit living room. Finally, finishing her tea, Momo set the cup on the small, round table beside the couch and stood. "I must get going ... "

He looked up. "So soon?" It was a bit disappointing to have her leave. It seemed she was only there for a minute.

She smiled gently, her bright eyes shining sadly. "I hadn't planned on stopping here. I'll be late." Her statement was a half-lie. She hadn't planned on drinking tea with a wonderfully kind and handsome man, but she, in fact, had no where to go, which meant she could not be late for anything. She bowed deeply, "Thank you, Izurusan."

Momo stood, smiling again. "It would be wonderful if I could meet you again, but now I must leave." Before he could stand and show her to the door, she departed down the entry hall to the front door. She pulled it open and exited, leaving the man by himself. The door closed slowly, clicking to signal that it was locked from the outside. Izuru sat in silence, staring at the seat that the girl had just been sitting in. It was now empty, and a sad feeling took over him. It seemed that he had a void before, where something had to fit in. It had been all right for a while, but he didn't realize that when Momo came, it had been filled. Now that he was alone and she was gone, it seemed that it was bigger and deeper than before. It was sucking the life out of him, it appeared. His face paled slightly and his eyes darkened.

This void was becoming a black hole.

Standing, he walked over to the couch and leaned over to pick up the cup. As he did so, he caught the scent of what appeared to be peaches and lavender. He stood up, staring at the couch. It was coming from where Momo was sitting. Perfume? Or hair-wash? Whatever it was, it was lovely. Feeling a blush cross his cheeks, he muttered under his breath and carried the smooth cup to the sink. It slipped from his hands onto the counter and he left it there, letting a few drops of stray tea drip from the rim. It didn't matter if he was going to clean it up later.

This depressed feeling that over came him was different that what he had felt before. It was like he was worse now. As if he had been sick and given a dose of medicine. And it worked, at least for a while. But once it wore off, which would have been the girl leaving, he was even sicker than before. Sighing heavily, the man dropped his limp body into the chair. Even just knowing the brunette for a short moment had caused his world to change. He was a different man, somewhat. And he was determined not to let her get away.

It didn't matter if he was with Nanao, or anyone else. He needed Momo. At least it seemed like it. In the dark tunnel he had been living, she was like the almond-scented oil-burning lamp. She brightened the entire world around him. Yes, it sounded like a bad pick-up line, but it was true. With another heavy sigh, the man sunk into his chair. He indeed needed her.

He needed to be near to her.