2A/N: Hi! It's been a while since I last published a story here on FFN but now, I have come up with another one! I had fun writing it and I hope you'll enjoy reading this, too! Without any more delay, douzo!
Disclaimer: I don't own BLEACH and its characters.
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MOMO STIRRED ON the bed. She adjusted her pillows and tucked herself deeper in the warmth of the comforter. Looking over to her right, she saw Rangiku sleeping peacefully. The other woman was quietly snoring but it wasn't the reason she stayed awake; she just couldn't sleep.
They were in a vacation house that was prepared for them by Rukia's older brother. The vacation itself was sort of a gift to them for successfully finishing another year of studying.
The house looked ordinary from outside but one couldn't say the same for its interior. Everything — the walls, the floor, and the furniture — were made of wood, the kind that looked classy and elegant. There were also two spacious rooms complete with big wardrobes, queen-sized beds and plush sofa sets.
But out of all those fancy embellishments, Momo liked the back garden the most. It was filled with various kinds of flowering plants and it just looked amazing. She always loved nature and its beauty.
Now, Momo sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time. Oh how she'd give anything for a good night's rest. This just won't do. She stifled a cry of frustration, afraid she'd wake up the blonde beside her.
What should I do? Should I try and count sheep in my head? Momo thought to herself. But I've tried it before and it never worked. Hmm . . . what about reading? Yep, that's it!
She reached for her phone and started to read an e-book. After a good ten minutes or so, her eyes started to hurt from the bright blue light emitted by the device. She had no choice but to stop reading.
Goodness, at this rate I won't be able to sleep at all! She closed her eyes tightly and willed herself against the onslaught of tears. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in . . . and out. You'll be all right, Momo. Just relax, okay?
After successfully calming herself down, Momo got up. She decided she'd go get some fresh air and visit the garden — even though it'd probably look different at this time of night; everything seemed much more mysterious and abstruse in the dark.
Walking through the living room, she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She didn't mind it that much; it was probably just her imagination, trying to come up with scary scenarios in her head. The truth was she wasn't the bravest person when it came to dealing with these kind of things. She always got so easily scared but right now, her frustration from a lack of sleep was dominating her emotions.
And so, she continued on her way to the back door when suddenly, something startled her.
"Momo?" A voice sounded from behind her.
"Ehhhh?!" she shrieked. So much for trying to be undaunted. Momo whisked around, facing the owner of the voice. "Sh-Shiro?" she muttered, her widened eyes slowly reverting back to their normal size.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Toshiro said, concern lacing his tone.
"What are you doing here, scaring me to death?!" she cried.
He narrowed his eyes. "I just grabbed some water. And I wasn't trying to scare you," he uttered matter-of-factly.
Momo relented; it wasn't his fault she was scared out of her own skin. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I was just gonna go and get some fresh air. I couldn't sleep."
Toshiro sighed. "Will you be okay?"
"Yeah . . . I suppose."
"You aren't even sure. I'll accompany you, then." It was his second nature to ensure her well-being.
"Eh? But aren't you—"
"No. How could I sleep knowing you were outside and alone?" he argued.
"Fine. But you can go back inside whenever you want to," Momo said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah," he agreed.
•••
THE SUMMER NIGHT was luminous with the thousands of stars dotting the black canvas of the celestial expanse. The silver moon in its glorious beauty was full and bright. The wind softly hummed, swaying the leaves ever so slightly in a graceful dance, as the crickets chirped in the background.
Two teenagers sat on the grass, not making any sound, and just enjoying the other's presence. It had been a long time since they did something like this — just looking up at the night sky and watching in awe the magnificence of the heavens.
For the past half-hour, Momo felt relaxed, her previous worries seemed inconsequential now. She realized that what she wanted at the moment was just to be there, outside, surrounded by the comfort of nature. And also to be with her longtime friend, Toshiro. They had always been together but they were also surrounded by others that they didn't get to spend time a lot of time with each other anymore. And right now, that was what they were doing, and she couldn't be more content.
A soft sigh escaped through her lips. Ah, I could stay like this forever. She smiled at the stars, not knowing that her friend was watching her for some time now.
"You look happy," Toshiro commented.
"Mmhmm." Momo looked at him. "I am," she said, her smile getting wider.
"That's good then."
"I am so glad that you're here," she started. "I missed you, you know. We've always been so busy we rarely hang out anymore. I wish . . . we could be like this often."
Toshiro didn't answer right away. He was somehow surprised at her words. He thought he was the only one missing her company but it turned out she longed for his presence, too. Just thinking about it made his face heat up a little. "Y-yeah. I feel the same." he finally answered.
"Really? I thought you've already forgotten about me," she said jokingly.
"As if. For all I know, you were the one who's more likely to forget. What with you being busy with your full-time job as a bedwetter," he teased back.
"Ha ha! That's not funny at all!" she pouted childishly. "I thought you missed me but now, you're teasing me!"
"What do you want me to do, then? Cry my eyes out at how much I missed you?" Toshiro said, "No thanks."
"Well, you could try and be a little nicer, please. And thank you."
Their gaze met, and Momo started laughing at how silly they were acting. After a few seconds, Toshiro also let out a chuckle. He was truly glad to see her so happy and carefree.
"Hey, Shiro," Momo said after recovering from her giggles.
"Ugh. I already told you to not call me that." Toshiro said half-heartedly. "What is it?"
"Are you feeling sleepy already?" she asked.
"No. Are you?" he wanted to be with her much longer but if she was already feeling tired . . .
"Good. I'm not yet, either," she said with a smile.
Thank God. Toshiro sighed, relieved he'd get to spend more time with her. "What do you wanna do now?"
"Hmm . . . maybe we can tell stories?" Momo suggested.
"What kind? If you want fairy tales, I'm not in the mood to do so."
"But fairy tales are good!"
"Not my thing though," he paused. "What about scary stories?" he said, knowing she wasn't too fond of those.
She narrowed her eyes and lightly slapped his arm. "No, no and no! Stop being a meanie, Shiro!"
"Well then, we can just continue watching the stars. You love stargazing, don't you?" he offered. Her eyes lit up and he knew he said the right thing. He didn't want to annoy her any more than he already did. After all, it was their precious time being with each other and he might as well make the most out of it.
"Yup! Also, will you mind teaching me the constellations again? I kind of forgotten about them already," Momo said, feeling a little guilty because Toshiro had taught her the asterisms before but she just couldn't keep them in mind for long.
"Fine by me," he concurred. "Where do you want to start off?"
"Hmm. How about Orion?" she pondered.
"Okay." Toshiro pointed at the sky. "You see that sort of hourglass?"
"Where?"
He took her hand and guided it towards his own that was already pointing to the said constellation. "There," he said. "Do you see it now?"
"Oh! Right!" Momo said, glad that she was now remembering something from their late night lessons before. "And the one over there is the Ursa Major, isn't that?" Her eyes were wide, filled with childlike wonder as she gazed at the tiny speckles of light.
"That's right," Toshiro uttered, amused at his friend's reaction. "Now, look over to the right," he directed. "You can see Pe—" he was cut off
"Pegasus! It's more recognizable than the other ones!" she declared, feeling so lighthearted at the moment.
"Do you even need me to teach you? It looks like you still know a lot." he laughed lightly.
"I only know the more common ones! I still need your lessons!" she said, giving him a determined look.
They continued stargazing, hardly aware of the time passing by. Soon as the sky started to lighten, the stars began to slowly disappear as if returning back to their slumber to give way for the rising sun. Hues of mellow oranges, pinks and reds filled the firmament, creating a soft glow, suggesting a nice and pleasant day ahead.
Momo's eyes started to feel heavy and she stifled a yawn. She leaned her head on Toshiro's shoulder as she continued looking up at the morning sky. "We've always watched sunsets before but now . . . we're seeing the sunrise."
"Yeah. It's beautiful, isn't it?" Toshiro assented.
"It is. Like a new beginning of something good." She didn't say it aloud but she hoped that it truly was a fresh start for them — to make their bond stronger and better than before. Suddenly, a blush rose up her cheeks as he circled an arm around her.
"Aren't you sleepy yet?" he asked, thinking they should probably go back inside now. "The others will be waking up soon."
"I am. But let's stay a few more minutes, please?" Momo requested.
"Alright," he said. He closed his eyes and just focused on her presence, basking in it. Toshiro always treasured her as a friend but he knew in himself that he felt way more than that. He wasn't rushing though; he believed things happen at their own pace, and right now wasn't the time to complicate their relationship. He would wait for her no matter how long it'd take.
After awhile, Toshiro declared, "Okay, time's up. Let's head back in." He stood up, and offered his hand to her. She took it and together, they walked towards the house.
As they reached the living room, exhaustion evident on their features, a cheery voice greeted them.
"Wow. You two are up early, aren't you?" their blonde friend, Rangiku, said.
Momo giggled despite her sleepy state. "No, not really."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Toshiro suddenly spoke up. "I'll be going now." He left the two on their own, not bothering to stay for a chat.
"I'll explain later, Rangiku. Right now, I think I'm going to pass out," she uttered with a weak smile. She headed for the girls' bedroom, but stopped and looked back on her shoulder, "See you in a bit."
"Y-yeah." The voluptuous woman mumbled, mostly to herself. She was puzzled but she'd let it slide for now. She shrugged, and advanced towards the kitchen whilst humming a happy tune. Now, what should I make for breakfast?
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A/N: Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please tell me by giving this story a review! Much appreciated!