Ichigo woke up to the smell of blueberry pancakes then the sound of doors shutting and cars running then gone. It was cold in his room, awfully cold and the blanket wrapped around him didn't help suffice with the heat. The space next to him was a little warm, a sign that someone was there. Ichigo opened his eyes, only remembering that he asked Toshirou to stay the other night. He sat up, took a look around the room to see if there were any proofs that Toshirou stayed and there were; the empty bucket next to his lampshade and the now cold towel that was used for his fever.

"Toshirou?"

The strawberry walked down to the living room then the kitchen to look for the smaller one but he wasn't there. With the blanket wrapped around him, Ichigo hunched up on one the tall counter chairs and slouched, the smell of the blueberry remains. He turned his head and spotted a plate of blueberry pancakes next to the oven with coffee next to it. Ichigo walked over to it, moved the plate and found a small note.

"Kurosaki.

I took the privilege of cooking in your kitchen. If you're reading this, then that's good that must mean you're feeling a little better.
Here, I made you blueberry pancakes since that was the only thing you have on top of your fridge. Are you sure you have servants?

Oh, and I decided to make you a cup of chocolate milk, it must be warm right now, so drink some first before you eat.
It's good for you when you're sick; warms you up.

You know what to do when you need me. I'll see you during the interview.
But if you're not feeling well, don't hesitate to cancel. Prioritize your health over work at the moment.

Hitsugaya."

A small smile crept up the strawberry's face, opening up the cabinet and taking out a fork. He forgot to mention that he tells his servants to return home when he has nothing much to do. Ichigo was an organized person, so he didn't necessarily need a lot of people to run the house. Following Toshirou's instructions, Ichigo cuts the pancake and happily munched on the meal he had in front of him, thinking of how thankful he was and completely forgetting the fact that he was sick. After he finished his food, he shoved his hand in his pocket to take out his phone and dialed a number.

Hello, this is Ichigo Kurosaki's office. This is secretary Orihime Inoue; how can I help you today?

"Inoue!"

Kurosaki-kun? Where are you?

"Sorry, can you cover up for me and cancel all the meetings for today? I had a fever last night and I need some rest."

Okay... but how about your interview with Hitsugaya-kun? Your schedule says you have an appointment with him at 12.

Ichigo couldn't wipe off the smile on his face. "Cancel that too. I'm hiring him on spot. No interviews necessary."

E-Eh? But Kurosaki-kun... you should look over his work experiences and-

"I'll look over it today since I'll be home. If you call him, tell him not to worry about it and that we'll send him his work schedule as soon as possible."

Inoue was suspicious but obeyed him regardless. Y-Yes sir. Have a good day.

"You too, thanks Inoue~"

At Toshirou's home, Toshirou was back in his room looking for an appropriate outfit to wear for the interview that's about to happen in four hours. He didn't want to worry about it when the time gets closer, so he thought it was best to prepare in advance. There was a small knock on his door, and placed his vest and pants on the bed. "Come in."

"Bocchama."

Toshirou looked up, "Ah, Hyourinmaru. Did you make Matsumoto and Haineko breakfast?"

"Yes... I did. She told me you were with Ichigo-sama last night. How is he?"

"He's better," Toshirou replied, touching his lips then shook his head. "I made him pancakes. Hopefully he ate them."

His phone began to ring a couple of minutes after.

Toshirou answered the call, "This is Hitsugaya, speaking."

Hitsugaya-kun! I'm Inoue, the one you handed your file to a couple of days ago. I just wanted to inform you three things.

"...Sure, what is it, Inoue-san?"

The woman chuckled on the other line. Please, call me Orihime. Okay one: your interview is cancelled for today.

"Is Kurosaki still sick?"

Actually, he sounded fine on the phone but he told me to postpone all of his appointments today. Second, Kurosaki-kun told me to tell you not to worry about it.

Toshirou raised his brow in confusion. What's going on with the idiot?

Third. We'll send you your work schedule as soon as possible. Your scrubs will be delivered to you.

"Wait... What? Work schedule? What about my interview?"

Orihime sounded just as confused when she responded, there's no interview, Hitsugaya-kun. You're hired.

The whitehead was speechless. His mouth hung open and Hyourinmaru glanced at him with concern. Hyourinmaru walked close to listen in to the conversation then stepped back to give his master some privacy.

"Just like that?" Toshirou was still surprised.

Just like that. That's all I came to call about. We'll contact you soon, Hitsugaya-kun. Goodbye!

"I-I... yes... thank you Orihime... bye."

Hyourinmaru's masters' silence was far too long for him to comprehend or catch the hint of happiness in his eyes. Toshirou just stared into space, trying to let it process that he doesn't need to have an interview and that he's going to work soon. Is this a blessing in disguise? Hyourinmaru waved at the smaller one.

"Bocchama? You alright?"

Toshirou snapped back to reality and blinked a few times. "What? Oh yes, I'm fine. Apparently I don't need an interview and I'm working as soon as they send me the schedule."

Even Hyourinmaru was surprised. It didn't change how happy he was for his master though. "Congratulations bocchama."

But Toshirou was now left wondering what could possibly have happened to the strawberry for him to consider to pass the interview and send him straight to work? Toshirou will have to ask him later, but right now, he wanted to visit his mom and tell her the good news.

Toshirou placed three sunflower petals by his mother's gravestone and lit up an incense. He sat down on a mat and stared at his mother's engraved name, slightly putting a smile on his face.

"...Hahaue..." he started. "I still find it difficult for me to be here. I can believe you're no longer here with me but I can't believe that you died because of me... It's..."

He clenched his fists, held his breath, and held his tears back. "I left him; the guy that hurt you. When I get stronger, I will find a way to get revenge but now is not the time. I'm trying to put my life together without you. Hyourinmaru left with me and Rangiku remained by my side."

Toshirou can't stay at his mother's gravestone for another five minutes; he doesn't even think he could stay for more than two. He felt himself tremble against the mat, and his throat turned tight and cold all of a sudden. He could feel it coming- his tears. Whatever he had to tell his mother, he had to make it quick.

"I'm going to start working at a hospital soon, I know this is what you've always wanted for me when I was small. I found your diary and I've been holding on to it but..." He bit his lip. "It was in his hands before I was able to retrieve it—and he crossed out names. I know you were trying to tell me to find someone and I greatly apologize that the bastard is making it twice as hard for me... but I promise one day I'll find them. Whoever they are. And if I'm logically correct... they should be out there looking for me for your sake."

He stood up and returned the mat where it originally belonged. With a bow, he whispered a soft 'I love you' before he exited the temple, refusing to take another look back to his mother's grave. It was still too painful for him to take. But there was comfort pressing on his lips, as Toshirou walked out, he touched them, traced them with his finger and thought of Ichigo and a small smile appeared on his lips.

Shirayumi Hitsugaya

You sound sick, Rukia argued on the phone.

"Yes. That's why don't come over."

You fool! I'm already outside your house, just open the damn door or I'll jump on your window!

"Are you serious?!"

There was a knock that came from his bedroom window and Ichigo turned to see Rukia standing over the edge. Ichigo eyed her out in disbelief and made a face, only to have Rukia return the same look but with a glare. "Are you going to open the window or not!?"

"What the hell," Ichigo opened the window for her. "You're crazy."

Rukia hopped into his room and folded her arms. "Is it wrong for me to worry about my best friend?" She threw an orange bag to him and Ichigo caught it, opening it slowly and suspiciously. Rukia rolled her eyes, "I didn't put any traps in there, and they're fruits from nii-sama."

"From Byakuya?" Ichigo raised his brow. "What did the guy eat to do something nice like this?"

Rukia hit his head. "Dummy! I told him you were sick and he was kind enough to let me go out of the house."

"Yeah, I'm... surprised you didn't bring Renji with you."

"He had to stay back," Rukia shrugged. "Something about fulfilling nii-sama's desire."

Ichigo snickered and received a whack for that reaction. "Stop thinking dirty thoughts!" Rukia growled.

The strawberry grimaced. "I can't help it! They've been on the PDA wagon lately. Doesn't it disturb you?"

Rukia walked over to Ichigo's bed and sat down. She had a serious look on her face but in morphed into a caring and smiling expression spread all over her cheeks.

"At first it did cause I dated him but I got over it," she answered firmly, playing with her fingers. "I'm glad I was his first love. Nii-sama needed to move on from my sister too."

Feeling bad for his best friend, Ichigo sat next to her and ruffled her hair. It was one of his ways of expressing his love towards people he cared about and Rukia knew that well. She hugged him and closed her eyes. At least her level of friendship with Ichigo wouldn't falter.

"I'm sorry I'm gay."

Rukia snorted and elbowed Ichigo at his ribs. "I know that, stupid. Like I was going to do anything to you."

Ichigo laughed sarcastically. Ichigo wasn't exactly gay; his relationship had been with a girl he met at a conference somewhere in America. They talked for a while, video chatted, but it didn't make much for a difference over time because Ichigo got busy with work and he learned that long distance relationships wasn't his thing. He promised himself that the next person he finds would have to understand the responsibility that has been handed out to him.

So in that case, why doesn't just Ichigo hit on Rukia? Rukia's different. Ichigo and Rukia go way back to their childhood days. Rukia Kuchiki was different because she was raised in nobility- and ironically on her part, nobility within the infamous yakuza that goes by the last name Kuchiki. Yes, Rukia Kuchiki is the adopted sister of the notorious gang leader, Byakuya Kuchiki, which Ichigo has always thought was weird because the man doesn't do bad deeds. He shouldn't be a gang leader if he keeps saying, "I must obey the law." The strawberry thought it out loud when he was in his teens and ended up receiving a huge slap by Rukia, so he never dared raised up the subject.

But again, why not Rukia? Because Ichigo set himself into the zone where he's ought to protect her the way he must with his little sisters. Ichigo's family and the Kuchiki bloodline have become intertwined the moment Ichigo and Rukia grew closer and Byakuya was more than grateful to have Ichigo protect her in school especially when things get rough with his clients. Back to their school days, Rukia often got into fights because Ichigo and Renji were popular students in class until the two boys finally told everyone that they knew Rukia for a long time already. This decreased the amount of people, who bullied her, but it didn't stop; eventually Ichigo and Renji taught her how to fight, thus her aggressive side appearing toward the two boys often. She tries to hide it by smiling and saying sweet stuff. Another reason why he couldn't; Rukia and Renji dated. To Ichigo, things like dating friends' ex and stuff... is a big no.

"So what are your plans for today?"

Rukia stared at him, dumbfounded. "I was actually planning to stay here with you for the rest of the day..."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," she laid back on the bed. "I told you, I haven't seen you for ten days- today makes it twelve. Let me spend time with my best friend and plus-"

Ichigo stood up and walked over his desk to take out his laptop. He waited for a couple of seconds then turned, "plus what?"

"...Nii-sama wants to ask you for a favor."

The strawberry placed his hands in his hips, raising his brow. "And that is?"

"Can you join the group and protect me for a while?"

"A while? What kind of trouble your clients is doing this time?"

She began tracing circles on Ichigo's bed sheet. "The client apparently needed money to help his daughter with medical bills, but it turns out he's been using it for drug purchases."

"Oh shit, that's bad," Ichigo sat on his rolling chair and rolled over towards her. "I'm guessing people found out that the source of money came from Byakuya and now he wants the client to pay to clear his name but client has no money and now he's after you because you're Byakuya's precious little shi-"

Ichigo received another whack on his head.

"The hell was that for!?" He cried angrily, rubbing his head to make it better.

Rukia shrugged, "he's after me but I had no problem. I could fight back if I could but nii-sama's paranoid. So... can you?"

"Does it look like I can? I have work y'know. I need to start working on my assistant's schedule too."

"New assistant right? How was the interview with her?"

Ichigo sighed. He definitely hasn't seen Rukia in a while. "The new assistant's a guy. Name's Toshirou Hitsugaya."

"I see. So, what do you think of him?"

"He came over yesterday because I wasn't feeling well," Ichigo started to roll back to his desk to place his password on his laptop. "I knocked out on him because of a fever so he had to stay overnight to watch over me."

Rukia looked at him with eyes filled with worry, "you need to rest, Ichigo. It's not good to overwork yourself."

The man shrugged and began typing.

"I don't really have any other choice but to work. It's okay, I have Toshirou now."

"You caught yourself an eye candy hm?" Rukia snickered.

"...I don't think he's interested like that," Ichigo admitted. Although he was extremely interested in his new assistant, it did upset him; he knew that if he were to try anything with Toshirou, it wouldn't work out because he just met the guy. When they get to know each other better, maybe he'll take his chances when he sees an opportunity. In the meantime, he'll focus on work and helping Toshirou out. He wouldn't want to scare the boy away after all.

Ichigo touched his lips, the tingling sensation was there as though he had been kissed then added:

"He's just about to start working. If I hit on him, he might decide to leave and work at another hospital."

Author's Note: Ehe... So... I haven't exactly been on my laptop. I've been playing Latale and my thoughts on the story were jumping all over the place thanks to my boyfriend. But- here it is. Ichigo's going to get involved in a huge fight soon because of Rukia, and Toshirou's going to start working and his relationship with Ichigo gets better~ Wow!

+ I don't know how things run in a hospital; why bother writing about it if you don't know? Well... I know the just of it, and this is kind of a fiction story for a reason right? Iunno. ^-^ Thank you for reading; I probably have typos because I did this at 2 in the morning heh. See you in the next chapter!

Song on repeat as I write the story: "Earned It" by The Weeknd