Chapter 5

Toshiro Hitsugaya

Pregnancy: Week 20

I sat on the edge of the couch watching Matsumoto listen to Karin's stomach. Karin had promised that she was going to let Rangiku listen to her stomach as long as she wanted as long as she finished her work. I've never seen Matsumoto finish work so fast in my life.

I sat watching them with an amused smile. Matsumoto was sitting on her knees in front of Karin with one ear on Karin's stomach. Every once in a while she would give her bump a soft poke and wait for a some type of reaction that wasn't visible from where I was sitting.

"Why do you keep poking her like that Matsumoto?" I asked as I leaned over on the couch to see what was going on. Matsumoto poked Karin again I watched as both the both of them smiled at whatever reaction they were getting from the baby.

"He kicks back when you poke him." Matsumoto replied not taking her ear away from Karin's stomach. She switched ear before giving Karin another poke. "Look captain, come see." She said happily as she waved me over to where she was. I stood from the sofa and crouched down next to Matsumoto on the floor.

"Put you ear right here." She said pointing to a spot on Karin's stomach where her ear had been a moment before.

I put my ear against Karin's stomach and sat there. Matsumoto poked Karin right next to where my head was; a second later there was a small thump against my ear.

"She kicked me." I said as I leaned away from Karin and sat down on the floor fully. Matsumoto laughed, placing a hand on Karin's stomach.

"I told you, it's a boy." She said as she removed her hand from Karin's stomach and stood to her feet.

"What makes you so sure?" Karin asked as she rose slowly from her place on the couch and walked with her over to the door. I got up and followed the both of them.

"I already told you, I can just tell." she said with a confident smile as she opened the door carefully so she didn't accidentally hit Karin with the door. "Goodnight Karin, see you in the morning captain." She said as she disappeared on the other side of the door.

"She seems really sure that we're having a boy." Karin said as she waddled away from the door and through our bedroom door. She sat down on the bed and waited for me to go over to the side of the bed to remove her shoes. After they were off and in her usual place Karin went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. For the most part she didn't need help getting dressed, the only things she asked for my help with was trying to remove her shoes because she could barely reach her feet around her stomach.

"Are you hot?" I asked already knowing that she was going to tell me yes. For some reason she was always hot, no matter how cold it already was she was still hot. If I didn't love the cold so much I would be in a very bad place right now.

"Yes," Karin said as she lay in her spot nearly in the middle of the bed. I went to the bathroom and quickly readied myself for bed. Once I was done I adjusted the air to just above freezing before I got into bed at the small part of the mattress that I was still able to call mine and made myself as comfortable as possible.

"Toshiro," Karin said almost in a whine.

"You want water?" I asked as I rolled form the bed and made my way over to the door.

"With ice please." She said in the happy tone she used when she was trying to get something she wanted.