Main POV

Ichigo had let me cling onto him for ages, he let me cry every tear I had before he helped me up and had taken me home. He was calm about this whole thing, like he knew what to do, even though it was clear neither of us did. We had just been to the adult in this situation, the older adult in my case, and they didn't know what to do either. He'd sat me down on a bar stool and silently made tea. I accepted it gladly, holding the hot cup in my hand was soothing. After the tea we drank in silence I'd wanted to lie down. I had things I needed to be doing but I couldn't be bothered doing anything. I didn't have the energy. I could push myself to do anything.

Ichigo lead me through to my bedroom and hopped up on the bed beside me, propping himself up against the headboard and wrapped his arms around me. He let me lay there, unmoving, unspeaking as I sulked. I was miserable. I didn't just not know what to do now or what was going on, I didn't know anything. I was falling apart completely and I didn't, I just didn't know. He understood. I guess I never realised just what it had felt like, for him, everything he went through. The guilt he felt over his mother's death. The guilt he felt over Rukia being taken away. What Orehime being kidnapped felt like. What being the one who was supposed to be strong enough to save the world from Aizen. The responsibility that must have been, the weight it would have had and then the crushing feeling of having all that taken from him when it was over and he lost his powers. The year an a half he spent feeling exactly as I did now.

Except he'd done better. He did something even afterwards. He got jobs, he participated in school activities, he found something to keep him occupied while he waited, while he tried to figure out what was next. All I could do was feel. And what I felt was angry. I felt lost. I felt helpless and I felt suffocated. What was I supposed to do now? A question that was going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Uo," he had said after a while. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mmm?" I croaked out.

"What did you mean yesterday, when you told Rangiku she shouldn't?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my brows, momentarily distracted from my sulking. "You mean when I told her to stop trying to get us together?"

"You never said that," he countered. "You didn't tell her to stop trying you told her she shouldn't try. That's different."

"I told her she shouldn't for a lot of reasons," I replied with a sigh.

'Really? He wanted to do this now?' I thought.

"One of them is you're an anime character and I was obsessed with that anime. Kind of creepy if you ask me. Two because neither of us are particularly fond of being pushed into things. Three I'm older than you, which ordinarily wouldn't matter, but you said yourself you hadn't had a girlfriend before and I felt like that it wouldn't be fair on you. And finally because it was only a matter of time before I was going home to my family and getting attached to someone here, it wouldn't be fair on me or them."

"You didn't think any of those things were my choice too?" He asked.

"Oh don't give me that, I'm sure we would have talked about it," I scowled and crossed my arms over me. I also ended up crossing them over his arms which were still wrapped around my middle.

"We're talking about it now," he replied. "Look, me not having a girlfriend before? That's on me but you can't use that as an excuse because you think I can't handle it. I'm telling you I can. Two, I don't think you're creepy because you never set out with the intention of making me your boyfriend, I haven't found you stealing my stuff, except my shirt which I still want back. And three, you and I are both capable of ignoring what everyone else thinks is best, you've seen the anime, I ignore what everyone says. I'm not about to let everyone else in my head and make my decision for me."

"And four?" I asked.

"And four, that's my choice too," he replied. "I might get my heart broken but it's better to have loved and to have lost than to never have loved at all."

"That's right," I said. "You always were a fan of Shakespeare, weren't you?"

"That's not Shakespeare," he told me. "It's Alfred Lord Tennyson."

"What does this mean?" I asked, holing into the arms wrapped around my waist.

"He was saying you shouldn't.."

"Not the quote!" I cut him off. "You asking all these questions and trying to convince me my answers are wrong. What does that mean?"

"Uo.." He paused. "Hikaru," he said. "I wouldn't mind it if next time you saw my dad he called you my girlfriend. I wouldn't deny it."

"Are you saying.."

"If you're really that concerned about me being younger than you," he said. "We can take things slow. As slow as you want them. Snails pace."

"But what if we figure it out," I said. "How I can get back to my siblings?"

"Then I'll personally walk you to the rift and watch you go through," he replied. "I can't keep you from your responsibilities. And if that day comes I'll be proud you're walking through that rift going to the people who need you most. Until then, for as long as you want me, I want you to be mine."

"You really must admire that Shakespeare," I said. "To be so good at all these romantic speeches 'n' shit."

"Is that a yes?" He laughed.

"After the day I've had I could use something to cheer me up," I told him. "Props to you for putting up with my sulking, although I can't guarantee there won't be plenty more where that came from."

"That's okay," he told me. "You've seen me do it plenty of times."

"I don't know, I usually skip those parts," I laughed and I didn't have to turn around to know he was rolling his eyes. "Your family is probably wondering where you are," I told him. "You didn't come home last night and you didn't go to school today."

"I'll text them," he told me and I smacked his arm. "HEY."

"Go back, have a shower, tell everyone where you've been," I told him. "Come back then, if you want."

"I don't feel right just leaving you like this," he told me. "Only if you're going to be alright."

"I'm not made of glass," I told him. "Plus, isn't that guard dog you got me still around somewhere?"

"What guard dog, oh, you mean Renji?" He laughed when he realised. "Yeah he's next door. He left when I came back with you."

"See, I'lll be fine," I told him. "He can baby sit me while you're away."

"You do seem to have perked up considerably," he told me.

"I'm not a piece of china, Jesus Christ, go," I rolled my eyes and broke out of his arms and got up of the bed. I pointed to the bedroom door. "Go."

"Alright, I'm going," he rolled his eyes and headed out the door to put on his shoes. I tossed him the jacket he'd put on me last night and I'd slept in all morning. "Thanks," he caught it and then headed out the door. It was getting late so I went to the kitchen, starting on dinner.

"You feeling better?" Renji asked when he came inside.

"A little," I nodded. I still didn't know what to do, but I felt better knowing I wouldn't have to do, whatever it was, on my own.

"What's for dinner?" he asked and I laughed. I really laughed, I laughed like I hadn't laughed in centuries and I had been saving them up. It was as if all the tension had been released and a weight was lifting off of me. I laughed and I couldn't stop.

"Are you okay?" he asked as I couldn't stop laughing and I braced myself on the counter. "He said to call him if anything happened. Is this what he meant?" Renji asked out loud as I couldn't stop laughing still.

I went back to cooking, smile on my face. Occasionally breaking out into more laughter as I thought back on it. Renji definitely thought there was something wrong with me by now but I didn't care. I was too busy laughing.

"You seem in better spirits," I heard Ichigo kicking off his shoes by the door. "What happened?"

"Dude, she's been like this since you left and hasn't stopped," Renji replied as I put the finishing touches on dinner, laughing occasionally. "What the hell happened?!"

"She got some unexpected bad news," Ichigo replied. "What'd you say anyway?"

"Why does this have to be something I said?" He asked indignantly.

"Okay," Ichigo replied. "What'd you do then?"

"I didn't do anything!" Renji threw his hands up in the air. "All I did was ask what dinner was!"

Ichigo started laughing then. Leaving Renji confused as Ichigo came over to wrap his arms around my waist as I cooked, although he was probably confused for more than one reason now.

"You said nothing happened this morning," Renji's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing did happen this morning," I shrugged.

"Is that how you cheered her up?" he yelled, shocked.

"What?!" Ichigo yelled, letting go of me and spinning around to point at him. "THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT HAPPENED!"

At this point I was in hysterics as I turned the rings on the stove off and used the counter to stop me from dropping to the floor with laughter. I watched the two argue with each other, the appropriate music from the Bleach OST playing in the back of my mind.

Two days running I'd woken up in the protective hold of Ichigo Kurosaki. As far as being technically dead went, it wasn't half bad. I might be totally lost in life, unsure of what to do with myself and filled with more worries than I could ever imagine, I also had a hot anime boyfriend. And who besides those who had a body pillow, could say that? No one, that's who.

"Mmm," I hummed as I wriggled, snuggling closer into Ichigo's chest as I tried to get back to sleep. I felt his hands shift on my back, one hand traveling up to play with my hair. "You're awake, huh?"

"Hard not to be with you rubbing your face on me like that," he smiled. "What are you, a dog? Are you scent marking me?"

"You're hilarious," I rolled my eyes. "Oh shit," I leapt up out of bed. "You're also late for school!"

"Nnnrg," he grumbled, rubbing his face into his pillow. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes!" I picked up my pillow and smacked him on the head with it. "GO. TO. SCHOOL." I punctuated each word with another hit with a pillow.

"You're the worst!" He grumbled and got up out of bed.

"I'm also apparently the only one here who cares about your education," I told him and smacked him again for good measure.

"You're so boring," he rolled his eyes and I smacked him again. How dare he? "Stop that!"

"Go to school," I told him. "You packed your uniform, what's the big problem?"

"The problem is I was enjoying being tucked up in bed wrapped in the arms of my girlfriend," he grumbled. "Although thanks to you I'm awake now."

"Jees, you're grumpy in the morning," I commented. "Go get ready I'll work on breakfast."

"Fine," he grumbled and I heard him flop back down onto the bed. "Bossy," I heard him mutter and I laughed a breathy laugh.

"You know," he said as I leaned up against the fence. "You didn't have to walk me all the way to the gates. I wasn't going to bunk off or anything."

"I know," I laughed. "I came along in case you needed an alibi," I told him. "And I needed to go into town anyway. I'll see you."

"Alibi? What kind of alibi would I need, no one cares if I'm late here," he told me. "I'll see you," he leaned down to kiss my cheek and I blushed the deepest shade I've ever been. I actually heard him chuckle. "And you were worried about me not having had a girlfriend before. You little otaku," he ruffled my hair and headed into the school grounds. There was a lot of people scattered around and I checked my watch. It was lunch time. I didn't know why he was complaining, he only had 2 periods of class left.

I had been thinking about the conversation I'd had with Keigo more and more since I'd discovered I wasn't going to be getting back so easily. I headed to the local car year. I need to get my hands on a second hand 2 door and soon. He was right. Time to start another business and I could think of the first person to partner up with.

Ichigo POV

"Yo Ichigo, what happened, where were you yesterday and why are you so late today?" Keigo asked as soon as I got to the roof.

"I was busy," I replied. I thought about telling them who I was with but that would lead to questions and a few labels I said I wouldn't deny anymore. It couldn't hurt to have a little more time to ourselves.

"Hey Ichigo, I thought you two were never going to get out of bed, finally decided to come to school," Renji said as he came through the roof door.

"Hey, it's not like you went to school yesterday either," I glared at him. "And shut up."

"Wait," Keigo said. "You two?"

"Out of bed?" Mizuiro wiggled his eyebrows and I banged both their heads together.

"Shut up," he glared at a roof tile and away from their prying eyes.

"You mean you didn't tell them?" Renji grinned. "I knew something happened!"

"Nothing happened okay!" I threw my hands up and went for him.

"Alright, alright," he wrestled out from beneath me. "Chill, I was just kidding. You're wound to tight for something to have happened anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I glared at him.

"Well if you'd gotten laid last night you'd be in a much better mood," he grumbled and started eating his lunch.

"You're the worst," I grumbled.

"Wait," Keigo asked. "Who do you think he slept with?"

"Never you mind!" I yelled.

"Hey, who's car is Uo sitting on?" Keigo asked as I looked up and saw her sitting on the hood of a blue Nissan Skyline, reading a manga.

"Don't look at me, she didn't have a car this morning," I replied and instantly regretted it.

"Oh yeah," he grinned. "And how'd you know that?"

"Oh shut up," I grumbled and headed for the car. Last 2 and a half hours were torture. "Hey, Uo."

"Oh hey," she smiled.

"What's with the car?" I asked.

"Keigo suggested the other day I start my own business, you know, I always wanted a skyline," she told me. "So I figured I would. I've done it before. I'm off to go get my first business partner and could use some muscle, wanna come?"

"Some muscle?" I raised a brow.

"Yeah, come on, let's go bully Urahara," she waved for me to get into the car and she jumped off the hood.

"Wait," Keigo said. "Can I get a ride?" He called and she drove off.

"You just decided to buy a car today?" I asked her from the passenger seat.

"It's an investment," she told me. "Plus it may be a tax redeemable, or bits and pieces. It is a business expense."

"I don't think that's how that works," I told her. "You really think Urahara's going to be your business partner after you told him to fuck off yesterday?"

"'Course, good friends like us won't let one little argument ruin everything," she smiled at me before turning back to the road.

"You're not actually good friends," I glared pointedly at her.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "We keep hanging out all the time we might become good friends."

"I thought you said he creeped you out," I asked her.

"He's a little different in real life," she shrugged again. "And I'm not about to go to bed with the guy, that's what I've got you for." I blushed. Damn her.