Toushirou POV
"Are you and Karin really just friends?"
I blushed. For someone who usually isn't perceptive it would be amazing if he'd already figured me out, "What?" I tried to sound nonchalant about but I couldn't tell if I succeeded, I was too focused on my rapid heartbeat.
He sighed, "I just...Karin's not the kind of person to tell me things. She's always complaining about how I'm overprotective and I was just wondering. She didn't even tell me you guys knew each other until just recently. And she usually doesn't hide things as simple as friendship so I thought maybe she was lying to me. I mean she spent most of her time when you were in the comatose state sitting next to you. And now you're rushing blindly into Hueco Mundo with a guy that you hardly talk to."
I looked innocently around at the sands surrounding us. We were sitting literally in the middle of nowhere because I had insisted that if we weren't rested that we wouldn't do any good to Karin. Not that I really wanted to stop moving though...
I fought the urge to flop onto my back as I answered him, "We really are just friends Kurosaki. You really shouldn't come to the conclusion that we're together because she came to visit me when I was comatose."
He scowled at me, "If you saw her you'd think it too...One thing that really irritated me is that she depended on you to protect her when she had two strong Soul Reapers living in the same house that were actually awake. But no she gets sick in the morning and instead of being sensible and letting me help her she runs to you and then gets mad when I try to tell her that sitting there isn't going to help her stomach. It was only about 6 in the morning and she had just slept but she still climbs into bed with you and goes back to sleep...And sleeps the whole day too!"
He sighed, "I just don't know what to make of it."
I could tell by the way the my face burned that my face was probably tomato red, "She WHAT?"
Kurosaki took one look at me and burst out laughing. His outburst of laughter only embarrassed me more. He managed to calm down enough to talk again after what seemed like forever. He had a huge smile on his face when he said, "Poor Toushirou isn't used to having a girl sleep in his bed."
I crossed my arms and felt my eyebrow twitch, "Like you are?" He stared blankly at me and then looked away, "No but I'm used to Rukia being in my closet...You should've seen your face! You know Karin will probably kill me for telling you that."
I smirked, "Yeah she probably will. And you deserve it for freaking me out like that."
"I only spoke the truth! Don't go wishing my death because of it!"
I sadly smiled up at the sky, "When you die...because the fact that we won't have to konso you, you'll automatically be a Soul Reaper full-time. You'll have to choose a squad and the Captain of that squad will have to figure out where you belong in said squad. Though it's also been said by the Head Captain that if you choose a squad without a Captain...The current Captain will vote and if we decide that you're responsible enough to handle it...you may become a Captain."
I shook my head, "It's not right...There are three Lieutenants that can't be promoted because the Head Captain is depending on you dying soon so that he'll know where your place is among us. Three Lieutenants waiting for six years now to know if they'll be a Captain or not."
I paused biting my lip, "Well six years human time. Only three in the Soul Society."
I could tell that he was staring at me, waiting for me to say more but I didn't have any more to say. He sounded unsure of himself when he spoke again, "It's nice to know...that the old guy wants me dead. You're right it isn't fair. If I don't die from some kind of accident I'll live for a lot longer. I mean...I'm only 21 I still haven't even decided what I want to do with my life. If I'm lucky I'll live nearly another 70 years. Of that overall would mean that the people in the Soul Society would have to wait 38 years to know if I'd be Captain. I don't think I'd want to be a Captain anyway. I'd have so many people's lives in my hands...I don't want to be the cause of anyone getting hurt."
There was an awkward silence before he sighed audibly, "Toushirou?"
I looked back down at him, "Hmm?"
"I'm sorry that I got so many of you guys hurt, the Captains I mean, when I was fighting Aizen and he told me...that I wouldn't hit him unless I hated him. I was fighting so no one would have to get hurt and some of you nearly died. So I'm sorry."
I gaped blankly at him then shook my head, "We all had a reason to be there someone or something to protect. You're acting like you dragged us into the fight with Aizen but in all reality we dragged you into it. It was our problem to begin with."
There was another awkward silence before Kurosaki jumped slightly and exclaimed, "Hey!"
I blinked because it startled me, "What?"
He grinned like a little kid who just won his first fight, "You didn't correct me."
I narrowed my eyebrows severely confused, "What are you talking about."
I genuinely couldn't think of anything I had needed to correct him on. What had he done in the past few minutes that was wrong? I searched my brain for an answer but couldn't find one until he finally answered me.
"I called you Toushirou and you didn't correct me."
I facepalmed, "Was that really all it was? Really?"
"It's a big deal! You've always corrected me and this time you didn't."
"I didn't see a point you've been ignoring me about calling me by title for years and I realized that you're going to keep calling me by my first name whether I like it or not so why waste my breath?"
He quietly laughed, "Yeah Of course that's what it is...Are you sure you're not just starting to like me a bit more?"
I raised an eyebrow at the sarcastic beginning of his words, "I'm positive." I told him that but I was thinking to myself that maybe he was right. Of course I'd never admit it.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, him being my partner in crime for saving Karin. He wasn't a bad guy.
Short Chapter I know I'm sorry guys. I just wanted to catch up with Toushirou and Ichigo :)
