Understanding II: School Daze (Bleach Fanfic)

Conversation

The small child swung in through the window, his mind still trying to process what Matsumoto had just told him. Ichigo glanced up in time to see Toshiro come in through the window and saw the look on the boy's face. "Is something wrong?"

Two teal eyes blinked a couple of times. "Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine from what I can tell in Soul Society. I just need to think about some stuff."

With that, he headed to the bathroom to splash some water in his face in order to cool his temperature down and to try to get his mind from racing as fast as it was. He looked first down at the sink and filled his hands with water, before bringing it up to his face. He then placed his hands on the counter and glanced up.

His first reaction upon seeing his face was to make a fist to try and bring it crashing into the mirror, only to stop a few inches away from breaking the glass. His eyes widened suddenly and his hand touched the mirror. He blinked a few times and suddenly found himself for once examining his own face.

"I look like him." A small hand reached up to his white hair, pulling on it slightly in frustration. "Hyorinmaru... did I really die and go to Soul Society or was I born there?"

"Toshiro?" The voice of the tomboy preteen caused him to look up. Karin let out a sigh. "Why are you being a narcissist again. It is completely weird you know."

The shinigami taicho simply let go of the strand of hair. "It honestly isn't what you think. I actually hate the way I look a lot."

"Something is bothering you, isn't it?" The girl asked while watching him.

"Yeah, but I can't exactly talk about it. I'm probably mistaken anyways." The boy felt the corner of his mouth turn up slightly."

"Are you trying to avoid me?" Karin asked, causing him to suddenly flinch. "I thought so, but I kind of deserve that reaction from you don't I? Can we please talk? It is important, what I have to say to you."

"Can you promise not to hit me?" Toshiro asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth. He also could feel his muscles tensing up. The look on her face had a level of irritation that made him think she was going to hit him despite the fact he asked her not to.

The dark haired girl let out a deep sigh. "That's kind of what I want to talk to you about. My behavior hasn't been very nice since you got here. Could we go outside so dad and Yuzu don't hear our conversation?"

"Sure..." His body was still tense as he followed her downstairs. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed a couple of drinks before heading outside to sit on the sidewalk. He felt a cold drink shoved against his cheek.

"When you came I didn't realize you were a shinigami like Ichi-nii." Karin stated without opening her own drink.

"I'm not a shinigami like your brother." Toshiro let out a first sigh. "The first major difference is that he is a substitute shinigami, not a real one."

The girl's head darted up to blink a couple of times. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Your brother is still living and he gained his powers before he died and went to Soul Society." The small shinigami glanced away. "Exactly how much should I be telling her?"

"This means you're dead Toshiro?" There was a sudden sound of disappointment in the girl's voice and Karin looked at her feet.

Toshiro found himself flinching. "Why did she have to ask a question that I don't understand myself right now?" He closed his eyes at that point and let out a deep sigh. "I don't know. If your talking about having a physical form, if it weren't for this artificial body I'd only be able to exist in the world of the living in spirit form. Not everyone in Soul Society originally had a physical form, some were born there."

"You're telling me that spirits have the ability to make babies?" Karin's face twisted up. "Where is the proof that they can?"

A chocking sound escaped the small taicho's throat as he suddenly looked up at the girl, his face suddenly paling. "I seriously can't tell her that she's actually living proof that a spirit can have kids. Isshin Taicho would kill me. I promised him..."

The side of a hand came down softly on the top of his head. "What ever perverted thought you are thinking, stop thinking it. I get enough of that from the guys I play soccer with. Actually, I am sick and tired of them talking about the porn magazines they've managed to score..." Two eyes blinked as she watched the cheeks of the boy in front of her suddenly flush up." What ever is the matter?"

"You thought I was thinking those kinds of thoughts? What ever prompted you to think that!" Toshiro could feel the heat of his cheeks suddenly flush up.

"Weren't you thinking about how babies are made?" Karin asked. While his cheeks lost the flush, it was replaced with a look of confusion in his teal eyes.

"Don't babies come from forth division?" Upon seeing the confused look on her face. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "Babies come from hospitals and clinics?"

The dark haired female let out a deep sigh. "You're horribly naïve. That isn't where babies come from."

"Where do they come from?" Toshiro felt his mouth twitch.

He froze though when Karin gave him a nasty look. "I'm not telling you. Can we please get back on track with our conversation?"

"You're the only person who knows where this conversation is going though."

Letting out a deep sigh she spoke up. "I'm not very comfortable with living people, but I am less so with those who are dead. You're neither of those and now that I know I feel more comfortable around you, despite the fact you are seriously weird for a kid our age."

"I'm not your age." Toshiro blinked a couple of times. "People age differently in Soul Society, so while I am physically the same age as you I am actually over forty years old." The look on her face was complete shock. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I find it hard to believe that you are over forty years old when you don't know things that my guy friends already know about. Hell, even Ichi-nii knows about these things despite the fact he doesn't talk about them."

At that, his temper began to boil and his voice raised up. "I am not a little kid so don't treat me like one! If there is one thing I don't like, it is the fact people choose to treat me like one. I'm also tired of people telling me that they expect me to act my age and yet other times I'm expected to act older then I am. Now you're telling me I act younger then my age!"

"I think you should just act like yourself. So what if you're more mature then our age group in some ways and others you're not? That is what makes you who you are, isn't it?" Karin glanced up at the sky.

Toshiro felt his cheeks flush up. "Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden? You were rather pissed when your brother brought me home to stay with your family."

"About that." The girl pushed her foot across the ground, avoiding the topic for a few seconds. "That's actually what I've wanted to talk to you about. When I first met you I was afraid you'd find out about me being able to see ghosts and tell the kids at school. I wanted you gone before you could find out I was a freak."

"You're not a freak. I am." The boy let out a deep sigh and stood up.

As he dust off his pants so he could go in, Karin grabbed his pant leg. "I'm not finished. I want to apologize for being mean to you and I also want to become friends."

"I accept the..." Toshiro though felt his teal eyes suddenly go wide, his brain beginning to panic. "You... want to be friends? But..."

The girl let go of his pants leg. "I know you possibly don't want to be with the way I treated you, but I still want to be friends with you."

"That isn't." He could feel his voice tightened. "Why would you want to be a friend with a freak like me! My hair and eye color is bizarre and I have an icy aura about me because of my powers! Why would anyone want to be my friend!" The small shinigami watched as she turned to give him a confused look, which caused his cheeks to flush up. He quickly opened the door and slammed it, heading up to Ichigo's room.