***Oho! I'm actually posting something outside my story! Amazing, isn't it?
I was going to post a holiday one shot for Christmas, but somehow I got sidetracked I wasn't able to get to it. And since I didn't want to post those kind of these AFTER the holiday, I didn't bother. So... I decided to make up for it for Valentine's Day. It seemed...perfect.
Alright, yes, this is a Valentine's Day one shot starring Aria, my OC, and Tōshirō Hitsugaya . That means that it will be sappy, cheesy, and above all fluffy. For those of you who don't particularly like to overload your brains with this kind of stuff, I suggest turning away now. If I get one review saying how it's too mushy or whatnot I swear I will FREAK OUT...
No. Just kidding. But anyway, beware: there is a lot of fluff, especially towards the end. And no, this isn't exactly canon to The Seed Shrouded by Night. Sorry to disappoint.
Anyway, enjoy!
It was that time of year again.
Aria heaved a giant sigh. She dreaded this day as much as some others, but at least for different reasons.
Valentine's Day.
Holidays like this never made sense to her. Valentine's Day always seemed contradicting. For those people who were in a nice, committed relationship, it was the perfect day for a little extra romance. They could go for a walk in the park, or a have a nice evening dinner, or watch the stars.
And for those that weren't, well, let's just say they weren't so lucky.
Aria stared at the calendar before her. It seemed that if she stared any harder she could burn a hole in the wall. Her intense emerald eyes were focused solely on one square on the paper.
February 14th.
Indecision gripped her. On one hand, she really had nothing to do with this holiday. She never liked it, seeing it as a useless holiday. She wasn't in a "committed relationship" nor did she think she would be in the next few years She could blow this off, and not do anything, free of all the lace, flowers and mushy romance.
But then again…There was a certain someone out there that just kept coming back to haunt her.
Ugh! No. No way. She wouldn't do it. Absolutely not. She shoved the thought away… Only for it to come crawling back again, more tantalizing than ever.
Her captain. Her precious captain. Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
With an exasperated huff, Aria scrunched herself up, still staring into the wall. She didn't know why she wanted to do something special for her captain. She just felt like lately he seemed a lot more stressed, and she didn't want him to have constant headaches. Just a little something to let him know that she was thinking about him, that she was there for him.
Ack. No. He would take it the wrong way. There was no way she liked the captain in that way. Impossible. Completely inconceivable.
…Was it?
Aria sighed, sliding down from her perch. This would be going nowhere. She needed to see someone.
"Rangiku-san?"
The busty lieutenant turned around, cheerfully greeting her third seat. She noticed the way the girl twiddled her fingers and the way her eyes nervously darted towards the ground. Her perceptive mind leaped out, a hunch forming in the bowels of her mind. She wasn't oblivious to the date either.
"Hiya, Aria-chan! Watcha up to?"
"Um…I came to…ask you for some advice…"
Rangiku beamed, patting the seat beside her. She was fully relaxed, having escaped another round of paperwork from a livid Captain Hitsugaya. A bottle of sake rested limply between her fingers as Aria came and sat down meekly beside her.
"So! What's up?"
"Um…Yeah so…You know…how it's Valentine's Day, right… Rangiku-san…?"
The woman nodded brightly, taking a swig from the bottle. The alcohol sent that familiar dizzy sensation through her head, and she felt very happy.
"Well…I was just wondering…"
"Yes…?"
"I was wondering if… I should… You know… Do something for…someone?"
Rangiku tried to hold back laughs as she pretended to think, staring at the wall contemplatively. The girl was so cute; the woman could read her as easily as a book.
"Mind telling me who this 'someone' is?" she inquired halfheartedly. Aria jumped.
"Um, well, I don't really have anyone in mind. It was just a general question, you know?"
Rangiku chortled, deciding to drop the façade. "C'mon, Aria. You and I both know who you're talking about. No use in hiding it."
Aria's pale face had no chance of hiding that infamous blush. "Oh…Right…" She pleated the fabric of her hakama, her eyes cast downward. "So…What should I do…?"
"I don't know. That's up to you, Aria." Rangiku took another swig of sake.
"What…do you mean?"
"Well first of all, why do you want to do something for the captain?"
It was the first time he was directly mentioned, and Aria jumped again. "W-well, he's been really busy lately… And stress isn't good for you… I just wanted to let him know that I'm here, you know? As a fr—subordinate."
She coughed into her hand. For some reason, the word "subordinate" just bothered her. She didn't know why. It just didn't seem…enough for her.
The lieutenant swung her sake bottle to and fro. "Well, I don't see a reason why not," she suggested.
"Yeah, but…Don't you think he might take it the wrong way? "
The woman let out a guffaw. "As if! Every year Captain gets tons of gifts from his fans on Valentine's Day; he hardly ever gives them much thought, if any."
"…Fans…?"
Oh, that's right. She forgot; Captain Hitsugaya had a fan club. She could clearly recall the stacks of mail he got every week from his fans. Many of them were from girls, usually sealed in bright pink envelopes. Out of curiosity she had opened one and read it.
Never again would she ever doubt the saying, "Curiosity kills the cat."
She coughed again, having recalled the…interesting contents of that letter.
"I…guess you're right," she agreed uncertainly. While she wasn't completely reassured, at least she could rest easy that her captain would not interpret her actions the wrong way.
"Alrighty then! So, what are you planning to do?"
Aria bit her lip at the question. Now that she would go through with this (at least for the time being) she needed to decide what she would do for him.
Buying chocolate was too generic. Balloons seemed too…childish for him. A bouquet of flowers didn't quite fit.
Oh dear, what was she going to do?!
"How about making some chocolate-covered strawberries?" Rangiku suggested. Aria peered up at her.
"Captain's never been a huge fan of the whole 'buying-expensive-gifts' thing. Actually, he's never really been a huge fan of gifts, period." The Soul Reaper chuckled again, thinking of Captain Ukitake.
"O-oh…"
Realizing her mistake, she leapt to correct it. "I mean, what I'm saying is that you should try something from the heart. I know how cheesy that sounds, but we all know you can't just buy love. All those girls do is heave some overly prepped-up gifts that are only meant to impress him. So far…No luck for them." She grinned at the young girl, waiting for confirmation. "What better way than to make some chocolate-covered strawberries? They're easy to make but absolutely delicious. Plus, we all know how great you are with your hands, eh, Aria?"
The girl half-smiled, encouraged. "I guess so…Thanks, Rangiku-san." She slid off her seat, pondering.
"Um…Rangiku-san… Could you help me with this? I'm really not familiar with making chocolate-covered strawberries, since we didn't have them back in Rukongai…"
"Really? I can help? Awesome! I can eat some later, right?"
Aria laughed. "Of course."
The two immediately got busy, opting to go outside where there would fewer spectators. After all, they didn't want people to come and start stealing their chocolate.
First Aria had Rangiku retrieve some ingredients. Semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, wax paper, and of course, strawberries. She was worried that she had gotten too much, what with the two bulging bags hanging from her arms, but she dismissed the thought. The more the merrier!
She hurried back to their secret place in the courtyard, where Aria had already brought out a collapsible table and some pots out. Rangiku hurried over, but was confused at the lack of a stove.
"Um…Aria-chan…?"
"Yes?"
"Where's the…uh…stove? I mean, we have to actually melt the chocolate, you know…?"
"Here. Give me the chocolate."
Perplexed Rangiku handed over a box of chocolate. Aria carefully placed them inside a small pot, which was inside another pot filled with water. She lifted the pot off the table and unsheathed her sword.
"Flare your bloodthirsty thorns, Kurobararyu!" she called. The sword transformed into a rosy scepter and she pointed it towards the bottom of the pot. Rangiku leaned in curiously.
"Say, what are you going to do the—"
"Kisoku Bara!"(Breathing Rose)
Purple-black flames erupted from the purple bud at the end, glazing the bottom of the pot that Aria held at arm's length. And within seconds, the water was boiling.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that was being heated.
Rangiku, unfortunately, was standing too close to the flames and naturally, her long ginger hair got in the way. A tiny flick of fire caught onto her follicles and she yelped, leaping back.
"AAAIIIIEEE!!" she screamed. Aria watched in horror as the Kisoku Bara flame lit the ends of Rangiku's hair, The lieutenant tried to put it out, but the fire was just too hot. With a strangled shriek she quickly extracted Haineko and sliced the smoldering piece of hair and cast it to the ground, frantically stomping the small inferno to submission.
"R-Rangiku-san! Are you alright?!" Aria choked out. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry about that!! Please, I didn't mean it— AHHHH!! THAT'S HOT!! THAT'S VERY, VERY HOT!!"
Having suddenly jerked the still-boiling pot of water Aria had just sloshed herself with scalding water. With a pained howl she dropped the pot, jumping around everywhere in an effort to alleviate her burned skin.
"Owowowowowowowowow," the two females were moaning.
Not exactly the most ideal place to start.
Regardless, being the tough-as-grit Soul Reapers they were, Aria and Rangiku quickly recovered, albeit with some slight burns, and finished melting the chocolate. With the utmost delicacy, they dipped the bright red strawberries into the syrupy liquid, laying them out on the wax paper. Aria then proceeded to melt the white chocolate to sprinkle over the fruit, only this time both of them stayed at a safe distance away from the pot and the flames.
After about an hour and a half, all the strawberries Rangiku had bought were glazed. Both were pleased at their work, but Rangiku had immediately regretted having bought so many. It was just so much work…
Still massaging her scalded chest, Aria sighed.
"Okay, all finished." She scrutinized the candied fruits one last time. All of them looked like they should; the strawberries were coated over halfway with chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate. The scent was starting to make her salivate.
"I wanna eat one…" Rangiku drawled, close to drooling. Aria shrugged.
"You helped make them. Go ahead."
With a delighted whoop Rangiku snatched one up and popped it right into her mouth. Immediately the mixed taste of strawberries and chocolate collided with her taste buds, and she moaned with pleasure.
"Heavenly~" she squealed. With moments she snatched up another one. Aria grinned.
"Now, to wrap it all up… Oh, no…"
Another impediment. Aria had failed to remember to get wrapping materials. She heaved a huge sigh, her joy forgotten for a moment. Dang it. Just when things couldn't get any worse…
"Lieutenant? Aria?"
The girl turned around and saw Kozue Iwahara's head peering out from a door. She blinked at the sight of a joyous Rangiku and a huge multitude of strawberries. She sniffed the air, and her eyes widened.
"…Is that…chocolate…?"
Aria panicked. "Oh! Kozue! It's you! Well you see, we were just—"
"OH MY GOODNESS IS THAT CHOCOLATE?!"
Kozue burst through the door and charged towards the two, unimpeded by the large box that was in her arms. She stopped right in front of the table, her gray eyes the size of dinner plates.
"…Are…those…chocolate-covered…strawberries…?" she huffed. Aria, slightly frightened of this side of her friend, nodded uncertainly. Kozue looked up and gave a startling puppy-dog look.
"Can I?"
Aria smiled sheepishly and gestured for her to help herself. The copper-haired girl squealed, dropping the box as she swiped a strawberry.
The third seat bent down, peering at the box.
"Um, Kozue…If you don't mind me asking…What's in the box?"
"Mmmm. Hmmm mmm mmmm."
"I beg your pardon?"
Kozue swallowed her treat, licking her lips. "Just some Valentine's stuff. There's just a bunch of wrapping and frilly stuff in there. That lazy bum Takumi made me haul it away."
The girl looked up, her eyes twinkling. "Do you think I can use some of this for myself?"
The older Soul Reaper waved flippantly. "Go right ahead. I was going to throw it away anyway."
With a smile Aria removed the contents of the box. Indeed it was just as Kozue said. Pink, red and purple objects littered the ground, in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Lucky for her there were even some cards and some craft materials as well. Very carefully she picked up some of the strawberries and tipped them into a small plastic bag. She glanced around at the various materials around her.
"Yeah…This could work…" she muttered. She sat down and got to work.
"Uwah~" Rangiku cooed. "They're so cute~"
"Oh, c'mon, Rangiku-san, they're not that great…"
"Actually they're pretty nice…"
In Aria's outstretched palms was a red sack, tied at the top with a purple ribbon. Tied to the ribbon was a card that obviously said, "Happy Valentine's Day" along with a unique message for each. The faint scent of fruit wafted around it.
It had taken Aria—with the help of Rangiku and Kozue—a few hours to pack all of the strawberries. Because of Rangiku's over-shopping, they had ended up with a lot more sacks than necessary.
"Ooh! I can get some for some of my friends! Hinamori, Hisagi, Kira, Captain Kyoraku…" Rangiku listed.
"Hey Aria…?"
"Yes, Kozue?"
"Um…Could I have one…? I know I already ate a whole bunch but…"
Aria happily held up a light blue bag with a darker ribbon. "Help yourself!"
"Seriously?"
"Yup."
"Then…Uh… Can I have another one…For…"
Aria wordlessly held up another differently colored bag. "Give these to Sawahata-kun for me, will you? Say hi to him for me."
"S-sure…"
Kozue cradled the bags in her arms as though they were babies. "Wow…Thanks a lot, Aria."
"No problem. Don't you have something to do?
"Oh yeah! Anyway, see you later, Aria! Bye, Lieutenant!"
The three waved goodbye as they parted. Rangiku huffed, placing her hands on her hips.
"Alright… I think it's time I get going, too. Have a Valentine's Day party to get to. If you want, you can come too."
Aria shook her head. "No… I have something to do…"
Rangiku laughed. "Oh, that's right… Something to do." She grabbed the remaining bags of treats and started to walk away. "Good luck!" she giggled.
Aria sighed. "Thanks…I'll need it."
This really shouldn't be so hard. Just go in, give him the strawberries, and walk out. Not so bad, is it?
For her, it was.
Aria sighed. She didn't understand how everyone in the squad said that Captain Hitsugaya was very "approachable". To her, he was the most difficult person to approach of all.
"Miyamoto, I know you're out there," a voice called from within. The girl jumped. "If you have something to say, then come in and stop making me feel like someone's stalking me."
Aria smirked nervously before pushing the door open, her gift behind her back.
As usual, Tōshirō Hitsugaya was busy scrawling over numerous sheets of paper stacked on his desk. When his third seat entered, he beheld her from the corner of his eye. She looked a bit ruffled, but there was a faint scent of chocolate that followed her.
"Miyamoto," he greeted.
"Captain Hitsugaya," she murmured.
"Was there anything you wanted…?"
Aria couldn't speak. She had suddenly frozen up. What was wrong with her? This was just gift-giving, not a blatant love proclamation!
Get a hold of yourself! She yelled.
But no. The hand behind her back refused to budge.
"So…Um…Captain…How has your Valentine's Day been?" she stalled, strained.
Tōshirō huffed indignantly. "It's the most annoying holiday of the year. Honestly, if I wanted chocolate, I could just go to the store to buy it. I don't need a bunch of insane estrogen-fueled animals drowning me in it." He waved a hand behind her.
Aria turned around and her green eyes widened. The trash bin was stuffed with paper and small packages, all unopened. One close to her foot read, "To my beloved Tōshirō Hitsugaya-sama."
Tōshirō snorted. "Valentine's Day is an utterly pointless holiday. I don't ever want to see another Valentine's gift ever again!"
The small Soul Reaper looked down at the ground. Was that really how he felt…? If that's the case then…
The hand on her gift tightened.
"But that's beside the point… Miyamoto, what—"
But she was gone.
Tōshirō blinked, positive that she was just there. The door was slightly ajar, signaling that she had left. He blinked again and frowned. Why did she have to leave so suddenly like that? And he wanted to…
Something on his desk caught his eye. It was a sack, the color of the midnight sky. A curled piece of ribbon tied at the top suspended a card. Curious the captain reached over and took it, noticing how it smelled the exact same as Aria had when she had entered.
To Captain Hitsugaya, he read.
Happy Valentine's Day! Love can come in the weirdest places and can be hard to find, but just know that for you, you're loved all around. Don't ever forget that we're always here for you!
Yours truly, Aria.
Tōshirō's eyes unknowingly softened, fingering the note. He felt guilty about saying how he never wanted to see another gift ever again. Folding the paper and stowing it in his pocket, he pulled apart the string and carefully peered inside. The fresh scent of strawberries and chocolate greeted his nose. He reached in, extracting a chocolate-covered strawberry. His eyes widened, taking in the sweet.
That's why she looked so ruffled… She must have made these herself.
Indeed, it didn't look like something you could buy in the store. The chocolate wasn't evenly spread out, and the white chocolate drizzling above it looked imperfect. Still, looking at it made him hungry. He took a bite and immediately licked his lips afterward. What a lovely treat…
Why couldn't all those girls understand this? Just sending him pieces of scented stationary with mushy writing wasn't enough to impress him. It was things from the heart, like these, that had the best chance of ever getting to another heart.
Tōshirō sighed, popping another strawberry into his mouth. He glanced under his desk, where he kept a certain item hidden. He had wanted to bring it out earlier but…
Stowing Aria's gift in his pocket he went for the door.
Aria exhaled, walking dejectedly through the barrack hallways. Things were never going to work out for her, were they? She wondered where her gift was. Probably at the top of the trash bin, or maybe lodged near the bottom.
"All that work for nothing," she suspired.
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that."
The white-haired Soul Reaper started, wheeling around wildly. There, in all his wonderful glory, was Captain Hitsugaya. He leaned against the wall, giving her an unfathomable expression.
"C-Captain?"
"You know, it's rude to run out while your superior is speaking," he advised in a quiet, amused voice.
She blushed, fidgeting. "I-I'm sorry, I was just—"
"Why don't we go back to the office? I have something I want to show you."
Aria blinked, slightly stunned at his directness. But she suddenly broke in a run to catch up with her captain.
Tōshirō unashamedly took another bite of strawberry, munching quietly as Aria got herself situated. She pushed all the fangirl gifts aside, muttering something about how she would torch them later. Tōshirō grinned minutely.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"Wh-what?"
"For the strawberries. Thank goodness it wasn't just another box of chocolates you can buy at the store."
"O-oh… No problem."
"Though I must say," he reached down into his pocket and fished out the note, "that you write incredibly cheesy notes, Miyamoto."
Aria blushed furiously, pleating her shihakushō. Did that mean he didn't like it…?
"But regardless," Tōshirō continued in a quiet tone, "I appreciate it very much. Thank you." He put the note back, for safe keeping. Aria had a look of astonishment when she realized he didn't throw it away.
"Oh…You're welcome, Captain… Anything for you…"
She had to admit, seeing him eat the fruit like that was making her very hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, having been so preoccupied with making the strawberries. She tried to ignore the hunger pangs, but that didn't stop her stomach from suddenly rumbling.
The two of them blinked and Aria's face grew even more crimson.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Miyamoto… Have you had anything to eat?" Tōshirō inquired in a strange tone.
"N-not since breakfast, sir…"
"…You didn't even bother to eat one of these?" He meant the strawberries.
Oddly enough, she hadn't. Aria shook her head, the thought of eating one getting better by the second.
It was silent for several moments, before it was broken by Aria's growling stomach. She was just about ready to punch the accursed thing.
"…Come here, Miyamoto."
Confused, she did as he bid, hesitantly walking up to him.
"Captain, what do you—"
She was stopped when Tōshirō gently pushed a strawberry into her open mouth.
"Eat," he said gently. It wasn't an order; it seemed more like a pleading request.
Shyly, she bit into the chocolate-coated fruit, still being held there by Tōshirō's gentle fingers. His free hand faintly brushed over her lips to wipe off some leftover chocolate crumbs.
She had never before tasted anything so sweet. Aria could still feel his touch even after he pulled away.
"…Good girl…"
Aria took the strawberry for herself and munched into it quietly. Tōshirō gazed at her for several seconds before finally remembering something. Aria eyed him as he rummaged under his desk for something.
"Here," he said, one hand casually behind his back. Something within Aria clicked.
"Oh no, Captain, you don't have to give me anything…"
"Don't try to back out of this one; it took me ages to look this up."
He was confusing her again. What did he have to look up? She watched him inquisitively as he slowly approached her. She twitched when he was barely inches away from her person, his turquoise eyes boring into her emerald ones.
"…Here…Just a little something from me…"
He offered her something, and she quietly gasped.
It was a single flower. The blossom was a bright scarlet, with round, layered petals. Its core consisted of several small yellow puffs, prominent against the bright background. The leaves were still attached to it along with a small stem.
It had taken a while for Tōshirō to find one of these. Once he had finished his research he had made a personal trip out to Rukongai to find a florist. He wasn't a plant expert like Aria; if two roses were placed side by side he probably couldn't even tell they were the same kind of flower.
He had browsed a lot of shops, looking for the perfect one. At last, he found it, in a small florist's shop near his old home in Junrinan.
"Oh, buying something for that special someone, eh?" the lady at the counter had chuckled.
Tōshirō blushed slightly. "Something like that…" he had muttered.
But seeing the look on Aria's face was worth the trouble.
Aria grew very warm as she registered the flower. She reached out, stroking its petals gently.
"A red camellia," she muttered. Carefully she lifted the flower from her captain's cool palm and pressed it gently against her face. "It's beautiful…Thank you, Captain."
Of course, she was thanking him more for the meaning behind the red camellia, as opposed to the flower itself.
"I didn't get you a whole bouquet, since I heard some girls liked one flower more than a whole bouquet," he explained softly.
"It's lovely… Thank you…So much…"
"Don't thank me yet. I have…one more gift for you…"
"What—"
Tōshirō closed the distance between them, placing both hands firmly on Aria's shoulders. Her eyes were very wide as he leaned forward.
His lips were warm as they pressed tenderly against her forehead.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Miyamoto…"
***Just in case some of you don't know, when a person gives you a red camellia, it means, "You are a flame in my heart." Hence the title of this. So basically Tōshirō is telling Aria that she's a "flame in his heart". I'd love for a guy to give me a red camellia... And I know the whole bouquet-versus-one flower thing is different for everyone, but Aria (and myself) likes it more when it's just one flower. It's like he's telling us we're his only one... Kyaaa~
So anyway, if this made you really hungry and you really want chocolate-covered strawberries (I know I do), here are the ingredients:6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, 3 oz. white chocolate, 1 lb. strawberries. Just melt the chocolate in a pot inside another pot of boiling water like in the story or you can microwave it. Dip the strawberries in the regular chocolate and lay them on wax paper. Then melt the white chocolate one of the two ways and then drizzle a bit on each strawberry. And...you're done!
So that's my Valentine one shot for all of you who enjoy my other story. Happy Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year!