Me: We're back! Cool, i made the right decision roping Senna into this!

Ichigo: An EVIL decision.

Me: MUAHAHAHAHA!

Rukia: (blinks) ...No cake for you today.

Me: RUUUKIAAAAA! THAT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR!

Ichigo: HA! Welcome to my world, Mandy.

Me: Your world sucks ASS!

Ichigo: Tell me about it.

Rukia: Whatever. Enjoy!

TWO HOURS AND FIFTY-NINE MINUTES LATER...

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!"

"Dammit!" Senna exclaimed as Chiyoko beat her yet again.

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!"

"YES!" Peyton shouted as she covered Ciyoko's rock. Senna gave her a challenging smirk. "I bet I could take you on."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You're on."

"Rock, paper scissors, SHOOT!"

Tie.

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!"

"CRAP!" One for Senna.

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!"

"CRAP!" One for Peyton.

"Tiebreaker," they said in total unison, with determined glares and shit-eating grins that were nearly identical.

Renji and Ichigo shivered. "They scare me," Renji muttered. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Rock, paper, scissors...SHOOT!"

"NOOOO!" Peyton wailed as Senna cut her paper ceremoniously, pretending to wad it up and toss it into a trash can dramatically.

Matsumoto held up a finger. "Ichigo, that's three hours. Pay up." He dished out twenty-seven bucks, and Matsumoto gave Toshiro fifteen of it.

"You seriously bet I'd wish she hadn't tagged along in three hours tops?" Peyton asked with a sweatdrop.

"Nope. He bet that you'd wanna SHOOT HER in three hours tops," Matsumoto replied brightly. Peyton sweatdropped some more, and Senna's temple throbbed.

"I can see how much you've missed me, Ichigo."

"I didn't mention HOPING she's shoot you!"

"It was IMPLIED!"

"Was not!"

"Peyyyytooon?" They whined, wanting her input. She looked from Senna to Ichigo, then just sighed and shook her head. "I'm just gonna eat my second mango," she stated as she looked to Matsumoto, who tossed her a mango.

Byakuya's head whipped around at the mention of fruit. "Lieutenant, where did you get that mango?"

"The village, of course."

"That wasn't on the list of approved items!"

She and Peyton sweatdropped. "There was a list..?" They asked in unison.

Byakuya just shook his head, and Peyton tossed Chiyoko a slice. She turned to look at Arisu. "You want one?"

She looked to be starving, but shook her head. "No thank you, Cullen-san."

"You sure? You look about half-starved."

"There is no noble way to eat a mango," was her reply.

"So...You want a lime?" Peyton asked, making everyone sweatdrop.

Senna grinned. "I like you."

Peyton grinned. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

Ichigo's sigh of relief was quite audible, and Renji snickered. Senna and Peyton looked at each other, then shrugged, totally clueless.

And quite frankly, everyone wanted to keep it that way.

HOURS LATER...

Having Senna around made combat a lot easier. Not only could she see them, therefore she could shout out directions as well, but she also had a zanpakuto. Something Peyton was sorely lacking.

True, she had her own abilities, but she preferred not using them unless absolutely necessary. They were way too draining to be used in every fight she and her group might come across.

Byakuya was agitated about having to stop for so many potty breaks, and even MORE agitated about stopping to sleep again, but did so anyway for the good of the mission.

He wasn't so prideful to think he could fulfill his duty as squad leader and get the Miyamotos home safely when he was the only one awake and alert.

All the girls were sleeping in the same hut tonight, due to lack of abundancy, and all the guys in another.

And something told Peyton right away that she wasn't going to be getting much sleep. Chiyoko and Matsumoto were in the corner giggling about something, and soon, curiosity was way too overwhelming.

"What the hell are you two gabbing about?" She finally hissed, trying her best not to wake up Senna and Rukia.

Arisu perked up at this, wondering the same thing.

Chiyoko beamed and scooted a little closer on the wooden floor. "We were talking about why Ichigo-san carried you last night, all that way. Matsumoto-san was explaining it to me..."

Arisu scoffed. "I could have explained that to you, Chiyoko."

Peyton's eyebrows shot up. "Really now? What's your explanation, then?"

Arisu didn't smile, but her eyes crinkled up like Senna's had when she recognized Ichigo earlier today.

"You and Kurosaki-san are lovers."

Matsumoto literally fell over backwards with laughter at the expression on Peyton's face. "Uh...Something tells me that's loads better than whatever Matsumoto was telling your sister.."

Chiyoko bounded over to her before plopping right in her lap. Arisu strolled over to sit near her as well. Matsumoto was still laughing over in the corner.

"But I am right, yes? You are lovers."

"Well...That depends on your definition," Peyton replied with a nervous laugh.

Arisu blinked. "Well, lovers. What two people become right before or during engagement, which is quickly followed by marriage. What other definition is there?"

She turned bright red. "Many."

Arisu tilted her head with curiosity. "Such as?"

"Well, I mean, there's...Hmm. I don't think it's really definable. Because it comes from the word love. And love is undefinable. Love just is." Peyton nodded thoughtfully, then beamed. "Wow, that was pretty deep of me!"

Matsumoto's laughing died down a little. "Yeah, it was, I'm proud."

"Shut up!"

"How did you know?" Chiyoko asked, looking up at her.

"Know what?"

"That you loved Ichigo-san, of course," she replied impatiently.

Peyton stared up at the ceiling in thought. "Hmmm...I don't really know when I knew, exactly. I just did. Although, I DID write a list, but I think that was just to make saying it out loud a little easier."

Matsumoto rolled over until she was in front of Peyton, still on her stomach. She propped her head up with her hands, elbows on the floor.

Peyton sweatdropped; she looked just like Orihime did during that one sleepover where they annoyed the crap out of Tatsuki about the identity of her mysterious crush.

"Well then, how did you know you LIKED him?" Matsumoto asked. She looked at the Noble Sisters. "That's what humans feel romantically towards someone first. Personally, I think they make up the lighter emotion to avoid facing the truth," Matsumoto explained matter-of-factly.

Chiyoko and Arisu nodded slowly in wonder. Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Well, THAT I know. I think it was way before he asked me out in Disney World. In fact...I'm about eighty percent sure it was when he woke up after that Bount dude nearly killed him. Y'know, the day I met you and Toshiro, and Urahara, all that good stuff."

She paused, fiddling with Chiyoko's hair unconsciously. "I know this is gonna sound really, really, insanely cheesy...But I just kind of had this random thought that day. You know, when he was out of it, I didn't leave his side for two days straight until Rukia made me, ten minutes or so before he came to. And when Urahara told me he was awake, and I saw him...well, awake...I realized how close I had been to seeing him dead. And I was so happy. I just had a thought, you know...that I needed him there, here, with me...a lot more than I thought. A lot more than a friend needs another friend."

Everyone was staring at her as if she had just said the most romantic thing ever, so of course she had to change the atmosphere a little.

"But then you guys showed up, and I got distracted. Plus, he was still annoying," she added thoughtfully.

Matsumoto rolled her eyes and Chiyoko giggled, but Arisu looked hesitant. "May I ask how your father reacted? Knowing you were in love and not engaged to be married, as is custom?"

Peyton blinked. "...Well...He reacted much better than he would've if we decided to up and get married. Personally, I think marriage is overrated. Besides...If you get married at my age, the first thought anyone else has is that the girl's GOT to be pregnant."

Matsumoto snorted a laugh, and Arisu blushed. "Well, here, it is custom to be married around the age of seventeen. I am nineteen now, soon to be twenty, and still not married. If I ever were to acquire a lover without marriage, my father would probably disown me..."

Peyton waved her off. "Nah, I don't think so. There's nothing more important to a dad than his kids. Especially daughters."

Chiyoko nodded. "Besides, Arisu! If your lover was anything like Ichigo-san, and cared about you that deeply, I do not think daddy would be as angry. As long as he knew you were safe."

Matsumoto asked the question that was now on everyone's mind. "So, Arisu, does that mean you ARE interested in someone?"

She blushed a pretty shade of pink; Peyton needed to ask her how the hell she did that later. "Well, there IS a man who has caught my attention as of late-"

CRASH! THUD. THUD.

The girls sweatdropped quite a few times; Renji and Ichigo were currently sprawled out on the floor. Renji had faceplanted, and his butt was currently up in the air, while Ichigo had landed on his back and was just laying there.

Probably wishing he would somehow turn invisible.

Matsumoto was the first to speak. "...Ichigo, you might as well stop chanting that. Peyton's powers aren't gonna transfer to you any time soon. Your aura's gonna stay exactly the same."

Toshiro calmly slid through the window, which was now busted in beyond repair, and stepped over the two idiots.

"Evening."

"...Hi..." Peyton replied with another sweatdrop.

"What're you guys doing here?"

Ichigo stood up, his temple and cast throbbing. "Turns out Byakuya's a heavy sleeper...when you crush sleeping pills into his jasmine tea. Toshiro and I just wanted OUT, but RENJI here decided it would be a bright idea to spy on you guys so he could talk to Rukia."

"About BATTLE FORMATIONS," he added defensively from his position on the floor.

"Does that floor smell good?" Peyton asked.

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU shut up, Senna and Rukia are lucky enough to be ASLEEP right now!" Matsumoto hissed.

Wait...If they were outside...That means they could've EASILY heard every word...SHIT!

Peyton cleared her throat anxiously. "Y'know, air sounds REAL good. I think I'm gonna go...restock on that...way out there," she said before heading for the door.

"Ichigo-san, you missed it! We were just talking about you!" Chiyoko chirped happily. "We know," Renji replied, snickering.

"OW! DAMMIT, STRAWBERRY, THAT HURT!"

"Renji, shut the hell up!"

"But Matsumotoooo, you SAW him kick me!"

"SHUT UP, I SAY!"

Peyton shook her head and went outside, hoping to escape the madness as long as possible.

Senna tried to stay as still as possible during all the shouting, but then something hit her rather hard. Good thing, too; she didn't know how much longer she could pretend to be asleep.

"OW, DAMMIT!" She shouted, rubbing her side. Senna sweatdropped as she threw Renji's sandal back at him.

"Sorry, Senna," he yelled to her while trying to fight Ichigo.

She rolled her eyes, then sucked in a breath. Ichigo.

So. That Peyton girl really IS his girlfriend. I had a really bad feeling all day that that was the case, but the girls' conversation totally confirmed it.

Damn. I had been so happy...

Senna shook her head quickly. Nope. She wouldn't let this come between her and Peyton, and CERTAINLY not between her and Ichigo.

She kinda liked the chick. Unfortunately.

Maybe if I keep telling myself it doesn't bother me, eventually it'll be true... She wondered, resisting the urge to groan and shout "REALLY?" as Ichigo finally beat Renji and after a few moments went outside.

Three guesses where HE'S going.

MEANWHILE...

No matter how dreary Soul Society was compared to what the Soul Reapers described it as, Peyton had to give the night sky some credit.

She had never seen so many stars and planets. Not in Tennessee, and CERTAINLY not in Karakura.

I wonder what everyone else is doing...

But after the possibilities seeped into her brain, she decided NOT to wonder what they were doing. It was too vivid...

"It was the fireworks."

She jumped so hard she whammed her left shin right into a log, and her temple throbbed as Ichigo started laughing.

"This better be good, making me spazz like that. What about fireworks?"

He shrugged. "When I knew I liked you. When we were watching the fireworks at that fair."

Peyton flushed. "Great. You DID hear that..."

"Every word, lover," he replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, this lover is pissed. You better hope I don't get a bruise, 'cause then I'll be so tempted to poke it, and I'll eventually poke it, and I'll be all 'OW, that hurts like hell!', and then I'll poke it some more, and it'll change colors, which I always kinda thought was a bit cool, but that's besides the point, the point is that you would be responsible for said bruise, and-"

"Nooo, the POINT is that you're rambling," he interrupted. "Badly."

She waved him off. "Tch. Why would I be rambling?"

"Because you love me. And you're tired, but that isn't as flattering towards me."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Good to know you're so selfless."

"Hey, Peyton?"

"WHAT."

"You wanna know something really, really, insanely cheesy?"

Her temple throbbed. "You better not quote what I said about you waking up."

"Nope."

"Then go for it."

He hugged her from behind. "You're the first girl I really looked at."

And with that, he let her go and headed back towards the hut. Her jaw dropped. "You're leaving?"

"Yep."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"But...But.." She huffed and ran after him. "HEY! You can't hug someone like that, whisper in their ear, and then just LEAVE! What the hell's the matter with you, Kurosaki? Dammit, I'm tired, don't make me ruuuuuuuunnn!"