This is a sad story. It made my sister cry when she read it. I think I cried when I wrote it, too. Meh, I cry at a lot of things, though.
He had tried.
He had tried his best and failed. Chad knew it would happen eventually, but hadn't expected it to be so soon. He felt himself falling backwards. The ground rushed up to meet him, but he didn't try to stop himself.
His best hadn't been good enough, he supposed, watching a white-haired boy destroy the Arrancar he should have been able to defeat. His gaze slid over to a girl with chin-length, black hair. Kurosaki Karin. She was sitting on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the boy.
Chad grinned ever so slightly. If the Shinigami had heard Chad calling him a boy, Chad would have been frozen. Hitsugaya Toushirou, taicho of the 10th Division, considered it an insult due to his height.
Or lack of it.
Chad let out a small laugh, then grimaced. The Arrancar had gotten a good hit in. Chad couldn't feel his whole left side, and it was getting harder to breathe. And hear. And see.
In the end, though, it was fitting that Toushirou be the one to save her. After all, he held her heart.
Chad's breathing slowed. He watched the scene unfold. Karin jumped to her feet and hugged the young taicho, nearly causing him to fall over. Toushirou then said something, picked up Karin, and flew over to where Chad was lying. His eyes scanned the wounded man's body, finally meeting Chad's eyes.
Chad knew it wasn't good.
He knew he was dying.
Karin dropped to her knees and clutched Chad's arm, telling him to hold on, that Orihime was coming.
Neither Chad nor Toushirou had the heart to say that it would be too late. Orihime was away with Tatsuki for a concert this weekend.
Chad looked up at the other man, his eyes telling Toushirou to keep Karin safe. Toushirou was not blind to Chad's feeling, as Karin was. Karin merely thought that Chad felt a duty to protect her since she was his best friend's sister.
Perhaps, he wondered as he returned to staring at her, she did care about him. She just kept saying over and over that he was going to be fine. Then she made the mistake of looking to Toushirou for encouragement.
She saw the reality in his eyes.
Chad was going to die.
Both men watched as she sat there, stunned. Chad noticed her lean against Toushirou a bit more. It was then that he also realized the truth.
Karin didn't care for him like he cared for her. And she never had. He closed his eyes against the thought.
Chad's eyes opened slightly upon hearing Karin start to speak. "I" was all she could say before biting her lip and looking down. Toushirou lightly squeezed her shoulder, kneeling beside her in an attempt to comfort her. Chad tried not to let it bug him. The last thing he saw was Karin burying her face in Toushirou's chest.
But with a jolt, he realized Karin had not let go of his hand.
He forced the small flicker of hope away, telling himself that it was Toushirou who had her heart, and he always would have it.
And yet...