Same Time Every Year
a nervous Hitsugaya awaits a rendezvous
drama/humor Toshiro Hitsugaya Rukia Kuchiki
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but if I did, this is what I'd do with them...
Toshiro Hitsugaya felt a nervous flutter in his stomach when he heard the knock on the door. The white-haired young captain had been pacing back and forth in his private quarters, and was close to the door at the moment he heard the knock, but he restrained himself from jumping to open it. He counted one, two, three, then stepped over and opened the door.
On the other side was Rukia Kuchiki, the black-haired beauty and adopted daughter of one of the highest ranking noble houses.
"Hi", she said simply.
"Hi. I wasn't sure you'd come." His steady voice didn't betray a hint of his anxiety.
"I wasn't sure you wanted me to. You've been avoiding me lately", she said.
He lowered his eyes. She sure knew how to get to the point. "I know. I'm just not sure how to act around you. I didn't stand by you during the whole…Shunsui and Yoshiro had to save you." He couldn't bring himself to refer to her near-execution directly.
Rukia reached out and took his hand in in her own. "Don't worry about that. It was a bad situation. It was all my fault anyway. I never should have given away my shinigami powers in the first place."
He looked up into her eyes. "No, that's…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry."
"It's forgiven", she said. She squeezed his hand and looked at him in anticipation as they both stood in the doorway. "So, are you ready?"
'Sure am."
He didn't let go of her hand. He stepped out of his quarters and walked down the hall of the Twelfth Division barracks with her. He always felt comfortable with her, and never felt the need to fill the air with talk. One final door, and they felt the cool breeze as they stepped out together into Soul Society. The streets were empty and still.
They walked out to the center of the courtyard, then released each other's hand and slowly stepped back.
"I've gotten stronger", she said, smiling, her hand on her zanpakuto.
"Me too", he said, mirroring her smile and reaching for his blade.
The streets were abandoned outside the Tenth Division headquarters. Toshiro may not have known that Rukia would show up, but everyone else in Soul Society knew. Because this was the morning after the first snowfall of the year, and no matter who you were, no matter how strong you claimed to be, there wasn't a shinigami alive who'd dare to step outside on the day of Toshiro and Rukia's annual snowball fight.