some family bonding in this chapter :D oocness my fault and i apologize. this chapter also foreshadows something that happens in the end. anywho enjooy~

A Day Together... Alone

Shimowa slept happily and quietly, nuzzling the sudden warmth that pressed against her. "Mhmm." She purred as she placed her hand onto the flat, button-y, warm surface. Wait... if this was Matsumoto-fukutaichou she was laying against -which would be very awkward- wouldn't there be a protruding bosom of some sort? The second scenario... oh no. Her eyes opened suddenly as something brushed her shoulder. Shimowa sat up quickly to see the face of a tired Byakuya. "Kuchiki-taichou! When did you get out here? When did I get in here? Ow! My head!" Shimowa squealed nervously, grabbing her head gingerly. Byakuya handed somethings Matsumoto had advised her to drink; water and aspirin. Shimowa carefully took it, falling off the bed and onto the ground. Byakuya looked over the side of the bed too see Shimowa with her eyes closed tight, muttering things to herself. He furrowed his brow, taking her hand into his own and pulled her off of the ground. Shimowa sat on the bed with her head hanging down. She didn't remember what had happened last night or how she got here, but she knew it was very awkward right now. She had drank the aspirin quickly, fidgeting as she felt the presence of eyes dawn upon her. Shimowa felt the color rush to her cheeks as she closed her eyes, her head throbbing slightly.

Shimowa was the bad-ass. The carefree person. The gentle and caring. Sweet and energetic. Light hearted. The person who didn't give a shit about what people thought. The girl who spoke her mind. But why, why was she feeling shy and secluded and awkward right now? Shimowa had a horrible feeling in her gut that she said something to Kuchiki-taichou, but the thing that got her the most was what? This was frustrating, making Shimowa frown. She wasn't one to frown nor to scowl, but right now, she felt horrible; from being hungover and the feeling of not knowing things.

Byakuya looked at her oddly; she was frowning. Did she know what she said to him? Byakuya had the slight feeling she didn't. How was he going to tell her that she told him that she loved him? Byakuya furrowed his brow once more; that was a confusing thought. He brushed the hairs away from her face as she looked up at him, the obvious blush on her face speaking for itself. "Shimowa? Do you remember anything of yesterday?" He murmured the question as Shimowa shook her head, finally noticing the deafening silence. Just as he thought, she didn't remember. How to remind her.

His hand held her face for a moment as he thought silently to himself. Shimowa wanted to pull away, but his warm hand felt good against her face. When he finally came up with a stupid idea, Shimowa's eyes looked downward. Byakuya leaned down as Shimowa looked up into his gray eyes once more before he kissed her gently. Shimowa was taken by huge surprise at this sudden action. She thought for a moment as she returned the kiss. This was all confusing. The silence, his kiss, her sudden awkwardness. Wait... wait... wait... Silence? Shimowa broke the kiss quickly leaving the room with a confused Byakuya sitting on the bed. He listened carefully to her quick shuffles and the sounds of her falling, but he was not prepared for the scream. The stoic taichou winced at the high-pitched shriek, and for a moment, he thought he knew why.

"Where... where did everyone go?" She whimpered as she sat on the couch with her legs held up against her chest. She could not, absolutely could not stay here alone with Kuchiki-taichou! Everything was coming back to her quickly, from getting drunk with Matsumoto-fukutaichou to telling Kuchiki-taichou that she loved him. Shimowa made a mental note to kill Matsumoto-fukutaichou before she kills herself. Shimowa scowled as she hugged her knees, not noticing Byakuya standing in the doorway.

"They went to school." He answered her question as she didn't look up. Her lips were buried in the crevasse of her knees, Shimowa's blue eyes looking at the empty dishes. "Why?" She asked as a simple question, her soft voice muffled. Byakuya raised an eyebrow as he walked to her, sitting down as he placed a hand on Shimowa's shoulder. "Why aren't you mad that I lied?" Shimowa whispered, a sudden hate for herself. Why did she give in so easily to Matsumoto-fukutaichou?

Byakuya took her question into consideration. Why wasn't he mad. Byakuya was the type of man who didn't show his emotions, nor did he really care about other's. But right now, he took his feelings into the grasp of his mind, and thought. He thought and thought and thought until he came up with a legitimate reason. He wasn't mad because he was grateful that Shimowa felt this way about him. To see her this way tugged in his chest, the grip on her shoulder tightening a bit. Shimowa finally looked up at him, her lips still frowning as she waited for an answer. "I'm not mad, Shimowa." He murmured eventually, making Shimowa raise an eyebrow. "Then you're mad that I love you." She muttered, her chin returning to the tight crevasse. She was beginning to get stubborn. Byakuya sighed exasperatedly, taking the hand she wrapped around her legs into his own. "I'm still not mad." He said as the hideous amount of color began to rush to her face. Shimowa turned to him, a sincere smile on her face.

"You're lying to make me feel better." She joked as he shook his head. Shimowa hugged the deliberate taichou as she stood up. Stretching her arms, Shimowa yawned as she fell into the lap of Byakuya. She took his hands and put them on her shoulders, looking up at him with her strikingly bright blue eyes. "Well... since it's not so awkward anymore, how about you and I do something before the other's come back?" Shimowa said flirtatiously making Byakuya blush.

"Come on, Kuchiki-taichou! Take me to the park! Please!" Shimowa pleaded once more as Byakuya scolded himself for thinking such thoughts. Stupid, stupid, stupid man. Foolishness! Byakuya sat in the love seat, a magazine held up against his face as he continued to blush. Idiot taichou. Thinking these stupid, preposterous thoughts. Byakuya scowled as Shimowa tugged on his pants. She had changed from the large t-shirt to a stylish sweatshirt with a bow around her neck and a pair of gray jeans. Her hair was tied up in the front, her bangs held up by a black ribbon, the rest falling down her shoulders and back.

"We're home." Toushirou, Rangiku, and Orihime said as they entered the home to see Shimowa at Byakuya's feet. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Rangiku said as she 'tsked', making Shimowa laugh until she saw Toushirou. "Tou-tou! Take me to the park!" She demanded as she stood up, grabbing his hand as he snapped and pulled away. "No, Shimowa. Go by yourself." He growled. Shimowa pouted, "What ever happened to me not going anywhere by myself?" She asked, smirking as he glared at her. "Fine. Let's get this over with." Toushirou sighed as Shimowa squealed like a little girl.

They left the house quickly, Shimowa taking off her black hat and putting it on Toushirou who took it off and threw it at her. "Tou-tou, you're gonna catch a cold." Shimowa said motherly as he crossed his arms, his breath misting in the air. He heard many giggles and whispering from girls that noticed him. Toushirou pulled the collar of his shirt up, hiding his face as he looked down at the pavement. Suddenly, a warm arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him closer to yet a warmer feeling. Toushirou looked up at at his sister, his cheeks red from the cold as she put her black hat onto his white hair. "Tou-tou, you're going to get sick." Shimowa pressed once again, Toushirou smiling weakly as he pressed his head into his sister's stomach.

Shimowa and Toushirou made it to the park, both of them sitting on a swing that rocked gently in the winter breeze. Out of nowhere, two menacing boys came in front of Toushirou, their devious smirks made Shimowa smirk as well. "Oi, Matashi, look at this. A little baby spending the day with his mommy." One boy said snidely as Toushirou scowled, standing up and ready to counter when Shimowa placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. She stood up and stepped in front of her little brother, hands on her hips and a playful smile teasing the two boys. Shimowa took a hold of the boy who spoke rudely of Toushirou by the collar forcefully.

"I'm not his mother, I'm his sister. And if you know what's good for you, you better quit with the mean jokes." She said with her sincere smile, her eyes narrowed as the boy quivered. The other boy scoffed as Shimowa turned her attention to him, dropping the other one, she walked to him. "And what's so funny?" Shimowa asked as she crossed her arms. "It's just that you're way to hot to be his sister." Toushirou gaped at the boy, blushing in embarrassment. Shimowa laughed her wind-chime laugh before thanking the boy, "And you're way to pretty to be a boy, but you don't see my complaining." She retorted as the two boys gaped at the white-haired woman who smiled pleasantly. They cursed loudly and walked away, both scowling and blushing in embarrassment.

Shimowa sat back down next to Toushirou who looked at the snow he kicked. "Why, Shimowa?" He asked as she continued to smile, looking up to the creamy sky. "Toushirou, I didn't see you often when you were younger, and wasn't really there to help you. So I guess I need to help you whenever something happens to you... We died together, so that makes us closer than siblings. I'm not only your onee-chan, but your guardian angel." Shimowa said as he looked up at her, surprised she had called him by his first name. Toushirou couldn't help but smile as Shimowa grinned sincerely. "I'll be here for you, Tou-tou. So no need to worry, 'kay?" Shimowa asked as she patted his back reassuringly. The little taichou nodded, gripping the metal chains tightly.

The white-haired, smiling woman stood up and walked in front of Toushirou, patting his red cheeks softly. "C'mon, Tou-tou, let's go home. You're getting cold." Shimowa said as Toushirou nodded, hopping off the swing and next to Shimowa who walked on ahead. She stood behind him and lifted him off the ground as he squirmed in her tight grip. "Shimowa! Let me down!" He snarled as she laughed. "Nuh uh! You're light as a feather~!" She sang as she finally let him down as he glared at her. Shimowa skipped ahead of him, his scowl softening into a smile.

deathbystrawberries: chotto shimowa, byakuya, you guys weren't at school today, what happened?
frostysoftness: un, i dunno, i was drunk and hungover
deathbystrawberries: oh right
chappy'sawesome: when are we going to see that movie? i want to see the one with chappy
deathbystrawberries: rukia, no way in hell am i going to sit in that theatre with you and watch the demented bunny prance on the screen
chappy'sawesome: he's not demented! ichigo you're horrible!
frostysoftness: i want to see that new horror romance flick
deathbystrawberries: i want to see the one with ninjas
icydoubt: we should all see the new samurai movie
chappy'sawesome: how about the new movie about demons
frostysoftness: or the one about the lost little dead boy
deathbystrawberries: or the one about the one about the vampires
icydoubt: no. vampires are overrated. let's just watch the people who come from drawings
frostysoftness: it's horrific, romance-y, cute, action-packed and they have ninja-fast reflexes!
deathbystrawberries: perfect. a stupid movie about drawings
frostsoftness: we're going no matter what, ichigo
deathbystrawberries: fine, fine. we'll meet you tomorrow.
icydoubt: sure
frostsoftness: see you there!
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chappy'sawesome has left
frostsoftness has left
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movies, movies, movies! thrilling and tempting