A/N: Hello! Welcome to the first chapter of my new Hitsugaya and Hinamori fan fic. I was recently running this idea through in my head as I was coming up with a way to rewrite Four Seasons, but I figured this was different enough from that one to have its own story.
So I really hope you enjoy the chapter and take a little time to review at the end to tell me what you think. Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. It belongs to Tite Kubo.
The visitor he encountered outside the door to his home, however, was the last person he wanted to see that day. His lips immediately set themselves in a scowl as he interrogated brashly, "What the hell are you doing here?"
In room 3-A of Karakura High School, a white-haired, turquoise-eyed seventeen year old sat at his desk by the window, reading. The one hand that wasn't holding the book was placed across his stomach. One leg was pulled up against his body. Any passerby would think he was focused intently on his book, but his closest friend knew better.
"Morning, Toushirou," Ichigo greeted, setting his school bag on his desk.
"Morning," Toushirou murmured in reply, setting down the book. He gave a small sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, knowing Toushirou must be pretty agitated. He had first picked up on it from the way Toushirou had placed his body, but then he'd grown more concerned when Toushirou had sighed and then run a hand through his hair. Toushirou was not one to waste his breath in a sigh nor did he like to ruin his hair (which seemed to look the same to Ichigo both before and after, but Toushirou always thought different).
"Nothing," Toushirou answered offhandedly, shoving his book in his bag.
Ichigo opened his mouth to say something, but another voice broke in, "He hates it when you say that." Seemingly out of nowhere, a small, dark-haired female appeared, settling herself on Ichigo's desk, her elbow pushing down on Ichigo's head.
"Would you mind getting off me?" Ichigo growled, pushing away her arm. "Geez, midget," the girl bristled at the nickname, "the day's barely started and you're already acting like a pain."
"I was just helping," she countered lightly, jumping off his desk and making sure she slammed her foot onto his. Ichigo grimaced in pain and scowled but said nothing else.
"I always find it hard to believe you two are going out," commented a red-headed man, settling in the desk behind Ichigo.
Before either Ichigo or Rukia could respond to him, another person spoke up cheerfully, "Their fighting just shows how much they love each other. Good morning, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Abarai-san, Hitsugaya-san," the girl greeted each in turn with a nod, a bright smile on her face as she her bag down on the desk in front of Toushirou's.
"Good morning, Inoue-san," Rukia replied with her own smile while the boys mumbled their own "good morning"s.
As it got closer to the start of first period, more students began to trickle in.
Toushirou spent the rest of the time staring out the window, ignoring Ichigo who would glance at him with penetrating, questioning eyes. Toushirou further worked to avoid Ichigo even during the brief breaks between their classes by leaving the room or entering into a conversation with Renji or Rangiku who sat behind him. Lunch would have been tricky except Ichigo was rallied into helping Rukia and Renji with their kendo practice, much to Toushirou's relief.
Now it was the end of school and Toushirou really didn't want to go to soccer practice. One part of him wanted to wander around aimlessly while the other half wanted to run home to check on his grandmother.
Toushirou gathered his things together slowly, pondering his choices. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to go to practice. If he couldn't concentrate, he would be more trouble than an asset. This final thought reassured him as he passed the team's locker room.
He probably should've told Ichigo, but he was going to pass the field anyway, and Ichigo would most likely be out there already, starting to warm up. And when Toushirou began to pass the field, his assumption was correct. Ichigo was already dressed in his athletic clothes, dribbling a soccer ball before he switched to hitting it from one foot to the other.
"Oi, Toushirou, where are you going?" Ichigo called, noticing his white-haired friend walking away, still dressed in his uniform. The rest of the soccer team jogged onto the field, a few of them pulling along a bag of soccer balls and orange cones.
"Somewhere else," Toushirou answered without glancing back. He continued walking, even when he heard heavy footsteps running after him. He was forced to stop when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Hey, just because you're captain doesn't mean you can skip practice whenever you want. It sends a bad message to the rest of the team."
"Then call off practice," Toushirou replied, shrugging off his hand and continuing to walk away.
"Hey, Toushirou." This time, Ichigo grabbed his upper arm and moved in front of him so they were face to face. "Tell me what's been bugging you all day. Maybe I can help." His eyes searched Toushirou's face, looking for any indication of an answer. Toushirou simply stared back at him. Finally it seemed Ichigo had found his answer because his eyes widened slightly. "Does it have to do with your grandmother?"
The small clench in Toushirou's jaw indicated exactly that.
"What is it? Is she okay?" Ichigo questioned, his hand dropping, worry clouding his eyes. He had only known Toushirou's grandmother for a year and met her a grand total of three times but she had always been very welcoming when Ichigo had dropped by. She was a frail but kindly old lady that had sent Ichigo home each time with a delicious meal and snacks.
Besides that, Ichigo was one of their few friends that really understood how much she meant to Toushirou. Unlike Rangiku and Renji, however, Ichigo had been the only one informed by Toushirou of her health which had slowly begun to deteriorate within the past few months.
"Sorry, stupid question," Ichigo muttered. "Of course she can't be okay since you've been acting the way you have all day."
"Don't," Toushirou hissed darkly, his eyes flashing, "look at me like that." He brushed past Ichigo, leaving behind an icy chill in the air.
"Kurosaki-fukutaicho?" Someone asked hesitantly, cautiously approaching Ichigo. "Is Hitsugaya-taichou…?"
"No," Ichigo shook his head. "We'll be practicing without him today. He has business to attend to." He said nothing else as he began jogging back to the field where most of the team had already started warming up.
In a large, prominent mansion in a richer neighborhood of Karakura, a young woman stiffly sat in front of a vanity, running a brush through her dark, shoulder-length hair. Her brown eyes were dull, her pink lips almost pulled down in a frown.
"Hinamori-chan?" A soft knock sounded on her door.
"Come in," the woman called, setting her brush down and reaching for a hair clip. The door opened slowly as she pulled aside her hair and placed the clip in.
"Good morning," a blond-haired man greeted with a small smile, taking a few steps into the room.
"Good morning, Kira-kun," Momo replied, standing up and turning to face him. "Sorry if I worried you. I was just about to head down." There was hardly a change in her expression. The only sign of her distress was made evident by a small crease between her brows that was almost indiscernible even to Kira who had known her years now.
"Is something wrong?" Kira asked slowly, hoping Momo would open up to him this time.
"No," she shook her head slightly, causing his heart to deflate, "it was nothing, really. Was there something you needed?" She questioned, beginning to head out of the bedroom.
"Ah, yes," Kira answered, stepping aside to let her through. "I just learned that the date of the concert has been approved for December 20th." He paused briefly, but when Momo said nothing, he continued, "I was also wondering if you wanted to eat breakfast or if you were thinking of practicing right away. Your mother called this morning to check up on you and insisted on lots of practice, but I had to disagree with her. I know you won't be able to eat again until dinner. And I was thinking you might want to rest more since we just returned yesterday."
"No, I'm fine," said Momo softly as they began descend down the stairs. "I got enough rest yesterday. I would just like to eat a little before I look over the music."
"Good," said Kira in relief. "I will ask the cooks to prepare something. What would you like?"
"A few blueberry scones and some coffee will be fine."
Kira nodded and walked a bit faster. "Oh," he turned to face her when he reached the bottom of the stairs, "where should I bring your breakfast?"
Momo glanced out a nearby window before answering, "The gardens. It looks beautiful outside." Kira nodded and began walking away. "Kira-kun," she called suddenly, making him pause and turn back to her. "Thank you…for your concern."
Kira flashed her a small smile and replied, "Don't worry, Hinamori-chan. That's what friends do." And he continued on his way to the kitchen.
Momo walked languidly as though she didn't have a care in the world, but those who knew her understood that as being far from the truth. Momo's mind was always preoccupied even if her physical body did not show it.
When she reached the gardens, she let out a small sigh of contentment and a little light brightened her eyes. She had always loved the gardens, filled with colorful flowers, towering trees, elegant water fountains, and a stone path that led to a giant gazebo where she had always imagined herself getting married. Nowadays she scoffed at the thought and altogether avoided the gazebo. But she couldn't ignore the call of the flowers, the whispers of the water that flowed and fell, the whistling of the wind through the trees. A smile wanted to grace her lips, but she had not smiled in so long that the act in itself seemed impossible. Instead, she settled with a content sigh, closing her eyes and listening. This place always brought back memories of a happier, more carefree time. This place was where she had spent long hours immersed in her music, her grandmother settled under the shade of a tree, listening and offering loud cheers and smiles when Momo finished a piece. But now her grandmother was gone, along with any sort of happiness that came with playing the violin.
Momo walked along the stone path, her hand brushing along flowers, her fingertips dipping into water fountains until she settled down at the base of a tree. She lay back against the trunk and shut her eyes, breathing in the clean morning air. She had missed the garden terribly while she was on tour. If not for the garden, she would've gladly lived in one of their other homes on another continent. But her parents had, strangely enough, wanted her home until the concert. When Kira had told her that, her heart had dropped to her stomach and she'd almost thrown up. Her only comfort was that her parents had promised she would live in the main mansion while they took residence in a mansion closer to company headquarters.
She stared up at the sky, watching the clouds as they drifted by. It was relaxing. She hadn't felt this way in a while. Without her knowledge, her eyes began to shut of their own accord until she was, once again, asleep.
XXX
"Hinamori-chan!" Kira called, looking left and right as he searched for her. "Hinamori—" He paused, spotting her sleeping at the base of a tree. He approached her slowly so as not to wake her. It was also because he wanted to spend a few minutes watching the girl that had captured his heart many years ago. In sleep there was a softness to her features, a vulnerability she had never allowed herself to show since the incident. It reminded him of the old Hinamori he knew, not the shell of a person she had become.
Kira let out a small gasp and stepped back, startled, as Momo began to wake. Her eyelids fluttered open and she let out a small yawn. She rubbed her eyes tiredly but then jerked awake when she realized someone else was with her. She looked up and the tension in her shoulders slightly relaxed when she saw Kira.
"I-I just came to look for you," he stumbled over his words. "Everything's done and sitting at the table on the patio."
"Mm," she said, standing up and brushing down the back of her hair. "Thank you," she murmured as she passed him. Kira followed along silently and departed without another word when they reached the table.
XXX
Momo lifted her violin and adjusted it until it fit comfortably between her shoulder and chin. She raised her bow and ran it over each string, slightly turning the silver pegs until it was in tune. Once she was done with that, she ran through a few scales to warm up, her fingers and bow moving faster each time. After a half hour of running through scales, she pulled out the pieces she would be performing with Karakura Chamber Orchestra in December. She had never played any of the pieces before, which was both good and bad. She always got bored with the same music, but it meant she didn't have to practice as much on getting the notes and could instead work on technique. This time around, she would have to get down the notes in the following weeks, then afterward learn the story behind each piece to create her own image of what the composer had developed, and finally incorporate that into her playing.
She pulled out the easiest looking of the four pieces and began running through, stumbling when she reached a particularly complex passage of eighth and sixteenth notes.
Momo practiced for the next few hours without stopping, pounding her way through bits and pieces of each song, determined to nail each note perfectly. It wasn't until four o'clock that she allowed herself to stop, breathing hard, feeling a rush of relief as the last note of the piece vibrated through the room. She laid her violin and bow in her case and sat down for a few moments. Noise outside her window drew her to it. She stared outside and watched as cars drove by and some high school kids walked past, laughing and joking with one another. Momo watched them disinterestedly for a few moments before turning back to her violin which awaited her expectantly.
She walked back toward it and pulled out another piece to continue working on. She glanced over the numerous pages tiredly before putting it back on her stand. Momo glanced over at the window again and made an abrupt decision, her mouth set in a small determined frown, the first discernible facial expression outside of the monotonous one she had worn for years.
Toushirou paid little attention to his surroundings as he walked. He wanted to get home to see if his grandmother was alright, yet at the same time he didn't want to see her because it would only show him once again how powerless he was. The one time she needed him and he couldn't do anything for her. Yesterday afternoon she had collapsed while Toushirou had been at Rukia's house with the rest of the gang because Rukia had wanted to try out various recipes and choose one to bake for Kurosaki Masaki's birthday which was in the upcoming week. She had first invited Orihime who had then invited someone else and one thing had led to another. Eventually Toushirou had found himself dragged to the Kuchiki household after soccer practice.
He hadn't gotten a call about her collapse until hours later as he was walking home.
Toushirou suddenly stopped and looked around. The buildings around him looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He glanced up at the store he had stopped in front of and recognized it as the only coffee shop in Karakura. He was about to walk away and head for home when he remembered that his grandmother enjoyed some of the sweets from the shop. Perhaps eating some would cheer her up a little.
He stepped in and was overwhelmed with the pleasant mixture of coffee, sweets, and books. He took a small whiff and headed to the display case to look over the baked goods they still had.
After ordering and receiving his bag of sweets, he turned and began walking. All of a sudden, something—or someone—knocked into his left side.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," a girlish voice apologized frantically. He hardly heard her, staring down at the bag of baked goods he had dropped in his surprise. The top of the bag had burst open and now all the sweets he had bought for his grandmother were lying on the floor. Toushirou glanced down at his uniform jacket and found coffee had been spilled on it and was traveling down, dripping onto the floor. Anger overtook his rational mind as his head swerved toward the sound of apologizing.
A small woman stood in front of him, her head in a low bow, apologies spewing from her mouth. She was dressed simply in a pair of white-washed skinny jeans, white flats, and a pale pink blouse. A small clip held back her black shoulder-length hair. She didn't look any older than him; it was possible she was a student, but Toushirou didn't recognize her. He supposed she could be in another class.
"Stop." The single word was icy and abruptly stopped the woman's endless flow of apologies.
"I'm really sorry," she whispered after a few seconds, her head still bowed.
"Pay attention," Toushirou bit out, ripping off his jacket. "Idiot," he muttered as he stomped out of the shop.
Momo flinched as though he'd struck her. She blinked back tears, willing them not to fall. This was why she hated being around other people. They always acted cruelly and thought only from their point of view. Against her will, she looked up, a few tears making their way down her face. Momo only caught a flash of white hair and a school bag before he disappeared. Her eyes strayed to the bag of sweets lying on the floor beside the mess that had once been her coffee. Guilt ripped at her heart.
"I'm sorry," she murmured in apology to the worker that came to clean up the mess. "I didn't mean to cause such a commotion." Momo tried as discreetly as she could to wipe away her tears, but the worker said nothing about it.
"Don't worry, miss," the worker replied with a small smile and said nothing else as she began to clean.
"Um," Momo spoke up timidly as the girl was about to throw away the bag of sweets. She was slightly reassured by the girl's action beforehand when handling the mess and hoped that her request would not cause the girl too much frustration. "Could I—could I possibly see what's in there and get an order of those? I want to try apologizing again."
"Of course," said the girl, her smile growing wider. "I can get the order for you. Just wait a minute."
"Thank you," said Momo gratefully as the girl disappeared to wash her hands before beginning to gather items together in a bag.
"Here you are," said the girl cheerfully a few minutes later, holding out the bag of sweets. "That'll be 1603 yen."
"Thank you," Momo repeated as she handed money to the girl. "And please keep the change as another apology for the incident I caused."
"Thanks," replied the girl, giving a small bow. "Have a good evening," she said as Momo headed out.
"Thank you. I hope you have a good evening as well," said Momo as the doors automatically shut behind her.
When Momo got outside, she looked toward the direction she had seen the boy head. Sudden dread filled her. How exactly was she supposed to find him? Enough time had passed that he could've already been home. She didn't know his name or anything about him. She sighed softly, closing her eyes, her head bowed down in defeat.
"Oh well," she murmured sadly, "I've never eaten most of these before. I might as well not let them go to waste. Maybe Kira-kun will enjoy them as well."
"Um, excuse me," someone said hesitantly from behind her. She swerved around and found the same girl from before fidgeting. "If you want to apologize, I can give you Hitsugaya-san's address."
"Is he one of your friends?" Momo asked, her face coloring in humiliation.
"Yes," she answered, "well, I don't talk to him very much even though I sit in front of him in class. He's close friends with a friend from school, so we have the same friends which makes us friends, at least to me it does." The girl paused. "Oh, I'm rambling. Sorry. But, um," she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen from her apron, "these are directions to his house from here as well as the address." She scribbled quickly, stopping a few times to think. "Here," she handed Momo a piece of paper after a few minutes had passed.
'Hitsugaya Toushirou,' Momo read to herself before lifting her eyes to the girl's. "Thank you," Momo said her for the third time that evening. "You've helped me a lot today."
"I'm glad to be of assistance," said the girl. "Oh," she said as Momo began to turn away, "um, I don't know if it's really my place to say anything, but…please don't think too badly of Hitsugaya-san. I know he didn't exactly show his best side earlier, but he's a very nice person." She paused and began muttering, "Then again, you are going to find him to apologize again, so perhaps you understand what I'm saying. Kurosaki-kun did seem a little out of sorts today and kept staring at Hitsugaya-san. Oh no!" She looked up at Momo who was staring at her. An embarrassed blush crossed her cheeks and she let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I tend to ramble a lot. I don't think I introduced myself yet. My name is Inoue Orihime."
"I'm Hinamori Momo," Momo replied. "Thank you again. Goodbye. With that, she gave a small bow.
"Goodbye!" Orihime called after her, giving a small wave before she headed back into the shop.
Toushirou entered the house and slipped off his shoes, stepping into a pair of slippers.
"Toushirou-kun?" His next door neighbor called, stepping out of the kitchen, drying her hands with a towel.
"Hello," he greeted, placing his shoes off to the side.
"What happened?" She asked worriedly, noting the dark stain on his shirt.
"Nothing," Toushirou answered nonchalantly. "How is she?"
"She spent most of the afternoon sleeping and just woke up. I was preparing her a meal. Would you like me to put something together for you as well?" The woman watched him concernedly, her eyebrows knit together.
"No, I'll be fine," he waved off. "Just prepare something for her. You can leave after making sure she's fine. I'm going to go clean up. Thanks for today."
"It's no problem, Toushirou-kun," said the woman as Toushirou began to walk away. "Oh, yes, Toushirou-kun," he stopped, "your friend Kurosaki Ichigo-san stopped by earlier. I told him you weren't home yet, but he had come to visit your grandmother as well. I thought you might want to know."
"Ah, thanks," he answered after a few seconds, continuing on his way to his room.
As he passed his grandmother's room, he took a quick glance in and saw her sitting up in bed, reading a book. How typical of his grandmother. Her normalcy worked to put his heart at ease, but even as he walked away to his room, his mind still refused to deny that she looked even smaller than usual, older and frailer.
When he entered his room, Toushirou dumped his book bag and uniform jacket on the floor by his desk and began unbuttoning his shirt. He grabbed his uniform jacket off the floor and headed to the bathroom across from his room. He took some time to fill a bucket with water and threw both items in. He would have to scrub them out after his shower and hope the coffee hadn't permanently stained his clothes.
Toushirou returned to his room, only to grab some clothes and a towel before heading back to the bathroom.
He stepped out fifteen minutes later, dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, towel drying his hair.
Toushirou threw the rest of his dirty clothes in a basket and set aside his towel to dry. He walked out of the room and headed toward his grandmother's bedroom. He wanted to check on her again, just to assure himself she was alright. He peeked in and saw her slowly eating the food that had been prepared for her. He let out a small sigh of relief.
"Toushirou?" His grandmother called, setting down her chopsticks. He froze, unsure of what to do. "Toushirou," she said again, her voice gentle, "I know you are out there. Come in. I want to see you."
Toushirou hesitated only one moment more before walking in, head bowed.
He shuffled back and forth uncertainly at the foot of her bed before making his way to her side and dropping to his knees, his eyes still focused intently on the floor.
"Toushirou, what is wrong?" She asked softly, reaching forward a withered hand and gently smoothing down his hair. The small action broke down Toushirou's defenses and brought back memories of times where she had done just this when, over and over, he was rejected by children who didn't want to play with a white-haired freak.
"Grandmother, I—when I saw you last night—when I heard you were in the hospital…I-I couldn't—I couldn't—"
"It is all right," she spoke softly, her arms reaching out to embrace him. She pulled him close, continuing to stroke his hair soothingly. "I am still here. I will not go anywhere, not for a while yet. Do not worry about me. I will be fine. I promise."
Though her words were meant to reassure him, they did not ease the rapid pounding of his heart nor stop his mind from reminding him that she would not live forever; the fact that she spoke those words were simple proof of that. Rather than a charm, her words seemed more like a curse. But he allowed himself to revel in that moment, to feel like everything really would be all right. His grandmother was his entire world. If he lost her, where would he be then?
After a few moments, he pulled away.
"Ichigo-kun visited me earlier," she told him.
"Mitsuko-san told me," he replied, wondering where she was leading with her statement.
"I know," she smiled knowingly. She brushed some hair out his eyes. "I am glad you have made such a wonderful friend, Toushirou. He is such a kind boy. He even bought me a book from my favorite poet." She gestured to the book beside her. "I am ashamed when I say that I did not think he would remember such a small fact since I have only met him…three times." Her eyes turned stern as she scolded lightly, "You really must bring more of your friends over, Toushirou. I would love to meet each and every one of them."
"Maybe someday," Toushirou muttered, his eyes drifting down toward the floor. "When you're feeling better."
"Yes, but I hope that day will come soon. Anyway, you should get some rest, my little Toushirou," she murmured with a tender smile before placing a kiss on his forehead. "Do not stay up too late studying."
"You too," he replied, standing up slowly. "Are you finished eating?" He asked, nodding toward her nearly empty tray.
"Yes, I am." Toushirou bent down to take the tray and headed toward the door. "Mitsuko-san mentioned that you have not eaten yet. Be sure you do."
"Yes, Grandmother," he said obediently. "Good night."
"Good night, Toushirou," she said as he quietly closed the door behind him.
After washing his grandmother's dishes, he grabbed a few snacks from the cupboard and walked back to his room. He set the snacks on his desk before heading to the bathroom, ready to tackle the stains. As he furiously scrubbed, his thoughts traveled back to the incident at coffee shop even though he had ordered himself not to. His day had already been bad, but the incident had just made worse if that were possible. What else would happen in the five hours before the day was officially over?
A few loud knocks only caused him to grunt in irritation. He threw down his shirt, wiped his hands, and made his way to the front door. Perhaps it was Mitsuko-san, but she would have called instead of coming over. But who else could it be? Ichigo? It couldn't be since Ichigo had already visited earlier. No one else from school knew his grandmother had recently been hospitalized. They didn't have any other living relatives that could possibly be visiting. So who could it be?
The person he encountered outside the door to his home, however, was the last person he wanted to see that day. His lips immediately set themselves in a scowl as he interrogated brashly, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Momo only stood before him, her shoulders hunched forward, clutching the bag of sweets close to her body, nervousness the only emotion present in her eyes. She swallowed once and cleared her throat but no words would come out. The dark turquoise blue eyes that glared down at her were questioning, accusing.
Perhaps it had been a bad idea to seek him out was Momo's last thought before she opened her mouth to speak.
An irreplaceable encounter is connecting to a miracle.
Memories are piling up.
The song of our beginning is echoing.
A/N: The song lyric was taken from the Japanese Band Arashi's song One Love.
I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter. I know the characters may seem OOC, but it will make more sense as the story goes on. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review. Thank you!
Jounah