"Strawberry"
The word hung in the air, as if its remaining presence would clarify the situation. Hinamori blinked, reading the word from the small tube in her hand again. She raised her head and looked at her blonde friend quizzically, then frowned.
"This isn't a strawberry"
Matsumoto's eyes widened in surprise, before she burst into a fit of giggles. Hinamori remained standing patiently, waiting for her friend to finish. She finally stopped laughing enough to explain what Momo was holding to the clueless girl.
"That's lipgloss, Momo. Strawberry flavoured lipgloss. Try it, you'll love it!" The cheerful woman chirped, winking at the smaller girl. Momo looked down at the colourful red design thoughtfully. Slowly, she removed the cap, lifted the tube to her mouth and spread its sweet-smelling contents onto her lips. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the scent. Her tongue snaked out between her lips, running over them softly. Her eyes opened wide, lighting up at the taste.
"It tastes just like strawberry! That's amazing!" She exclaimed, turning to the door.
"I'm going to show Shiro-chan!" She called over her shoulder as she stepped outside, soon vanishing from Matsumoto's view. The blonde let a smile dance across her face, then turned back to her paperwork. Sighing, she pushed the sheets aside and instead grabbed a bottle of sake, previously hidden behind them. Her grin widened as she took a swig. Valentine's day this year was going to be interesting.
Momo ran through the seireitei, footsteps resonating with her heartbeat. A happy expression sat on her face, and she occasionally raised an arm to block the harsh glare of the midday sun that blinded her. Still amazed by the lipgloss Matsumoto had given her, Momo only half payed attention to where she was going. It caught her completely by surprise when she ran into someone. The impact caused the small tube to fly from her hand and land on the ground near the person's feet.
"Sorry!" She squeaked, looking up. Strong arms steadied her from falling, and Momo recognised the amused face of Kira Izuru, her friend from the Academy.
"Oh, hello Izuru" She smiled up at him.
"In a hurry, Momo?"
The girl blushed.
"No, I- I was just going to see Shiro- I mean, Captain Hitsugaya. I wanted to show him this lipgloss Matsumoto gave to me..." her eyes fell to his feet, where the tube lay in the dust. Kira's eyes followed hers and he also spotted the tube. He bent to pick it up, then handed it back to her.
"What's so special about it?" He asked. Momo's eyes lit up with excitement.
"It so amazing, Izuru, it tastes just like strawberry!" She ran her tongue over her lips again, savouring the sweetness.
"Really? That sounds nice. May I try it?" He asked, a grin tugging on the edge of his lips.
Hinamori nodded, holding the tube up to him. He leaned forward, brushing her hand aside, and placed his lips on hers. A blush spread across Hinamori's cheeks, and when Izuru pulled away she was left speechless.
"Well that certainly was nice. There's just one bad thing about it," Hinamori was still silent with embarrassment when Izuru leaned in to steal another kiss. In her ear he whispered
"The taste doesn't last long enough"