Kuroi Hana
Summary: While hospitalized in the 4th Division, Hinamori Momo finds her companion to be Ukitake Jushiro. Unable to sleep, Ukitake remembers about the past. Implied Momo x Toshiro, Ukitake x Unohana. Post Winter War. Continuation if reviews are posetive c:
Momo had undergone her second day of operations. The winter war had ended, and she was placed in the 4th Division to rest before any more operations were to continue. After ten days of unconsciencnous, she awoke to find herself alone in a room. Her whole body ached as she tried to sit up, but she had no strength to.
Just then, Unohana walked in with Ukitake. "Lay down, Ukitake-san," she said gently. She then looked over at Momo, who was now awake. "Hinamori-san, you're awake. Ukitake-san, I'll be right back. I need to get some medicine for Hinamori-san."
"Uki...take...tai...cho?" Momo slurred, as she slowly turned her head towards him. He looked at Momo, and looked relieved.
"You're awake, thank goodness. Everyone has been so worried about you." He smiled, but then returned to coughing violently again. Unohana came in again, and gave Ukitake his medicine when he stopped coughing long enough for her to administer it. She rubbed his back while he choked it down. Momo thought she saw his face redden more, but that was probably from coughing.
Unohana felt his forehead. She looked at him. "You have a fever again, Ukitake-san. I think I should keep you here over-night, just to make sure you feel alright tomorrow." She gave him a small smile. She then walked over to Momo and gave her some medicine to help numb the pain. "Hinamori-san, this will help numb the pain until we can continue to heal you, alright? Until then, I want you to rest." She stood up and left the room, "If you need anything, let me know, ok?"
Hitsugaya, hearing Momo was awake, entered the room after Unohana left. Momo looked over at him. "Shiro-chan..." She gave him a weak grin. "You're...ok..."
He sat down beside her, and held her hand. "I'm so sorry Hinamori." Momo shook her head. She then noticed he had cut his hair.
"Shiro-chan...? You cut it...?" It didn't take long before Momo realized why. She had hurt her, and this was a way that could be shown how he was sorry. She squeezed his hand. "It's ok, Shiro-chan." He then felt her put her arm around him as she hugged him.
Momo restlessly groaned in her sleep before waking up only about an hour later when she saw Ukitake was still awake. Had she kept him up? She hoped not. With her pain eased, she was able to push herself up just a little. "Wake...you...up?" Her tongue was thick in her mouth, and it was difficult to talk. Ukitake looked at her and shook his head.
"No, I couldn't sleep tonight. Looks like you can't either," he said, with a slight laugh. His face was red and feverish, but he seemed to he happy thinking about something. Momo looked at him, wanting to ask him something, but didn't know if it would be inappropriate to ask. "Ukitake...taicho, how...meet Unohana taicho?" He looked at her, surprised at the question. No one had really asked, but he felt his face redden as he thought of the question. "Sorry..!" Momo murmured as she realized she asked something she shouldn't have.
He smiled. "No, it's quite alright. Maybe a story is what we both need to fall asleep anyway," he said. "Well, a long time ago..."
Unohana wrapped her kimono around her body tightly. She looked out at the night sky and realized this was her last night at her home before she would be enrolled into the academy. Like Ukitake, Unohana was born into a minor noble house, so for her, it was only natural to enter to become a shinigami.
Wearing the standard red school uniform, Unohana stood alongside her first year classmates for the entrance ceremony. She knew no one, and seeing how large the academy actually was, she became even more quiet and shy. She then saw the Sou-taicho, Yamamoto Genryusai, walk up, and he began to speak in a loud, authoratative voice. "Welcome, young ones..." he began to talk for the next hour, when the first years were dismissed.
Unohana wandered around, lost, as she saw friends greeting each other, when suddenly she felt two arms wrap around her waist. "Kyaa!" She let out a small squeak, and looked down to see a tall man with short brown hair holding her. She blushed, and squirmed. "P-please put me down!" The man laughed as she adjusted herself and looked at him.
"You're pretty cute," he said, grinning at her. Unohana blushed more. Who was this strange man, flirting with her like this? She couldn't find any words, so she remained silent. "I am Kyoraku Shunsui," he said, as he took her hand and kissed it. She froze. "I'll see you around, Usagi-chan."
Usagi-chan? That isn't my name...She was left there, wondering what just happened. She held onto her hand, and made her way to her dorm.
It didn't take long before Unohana found herself in the gifted class of the first years. She hadn't seen that strange man, and she was a bit relieved at that. As shy and quiet as she was, she managed to become good friends with her roommates. It wasn't until she arrived in class did she hear, "Usagi-chan!" She looked up to see the same guy again, only this time, he was sitting with a white haired boy, about the same height as him.
The white haired boy peered over, and looked at her. His face reddened a bit as he saw her slowly walk up and sit down beside Kyoraku. "I'm Unohana Retsu," she said quietly, smiling at them both shyly.
Kyoraku laughed. "I told you she was cute, Ukitake! This is Ukitake Jushiro." Ukitake blushed when she smiled at him.
"It's nice to meet you, Ukitake-kun." It seemed from there that the three of them would remain close friends.
Unohana found that while she excelled at the kendo, kido and book learning, she lacked the strength to have much impact with her attacks. Since she was flexible and agile, she didn't have much trouble dodging any hand-to-hand, but her attacks were weak as well. That day, the teacher called her to the side. "Unohana-san, while you show exceptional skill, you lack power to back up these skills. I would suggest you work harder to build up your strength."
Unohana was later found curled up under a tree, with her books beside her. She looked up to see Ukitake. While he had limited endurance, he shared exceptional strength like Kyoraku. She wiped her eyes. "Sorry," she said, trying to laugh it off.
He sat down beside her. "I heard what happened from Kyoraku." He looked at her. "It's alright, Unohana-san. If you want any help with training, I would be happy to help you." She looked up at him. "You have all the right skills, but you just lack the strength behind them. I wouldn't mind helping you with that," he blushed slightly.
"Really, Ukitake-kun? But, woul-"
He shook his head. "I would have to take frequent breaks," he said, sounding a bit annoyed, "but that wouldn't stop me from helping you if you needed it."
She smiled happily at him. "Thank you, Ukitake-kun. I wouldn't want to push you or anything, but I would love to practice with you."
"Then why don't we start now? You're doing pretty well in zanjutsu (sword play, kendo ect), so how about we practice trying to get some power behind your kido?"
"I don't need to worry about healing kido. Though, the rest I need to work on to get some more strength behind them."
After a little while, the two stopped to take a break. "You're doing really well, Unohana-san." Unohana blushed at his compliment.
"Only because you're doing so well at helping me." She then leaned over and hugged him. "Thank you, Ukitake-kun!" He felt his face warm up as he hugged her back.
Sometimes Kyoraku would practice with them, but as time went by, Ukitake noticed a change in Unohana. She seemed much happier and more confident in herself. Ukitake also began to develop a rather huge crush on her.
About halfway through the year, during the mid-exams, she ran out happily to where Ukitake was. She hugged him. "I passed!" She cried happily. "It's because you and Kyoraku-san helped me out so much. Thank you!" When she looked up at him, she saw him look at her differently. "What is it?"
He blushed and looked away. "Unohana-san, could I talk to you later, privately?" Surprised, she nodded. "I'll meet you in the back beside all those trees." Unohana nodded, confused, as he walked away.
Unohana found him waiting where he said he would be. "What is it you wanted to talk about?" She said, sitting down beside him.
His face was red before he even said anything. "Unohana-san," he looked at her, "I...I really like you. I mean, more than friends. It's just everything about you that, to me, is so perfect." He looked at her, to see a surprised expression. His heart fell a bit. "Even if you don't feel the same way, I just wanted to tell you andI still would like to be friends with you, that is, if you'd be ok...with that."
She looked away, hiding her red face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." He laughed, but he looked and sounded upset. He then stood up and began to walk away when he felt her hug him from behind.
He saw her face, slightly red, with a happy, shy smile on her face. The blossoms blew in the wind, along with a few stray pieces of her hair that escaped from her braid. He looked back at her, shocked. "I...stay with me." She whispered. Unohana clutched his shirt, blushing more. "I want to be with you." She was far too shy to utter that she liked him, like he had said, but she felt what she was saying said enough.
Ukitake turned around to face Unohana. She moved a few pieces of his hair from his face. "Unohana-san..." She felt herself being picked up at he hugged her tightly. "Can I ask you to stay with me, then?"
She whispered quietly, "Yes."
Ukitake fell asleep soon after. Momo felt herself drifing off to sleep. I wonder why they aren't together now...? Unohana then walked into the room, her face slightly pink, but sad. She gently took Ukitake's hand in hers, and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I will always stay with you, Jushiro-kun."