Written for a meme on livejournal from a few weeks ago. Now that it's over, I've decided to cross post it like mad. There are spoilers for the Soul Society arc in here, so be careful if you're not up to speed on recent manga. Hope you enjoy, and please drop a review once you're done to tell me what you thought of this. Thanks!
Disclaimer: Nuh-uh.
Static
There is a connection between them that twists their hearts together, runs so strongly that not even near-death can sever it. Hitsugaya feels it, always has, much as he hates to admit it, and it bothers him that this niggling sensation in his chest refuses to go away, is not daunted by him when he grumbles and glares in its direction.
He likes to think that it's there because they were friends, are friends, there because he's known her for so, so long.
But Matsumoto always laughs behind her hands whenever she sees them together, mumbles things about how "Hinamori-fukutaichou is just too cute" and he simply knows this connection is something more.
It is strong and binding, powerful and twisting: again, not even near-death can sever it.
It is why, when he comes to after the end and meets Unohana's motherly gaze, her even voice telling him "Aizen's gone... nothing left to do," he snarls and rises in spite of his wounds, runs away to protect her from a wound she's already received.
It is why, when he is better but she isn't (and can't ever be), he visits her, everyday, listens to the irritating gurgle of the respirator she's hooked up to and fakes indifference, even though this strand in his heart is cutting into him harder.
It is why, when he looks at her, at this girl that's bleeding and fading and wasting away, he can hardly hold back the urge to clutch his chest, for this connection lasts through near-death and if she's dying, he is too.
Hitsugaya frowns at this, scowls in her general direction without meaning it one bit (he never, ever did mean it, he realizes in hindsight), and comes to terms far too late with the fact that this connection won't ever go away.