AN: something I've noticed with a lot of hitsuxhina fan fics is that... one of them always seems to die!! I mean, it's very good, and a lot of them are very well written... but it felt like every one I read was all... death-y. Also, I've noticed that Aizen plays roles in many as well. I want to try and make mine different... but you know, it'll turn out how ever it wants to! Like writing usually does...
No... Hinamori's my friend. Toushiro thought with an aggravated sigh. There was absolutely no way he felt anything more for her. He was Hitsugaya Toushiro-- the Captain of Squad Ten! He cared about his duty and protecting everyone he could. (Although he knew one of the only people he'd risk his life for was Momo...). That's what he cared about.
Not things like... romance.
Besides, if he really felt anything more for Hinamori, he would have known a long time ago. Not now... not as she was sitting in front of him laughing at his small joke he'd laid out on the table...
His small joke, was pieces of watermelon cut up and laid neatly on plates. When they were young and he was- although he might deny it- an obnoxious little kid. He used to eat watermelon halves and then spit the seeds in her face as she objected with small whines of annoyance.
"Hitsugaya-kun..." She said after she finally stopped giggling. "What's all this?" She looked up from the reddish pink fruit and smiled at him.
He seemed weary. "It's um..." Just calm down. He thought, feeling pathetic. "It's because... today's the anniversary." Wow I sound like an idiot.
Her face wrinkled up in confusion. "Anniversary?" She asked.
Even before the words came out, Toushiro knew how they sounded. "Of the day I met you." Romantic.
Momo's face turned slightly pink and she laughed nervously. "I'm sorry I didn't remember... But why? You've never done anything like this before..."
Toushiro's mind went blank. He actually had no idea. They'd known each other for such a long time, it probably seemed creepy that he even remembered what year it was let alone the day. Never before had he been so frustrated with himself. He'd just seen Momo yesterday, and everything had been perfectly casual. Everything had been casual today until she walked through his door.
What's different about her? He wondered. Maybe it was the fact that her hair was down? No... he'd seen it down before... what could it be that made him change so suddenly...
Usually Toushiro thought ahead during difficult situations, but today... nothing. Nothing was coming to mind. You've never done anything like this before, she'd said. Toushiro frowned. I never have done anything like this before... He put on his calm face and with a small smirk said, "Not sure."
Momo smiled, although she seemed a little disappointed with his reply. She reached forward and grabbed a piece a watermelon from the table.
Momo wasn't quite sure what happened, but the watermelon had fallen to the ground and Toushiro was holding onto her wrist. He quickly, but gently, twisted her arm so her inner arm was facing upward. There was a bandage from her wrist that went up past her elbow. And blood was starting to soak through.
"What happened?" He asked. His voice showed no concern but Momo could see it in his eyes, and although he tried hiding it... it was there.
Momo made no attempt to pull her arm away and answered, "I just fell. That's all." She said quietly.
He frowned. "Hinamori." He said sternly. "Did you go to the hospital?"
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. It's not that bad... hey! What are you doing!" He stood up, her wrist still in his hand, and swept her off her feet. Momo was surprised to see she was over his shoulder and he was walking toward the door. "I... I don't want to go to the hospital...!" She said frantically.
Toushiro heard the panic in her voice and set her down in front of him, but he gripped into her shoulders. "What's wrong?" This time, the concern did show in his voice, but he made no attempts to hide it.
"I..." Momo bit her bottom lip before he'd see it quivering. She hadn't told anybody yet... "I just... it smells funny." She lied.
And he saw right through it. He took a step back and crossed his arms. Waiting.
"I... I-I just... don't like going back there... Not after..." She looked down and let her hair fall in front of her face. Happy she'd decided to wear it down today.
Toushiro's face fell, but he quickly regained his normal expression, glad she didn't see the hurt on his face.
Not after Aizen had almost killed them both...
"Not after Aizen." Toushiro said with a hint of disgust.
Momo looked up at him, and tears filled her eyes. I loved him. She thought sadly. He... was my superior. He cared for me once, I know he did... "I..." She couldn't finish, not with the expression on his face.
Toushiro didn't care how awful he looked. He wasn't going to hide the hate, pain, or plain disgust he had for that man. "Hinamori. He tried to... I don't see how you could still--"
"He was my Captain." She retorted.
"He tried to kill you."
Momo's panic and depression turned to anger so quickly that Toushiro almost jumped when she spoke. "It doesn't matter." She growled. "He can be saved. I could save him."
"Save him from what? It was his choice!!" Toushiro said, irritated by her idiocy. "There's nothing you can do Hinamori, nothing." His voice was colder than he'd intended it to be, but whatever he could do to get his point across...
"You heartless jerk..." She muttered turning from him and running out his door.
Toushiro glared after her for a moment, then sighed in defeat.
Momo ran home, holding back tears as best she could. Her arm had begun to sting.
I can't believe... Momo thought. I let myself feel anything at all for him.
Hinamori Momo had barely been home for two minutes when she heard a knock at her door. She wiped her eyes frantically and walked to the door. When she opened it she saw a too familiar face, and she denied the fact that she was glad Toushiro had followed her home. "Hitsugaya-kun." She said in monotone.
"Look, Hinamori I--"
"Save it. What's done is done."
"No. It's not done," He stepped into her house despite her silent protests. "Hinamori, look at me, please." Toushiro said trying to step into her line of sight, but failing when she turned around and started walking upstairs. "Hinamori..." He quickly followed her up the stairs and as they reached the second floor, he stepped in front of her. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "Please just..." She looked at the floor and he lifted her head to look at him.
Momo tried hiding the surprise on her face. He'd gotten taller since the last time they'd stood this close. How long had it been? Surely not long enough for him to grow that much...
He gave her that legendary smirk, but it slowly turned into a real smile- a rare Hitsugaya Toushiro smile that only Momo had ever seen... although she didn't know that.
Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it... Toushiro repeated over and over again in his head. But it was the perfect moment, the perfect position...
Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it...
Where had all this come from?
He hadn't felt this way about Hinamori before... Had he? Surely he would have noticed such an irritating emotion.
And the fact that kissing her had even crossed his mind was absurd!
Toushiro looked down then remembered her wounded arm. This time he lifted her up, he cradled her in his arms as best he could (despite his size). Momo didn't object, her face just turned red as he carried her into her bathroom. "Either you fix it." He said threateningly as he motioned to her arm. "Or I will."