"G-Gomenasai, (Y/N).. I'm so proud of you, my beautiful girl. Please, live on... I'll be watching over you."

"No! No! Please, you can't do this... not today... today was meant to be happy! It's all my fault... please! No!"

"Wake up."

You let out a wary moan, feeling sicker than ever. You ignored the voice, sniffing and curling up more in your futon.

"I have many ways to wake you up," the voice began simply. It sounded harmless enough, but there was an underlying threat in those words.

"I could pour freezing cold water on you. Or even just grab you and throw you outside. Or I c-can... yeah."

You opened your eyes reluctantly, not that it really made much of a difference with them open.

"Finally."

Your head pounded as you tried to figure out who was currently a few inches away from your face, giving you a scrutinising look. Your blurry vision didn't help, so you said the only thing you could manage at the time in your dizzy, tired state.

"Get out of my face!"

You then quickly came to your senses as you realised something.

This is not my home There's a person here. I can't remember anything... was I DRUGGED?!

You screamed, grabbing a blanket from beside you. You threw it at the intruder. The blanket covered him, temporarily blinding him and giving you an advantage. You lunged at him, and he toppled over and straight onto the ground. You then jumped onto him, holding down the blanket edges with your body. You could hear muffled shouts, and released your grip a tiny bit (if at all). You then stood up for a second, and as the figure attempted to get up, you used all your body weight to cannon ball onto their stomach. All struggling ceased, and you couldn't help but wonder if he had passed out. Your head whipped up as you heard the door slamming open.

Rangiku came in, her Zanpakuto in her hands.

"What the-"

"I heard screams," another man with black hair shouted.

You watched Rangiku's eyes darting frantically around the room. They then landed on you and the intruder. Her mind was still processing what was happening. She stared at the pair of you, unblinking.

"Get me out of here!" Toshiro's voice sounded out, muffled from being underneath the blanket. There was a short pause, during which you stood completely still like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I was... uh... he... Taichou? I..."

"T-Taichou...? She... she did that? To you?" Rangiku questioned, staring in disbelief. The man that ran in from earlier grunted and walked out, muttering about 'not getting to see any action'. You stayed silent, before clapping your hands over your mouth.

"Oh my God!"

You quickly jumped off your Captain, pulling the blanket off him in horror. You swallowed as he stood up and opened his mouth.

"I am so sorry, I... um... did you know that 1 + 1 equals window?" you asked quickly, panicking slightly.

Both Toshiro and Rangiku stared at you momentarily, before Toshiro opened his mouth again, his furious look reappearing.

"I can't believe-"

"It's not butter?" you blurted out, interrupting him. Rangiku immediately doubled over laughing without missing a beat, wheras your Captain didn't even flinch. In fact, your stupid moment seemed to make him even madder, which you realised when he took a few deep breaths through his nose to calm himself.

"You're annoying," he said simply, shaking his head.

Toshiro had called you annoying so many times before that usually it wouldn't even matter, but this time you really felt like you had bothered him.

"Sorry..." you muttered, rubbing the back of your head. "I say random things when I'm nervous."

"Don't say sorry," he replies irritatedly.

"Oh, okay. Sorry."

At that moment, as Toshiro looked like he was about ready to murder you, you came to a quite terrifying realisation.

You were in Toshiro's home.

In his bedroom.

Standing on his floor.

You slept in his bed.

You woke up to his face.

Rangiku peered at you curiously, her mouth open.

"Wooow~! You should have seen that wide array of emotions you just displayed."

You winced slightly, peeking at Toshiro for a moment before turning back to her.

"What?"

"Well, first it was like... you were really terrified. Then your eyes sort of glazed over, and your mouth dropped open. Your eyes opened really wide, and you looked really nervous, confused, and sort of... content. Like, love struck content." she wiggled her eyebrows, looking between you and Toshiro pointedly.

"I-I don't think I like what you're insinuating..." you choked out. Toshiro seemed oblivious as he stared at the pair of you in confusion.

Boys. Even the overpowered prodigies are clueless.

Rangiku innocently shrugged, and before you could say anything, a drinking buddy of hers poked his head through the doors. She was gone before you could say, 'Matsumoto!'

Not that Toshiro didn't try.

You then turned to your Captain, remembering something.

"You have some explaining to do, mister."

You expected a long story, or quite possibly an unwillingness to say anything. That was quite different from what you received, however.

"You got ridiculously drunk off of spiked chocolates, and I had to pick you up and literally put you to bed."

You choked on your own saliva, banging your funny bone right on the table.

"I... I... what?" you stammered, the news not quite sinking in.

"You got ridiculously dru-"

"I heard you!" you groaned, cutting him off. He raised an eyebrow momentarily, staring at you as if expecting something.

"What?" you questioned self consciously, rubbing the back of your neck.

"You're not going to ask something?" he asked, still staring in a way that made your knees week. You plopped down onto the floor, crossing your arms.

"Ask something?! Explain it properly! I deserve to know," you demanded crossly, and he looked annoyed to say the least. He sat down anyway, wincing ever so slightly as he bent his probably bruised stomach. You immediately felt guilty about the fact that he was attempting to cover up the fact that you had hurt him, just to protect you. Or maybe it was to protect his ego. Either one. You squirmed when you realised he looked slightly embarrassed.

"What did I do? It wasn't anything bad... right?" you asked weakly, and he seemed to return back to normal.

"Err... you ate the chocolates, and then stood up and started shouting at a pile of paperwork. You were about to kick it, and I stopped you, then you started calling me your s-saviour... then you cried when I called you drunk, and began to- I mean, I carried you... outside... and you called me Minty... and... I brought you to my house and you went to sleep." he rambled, messing up his words. You stifled a laugh.

"And why did you bring me to your house? My key was in my pocket..."

He froze.

"I didn't realise you had the key on you. I assumed you lost it during your drunken shenanigans-"

You winced a little.

"-and didn't check."

"Well, that was silly, wasn't it?" you replied sweetly, and he glared at you.

"Whatever. You can go now."

You then suddenly brightened, and pulled him into a hug. You squeezed him tightly,

"Shiro shiro-chaaan~! Thanks for looking after me."

He looked so adorably embarrassed and modest at that moment that you almost wanted to pinch his cheeks.

"Y-You... don't call me that. I'm-"

"-your Captain, and you will address me as such." you finished for him, putting on a deep voice. He shot you a look, and you released him, grinning.

"Sorry, but I nickname all my friends. Shiro-chan is your nickname, and it's genius, honestly. I can't help it if I call you by your nickname sometimes."

He said nothing, just looked at you as if you were a puzzle he couldn't solve.

Wrong. He's the real puzzle.

You then swallowed a lump in your throat.

"Taichou... it's been really fun with you. E-Even though you act so strict and grumpy, you're really nice to be around... so...when we go to the human world in the next two days I... I want you to be really careful, okay?" you murmured, looking away from him. You had chosen your words carefully.

"I could say the same to you," he muttered. You knew that was his way of agreeing, so you turned on your heel and walked home.

~