LALA'S P.O.V.

I was was following my best friend, Tatsuki Arisawa, to Orihime Inoue's house where we would supposedly be having a girls' night with the ditsy strawberry blonde, and our other air headed friend, Rangiku Matsumoto. Since said lieutenant was visiting the world of the living for a short time she figured it would be fun to get together and do what it is females do... Or rather... In her words eat Orihime's home cooked meals, watch chick flicks, and talk boys. At least what I had come to understand is that it was supposed to be fun.

I glanced over at Tatsuki with my mouth open to speak, but the words were lost as an irritated look replaced my curious gaze. I watched her tense brown orbs look in my direction in confusion before returning to the snow covered pathway. She tugged her scarf up to cover her nose and I chuckled lightly seeing the pink tint on her cheeks.

"Is everything okay with you, Lala?" she asked, finally turning to look at me.

It was my turn to blush in embarrassment when I heard my nickname leave her thin lips. Lala was something that she and all of my other friends had started to call me during our first year of middle school. This was due to the fact that some days I was so into my own mind that I spaced out for hours. Thinking about it made enough sense though since I was frequently visiting 'Lala Land'. So I didn't really mind going by that name, but since we had gotten into high school only Tatsuki and my best guy friend, Ichigo Kurosaki, would call me that.

"Uh... Earth to Lala..." Tatsuki grumbled waving her hand in my face.

"What?!" I asked snapping back to attention.

"I asked if everything was okay, but you clocked out."

I flushed a darker crimson and rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Yea, Tatsuki. You just have a new... 'Follower'," I stated staring at a young man's spirit that was following close beside her.

She looked to her side opposite of me with a frown on her face, but I wasn't surprised by her skeptical look. After all she couldn't completely see what I did, but it never stopped her from having a little fun.

"Lala I'm so scared! Please make it go away," she said mustering up her best whine and wrinkled her noes playfully.

I put a hand over my mouth to cover my giggles and pulled out the substitute combat pass that head captain gave me. I think it goes without saying that I am also a substitute soul reaper, although Ichigo and Rukia Kuchiki very rarely let me assist them in missions. Due to this I only ever got practice if I am with Orihime or the small shop owner, Kisuke Urahara, so leaving my body and returning was still new... As well as preforming a Konso. I glanced up from my pass to give Tatsuki my 'I have a favor' look and she nodded, understanding the silent request I was making.

"I promise this will only take a moment, Tatsuki," I said, putting the pass to my chest and pulling it away quickly.

She sighed softly, catching my body as it collapsed and hoisted the empty shell into her arms with ease. She continued to walk towards Orihime's, carrying my gigai bridal style, and ignored the odd looks she received on the way. Tatsuki has known about my shinigami powers for sometime, although, she doesn't fully understand what it is I do and she has no idea that Rukia and Ichigo are also shinigami. It wasn't by choice that Tatsuki found out about me, but when she was attacked by a hollow I couldn't just stand by and watch. I had to save her, because after all... That's what best friends did. Once everything was explained she taught me basic hand-to-hand combat and has supported me ever since.

"It is time for you to find peace and move on my friend..." I murmured reassuringly to the old man.

He watched in awe as I pulled my zanpakuto from the sheath fastened to my back and winced when I stamped his forehead with the Konso seal. He blinked at his hands as they slowly faded then smiled up at me, disappearing slowly and leaving behind a beautiful orb of light in his place. I watched in a sort of trance as the light rose into the air and vanished into the evening sky and after bowing my head in a moment of silence for the lost soul I ran back towards Tatsuki. I caught up to the raven haired female, smiling when I saw the content on her features, and jumped back into my seemingly lifeless body. My hazel eyes fluttered open slowly to reveal Tasuki staring at me in shock giving me an opportunity to squirm from her arms.

"Thank you for the assist, Tatsuki!" I exclaimed with a toothy grin.

"Anytime, Lala! I will admit... You're very light for a bottomless pit," she noted with a small smile gracing her lips. 

-I'm gonna take that as a compliment...- I thought giggling at her comment before slipping the pass back into my pocket.

"That's because you took away approximately an eight pound soul," I said giving her a 'matter-of-fact' look.

She gave me an 'are you serious?' look until we both broke out into laughter. It took a few moments, but we eventually caught our breaths and finally realized we were standing right outside Orihime's house.

"Welp we are here..."

***

I sat at a small round table in Orihime's living room eating Tatsuki's homemade ramen with Rukia, Tatsuki, Rangiku, Yoruichi Shihoin, Momo Hinamori, Chizuru Honsho, and Orihime herself. We had all been sitting in an almost awkward silence for sometime, but no one made a move to break it until Tatsuki coughed uneasily.

"There are more people here than I expected..." I mumbled to the hostess, glad that someone had made a noise.

"Well I thought that we should all hang out together! After all we don't always get opportunities like this, you know?" Orihime asked with her happy grin.

I shrugged lightly in a reluctant agreement and continued to eat the beef flavored noodles.

"This is absolutely delicious, Tatsuki! Where did you learn to cook like this?!" Yuroichi asked with a light purr in her tone.

"Thank you, Ms. Shihoin... I actually learned from Lala... I just changed up the recipe a little..." Tatsuki admitted, blushing in embarrassment from the praise.

"Speaking of Lala..." Rangiku started shooting me a look.

I glanced up at her when I heard my name only being slightly aware that I had noodles spilling from between my lips. None-the-less, I gave her a gaze that urged her to continue with whatever it is she need to say, but when I saw the pure mischief in her grey orbs I regretted the decision. She leaned forward onto her elbows and continued to smirk wider sort of reminding me of Kenpachi Zeraki's blood lust filled smirk.

"So I hear you have a little crush on someone... Would you tell us who the lucky guy... Or girl... Maybe?" she asked purring lightly.

I choked slightly as I registered her sudden question and found myself struggling to swallow the mouthful of ramen. -How did she... Why would she... Who...- I stared blankly at her as the questions ran through my head and finally shook myself from my daze.

"Wh-Who told you that, Matsumoto?!"

"Everyone can see it written on your face, Lala. You don't hide your feelings very well..." she explained evilly.

"So who is it then? Yumachika? Chad? Uryu?" Chizuru asked naming some kind of attractive males from our class.

"Is... It Renji?" Tatsuki asked looking away from me.

"Definitly not, Tatsuki," I assured her grabbing her hand for comfort.

"Maybe it's Urahara?" Yuroichi suggested with a slight growl in her tone.

I gagged in a playful way at the mere thought and shook my head rapidly in response, "NO WAY IN HELL!"

"I'll bet it's Ichigo then," Rukia stated in a bored tone.

My head snapped up in response and I stared wide-eyed at her in a 'How the hell did you know?!' kind of way. Meanwhile, Orihime was staring at me as if I had kicked a puppy and I could see the tears begin to form in her eyes.

"I-Is that true Lala?" she asked trying to keep a steady tone.

"No! I mean yes, but-"

"YOU LIKE ICHIGO KUROSAKI?!" Rukia yelled in astonishment before laughing at me.

"I-I don't like Ichigo! I mean I do, but Orihime likes him and I can't get in the way of that! I mean I-!" I stuttered defensively trying to think of a way to talk myself out of the mess I was in.

Everyone looked at me in shock and the attention was undoubtedly making me uncomfortable. Then as if no one had fallen into frozen positions they began to fire question after question at me except for Orihime. She looked down into her lap with a blank stare I had never seen before and the immense guilt that washed over me felt as though it were suffocating me. I began to feel faint and suddenly I had shot up without warning and made my way to the door.

"I NEED SOME FUCKING AIR!" I screamed running out of the house and down the street.

I shook my head trying to clear the thoughts and emotions as I ran away from Orihime's going where my instincts took me. After a few long moments of full on sprinting as fast as my legs would take me, which didn't feel fast enough, I had finally slowed to a stop and plopped onto a nearby bench. I put my head in my hands and felt warm tears begin to fall from my cheeks slowly. I had hurt Orihime and worst of all I couldn't even hide the fact that I liked the carrot topped male... I thought I could get away with secretly liking him, but when almost every girl, or rather every loud mouth girl, knows it's hard to keep it quiet... Even worse... I wasn't gonna hear the end of the entire story...

***

I had been outside for sometime and finally noticed that it had grown fairly late. The other thing I had noticed was that I had been walking around a park god knows where which meant that... I was lost... I looked around and felt tears begin to well up in my eyes due to the fact I had no idea where I was, I was very cold, and it was very... Very... Dark.

"Lala is that you?" a familiar voice asked.

I turned around slowly to face the owner of the voice and felt my breath hitch as more tears slid down my cheeks teasingly slow. 

"Wh-Who's there?" I asked not seeing anyone in the dark space.

A set of footsteps got closer to me and I could finally make out Ichigo's form as he emerged from the darkness. -He must have been in the middle of his patrol. - I thought looking away so he couldn't see me in such a weak state. He came closer and I could hear his breath catch as he grabbed my chin between his thumb and pointer finger making me look up into his hazel eyes.

"Are you crying?!" he asked me worriedly.

I shook my head as best as I could and wiped my tear stained face not wanting him to see me so... Vulnerable. The sad truth was though... He had seen the vulnerable side of me and his instincts led him to pull me into a tight embrace. I tensed against his broad chest and felt him carefully bury his face into my brown-ish hair.

"Are you okay now?" he asked in a soft tone.

I thought about it for a moment then finally nodded my head before my face gave way to a frown. He looked down at me with a soft smile and carefully set me down on a bench, wrapping his arm around my shoulder in a comforting way. 

"Lala? You're a bad liar you know that?"

"I've been told..."

"So then why are you such a mess?" he asked me in that stern older brother sort of way.

-That's the other reason I wouldn't have tried... He only sees me as a little sister...- I thought. I opened my mouth to attempt another lie, but one look into his concerned gaze and suddenly I was speaking without really comprehending the words leaving my mouth.

"I was at Orihime's place with a bunch of other girls earlier and we were just eating ramen that Tatsuki had made us, because you know Orihime doesn't cook very well and the only other person who eats her food is Rangiku..." I rambled, "Well then in the middle of dinner they had asked me who I liked, because someone has a big mouth and I'm sure it was Renji or something, but anyway, they found out that I liked you so I left the house as quickly as I could, because I felt so smothered by all of the non-stop questions and the sad, pathetic look that Orihime kept giving me!" I said finally finishing my jumbled explanation.

I took a deep breath and finally looked up to see that his hazel eyes were wide as saucers and his face was flushed a light pink color as if he were embarrassed.

"Y-You l-like me?" he asked as if trying to comprehend the situation.

My eyes soon got as big as his when I realized what I had just admitted to him and I felt more tears threaten to spill out. -I can't believe I told him!- I thought, opening and closing my mouth like a water less fish.

"I-I..."

I tried to form some sort of a sentence or an explanation, but nothing came out. I bit down on my lip not trusting myself and took a step back. He seemed to notice this and took a step towards me, closing the gap, and grinning stupidly down at me. I opened my mouth to ask him to back away, but the words fell short when he gently pressed his lips to mine. I blinked a few times just staring at him, but I slowly let my eyes fall closed and returned his kiss before he pulled away.

"It's good that you like me, because I like you too, Lala," he admitted smiling softly at me.

I smiled back and wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you... Ichigo..."