(Author's Note: I'm sorry for updating so late. I just wanted to inform you that this chapter will be the last chapter of Toushiro, the Toddler. Just read my other announcement below at the end of this chapter. With no further delay, here's the Final Chapter of Toushiro, the Toddler.)
Chapter 21:
Toushiro sighed for the umpteenth time that night ever since they left the restaurant. Seriously, this night was a mess. He and Momo were now walking on the Rukongai forest. He can still remember how Kyouraku interrupted their 'moment' until Nanao barged in the restaurant through the window. They really created a commotion back there. Oh how embarrassed and pissed he was, due to Rangiku's constant teasing before they left the restaurant, who also came in during the commotion that Kyouraku, Nanao,Rangiku and Yachiru created. He sighed once again.
-Flashback-
"Come closer… Here, I'll wipe it…" Momo said as she got her table napkin and reached for Toushiro's face to wiped the bits of food on his jaw and lower cheek. She was about to withdraw her hand after cleaning his jaw and lower cheek when Toushiro held her hand on his left cheek and leaned in to her touch as he closes his eyes. Momo blushed at his action and tried to tug her hand back but Toushiro tightened his grip on her hand even more. Toushiro opened his eyes and looked at her.
Ohohohoho, this is the best part! I can't wait! Come on, taicho! Come on!" Matsumoto laughed and squealed quietly in delight as she watches the scene with sparkling eyes. Nanao just sighed in defeat who was sitting quietly beside her.
"Neh, Rangiku-sa—"
"Shhhhh! Be quiet! This is a once in a lifetime moment that I will witnessed!" Rangiku interrupted whatever Nanao was going to say.
"Momo…I…I—"
"Oh well, the two young lovebirds are here!" a familiar voice interrupted their moment. They were both startled and Momo withdrew her hand immediately as Toushiro mentally cursed whoever the bastard that ruined their moment. Momo and Toushiro looked beside their table where the culprit was standing only to find grinning Kyouraku.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Rangiku yelled a little loud when Kyouraku interrupted them. "For a moment, it was so perfect! But…But, Kyouraku-taicho ruined it! Damn!" Rangiku wailed. Nanao's right ear perked up upon hearing her captain's name. Nanao's head jerked towards Rangiku.
"Wha—Did you just say that taicho is here?" Nanao asked.
"Yeah, what –" Upon hearing that, Nanao stood up, dropping the sleeping Yachiru in the process and looked inside the restaurant through the window. A vein popped over her head as she saw Kyouraku, that was now being pushed by Jushiro away from the two young shinigami.
"That man…" Nanao opened the window in front of her and jumped over it.
"AHHH! So this is where you are!" Nanao yelled as she pointed at Kyouraku, startling all the people inside the restaurant at the same time.
"Oh crap, she found me." Kyouraku thought as he sweat dropped.
"Oh Hi, Nanao-chan! What a nice way of entering the restaurant! What brings you here? Do you want a nice dinner with me then?" Kyouraku teased her while smiling. Upon hearing that, Nanao reddened because of embarrassment and anger. She raised her fist in front of her, shaking lightly because of her anger.
"You…What kind of captain are you? Leaving your lieutenant do all the work while you're just goofing around! No wonder your drinking buddy is Rangiku-san because, both of you are the same when it comes to work, always escaping and goofing off somewhere!" Nanao said. Upon hearing what she said, Rangiku stood up from where she was hiding all this time.
"Hey! That—"She was interrupted when her captain yelled her name.
"Matsumoto!"
"Ohh, Hi taicho!" Rangiku waved at him as she approached their table where her captain was sitting. "I don't know that you were here.. hehehehe… Oh so you have a date with your Momo-chan? Awwww, how romantic of you, taicho.." Rangiku teased that made Momo and Toushiro blushed.
"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to finish all the paper works?" Toushiro yelled. "Oh crap!" Rangiku thought. She began think of possible answer to his question. She was saved when Jushiro interrupted them, or so she thought.
"Young Shiro-chan, we'll be going now!" Jushiro waved at them.
"Bye, Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori-chan!" Kyouraku waved at them while he was being dragged by Nanao who was holding him on his Shinigami uniform's collar. "Be gentle with your captain, Nanao-chan.." He said to Nanao.
"Shut up! You're going back with me to the 8th Division." Nanao huffed as she continued to drag her captain, exiting the restaurant.
"Oh yeah, taicho, I'll be going as well. Bye—" Rangiku was about to leave when Toushiro stopped her.
"Oh wait, Matsumoto. I'm not still finish talking to you yet." Toushiro said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Rangiku turned towards him nervously.
"So… ..HERE?" Toushiro said word by word.
"Umm, well…I..I just decided to stop by! Yeah, that's it! Hehehe…" Matsumoto replied. Toushiro narrowed his eyes at her.
"Oh sure… So have about the paperworks? Did you finished them ALL? I bet you DID finished them since you were here, LOITERING around." Toushiro said once again as he glared at her. Rangiku gulped. "Oh God, I was so DEAD."She thought.
"Oh well..umm..You see… I..I—" She was interrupted when the now awake Yachiru jumped at her back, making the camera she was holding all this time, drop on the floor.
"Oh no! The Camera!" Rangiku wailed as she tried to reach the broken camera on the floor. "The pictures! NOOOOO!" She thought depressingly.
"Ran-chan! You're sooooo bad! Why did you leave me out there?" Yachiru wailed as she keeps pulling her hair.
"Ow! Ow! Owwww!" Rangiku whimpered.
"What's the meaning of that, Matsumoto?" Toushiro glared at her as he pointed the broken camera.
"Ohhh! Umm… I've..decided to—Oww! I've decided to take some pictures of the moon! Oh yeah, it was full moon tonight. It was so beautiful out there! Oww! Hey, quit that already! It hurts" Rangiku wailed as she tries to get Yachiru off of her back. She can hear people snickering at them. Toushiro just glared daggers at her.
"Let's go, Hinamori.." Toushiro said as he stood up from his seat.
"Already?" Momo asked.
"Yeah.. There's no point of staying here any longer…" Toushiro said as he called the waiter and asked for the bill. He paid the total amount of the food they have eaten.
"Let's go." Toushiro said as he motioned Momo to follow.
"You're leaving already?" Rangiku asked as she managed to get Yachiru off of her back. Yachiru held her hand and bit it."Ouch! Quit that!" Rangiku said as she snatched the sandwich from an old man eating beside her and stuffed it on Yachiru's mouth. Momo sweat dropped at them.
"Umm, yes,were' leaving, Rangiku-san… Do you want to come with us?" Momo asked.
"No, Hinamori. She's not coming with us. Let's go already." Toushiro said as he held Momo's hand.
"Oh, don't worry about me, Hinamori. Taicho just want to be ALONE with you." Rangiku said while grinning. Momo blushed at her statement while Toushiro glared at Rangiku.
"Shut up, Matsumoto." Toushiro huffed.
"Just admit it, Taicho… You don't want me to come along because you wanted to be alone with her… So sly, Taicho…" Rangiku teased. A vein popped over his head.
"Uruse! Say goodbye to your precious sakes because you will not be able to see any of them tomorrow!" Toushiro said angrily as he dragged Momo and exited the restaurant leaving Rangiku and Yachiru.
"What? Wait, taichooooooo!"
-End of Flashback-
He sighed again. Momo noticed this.
"Shiro-chan, are you alright?" Momo asked. Toushiro seemed to be startled a bit to her sudden question.
"Uh, yeah, I'm alright." Toushiro replied back.
"You sure?" Momo asked again.
"Yeah… How about you? Are you tired?" Toushiro asked.
"Hmm, nope! I'm far from tired." She said as he gave him a reassuring smile.
"That's good." Toushiro muttered.
"There's a falls near here. Is it okay with you if we go there, Shiro-chan?" Momo said as he looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"Hmm, that's a good idea." Toushiro commented as he gave her a slight smile. Momo squealed in delight as she grabbed his hand and lead him where the falls was.
It took them a few minutes to reach their destination. The moon's rays was reflected at the river in front of them, making the water sparkled like there were diamonds splayed on it. Momo stopped on her tracks and sat at the one of the large boulders there. She motioned Toushiro to sit as well. Toushiro sat beside her as Momo looked up at the bright moon.
"Rangiku-san was right. The moon was so beautiful tonight." Momo said. Toushiro took a glance at her taking in her beautiful features before turning his attention on the bright moon above them.
"Yeah… But not as beautiful as you…" Toushiro mumbled but Momo heard it clearly.
"Eh?" Momo looked at him while blushing. "Are you serious, Shiro-chan?" Toushiro didn't answer; instead he locked his eyes with her. They remained looking at each other's eyes for a moment.
"Momo…" He was sure that his heart was beating so hard and fast now.
"Umm…W-What is it Shiro-chan?" Momo asked nervously as she put her fist on her chest. She felt her heart beating so fast from his intense stare at her.
"Momo… I…I.. I just want to know..what you feels about me… I heard that you wanted to confess to me…Though, I wasn't sure about what you really feels about me yet.. I want to know.." Toushiro said slowly and straightforwardly. Momo was dumbfounded at his straightforwardness. She didn't expect that he would ask her that, NOW! She was so sure that she was blushing profusely right now.
To be truthful, Toushiro was very nervous as hell! Her silence didn't help either. He didn't know what was running into her head right now. He didn't know what she was going to reply to his question. He became even more nervous when Momo broke away her gaze at him and looked down.
"I…" Momo bit her lower lip in frustration and nervousness. Why she can't just say it to him. Why it was so hard? Was it because she was nervous or because she was afraid of his answer? "Should I really confess to him now? Was it so sudden?"Momo thought. "No… It should be now… I should…confess to him.. about what I really feels about him…" Momo thought with determination as she clutched her hakama. She slowly returned her gaze at Toushiro's eyes.
"Shiro-chan… Ever since then..ever since our childhood years, I've always thought of you as a good friend of mine." Momo started. Toushiro felt his heart slowly breaking into pieces at what she said. "Just a friend?" He thought. He felt like his tears were going to fall from his eyes soon. He broke away his gaze from her as he looked down.
"Is that so…" Toushiro muttered preventing his voice from breaking.
"But…" Toushiro's eyes widened when he heard her spoke again but he kept his head down. "But when I met Aizen, I was so blinded of my admiration for him..that I…that I…I…" Momo started crying now as she pours her heart out. "that..I didn't notice your efforts to protect me.. your efforts to keep me safe… and your feelings.. I.. I love you, Shiro-chan! I've always love you! But I just tried to ignored it and kept it on myself because…I thought I don't deserve you because of my mistakes…I'm so sorry for my mistakes, Shiro-chan… But now, I'm sure of myself…whether it was one-sided love or not…I'm sure that I really love you with all my heart..no matter what…" Momo smiled lovingly at him as Toushiro jerked his head upwards and looked at her with his widened eyes.
"I-Is that…true?" Toushiro asked. Momo reached for his right cheek and caressed it gently.
"Yes… Aishiteru, Toushiro…" Momo leaned in forward and planted a gentle and loving kiss on his lips. Toushiro was surprised on her action at first but it's not that long when he kissed her back. His hand made its way on the back of her head to deepen their kiss, while his other hand wiped the remaining tears on her cheek and then caressed it afterwards. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke the kiss for some air. Momo looked at him and smiled. Toushiro just smiled back.
"I didn't expect that you'll be the first one to initiate the kiss…" Toushiro smirked.
"Mou… Don't tease me…" Momo pouted. "After all, you still haven't said that you love me too…"
"Okay…okay.." Toushiro leaned his forehead into hers. "Momo, I… I love you too… more than anyone else… ever since we're in our younger years..and until forever… Remember that.."
"I didn't know you could be that romantic!" Momo giggled as Toushiro chuckled.
"I could be that romantic only towards you…" Toushiro said as he gave her a peck on her lips. Momo giggled and hugged him tightly.
"Aww, you're so sweet, Shiro-chan!" Momo said as she laughed.
"Hey, quit calling me that! Just call me Toushiro." Toushiro said as he tickled her sides making her laugh even more.
"Hahaha!, S-Shiro— I mean, Toushiro. Stop that! It really tickles!" Momo managed to say between the pits of her laughter. Toushiro obeyed and stopped tickling her.
"Do you want to go home now?" Toushiro asked her.
"Hmmm, I don't want to, at least not for now. I still want to savor this special moment with you…"Momo said as she smiled at him.
"Me too…" Toushiro agreed. Momo laid her head on his shoulders as she gazed at the sparkling water in front of them. It was just so beautiful. So perfect. Toushiro leaned down and kissed her forehead. He parted his lips from her forehead a little and whispered 'I love you' that only he and she can hear. She smiled. He pulled back and leaned his head on her head. He intertwined their hands as he joined her take in the beautiful scenery before them. They smiled as they thought about their future at the same time…"I can't see my future with someone else. I want to be with you, and only you. I want to face my future with you. You're the one who saved me from the depth of darkness. You're the light that God had sent to me.. I know I would never be alone anymore.. 'Cause you were here, holding my hand, and guiding me to the future..The future where you and I will be together forever."
***END***
*Aishiteru – I love you
Please review.
Thanks.
Yosh! I'm finally done with this story.. I hope you like the ending. I'm sorry if I hurried on writing this. I was sick for 3 days now with this troublesome cough and fluctuating fever. But I've managed to finish it for you, guys! I can now focus on my other stories. So as you voted, I will be updating "That's What We Are Destined For" next. So please stay tuned! Thank you! -^_^-
And I want to thank all of you for reading, reviewing and supporting me all this time. It's so nice that you were there.. Thank you very much!
I also want to thank my Facebook siblings, Heidy, Alija, Claudia, Toka-chan and Lodelfor supporting me all this time. Thank you for being my best friends and sisters. Thank you for all the love. I'm so grateful to have you. I love you so much my sisters! :3
Thank you for my Ouji-sama, for being my inspiration and supporter. I hope to see you soon.. Aishiteru.. :3
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A Pleasant and Happy New Year to all of you! \(^o^)/
~m0m0-hImE