Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach in anyway, shape or form. I have been on such a Byakuya x Momo writing binge recently _ Can't wait till I finish and can finally upload =D
When he had asked who Momo Hinamori was and what kind of person she was to Captain Unohana (since everyone else he asked seemed to 'suddenly' remember something important that they had to be doing right that second) the healing captain gained a sad smile and told him everything.
About how Aizen had spent years manipulating her (even more than everyone else), how he had warped her mind to almost the point of disrepair, the way he caused her to attack her oldest and dearest friend with a simple left behind letter, the way she cried tears of joy at seeing his death was a lie, the way he stabbed her through the chest without a second thought, the way he then caused Toushiro Hitsugaya (whose relationship with the girl was just on the mend) to stab her through the back and need the organ regeneration treatment she had just currently finished (she was now deemed healthy and fit for work, which brought on his bout of questions in the first place.)
So the first time Shinji Hirako met her, Shinji braced himself for the tears and the yelling.
So imagine his surprise and confusion, when he was introduced to her as her new captain and she smiled brightly before shaking his hand with vigour.
It took him a few weeks to figure it out, but he did.
It was true what the captain of squad four had also told him when he had asked what she was like before the betrayal. She was beautiful, in a still growing flower kind of way; her full beauty had yet to reveal itself he believed. She cared deeply for those around her and was incredibly easy to get along with. Her kido skills were extremely enviable (he, himself, was even a little jealous) and her relationship with her zanpakuto was something truly special.
But she was too willingly to fall into old routine.
She believed she had another Aizen as a Captain…
He scolded himself that he should have realised earlier. The way she sometimes stared at him with this faraway look as if she couldn't understand what she was looking at, the way she never added his last name after calling him captain to distinguish who he was, the way she would sometimes look at him strangely after he did or said something, like that wasn't the way he usually acted.
"I have those forms for you Captain!" She announced happily as she walked through the open door to his office and then laid them carefully on his desk. When she turned to leave he turned from his low desk on the floor.
"Come here Hinamori."
She looked over his shoulder at him with a confused expression before turning back into the room.
"Close the door."
She complied, pulling the wooden door closed gently.
He raised his arm, asking for her hand, which only confused her more, but instinctively, she rested her hand softly in his. Everything she does seemed to be with the lightest touch he noted.
He grabbed her wrist, pulling her down to sit her in front of him with a soft 'oh!' from her.
"Captain? Is something wrong?" She asked, blinking innocently.
"It's true that we are creatures of habit Hinamori." he began, only making her frown more. "But that is no reason for you to think that I am anything like him."
Her whole body tensed. He could feel it under his fingers that were still enclosed around her wrist. He made another mental note, this time of how soft her skin was.
"I-I don't know what you mea-."
"You know exactly what I mean." He told her, cutting off her transparent lie.
She lowered her gaze and bit her bottom lip.
"I'm not him Hinamori." He said. "I do not act like him, I do not speak like him, I am not as poised and perfect as he pretended to be and most importantly-" He tightened his grip on her wrist slightly. "- I will not betray you like he did."
She jumped in her own skin. "I-no-you-"
"So-" He began, his voice taking on a casual tone. "-Taking into account that you already know all this I must ask-"
He turned her wrist upwards before shoving her firmly onto the floor, causing her to yelp in surprise. He placed himself so he was hovering over her, his newly grown out blonde hair creating a curtain around them. He grabbed both her wrists this time, placing them above her head, her eyes widened in fear.
"-Why are you acting like I'm him?"
She stared at him for what felt like forever.
"I don't know…"
He scoffed, unconvinced.
"I don't know…That you're not like him."
"Before he b-betrayed us-" She tried to gulp back the hurt from her voice. "He acted fine, content, almost….almost happy even."
"You act like that you know." She said, meeting his eyes. "You're happy and content and fun too!" She gave a small smile before it disappeared.
"Before he left, I was a good lieutenant. I was! Our squad loved me, the other lieutenants were my friends who valued my opinion; I even had nights out with some of the captains!" She laughed at the memories, even as a few tears escaped.
"Now our squad won't take me seriously, they think I'm an idiot. The other lieutenants keep giving me these pitying looks every time I say anything, like I can't do anything anymore." She hiccupped, the tears falling freely from her eyes now. "And the captains, they either look at me with disgust or talk to me like a child. I'm not. I'm not! I know, I-"
Her head fell against the floor, gulping in air that seemed to have been stolen from her and no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes shut she wouldn't stop crying.
The thumb brushing against her cheek made her eyes open lazily.
"You thought that if you acted like the way things were, then everyone would act like they did before towards you too…"
"I know it doesn't make any sense." She admitted, moving her cheek more into his hand. "But I'm just so sick of being treated like broken glass."
He was about to speak when she spoke again.
"And if you turn out like him, if I don't see the signs again. Well, then everyone will be right won't they?"
It was his turn to be quiet while he thought.
"Do you trust me Momo?"
She took note of the use of her first name before deflating slightly and chuckling.
"Yes, even though I probably shouldn't."
He lent in towards her and she closed her eyes again mechanically. His lips gliding over her high cheekbone made her sigh.
He threaded his right hand into her hair, gently pushing the cloth bun her hair was always in, to the ground, letting her brown hair, that tinted purple in the light, free of its confinement.
"I will never be like him Momo, never. I will never do anything to you that you don't want."
Lowering himself even more he hovered over her lips, giving her the permission he had just promised, he would stop if she wanted him to. She then answered silently by lightly pressing her lips to his, causing a light tingle to run its way down her spine at the barely-there contact.
She opened her mouth for him and he met her tongue with her own. He entangled them by wrapping his free arm around her back and pulling her further to him while she responded by placing her hands on his shoulders for support.
She had only been kissed three times in her life (four if she counted right now).
The first had been Izuru, who had passed out promptly after the initial meeting of lips after accidently bumping into her in the hallway when they were still in the academy; it was so short she hadn't felt anything.
The second had been with Renji, a game of drunken truth or dare shortly after making it into squad five; they had had so much sake that she can only remember her giggling and his laughter.
The third had been with Aizen, she still does not know why he had kissed her that one night and no other, but it scared her; she remembers feeling suddenly cold, a chill in her bones that she couldn't escape.
This was nothing like any of those times.
She felt like she was floating. With a strange comfortable warmth seeping into her and making her feel content and relaxed, like the real world was thousands of miles away.
She moved her arms to wrap around his neck. She wanted more of the feeling he was giving her.
It only escalated from there.
The more skin that was exposed, the more kisses he placed on her skin, the closer they seemed to become felt like it was filling the holes in her soul that everyone's doubt and shame had created, and when they finally become one was her soul finally filled and she could fully feel again.
The afterglow of being wrapped around each other, even after their love making, was ruined when she got up off the floor and started to get dressed, he roughly grabbed her wrist making her face him.
"Where ya goin' Momo?"
She looked confused. "I was going to go, is...that not what you wanted me to do?"
He sighed slightly. "You still don't get it, do ya?"
After instructing her to stay, he quickly got out his sleeping roll and laid it out on the floor.
He pulled her down again to the floor, were he pulled her under the covers with her back to his chest. He held her like she was going to take off again. Only when she relaxed fully back in his arms and shuffled slightly back towards him, did he replace his firm grip on her arm with a gentle placing of his hand on her hip.
She didn't know when she fell asleep, but she noted in the back of her mind it was the best sleep she had had for as long as she could remember.
Leaning on her arm she noticed two things. Her captain had gone, but in his place was a beautiful rectangular silver hair ornament with a blue silk bow on it.
She picked up the hair slide and noticed a piece of folded paper underneath. She opened the page without putting down the hair clip.
'Hey Momo!
I let you sleep in; I'm away to the office. Don't worry! I'll do all the paperwork!
Look, I hope I got my point across yesterday. My point being that I will never use you and toss you aside like he did. Never. You are one of the most amazing souls I have ever met and people like you should be loved and treasured, and I plan to do both-'
That made her smile.
'-The hair clip is for you, I bought it a while ago. Seriously, ditch the bun, that thing is awful looking.
Think of it as a new start!
And remember I'm always here if you need me...
Shinji'
She didn't know what was going to happen. They weren't lovers, at least not yet, but it most certainly wasn't just a passing fling. Two people had come together and given a part of themselves to each other to strengthen the bond that was already made.
She lifted the hair piece and watched the precious metal glint in the sunlight.
She smiled, running a hand through her let down hair, already seeing a new style in mind.
Maybe a new start wouldn't be as hard as she thought.