Still awkward. But I'm trying to move things along.

Once he told her that he was going to leave for a little bit so that she could maybe grab a nap- and mentioned that he'd be back later to maybe take her and her family out to dinner. Ichigo frowned at him, but seemed to understand the why of things.

After all, despite not yet broaching the subject of taking her with him back to Musutafu to live, she was far from stupid. She knew that she would have to begin preparations to move away. But she also seemed to know that he wanted to sit down with everyone and meet them.

Partially to get to know her and her family a little bit better- after all, observing a person when they're near those that they love is an easy way to tell what sort of person they are. And partially to assure everyone that she would be alright in his care.

"Could you point me to a decent hotel?" He asked as he started to get up from his seat. She thought for a moment before slowly saying,

"I have a better idea. Instead of using a hotel- why don't I see if one of my friends can put you up for a couple nights?"

He gave her a peculiar look as he seemed to mull over her suggestion. Knowing that there was at least some merit to it. Plus friends were an extended family of sorts. Getting to know a few of them would let him see what sort of people she surrounded herself with and would likely be just as enlightening as meeting the rest of her actual family.

Plus friends rarely thought twice about sharing blackmail material and funny stories about one another. It was another way to get to know her without having to ask her questions that she wouldn't want to answer.

"That...actually sounds like it might be fun." He said with a smile after a moment or so of weighing the pro's and con's. Ichigo hummed, already onto his little scheme as she held up her index finger and then stood up and walked over to the phone and grabbed it.

It didn't take her more than a minute or so to reach Chad. And even less time to explain what she needed of him before he was agreeing to take Toshinori in for a while.

She politely thanked him, and told him that she'd bring her husband over as soon as he was ready to leave. Since she suspected that he had an overnight bag or something stuffed in the trunk of his car that he'd need to grab before she led him to the apartment anyways.

Once she hung up the phone, and turned to look at him, she was startled to find him standing there looking rather pleased with himself with a large duffle bag hanging off of one of his massive shoulders.

"I'm ready to go."

"I can see that. When did you-"

"While you're back was turned," He said before tacking on with a dopy grin. "I'm excited to meet your friend. What's his name?"

"His name is Yasutora Sado. But everyone calls him Chad." Ichigo said with a fond smile as she brushed by him. He followed her back out of the house firing off questions about 'Chad' before happening to glance down and realizing that she wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Uh...Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"You aren't wearing any shoes. Is that wise? I know that you probably know the area best but don't people toss glass bottles and such out into the road from time to time? Won't you get glass stuck in your feet?" He asked in a concerned tone as she glanced at him.

"I'll be fine. It's rare that I ever suffer any sort of glass related injury when I'm walking around like this. Besides, I often run around without shoes at random hours of the day and night." She didn't bother to tell him that she'd often times spent hours out in the rain, sleet, and snow without any shoes on, fighting.

She didn't want to freak him out any.

After all, it was one thing for her to have a nervous breakdown. She didn't want to deal with him having one as well. She was stressed enough as it was.

"So what does your friend do for a living?"

"He's a musician. He does gigs at clubs and bars. He's hoping to one day get signed to a record company."

"Really? Is he any good?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah. He's...awesome at it. This is just my opinion, but the music industry is really missing out."

"You must really care about him to say that."

"I say it because it's true. Chad is a great guy. He's a hard worker, diligent, and spends a lot of his spare time perfecting his skills where he can. He'd be a great addition to any record company."

"How long have you known him?"

"Since I was twelve..." She said before then tacking on. "He saved me from nearly having my skull bashed in by some thugs."

He focused his blue eyes on her, his expression shifting ever so slightly to something dangerous. "Someone attacked you?" He wasn't sure how to feel about this. Sure it had happened when she was twelve, but the thought of her being attacked at all sent every protective instinct that he had into a frenzy.

She let out a small laugh akin to the one she'd given earlier. It wasn't a nice sound. It sounded cold, harsh and just a tad bit cynical to his ears. In his opinion, no one with Nana's blood- much less his own wife- should ever make a sound like that.

It was positively painful to hear.

But he knew enough from his years of hard training to understand how to read between the lines. "You've been attacked by people repeatedly. Haven't you?"

She didn't bother to answer him. Which was really all the answer that he needed from her to know.

Setting his jaw, he reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. It was meant to be a protective gesture to show others that if anyone was foolish enough to think that they could attack her again, they would know that they would have to go through him.

But it may have wound up being more possessive than protective.

They got some weird looks from a few people that they did pass on the street. And some others certainly gave them a wide berth until someone, a young man of average height and build decided to run up to them and try and pounce on Ichigo.

And shockingly, got clotheslined for his efforts.

Toshinori couldn't help the way his jaw dropped open as he gaped at the young man lying on the street groaning. He hadn't even seen Ichigo move until she'd had him by the throat with her arm.

"Dammit, Ichigo..." The guy rasped in-between coughs as she circled him for a moment before stopping and holding her hand out to him. Toshinori barely managed to gather his wits again before she was pulling the guy up off of the pavement.

"Why do you feel the need to clothesline me all the time?" The guy practically whined.

"Why do you feel the insane need to lunge at me like a crazy person?" Ichigo shot back at him as he rubbed his throat.

"I do it because we're friends and I'm happy to see you- Whoa!" He said as he finally noticed Toshinori standing there. His eyes got as wide as saucers and his own jaw dropped open a little bit as Toshinori quickly sized him up. "Holy shit Ichigo! D-Do you know who you're standing next too?!" The guy nearly shouted excitedly.

"Yeah, a guy who likes to fight crime in his PJ's."

Toshinori huffed a little bit and wondered if Ichigo was referring to him as such on purpose to get a rise out of him, or if she truly believed that when the young man gasped in outrage and grabbed her and started to shake her. Violently enough for Toshinori to look vaguely alarmed about whether or not she might begin vomiting again, and reach out and quickly snatch her away from him.

"That will be enough of that, young man." He chastised, the young man had the good grace to look abashed and muttered out a quiet apology as Toshinori placed Ichigo back on her feet closer to him. Making sure to keep a large hand on her shoulder as the young man seemed to begin mentally shifting gears again.

Going from embarrassed to excited all over again.

"Sorry, sorry it's just not everyday that a person runs into one of their favorite heroes! And Ichigo is sort of a savage. Honestly I think she was raised by a pack of wolves or something. I don't think that I've ever met anyone who didn't know who you are!" He babbled.

Toshinori wasn't sure what to say to that. So he just gave the young man one of his trademark 'hero' smiles. "It's always nice to meet a fan." He said kindly.

"I'm sure." He laughed before then asking, "Hey can I have your autograph?" He started to pat himself down for something for Toshinori to sign before quickly turning to Ichigo and whispering none too discreetly, "Ichigo! Don't panic. But I don't have anything for him to sign, let him sign you're boobs so I can use my phone to take a picture of it!"

Toshinori blinked, feeling the beginnings of anger stirring within him at the young man's outrageous request of his wife. He was a heartbeat away from telling the young man no. But Ichigo beat him to it by kicking the guy's legs out from under him at the same time she flipped him over her shoulder.

He hit the ground in a tangle of arms and legs, groaning in pain all over again as she muttered, "Leave me out of your weird crap Keigo, and just go home and get a pen and paper like a normal person."

"O-Okay." He wheezed as she reached out and took hold of Toshinori's wrist and gently tugged him along as she stepped over him and started walking again.