A/N: Have you ever thought how strange it is how some characters can be called by either their first or last name and some can't? Like how Toshiro could be either and so could Momo, but you would never call Ukitake Jushiro and Kira will always be Kira? Random observation of the day. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. The next chapter after this is rather adorable, if I may say so myself. I'm in the process of editing it and it makes me smile.

Momo's plan was to sneak into the apartment as quietly as physically possible and hurry on to bed before she had a chance to wake Nanao. She did not feel like discussing the events of the day. Too much had gone on.

Her dreams were shattered when she unlocked the apartment door to find Nanao at the kitchen table, surrounded by notes and textbooks. Upon seeing her roommate walk in, Nanao looked up from her studying and smiled.

"What are you doing up?" Momo asked.

"Studying. Summer finals are this week," Nanao answered obviously. "The real question is, why are you just getting home?"

At this, the smallest blush crossed Momo's cheeks. "I was taking care of Toshiro."

"Taking care, alright," Nanao said as she cocked an eyebrow. "Did you sleep with him?"

"What! No! His grandmother just died Nanao!"

Nanao shrugged. "Sex is actually a rather common way people cope with grief."

"Well, even so, we didn't!" Momo said. She could feel her face growing hot from the inner turmoil of emotions. "I told you! I was taking care of him."

"For eleven hours?"

"Look. All I did was make him tea and provide him with company. I don't think he wanted to be alone. I was only there for a long time because we fell asleep."

"Oh, so you were cuddling with your professor. Whom, by the way, you saw shopping for engagement rings a week ago. You're in hot water."

"He's not engaged," Momo muttered. "He was with his friend, the redhead from the coffee shop, helping him pick out a ring."

At this, Nanao smile. "That's a relief. When I saw him at that jewelry story I was utterly confused considering he had seemed so...into you."

Momo did not answer this. In fact, Momo could not even look Nanao in the eyes. She knew by now the blush in her cheeks must be overwhelmingly red.

"What it is? What happened?" There was no getting away with anything in front of Nanao.

"He kissed me," Momo said, so quietly that if Nanao had not been focusing solely on the conversation she would not have heard Momo's confession.

"Just kiss?"

Momo nodded and she looked at the ground to avoid eye contact.

"And?" Nanao asked.

"It was... nice," Momo said with a smile at the thought.

Nice was an understand. It had taken her breath away and left her wanting more. The entire car ride home had been consumed with Momo's mind replaying the second, more heated kiss over and over again, the feel of his lips still vivid in her memory.

"These two word answers will not suffice," Nanao said sternly. "Sit. Tell me."

Momo sighed and walked over to join Nanao at the chairs by their counter.

"What do you want to know?"

"Did he just suddenly kiss you? Did you kiss him? What happens next? Will you see him again?"

Leave it to Nanao to be thorough.

"Um, well I asked about his finance and when he told me didn't have one it just... kind of...yeah. And I don't know what happens next. He won't be at school all week because of what's happened. But..." Momo stopped and bite her lip, a shy smile on her face. "He did ask if I would accompany him to an engagement party for his friends."

At this, Nanao simply smiled. "Good."

"That's it?" Momo said. "I tell you what could possibly be one of the most interesting things to happen in my life in years and all you say his good?"

"You know I'm not one for sentiment," Nanao said. "Besides, I've been expecting this to happen since your birthday. Now I've got to get back to studying and you need to go to bed."

That night, Momo lay in bed staring up at her ceiling. She knew sleep would evade her as her mind continued to replay the night like a movie on repeat.

As suggested, Momo took the next day off. She did not get out of bed until late. It had been well past four in the morning when she had finally fallen asleep. By the time she showered and got out of bed, Momo realized that she had slept well past breakfast. Nanao was already gone to the library, determined to put in another productive day of studying for her approaching final.

Momo spent the rest of her day lazily. She curled up on the couch, still in her sleep shirt, watching movies with her Tobiume purring at her side.

It was late afternoon when there was a knock on the door. Momo answered it to find it was Kira fresh off of work.

"Hi Kira," she said with a smile. "Why don't you come in?"

"Sure," he followed Momo into her apartment and sat down at the counter. "How was your day off?"

"Relaxing," Momo said. "I haven't left the couch since lunch."

"Good, you deserve a break," Kira said. He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out an envelope. "Here's the letter I told you about. It's from Urahara with information on the next court date."

Momo's smile wavered for the smallest of seconds, but not before Kira saw.

"I can go with you if you'd like some moral support," he offered.

Momo shook her head. "I'll be fine by myself. The last trials wasn't so bad to watch."

"If you say so," Kira said bitterly. "I still don't think any of this is a good idea."

"Well, I'm not asking you." Momo's voice had an uncharacteristic snap in it. "Look, he's not that bad a guy. I know you don't agree, but at least let me do what I want in peace. I've had a hell of a week and it's only Tuesday. Yesterday, Toshiro's grandmother died and taking care of him was quite tiresome."

The last statement was so unexpected that Kira completely forgot about Momo's temporary burst of anger towards him. "You were with him?" He tried to make his voice sound curious, not jealous.

"He didn't show up for work yesterday. I was worried and when I was at his house... I just couldn't leave him alone."

"Why don't you just let his fiancé take care of him?" Kira asked. "Didn't you say you had seen him shopping for rings a few days back?"

"We did, but he was with a friend. He doesn't have a fiancé! He's very much single," Momo said as she giggled in the most girlish way. "Very, very much so."

Kira raised an eyebrow at his friend but did not say anything, choosing instead to study her reactions.

"So," Momo continued. "There's no harm in it!"

"I'm glad," Kira said dryly. Part of him wanted to ask her what had gone on at the Hitsugaya household. Part of him didn't think he could stomach the truth. So instead he said, "By the way, what are you doing Saturday? Shuhei and I were thinking of movie hopping."

"I can't," Momo said immediately. She then realized how eager she sounded and took a breath to slow down. "I- I made plans. With Toshiro."

"As in a date?" He was right. He wasn't going to be able to stomach this.

"Maybe? I don't know? Ugh! I'm so confused. I can't stop thinking about that kiss!" The words came out before she could stop them. In the past, Momo had tried to avoid talking about her personal life with Kira, knowing full well that he harbored feelings for her. Today, however, she figured that he had been digging for this information, so if she said anything that bothered him, it wasn't her fault.

"I see..." Kira voice faded a bit. "But, if it makes you happy, then I'll be happy for you."

This was not the reaction Momo had expected. She was waiting for a lecture on how kissing a professor was unprofessional, erratic and deeply frowned upon. She assumed Kira would find a list of reasons on why entertaining her desires would cause irreparable damage to her future academic career. Instead, he had... supported her. Perhaps, the other day at the coffee shop, he had meant in earnest that he understood Momo would never return his affections and it was time to move on.

"Um, thank you Kira."

"But," Kira said quietly. "If he hurts you, I'll hurt him."

Momo did not respond. Considering her track record, she had no right too.