A Decade of Winter

A Hitsugaya Series of One-Shots

Winter I: Catching a Fallen Snowflake

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. This is purely fan-made.

It felt odd to me, almost like a dream. I swore I walked down this path before. Once a very long time ago. My footprints had long since disappeared, in the melting of the snow. In the change of the season. Through the test of time…

A young boy no more than about five years of age was sent outside that day to play. Something about the winter left him feeling frozen, even wrapped up in a winter coat, that was a tad big on him, along with the large scarf the old woman had knitted for him, that covered the bottom half off his face, once it was snaked around his neck. His eyes were as cold, and deep icy blue-green, as the flakes that fell around him. His hair matched the perfectly untouched snow. One couldn't even see the snowflakes as soon as they landed on his head.

Once untouched, now disturbed by his small snow boot, the child known as Hitsugaya Toshiro, took his first step out onto the cold, winter wonderland. His childlike face was mostly concealed behind the scarf, but his cheeks were already red from the brisk breeze. Each step he took sounded peculiar, as it dug into the white, freezing, fluff below. After taking about ten steps, he paused, holding out his hands, palms up, in front of him. Being a curious child, he wanted to see these falling flakes up close.

Each had their own individual appearance, but before he could get a good look at them, they'd melt away on his gloves. Why were they in such a rush to disappear forever? What made them so afraid of the warmth? Curious little Toshiro contemplated this in his head for a time, watching as more snowflakes, slowly cascaded down into his hands. Almost in a trance by their fair, uniquely woven beauty.

"What cha doing Lil' Shiro?" asked an all too familiar voice of his childhood friend Hinamori. It broke his concentration, causing him to grow a little flustered by the girl. Not to mention the little nickname she gave to him.

"Quit calling me Lil' Shiro." he mumbled, which was muffled by the scarf covering his mouth.

"What was that?" She asked, being unable to make out his words.

Pulling the scarf down with his left hand he growled, "Don't call me Lil' Shiro!" he paused for an instant before saying, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I came here to visit you. You looked so lonely standing out here all by yourself." answered Hinamori, gently kicking her foot in the snow.

"I'm not lonely, I was just thinking…" he muttered, dropping his hand, and letting the scarf cover his mouth once again.

"I've got an idea." Hinamori beamed, "lets make a snow man! Come on, it'll be fun." she said cheerfully.

"Why would I want to do that?" he asked.

"Because it's fun, and it will give you something to do," she said taking his hand, and leading him over to an even thicker patch of snow. "Now you start making the head, and I'll start making the body." she instructed, kneeling to the ground to gather up some snow.

He watched her for a moment, before walking around a little bit. Debating on whether he wanted to actual join her or not. Reluctantly, he picked up a handful of snow, and started packing it together, making it into a tight ball. The snow was in perfect condition to make a snow man. Easy to shape, and strong enough to hold whatever form one molded it into. Tossing it to the ground, he slowly dropped to his knees, and started rolling it around to collect more snow, to increase the size of the ball.

Steadily, it grew to the desired size. Picking it up, he waddled over to Hinamori, and sat it down beside her. She was already on her second snowball of the snowman's body. "Good job, Lil' Shiro. That was fast." she complimented.

"Yeah, yeah." he said rolling his eyes, "now what?" he asked.

"Go find some sticks for his arms." She said, stacking one snowball upon the other, and then placing the head Toshiro made on top. "I'll find the stones for his eyes, and mouth okay?" she informed, before walking off to search.

Toshiro walked off in the other direction to find some sticks. Hinamori seemed to be giving him the easier jobs. Not that he'd complain. He didn't feel like doing this in the first place. He decided that logically the best place to find sticks would be near the small patch of trees nearby. Digging around in the snow beneath them, he found two twigs of equal proportion with ease, and started back to the incomplete snowman.

Staring up at it, wondering how Hinamori found this to be entertaining, he jammed the two sticks into the torso, one on each side of the snowman. Satisfied that his role in the matter was complete, he fell back in the snow, and stared up at the sky. It was still lightly snowing. A flake or two would hit his face, causing him to react with a twitch. His arms were out straight, as were his legs. Without even noticing he was doing it, he moved all of his limbs back and forth; making a snow angel.

"That's cute Lil' Shiro." Hinamori said, returning.

His eyes shot open, as he realized what she was referring to as cute, "It's not that big of a deal, geez." he argued. Standing to his feet once more, he looked down at the small angel shaped imprint in the snow. It sort of left an empty feeling in his stomach, to know that it would eventually melt away, just like the snowman they wasted all this time to build, and the snowflakes he caught in the palm of his hands.

"Well, what do you think?" Hinamori asked. Disrupting his daydream thought process.

He stared at the completed snowman for quite sometime before replying, "Pretty good for a bed wetter."

"Hey!" griped the now offended girl. Toshiro moved passed her, making his way to the snowman. Slowly he unraveled his giant scarf, and wrapped it around the snowman's neck. When he did so, Hinamori's eyes sparkled, "wow." was all she could utter. Toshiro could really be creative when he wanted to be. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Let's go home," he groaned, starting to walk off.

"Lil' Shiro?" asked the confused Hinamori.

He wanted the snowman to melt in peace. He could retrieve his scarf later, once made made of snow was long gone. Hinamori walked beside him along the path back home. Toshiro was quiet the whole way, drowning out Hinamori's small talk. Staring down at his open palms once again.

Were we all just snowflakes? Cascading to the ground, changing through the span of our lives, and slowly being caught by reality, to either join the others, resting in peace, or melting away. Forever being recycled again, and again. Season after wintry season. Year after year.

Through the test of time…