Oh, just enjoy this one :)

My Paramour: Chapter 25

"And with great honor, I say that all of you have done exceptionally well in these past three years you have been here in Karakura High School. Congratulation to all of you, you have now graduated with overall flying colors!" The principle of the school raised his arms and the students sitting behind him all stood smiles and excitement very apparent on all of their faces.

Exiting out in an orderly formation, all the students found their way to their own respective parents. Hanataro and Toshiro walked side by side, for once looking almost distinctively like the twins they were. Walking over with his head held high, Toshiro came up and took Momo's hand.

She blushed and smiled at him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. In the past few months, Toshiro had become more comfortable with holding her hand in public, as well as giving her sincere hugs before she left. Of course she was always the one who initiated a kiss, but it was an improvement that he never shied away. What made her even more excited was when he had called her the night that he announced he had gotten a late acceptance to Seireitei University.

"You two be lovey somewhere else," Kaien gagged.

Renji rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I can't believe that you really can stand keeping her around Toshiro."

"Oh shut it," Toshiro teased with an irritated smile.

"Why don't we all just take a breath yes?" Hanataro tried to kill the lingering flames of a quarrel about ready to ensue. A sweat drop was visible on the side of his forehead.

Toshiro rolled his eyes at his older brothers. Then looking down, he let go of Momo's hand. She watched as he reached up to his well buttoned shirt and easily removed the second button. The silver pin shined in the spring sun and he held it out to her. Smiling like a kid he put it her hand. "You said you wanted my second button right? I saved it for you I guess."

Momo looked down at her eyes shimmering and tears threatening to fall. Toshiro's eyes widened.

"I-I mean," he hesitated, "you don't have to take it!" He stepped back and she smiled, confusing him. This side of Toshiro, this flustered and all too clumsy side, one that was easily riled, she had never seen it. It made her heart flutter and she leaned down to give him a kiss.

"No, I'd like to keep it," she told him.

"R-right," he stammered and looked off to the side. Momo followed his eyes and her heart sank just a little.

Though all her hopes, she couldn't expect him to get over that fast. Three months was not enough to mend a broken heart.

"Do you regret-,"

"No," Toshiro said quickly, not looking at her. She could see the starting of a smile on his lips. "She's happy, so I'll root for her silently on the sides." Then she felt his hand enclose around her own. He looked at her, awkwardly leaning in and pecked her nose. "I'm pathetic."

She smiled empathetically at him and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Then I suppose we both are."

"Ugh," Shuuhei groaned. "Really…"

"Shut up," Toshiro hissed, giving his brothers his icy glare.

Off on the side by the podium, Orihime was just staring into the crowd. Sighing, she played with a few strands of her hair.

"Pretty girls shouldn't sigh too much."

The voice startled her and she turned to see that Uryuu was standing beside her. Relaxing knowing it was just him, she smiled softly, looking back into the crowd.

"Ishida-senpai," she giggled, "The arts and crafts club is going to miss their president."

Uryuu chuckled at the girl's statement. He smoothed out his sleeves and stretched his arms, slipping his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Well, they'll love their new president," He said smiling down at her.

"I really am nervous for the New Year to start," she admitted to him with a blush. "Are you sure you chose me as the right person to lead the arts and craft club?"

"Of course," Ishida said confidently. "You'll be fine. While I'm off to Seireitei University I need someone here I can trust."

Orihime blushed, he trusted her. "I'll do my best!"

Looking at her, he couldn't hold in his own blush. Looking away he remembered the little box he had made the day before. It was a paper box that had been folded and crafted with a little flower at the top. Reaching into his uniform pocket, he pulled it out, handing it to the girl beside him.

She looked at it, taking it hesitantly into her own hands. "That is it?"

"It's for you, think of it as a parting gift yes?" He told her nervously.

She looked back down at the box. It was so pretty, something he had never taught their club to make during the year. It was much too intricate to have been taught. She wondered how long it had taken him to make it.

"Open it." He told her.

Slowly, she did. Lifting the lid off by the delicate paper flower on top, she opened the box. Inside was a silver pin, his second button.

"You…" She didn't have words. This was equal to a direct confession. Her cheeks were turning red and she bit her lip.

"I supposed that since I'm leaving in a week for Seireitei, I guessed that I should do it today if anything else." He said as coolly as possible. "I've actually been feeling this way for maybe almost all year, but you always seemed to have your eyes on the Kurosaki boy."

Orihime blushed harder at the reminder.

"But these past few months," He continued with a bit more confidence, "You seemed to look more at others than just him. And I found my chance at courage." He smiled. "Just think about it alright?"

She nodded her head and let him leave to his parents. She looked back at the second button, and found that she was smiling.

"What are you grinning so childishly about?"

Orihime looked back up and giggled, "Nothing really, Tatsuki."

Once the festivities had been over, and the principle had given his little speech, the graduates all walked off the stage. Rukia had been sitting in with her grade in the auditorium. Standing up, she looked around, looking for her brothers in the mass of chaos. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned and saw that it was Ichigo.

"Hey," he greeted lamely. "So you're excited to be a second year when the new year starts?"

"Ah," She looked around, spotting her brothers all gathered on the other side of the room. "I guess so. You're going to be a third year…"

"Yeah."

"It was a rather awkward conversation between the two. Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and she bit the inside of her lip. It wasn't that they were awkward around each other. Actually, through the last three months, Ichigo found it a relief that she would sometimes come up to the roof to eat with Chad and him. In the halls or on the way home, she wouldn't hesitate to give him a wave or say hello either. She seemed happier now, and so much more real.

"Have you decided where you want to test into?" Rukia asked, trying to keep up their exchange of pleasant words.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not really, maybe Seireitei University."

She chuckled. "Everyone wants to go there."

"Well it's a good school," he defended.

Smirking, she gave him a confident look. "I never said it wasn't. You forgot that my Aniki is going there too."

He felt embarrassed. She loved to just annoy him like she did. Turning away, his fingers still scratching the back of his neck, he tried to give her a blasé tone. "Well it's good that you know." Then with a more serious tone, he bent down to look her in the eyes.

It startled at her.

"Just be prepared that since it is going to be my last year here," He started slowly, a cocky smile beginning to form on his lips, "I'm going to try my hardest and make you look at me."

He laughed and stood up straight again. Seeing her flustered face made him feel a little fluttery on the inside. It was amusing to tease her like he just did.

"Rukia!" Byakuya called out. He held up the camera in his hand. "We are taking pictures with your brothers!"

"R-right!" Rukia smoothed out her uniform skirt and walked over to her brothers.

"You too Kurosaki," Byakuya called.

"M-me too?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Byakuya responded impassively, "we need someone to take the picture."

A little disappointed, Ichigo followed behind Rukia. "Oh."

When they made it over, Ichigo took the camera from Byakuya's hand and waited for the family to get into their positions. Rukia stood in the middle, as insisted by all the brothers and Momo stood just on the outside, her arm liked in Toshiro's. Hanataro held up his diploma and all the brothers gave their own trademark smiles.

"One…two… three…" Ichigo counted. And the flash went off.

"Do one more!" Momo shouted, "A funny one this time."

"Since when do you dictate what our family does?" Renji argued.

Sticking her tongue out at him, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I'll take it in one… two…three…" The flash went off again. He looked at the photo on the screen and couldn't help but laugh a bit. No one had been ready and so some looked bewildered, their eyes wide, mouths open in funny shapes. Momo and Renji were glaring at each other, Renji's mouth open wide like a monster and Momo had a tongue half sticking out. Toshiro, in between the two looked rather irked, face staring annoyed into the camera. Rukia though, was probably the funniest.

She seemed to have been in mid sneeze. Her face was scrunched in a very unattractive way, eyes half closed and nose pointing up. When looking at it, Ichigo really did laugh, bending over holding his stomach.

"What is so funny?" Rukia asked, walking over. Taking the camera out of his hand, she looked at it. Her eyes widened. "W-what is this?"

"You at your best," he managed to say between laughs.

She looked between the camera and him. Her face was flushing in embarrassment.

"How do you delete it?"

"You must think I'm an idiot if you think I'll tell you," he laughed harder.

"You are an idiot! Now tell me how to delete this!"

"That doesn't help your case. Ask nicely and maybe…" He coaxed her.

Her cheeks were hot. And out of spite, she reached her hands up to touch his cheeks. He stared at her in confusion, then wide eyed horror when she drew her fist back. Only to be surprised again, she lunged forward, pressing her lips to his. She was kissing him. Flash…

Pulling back, she held the camera in her hands. Ichigo's eyes were wide, amber flames confused. The picture was little blurry but she'd keep it anyways, Ichigo's flustered expression was just too good to not keep. She smirked up at him. He was holding a hand to his mouth, an obvious blush on his cheeks.

"Payback," She told him. "Maybe you won't have to work too hard to make me look at you." Then smiling again, she went up on her tip-toes to kiss his hand gentler. "I'm already looking at you."

That spring, before the new year had started, the rays of the sun were shining down on the house at the very end of the street. Its fresh gold coloring gave the white paint of a perfect picket fence some extra dimensions. Within this quaint little house there were counters filled with frames after frames of family graduations, trips to the beach, birthdays, and large family mile stone events. Each one consisted of many people shrouding the inner workings of the boarders, cramming to be in the photo. Only seven of them held two individuals. But regardless of people, friends, family, or others, they all had one thing in common:

One girl smiling genuinely and happily into the camera's lens.

The End

Yay! I now have completed my second multi-chap story ^_^ I really am happy to thank all those who reviewed! Especially Those who were reading since the the very beginning for this little story of mine! I really appreciate it and without you, I would have never ended this with 300+ reviews! So thank you all so much!

Like I've told many of you in the responses to the reviews you leave me, this story's main focus/ message was that you always want to be yourself. Yes, change for the better, but never wear a mask to fit in or to impress. Show yourself for who you are and trust me, there are people out there who will embrace you with open arms for the real you! Smile for real, don't hide yourself. Real friends who know you for the genuine you, are usually the friends that you can always turn back to, even when you feel like your bridges have been severed. (though that last point is another story entirely ^_^")

I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! If there are any question that you have that you feel I never answered, don't hesitate to ask! The story is over, I don't want to leave anything unanswered ;)

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