Don't Fall Unless Someone Is Willing To Catch You

“Ichigo, you big idiot! You just ruined my favorite meal!” I screamed at the orange-haired teenager, who, I must say, is very agitating. My eye was twitching the whole time I watched Ichigo enter the room with double of everything on his plate. My problem was that all the food touched each other. I am very picky with food; I hate when the food touch each other and I only like certain things.

He set the plate on his desk and turned to glare at me. “What’s your problem with food touching? They all go to the same place, Amaya.”

I crossed my arms and huffed. “No, they don’t.” Yup, that’s me. As stubborn as a bull. My name is Amaya, 2nd seat in the 11th Division. Right now, I’m only at Ichigo’s house because there have been a lot of hollows coming and Rukia had to go back to the Soul Society. I’m lucky that Ichigo and I are friends or I would be sleeping in some strangers house, hiding.

His eye twitched then he whirled around, and grabbed something from his school bag. In less than a second, I was flat against the bed with Ichigo pressing Kon in my face. Ichigo’s face was a foot away from mine. I stared at Kon dumbfounded. Then, totally unexpected, I grabbed Kon and cuddled him. I watched their reactions closely. I busted into a fit of laughter when I saw their faces.

“W-What the hell?!” Ichigo fell back onto the bed with a look of bewilderment spread across his face. Kon’s reaction was so predictable it was funny. Guess what he did? His eyes snapped open and he desperately tried to get at my chest. Obviously, I was laughing too hard to care. I just held him arm’s width away. I still couldn’t get Ichigo’s face to stop popping back into my mind.

Finally, my laughter ceased. “Oh, Ichigo, you crack me up. How didn’t you know I was going to hug Kon instead of hurting him? He’s so kawaii!” I grinned, embracing Kon again, who was loving it.

“Because you usually destroy everything in your path,” he muttered, staring at me unbelievably. “You are so strange.”

“Hey! That’s an insult!” I leaned over and whacked him over the head with Kon. Kon held his head and cried.

“Ow, Amaya-chan, that really hurt,” he cried. “Kiss it better!” he said, pointing to his head.

I shrugged and smiled. “Okay.” I brought Kon up to my face and pecked him on the nose. “Feel better, even though I didn’t kiss the right spot?” Kon’s face lit up like a lamppost, and reached for me again.

“It still hurts, Amaya-chan. Kiss it again!”

I patted his head and chuckled. “That’s enough for tonight. I’ll give you one tomorrow before I leave.”

“WHAT?! Where are you going?” Kon turned to Ichigo and pouted. “Why can’t she stay longer? There hasn’t been someone this nice to me in two hundred years!” I raised my eyebrows at his action.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “She’s not leaving. We are leaving. We are going to fight hollows, Kon. She’s not leaving just yet.” Ichigo pried him from my hands and shoved him in the closet. “Now you stay in there till morning!” Kon started to pound on the door already. “Would you just stop and go to sleep!”

I rolled over to my side and looked at Ichigo. “Where am I supposed to sleep?”

“On the floor, I guess,” he said nonchalantly.

“I AM NOT SLEEPING ON THAT GOD DAMN FLOOR!”

“Then you sleep outside.”

“I want the bed and that’s just where I’m going to sleep. You can have the floor.” I smiled smugly and closed my eyes. “Oof,” I landed on the floor on my back. My eyes snapped opened to see Ichigo crawling into his bed. I stood up and slapped Ichigo’s back. “Scoot over and share then.”

He stared at me. “No.”

I batted my eyelashes and gave him the puppy dog face. “Please, Ichigo.”

He conceded. “Fine…” He rolled over to the edge of the bed so I got the wall. As I got situated on my side, I found that Ichigo was already snoring. I shook my head, making my headband and pigtails come out. After I gathered the accessories I tucked them in my pocket and fell into a deep sleep.

***

“Oi, get up. Amaya! Hey, I said GET UP!”

I shoved my face in my pillow. “I’m . . . sleeping. Go away.” Suddenly, my feet were seized and I was yanked off the bed. Great. I hit the ground for a second time in two days. My eyes were then forced open. Ichigo’s face appeared in front of me, slightly aggravated.

Once he finally saw that I was willing to get up, he groaned. “You are such a nuisance.”

I grunted. “You are so fastidious.”

Ichigo stomped. “I wouldn’t be talking, Miss. If-My-Food-Touches-You-Die!"

“Okay, Mr. Argumentative.” Ichigo turned around, and I jumped onto his back and started to pull his hair. He started flailing his arms around to try and grab me. Heh, I’m glad I’m small. “Now, say you’re sorry!”

“NO. Get off.”

I pulled his hair harder. “Say. You. Are. Sorry.” I said through clenched teeth.

“Fine, fine! I’m sorry. Now could you please let go of my hair!?!?” His voice raised into a high-pitched girl voice.

“Sure thing.” I jumped off his back and walked over to the closet. “Kon, where are you?” As soon as I opened the door, a little lion plushie came flying out. It hit me right in the chest. “Um, yeah, no.” I unlatched Kon from me. He gazed at me with pleading eyes. “You know if you behave I could actually set you down so you can sit beside me, but since you go all crazy, you don’t get a special treatment.” I smirked. “Only Ichigo can sit down by me while behaving.”

Kon crossed his arms and looked behind me. “Yeah, because Ichigo is behaving so well right now,” he said loudly, causing me to look. My jaw about hit the floor, as my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

“ICHIGO! PUT THOSE PANTS ON RIGHT NOW!” My face heated up from what I just saw. Ichigo was standing there, casually putting pants on. The thing is… it was only at his knees. So I saw a good portion of his boxers and his bare chest. I quickly turned, and climbed into the closet. “Get me when you’re done, Ichigo!”

I set Kon down beside me and I just stared at the wall, dumbfounded. Wow. That’s all I could think of. Just . . . wow. Did I really just witness . . . I can’t believe I saw . . . Oh, God. My thoughts invaded my whole head, not letting me think about anything else at all. Great. Just what I need. Flashes of Ichigo, half naked in my mind. That is just so . . . weird. He’s like my best friend. Scratch that. He is my best friend. Guess it’s just a little new to me.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed Kon right in front of my face, trying to get me out of my trance. He slapped my cheek. “Oi, you in there, Amaya-chan?” I snapped out of it and my eyes widened when I saw Kon, like, right there. “Whoa. You didn’t try to take advantage of me when I had no clue what was going on around me? I’m impressed. Maybe you can sit beside me without someone trying to restrain you.” A smile lit up my face.

He fell down and landed in my lap, grinning. “So that means I can sit in your lap?” His eyes were as wide as saucers, full with anxiousness.

“FUCK NO! GET OFF!” I screamed. Kon almost killed himself trying to scramble out of my lap. The closet door was slammed open. Ichigo looked at Kon, who was flat up against the wall farthest from me. He is such a coward.

“Okay, what’s up with the, ‘Kon is so cute,” crap then, “FUCK NO! GET OFF!’?” The orange-haired teen said, glaring at the two of us.

I sweatdropped. “You don’t know the story behind it. Now, let me through.” I shoved Ichigo out of my way, and flopped down on his bed.

Ichigo scowled and rolled his eyes. “You better get dressed, or you’ll be late.”

Without looking up I responded, “Late for what?”

“School."