Anime/manga: Bleach

Pairing: Hitsugaya x Hinamori

Special Event: Hitsugaya's birthday

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Summary: She was stabbed in the summer, and now it's Hitsugaya's birthday, the day before winter. Will she wake up in time?

Notes: I hope you enjoy.

Sing Along in a Whisper

The party for Hitsugaya was extravagant, much to his dismay.

He never liked the dramatic. If the party was simple, unelaborated and rather quiet, he wouldn't complain. Unfortuanetly, with a lieutenant like his, such a thing would never happen. That is why he preferred his childhood in the Rukongai better than in the Seireitei.

There were ribbons and brilliant colours everywhere. He wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the fact that the party was in his office of all places.

Despite all his protests, Matsumoto had found a way to persuade him to come. She always insisted on doing things until he snapped and gave in.

That was partly why he liked his life in the Rukongai better.

The biggest reason was that Hinamori was there. She never tried to force him into anything, and never decorated if he didn't want to. Instead, she and granny would just send him out on an errand or other while they wrapped his homemade presents. Those, too, weren't overdone. Mostly it was clothes or sweets, which he enjoyed.

In the Seireitei, everyone got him materialistic objects he had no need for. Ukitake gave him lots of human world candy he didn't like that only wound up in Yachiru's mouth. In the Seireitei, she had made him simple things always. Once a picture frame, another time a nice ink well, and another time he was presented with a green scarf.

When he graduated from the Shinigami Academy, she made him a green sash for Hyorinmaru which he has as of yet to depart with.

Also, noone got drunk for his birthday in the Rukongai.

Matsumoto swaggered over to him, a lopsided grin molded onto her face. "Try some sake, Captain!" She held up the bottle for him, but put too much energy into it, so she stumbled slightly. "It's good for you~!"

He merely rolled his eyes.

Isane chose that moment to arrive. Whispering something into the buxom's ear, she sobered up immediately.

"You're kidding!" The white haired woman shook her head, and the blonde grinned even bigger. "That's fantastic! Now I can give captain the best b-day present ever~~~!"

Ok. Maybe she wasn't sober quite yet.

Grabbing his upper arm, she dragged the boy down the hall and out to the balcony. "Wait here!" and then she left.

It was quiet out. Nobody was strolling along the Seireitei's streets, and not even crickets chirped. He wondered what Matsumoto could possibly have in mind. The woman wasn't in her right mind at the moment, but then again, was she ever?

Whatever she was plotting, it was evil, he knew.

The sliding doors opened shyly, fllowed by slient footsteps. Whoever had arrived closed the door after them and hesitated. Pondering whether to abroach or not.

Deciding to risk it, the female stepped up behind him, reiatsu already masked. It certainly wasn't Matsumoto, the person clearly wasn't intoxicated. As Hitsugaya wondered, he jerked slightly in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Pulling him in like a fish on a hook, his upper back against her chest, she leaned over slightly and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday, Hitsugaya-kun."

He had lived with the sound of that voice for so long; he could recognize even the quietest of her voices. "Hinamori…?" His voice was but a whisper, but she could clearly hear his near soundless relief. So Matsumoto had been right. He doesn't hate her.

"What? Thought I wouldn't wake up for your birthday?" She hadn't missed a single one, and never intended to. The voice cracked from lack of use, even though all she could do was whisper. Never minding that, he was just glad for her voice again.

"Perhaps." He relaxed into her body, letting his warmth transfer to her freezing skin. Oblingingly, she tucked him in further to her embrace. He frowned slightly. "When did you wake up?"

"Just now." She murmured into his ear. The slight air coming out of her mouth tickled his ear, but he tried to fight the shiver.

"Just now? You can't possibly be in any condition to be walking around on your own, much less-"

"That's a good point." She agreed in a low voice. "So support me."

Turning slightly, her hold weakened and she almost fell to the ground. Hitsugaya managed to catch her, but what resulted was a rather…intimate position.

His arms were wrapped around her waist, hers around his neck. Her knees were bent, so she ended up looking up at him, while he leaned over her slightly, the tips of their noses touching.

Looking back, neither could be sure who moved first. One moment, they looked in their eyes, the next, lips touching in a sensual kiss.

Electricity zapped through their systems at the lightest contact, but faded quickly. Wanting more, they leaned closer til they were locked in place. Neither willed for the contact to break, but did part for the briefest of seconds. They kissed again, going further as their lips parted slightly. Hitsugaya's tongue gently caressed hers, bringing it to life as he massaged the moist skin in her mouth.

Pulling apart again, they stared at eachother. Eventually, she lwered her head and rested it on his chest. "Don't let go." She whispered.

Resting his head on hers, he promised, "Never again." He whispered back.

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A/N: Can you say cheesey? Well, whatever. Thank you for reading.

This is LiveJournal's HitsuHina theme number 41: "Sing along in a whisper."