32A/N: Well, I'm a bit tired of writing Naruto fanfiction right now, and I'm getting really obsessive about Bleach, so…this is what came out. Please, I really have no inspiration whatsoever, it's just that I want to write something besides Naruto and I'm bored.
And my favorite couple in there right now is HitsuHina, so…(grin)
"AIZEN-TAICHOU!!"
The wrenching scream pierced through her memory. No onslaught of tears came this time. Her eyes had run out of water, and she wasn't sure if they were too puffy to let water through or not yet.
Hinamori Momo's ebony hair was down around her shoulders, having fallen out of its customary bun. She was curled up under the sheets of a blanket, shivering all over, cold sweat pouring down her face.
In fourth squad's building, she was dressed in a white hospital robe. Under the careful caring of Unohana-taichou, she was making rapid recovery from the stab through her torso, though the emotional wounds didn't seem to be getting any better. Unohana said quietly and not unkindly that it was shock. Kira thought she might be going insane.
Hinamori didn't know what it was. All she knew was that she was a very depressed sort of confused.
That was unusual. The cheerful shinegami had always shown a bright exterior, constantly smiling and trying hard, speaking bracing words of comfort to her friends when they had the need. Being sad herself had never occurred to Hinamori before, and her body didn't take it well.
Her body was icy cold. She shuddered, a shivering tremor running down her spine.
"Arigato, Hinamori-chan. Sayonara."
Her disbelief at that moment had been overwhelming. Aizen Sousuke, captain of fifth squad and her most respected person for the most part of her life, could not have just thrust a zanpuktou through her stomach. Her mind had become sluggish trying to process the information that he had betrayed the entire whole of Soul Society, even as her body fell to the ground.
Faintly, she remembered another face, after her eyes had glazed over and blood began to spill from between her lips. Spiky white hair shooting out of a tanned face with sea-green eyes. He had stared down at her with disbelief equal to hers to Aizen, the blood draining from his features. Helplessly, she watched him as his outline swam in her vision.
Shirou-chan…
She wanted to tell him that it was alright, she was alright, and that this was all just a bad dream. They would wake up together in a few minutes if they really, really tried, and greet a bright new day together. The numbing pain in her torso would be gone, and he wouldn't have to look at her that way anymore: as if he had lost something infinitely precious.
But she wasn't something precious. After all, Aizen-taichou had thrown her away just like that, the person whom she had admired the most of all. What was she to him?
Distantly, she had heard the furious screaming that he had emitted, and the crashes of Hyourinmaru. The battle clashing around her had been distant. Soon after, total unconsciousness took over, and she did not find out the victor.
Now, lying in this hospital bed, she wanted to drown in her own remorse. Regret tinged her every memory. The blood stains on Hitsuguya's uniform had already been removed, but she still saw them there if she looked hard enough, the proof of her uselessness.
He had recovered much faster than her, as her injuries had been more serious and her body stature was not as durable as his. He visited her sometimes, she knew. She could sense him long after he left, sometimes without saying a word at all.
It was enough.
"Hinamori-chan!"
An overly delighted Matsumoto swaggered out from the tenth squad quarters, banging the doors and obviously drunken.
Hinamori caught her just before she fell, shaking her slightly. "Rangiku-san?"
Sighing, the former lieutenant of fifth squad dragged the taller red-haired woman inside. The interior was lit dimly, illuminating the huge stacks of paperwork that sat on the table. "Shirou-chan?" she called.
There was a grunt from behind the mounds of paper. She peered curiously over to see the tousled mop of white hair belonging to Hitsuguya Toushiro.
She dumped Matsumoto ungraciously on the floor and jumped onto the desk. "Shirou-chan! I just found the sweetest watermelon!" she announced happily, demonstrating by hefting the giant green-skinned fruit. There was a pause. Then:
"HINAMORI! IT'S HITSUGUYA-TAICHOU TO YOU!"
Hinamori sweatdropped, still holding the watermelon. "Hitsuguya-kun, you're mean," she pouted, sitting up. Her hair was back in its usual tidy bun, her hospital robes exchanged for the usual black shinegami ones. Hinamori had made an amazing recovery in the past year.
The young captain stepped out from behind his desk, looking slightly annoyed. "Bed-wetter Momo, you're not allowed to bother me when I'm working."
Hinamori only smiled even more brightly. "But Rangiku-san let me in!" she protested good-naturedly. "Besides, you're always work-work-work. Shirou-chan, how come you're no fun anymore? You won't even take a break for watermelon." She tapped the fruit with her knuckles.
Hitsuguya shook his head at the peacefully slumbering form of Matsumoto lying sprawled across the floor.
"Well, now that you've disturbed me already…"
"Great!" Hinamori whooped, grabbing her old friend by the hand and pulling him around a corner so fast that his feet left the ground.
They found a quiet little corner near seventh squad's quarters, sitting in the shade while sharing the sweet watermelon. "Well?" Hinamori prompted as Hitsuguya chewed thoughtfully on it. He turned his right eye at her.
"Well what? It's a good fruit."
Hinamori smiled slightly. "I just wanted to know if you liked it."
They continued to eat for a while, until Hinamori shivered slightly. "H-Hitsuguya-kun, the sun is going down," she remarked, shivering again.
He glanced at her. Then, he took off his white captain robes and draped it around her shoulders, tucking them in tightly. It came up a foot too short, but as always, it was the thought that counted. She smiled brightly. "Arigato, Shirou-chan!"
He grunted. "No problem."
They progressed back to their respective quarters.
"Snap, Tobiume!"
Several blasts of bright pink energy shot out of the end of the zanpukto as Hinamori dodged to the side, barely evading a blast of ice.
"Sit in the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"
The battle was short. It wasn't long before Hitsuguya had Hinamori collapsed on the ground. He sighed and walked over to her, sealing his zanpukto. "Hinamori, you need to be more aware of my attacks. You will never get stronger than you are now if you are not careful to watch my movements closely."
Hinamori was tempted to sigh in frustration, but instead beamed at him. "Arigato, Hitsuguya-kun!"
She stood up again, shaking slightly, and pointed her sword at him. "I'm ready."
Hitsuguya shook his head. "Not today. You're too tired. You can't improve much when you don't have the strength to fight properly. You've worked hard all day, Hinamori. Go do something fun. I'll clean up."
Hinamori's face suddenly brightened. "Hitsuguya-kun, we could get Kira-kun and Rangiku-san and Abarai-kun to come and have a party!"
Hitsuguya's eyes widened. "No, baka! They'll all just get drunk and do something really stupid. She might be a lieutenant, but Matsumoto has no common sense at all."
Hinamori shook her head at him. "See, you're no fun! And don't insult Rangiku-san, it's mean." The white-haired captain sighed in response.
"You think everything I do is mean."
Hinamori thought. "You need to be nicer to people, that part is true. More hugs and less paperwork!" she declared. "That's why you need to have a party, Shirou-chan! We'll eat watermelon and it'll be lots of fun!"
Hitsuguya raised an eyebrow. "More hugging? Hinamori, we're Death Gods. We don't hug each other. And that's Hitsuguya-taichou to you."
Hinamori shrugged. "I think that you're just embarrassed."
His green-blue eyes widened in indignation. "I am not emb-"
His sentence was cut off as she bent down slightly and gave him a tight hug. He hesitated, and returned it, curling his arms around her torso. "Hitsuguya-kun, you smell like watermelon," she declared.
He was sure that his face turned pink, so he didn't trust his mouth to reply.
"Hinamori, please…"he tried to reason with her, as she brushed away the tears streaming down her cheeks. When her hands left her face, she smiled bracingly at him.
"I'm alright, Shirou-chan, really, I am! You don't have to worry about me."
He shook his head. "Hinamori, you never know what's best for yourself. I, on the other hand…"
She shook her head back at him. "Shirou-chan, don't worry yourself about me. Go back in and have fun. I'll come next time, I'm just a little tired today." The captain wasn't buying it, so he took another step forward. Hinamori, accordingly, stepped backward.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
She bit her lip. "I…well…like I said, it's nothing," she said quietly.
"Hinamori…is this about…Aizen?" he asked gruffly.
"No," she murmured softly. "It's just…you're leaving tomorrow, Shirou-chan…to the living world. I'll miss you," she explained.
He stopped in his tracks, having not expected that. "Hinamori, it's only a few days," he said, exasperated. She shook her head stubbornly, fresh tears streaming out of her eyes. He sighed. He was taller than her now, so there was no chance that she could just pick him up and take him back to the bar, (that would have been rather embarrassing.)
Wasn't she the one that had taught him to hug more? Be so serious less?
So he did. He embraced her tightly and felt her emit a small gurgle of surprise against his chest. He laughed. "Bed-wetter Momo, you're just as much of a baka as ever."
He heard her emit a small squeak of indignance before looking up at his face. Her lips were set in a heavy pout. "You're so mean, Shirou-chan!" He smirked in amusement, looking at her upturned face with her warm body in his arms. A blush spread across his cheeks all of a sudden.
Hinamori smiled, her expression glowing.
Slowly, he bent down and pressed his lips against hers, watching her beautiful eyes flutter closed, her arms clenched tightly around his middle…
"Oi! Taichou, Kira's starting to sing and he's going to crack the glass-"
Rangiku Matsumoto stopped in her tracks as she turned the corner, gaping at her captain and friend.
"Well…I'll just…leave you two alone then…"
A/N: Please review?