She could not get it out of her head how these small objects could mean so much to her. It was but a simple set of marbles; one white, one black. She sat underneath the umbrella, leaning against the tree, listening to the slow drops of water hitting the nylon material unevenly. She sighed.
Why was it that she was so obsessed over these two small insignificant items? Mere marbles, nothing more than orbs put together by compounds for the use of a silly game. And yet, she would protect them at the cost of her life. Why did she feel such a way? She was confused, her eyes covered by the snowy follicles as they flew in front of her face.
She sighed once again. She seemed to be in such a negative and griseous mood lately…
"Aria…?"
She looked up, giving a half-way grin at her Fuku-taichou.
"Hello, Rangiku-san…"
Matsumoto Rangiku sighed unhappily. The black umbrella matched the short black dress that she was wearing; for once, it was a turtleneck.
"I see… The Two Marbles?" She walked forward and sat next to the young lady, grinning behind her red lipstick. Her black waterproof mascara was beginning to come off.
"Y-Yeah… I've been thinking so hard about what to do… Now that they're together again…"
Rangiku stared into Miyamoto Aria's deep emerald eyes.
"… Do you know why Hitsugaya-taichou seemed so sad when he last saw you?" Rangiku asked, her eyes a darker shade than her usually joyous ones.
"Because he knew what was about to befall him." She sighed, adjusting herself against the rough tree bark.
"No… Because he knew how you would respond."
Aria froze, her eyes locked with her Fuku-taichou's. Her Taichou… Her precious Taichou… She wouldn't believe it!
-+-+-
"Miyamoto." Said girl looked up, smiling behind her book. She had finished her work early, and was enjoying a simple romance story showcasing a young Shinigami named Aikaze Shii, who was caught up in a twist of adventure, romance and betrayal by the very man who had killed her, named Hamagichi. It was a very interesting read.
"Yes, Taichou?" She put the book down, and gestured for him to sit down on the floor in front of her. He complied, lowering his clothing down to his waist. Aria began smoothing out his tense muscles.
"I haven't seen you in a while." He stated, relaxing quickly in the presence of his Sanseki.
"You have been incredibly busy with your paperwork, Taichou. Rangiku-san told me I should just let you be for a while."
She heard him sigh heavily, muttering something about Rangiku. She giggled slightly.
"…Miyamoto?" Aria paused, her smooth hands moving up to his chin, making him face her as she hovered over him. She smiled slightly as his face was calmer than she'd seen in a long while.
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Taichou?" She asked quietly, her fingers running up and down his neck and torso. The man sighed, his eyes closing as his mouth twitched upwards peacefully. Aria could almost hear a purr resounding from her superior.
"Actually… There is…" He reached up to her hands, placing his own over hers. She smiled softly.
"Go on, Taichou…" She urged him, and he opened his eyes. Aria gasped quietly upon this, his eyes looking pained. He stood up and sat next to her on the couch, his hand covering her cheek. Aria relaxed into his touch as she covered his hand with hers. Her other hand reached up to his shoulder and gently moved up along his neck, up to his jaw, his cheek…
"Aria…" He whispered out, surprising her. He never called her by her given name… Her hand moved up to his forehead, checking for a fever of some sort.
"I'm not sick… I just want you to know I'm completely serious right now…" Aria nodded her head slowly.
"Taichou…?" He sighed, his hand moving from her cheek to her neck. Aria's eyes widened as his head moved forward, along with hers. Her lips were centimeters from his as she stared into his downcast gaze. Something in her clicked, and she pushed him away by his shoulder. He stared up at her in shock.
"… You don't want this." She stated, her green eyes determined despite looking as if she were in deep pain.
"Would I be doing it if I didn't?" He whispered, his eyes turning hard. Aria gazed at him, biting her lip.
"… Something's going to happen… Isn't it…?"
Tōshirō's eyes softened once again.
"I'm sorry…" He murmured quietly, distancing himself from her. Aria felt an iron taste in her mouth as she realized she had bit her lip too hard.
"… Hitsugaya-taichou… I trust you, I really do…" She could sense him getting tense and forced herself to finish what she was saying.
"It is expected of someone to trust their Taichou." He murmured softly.
"Even so… I trust you more than that." Aria pushed herself. "I… I would trust you with everything I have, Taichou…"
Tōshirō finally realized what she was saying, his eyes widening tremendously as a blush covered his cheeks. He gazed into her troubled eyes. He was silent for a moment.
"No."
Aria looked away from his eyes and to the ground beneath her. She felt… Rejected.
"I know that you can sense it, Aria…" She continued to stare at the ground below her as he talked. "I know that you can sense… Something big is going to happen… And that's why you want to. But…"
Aria finally looked up into his eyes, her arms moving up and around his neck as she placed her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen, but relaxed herself when he placed his arms around her waist.
"I'm sorry…" She whispered to him. It has been so… Uncharacteristic for her to ask such a thing… Yet she felt such a sense of overwhelming doom.
"It's okay…" He whispered back.
They stayed like that until sunrise.
-+-+-
"I… I love him, Rangiku-san…" She whispered, the black marble in her hand seemingly staring at her. She let out a barely audible dry sob.
Rangiku stared at her empathetically. She knew the feeling of loving someone and not having it returned…
"Why did he have to… To…" Rangiku hushed her, her arm wounding around Aria's shoulders.
-+-+-
"MIYAMOTO!" Said woman let out a soft scream, turning to the door. There stood a shirtless Hitsugaya Tōshirō, fuming. Aria's eyes widened before she jumped up, grinned, and ran passed her Taichou out the door. Tōshirō twitched, turning around and running after her.
It was rather easy to catch up with her, after all. She was way too clumsy.
She tripped over seemingly nothing, her hands falling in front of her as she tried to catch herself. She eyed the door next to her, barrel rolled when she hit the ground, and skid into the room.
No way would her Taichou go into the Women's Spa.
She ran into the actual Spa area, not knowing if she were happy or upset that no one was using the Spa. She stopped to catch her breath and calm her heart.
She was suddenly pushed forward, flying forward into the spring. She screamed out as the burning water hit her tender skin and jumped up, waist-down in the water. She glared up at the person who pushed her, only to see her Taichou standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and a vein pulsing on his forehead.
"You idiotic little girl…" He growled out, suddenly appearing on the other side of the pool and pulling Aria's soaking body out of the water and up against the wall. "Where did you put it?!"
Aria twitched, noting how close he actually was to her and how she decided to wear a kimono today. Such an idiotic move…
"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" She tried the excuse, only to receive a growl.
"Liar! I know you moved my shitagi, kosode and the top of my hakama!"
"How, if I happened to, do you know?" She asked him. He froze before his cheeks heated slightly. Aria resisted smirking at the action.
"I'm the one asking the questions here."
"Yes, you and your Frozen Passion." She giggled lightly, grabbing his arms and releasing herself. "Sorry, Taichou, but maybe if you grew a few inches yo—"
"I AM NOT SHORT!" He yelled, furious.
"Yes, yes, of course." She laughed. "Well, I need to go change. See you, Taichou!~"
Tōshirō stood there, watching her leave, angrily. He then started walking back to his Office, and was halfway there before he realized what Aria had done.
"MIYAMOTO!"
-+-+-
"Calm down, Aria-chan…" She said, looking up at the tree they were sitting under. Daffodils surrounded them, the yellow bulbs shrunken. Rangiku sighed.
"… The plants are sad, too…" She whispered it softly, reaching over to a daffodil. "They want their Taichou…"
Rangiku's eyes began to water, biting her lip. Aria glanced up at her, smiling softly.
"It's… Okay… Rangiku-san…"
Rangiku began to wail loudly, curling up on the ground and hugging onto Aria for dear life as she began to shed tears for the first time after hearing the news. Aria absently remarked to herself how Rangiku seemed to be just like the weather… The water falling from the sky seemed to intensify upon Rangiku's tears.
Aria rubbed Rangiku's hair, sighing. Her mind drifted back to a time so long ago…
-+-+-
"What's this one, Miyamoto?" Aria grinned, looking down at the blue flower. She bent down, touching the petals gently. The inside was a beautiful shade of lavender, with what seemed to be glitter surrounding it.
"It's the Scarlet Pimpernel." She spoke softly, looking up at the man above her. "They're widely known for being the symbol for the fictional hero, The Scarlet Pimpernel, one of the books from the Real World."
She blinked slowly, examining the flower closer. "Hmm… They're not supposed to be in bloom during Winter, especially this late…"
The man standing above her blinked. She seemed to be at such peace… He laughed softly, causing her to look up at him in curiosity.
"Nothing, Miyamoto…" Tōshirō said, smiling softly. She simply grinned, looking back at the flower innocently.
"What about this one…?"
Aria grinned, turning her attention to the flower.
"This is an Ardisia japonica!"
Tōshirō listening to her interestedly, enjoying the company of the energetic girl next to him.
-+-+-
"I think that I'm going to lie down…" Aria bit the inside of her cheek, glancing at the calmed girl next to her. After a whole half-hour of crying, she had calmed down enough to begin to breathe somewhat normally. Rangiku breathed in a shaky breath.
"Alright… I'll check up on you in two hours…" Aria nodded her head, standing up and reached down for Rangiku's hand, pulling her up. She wiped her eyes with her Shihakushō's sleeve for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"… Thank you, Aria…" She whispered, looking down at the woman. Aria looked up at her attempting a grin as she tightened the grip on the two marbles in her hand.
"… Yeah, Rangiku-san… Thank you, too…"
-+-+-
"What's this, Taichou?" Aria blinked as she sat on his bed, cradling one of her legs with her arm. She looked at the white marble in her hand, puzzled as to why her Taichou had given it to her.
"It's just something small I thought I'd get you," he responded carefully. Aria blinked.
"Thank you…" She was confused at the gift, but felt grateful he even knew.
"And, also…" She looked up at him, grinning minimally. "I got one for me, too."
Aria blinked, looking at the black one in his tanned hand.
"Is there a meaning behind this, Taichou?" She grinned at him.
"Now we can always be connected, eh…?"
Aria stared up at him before tackling him in a hug.
"Thank you, Taichou…!"
"Happy birthday, Aria…"
-+-+-
Aria lay in her Taichou's bed, her mind wandering as she stared at the ceiling. There was a knock on the door and Aria sighed.
The door opened, Aria glancing at the man.
"Why'd you knock? This is your room."
He laughed softly, closing the door behind him before walking forward and sitting on the edge of the bed. Aria—her left arm over her stomach and her right under her head—stared up at him apathetically.
"So, you've finally decided to take the bed?" He removed the black polo over his head, Aria glancing to the side. His snowy hair rustled slightly, a great comparison to his tanned skin.
"No, I'm still going to sleep on the floor. You just need to get back here. I reject." Tōshirō glanced over at her, cocking an eyebrow.
"Are you trying to be Inoue-san now?"
She laughed.
"I don't want to be her. She's such an odd Shinigami… If you could call her a Shinigami."
Tōshirō's eyes turned to the side. "You know, I knew her before she died."
Aria's emerald eyes swiveled to his face. "Seriously? What was she like?"
Tōshirō laughed. "She was very much like Matsumoto… Do you remember me telling you about the Winter War?"
Aria grinned. "Yeah! It was so long ago, though… Was she alive or dead then?"
"She was alive, that's for sure…" He responded carefully. Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure? You don't sound sure." He turned toward her, annoyed.
"I'm positive, Miyamoto." She shrugged her shoulder.
"Just checking!" He half-laughed, falling on the bed next to her. She looked to her side toward him.
"So… Do you want to tell me what was going through your mind when you went and got yourself killed?" She asked. He seemed to stiffen before his teal eyes glanced at her seriously.
"I… Don't know." He responded. Aria stared at him with annoyance.
"Yeah, sure. You're a genius, Taichou. You can't not know."
Tōshirō moaned. "Not true, Miyamoto, not true…"
"Oh? What's one thing that you don't know, then?" She grinned as he seemed to freeze. "Nothing, right?"
"You." She froze herself.
'Not again… No…'
"W… What do you mean…?" She asked him cautiously.
"I don't know you, Aria." She scoffed.
"Crazy. You've known me for how long now? I mean, I can do my Bankai. I'd say I've known you long enough for you to know me."
"Then why can't I tell how you're feeling right now?" She looked into his clouded eyes, reaching for his cheek.
"… I want to tell you something." He sat up, the muscles in his stomach ripping. Aria sat up as well, staring at his face and ignoring his fabulous body.
"Yes?"
"I love you, Hitsugaya Tōshirō."
His eyes widened.
"And I always will."
She stared at Tōshirō, who sighed.
"… I'm dead, Miyamoto… You can't love someone who's dead."
The illusion disappeared, the force of what he said finally hitting her.
And her heart shattered.
Ahaha... Merry Christmas, Kitty-chan... I know you like my angst (my favourite genre of all!) soo... I made this! If you want, I can make a happier one. :P Nonetheless, I hope you liked it! :]