All About Toushiro

AN: Woooooooooooooot. Number fouuuur, "Dark". This one is a companion to the former. ^_^

"Damnit Momo," he muttered.

The nurses had been noisy all day, and Toushiro had barely been able to sleep for more then a few moments. He was exhausted, and his patience was running thin. She needed to awaken… and soon.

The captain felt as if he was going crazy, watching her lay there every day and every night. He needed to hear her voice again, the stillness and silence of the room was getting unnerving.

Although clearly uninterested, he picked up a pen and a stack of paperwork Matsumoto had eagerly dropped off for him earlier, and began to work. It was at least something to ease the tense atmosphere of the room, the ruffling of paper and the scratching of the pen. Toushiro quickly grew bored of signing his name and making excuses for the behavior of his squad in his absence. No matter how understanding the other captains were acting, the young boy understood he was being a nuisance.

It weighed heavily on his mind that in this time of crisis, he was being entirely too selfish for someone of his position. Though he knew this well, he could not heed his own suggestions and leave the room. Something kept him here and Toushiro couldn't explain it.

Logically, he had all the time in the world to ponder it. Leaning back against the wall, stretching his legs in front of him, Toushiro sighed for what would probably be the thousandth time since he first took up residence here. Resisting the urge to shake Momo until she woke, Toushiro covered his forehead and eyes with his hand. Annoyance radiated from him as he stood up quickly. The white haired boy slid his chair closer to the pale girl's bed, and gently rested his head on the mattress next to her abdomen. He could see the slow rise and fall of her chest and stomach, assuring him she was alive, the pulse on her wrist helping to remind him of this fact also.

He fell asleep like that; two fingers on her wrist, and head tilted just enough to see her body's slow movement.

When Unohana arrived in the morning, she smiled and went about her business quietly so as not to wake him.