Author's note: Hey there everyone! What in the world!? A DEPRESSING FANFIC!? I know I know, I said I wasn't going to make anymore super sad fanfic BUT! This is more of a comfort type fanfic, so should be okay! Plus it's a only 2-shot...TWO-SHOT OF MANLY TEARS! JK! But yeah, this will be two chapters, one will be Hitsugaya's feelings and the second will be Hinamori's. I had this fanfic sitting around for a while in my files. Had to think about it for a long time if i should upload or not but hey...Why the heck not? So here it is! It's not too sad (hopefully...) ENJOY you guys! STAY AWESOME! **Please NO FLAMES**

Synopsis: [2-SHOT TRIBUTE] He has been by her side ever since, always and will forever will be. She never realized what she had right in front of her. Hitsugaya x Hinamori

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach or any of its characters.

"Talking" 'Thinking' "Memories"

Chapter 1 : Always [Hitsugaya's Feelings]

By: Hitsuhinax1

A silent moment, in the 5th division private quarters. the 10th division captain leans against the wall. His eyes closed, listening careful so the sounds of sobs coming from the room. His arms crossed as he tries to endure the pain in his chest from her cries.

In the room, a brown haired girl cries as she holds her formal captain's dark brown yukata tightly as she tries to muffle the sounds of her cries into it. Broken and lost, a vice-captain without a captain…She had lost her reason why she wanted to become a vice-captain.

She had been crying for months since he was defeated.

Still unable to move on and believe he truly was a villain. Without her knowing, her captain used her as his childhood friend almost had killed her. No one has said a word about it since…

Hitsugaya opening his turquoise eyes gently, looking down at the floor. Knowing how much pain she was, he wanted to comfort her but- she didn't need him, she wanted her captain back...The captain she admired so much.

He thought about the times she wanted to become the 5th division captain. How hard she had to study those endless nights by herself trying to stay awake in till she fell asleep on her books. He would always wake up in the middle of the night to see her bed empty.

Walking into the room with a single candle lit, his childhood friend sleeping as she still held her brush in her soft fingers. He couldn't understand why she wanted to become a vice-captain or even a Shinigami.

She was too fragile and kind, yet she wanted to become stronger. Deep inside, he felt the world around him was going to change without her. He had to close his heart quickly, so the day she left…He wouldn't show any of his feelings.

Every morning, he would sit on the roof as she would wave him good bye. He would just ignore her and look the other way as if he didn't care even told her to never come back but once she turned around he would watch her as she went off towards the city to make sure nothing happens on the way he would watch her in till she would disappear in the distance.

Was he not enough for her to stay? If he had said something…Would she have? He had to close his heart…

He would be cold and rude towards her; it was the only way to hide his feelings but, every time he would see her bright smile. He felt his cold heart melt away as if the water was turning into spring.

She was everything to him, no one ever showed so much love and kindness expect for his grandmother and her. But she was different, he wanted to hurry up and grow up to understand his strange feelings he never felt before. He first thought he was sick or going crazy...For falling in love with his childhood friend.

Hitsugaya leaned his head against the wooden wall, he closed his eyes again as he remembered joining the academy. He would see her time to time with her new friends and saw her bright smile.

He felt something in his chest for the first time, as she laughed and smile at the two guys that was with her. He wanted to drop his book and rush towards her and pull her away from them…But, he didn't. Hitsugaya looked the other way and ignored her.

Why, why did he have an urge to protect her…He felt like a child fighting over toys. He saw her first, he was her first friend…She was his.

One day, he was bringing some paperwork to his captain and saw her childhood friend talking to a tall man. He could tell he was a captain with his white hoari with the symbol on his back.

The 5th division captain, Aizen Sosuke.

That name was a curse. He didn't know much about the captain, only she would talk about him as if he was a great hero. He had always imagined him as an old man but the captain was quite young. He was tall and had brown wavy hair with black thick glass frames, seemed a gentle man.

'That's him?' he thought to himself as he let out a scoff 'I don't see anything special about-' his thoughts froze as his eyes widened, there wasn't anything special about him but what he saw on Hinamori's face was something he couldn't forget. He looked at her as if it was glowing, she was blushing and the look was different from anything he seen.

It was his first time seeing someone fall in love...Seeing his childhood friend fall in love with someone else.

He felt something heavy on his chest as if someone grabbed his heart and was squeezing slowly. Clinching the papers in his hands tightly creating crinkles, he felt jealousy for the first time and rage.

Turning away quickly, he rushed away from them. He didn't want to look anymore yet her face scarred his mind forever. The look she gave to the captain was something he wanted…She had never looked at him before like she did for the captain.

Finally he realized why she talked about him so much with admiration is because…She fell in love with him. It was probably the most devastating day in his life, the day he learned his feelings would never be returned to him and the day he could never protect his heart from her.

Did she love him because he was a captain? Or his height? He knew he was quite short for his age and had no intentions of being a captain But, if he could see her look at him with the same eyes she gave to the 5th division captain…He'll become anything for her.

Once he became the 10th division captain, shinigamis congratulated him for being the first youngest captain for his age but, none of that mattered. He stood there in the ceremony as he looked in the corner of his eye.

She stood next to her captain; she never left his side since she had become his vice-captain. Deep inside, he hated it. She used to always be by his…Now, she was with another man. After the ceremony, she congratulated him with a smile she would always give. He stared into her eyes waiting…

Waiting for that look she would give to her captain but, it wasn't there…

Her captain called her, her face would brighten and a hint of pink would show on her cheeks. She walked pass him as he turned to look at her walking back to his side. He clinched his fist as he grind his teeth.

He felt a sword slowly entering his chest as it pierced his heart, again unable to protect his heart around her. He had to become stronger, strong enough to watch her smile at another man…Strong enough to endure all the pain for her to be happy.

His happiness was her happiness. As long as she was smiling and unharmed, that's all it mattered…He was in love with her and would always be her in his heart.

Pushing himself off the wall, the cries stopped. He slides the door quietly as he looked inside to see her laying on the floor with her formal captain's yukata. She had cried herself to sleep…

He entered the room as he kneeled down. Looking at her with soft eyes, he brushed her hair away from her face. Reaching for the yukata, he gently pulls it away; suddenly there was a firm tug.

"Please don't Shiro-chan…" her voice was quiet as if he had lost her voice from crying so much. Hitsugaya looked down at her "You need to stop…Aizen, he…" he cursed the name as he took a sharp breath "…He isn't here anymore."

Times he wanted to tell her the truth what happen and what Aizen did. Make her see he was only using her and almost killed her with his own hands. Tell her he wanted cut her up into small piece and hide them away from him, he wanted her to forget but, he knew how important Aizen was to her...It would just hurt her even more and suffer... That was the last thing he wanted to do.

It would make him no better than Aizen...

Watery tears filled her brown eyes "I know…" she clinched the robes tightly in her hands. "How…How do I stop, Shiro-chan?" her voice broke as the tears began to looked away, unable to look at her this way. It was painful for him to see someone so beautiful crying for the person who was responsible for this. Someone who tricked her kindness, used her and throw away when they weren't needed anymore.

Aizen didn't deserve someone like his childhood friend, yet he felt guilty for not being strong enough to realize he was under his shikai. He felt…Weak.

There was so much blood from her body as he held her, his eyes shaken at the scene of her chest bleeding. He promised her and to himself he would protect her…The words ringing in his head.

'Shiro-chan…Why?'

Yelling in rage, he had completely broke down. He should have carried her to Unohana but left her on the roof and rushed towards Aizen with pure rage only to be cut down so easily by him. Falling, he had lost his arm and crashed down on the floor. He couldn't control his anger and would always get the best of him. Blinded again but his weakness…

Hitsugaya looked at her "…You have to become stronger" he finally said. He reached and touched her cheek "…For your sake. No matter how much it hurts, you have to endure it and pray you won't be hurt again."

He used his thumb to wipe away her tears "I promised to protect you but, I can't protect you from yourself…You need to let go of him."

"Please Momo...For me…" he said quietly as a whisper "Don't cry anymore..."

She looked at her childhood friend's eyes; she had never seen him like him. His eyes turquoise eyes always looked cold but, warm. His eyes were soft and protective, as if everything around her was starting to calm down.

How lucky she was to have someone like her childhood friend, who never left her side after all that has happened. She even pointed her own weapon towards him, betrayed him and never gave a thought about his feelings.

No matter what she did, he would always follow her and be her shadow. She was selfish…

Slowly, she released her fingers and Hitsugaya pulled the yukata away. Without looking at it, she closed her eyes. It was time she let him go…

Hitsugaya gently scooped her up and carried her in a princess style. She continued to close her eyes, she didn't want to have second look at her formal captain's room. The only sound she heard was her childhood friend's chest.

The heartbeat that was gentle yet strong and would always only beat for her…

Hitsugaya walked towards the door quietly as he left the room. Looking down at her, she had already fallen asleep in his arms. Placing a small kiss on her forehead "Momo…" he whispered.

"I'll always…Forever be with you…" he held her tightly as they continued to walk away from the formal 5th division's room. Only moving forward, never to come back there again as he promised to take care of his childhood friend and become the captain that deserves to be by her side forever. Even if he can't close his heart from her, he would protect her heart from anyone who tries to hurt her again.