Something happened that night that no one knows about..
No one but the two of them…
Tears stained her face as she watched him walk away…
Tears stained his face as he walked away…
The Japanese 10 written on his white robe was the only thing she saw…
Her deep blue eyes filling with unwanted tears was the only thing he saw…
"Goodbye, Kiyo." Just before he flash stepped into the night, he moved her fiery hair and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes as tears streamed from them, letting the feeling of his lips on her skin etch into her mind.
"Goodbye, Captain." Her voice was soft yet strong, even though her feelings were clear on her face. If he hadn't seen the tears on her face, he would have thought nothing was wrong with her.
He couldn't look her in the eyes as he finally turned and, in a flash, was gone. The night breeze blew her hair in the wind. After what felt like hours, but was only seconds, she crumbled to the ground. After all these years… he still didn't understand her.
~150 years after that night~
"Captain Ukitake!" I called, racing through the halls of my squad, my subordinates staring at me as I race along. Once down the hallway where his office chambers were, my heart raced even more. Swinging the door open, I saw some of the 4th squad kneeling over a passed out Ukitake. He had strained himself to much once again. His condition, that he had once told me was tuberculosis, was slowly killing my Captain. He often had spells that all his strength would drain from him with one painful cough.
"Kiyo, he'll be fine." I turned to face Kiyone said to me as she shared the same look of concern that I had on my face.
"I hope so.." I stated softly, staring at Ukitake's frail body being carried out of the squadron. All of the 13th squad was al gathered together, whispering about Ukitake.
"do think he'll finally choke?" one of the younger men asked. I shot him a glare so deadly that his back immediately stiffened. I walked in his general direction, the people parting as they saw the look of anger on my face.
"Goku…" I stated, my voice dark and strong. He turned around quickly and faced me, looking over my head, seeing as I was quite short.
"maim'!" He stated, saluting me.
"If I ever hear you utter something like that about Captain Ukitake, I'll personally throw you over the Seireitei walls and back to your little house in District 76, have I made myself clear?" I asked him. He quickly nodded his head, sweat on his brow. I turned away from him for a moment and saw him give me the bird.
I walked away from him, facing the doors to the exit.
"oh and Goku," I stated, smiling softly. He let out a yelp as he was thrown into the air and left there, floating.
"Ever flick me off again and your ass is mine." I stated as I faced him, my usually deep blue eyes shining a bright blue. He screamed and nodded at me, begging me to put him down.
"You should always treat your superiors with respect." an icy voice said behind me. I lost concentration for a moment but quickly regained it just before Goku slammed onto the floor.
"Back to your duties, all of you!" I said in a strong and icy voice. They knew I didn't like this particular visitor coming so they quickly obeyed.
"Captain Ukitake isn't here right now, Captain Hitsugaya." I stated, turning to face the only person here that was even close to my height. I stood about an inch taller than him, growing slightly over the last 150 years. He had the same, cold and icy look that I did. Beside him stood Rangiku, his lieutenant and a good friend of mine.
"I know, that's why were here." I rose an eyebrow and crossed my arms across my chest.
"I'm more than capable of handling my squad on my own." I said to him as he walked past me, ignoring me.
"We know but, we have orders from Captain-Commander Yamamato." I growled aloud, cursing the old man in my mind.
"I don't like it either, Kiyo, but at least-" I raised my hand to his face, stopping him cold.
"I'll go have a word with the Captain-Commander about this, and don't ever call me Kiyo, it's Lieutenant Shiba to you… Now excuse me.." I werled around and used flash step to make my journey that much shorter.
There had been times when the Captain-Commander had assigned one of the other captains to watch over the 13th squad but it had always been Komamaru or Soifon, the two captains besides Ukitake, that I really got along with. I liked all of the Captains and they seemed to like me but, this is the first time Yamamoto had ever assigned Hitsugaya to my squad. He knew the history we had.
Once I got there, Chojiro stood in my way, blocking the door.
"Yamamoto knew you'd come looking for an argument, he's waiting for you." I nodded at him and walked inside, shutting the door behind me.
"Now before you raise your voice, Kiyo, let me speak." I turned around and I saw the reflection on my deep red eyes in his dark old ones.
"ok.." I stated, sitting on the chair that was in front of a little fire he always had lit.
"Komamaru and Soifon both stood forward, as usual, to help you take care of the squad while Ukitake is down." I looked at him and was about to protest but he rose a hand to me and I clamped my mouth shut.
"What you might not have known was that Hitsugaya always put his name forward as well… He's been trying to mend what he broke 150 years ago." by this time, my hands were strapped tightly to the arms of the chair, poking holes in it with my nails.
He talked a little more about something else but I was zoned out with anger.
"Kiyo," my head shot up in his direction when he spoke my name.
"Why don't you give him a chance to redeem himself?" my eyes widened and I stood from the chair quickly, knocking the chair over.
"No… I can't… you know I can't.." I stated, my eyes showing the same pain I still felt, even after this long time.
"…. I understand." I nodded and fixed the chair back to where it was.
"sorry about the chair." I stated to him, both of us glancing at the holes in the arms of the poor innocent chair
"It's alright. Come here, Kiyo." I walked around the massive desk and sat beside him.
"I can't make you do something you don't want to do but, I want you to at least give him a chance." I sighed and nodded, unhappy about this.
"You never know, you might fall back in love with him." I smiled and smacked him lightly, earning a chuckle from him.
"Goodbye, Yamamoto." I stated, bowing respectfully. He nodded and motioned that I could leave. Once outside, I headed back to my squad, much slower though. I wasn't completely happy to see Hitsugaya but, I wasn't completely mad either. I still held an angry grudge against him. I don't even know why it's anger that I feel.
After an hour, I finally made my way back to my squad, running into Soifon and Komamaru on the way. Both gave me there apologies and went on with there duties. I sighed to myself and walked into Ukitake's office, where my desk sat.
"If only you were here, Kaien. I could use a good hit on the head form my big brother." I said, sitting in the chair that was once his. I always missed him but, I knew he was with his wife, Miyako, now. I reached into the desk and pulled out a picture of my family.
I was the only one in my family with red hair and blue eyes. Everyone else had black hair and green eyes. I was the youngest and stood out the most. In the picture, Ganju was cowering under Kūkaku, who had her arm tightly around his neck. Then there was Kaien and Miyako, with a smaller me on his shoulders.
I wasn't always a Shiba. My last name used to be Hoji. I lived in the slums of the 80th district on the east side. My family was all killed and I was left all alone, with nothing but th clothes on my back and a last name, I wasn't even named. One day, Kaien came across me while doing a routine check on the 80th district. That same day I was given the name Kiyo and taken into the Shiba home.
I've never met crazier people but, that's a different story for a different day. I placed the picture back into the drawer and shut it just as there was a knock at the door.
"come in." I stated, sitting straighter in the massive chair.
"Kiki!" I laughed as I was smothered by Rangiku. Pulling away, I smiled at her.
"Hiya." I stated she sat down on my desk, maving aside some papers easily.
"whatcha up to, Kiki?" she asked me, fixing her shirt top so her breasts wouldn't fall out.
"Nothing, just working on paperwork." she stood up and stared at me, arms crossed.
"Kiki, you need-"
"a break, I know, but I can't not now Ukitake's down and the paperwork can't get done by itself. Maybe after he's better." she nodded, understanding.
"you better…" she stated, and she was about to walk out when she raised a finger, as if remember something.
"Captain Hitsugaya wanted to talk to you later to. He said you'd know where to meet him at" I nodded, looking down at the desk as she left.
I picked up the first paper in the pile and read it and signed it. I did this process over and over for the next 2 hours, cutting the large stack of papers down to a good size. Just when I reached for another paper, there sat a hell butterfly. I sighed and held out my hand to it. It read me a message from Hitsugaya, telling me to meet him in the forest.
I slipped through the door that lead outside and found myself at the forest in a matter of seconds.
"Kiyo…" I turned around at his voice but, I didn't realize how close he really was. I could feel his warm breath on my face. It took me back to memories of his warm, soft lips on mine and his hands molded into my smaller hands. I shook my head and took a step back from him.
"What is it?" I asked him, hiding my deep blush in the shadows of the tree. The sun was slowly setting and there was an orange tinge to everything, including Hitsugaya's white robe and hair. I missed running my hands through his soft hair. Why were these thoughts running through my head? Thoughts about the past that usually hurt but, now that he was with me, they didn't hurt at all..
"I just…" he ran a hand through his hair and kept it on the back of his neck. He seemed nervous and quiet.
"just what?" I asked him, twining my hands behind my back and leaned forward slightly to get a better look at his face. I couldn't tell his expression but it was a mixture of nervous, desire, and love all mixed into one. He wasn't sure what he wanted and neither was I.
"I just… I just wanted to tell you that I'll be with your squad for a while and I'd like to mend whatever is between us." There was slience after he said this. We stood there for a moment, neither one of us saying anything. Slowly my anger turned more and more apparent on my face. Then I couldn't take it anymore, I spoke up.
"So we'll act like you never broke my heart 150 years ago and you didn't start talking to me till about 20 years ago?" I could see the pain that I was causing him by what I was saying but I was having the same pain every day that I had to walk by his division.
"… Yes…. I want to be in your life, Kiyo." he stated, his voice, for once, having no confidence. I was ripping him raw and I killed me inside.
"Ok.." I raised my hand out to him for him to shake. He extended his out to mine and grasped it. We shook on it and when I tried to let go, his hand wouldn't release my hand.
"But understand this, I don't want to be your just friend, Kiyo…" My eyebrow rose slightly as my brain tried to comprehend what he was saying…
Then he pulled me close and kissed me, full on the lips. My whole body stopped and froze this moment in my mind. Here was my former lover and superior, kissing me in the place he broke my heart.
The thought of me pushing him away and flash stepping away played through my head over and over again but my heart was thinking otherwise. My arms snaked around his neck and tears streamed down my face.
"I've wanted to do that for 150 years…" he stated, his warm and amazingly familiar voice spoke to me as his forehead rested on mine.
"I've been waiting for it for 150 years…"