Honey Tea
By Kinny Riddle
Beta Read by Davan Trask Bleach and all its characters are the copyright property of Kubo Tite, Shueisha and Shonen Jump. This fanfic is solely for the purpose of reading enjoyment and not for profit.
Part One
Summary: At Rangiku's insistence, Hitsugaya visits an ill Hinamori, and bought her something that rekindles happy memories for them.
"Ne, taichou" Matsumoto Rangiku bemoaned to her captain.
Hitsugaya Toushiro didn't respond and continued to work through his paperwork, which was stacked mountain high every day.
"Why did Yamamoto assign me to such a division?" Hitsugaya had wondered this ever since he had been promoted as the youngest captain of any Gotei 13 division in a long time. "Ah well, I guess it is better than hanging out with those bragging bozos in the 11th Division."
Small comfort, when faced with such paperwork everyday. The good thing is that Rangiku tends to get things organized rather efficiently, though he has yet to see her work with his own eyes.
Frustrated, Rangiku moved closer to Hitsugaya's desk. "Taichou, are you even listening?"
Hitsugaya still didn't look up and said, "What is it now? Another one of your party ideas?"
"That's not it Taichou. I have some big news for you."
"We're getting a pay rise at last?"
"I heard from the guys at the fifth Division this morning, they said Hinamori-san didn't come on duty today."
Hitsugaya's hand froze as he stopped writing at the mention of Hinamori's name. 'Damn, not again.' He had gained a bad habit since he entering the Shinigami academy, he just couldn't take his eyes off his Rukongai friend. He had never quite understood why, though he had once heard from Rangiku that people in the living world called it "hormones". So far, he had managed to conceal this from everyone, even Hinamori, but not from his ever-vigilant lieutenant Rangiku.
"Ara, I guess it's big news after all." Rangiku said amused.
"Sh…shut up…maybe she's off on patrol with Aizen." Hitsugaya tried to shrug it off.
"Hmm? But I thought Aizen-taichou went on some sort of assignment with Gin and Tousen-taichou and took leave for the week, Gin told me so a month ago. Hinamori has been given charge of the fifth division, and everyone is worried. Do you think she's sick?"
"So what do you suggest?" Hitsugaya tried to act cool as he sipped his cup of tea.
"You can go and visit her; you know where she lives, don't you?"
Hitsugaya spit the tea he just drank all over the table, nearly spraying Rangiku.
"Y…you want me to what?"
"To visit her, is that such a big deal?"
"N…no, b…but…"
"Don't worry about the paperwork; I'll take care of it for you." Rangiku said as she dragged Hitsugaya off his desk and pushed him towards the door.
"Take care of it for me? But you hardly do any work! Hey, quit pushing Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya tried to resist but he could not argue with Rangiku, and he found himself outside the tenth Division Headquarters
As Hitsugaya walks aimlessly towards the fifth Division Headquarters, his footsteps became heavier and heavier. He tried to ignore the gazes of the female shinigami, as they swooned and sighed whenever he walked past them, no doubt rabid members of his "fan club", with a certain Matsumoto as president.
"Just where on earth did that Matsumoto get such a "brilliant" idea? Now I can't go anywhere without being noticed. Wonder if I can ask Yamamoto to outlaw fan clubs?" Hitsugaya muttered under his breath as he continued walking along the streets of Soul Society.
He looked around and noticed a herbal store ahead. 'I wonder if I should go in?' Hitsugaya wondered while his feet still led him inside. A few minutes passed and Hitsugaya returned with a small jar labeled honey. He didn't know why, but the moment he saw the honey jar, he had bought it.
Approaching the fifth Division Headquarters, he noticed someone coming out. It was Kira Izuru, lieutenant of the third Division, and if Hitsugaya remembered correctly, classmates with Hinamori back in academy. For reasons unknown to him, the idea of Kira visiting Hinamori made him furious inside.
"Ah, Hitsugaya-taichou, you came to visit Hinamori-kun as well?"
"What do you mean?" Hitsugaya tried to feign ignorance.
"Haven't you heard? Hinamori-kun isn't feeling well today. I just went and see her and she is fast asleep at the moment."
"Ah…I see, you may go now." Hitsugaya held back saying: "Get lost and never come back or I'll kill you."
"Ah…o…okay…" Kira said and excused himself, puzzled by Hitsugaya's coldness.
"Ara so taichou finally came." A familiar voice came up from behind.
"Ma…Matsumoto? I thought you were doing the paperwork?" Hitsugaya exclaimed surprised that Rangiku would come so quickly.
"Like I said, I've taken care of it," Rangiku smiled and made a thumbs-up gesture.
"Oh really?" Hitsugaya asked suspiciously, wondering if Matsumoto had touched his paperwork at all.
"Anyway, what's important is to see how Hinamori-san's doing." Rangiku then notices the honey jar Hitsugaya's holding.
"Ah…I always knew that taichou was a sensitive person inside."
Hitsugaya quickly hid the jar in his pocket and moved ahead to Hinamori's quarters. "J…just shut up and follow!"
Hitsugaya could feel his footsteps get heavier and heavier as he got nearer to Hinamori's door.
Rangiku followed behind and grinned, "Taichou, is something about Hinamori-san's place that's bothering you?"
"W…what makes you think that?" Hitsugaya exclaimed.
"Now that I think about it, this is actually the first time taichou has been to Hinamori-san's place."
"S…so what? It's not like you come here at all."
"Actually, I come here to visit Hinamori-san quite often; in fact, I've even seen her change. Ne, taichou, you won't believe just how small Hinamori-san's…"
"B…BAKAYAROU! D…DON'T SAY IT! I…I'M NOT LISTENING!" Hitsugaya went pink in the face and covered his ears.
"Rangiku-san? Is that you?" A voice sounded from over the door.
"Ah, Hinamori-san, we're coming in, is that okay?" Rangiku replied as though nothing had happened.
"Sure, the door's not locked."
Rangiku entered the room, which was quite spacious, as with all captain and lieutenant level rooms. Rangiku would often decorate her place with flowers, a habit she had taught Hinamori as well. The living room blossomed with peach flowers, flowers which bear the same name as Hinamori. Hitsugaya looked around in awe while Rangiku went towards Hinamori's bedroom.
"Konbanwa…Rangiku-san…"Hinamori, wearing her night robe, sat upright on her bed and tried to greet Rangiku.
"Ne, Hinamori-san, there's no need to force yourself; you'll catch a cold that way. By the way, look who's come to visit."
"Eh?" Hinamori looked out of her room and saw Hitsugaya looking back and forth outside the room.
"Hitsugaya-kun! You came to visit?"
"Er…yeah…" Hitsugaya tried to reply casually, but inside his heart was thumping fast.
"Well, I think I'll go and make some tea." Rangiku goes out and nicks the honey jar from Hitsugaya's pocket along the way.
"H…hey!"gasped Hitsugaya.
"Don't worry, I'm just borrowing it. In the meantime, why don't you two have a nice conversation."Rangiku winked and pushed Hitsugaya inside the room.
"Wah!" Hitsugaya nearly fell face down at the momentum of Rangiku's push.
"Hitsugaya-kun?" Hinamori asked, puzzled by what was happening.
"I…it's nothing." Hitsugaya straightened himself up and seated himself on a chair next to Hinamori's bed. Now that he had a closer view, he noticed that Hinamori has let her hair down. In the past, he has always seen her tie her hair in a bundle at her neck or in two ponytails when they had been in Rukongai and during the shinigami academy, but rarely with her silky hair down like now. In this way, she looked even more beautiful…
'What am I thinking?' Hitsugaya managed to get back to his senses. 'Must concentrate on what to say, what to say, what to…Hmm?'
He looked up and saw Hinamori's face all red from the cold she had all night. "Hinamori…you…"
"Hehe, I guess I caught a cold, trying to wait for Aizen-taichou to return all night."
"You idiot, you should've worn something if you knew you were going to wait for a long time," Hitsugaya can't describe what is it that he's feeling, whatever it is, it just doesn't feel good.
"Congratulations on entering the academy, Shiro-chan!" Sixth Classman Hinamori smiled her brightest smile and patted Hitsugaya on the head.
"I thought you said you'd start calling me by my proper name when I entered the academy," Young Hitsugaya bemoaned and shrugged off Hinamori's hand. It was the first day at the shinigami academy at last, and he did not intend to let this day be ruined.
"But Shiro-chan still feels like a little brother even in that academy uniform," Hinamori giggled as she pointed towards Hitsugaya's uniform, with sleeves longer than normal due to his small size.
Hitsugaya, being sensitive when it comes to sizes, blushed at that comment and snapped back, "Sh…shut up…Bedwetter Momo!"
Hinamori went red in the face, "What? How rude!" She promptly smacked Hitsugaya in the head.
"Ow! Why'd you do that for?" Hitsugaya rubbed his head.
"You're still decades away before I'll even think about calling you by your proper name," Hinamori continued to blush while trying to keep a serious face.
"Sorry…" whispered Hitsugaya as he stared at his Rukongai friend. For some time now, he had begun to notice Hinamori more every time she visited him during her breaks from academy. He had missed her often, though he would deny it when saying it aloud. Now he could wait no more and decided to enroll, he was rather excited at the prospect of finally getting to see his friend daily.
Hinamori noticed Hitsugaya was looking intensely at her, "Did you say something,
Shiro-chan?"
"Nothing," Hitsugaya turned his eyes away.
"Mou, you're always like that, Shiro-chan, ah," Hinamori suddenly begun to look cheerful and waved at someone approaching, "Aizen-taichou!"
"Aizen-taichou?" Hitsugaya had often heard Hinamori mention him, he had always wondered what a Gotei 13 captain would look like.
Hinamori ran towards a bespectacled man wearing the robes of a Gotei 13 captain.
'That must be Aizen.' Hitsugaya concluded, though he wondered who that creepy, silver haired lieutenant following Aizen was.
Hitsugaya watched them chat for a while; he saw Hinamori's eyes beaming with enthusiasm even from a distance. Then all of a sudden, Hinamori ran towards Hitsugaya with an excitedly look on her face.
"Hinamori? What is it? You seem happy…"
The next thing Hitsugaya knows, she was embracing him, "Shiro-chan! I've been assigned to the Fifth Division! I finally get to work under Aizen-taichou!"
"Hinamori! L…let go! People are watching! You're a Sixth Classman, you know that?" Hitsugaya's face went red as he struggled to push Hinamori off.
"Ah!" Hinamori promptly let go of Hitsugaya at once, instantly blushing,
"Go…gomen!"
Hitsugaya knew that was what Hinamori wanted all along, she had worked hard to be an excellent shinigami just to get into Aizen's division. He should be happy for her, but for some reason, he could feel his heart ache, though he did not know why.
He long knew that Hinamori does not just respect Aizen-taichou she adored him.
As he watched Aizen smiling and waving back at Hinamori, he quietly said to himself, I'll surpass that Aizen. 'I'll make Hinamori's eyes turn towards me again… some day.'
"Hitsugaya-kun?"
"W…what?"
"You're daydreaming again. You always do that. Hehe…"
"……"
Hitsugaya's silence was interrupted by a knock on the door, and then Rangiku entered carrying a mug.
"Here you go, Hinamori-san, a nice warm cup of honey tea should make you feel better."
"Eh? Rangiku-san, how do you know honey tea helps keep the body warm during a cold?" Hinamori looked surprised at Rangiku, "Thank you, Rangiku-san."
"Don't thank me, Hinamori-san."
"Eh?"
"You should thank taichou; it was his idea to get honey for you."
Hitsugaya could feel the heat rushing up his face.
"Anyway, I have to go back and finish off the rest of the paperwork," Rangiku said as she walked off.
"I thought you finished all the paperwork!"whispered Hitsugaya as Rangiku walked past him. "Ara? I just said I have taken care of it, I didn't say I'm finished with it."
"……"
"Now, the important thing is to keep Hinamori-san happy, I'm counting on you, taichou." And Rangiku disappeared from the room as fast as she could.
"Wha…? Wait! Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya protested.
"Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun," said Hinamori from behind him.
"Eh?"
"For going through the trouble getting honey for me."
"Ah…well…don't mention it. I just happened to pass by the herbal store." Hitsugaya scratched his face with his finger embarrassingly.
"That reminds me, back in Rukongai, whenever Hitsugaya-kun got sick, I would always make some honey tea for you, since you never liked the bitter taste in the medicine, you would swallow the tea in one gulp to get rid of the bitterness." Hinamori smiled as she reminisced on her memories.
'So that was why I bought the honey for.' Hitsugaya realized.
Hinamori slowly sips the honey tea she's holding, and opened her eyes wide in amazement. "Ah! This honey tea is sweet! It's the same honey I used to buy to make tea for Shiro-chan…"
Hitsugaya twitched at the mention of his old nickname, a name he hasn't heard for years ever since he got enrolled in shinigami academy. "Hinamori…"
"Ah! Gomen! Hitsugaya-kun! I…I didn't mean to…" Hinamori blushed.
"I…it's alright…I don't…really…mind…"
"But thanks a lot, Hitsugaya-kun, you even bothered to make sure it's the same honey I used to make honey tea…I'm really happy!" Hinamori smiled at Hitsugaya.
Hitsugaya has seen Hinamori smile before, but never as sweet as this towards him, not since her attention went to Aizen. Hitsugaya could not help but stare in wonder at her slightly red face.
Hinamori noticed Hitsugaya was staring as well and went even redder, "Eh? Hi…Hitsugaya…kun?"
"Ah! Go…gomen!" Hitsugaya went pink in the face and tried to change the subject. "Y…you should get some rest."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hinamori laid down on her bed as Hitsugaya tucked her in. "I'm glad you came, Hitsugaya-kun…"
"Yeah, I know," Hitsugaya smiled.
"Oyasumi, Hitsugaya-kun."
"Oyasumi."
Hitsugaya watched silently by Hinamori's bedside as she dozes off. Slowly, Hitsugaya also felt drowsy and closed his eyes.
"Shiro…chan…"
Hitsugaya woke up instantly; he looked at Hinamori and realized she was talking in her sleep, talking about him.
"So…cold…Shiro…chan…" Hinamori shivered. Hitsugaya realized the honey tea wasn't enough, plus the weather is getting cold this time of year.
The next thing Hitsugaya knew, he was hugging Hinamori and keeping her warm.
"It's alright…Hinamori…I'm here," and proceeded to kiss her on the right cheek.
"Thank you…Shiro…chan…" Hinamori smiled and dozed off peacefully.
After a little while, it dawned on Hitsugaya on what he had just done.
'What did I just do?'
Slowly, he lets go of his embrace on Hinamori and walks away quietly from the room.
Hitsugaya could feel his face getting hot and his heart beating very fast as he walked back towards the 10th Division Headquarters.
"Ara, taichou, you're back already?"
Rangiku was actually sorting out the paperwork, which was a rare sight for Hitsugaya, but he was too exhausted to care about that. "Y…yeah…"
Rangiku looked at her captain looking all flustered, she then made a sly smile and said, "So…was Hinamori-san soft and warm?"
Hitsugaya blushed bright red. "S…SHUT UP!"
End of Part One
Kinny's Notes: This is my first fanfiction for a long time now, and my first venture into my favourite het-couple - Hitsugaya x Hinamori of Bleach. Besides Ichigo, they're top on my favorite Bleach characters. This simple short story takes place some time before Bleach starts. I don't know when, maybe the last 10-20 human years? (I'm still trying to get over the fact that cute Hinamori-chan is potentially much older than I am.) But definitely after Hitsugaya has become captain of the 10th Division, with Rangiku as his lieutenant, and Hinamori has been 5th Division lieutenant as well. This chapter is spoiler free for those who've not read far into the manga, but I did put hints for those who've read past the shocking revelation of the end of the Soul Society arc (volume 20, anime episode 60-62), though those characters roles would be marginalized as little as possible. I've tried to keep the use of Japanese exclamations and words to a minimum (like "ne", "ara", etc.), but I've kept the name suffixes (-chan, -kun, etc).
I make the assumption that those who read this should be familiar with the Japanese terms I've used, but here's a simple translation guide.
Ohayo – Good morning
Bakayarou – Idiot
Taichou - Captain
A very special thanks to Davan Trask for proofreading my work and making it grammatically accurate. This fic wouldn't be possible without you. Davan notes that Hitsugaya is out of character in this fic, but I've always thought of Hitsugaya to be a shy boy inside that cool exterior, at least for the early years when he just became captain, which is when this story is set. Perhaps I've read too much of those Japanese fanart, that may have blurred my conception of the Shiro-chan in my head and Kubo Tite's cool Shiro-chan. More on the Japanese fanart on Kinny's Notes on Part Two.