A/N: Hello my sexy Fanfiction buddies! I have to say, you all make me depressed sometimes *sob* Nobody left a review for my last chappie! Reviews make me want to keep writing this story! Read&Review if ya love me! 8D (or more importantly, if ya love my story)

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine, yada, yada, yada . . .

M-A-K-I-N-G-E-N-E-M-I-E-S

Double-Edged

I stared up at the ceiling of my dark and empty room. Or, well, might as well have been empty anyways. It seemed cruelly unfitting for such a horrible and untrustworthy person to have the most comfortable living quarters. In my opinion, I thoroughly deserved to sleep out on the streets like a homeless child after what I had done.

The moonlight shone through my open window, illuminating the expensive-looking, gold-trimmed wallpaper that I despised so much. The hateful silver ornaments and gem encrusted pieces of jewelry that skewed across the dresser opposite my bed glowed hauntingly in the dark. It was almost as if they were teasing me by rewarding my carelessness with all the things that I didn't deserve. With the light from the night sky bathing my chamber, the whole world seemed so pale, still, lifeless.

Including me.

Toshiro had always been able to tell when there was something wrong with me because I lost all of my coloring and looked like I hadn't slept in weeks. I knew that that was exactly how I looked then.

I sat up, unable to fall asleep in this cold, unfamiliar place. The stars danced freely, mocking my confinement. I placed my palm to my forehead and closed my eyes forcefully, attempting to waft through my dangerously foggy thoughts.

The lieutenant's badge that Captain Aizen had insisted I keep sat on the nightstand beside my bed. I picked it up, much less guarded now that I was alone, turning it over in my hands. The material felt smooth and familiar in between my fingers. Without thinking, I breathed in the scent of the patch, sighing against my better nature. It smelled like him.

I could be his again if I wanted to, I thought. It was literally as simple as saying 'yes'. Things could still go back to the way they were. All that I had to do was put on this insignificant, little piece of cloth and that would be it.

Would Toshiro hate me for it? I didn't even know if he was capable of hating me, but I couldn't be sure. He had always been so hard to read. And, also, there was that one time when he had gotten upset at me for calling him by his first name. 'I'm not Toshiro anymore', he had said,'I'm Captain Hitsugaya.' We had hurt each other a lot that day, without really meaning to. My eyes involuntarily started to water; it was one of the many weaknesses that I hated about myself.

I did not doubt that Renji would despise me if I became Captain Aizen's lieutenant again. He had such a short temper for that kind of thing, even if his heart was in the right place. Izuru simply wouldn't talk to me. He tried to hide it but I knew that fighting wasn't something that he enjoyed. He would never actually lay a hand on me, regardless of how stupid I acted. He just wouldn't have anything to do with it. As for Rangiku . . . I wasn't quite sure about her. There were times when she was one of the most understanding and forgiving people that I knew, but there were other times when Rangiku Matsumoto was downright terrifying. Her reaction was kind of up in the air as far as I could tell.

And, of course, the biggest unanswered question of all: Was being with Captain Aizen really worth losing my friends in return for it?

I shook my head, sighing. I needed to get away from all the uncustomary silence that resided there in my room. Without giving it much forethought, I quietly leapt through the open window to my right.

M-A-K-I-N-G-E-N-E-M-I-E-S

A cool breeze washed over my face as I strode through the treetops. Instantly, the sharpness of the cold cleared my muddied thoughts. Everything became clear, defined. The branches of the full-grown cherry tree rustled as I landed on a particularly sturdy limb. I sat down, letting my tired feet dangle. The moon outlined the leaves and fragile pink blossoms in silver. My hair brushed softly with the wind against my cheeks before I tucked it conveniently behind my ears. Delicate chirps and muted cooes echoed in the air along with the sound of . . . footsteps?

I looked down inconspicuously from my perch to see a mop of choppy, blonde hair.

Izuru.

I watched him curiously from above, wondering what he could possibly be doing wandering around the Seireitei at this hour of the night. Or was it morning? Well, either way, it was an odd thing . . .

"I know you're up there Momo," he said out of nowhere. I shivered the slightest bit at his tone; he sounded angry. Gracefully, I jumped down from the quiet safety of my tree to stand in front of Izuru. His spiritual presence, which was normally dark anyway, was now so concentrated that it felt similar to watered-down acid on my skin. I stared at my childhood friend in silence, waiting for him to speak.

"Well?" he said dully.

I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Well what, Izuru?"

He huffed impatiently.

"You Know what."

A nerve snapped in my head.

"No I don't, Izuru!" I said, more forcefully this time. He was getting a bit irritating. Was it my fault that he was always so vague? He sighed sharply, as if I were inconveniencing him by making him explain.

"Are you going to listen to your real friends, or are you going to go and run off to your precious Aizen, that's what!" he exploded. I blinked, reflexively stepping back. Izuru hardly ever raised his voice at anyone, much less outright yelled at them. He breathed heavily as I stared at him like he had lost it. He continued, his voice not losing volume even a little. "You need to hurry up and pick who's side you're on Momo, because I'm sick of this!"

"Maybe I've already decided!" I shot back without thinking or really even meaning to do so. Izuru's pushy accusations were really starting to irk me.

"Well, you should start acting like it then, because no one else can tell", he yelled and looked at me like I was mentally incapable of taking care of myself; like I was less than he was.

That did it. I stepped forward offensively.

"DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" I screamed, lashing out to hit Izuru. I would have caught him right across the jawline, but a cool hand caught my wrist before I had the chance to hurt him.

"Both of you, stop," Toshiro commanded. I had no desire to argue with him, as it would have been a death wish. His eyes darted back and forth between the two of us, watching for any sign of a threat. "We can't start trying to kill each other now."

"Toshiro's right, you two," added Renji, who had appeared with Toshiro out of nowhere. "This is not the time to drive a wedge in between our friends. We have to be able to trust each other, at the very least."

I frowned at the amount sense he was making. I had really wanted to hit someone and, looking at Izuru, I knew that he felt the same way. I hated it when someone could out-logic my arguments.

"If I let you go," Toshiro spoke softly, this time to me only,"Will you promise not to attack anyone else?" There was the faintest trace of amusement in his voice as he asked the question.

I nodded mutely, my face turning an intense shade of vermilion. Must he constantly talk to me like a child? I was the older one after all. True to his promise, though, Toshiro cautiously released my arm. I rubbed my wrist pitifully, turning away. This was not helping me clear my head.

"Momo . . ."

I turned swiftly, slightly guarded. Izuru refused to make eye contact with me as he forced out a strained apology.

"I'm sorry."

I didn't respond; only glowered distantly at my friend. I was seeing him in a light that I never had before and, in truth, I felt slightly betrayed, given-up-on; Even a little bit threatened by this new, not-so-subtle side of him. Could I really trust Izuru anymore? I wasn't so sure. And that little truth worried me more than anything else in the entire world: the fact that I wasn't even sure of my friends anymore.

"We shouldn't be out," Toshiro indicated logically,"It's not safe."

"I was leaving anyway," Izuru mumbled drearily, stalking off. The tension between us completely left my body as I watched him leave. I suddenly felt very tired; more so than I had been in a long time. My eyelids started to fall like syrup slowly creeping down the side of a glass jar. Toshiro came over and pulled my left arm over his shoulder.

"I'll take her back," he told Renji.

I half-consciously pushed my legs forward and, slowly but surely, we started to make our way back to my undeservedly lavish bedroom. I yawned delicately.

"You never did sleep when I told you to," Toshiro commented, with a defeated sigh.

"Mmm fine," I muttered. Then, out of the blue, and uninvited popped into my head and out of my mouth before I had the chance to even filter any of it.

"Toshiro, would you hate me if I said I loved you both?"

He stopped abruptly, fracturing our steady pace.

"I don't know what on Earth you're talking about, Momo," he said matter-of-factly, turning to look me in the eyes,"But I do know that I will never hate you. For anything."

M-A-K-I-N-G-E-N-E-M-I-E-S

Okay, so it was a LITTLE fluffy. But not much! You know what? I bet no one even reads my authors notes. I never do hehe 8) Oh well, it's worth a try. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY! XD

Oh my, what's that? *Ghasps* It's the review button!