Loss to Love Chapter 7

Toshiro sat there frozen as he watched his former childhood friend emerge from behind Ukitake's back. Her head was bowed down but he could tell Hinamori didn't want to be in the room as much as Toshiro did. Her fists were clenched at her sides but with the way Ukitake stood tensed next to her, she knew if she tried anything she would have him to deal with.

Everybody stood in a tense silence, Ichigo being the only person who felt like he shouldn't belong in there.

"Well...if you'll excuse me i have an errand-"

"It's alright Ichigo, if you don't mind I would like you to stay for this conversation." The tone in Ukitake's voice left no room for argument...but he looked directly into Ukitake's eyes and knew he only wanted him to stay for Toshiro's sake. So Ichigo sat back down put he put a reassuring hand on Toshiro's lap, giving him a light squeeze.

Toshiro looked to the side in shock at Ichigo's action but he was met with warm brown eyes that looked at him in understanding. The amount of emotion displayed in Ichigo's eyes directed at him made him blush slightly and he turned his head to the side in embarrassment. But he quickly cleared his thoughts of the strawberry to focus on Hinamori who still hadn't looked up from her bowed position.

Ukitake looked at Toshiro, a warm smile on his face. "Toshiro I see you're doing well..Hinamori-san is there anything you would like to say?"

"No."

"Hinamori-"

"It's alright Ukitake-san," Toshiro reassured. "If she doesn't want to be here she can go...I didn't even want to see her anyway."

Toshiro's response had multiple responses, outrage being the most prominent that showed on Hinamori's face when she finally looked up for the first time. She actually looked offended and...ashamed? But Toshiro ignored that and went on with his tirade, speaking as though she wasn't in the room.

You know, I would've liked to have a peaceful morning once I woke up...talk to Ichigo and have Matsumoto who actually give a damn about how I feel, seeing if I'm okay. I used to think people worrying over you showed you were weak but it shows how much people actually cared for you and that made me happy. But it makes me so angry to know the people that are closest to you are the ones to eventually betray you." At this statement he wasn't just referring to Hinamori...But to Aizen, as well as the other captains that defected.

"But… Since I have friends I feel like I can become stronger than ever and move past and conquer my weaknesses." At this Toshiro looked up straight into Hinamori's eyes. The emotion showing through the turquoise froze Hinamori on the spot and stopped her from saying anything she was going too.

"I thought that you Hinamori would be the one person that would stick with me through all trial and errors… you were the one that was bringing me down all these few weeks and that's the most disappointing thing to realize especially since that person was your childhood friend." Tears sprang to Hinamori's eyes, but the damage was already done. "The only reason why I'm the captain I am now is because of Rangiku. Her and granny have been a key part of my personality and I thought you were too...but I guess I'm not a part of your's." Toshiro finally took a deep breath slumping his body against the propped up pillows on his bed. Everybody could tell that the conversation was over and he was too exhausted to continue. Ukitake and Rangiku excused themselves steering a quietly crying Hinamori out of the room. Once it was nice and quiet in the room, Ichigo let out a breathe he had been holding for the whole conversation. Ichigo turned opening his mouth to speak to Toshiro but sees the small captain snoring softly his head slightly tilted to the side. He chuckled softly and tucked in Toshiro so he slept in a better position. At the last minute Ichigo leaned down and brushed his lips on Toshiro's lips then quickly left the room pink blossoming on his cheeks.

When the room was in silence once more, a certain whitehead that was awake for the whole time put a hand to his lips, pink also blossoming on his face when he remembered the brush of something soft and warm against his lips.

And he went to bed restless wondering why his heart was pounding so hard in his chest.

Time Skip: Few weeks later

With Toshiro fully healed and a few warnings from Captain Unohana to take it easy, he was finally discharged from the fourth company back into the tenth company barracks. The atmosphere between Toshiro and Ichigo seemed...awkward? More on Toshiro's part ever since Ichigo kissed him. Whenever the strawberry looked at him, he would blush and he started staring at him more times than usual. He was enraptured by the orange that made up Ichigo's head and he actually took notice of the muscles that showed through the shinigami robes and on his arms. He was almost caught staring a few times but was able to quickly avert his attention to something else before Ichigo's eyes could meet his.

Things that made it more awkward (on Toshiro's part) is when their hands brushed accidently when they reached for Toshiro's lunch tray or when Toshiro's pillows accidently slipped off the bed and they both reached to pick them up. Ichigo would only have an embarrassed blush on his face but Toshiro would shot away from Ichigo holding his hand and head turned away so that Ichigo wouldn't witness the cherry red spreading on his face.

He thought that once he was discharged Ichigo would finally go home but instead Ichigo offered to help Toshiro a little bit more so that he wouldn't injure himself. Captain Unohana didn't have any problem with that so she assigned Ichigo as his caretaker for the time being. Matsumoto would be the more proper person to take care of Toshiro since she was his Lieutenant but finding her every other day passed out on his couch from drinking...well...Ichigo was a better choice out of the two.

Back to the present, Toshiro sat down at his desk and did his paperwork as usual, Ichigo helping him so that the workload wasn't so heavy. It was quiet in the room, the sound of pens scribbling on paper creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Toshiro kept on stealing glances at Ichigo, each time he looked back down at his paperwork a faint blush blooming against his cheeks. Whenever Ichigo looked up, Toshiro would quickly duck his head, thinking he hid his face from Ichigo but he knew better. The strawberry head knew that the young captain was staring at him from time to time but wouldn't call him out because not only would that embarrass him but he didn't want to face his wintery wrath. But he wouldn't wait long for the young captain to come out and say it, the only reason why Toshiro didn't say anything because of his pride and stubbornness. Ever since confronting Hinamori while Toshiro was still recovering (and the kiss *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*) Ichigo kept his distance after that so that Toshiro had time to think to himself about the bond he severed himself. What Ichigo did know about Toshiro though was that he was fiercely loyal to those he respected and deserved that loyal friend. Toshiro, himself, severing that bond to Hinamori must've been a deep blow to him and needed the time to think to himself.

Toshiro seemed much better after confronting her. He actually seemed brighter even though he should an icy exterior towards his subordinates but he couldn't fool Matsumoto or even Ichigo. It had seemed a heavy weight that had been on Toshiro's shoulders for the last few weeks finally lifted and he can finally take a deep breathe of fresh air.

But back to his original thoughts…

Out the corner of his eye he saw Toshiro once again glance at him then quickly turn his head back to his paperwork. Ichigo had a grin come onto his face as an idea popped into his head. Pretending to be exhausted from doing the paperwork, he stretched his arms above his head in a way the showed off his muscles (ladies we all know he has lovely muscles). While he did that he watched Toshiro out of peripheral vision stare at Ichigo openly with a red blush splashed across his face.

Toshiro's POV

As I was finally getting a hold of myself to stop acting like a creep and taking peeks at Ichigo, the damn idiot decided to torture me more by stretching (if only he knew…). I couldn't stop admiring the way his muscles rippled against the shinigami clothing, his lean yet muscular body stretching this way and that to get the kinks out his body…

Regular POV

Ichigo was having the time of his life! He could tell Toshiro was having an internal struggle with himself whether or not to continue staring at Ichigo or deny his desires. He could see he is losing against his rational side as he started to drool the longer he stared at Ichigo the longer he stared. The one causing the troubles for the shorter male decided to put him out of his misery.

"Like what you see?" Ichigo answered with a straight face.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Toshiro froze, wondering who Kurosaki was talking to but came to quickly realize that he was caught staring. Red immediately took over anything above Toshiro's neck as embarrassment and mortification were the only two overwhelming emotions he could feel at the moment. He quickly jumped of his seat, incoherent babbling tumbling out of Toshiro's mouth as he tried to make up excuses as to why he WASN'T staring and that would be ridiculous for a person like him being caught doing that. But the end of his haori caught on to the edge of his chair and in his haste to get up pulled on the chair making him trip over to the side, and while falling Toshiro scrambled to find purchase to cease his falling but all he caught onto were paper work and his ink and pen that were resting on top of it so everything came crashing down with him in a paper ink mess on top of his bed and on the floor.

It was completely silent since Ichigo was expecting none of that to happen and Toshiro was too mortified to even let one sound past his lips. They just stood at their spots until they could hear running feet heading their way and it was too late for Toshiro to fix himself up in a more suitable manner.

Matsumoto came bursting into the office, worry lines etched onto her face as she came running to see what all the commotion was about.

"Taichou are you alr-!"

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Matsumoto was cut off from asking her question by Ichigo bursting out laughing all of a sudden. She wondered what was the cause of his merriment when she saw a head of white hair on the floor ink covering it, but she could still see a peek of beetroot red on the young captain's face as he tried to unsuccessfully hide his face in the floor. Knowing that laughing would only get her in trouble in this situation she made her way over, biting her lips to keep the chuckle from escaping. Without asking any questions she held out her hand and Toshiro took it, without once looking up as he was still too embarrassed to say anything but it was quickly shifting to irritation when he could still hear laughing in the background.

Ichigo was too busy rolling on the ground laughing his guts out to notice the menacing presence quickly growing right behind him. It wasn't until he couldn't feel his limbs anymore and frost was floating through the air that he really took notice of the predicament that he brought himself into. He just prayed he made it through the rest of the day...

Members of the 10th squad could hear the scream of pain along with their captain yelling out in anger in the distance but thought nothing of it thinking it was their lieutenants usual antics getting her in trouble again and went along their merry way.

A/N: To those of you who have followed along this story thankyou so much for being there and to everybody that has left a review you have my IMMENSE gratitude and I'm sorry for being a horrible author and not responding I will be doing that today and from now on. Writing this story has given me a hard time since I don't write a draft for it I just type as I go on. But luckily I'm thinking of giving two more chapters and then this story is complete. I plan on writing a few one-shots before I start another multi-chapter story just so the one-shots can give me inspiration for the next story. But along with the one-shots I am open to any IchiHitsu, GinHitsu, or any yaoi one-shots you want me to write. I already have a few ideas of my own but message me if you want me to write one of your ideas. I am working on a longer one-shot write now and that will take a while but other than that everything else is going on. Sorry for the long message, thank you again, and see you next time!