This chap is a little bit..awkward.

Dinner was wonderful, despite being weirdly quiet. Honestly, Toshinori couldn't recall a time when he'd been able to eat such good food without becoming sick or falling into a coughing fit. He'd managed to eat two bowls of stew and at least one and a half grilled cheeses.

And now here he was, still parked at her island, sucking on one of his fingers because it tasted like butter. It was kind of funny really. He had manners and all, but the second really good food was put in front of him it was like he regressed to a little boy. Messy table manners and all.

Ichigo didn't seem to mind any, which was great. Until...he caught her licking her own fingers. and then his manners kicked into to overtime and he quickly grabbed the dish towel that she'd used to carry his bowl over to him earlier, to prevent herself from being burned, and threw it at her face.

Just anything to cover up that strangely misleading and erotic vision that she'd just unknowingly presented him with.

She let out an annoyed sound, but left the dish towel where it was, half draped over her face and kept licking her fingers until they were finally clean before then reaching up and tugging the towel off of her head and stared at him for a moment before saying, "Rude."

He made a non committal sound as he watched her stand up and collect both of their dishes.

"I can do that, if you want." He offered, trying to remember that he had manners and he should use them. Especially since he planned to make an utter nuisance of himself while he was with her.

"No."

"Why not? You cooked," He said as he stood up from his seat. "It's only fair."

"Guests don't do the dishes." She said as she set the dishes down in the sink and started to run the water as he walked around the island and moved up behind her and then trapped her between his body and the counter. Causing her to stiffen up a little bit.

To be fair, he sort of did too. He hadn't realized how strangely intimate the action was until just now.

"Let me do them," He insisted in a soft, coaxing tone before then tacking on. "You're tired. You should go and sit back down and rest some."

She made a huffing sound and let her head fall back until it was pressed against his chest and muttered stubbornly, "Guests don't do the dishes."

"Well this one does." He said firmly as he used a hand to move her away from the sink.

She huffed again but didn't fight him anymore and just let him do as he wanted since it was simpler. While he was busy washing the dishes, she decided to leave the kitchen and go grab some spare blankets and pillows that she had lying around so that he could rest more comfortably on the couch later.

Keeping an ear out, just in case he accidentally hurt himself or something on one of the knives that she had in the sink- she went about collecting everything that she could think of that he might need to be comfortable. She gathered together two blankets of varying thickness and at least three of the fluffiest pillows that she owned.

She had some men's clothing that she'd bought a while back lying around too. But she was reluctant to part with any of those since they were comfortable. Still...she knew that he couldn't exactly sleep in his present clothes and be terribly comfortable. But at the same time- he was kind of irking her with his persistence.

Maybe if he suffered a really bad wedgie or something he'd leave and go home.

Well, she could hope so anyways. She mused to herself as she set the blankets and pillows down next to the couch and then looked it over with a critical eye. Trying to make sure that he'd even be able to fit on it. He was rather tall. Or at least his legs were anyways.

She was so busy calculating his height as opposed to the couches length that she totally missed him stepping into the room to find her frowning at the couch. "Is something wrong?" He asked curiously. The sound of him suddenly speaking causing her to jump a little bit.

"I- uh...I-I think maybe you might be better off taking the bedroom." She said awkwardly after a moment or so of hesitation.

"Oh?" He asked as he studied her with a slightly confused expression. "What's wrong with the couch?"

"It's short." She said almost automatically, her expression darkening as she did so. His lips quirked a bit at the corners when he detected the smallest hint of a whine in her tone as her tail twitched in agitation.

His eyes flickered to the couch and he scrunched up his nose a little bit when he realized that she was right. It was short. So much so that if he tried to sleep on it tonight he'd probably hang half off of it. No matter though, he could deal. Besides, he wasn't the type of guy that could in good conscience take a young lady's bed from her.

"It's fine. I can sleep here easily." Which technically was both true and untrue. He could sleep there easily. But he'd likely throw out his back or something while doing it. and he wasn't going to lie, that was going to be unpleasant for him especially on the days he taught at the school. But he'd still manage.

No pain, no gain. Right?

She looked up at him, her expression oddly solemn and looked as if she were about to tell him to take her bed again when he decided to nip this nonsense in the bud, and quickly moved over to the couch and grabbed her- eliciting a cute squeak from her- as he flopped himself down on it. And then settled her on his lap.

"See, I can sleep here easily." He said again as her face turned pink with embarrassment as her eyes went to his face.

He was feeling a tad bit smug about making her totally speechless when she grabbed a pillow that she'd collected for him to use and then promptly tried to smother him with it.

He let her get away with it for like a minute before he growled and then reached up and none too gently seized the tip of one of her furry ears and tugged on it until she yelped and dropped the pillow. Once he'd managed to get her to stop trying to smother him, he released her ear while simultaneously removing the pillow from her reach.

"Do you always attack people when they try to help you?" He asked curiously as he watched her rub her sore ear for a moment as she glared at him.

"Only if they put me in their laps." She muttered almost sullenly, still embarrassed by being set in his lap like she were a domesticated animal or his girlfriend or something.

"Is there something wrong with my lap?" He asked, genuinely bewildered. Sure he knew that he didn't exactly have a lot of flesh to make him a very comfortable seat, but still. Was there something wrong with it? Or was this just one of those peculiar instances where her feline tendencies were making themselves known?

He hadn't meant to embarrass or upset her. It was just...with him occupying the couch space. What if she wanted to sit down and there was nowhere for her to do so? It wasn't as if she had a lot of chairs or anything that she could choose from. Her living room space was far too limited.

And he didn't want her to just sit on the floor. He'd feel bad.

"You're a guy." She said in an accusing tone as she gave him a pointed look.

He blinked at her for a moment, then opened his mouth to say something but then seemed to think better of it and shut his mouth again and simply stared at her strangely. As if he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that she'd pretty much just accused him of being a male.

Finally he just stammered out, "I-I'm sorry for being a...guy?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a perturbed look and then slowly climbed off of his lap. Her every action now practically screaming of wariness.

Of me? Why? He wondered uncomfortably. He knew that a lot of people tended to become uncomfortable and intimidated by him at one point or another, but having her feel that way hurt him. Like, really, really hurt him.

He felt as if All For One had just punched his hand right through his torso and was attempting to tear out his remaining lung.

"Ichigo… A-Are you afraid of me?" He asked hesitantly once she was finally out of his lap and looking around her small living room for someplace else to sit. She visibly tensed up a little bit at his question and slowly turned her head to look at him over her shoulder before slowly replying.

"No. I'm not afraid of you." The little bit of relief he felt was instant. He could feel the tenseness leaving his shoulders a little bit.

"D-Do I make you uncomfortable then?" He asked before quickly tacking on. "You can tell me if I do. I won't be offended, I promise." That was a lie. He would be offended. But he'd try to understand, for her sake anyways.

"You don't make me uncomfortable. I just- I-I'm just r-really awkward...around men." She said as her ears drooped a little bit and the tip of her tail flicked slowly behind her.

He stayed quiet for several moments as he mulled over her admission before finally asking curiously, "Why?" Hoping to god that nothing had happened to her to make her feel like she did when it came to men. Especially since it would make taking care of her during her heat considerably more difficult.

She didn't have an answer for him. So she just didn't say anything, choosing instead to simply leave the room and lock herself away in her bedroom.