AN: Okay, I swear I had Chapter 8 almost finished, but that has disappeared somewhere so take 2!
Sorry it has taken me like 100 years to update, life has been pretty crazy but im in college now and things have mostly evened out. I swear I'll try and update but don't worry I would never discontinue the story.
As Fate Would Have It Chapter 8
As you stay afloat.
Beginning Quote: "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." -John F. Kennedy
Momo woke up that Friday morning to the sound of hushed voices in her kitchen. She slowly sat up and got out of her warm, comfy bed and stumbled her way to the kitchen.
Rukia and Ichigo sat at the table small boxes littered around them.
"Hey guys what's up?" Momo asked plopping into the open seat.
"We're deciding what I should and shouldn't box up for the move." Rukia said. "We're at a standstill right now."
"What do you mean?"
"Ichigo doesn't want me to take my Chappis with me." Rukia said seriously.
Momo giggled. "Ichigo, this is a lost cause. She's going to take them anyway."
"I don't understand why she needs them!" Ichigo complained. "They're not that important they're kind of stupid anyways."
Rukia got a scary glint in her eye. "Oh really? They're stupid? Why don't I show you something stupid Strawberry?"
As Rukia and Ichigo began to pointlessly argue, Momo got ready to go to the set for another day of filming. By the time Momo was dressed and leaving, Rukia and Ichigo were packing up the rest of Rukias stuff and still arguing.
"Well your shirt is stupid!" Ichigo said from across the living room.
"It's your shirt idiot! And your haircut in seventh grade was stupid!" Rukia countered from the depths of her room.
"What does that even have to do with anything?" Ichigo complained.
Momo just laughed and left the house. Momo ignored the back of Rukias jeep that was piled with boxes, she knew that when she got home Rukia would be gone and moved from the apartment, but she didn't really want to concentrate on that for now.
She pulled out of her driveway and started on the short trip to the set. About halfway there she realized that she was almost late and the traffic was starting to get bad.
"I can't be late again!" Momo yelled. She nervously tapped at her steering wheel until the traffic once again began to move forward. She idly fiddled with the radio as she mentally prepared herself for the day of filming. It was going to be one of her last days of filming since her part was really only up until her character got killed and would then mainly exist as flashbacks.
To Momo's extreme luck the crowd started moving again and she sped off in the direction of the studio. She pulled into the parking lot with about 5 minutes to spare and all but fell into the studio much to the amusement of everyone there.
One of the assistants handed her a coffee and Momo profusely thanked them and wandered off in the direction of hair and make-up.
Momo sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, todays scenes all involved her character reappearing to her brother and the makeup needed for these scenes was basically white powder to make her look like a ghost, Momo looked at her reflection and decided this paleness was not good for her, she really did look like a ghost but at least the make-up itself wasn't heavy like the fake blood that had been used.
She nodded to the make-up artists and stretched her back walking back over to where the sets were. The director caught her by the arm on her way there and waved someone else over.
"Oh Ms. Hinamori, I'm glad I caught you before you got to set."
"Is there a problem?" Momo asked turning to face the director.
"Oh no, no not at all, just wanted to make sure you were clear with Mr. Hitsugaya in the terms of the songs you will record for the film."
Momo turned as the director gestured to Toshiro who had been drawing closer to them once the director had beckoned him over.
"I know the songs that I am singing for the movie for the soundtrack, but I don't think we've settled on a day yet." Momo told the director turning to Toshiro at the end. "When do you have an opening for me?"
Toshiro tilted his head to the side as he mentally went over the list of people he had lined up to record. He had to bite his tongue at Momo's question as the answer of anytime had popped up in his head unwillingly. "Sometime in the next two or three days, I'll have to call my office and pick a time though."
"Ah perfect, I would ideally like to have this recorded by the end of the week, so I'll leave the two of you to it."
The director swept off into a new conversation with someone else while Momo and Toshiro were left facing each other.
"So you'll call me with the times you have open?" Momo asked him.
Toshiro nodded and shifted his weight to relax into a more slouched stance that Momo had so often seen him undertake in high school. Toshiro rubbed a hand on the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I'll call them in a bit and have some times for you to pick from by the end of the day."
"Okay that works for me, I don't really have anything planned for the next few days besides this and Rukia is moving the rest of her stuff out today so that shouldn't interfere with anything."
Toshiro huffed a laugh. "Rukia and Ichigo are really moving in together, how long before you think one kills the other?"
Toshiro had directed the question at her with a cock of his head and a lazy smirk gracing his face, Momo thanked every deity she knew for the white make-up that was hopefully hiding her blush.
"I don't think very long, Ichigo was threatening to get rid of Rukia's chappis this morning."
Toshiro acutally gave a short laugh at this. "She's still obsessed with those? Oh god, then we might have a dead idiot on our hands by the end of the week."
Momo nodded solemnly. "I'm sure we'll all miss Ichigo very much."
Toshiro smiled and shook his head, "Alright, go do your job Momo, I'll get back to you with the times."
Momo mock saluted. "Aye, aye Captain Shiro!" she chirped and ran off.
Toshiro felt his neck warmup and he was willing to bet it was very pink now. "Momo! Don't call me that!" Momo's laughter was the only response to his objections. "Momo!"
She disappeared into the sea of people on set and Toshiro turned on his heel and went about calling his offices.
The end of the day could not come quickly enough for Momo, she wanted nothing more than to get this white make-up off of her face and to go home and eat what she was expecting to be a very quiet dinner.
The director called wrap and Momo jumped a little as the sudden clap had caught her off guard. Her scene partner, Mizuiro, laughed at her. She turned and glared at him while he held up his hands in defeat. Momo stuck her tongue out at him.
"Very mature Momo, very mature." He laughed walking off set with her.
"It's not like I was trying to be mature, and I mean you are a child so really I was just evening the playing field." Momo teased slipping into her make-up seat, Mizuiro's was next to hers so the conversation wasn't interrupted.
"Child?" Mizuiro sputtered. "I-I, Momo I'm older than you."
Momo just shrugged. "Sorry kid I don't make the rules."
Mizuiro groaned quietly and sighed "Oh my god this is never going to end is it?"
The conversation faded off as Momo closed her eyes and let the people around her wipe off the make-up she had been wearing.
She must have dozed off for a second because the next thing she knew was Mizuiro was shaking her arm and all the make up artists had already moved on.
"Did you really fall asleep that fast?" Mizuiro asked a little concernedly. "Are you okay?"
He placed a hand on her shoulder and ducked down to be at her seated eye level.
She nodded and smiled up at him, placing her hand over his. "I'm fine its just been a stressful few days and Rukia is moving out so we've had some late nights packing."
Someone cleared their throat behind them, startling the two actors. Momo turned and saw Toshiro behind her with a look she couldn't quite place. He had his arms crossed and it looked like his eyes were narrowed in her and Mizuiro's general direction but that only happened if Toshiro was angry at something. Momo internally shrugged and assumed her guess what pretty far off from the truth. It was probably just some work thing that had annoyed him.
"Momo, is Thursday at around 10am good for you to record?" Toshiro asked in a clipped tone.
Momo shook of the shock that was this 180 degree turn around from their earlier conversation and mentally ran through her schedule, if she remembered correctly today was Tuesday.
"Um yeah that sounds good, I'll call you if something turns up with filming." Momo nodded at him.
Toshiro held her eye contact for a brief pause and the tension seemed to melt out of him slightly. "Alright I'll see you then."
With that abrupt goodbye he turned and swept out of the studio, Momo watched his retreating back until she could no longer see him. When she pulled back Mizuiro was studying her face with an unreadable look in his eye.
"You okay to leave alone?"
"Yeah I'll be fine. I'll see you around Mizuiro!" Momo called as she gathered up her things and left the studio, various goodbyes filling the air behind her.
Toshiro stalked into his offices and barely resisted slamming his door shut. He rubbed his temples and unceremoniously flopped into his seat. He didn't quite understand what had made him so stressed and angry down at the studio, but when he saw Momo and Mizuiro together, heads bent close in talking and all the comfortable touches between them something inside of him snapped in anger. Toshiro didn't quite understand why it had made him so angry but he sighed and pushed it all out of his mind he had bigger work issues to worry about.
"On the bright side at least the company is doing better with all this press from the movie." Toshiro mumbled to himself, thumbing through some reports and client requests.
Toshiro slid open his top drawer to grab a clip and saw the small ring box that had been weighing heavily on his mind in these past few days. He pulled it out and studied the box in his hands.
He had been so haphazard in the past few weeks with the thoughts of engagement and the sudden urge to get engaged but it now made him pause.
For the life of him he could no longer recall why he had been so adamant to propose by the end of the week.
Toshiro placed the box on the desk and leaned back in his chair, he was only 23 it wasn't like he was in a rush to get engaged and it wasn't like he had a time limit to do this kind of thing, it wasn't like he was in a hurry to further his and karins relationship now that he had time to reflect on it.
Toshiro took a moment to mull over it in his head some more, he then plucked the box and shut it in his bottom drawer.
He turned back to his reports and felt an odd feeling of relief settle over him.
Momo pulled up to her apartment and didn't see Rukia's jeep anywhere in the lot, she hefted a tired sigh and pulled herself from the car and practically dragged her feet into the building.
She opened her door and called out an "I'm home." into the quiet apartment. Not to her surprise the only response she got was the sound of the air conditioner. She let out another sigh, and placed her bag down and wandered through the silent rooms.
The apartment wasn't too empty with all of Rukias things gone, but Rukias room now only held the furniture and the empty bed frame, the shelled out room caused Momo's chest to clench in sadness and she turned and shut the door resting her forehead against the cold wood.
Momo took in a deep breath and shut her eyes. It would take some time to get used to the silence.
She blew out the breath she was holding and set off to do the things she needed to get done, like dinner and changing the answering machine on their home phone.
The next morning, Momo woke to the dull silence of the house and missed the white noise of Rukia moving about the kitchen in the morning.
Since she had pretty much finished all of the scenes that she was in for the movie, Momo had been given the next few days off.
Momo idly made herself breakfast and then paced around the living room; she had an entire free day of doing nothing. The thought of being able to just relax made her mouth stretch into a giddy grin as she launched herself onto the couch and turned on the tv.
Momo must have dozed off somewhere in between two episodes of some cable show because the next thing she knew she was jolted awake by the jingle of her cell phone.
She answered her phone and idly rubber at her eyes. "Hello?"
"Momo!" Rukia cheered from the other end of the phone. "What's up are you doing anything right now?"
Momo laughed her mood lifting at Rukias loud greeting. "Um no the studio gave me the day off so I've been relaxing."
"Well get dressed because I'm swinging by to pick you up."
"Where are we going?" Momo asked pushing herself off the couch and wandering back into her room.
"We are going out to celebrate."
"What are we celebrating?"
Momo shuffled through the clothes in her drawer picking out something to wear that wasn't the sweatpants she had worn to bed.
"Your movie, me and Ichigo finally getting past whatever shit happened between us, I don't know, life? But all I know is we are going out and we are having ourselves a good time." Rukia laughed over the phone.
"Okay okay. When will you be here?"
A knock at the door startled Momo and she yelped and almost dropped her phone. She pulled the door open and saw Rukia leaning against the doorjamb smirking at her. Rukia hung up her phone.
"So you ready to go?"
Momo shrugged grabbing her keys and her bag while pocketing her own phone. "Yeah I guess. So where are we heading?"
"Down to the city, one of those clubs we never went to that we always said we would. Ichigo knows the dude who owns it, friend from school Keigo or whatever his name was." Rukia shrugged sliding into her car, Momo hopped in after her.
"You know that doesn't surprise me at all that he owns a club now." Momo said staring out the window.
The rest of the ride passed in comfortable small talk until they made it into the downtown area, Rukia and Momo parked and walked up to where the club was, pausing on the sidewalk in front of it.
The bright lights of the sign flashed back at them. Rukia sighed. "Still not surprised. Come on lets go see if Ichigo actually got us on the list."
Momo looked over at the long line of people waiting and nodded. "Let's hope he did."
The bouncer had barely glanced at them before they were waved in, Momo and Rukia high fived as the crossed the threshold of the loud club. They were barely in the door before someone ran over and slung an arm around each of their shoulders.
"Rukia! Momo! Ladies! It's been far too long." Keigo said looking between the two of them.
"Hello Keigo it really has been awhile." Momo greeted politely.
"Do you have to yell right in my ear?" Rukia sighed shrugging off his arm.
"Ouch Rukia that stings." Keigo pouted. "But Momo still as nice as ever and I hear you act now, nice, nice maybe some famous people will help my club image."
Rukia laughed at his pout and shoved his shoulder earning a laugh out of him as well, "You seem to be doing just fine."
"Well yes," Keigo agreed, "But hey you can always do better. Anyways I'll leave you ladies to your night, have some fun for me since I will be stowed away in my office doing paperwork while you two get to have the time of your life down here dancing and drinking."
"I'm sure it's not that much of a hassle for you." Momo laughed as Keigo mock bowed and turned back into the direction he had come from.
"He has not changed at all." Rukia sighed; she turned and faced the bar with a set look in her eyes. "Now let's start our night!"
Rukia grabbed Momo's hand and pulled the two of them through the crowd in the direction of the bar.
The night progressed in a blur of loud music and warm bodies. Momo felt comfortable in her own little bubble of the world, Rukia was in arms reach dancing with people none of them recognized. The alcohol made her thoughts only slightly foggy and Momo felt relaxed and happy.
Sometime later, Momo and Rukia stumbled from the dance floor and out the door.
"Well shit." Rukia said leaning heavily on Momo's side. "I cannot drive home."
"That makes two of us." Momo laughed listing to the side and regaining her footing after a moment. "We should call someone."
"I'll call Ichigo, he wasn't doing anything today."
20 minutes later, Ichigo pulled up in his own car, to Momo's and Rukia's surprise Renji was in the passenger seat. Ichigo got out of his car, still dressed in the sweatpants he had been wearing. "Ladies, seem to be having some trouble?"
"Oh shut up." Rukia laughed. "Like this hasn't happened to you before."
"Nice comeback Rukia, very thought out." Renji laughed leaning over the console to look out the drivers door at them. "Hello Momo good to see you again."
"Renji!" Momo cried happily. "It's been too long how have you been?"
"Pretty good, I'm crashing at Strawberry and Rukias place right now."
Ichigo turned from helping Rukia get into the back of the car and gestured for Momo to follow suit. "What a gentleman you are Ichigo." Momo giggled taking his offered hand as she slid into the car seat. "I see Rukia has been teaching you well."
"You're damn right I have." Rukia yelled pumping her fist in the air.
"Hey Momo it's pretty late do you just want to crash with us tonight or do you just wanna go back to your apartment?" Ichigo asked getting back into the car.
Momo thought over it for a moment. "I'll just crash with you guys; I don't have to do anything until 10 tomorrow and my apartment seems so far."
Renji and Ichigo laughed a bit at Momo's slight whine near the end of the sentence. Rukia kneed the back of Renjis seat sharply.
"We should get everyone together and do this again."
"Mhm though someone will definitely need to be the designated driver." Ichigo said eyeing the two girls in the back.
"Hey Rukia," Renji spun in his seat to face her. "Are you okay just leaving your car down here?"
"Hmm?" Rukia stirred. "Oh yeah, we'll come by and pick it up in the morning, I have my keys it's no issue."
Momo began to doze off as the ride went on and the next thing she knew, she was back at Rukia and Ichigo's apartment, the four of them entered and Rukia shot straight towards the bedroom.
Momo yawned feeling her jaw crack in the movement. "Where do you want me to sleep?"
Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck while he thought. "You can take the bed with Rukia, Renji has all but taken over the guest bed, and I'll take the couch."
"Oh you don't have to do that, I can take the couch." Momo sputtered waving her hands rapidly.
Ichigo leaned down and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Momo it's no problem really, you're a guest I'm not gonna make you sleep on this couch, I can deal with it for the night."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Ichigo laughed. He straightened and ruffled her hair. "Now go, you look exhausted."
Momo smiled and nodded and followed the path Rukia had taken.
Momo slid open their room door and Rukia turned to face her. "We're sharing the bed I assume?"
"Yes," Momo yawned again. "Ichigo is sleeping on the couch."
Rukia chuckled at the image of him tucking himself into their slightly small couch. "Here you can borrow some pajamas."
Rukia lobbed some clothes at Momo, who flailed and caught them and proceeded to change.
She and Rukia both crawled into the bed a few moments later.
"I'm so sleepy." Momo said into the darkness of the room. "But I can't sleep."
Rukia flung her arm out and slapped it against Momo's arm a few times, "Hey hey hey how's your Toshiro plan thing going?"
Momo sighed dejectedly and rolled onto her stomach, facing Rukia. "I honestly don't know" Momo buried her face into the blankets. "I keep going back and forth between wanting to and then feeling bad for what would happen to Karin."
Rukia patted her head softly. "There, there Momo." Rukia paused for a moment. "I can't tell you what to do in this situation, but I mean wouldn't it be worse to just give up and not try than to try and fail?"
"I guess." Momo said muffled into the blankets. "I mean at least that way I'll know I tried my best and all."
"See there you go, problem solved. Now let's sleep."
End Quote: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." -Robert Frost.