Bleach Drabbles

Tosen

 TOSEN

“Kaname!” I yelled, skipping up the hill. My friend, Kaname Tosen, turned around at the sound of my voice and smiled. 

“Is that you, Aki?” he asked.

“Of course, baka!” I said, playfully hitting his head. I pulled him in for a hug. “What’re you doing all the way up here?”

“Just…” he said, smiling a bit. “Since I can’t see the view, I came up here to enjoy the breeze. It’s nicest in high places. Fresh, uninfected by those awful people down there.” He gestured towards our home, East District 65. 

“Yeah…” I said sadly, pulling away. “It was this awful place, however, that brought us together, made us friends.”

He grinned. “That’s true.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s go back down, okay?”

“Sure.” We walked down the hill to my home, where I lived with my mother and sister, obviously not biological. 

“I’m home!” I yelled as we entered the house. 

“Welcome back,” my sister, Naomi, said as she weaved again. Naomi had this--knack--for weaving, so she was always making something, which was why our house was so well-furnished for such a dirty area. “Hi, Kaname. Are you staying here tonight?”

“With your permission,” Kaname said politely. 

“Please, boy,” my mother said, coming out of the kitchen, a washcloth in hand. “You know this is your home; you’re always welcome here.”

He released my hand and bowed to my mom. “Thank you so much, Misao. I’ll forever be in your debt.”

She laughed. “You always say the strangest things, Kaname. You have no debt to be paid. Hell, you’re practically my son.”

He smiled genuinely. “If you say so.”

We, as a family, spent the rest of the day as a family should: talking, laughing, playing games. It was nice to know that Kaname was happy in his new home, since before he had aimlessly wandered the streets evey night, unbeknownst to my mother and sister. He had told me months ago but made me promise to keep my mouth shut, as he didn’t want to cause trouble for anyone.

That was just the kind of person he was. 

That night, as we all readied for bed, I patted Kaname’s head. “You have a home now,” I said soberly.

“Yes…” he pondered, and grabbed my hand. “It’s all thanks to you, Aki.” He drew circles in my palm with his thumb. “It’s all thanks to you.”