A/N: Hello, readers! I'm coming back after a looooong (almost a year, maybe) break from writing fanfiction. This idea has been bugging me for a while now, ever since finishing the Soul Society arc of Bleach, and so I have decided to once again pick up the pen (or type on the keyboard). I absolutely adore Hitsugaya x Hinamori, and this pairing was the first one I approved of as I watched Bleach (IchiRuki, Uryu x Orihime, Gin x Matsumoto, all of those came later). Their past and present are just so touching, and their stories can switch easily from laugh-my-ass-off-hilarious to ones that make me want to bawl my eyes out. My first attempt at a HitsuHina fanfic, below, is going to be a serious one… hmm… the prologue (which this is) borderlines angsty. Ah well. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. No duh.

Prologue

Numb

The pure, white flakes of cold snow, so pristine, so beautiful, covering the bare arms of trees, the curved tiles of the roof, the once green and brown ground of the grounds, seemed almost ironic. He had been watching those little flakes float down, watching one, by one, by one, each unique, each slowly falling, falling, falling, until it became one with the smooth carpet that covered the land.

Almost unconsciously, he had one of his calloused, warm hands around one of her pale and cold ones. Her limp hand seemed so small compared to his. So utterly helpless, so utterly emotionless, so utterly lifeless that it made him want to scream himself hoarse to the heavens and demand why her, why her, why those warm eyes, why that soft smile and cheerful grin, why the playful "Shiro-chan"s said with affection in her voice, why was it all taken away from him?

He gave her hand a soft squeeze, a desperate squeeze, and tried not to crush her hand and yell in her face to wake up now, right now, because if you don't I'll go insane, I can feel it, wake up, wake up, please, don't leave me, not you, anyone but you.

Her hand twitched slightly.

Perhaps he would've been surprised, should've been surprised, should've been delirious and shouting with joy as his body unfroze and his clear, aqua eyes slowly, ever so slowly, managed to travel up from her hands to her face, to her eyes, deep brown, just like he remembered, almost like he remembered. He hadn't seen those eyes in so long.

But he could feel the tension, feel somewhere, somehow, something was not right, some piece was out of place. Those eyes, her eyes, they were there, they were open, yes, he could see her… but she could not see him. Even before a word escaped her mouth, even before a movement could warn him, he could feel that foreboding dread and a growing sense of panic eating away at his hollow chest, leaving an ache that made each breath labored. He felt like he was drowning, drowning in the snow, drowning in his dread, drowning in those eyes, those blind, lost eyes.

He was sure. She could not see him.

And the words that echoed, that were finally uttered after what seemed like a century of silent snowflakes that tried to swallow the land up, one by one by one.

"Who are you?"

That was when his world shattered.

She sat up slowly, weak, thin arms trembling as they pushed her thin frame up. "Who…" she asked again, and her pale arm reached out to wipe tears that should not exist on his face, but did. Her eyes widened as her voice caught.

"Who… am I?" she managed to whisper pass the catch in her throat, fear saturating every word. It would be terrifying, he supposed vaguely, to wake up not knowing who you were. He didn't know whether the slow, trickling moisture that ran down his cheeks were from joy or sorrow. It was probably both, he presumed.

Silence dragged his head down. "Momo. Hinamori Momo," Hitsugaya finally replied, a whisper that was forced out through numb lips. He felt as if he had just walked through a snowstorm; his whole body was cold and frozen, unable to move or feel.

"W… what?" she said, a trembling in her voice, "I'm sorry?"

"Hinamori Momo. That's who you are." Again the soft voice, under which was so full of pain and joy and sorrow and relief and… he was quite sure that humans, including shinigami, weren't supposed to feel this many emotions at once. They would break. Right now, he was wondering why hadn't broken yet. Or maybe he had. Maybe that's why he was so numb.

A/N: Hm. Well, wasn't that all figurative language-y. I have the first chappie almost finished, although I probably won't finish it because school starts in two days and I'm screwed 'cuz I still have tons of homework… that's me, the procrastinator.

Please take the time to review! They would be extremely appreciated, and would also speed up the process of updating :) !!