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I like doggies.
“I already know you like doggies.”
The response from Shiro-chan indicates I spoke out loud. Looking over at his white, fluffy hair which reminds me of a doggy, I see a look of annoyance upon his face. Seriously though, Shiro-chan doing paperwork all day is absolutely no fun at all. I’d rather go out killing things. Like Shinigami.
“I’d rather you not go out killing things. Particularly Shinigami.” The corner of his face twitches, indicating he’s mad at me. However, more importantly…
“How much of that did you hear?”
“Well, I’m glad you stopped thinking out loud Basterbine.” He goes back to doing his paperwork, ignoring me. He also didn’t answer the question.
I push myself up from the couch and head over so I’m behind him, looking over his shoulder at his boring paperwork. I lean in closer, knowing full well what will happen when he gets too close to those things. I’ve seen it happen when Rangiku does it, but the effect is hilarious. One also gets what one wants. Plus, I’m not against hugging Shiro-chan just to get a reaction. I lean in, getting into his personal space, and feeling him tense up.
“Basterbine…”
“It’s Bambi-chan.” His cheeks start turning red, much to my delight. “Plus, you didn’t answer my question.”
“I heard you compare me to a dog. Also…” Shiro-chan pauses. “I’m a Shinigami, remember?”
“No. You’re a Quincy.” I personally like arguing with him about that, but I know I’m right. He knows I’m right.
“No. I’m a Shinigami. I wish…” Toshiro let out a deep breath, his eyes focused on the paperwork in front of him. “I wish…”
“You wish what.”
“I wish my life didn’t get turned upside down. I wish you weren’t prejudiced against Shinigami.”
“Shinigami are prejudice against us.”
“That doesn’t excuse it.” He pushes me away or tries too. His cheeks redden again, but his cheeks puff out slightly. “Basterbine! Will, you seriously lay off with the touchy-feely stuff!”
“Yeah, but you’re my dear Shiro-chan. You’re the most precious thing in the world to me. Right?”
“I’m – what?”
The tone of his voice, something is off. I let out a deep breath and finally pull back. “Why do you act so surprised?”
He turns in his chair, looking me in the face, his eyes narrowed. Oh, how I love those teal eyes of his. He’s obviously not pleased with something though.
“Basterbine…”
“Bambi-chan.”
His cheeks redden. “I can’t…”
He’s looking away now. I let my arms cross my ample chest. “You can.”
“I can’t!” He shakes his head, his entire body trembling. I do not like it when that happens. He looks away, his own arms crossing his chest. He seems so small, sitting there. “Look. You don’t know at all what it was like for me growing up.”
“So?”
He lets out a sigh. “See. That’s the problem. I grew up around Shinigami. You grew up around Quincy.”
“You’re a Quincy.”
“Something you’ve let everybody in Soul Society know, thank you very much.”
“Oh, so you’re finally admitting…”
“No. I’m not. I’m…” He glanced away. “I relate to Kurosaki.”
“What?”
“He’s like us, isn’t he?”
“Do you mean he’s a Quincy?”
“He’s a Shinigami.”
“He’s…”
“I think you get my point.”
I can’t help but glare at him. No, seriously. I sometimes wish Shiro-chan would simply get to the point.
“Look, I don’t relate to being a Quincy. I don’t know any of that stuff, but when you say you hate Shinigami, that you want to kill them…”
“That’s because you’re in denial.”
“No, Bambi, it’s not.” His eyes blinked, realizing he’d come close to calling me Bambi-chan. He glances away, quite frustrated at – well, everything. Okay, so maybe the conversations where we argue about whether he is a Quincy or a Shinigami isn’t that fun.
“I love you.”
His face reddens. “I know that. You’re always in my face about that, but then you go and say that stuff about Shinigami. I am a Shinigami. I identify as Shinigami just as you identify as Quincy.”
“But…”
“If I’ve got to embrace being Quincy, then you’ve got to embrace being Shinigami.”
“I’m not….”
“A hybrid like Kurosaki?” He shakes his head before turning back to the paperwork. I want to burn that paperwork so he’d spend some time with me. “I heard that.”
“Damn.”
“How about after we finish this we go looking for a dog.”
“Really?”
“You need to promise me that you won’t kill the poor thing.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You tried killing Komamura.”
“That…” I look at the ground. “I honestly regret that.”
“Do you?”
“I visit him at the seventh division, don’t I? I’m really good and don’t hurt any of the Shinigami there.”
“You’re insane.”
“So are you.”
A sigh escapes his lips. “You and I both know you’re really not insane. Just – hyperactive.”
“Oh.”
“Just, behave, and we’ll go get a dog. I’ll help you train it so it’s not paper trained to go on my paperwork.”
“Oh. How did you know?”
“Because you’re Basterbine. Why else.”
I don’t like the fact he’s not calling me Bambi, let alone Bambi-chan, but I’ll settle for the fact the tenth division is now getting a dog. I’ll also settle for the fact he’s wanting to spend some time with me, even if it is to prevent me from getting the dog to ruin his paperwork.