Coffee Flavored Angel (Bleach Fanfic)

Green Tea with Lemon

 Toshiro's mouth opened to protest what Ichigo said, but for some reason the words didn't come out at all. A voice at the back of his head told him, no, begged him to ask Karin out. A pale bone thin hand flipped his sketchpad to the picture where he drew the dark haired, violet eyed sixteen year old with angel wings. "She's my guardian angel, the first kid my age to accept me for who I am. The fact she accepts my quirks doesn't though mean she wants to date me. I wish Ichi-nii would realize that."

The boy leaned his head back as he shut the sketchpad. His legs were becoming stiff from sitting in the same position for hours on end, but he didn't wish to move out of the comforting position for long. One hand left his sketch pad as he slowly began to work the feeling back into one leg, and then the other. "Aunt Nanao is likely going to lecture me about just sitting here."

His teal eyes blinked a couple of times at seeing the worried look on her face. She'd finally gotten off the phone with who ever she'd been talking with, and she slid out from behind the counter. His eyes darted down knowing she would likely lecture him then and there. "Karin told me you're thinking of failing your classes."

"Blabber mouth." Toshiro looked up in time to see Nanao grabbing the coffee to see the cup was empty.

"Did you like that flavor? If so I can bring you another."

"I'll pay this time. You..."

"Don't worry about it." Nanao stood up. "You've always been good at paying when you come. Today though... I get the fact you're dealing with those pent up feelings regarding Ichimaru. It's honestly about time."

"Kurosaki says I should just ask Karin out as my way of telling him to go to hell rather then failing all of my classes this semester."

"About time on that to. Isn't there still time to drop your classes instead of failing? I'm not saying not to do that if you feel it's the route to go, but..."

"But what?"

"It would have honestly made more sense to do this when you started rather then at the very end."

"I've got to decide what to do next though. Kurosaki and everybody else... they've known what they want to do since we graduated high school. They've been allowed to do what they want. Even Hinamori got to do what she wanted."

Toshiro watched as Nanao blanched. "Your foster sister isn't exactly doing something productive with her life."

"You mean going to art school." The boy watched as Nanao blinked. "Karin didn't tell you that part, did she?"

"Karin... no. I'm not talking about the art school either." His godmother held up her finger indicating Karin should bring another of that particular flavor.

"Then what?" Toshiro frowned when she got. "What trouble has nee-chan gotten into this time?"

"I guess the best way to put it is her lack of focus and drive when it comes to anything she does. Don't let her be a role model for you." Nanao leaned back. "I love your art work, and you have quite a bit of drive. You could go to art school, but..." Karin came over and set the coffee onto the table before slipping away. Nanao's mouth creased. "Did she do something to upset you? Because if she did..."

"I did something to upset her." Toshiro looked out the window in order to avoid making eye contact with his godmother. "You were saying?"

"I was saying you could go to art school, but..." Nanao found herself interrupted again. This time one of the high school girls came and held up a paper bill. "What?"

"I'd like to have what he's having."

"It's not exactly on the menu."

"If he's had two then it must be good."

Toshiro looked up to see the girl was from Karakura High School, only for his eyes to dart down and to the side when she tried making eye contact with him. "No. That was more then just eye contact."

When Nanao brought back the girl's coffee and change she simply sat down in one of the seats across from him. "Is Kurosaki's older brother, like your tutor or something?"

"What?" The strange question caused Toshiro to look up and make eye contact with the girl. He glanced over to see if either Nanao, Karin or Ichigo could come to his rescue. Ichigo wasn't yet back from the restroom, and the other two were busy with customers again. He found himself swallowing.

"That's why he's here with you. What high school do you go to?"

"I went to the same one you're going to now." The white haired fifteen year old glanced down and didn't see the next person to come through the door, nor did he hear the sound Nanao made. "That..."

"Are you planning on going to art school when you graduate?" The girl stood up and yanked the sketchpad from his hands.

"Wait!" Toshiro stood up as his chest began to tighten, and in the process knocked over both his and Ichigo's coffees. He could hear the dark liquid pooling on the top of the table spilling down on the other side onto the twenty-two year old college students book bag, and he felt his cheeks redden. They reddened even more as the girl opened his sketch book. "She goes to school with Karin. That's..."

Whatever thought crossed his mind went out the window as the smile on the girl's face fell. "Her?" The girl let out a sound of disgust. "You're not very good at this are you?" Two bright teal eyes fell to the table top as his arms trembled. He could hear the pages continuing to turn, and then even more disgust in her voice. "What an ugly angel."

Toshiro heard the sound of ripping, and his head darted up as his skin turned white. "Not that one!"

The sketchpad hit the floor with a thud as the girl let go and began to tear the paper to shreds. The fifteen year old watched as she opened the top of her coffee and shoved the pieces in. Everything in Toshiro's vision went blank as he wondered if this day could get any worse, and his head fell as his body continued to tremble. "This is why I 'hate' interacting with kids my age. Except Karin."

A loud resounding smack from someone hitting the girl across the cheek caused his vision to clear, and he looked up to see who'd come to his rescue.