Me: I'm so excited! Guess how many reviews we have as of right now?!

Ichigo: (excited) 69!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!

Me: (narrows eyes, background turns icy and ominous) That was MY line, Ichigo...(suddenly brightens, everything turns back to normal) So, thanks so much Kavyle, for making the 69th comment! Ahhhh...it made my perverted self crack up for about three minutes straight!

Rukia: You weren't the only one... (sweatdrops) Ichigo nearly fell out of his chair when i spread the news to him.

Ichigo: (temple throbs) ...You weren't supposed to TELL HER that!

Me: Why, because it shows you totally enjoy my fic?

Ichigo: Screw you!

Me: I'd rather not.

Ichigo: ...Wow...that's kind of a self-diss, Mandy

Me: Well, do YOU want to screw yourself?! Wait, nevermind, don't answer that..

Rukia: (obviously ready to END THIS DUMBASS CONVERSATION) Well anyway, ENJOY!

Ichigo: And NO, i DON'T!

"Bwahahaha!!!" Rukia blurted, holing her stomach as she collapsed back onto her bed, shaking with laughter.

Peyton glared at her. "Rukia, this is serious! Ichigo's seriously lovesick, I swear!"

Her violet eyes widened as her laughter slowed. "Haha...ha..ha...Good God. You're serious."

Peyton threw up a hand impatiently. "Yes! These things do happen, I CAN be serious sometimes!!"

She flipped her body around so she was laying on her stomach, facing Peyton, legs swinging back and forth carelessly in the air.

It was morning, but they hadn't heard any movement. So, either Ichigo and Isshin had actually battled to the death and they had been stupid enough to miss it, or everyone was still asleep.

"I'm sorry, but can you blame me? I mean, Ichigo Kurosaki? LOVESICK?! I didn't think he was hard-wired that way.."

Peyton rolled her eyes, blowing her dark red bangs out of her right eye's line of vision. "Yeah, well, apparently he is. What're we supposed to do?"

"We? You mean YOU, right?"

Her eyes turned wider than her head as she waved her hands as if stopping traffic. "W-Why me, Rukia?!"

"Well, odds are that note was about you."

Rukia snorted a laugh at the look on Peyton's clueless face, then cleared her throat awkwardly. "Ahem. Okay, well...if it wasn't, which it WAS...who else do you think he would take any advice from?"

"Gee, I dunno, YOU?!"

"Please. I play waaaay too many pranks on him."

Peyton sweatdropped again. "Me and Toshiro stole his booze the other day, I've screwed around with his mind tons of times, in tons of creative ways...And yet you think he'll take my love advice?!"

Rukia sighed impatiently. "Hopeless! Fricking HOPELESS!! Just talk to the poor giant!!"

And with that she stomped off to their bathroom. Peyton watched, jumping in surprise as Rukia slammed the door.

She blinked. "...Damn. Was it something I said??"

ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER...

"....Lemme get this straight. Ichigo wrote a note about 'some unknown girl', Peyton read it, and she still doesn't get it," Matsumoto clarified.

Peyton's temple throbbed as she abruptly stopped following Karin and waited patiently for Matsumoto and Rukia.

"...I have ears, thank you. And Rukia...you weren't supposed to tell anybody!!"

"Why not?!"

"Because it's personal."

"Because it's about you?"

"NO. I mean it's personal to Ichigo."

"Since when do you respect Ichigo's privacy?" Matsumoto asked skeptically.

"Since when does anybody?" Toshiro added, making Peyton jump. "When the hell did YOU get here?!"

"I've been here this whole time."

He then grinned impishly at Peyton. "Do you still have this note?"

Peyton shook her head. "Nope, I gave it back."

They all turned to look at her, even Karin.

"WHAT?! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT?!!"

Peyton jumped with a yell, then glared at them, temple throbbing even bigger now. "Be-CAUSE, it was the right thing to do."

They stared at her, Karin sighed in disappointment and ran to catch up with Yuzu, and Matsumoto finally snapped her fingers. "Ah-HA! I know what her problem is."

"What is it?" Toshiro and Rukia asked cautiously. "What problem?!" Peyton snapped defensively at the same time.

Matsumoto pointed at her, and she gulped. "I knew you were falling for him! This just proves it even further."

"WHAT?!"

"Why else would you suddenly have a change of heart and respect his privacy?!"

"Because I felt bad reading it! I started blushing just thinking about how much he must like this chick!!"

"Because it's you?"

"DAMMIT RUKIA, STOP SAYING THAT FOR EVERYTHING!!"

Matsumoto just giggled and shook out her locks. "Whatever. I have a good feeling about today."

They had gone back to Magic Kingdom for the day, and spent most of the day riding rides, eating, and screwing around.

It was weird for Peyton, though. Ichigo kind of seemed to be...well, almost totally avoiding her. In fact, the only time he talked to her for the next six hours was to ask her what time it was.

Ironically, that was the first thing he had asked her on her first day in Karakura. She remembered it quite vividly for the way Keigo had glared at him; she had tried really hard not to laugh at him.

Karin and Yuzu spent most of THEIR day whispering to each other and glancing from Peyton to Ichigo. It was annoying as hell.

It wasn't until the late-afternoon parade that they figured out what all their whispering had been about.

Ichigo was standing in front of Peyton- probably on purpose, if you asked her. She knew he seemed to not want to deal with her today, so she simply moved to a different spot.

But she noticed Karin and Yuzu creeping up behind him, and tried to get his attention to help him avoid certain death. "Psst. PSST!! ICHIGO!!"

He turned slowly to look at her, and his sisters were suddenly two blurs; Karin pinned his arms across his chest, holding him in place, and Yuzu searched his pockets.

"Oh my God...KARIN AND YUZU ARE MUGGING ICHIGO!?!" Rukia screeched.

This got everybody, even some of the parade members, to suddenly stop what they were doing and look at Ichigo.

He was currently trying to wriggle free, yelling obscenities at his little sisters. Due to some of the more important parade members stopping, the whole parade stopped suddenly, now bumper-to-bumper.

Yuzu held up a piece of paper triumphantly, and Peyton whined to herself.

"Okay, deep breaths. Maybe she'll just read it, make fun of him a little, and move on."

To her horror, Mickey and Goofy walked right up to Yuzu, microphone in hand.

"Looks like you found a little treasure there! What's your name, sweetie?" Jasmine asked from the parade line.

She beamed and answered happily, "Yuzu!"

Matsumoto and Karin exchanged an evil grin. Ichigo looked like he was going to commit suicide as Mickey handed her the microphone.

"Would ya mind sharing with us what's so important about this here slip of paper, little You-zoo?"

Yuzu unfolded it spastically, never having had such an awesome opportunity to humiliate her big brother. Goofy held the paper up for her so she could focus on holding the mic right, and she read in a strong, clear voice.

THREE MINUTES LATER...

"AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!"

The crowd erupted into cooing and such, and Ichigo zoned right in on Peyton with a look that could kill.

She gulped and laughed nervously, waving her fingers at him in an innocent-like wave. Well, at least she left out the cussing..

Minnie clapped her hands together. "That's so sweet! Mickey doesn't write things like that lately," she teased.

Mickey giggled and pointed the mic at Ichigo. "This is your note, right?"

Ichigo's death look barely eased as he answered, with zero inflection whatsoever, "...Yeah. Yes, it is, Mickey."

"Well, good-golley! Who's that special girl?"

"...I'm not at liberty to say."

"And why's that, pal?"

Genie snapped his fingers. "Hey, Orange! I think you should just explain to us why you can't act on these 'good feelings' of yours."

The crowd and fellow parade members shouted in agreement, and Ichigo paled. Peyton gulped again.

"Rukia?"

"Yes, Peyton?"

"I feel faint. I think Ichigo just might murder me when this parade is over."

"I'll check the ice machine room for your body in the morning," was Rukia's splendid reply. Peyton just sweatdropped and gaped at her.

To her utter surprise, Ichigo just sighed and took the mic Mickey was currently holding out to him, leaning against a nearby pole casually. "Great idea, Mickey. Well, you see, it all started about eight months ago..."

FORTY-EIGHT MINUTES LATER...

"....And so, you see, not only is she considered untouchable to me....but quite honestly, I don't stand a fricking chance!" Ichigo concluded with sweeping gestures.

Their whole portion of Main Street USA was silent.

Peyton was the first to break the silence by clearing her throat. "..Hey, Ichigo?"

"Yes, Peyton?"

"I think you should just tell this Dakota chick."

Everyone yelled similar phrases of agreement, and Ichigo sweatdropped. "...Maybe I should've just used actual names and events instead of censoring them for the kiddie audience.."

Peyton shrugged, then grinned at him. "I don't see what you're so nervous about. It sure as hell SOUNDS ike she likes you just as much as you like her."

Ichigo had a very evil-looking grin on his face. "....You really think so, Peyton?"

"Oh, definitely. I guess she's just too clueless to realize it."

"Jeez, tell me about it," Rukia and Matsumoto muttered in perfect unison.

Mickey patted Ichigo's shoulder. "The little lady makes a good point, but I know how ya feel, Eee-chee-go. It took me a reeeeaall long time to get the guts to ask Minnie on a date!"

Minnie giggled and nodded. "It's true. He was a nervous wreck."

"But I'm glad I did! Look at all the good that happened from it. Let's all give him a big, warm, 'Good Luck Ee-chee-go!'"

All of Main Street USA turned to Ichigo (Peyton and the others included) and shouted, in total unison, some even waving their arms:

"ONE, TWO, THREE!! GOOD LUCK EE-CHEE-GO!!!!!!!"

The parade then continued without any other hitches, and Ichigo sweatdropped as Mickey and Friends disappeared around the corner to the next street.

The awaiting crowd's cheerful cries of relief could be heard rather clearly over the music.

"...Well. THAT was odd."

A FEW MORE HOURS LATER...

"How come you're always first to be finished with food?" Rukia asked with honest curiousity as Peyton threw away the container of her snow cone.

Peyton shrugged, then looked longingly at the trash can. "I've been told I eat like five grown men. Dammit, I should've kept that as a souvenir."

Rukia laughed, then glanced over Peyton's shoulder. Like an idiot, Peyton looked as well. A little ways off, Toshiro and Ichigo were talking quietly.

Judging by all of Ichigo's quick nodding, he was being reassured of something. She turned back to Rukia, raising her eyebrows.

"Jeez, they look pretty serious. I wonder what they're talking about...??"

Rukia merely blinked at her. "...Hmm..I wonder..What, indeed?" Without another word, she walked off.

Peyton sweatdropped, then shrugged and went to get a good spot for the firework show.

She finally found the best spot she could; a platform, the base of a fountain.

She'd watched shows in worst spots.

Rukia, Matsumoto, and Toshiro soon joined her on the platform.

Yuzu was on Karin's shoulders, who was currently on Isshin's shoulders.

Ichigo was nowhere to be found. Weird.

Peyton really wished he had gotten a good spot, too; unlike her, he'd never been to Disney World, and hadn't really paid attention to the late-night firework shows on previous nights of their trip.

The show was about at the halfway-mark when she noticed her friends slowly inching away from her.

Peyton beamed happily. "Wow, I didn't even have to say anything! You really DO know how much I like my personal space.."

They sweatdropped, laughing nervously. "Yes, that's exactly what we were doing," Toshiro said smoothly.

Weird, but whatever.

There was a poke against her back, and she jumped with a yell. The poker laughed- Ichigo, KNEW IT- and steadied her.

She glared at him as he hopped up beside her. "Dammit, Ichigo, I could've busted my head! AGAIN.."

"But you didn't. You're welcome."

"I never said thank you, so neh."

"It was implied, so neh."

"Neh yourself."

"Neh YOUR-self."

"What if I don't feel like it?"

"It doesn't matter, I have something I want to say, anyways."

He was about to continue, but Peyton just snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Nu-uh-uh! You're not trying THAT trick on me again! This argument shall PERSIST, Kurosaki!"

"Peyton, I'm serious this time."

"You don't know the meaning of the word," Peyton scoffed.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't make me just not say it!"

"Fine, DON'T say the nonexistent news you mentioned to try and trick me into letting you win the argument!!"

"Okay, REALLY? REALLY, PEYTON?!"

"REALLY, Ichigo."

"God!"

"Jeez!"

"GAH!!"

"SNORKEL!!"

"Dammit, you- whoa, wait, what? Snorkel?!"

"I ran out of sayings, so I just threw something out there."

Ichigo sighed impatiently. "Will you just let me say what I wanted to say before I chicken out?!"

"Will you stop with this 'important announcement' bit?! I'm not dropping this argument, and that's that!"

"Oh good God, Peyton-"

"Okay, okay, SURE, I might not even remember what STARTED this argument, but dammit, I'm not losing yet ANOTHER one!"

Ichigo finally just grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "Dammit woman, will you just shut up for five minutes and let me take you out once this damn trip's over?!"

Before she could even BEGIN to cover all the things wrong with that statement, he kissed her as a way to shut her up.

Although she knew she didn't want to, she pulled away to glare at him. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA! What about that Dakota chick?!"

"Who the hell's Dakota?!!"

"THE ONE YOU WROTE THE DAMN NOTE ABOUT, DUMBASS!!"

Ichigo blinked dumbly, then laughed. "Peyton, that girl was you. The only Dakota I know about is an American state. A north one and a south one. Stupid Americans, think they need two of everything.."

She pointed a finger at him. "Hey, don't push it."

Peyton wrinkled up her nose as she thought back really hard. "...Hey...WAIT a minute...that means you were talking about ME during the parade!"

Ichigo sweatdropped. "Well...that's the general idea."

Peyton smirked. "Wow, you lied to Mickey Mouse? Well, aren't YOU a bad-ass!"

Ichigo just watched with a smirk. Anyone could clearly see on her face the stages of which she thought; first she was proud of her smart-ass comment, then she seemed to be thinking in a 'WAIT a minute!' kind of way, and finally, she processed what he had said before kissing her.

"Hey...wait a minute...did you just ask me out?" She asked carefully.

"Little bit, yes."

Peyton eyed him suspiciously, pointing at him. "But...that's not possible!"

Ichigo sweatdropped. "Why's that?!"

"It just is! Ichigo Kurosaki does NOT ask Annoying Midgets out!!"

"Well, Ichigo Kurosaki just DID."

"Well, why would Ichigo Kurosaki do such a dumb thing?"

"Hmm, not sure. We should ask him later. But my theory is that the Annoying Midget just..kind of rubbed off on him."

"Or it COULD be the Annoying Midget's hotness."

"Maybe."

"Ah-HA! You admitted it!"

"Not completely."

"But a little bit, yes?"

"I'll let you have that one."

Peyton shrugged. "I'd tap that," she commented sarcastically.

"Me too."

"Hahaha- wait, what?"

Ichigo just grinned innocently. "Nothing, nothing, not a thing."

"I'll be watching you very carefully, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's an 'I'll be watching you very carefully, Kurosaki'."

"Which...is a yes. Right? Right?!"

"Figure it out." With that said, she kissed him. He pulled away long enough to pump his fist and yell, "I WAS RIGHT!!", but then pulled her right back to him.

They heard Matsumoto comment, and...well, let's just say it was obscene enough to make Peyton blush and Ichigo simply flip her off, all while still kissing.

What a Juno move.

Oh well, it worked rather nicely.

Until, of course, Peyton felt something tingling and..burning?

She pulled away. "Ichigo, are you feeling...sparks?"

He smirked. "Damn, I'm good."

Peyton glanced around. "No, seriously, I feel little sparks around my legs!"

Then, out of nowhere, another stray firework exploded right above them, making them both spazz out and trip over each other, falling right in the fountain.

Their friends stared at them, then busted out laughing at once. Toshiro straightened his posture and cleared his throat, offering Ichigo his hand, trying to be The Good Old Soul Reaper Captain.

Ichigo simply looked to Peyton suggestively, who nodded with an evil grin. He grabbed Toshiro's hand, yanking him in. "THIS IS FOR MY FRENCH WINE, YOU WHITE-HAIRED BOOZE-HOG!!"

Toshiro flipped into the fountain, coming up with a comical look on his face as he blew some stray hair out of his eyes with a stoic, 'I'm About To Go Ape-Shit On You All' look on his face.

Ichigo and Peyton promptly laughed their asses off.

"Peyton had some wine, too!" Toshiro pointed out like a true teenager.

"Yes, but Peyton has boobs," Matsumoto commented.

Everyone sweatdropped, and she laughed nervously. "I...guess that wasn't directed to me, was it?"

Rukia coughed meaningfully. "Well, that, and the fact that now they're officially 'together', soooo...I think she's already redeemed herself."

Ichigo and Peyton glanced at each other, then shrugged. "True," they said in perfect unison, with a short half-laugh before kissing some more.

"...That's what I MEANT to say!" Matsumoto whined defensively.

Their kissing was interrupted by Karin, Yuzu, and Isshin jumping in, and Isshin broke the kiss apart so he could give Peyton a huge bear hug.

Which resulted in Ichigo trying to intervene once Peyton started changing colors. Which then started some perverted comments.

And it all snowballed from there. When Disney officials arrived, they were greeted by Rukia inspecting pennies in the fountain, Karin and Yuzu laughing at Ichigo, who was battling Isshin, Peyton taking bets from spectators on who would win, and Matsumoto and Toshiro engaged in an all-out water fight.

They ended up accidentally attacking the officials with their aura-enhanced water, which Peyton was pretty sure wasn't in the Soul Reaper Handbook, and it resulted in all their other friends getting caught up in the water fight.

She wondered for a moment after the water-war about that first day, when Ichigo asked her the time and Keigo had glared at him so fiercely. It had taken her at least five months to figure it out. Maybe even then, Keigo could tell just how much Ichigo and Peyton would get to know each other.

When you think about it, that's pretty funny considering she was currently linking her arm through his, soaked to the bone, a huge-ass castle lit up with Christmas lights behind them, security sirens fading away. The officials had a sense of humor, let's just leave it at that.

Peyton ended up losing some money from those bets, but quite honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Me and Rukia: (Mouths full of popcorn) Awwwwww!! It finally happened!

Ichigo: (mouth also full of popcorn) Shut the HELL up!! (Tosses Kavyle a freshly-baked cookie) Here ya go, fresh from Yuzu, fountain-water-free. (Points to me) and YOU...will you stop commenting on my love life?!

Me: Awww, how cute! The Big Bad Soul Reaper's blushing...!!

Ichigo: (turning face away spastically) A-Am not!

Me: Oh reeeaally?

Ichigo: Go away!!

Rukia: (Watches with a couple sweatdrops as i chase Ichigo over a few hills, yelling obscenities at each other the whole way) Ummm...Review, while i go get Mandy's butterfly net...Hopefully i can catch them with that..!!