Title: Crimson Snow
Rating: T
Pairing/Characters: Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. Implied HitsuMatsu.
Warnings: Language and angst!!
Summary: For the first time in Hitsugaya's life, he hated the cold. Captain of the tenth division, with a zanpakuto of ice, hair like winter and eyes of water, loathed the biting cold because if it weren't for the numbing weather, Matsumoto wouldn't be freezing to death.
A/N: Well, here is another HitsuMatsu oneshot. Why did I publish it apart from my pitiful collection? Because I felt like it, and I like this one better from the others. I hope you like it too... I wonder if it was worth spending so much time on because after reading through it five million times, it seems devoid of feeling and I'm sorry if it's in any way OOC. Urgh. Enough about my ramblings and plunge into the (attempted) angst!

Please Review

She didn't ask for help when she knew she was overwhelmed. She didn't say a word as she unsheathed Haineko, knowing it would probably the last time she would. She didn't scream his name as its claw ripped her flesh, sending her crashing onto the ground.

But he noticed, and he screamed hers.

He noticed her fall out of the sky, her hair trailing behind her. He noticed the incredible amount of blood that could be seen from where he was standing. He noticed her reiatsu decline from the start, but he didn't know he'd be too late.

Haineko lay beside her, shattered. Her body was torn and her eyes were closed which scared him more then her wounds that could easily be seen through the blizzard.

In a frenzy of panic, he was at her side in a matter of seconds. Her eyes flickered open when she sensed his presence, "Ah, Taicho, I knew you would come." She whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.

An extreme sense of relief washed over him when he saw her eyes, "Of course I came, what kind of captain do you take me for?"

"A great one, of course"

His gaze softened as he looked down on her, a smile gracing his mature features. But it disappeared as soon as he realized her condition.

"Dammit, Matsumoto you're bleeding everywhere!" He said in a worried tone, one she rarely heard.

She looked herself over, "Yea, I am, but I feel fine"

"Like hell you're fine! Fuck!"

She merely giggled at his outrage.

There were scratches on her body, a few worse then others but there was a gash, a ghastly one. It stretched from her shoulder and tore diagonally down her chest. Blood spilled from the wound and leaked into the snow. Scarlet pools contrasted against pure white surroundings.

Hitsugaya shuddered looking at it. To think about anything ripping Matsumoto's fair skin only made the situation worse. A lot worse.

"I'm calling the fourth division, you don't look fine to me." He snatched the phone device from her hand and started to make calls while she was busy trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

He looked over to Matsumoto, her tongue flickering around and suddenly, looking at her flushed face he noticed just how cold it was.

"Matsumoto... how bad does it hurt?" He thought it was a stupid question considering she was probably in agony, but he needed to hear her say she was fine.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, until her eyes spread wide, " I-I can't feel my body."

He stared at her for awhile, his eyes disbelieving until he exploded, "Fuck!" He immediately went into a state of panic. He needed to warm her quickly; otherwise it wouldn't be her wounds that would kill her.

Finally, he knew what to do. He slipped out of his captain's robe and gingerly placed it on top of her. It wasn't good enough so he stripped down to nothing but his pants.

"Ooo, what an interesting show, Taicho!" She whispered, a smile playing at her lips.

He was now standing in the middle of a blizzard, half naked, with most of his clothes on Matsumoto. He didn't register the cold, the cold hardly mattered now, the only thing that did was Matsumoto.

Minutes passed where he just stared into space. He didn't want to accept it. The form of the broken shinigami couldn't be Matsumoto. His strong fuku-taicho couldn't be the one in a puddle of her own blood and if she was… If she were to die, fuck, he wouldn't know what to do.

She gazed at him from the ground. Her eyes were looking at him as if she was trying to absorb him. The wind softly blew through his hair, his hair that looked like winter. His eyes, so vivid, so clear, so beautiful. She never wanted to forget him. Her taicho, and so much more.

"Shit!" he cursed, looking into the distance, "they should have been here by now!"

"Taicho, its okay," she whispered, her voice was carried by the howl of the wind.

"It's not okay! I can't believe they're late!" he hissed, looking down at her. His teal eyes flashed angrily, but she saw something in them that she hadn't seen before. Fear.

"It won't make a difference Taicho, just stay here," she was pleading now. She didn't want to be left alone.

It won't make a difference. Her words resounded in his head, she was giggling minutes ago, had his strong lieutenant weakened in such a short amount of time?

He knelt beside her and took her hand into his. Her warmth, her unwavering warmth, was leaving her. He looked up at her face. Her lips were now a shade of purple.

"Taicho..." she murmured while running her hand down his toned chest, "too bad this isn't under different circumstances," she smirked.

His muscles tensed under her touch, yet he managed to keep his frown, "Matsumoto," his voice rang clear, "Do you not understand your fatal circumstance?" The words seemed to hang in the air.

She smiled at him, but he noticed the sweet sadness in her eyes, "I understand."

He said nothing, only looking at her more intently as if he were afraid to blink in fear that she might fade entirely with the snow.

Valuable time passed. Why wasn't the fourth division coming? Why on this day of all days did the snow have to fall so unmercifully?

For the first time in Hitsugaya's life, he loathed the cold weather. Captain of the Tenth Division, with a zanpakuto of ice, hair like winter and eyes of water, hated the wintry cold because if it weren't for the numbing weather, Matsumoto wouldn't be freezing to death.

He looked back at his lieutenant, her eyes were closed, but he noticed the steady rise and fall of her chest, this frightened him.

"Matsumoto! You can't fall asleep!" he told her, leaning in closer so she could hear.

"But I'm so tired, Taicho. Just let me sleep for a couple of minutes..." Her voice faded.

"No! If you fall asleep now... you'll never wake up!" It was probably her imagination, but she heard him choke on his words.

"So...tired..."

The snowflakes started collecting on her face. Pooling in the crevices of her features. Minutes ago they would have melted against her skin. He brushed them away hastily with the pad of his thumb and she smiled at his touch.

"I promise you that you can sleep once the fourth division comes," he was pleading now. Begging.

"They're not coming, Taicho"

He didn't know what to say, he only held on to her hand tighter. Her warmth, was now gone.

Someone, anyone. Help.

"Matsumoto. Please. Please fight."

"So ...tired"

"NO! Fight dammit!" his voice softened, "Matsumoto..."

The snow fell faster, almost as if it were claiming her as its own. Falling faster, attempting to bury her, to seal her fate. Again, he brushed the snow from her hair and her face. It was almost as if he was trying to fight fate for her, unwilling to let her go.

"Only a couple more minutes, just hang on."

The tears that fell from his eyes felt like they were searing his skin.

"That's all I have, Taicho"

He was outraged at her will to live. How could she give up so easily? He wanted to shake her and scream at her. Wake up. He was supposed to protect her. Wake up. It was his duty to do so, a vow he swore he would fulfill. Wake up!

The snow seemed to hurdle down. The snowflakes, no longer soft, but piercing, reminding him that it was because of the cold that she was dying. The pain of the frigid snow hit him, but there was another, worse pain.

"Matsumoto…"

Her eyes lazily fluttered open, locking her gaze with his.

"Matsumoto I-"

"Taicho..." she breathed, interrupting him, "I want you to have my scarf." And with the last ounce of her strength she pulled it out from under her and offered it to him. She thought it was only fair since she got to wear his captains robe. She watched him with a small smirk as he replaced the teal sash that held his sheath in place with her rose colored one.

"You won't forget me, will you, Taicho?"

He gave her a small laugh, the sound chimed in her ears, "As if I could forget..."

She merely smiled as her eyelids closed for the last time and the cold preserved the memory within his soul forever.

Her hair, cascading around her like the sun's rays. Her eyelids, sealing her spirit.
Her eyelashes, wet and clinging to the falling snowflakes.
Her lips, slightly parted with so many words left unsaid.
And her hands, gently entwined with his own.

She was a fallen angel in the mist of crimson snow.