It's two minutes until Saturday here, so none of you can get mad at me!
Crush Four: You, Me, and the Monster Part 2- River
I woke up earlier than I did the day before. I showered, liberally applied sunscreen (my neck and arms had gotten sunburned the day before. It didn't hurt much, but I was paranoid about skin cancer,) pulled on my swimsuit and casual shorts and a tee over it, packed a towel in my bag, and started preparing a lunch for three downstairs. I accidentally burnt the omelets and had to recook them, but otherwise the morning went without incident. Oyaji and Ichi-nii came downstairs as I was washing my dishes.
"Do you want some breakfast before you go out?" My brother asked, elbowing me aside.
"I'd like a little."
Ichi-nii began preparing breakfast as tucked my lunch in with my towel. I then sat down at the table.
"So what are my lovely children going to do today?" Oyaji inquired as he dropped a stack of patient files on the table and opened the top one.
"I'm hanging out with a friend today." I replied absently.
"I've got to work here in a few hours. I won't be back until late afternoon." Ichi-nii answered from the kitchen.
"Sounds like my darling kids are going to have a blast."
Ichi-nii finished preparing breakfast for us. I ate quickly before leaving.
"Be careful Karin!" My brother shouted after me.
"Will do!" I hollered back.
"Remember that Tou-chan loves you!" Oyaji wailed dramatically. I merely rolled my eyes.
I ran to Toushirou's apartment. I knocked a few times and the door opened, my crush standing in the doorframe, fully dressed in shorts and a blue tank and his expression just as passive as ever.
"Come in." He said, stepping aside. I came in, pushing off my shoes.
"I woke up a bit earlier today. I-I didn't know if you were still up for making breakfast, so I haven't eaten. I-it's okay if you don't want to! I can just get some cereal and deal with it..." Toushirou trailed off as I followed him to the kitchen. I smiled.
"No, I'll still make breakfast for you." I panted, setting my bag on the table. "Also, I brought my swimsuit today. I hope you don't mind if I take you up on your offer and go swimming with you and Hyourinmaru in the river." I bit my lip as I browsed through the cupboards for bean curd.
"No, I don't mind at all. Neither will Hyourinmaru. I'll grab my swim trunks." Toushirou exited the kitchen-living room.
I started his breakfast, blushing a little as I thought about the event soon to unfold. The only boy who has seen me in a bathing suit was my brother. What if Toushirou didn't find me attractive?!
I nervously cussed in my head. I could be so silly sometimes.
"So what're you making?" Toushirou asked from behind me suddenly. I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Geez Toushirou, you scared me!" I remarked, placing a hand over my chest. He chortled triumphantly.
"I was hoping so." I glared at him. "So what're you making?"
"Just miso soup, salmon, and rice. Nothing fancy." I shrugged. "I also made lunch for us: chicken, rice, and omelets. Again, it's nothing fancy,"
"It sounds fantastic." He sniffed. "Smells that way too."
I blushed. It felt like I was his wife or girlfriend or something.
I finished in the next few minutes. I dished it up and turned to give it to my crush. I spotted him at the table, pretending not to be eager. I laughed bashfully.
He clapped his hands together. "Ittekimasu," I watched as he practically inhaled half his meal.
I giggled. "What, does it taste good or something?"
Toushirou nodded with an approving hum. "It's amazing! Where'd you learn to cook like this?!"
"My Ka-san taught me. When she was alive, she taught me how to cook lots of things. I never can get it as good as her food was, but at least it's edible." I laughed nostalgically before slapping my forehead. How stupid could I be, talking about my dead mother?! He could still be tender over his parents' passing on! Stupid stupid stupid!
"Oh... I'm sorry about that. It really sucks losing them, huh?" Toushirou scowled as he ate.
"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to dig up bad memories." I pushed out of my chair and bowed shamefully.
"Oh, no! Don't worry about it Kurosaki. It's sad, yes, but there's no point remaining sore over it forever." He sucked on a piece of salmon. "Besiez, I puhfuh peepul like you."
"Don't talk with your mouth full. It's rude and I can't understand what you're saying." I scolded him. He swallowed.
"I said, 'I prefer people like you.' As cruel as it is to lose a parent, I'd rather be friends with a person who can comprehend the pain and loneliness than someone who can only be sympathetic." Toushirou smiled tenderly at me. My heart went racing.
"Toushirou..." I whispered, oddly flattered. I needed to stop blushing...
"Hm? Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to get all serious! Um..." He quickly stuffed his face. I laughed at his embarrassment and he glowered icily at me.
"Let's go. I'll do the dishes tonight when I get back." Toushirou said as we grabbed our backpacks. The walk to Haru-obaasan's was peaceful. When we got there, she smiled warmly at us.
"Good morning you two. I'm glad to see that Toushirou-kun brings his cute girlfriend around everyday." She laughed heartily.
"Haru-obaasan! Kurosaki and I aren't dating!" Toushirou shouted. I blushed furiously again. Did we really look like an item?! A cute item at that?!
"You didn't deny that she was cute." The older woman pointed out.
"Obaa-san!" Toushirou screeched. I had a feeling that my blush went from red to purple. What was cute about me?
"Aw, calm down Toushirou-kun, I'm teasing you. Will this be all for today?" Haru-obaasan observed as Toushirou set a package of sea salt ice cream on the counter.
"Yeah, thanks Haru-obaasan." Toushirou took back the popsicle once it was rung up. The two of us left.
"See you later Haru-obaasan!" I called after her cheerfully. She wished us a good day.
Up on the hill, Hyourinmaru was eagerly waiting for us. He nosed our cheeks and flapped his wings. I gave him a quick kiss and an affectionate coo.
"Good morning Hyourinmaru." Toushirou said dryly, throwing the popsicle into the air. Hyourinmaru back pedaled and devoured it. He nuzzled Toushirou's stomach and my crush pet his snout. "Kurosaki brought her swimsuit today, so we're going swimming in the river." He informed the beast. Hyourinmaru fluttered his wings excitedly. I turned to Toushirou.
"Are all boys that excited to see a girl in a swimsuit?" I ask him flatly. He shrugged.
Hyourinmaru slithered behind me and bumped the back of my knees with his nose. I stumbled forward a few steps.
"Hey! Don't push her Hyourinmaru! That's awfully rude." Toushirou reprimanded the dragon. He again pushed me forward.
"What's he saying?" I questioned.
"He's pushing you in the direction of the river. He probably wants to go swimming, or just see you nearly naked."
My face will never be my original pigment again, will it?
"C'mon, let's go to the river before Hyourinmaru becomes impatient." He sighed. I agreed and followed my crush to a wide spot in the river shielded with trees. It was really a beautiful place; shady, the water just right, sun leaking through the leaves in some places.
"Whoa," I said breathlessly, looking around as Hyourinmaru slithered into the river. "Is this some sort of zen meditation spot?"
"Not... really." Toushirou grunted, pulling off his tank top. I blushed and looked away.
"Geez, you're such a lech." I spat.
"Calm down, I'm wearing my bathing suit under my clothes." He scolded.
"I don't care- have some decency! And don't peek while I'm undressing!" I shouted.
"That's one thing I do have decency in. I'm not looking,"
I hung my bag from a branch and quickly shrugged out of my cover-up clothes and stuffed them in my bag. I jumped into the cool water with a soft, pleasant sigh.
"Can I turn around now?" Toushirou asked from the shore.
"Yeah, I'm good."
I watched as he turned around. His jaw unhinged as he caught sight of me.
I knit my brows together. "What?" I inquired as I looked over my partially submerged figure.
"Whoa," he croaked. I looked over myself again. I wasn't much to look at- especially in a swimsuit. Prominent tan lines contrasted against the skin I almost always covered up. And they were in the most unflattering places; mid-biceps, my knees, and high up on my cleavage.
"You have odd tastes." I rolled my eyes.
"No I don't! I was just blind-sided about how mature you look!" He clarified, wading in next to me.
I looked at my figure again. My chest was rather large for my age, but I never really showed it off and it usually got in the way. Nothing else was really that spectacular either.
"It's not that much to look at."
"It's more than other girls have. It's like you freaking exploded as soon as you hit puberty." He cackled.
"Would you quit staring now? It's making me uncomfortable." I muttered, hiding behind Hyourinmaru's wing. Toushirou stopped laughing and looked to the side.
"S-sorry," he stuttered as he sunk into the river.
I blushed again. Toushirou thought I was attractive.
I pressed my face against Hyourinmaru's cold wing.
"K-Kurosaki, what's your family like?" He asked suddenly. He gazed up at me, partially submerging his face.
I blinked. "Like... what do we do?" I clarified, propping my elbows on Hyourinmaru and resting my chin in my palms.
"Just talk about them. I don't care about what you tell me about them, just talk."
My eyes widened in realization. He was curious about what family was like, as he never really had one. Again, I was flattered.
I smiled wistfully. "I live with my brother and Oyaji. My brother Ichigo's going to be a senior in high school, and he works odd jobs. Oyaji works as a doctor in a neighborhood clinic. My Tou-chan's really happy, exuberant even. He's a really busy man, but somehow he always finds time to tell me and Ichi-nii that he loves us." I smiled. "My brother is really awesome. He's great at sports, smart, cool, protective. If he found out I was hanging out with you, he'd probably kick your sorry butt to Timbuktu. But he's sort of a delinquent so he gets into lots of trouble, but he's still so cool. My Ka-san was really nice. She was so sweet and strong, our family practically revolved around her." I smiled nostalgically. I suddenly felt his hand slip over mine. I looked up at him.
"I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to dig up bad memories." Toushirou apologized. We stared at each other for a moment before I leaned over and hugged his neck.
"Awww, Toushirou! You're so nice!" I squeezed his face against my chest, much to his obvious chagrin. He was like a cat that didn't want to be held.
"Gehd uff ov mi!" He shouted, muffled by my swimsuit.
"I can't hear you~!" I sang as he struggled fruitlessly.
"Gehd uff!" He shouted again. I laughed at his futile struggling.
"Say please,"
"'weez," he begged. I released his head and giggled as he gulped in deep breaths.
"You're evil," he gasped. "Why would you do that?"
"Because," I shrugged. I then felt a little guilty. Out of line again, Karin. "I'm really sorry, I was out if line."
Toushirou stared at me before sighing.
"Yeah, you're forgiven." He answered. I relaxed and smiled. "But you probably shouldn't do that again. You're a maturing young lady with... assests. I believe I pointed them out earlier. You have to be aware of that, especially since we're getting into junior high."
I was oddly flattered again. He was looking out for me. He was so nice.
"A-alright. Sorry again..."
"No problem,"
The three of us played around and talked in the river. Hyourinmaru seemed to really like the water, but I noticed he didn't melt and the water didn't freeze to him. It was fascinating, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Hyourinmaru was a living organism outside our current understanding, so of course he wouldn't obey most laws of nature.
Lunchtime finally came, and Toushirou and I crawled onto the shore. My crush set down a towel as I pulled out our lunch. Hyourinmaru remained in the river.
"Ittekimasu!" Toushirou and I chorused. He froze while popping a chunk of meat in his mouth.
"I'll be right back. Hyourinmaru can't have this stuff." Toushirou muttered as he stood. I slapped my forehead.
"I am so sorry! I totally forgot that he eats frozen foods." I groaned.
"It's fine. Besides, it's not like that box was temperature controlled, it'd thaw long before we'd eat."
Toushirou disappeared over the hill. The dragon set his large, icy head in my lap.
"I'm sorry. I forgot that you can only eat cold things." I apologized as I stroked his nose. He purred happily. "But Toushirou is grabbing your lunch right now. Tomorrow, I'll pack you something great." I smiled.
Toushirou returned as I finished eating. He tore off the package from the meat tube and threw it into the air. The dragon's giant maw snapped around it.
After lunch, we continued playing in the river. It was nice in there, as Hyourinmaru cooled down the water rather significantly. Toushirou taught me what some of Hyourinmaru's body language said about his emotional state. It was fascinating to listen to my crush share his knowledge.
Finally, as the sun set, we pulled ourselves from the river and dried off.
It was then I remembered I didn't bring anything to change into.
"Crap," I muttered as I dropped my backpack to the dirt.
"What? Did you lose something?" Toushirou asked behind me.
"Sort of. I forgot to bring stuff I could change into." I sighed and pulled my t-shirt over my torso. I'd just have to go home like this...
Toushirou's shorts flew into my face. I ripped them off me and glowered in his direction.
"What was that for?!"
"No need to yell. Wear those on your way home. I don't care if they get wet." He mumbled, pulling his shirt down over his head. I couldn't help but blush.
"A-are you sure? You brought your clothes, don't lend them to me."
"Just put them on, Kurosaki." He sighed exasperatedly. I pulled his shorts on quickly, as well as my shoes. Hyourinmaru asked for affection after I finished.
Of course his nose was wet...
"You can be a little brat, you know that?" I sighed, wrapping my arms around his snout.
"I second that." Toushirou quipped dryly. I giggled as the beast nuzzled my belly.
My crush and I said our goodbyes to our giant beast. He bought us both a pack of sea salt ice cream on our way home, and I blushed the whole way home because of it. He was being so gentlemanly today!
When we got to my house, Ichigo was in the doorway, giving Toushirou the evil eye.
"Who's that and what the hell is he doing?" Toushirou pointed to my brother.
"Watch your language! That's my brother Ichigo!" I hissed. Toushirou went pale.
"You mean the vigilante delinquent who beats up all the gangs in Karakura? You didn't tell me that!" He shouted in disbelief. I raised an eyebrow. Toushirou's jaw dropped. "You mean you haven't heard rumors about him?! He's one of the most notorious guys out there! He's scary as hell!"
"Seriously, watch your language! And I'm very much aware of my brother's activities. It runs in the family." I snickered as Toushirou's already pale face went paler. He looked like a ghost.
"You aren't going to beat me up, are you?" He squeaked.
"As long as you stop using crass language."
"Yes ma'am,"
"Kariiiiiiin," I heard my brother snarl as he approached us, glowering at my crush. "Who's the punk?"
"He's not a punk, first of all. He's my friend." I defended.
My brother glanced at me before looking back to Toushirou. My crush looked like he was about to faint.
"Like... boyfriend friend?" His glare returned to my friend with renewed malice.
"Uh, no. We're just friends." I reaffirmed. I wanted to be dating him though.
Ichigo glanced to me again before straightening.
"You know to be careful around boys, right?"
"Yes Ichigo, I'm being a good girl." I rolled my eyes.
My brother motioned that he was watching Toushirou and stalked back to our house.
Toushirou exhaled.
"I think I saw my life flash before my eyes." He muttered. I couldn't help but giggle.
"Oh, calm down. He's really a softie at heart. He'd only give you a black eye at worse."
He stared slightly mortified at me. I snickered again.
"I'll see you tomorrow!" I hollered after him as I went inside.
"Yeah! See you tomorrow!" He called back.
As I shut the door behind me, I couldn't help but giggle. I was doing that a lot lately.