With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
"I'm just a little worried is all. It's just what I do when a good thing comes along. I just think about it until I drive myself crazy. That's all. Don't worry dear."
"I am only worried cuz I care... I don't want you to feel inferior..." Mizuki smiled at him as he kissed her cheek.
He then turned to face her. It was almost perfect timing. She stared into his eyes as he did the same, along with putting his hand on her cheek. Mizuki smiled and inched as close as she could get to him. It was a good feeling.
This good feeling, didn't last for very long though. She felt her back beginning to spasm. This hurt, a lot, but she didn't want to move, she was very comfortable. She winced slightly, and figured it out. Her medication from the hospital was wearing off. She would have to do something about it.
"More than you know Mizu-chan. I could lay here like this with you forever. This is...this is just amazing."
Mizuki half smiled. She couldn't really respond like this. She couldn't even lay there like that for very long, she had to move. She moved his arm and sat up breathing kinda heavy. It was painful, and she didn't want to say it, but it was true.
"I am only worried cuz I care... I don't want you to feel inferior..."
Toshioni smiled at this as he looked at her. She was trying to reassure him and he loved that about her. She wasn't content to let him stir in his misery or dwell in all those thoughts of inferiority. No, she was more than willing to help him if he needed it. That was the kind of emotional closeness that he really wanted from a relationship. And this was a relationship...it was living up to his expectations after all. This was great...these moments with Mizuki were just great.
"Thanks Mizuki."
As they laid together, she suddenly had to sit up at the foot of her bed. Toshioni didn't really know why she had to do this so abruptly. He sat up next to her and looked over to her with a concerned look. "Are you okay Mizu-chan?"
"Sorry Toshioni... My back..."
"Do you have anything for the pain? Can I bring you some water or something?" he asked with a tone of worry. It really sucked that his first outing with his girlfriend included her being in enormous pain (Ba dum tsh!). He was willing to do whatever she needed him to do if it meant making her feel better. He was her boyfriend now; that was kind of his job after all.
Mizuki was almost brought to tears from this pain. She would even attempt to stand up to no avail. Her attempt caused her to sit right back down. She needed her medicine, and she needed it now. Maybe she should of got them right when she got out. Either way, she was in pain.
With a small whimper, Mizuki reached for her jeans that were behind her. She would need to get dressed, otherwise she couldn't go do it, right? She started to put her legs in and pulling up her jeans.
"Do you have anything for the pain? Can I bring you some water or something?"
"Could... you hand me.... that shirt right there..." Mizuki's voice was a bit weaker as she turned slightly, not trying to upset her back to much more.
Mizuki's back was starting to stop with its spasm, but it was still tender. She had to go, but she couldn't walk, and it wouldn't work so well if Toshioni carried her the way he had before. Wait... That's right.
"Toshi-kun, I'm gonna need to talk to my dad... I can have him go get my meds for me...."
Mizuki smiled slightly. It was hard to smile with the pain and all, but it was simmering down. She took the shirt from Toshioni and slipped it on. This would look better than a robe. Mizuki stood up for a moment, testing the waters so to speak. She then moved to her door and looked back at Toshioni.
"I'll be right back..." Mizuki smiled and put her finger to her lips, signaling for Toshioni to be quiet.
"Could... you hand me.... that shirt right there..."
Toshioni snapped into action as he did this with haste. All he knew was that he had to help her with this. If he did everything she asked he could help her get past this. He was her boyfriend and that was kind of his job now. He quickly grabbed the shirt and offered it up to her gently as he also offered up to her a weak smile to show her he was there for her.
"Here you go Mizu-chan."
"Toshi-kun, I'm gonna need to talk to my dad... I can have him go get my meds for me...."
"Are you sure, I mean, I could do it in about a minute or less. I can move faster than he can drive."
As he said this, he offered sincere eyes and a slight look of desperation. He wanted to help her and he knew that he could alleviate that pain faster than her father could. He could lie again to get the medicine if he needed. Maybe Mizuki hadn't thought about this but he did. Toshioni thought about things like this quickly...he was pretty smart when he needed to be. After all, being able to think on his feet was a pretty good trait in a fight. He was able to think about things and manipulate positions to get things aligned properly. That was just one of his many traits.
"I'll be right back..."
She was really going to ask her dad to go instead of him it seemed. He kind of looked at her with a curious look on his face and then with a pretty developed frown. Why didn't she want him to go and fix this when he could? Didn't she trust him to handle something as menial as picking up fucking medicine? Seriously, it wasn't that hard. But, she put her finger to her lips to silence him. So, he mouthed at her "Are you sure?". That was really all he could do.
"Are you sure, I mean, I could do it in about a minute or less. I can move faster than he can drive."
Mizuki offered a slight smile as she walked out the room. She went to her dad's room. Their conversation couldn't be heard from Mizuki's room, but she would tell him why in one moment.
Moments later, Mizuki reentered her room. She walked over, slowly, and sat next to Toshioni. She offered him a smile and placed her hand on Toshioni's thigh. She would have a talk with him, as she thought he felt unimportant.
"Toshi-kun, I wanted to spend every second with you... that's why I sent my dad instead of you..."
Mizuki laid down and laid her head on Toshioni's lap. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her head. After this, she smiled up at her boyfriend.
"We need to go to your place sometime... It would be so much better, not as much hiding from parents... Wait, do you live with your parents?"
Mizuki reached up and rubbed Toshioni's cheek. She was feeling a bit better, still tender, but she could stand it a bit better now. She was enjoying her time with Toshioni while she had it. Hopefully they would get to spend more time with one another. Her smile didn't leave as she felt some minor pain creeping back in.
Toshioni sat on Mizuki's bed and waited for her to return to him from her parents' room. He didn't know how long that conversation would take. It could be too long of a talk, Mizuki would probably just tell him she needed her medicine from the pharmacy and that would be the end. However, if Mizuki's father deemed it necessary to come into her room he was ready to dart out with hirenkyaku. However, Mizuki came in and sat down beside him. She seemed to want to talk to him as she touched his thigh to get his attention. With a mindful "Hm?" he turned to face her.
"Toshi-kun, I wanted to spend every second with you... that's why I sent my dad instead of you..."
With this she laid her head on his lap and placed his hand on her head. He gave her hair a small rub with a small grin on his face as he reflected upon this. She seemed to know that he was worried about feeling unimportant and insignificant which is why she reassured him so. He really appreciated this assurance and her ability to seemingly read his mind and figure out what was wrong. He looked down at his cute little girlfriend and rubbed her hair a little more.
"Thanks Mizu-chan...I appreciate your reassurance."
"We need to go to your place sometime... It would be so much better, not as much hiding from parents... Wait, do you live with your parents?"
Ehhh...there it was. He really didn't want to bring Mizuki to his raggedy house with its crappy shit everywhere. He loved his mom but her being the sole supporter of the house hold meant that after food and expenses there wasn't much left for fancy stuff. The upstairs didn't even have a living room...only his basement alcove did. He didn't know that he wanted Mizuki there.
"Yeah, I live with my mom. I don't know if it should really be hospitable for us to hang out in."
"Thanks Mizu-chan...I appreciate your reassurance."
Mizuki giggled a little bit. "Well, to be fair, you were frowning at me when i left the room. Also I saw you lip 'Are you sure?'... I mean, I could of had you do it and get it over with, but then we wouldn't be having this moment, you understand, Toshi-kun?"
Mizuki sighed softly, as if she was letting go of everything else right now, and only seeing her and Toshioni in this moment. She had very strong feeling for him, maybe even "love", but she couldn't say that for sure, if at all. She wanted to be with him so bad right now, and she was getting her wish.
She smiled as he gently rubbed her hair. This soothed her so much right now, that that pain that was creeping on was almost ignored completely. It hurt, yeah, but she was having a good time with her boyfriend.
"So, uh, random question... Am I your first girlfriend?"
Mizuki blushed slightly at this. It wasn't like she was gonna get jealous, right? Maybe she just wanted to know for the simple fact of knowing, or even just to compare herself to him. She knew she didn't have any prior boyfriends, but he might not of known that.
"Yeah, I live with my mom. I don't know if it should really be hospitable for us to hang out in."
Mizuki smiled. "Come on, you got to see my house, time for me to see yours, right?"
"Well, to be fair, you were frowning at me when i left the room. Also I saw you lip 'Are you sure?'... I mean, I could of had you do it and get it over with, but then we wouldn't be having this moment, you understand, Toshi-kun?"
Looking out the window, he thought about this for a second. He needed to get a bit better at hiding his discomfort and disappointment about things. Around Mizuki it was fine, but around others it may lead to uncomfortable conversation that he'd obviously avoid. After all, the adjective he used was "uncomfortable"; uncomfortable things tended to not be desirable. He thought about how he felt about Mizuki noticing. It really didn't bother him because of how close he felt to her. He felt like he could trust her with anything and that he didn't have to worry about which sides of him she saw. Around her he could be anything that he wanted to be...that was relieving.
"I get it...thanks Mizu-chan. I really appreciate everything you do for me. Don't forget that." As he spoke, he continued to rub her hair before looking back down at her.
"So, uh, random question... Am I your first girlfriend?"
A small blush came to Toshioni's face as he looked away quickly and kind tapped his foot nervously. Obviously she was his first girlfriend, but how did he answer that? Did she want to be his first? Or did she want it to sound like he had experience in this sort of thing? Shit...what did girls want anyway. However, he'd taken too long in this...she knew that she was his first by now because of the long on his face and his hesitancy. He wore a honest face as he looked down at Mizuki.
"You're my first girlfriend Mizuki...am I your first boyfriend?"
"Come on, you got to see my house, time for me to see yours, right?"
"I get it...thanks Mizu-chan. I really appreciate everything you do for me. Don't forget that."
Mizuki smiled more as her hair was rubbed a little more. It was pretty relaxing and it made Mizuki feel safe and comfortable. Even with her faults, she had found someone who liked her for her, and didn't yell at her all the time (Ha!).
"I don't think I could forget it..." Mizuki smiled at Toshioni.
"You're my first girlfriend Mizuki...am I your first boyfriend?"
Mizuki's smile widened. Knowing this made her feel even better about the whole situation, along with feeling on the same level as Toshioni, seeing as how he was her first. This whole thing was crazy how it happened. Why didn't she choose him sooner?
"Well, I've never had a boyfriend... So I guess that means we are on the same level so to speak, yes?"
Mizuki reached up and rubbed Toshioni's cheek again. She gave it a slight pinch, a playful gesture. She liked being a little playful from time to time. Of course, he wouldn't play very rough back, but he might actually play a little back.
"I don't know Mizu-chan."
Mizuki made a pouty face to this. Why didn't he want his own girlfriend to come over? What was wrong with that? Where else would they go? Here again? No, they couldn't hang out there all the time, her parents would make her keep the door open, check in every like five minutes, and they wouldn't be able to do what they were doing right now. She would have to ask.
"Toshi-kun, why? I mean, we can't always come here, my parents are almost always here at one point or another, today being an exception... So, why can't we just go to your place?"
"Well, I've never had a boyfriend... So I guess that means we are on the same level so to speak, yes?"
Toshioni gave Mizuki a smile at this as he reflected upon what it meant. They had the same amount of experience and that meant that they would be forgiving of each other for what they did wrong. Toshioni would have been forgiving of her regardless of his experience, but now he knew that Mizuki would be forgiving of him for whatever he did. That was good...he knew that he would make mistakes in this. He seemed to make a lot of mistakes in everything else.
"That's good Mizu-chan. I feel like prior experience would just make things worse for this. We'd have expectations for each other. This way, we can just be who we are. And that's great Mizuki, because you're an amazing person."
"Toshi-kun, why? I mean, we can't always come here, my parents are almost always here at one point or another, today being an exception... So, why can't we just go to your place?"
There it was again. Why didn't Mizuki just accept that he didn't want to show her his house. Did she not understand that he really didn't want her to go inside and see what little there was there? He didn't want this to be a problem between him and his new girlfriend though. He figured he'd just have to let her know how he felt about it and what the real tension was there. Being embarrassed was a bit embarrassing but he'd just tough it the fuck up.
"Mizu-chan. I'm embarrassed of my house. It's not as pretty or well furnished as yours. I don't want you to think less of me when you see it. I guess I'm just paranoid. I'd rather us not go there...but if you want to, we can."