(Bleach) Awake and Alive - Chapter 26: Home Away From Home

Finally, the school day was over. All the students ran out of the classrooms in joy and went off to do their own things. Chad and Uryu went to go do their own things as well, leaving the rest of the gang to walk along the streets chatting about stuff.

"So Mikari-chan," Orihime turned to Mikari beside her. "Will you be staying with your sister?"

Mikari looked up in thought. "That does seem like the most reasonable thing to do." She hadn't really thought about it yet. Wouldn't really matter where she stayed at, she would still need to buy ningen clothes anyway.

"Hey! That's great!" Renji yelled out from the front of the group. "I'm staying at Urahara's and maybe you can tell him not to make me pay for the rent."

As Mikari was about to reply, a tight grip on her arm made her stop. She looked over and saw Toshiro digging his nails in her arm. He didn't look very happy, he also was glaring harshly at Renji. Then in a blink of an eye, Toshiro turned a corner, away from the group, and dragged Mikari with him.

"Is something wrong Toshiro?" Mikari questioned at his behavior.

He didn't reply right away, but he loosened his grip on her arm and instead held her hand lightly, stopping in the middle of the street also.

"Sorry..." he began softly, looking off to the side. "...I just wanted to say that I don't want you staying at Urahara's if Abarai's there." Toshiro didn't want to be mean and say that Mikari shouldn't stay with her sister and all, but Abarai being the guy he is doesn't go with Toshiro.

"...Aw Toshiro!"

Mikari wrapped her arms around his gleefully. "You know you could of just something earlier. You gotta learn to talk outloud about your feelings."

He just huffed cutely with red cheeks. "Whatever."

"So could I stay with you then?" Mikari asked with a little blush.

"Of course!"

Mikari and Toshiro turned around to the loud voice and saw both Matsumoto and Orihime.

"Both Hitsugaya-san and Rangiku-chan stay at my place and I'd be happy for you to stay over as well." Orihime replied and Mikari let out a little cheer.

"First things first." Matsumoto took Mikari's arm and dragged her away from Toshiro.

"Time to go shopping!" She happily said, walking away with Orihime and a whining Mikari. Toshiro sighed at all of this, but had a small smile on his face as he headed for Orihime's apartment.

"That was some good shopping!"

The three girls walked to Orihime's apartment happily, with their arms filled shopping bags. Though Mikari didn't like shopping much, she actually had fun with the two busty girls.

Then out of the three, Orihime was the only one still in her school uniform. Matsumoto was wearing a yellow dress and Mikari was wearing a navy blue blouse, tied with yellow ribbons, and white shorts underneath.

"Glad that's over with." Mikari concluded once they arrived to the apartment there. "Now I don't have to worry about pajama's or anything."

Orihime giggled at this and opened the door to let them all in.

"How about I make dinner now?" She then offered.

"Is that ok?" Mikari questioned. She was a guest, but she didn't want Orihime doing all the work.

Orihime gave Mikari a bright smile. "Of course! I love cooking! Rangiku-chan, will you help me?" "Hai!"

As the two headed for the kitchen, Matsumoto gave one more look at Mikari. "You should find taicho and tell him that dinner will be ready when we call you. He's usually on the roof."

Mikari nodded and began to make her way to the roof, after placing her bags down and calling her sister. She found the bathroom and went out the window and climbed up to the roof. After getting her footing, she walked around the roof and finally found Toshiro sitting on the roof and staring up at the now night sky. He was also out of his uniform and wearing a black t-shirt, with the number 10 on it and pants.

"Hey Toshiro! What's up?"

Mikari took a seat beside him on the roof with a smile and looked up to the sky. She had to admit to herself, Toshiro looked good in living world clothes, but she didn't want to admit it. With her gaze on the sky, she didn't notice Toshiro looking her up and down.

"Nothing really. Your looking beautiful in those clothes." He ended with a smirk, hoping to see his favorite reaction. And he did when Mikari's cheeks lightly went pink.

"Awww. You gotta stop making me blush." "Nah. It's too fun."

"Dinner time!" They heard Orihime and Matsumoto call from the apartment.

Toshiro groaned at the news, catching Mikari's attention.

"What's wrong?"

"...Orihime's cooking...isn't that great."

The four sat at the table filled with plates and a giant bowl of soup in the middle, but it wasn't what Mikari expected at all. The soup had normal stuff in it like meat and vegetables, but sticking out of it was also a giant fish head and what seemed like cucumber and corn.

Mikari's nose twitched at the smell and her face dropped more then ever when Orihime poured her a bowl.

"Dig in!" Orihime happily said, not noticing the look on Mikari's face. Only she and Matsumoto ate the soup with a happy moan, while Mikari and Toshiro looked at it in disgust.

Being brave, Mikari took in a deep breath and slowly brought a spoonful of the soup to her mouth. The instant she swallowed, her eyes popped out and her face went blue. After excusing herself, she jumped out of her seat and ran for the bathroom.

As she puked out her guts in the toilet, she felt a hand rub her back softly and another holding her hair back.

"Now you know Orihime's cooking." She heard Toshiro say behind her.

"Wonderful." Mikari dragged out, finishing her puking session. She got on her feet and wiped her mouth with a towel in disgust.

"Don't worry, I bought some food in preparation. So we can have some ramen."

At this, Mikari's eyes went all shiny and she gave Toshiro a big hug.

"Oh how I love you!"

Thankfully Orihime didn't question the two about making ramen and everything ended well. Then it was getting late and everyone had to go to bed cause there was still school tomorrow. But there was one more problem for the day:

"Gomen Mikari-chan, but I had no time to get a room ready for you!"

"That's alright Orihime." Mikari said, trying to calm down the overreacting girl, who was running around with her arms in the air. "I can sleep on the couch."

"But that's a horrible thing to do to the guest!" She cried out.

"I insist."

Mikari pushed Orihime to her room and walked back to the living room, saying good night to Matsumoto and Toshiro. After changing into her fuzzy new pjs, she fixed the her pillow and laid down on the couch, letting out a yawn. After wrapping the blanket around her body, she closed her sleepy eyes and soon fell asleep.

Not even a few minutes later, Mikari felt her body be picked up and she consciously woke up. Opening her eyes, she looked around and noticed that she was being carried bridal-style by Toshiro.

"What's going on?" She questioned with a yawn.

"I'm taking you to my room so you won't sleep on the couch."

Mikari blinked slowly but then she went bright red and began to squirm in his arms. "You are a perv!" She cried out.

"I am not!" He argued back, trying to calm her down, but had to tighten his grip on her squirming form. He finally got to his room and placed Mikari on the bed. She knew that she couldn't argue with Toshiro so she made her way under the blankets and fell asleep again, tired from the events of the day.

Toshiro smiled down at the now sleeping girl and began to head out for the couch. But then he was stopped by a hand clutching his own. He looked down in surprise and saw that it was Mikari's hand, but he looked back at Mikari and she still looked like she was sleeping.

"Should I really believe that your asleep." He asked the supposed sleeping girl. Getting no reply but soft breathing, he sighed and made his way under the blankets. "You can't call me a perv now since you're the one who brought me here."

He laid down beside her, but turned away so that his back was to her, didn't want her to see the wrong idea. Just as he was about to close his eyes, something moved closer to him and his body temperature began to rise from the heat. Toshiro turned his head around and saw Mikari snuggled up to him with a smile.

A smile was on Toshiro's face and he slowly turned to Mikari and wrapped his arm around her, forgetting his thought from before.

"Good night Mikari." He softly whispered, letting his eye drowsily close and he fell asleep too.

Sunshine came in from the window of Toshiro's room and hit his face. He opened his eyes and groaned at the bright light. When his eyes began to focus, that's when he noticed that Mikari wasn't beside him in the bed anymore. He jumped out of bed and walked out of his room and to the hall. A smell then caught his attention, as well as a light from the kitchen.

Walking inside the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was Mikari, still in her pajamas, standing in front of the stove. Then he saw the plates on the table, one holding a tower of eggo, there was also glasses beside a carton of milk and juice and finally some maple syrup.

"Good morning!"

Toshiro looked back at Mikari, who turned to him with a smile. "...Morning...you made breakfast?"

"Yeah. I don't really wanna see the kind of food that orihime would make for breakfast." She turned back to the frying pan on the oven that had eggs and bacon simmering. "Oh yeah, question?"

"Hm?"

"How come I found you sleeping beside me this morning with your arms around me?" Her smirk didn't come unnoticed by Toshiro. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I do believe that you were the one who held me there and snuggled up to me too." He whispered in her ear, poking her red cheek.

Mikari shivered at the cold breeze from his mouth and turned away from the poke. "I remember no such thing."

"Ah ha!"

The two turned around to see Matsumoto pointing a finger at them. "I knew you two did something when I saw you two together in bed."

"...you went in my room..." Toshiro growled out, unwrapping his arms from Mikari, a fiery aura appearing around him.

Matsumoto 'eeped' and bolted out of the room with Toshiro not far behind. Mikari just shrugged at this and continued to cook breakfast with a smile. Times here would definantely be fun and interesting.