Well, my Sakura/Kakashi fic kind of went to the pits, and I've been addicted to this couple lately so…
I own nothing
Please visit my art site for Hitsu/Hina fanart as well as other bleach and anime: paintbrushplushi Deviantart com. Just assume that where there's a space you put a o.o
o:o:o:o:
There was something so unique about the morning light; something so soft and gentle and yet still sometimes so foreboding or unwanted. With the break of day came several distinguished little details that lingered quietly over the lazy few hours before the harsh sun of noontime revealed its face. Details like the grateful songs of the birds and the contrasting general quiet of the human population, the faint scent of a few early risers' tea and breakfast, and the slight chill still lingering from the night before.
A slight chill, just like the lingering iciness upon her fingers after a certain someone had held that hand.
Hinamori gave a sigh of exasperation and boredom. Her anemic expression spoke novels on the subject of her mood incase that particularly dramatic sigh wasn't enough.
She turned her head on the pure white hospital pillow, focusing her eyes on the garden of the Fourth Division's back yard and the way the light from the waking sun played tricks with its colors. Sadly, she concluded her early morning philosophy; 'It doesn't really matter…'
Her regrettably warm and empty hand clenched at her side weakly. All this thinking meant nothing if there was no one to share her epiphanies with, and Toshirou had been usually evasive lately. Sinking back into a more relaxed state, Hinamori couldn't help the tears swelling out the corner of her eyes. They were not tears of sadness or fatigue but simply the tears that eyes cry when they have nothing else to do.
The brown haired shinigami began to recall all the, very reasonable, reasons why her long time friend was refraining from seeing her. With ever beat of her aching, broken heart she regretted the cruel words she'd said to him that night and the during their last conversation.
Please…Save Aizen-Taicho….
What kind of friend says that to someone who almost lost their life fighting against Aizen?
What hurt most bitterly was that, deep inside, Hinamori was faced with the reality that some small, hopeful part of her still wanted to believe that insane, insomnia induced plea. And all the while the majority of her had come to terms with the brutal betrayal and was trying to move past it. However, that majority was subject to something worse than hopeful despair. Which was…effectively…just plain despair.
A noise across the room made the young girl tilt her head forward half-heartedly to investigate.
It was only Isane.
The silver headed shinigami healer smiled cheerfully as she did every morning for Hinamori. "Good morning. You're up pretty early."
Somehow, she couldn't muster the strength to smile back, but replied with as much heart as she could. "Ah. I've been sleeping a lot lately, and at odd hours."
"You don't have to remind me." Isane's smile was followed by a friendly chuckle as she set the tray of breakfast down. "Say, I've got good news though."
"M?" Hinamori's eyes sparkled for a glimmering second with the hope that her best friend would be the subject of the good news.
"Unohana -taicho said you could return to your home today."
A small pang tugged at the kind healer's heartstrings as she watched that hopefull light in Hinamori's eyes die away.
"Oh, that's good…Thank you." She hesitated for just a little bit, pausing at 'oh' before quickly moving on so as not to worry her friend too much.
Isane let a puff of air come silently from her lungs. 'What can I do to cheer you up?' "Oh!" The ice in the water glass sparked an idea. Suddenly there was a bright smile lighting across Isane's pretty features and Hinamori quickly became curious as to why. "Of course, because you're recovering from such a serious injury it wouldn't do to let you go alone, so we're sending you with an escort."
"Who?" The inquisitive sparkle in those big brown eyes was victory enough.
"Guess!"
:o:o:o:o:o:o
It didn't take much to arrange for Hitsugaya, Captain of the tenth division and child prodigy, to take time out of his busy schedule to come down and personally escort Lieutenant Hinamori back to her dwellings.
At first he was a bit reluctant, but after some egging from his own Lieutenant and Isane's mention of 'she asked for you' he was off at a fast pace towards the Healer Shinigami's Headquarters.
Insane peered her head in first—"Is it alright, Hinamori?"
"E-Y-yes! I'm ready." Actually, she still had to wrestle with her obi and flatten down her robes before Toshirou entered, all done at a fast and clumsy speed but was accomplished non-the less.
His entry could only be described as nervous, slightly cautious, and overflowing with relief.
To see her standing again, to see the brown eyes without the black bags holding back their beauty, and most importantly to see her acting "momo"-ish again was exactly what Hitsugaya needed.
He gave her a smirk to make her feel better, not willing to risk a full out smile, and hoped she looked up from her cloths long enough to see it.
She did, and that friendly smirk made her wary for just a moment before Hinamori answered back with the most cheerful expression she'd had all week.
Isane handed the Very Important Escort a small bag with a few things for Hinamori to take home with her. He slung it over his shoulder, leaving it nestled close to his zanpakuto.
The pair turned to leave just as the Fourth Division Captain entered through a back way door. Not forgetting everything the kind woman had done for her, and Hitsugaya, HInamori took a moment to stop, bow low, and give her thanks.
Unohana smiled gracefully and waved the complements away. "Do not worry about it, Hinamori. I'm simply glad you are feeling well again. Do not forget about your medicine though, and I'll expect to see you back at least one more time for a final diagnosis."
"Right!" Now that Shiro-chan was with her again, now that she was finally going to start living her life again, Hinamori felt like she could give out more and more happy faces to the people she loved.
With that, she turned to meet Hitsugaya at the door where he had been patiently waiting for her, silently sending his own deep set thanks to Unohana as well.
As they left, the silver headed Lieutenant turned to her Captain and asked. "Do you really thing she's well enough to leave?"
The Taicho was silent for just a moment before answering wisely. "Any longer in this room, and her spirit would have been injured beyond our repair. What happens to her body now is up to her."
:o:o:o:o:o
Although it was a menial distance from the fourth division to her own room near the academy Hinamori felt an unusual weight in her step. Her breath was not coming easily, and she suspected that it was from lying in bed too many consecutive days.
However, no matter now great her instinct to stumble and waver became Hinamori hid it, banishing her weakness away from the concerned eyes of her best friend. She knew that if he suspected, even the slightest bit, that she was in no condition to live by herself that he would send her right back to the hospital and, as much as she enjoyed the company of the kind people there, she had plans to stay right where she was. Hinamori wanted the comfort of her old life, the way it had been…minus Aizen. She wanted to be free to see 'Shiro-chan' whenever she wanted. She wanted the freedom to walk around whenever she wanted without someone having to escort her.
So she sucked in all the aches and pains of an unused body until she'd been safely delivered home.
"Hinamori…" He started when they reached her door, unsure how to pose the question without insulting her. "…are you…ano." His frustration with his lack of eloquence began to rise. "That is…Will you be alright? Being here on your own."
The young girl took her eyes away from her overwhelmingly nostalgic room long enough to answer him; "Well, I was hoping to have a bath, but it would be mean to make Hitsugaya-kun wait."
He blinked rapidly, his turquoise eyes fluttering with desperately hidden embarrassment at the mere thought of the girl before him naked in hot, steaming water. "Y-you haven't eaten lately, have you?"
"No, not since breakfast." It was less than noon.
"Then." Hitsugaya managed to regain his 'Captain's voice', as he suggested a situation that would make them both happy. "You go ahead with your bath and I'll…find someone to bring some food."
For the first time in a much too long Toshirou heard Momo's pearled laughter, saw it creeping into even the deepest parts of her well worn visage, and felt an old weight and worry lift a few inches from his shoulders.
"You still can't cook, can you Shiro-chan?"
"That's Hitsugaya Taicho!" However, despite his grumpy sounding correction Toshirou was smiling with the best expression of happiness he had had in quite a while. Like Hinamori, happiness had become a rarity, a luxury he didn't feel he deserved or had the time to indulge.
A few moments passed with nothing but laughter, giggles, and smiles between the slow and unreal seeming seconds before the two old friends parted ways temporarily; Hinamori to her bath and Hitsugaya to find Matsumoto.
:o:o:o:o:
As the water came pouring vigorously out of the spout and tumbling around her Hinamori let out a soft sigh of content and pleasure. The healing liquid surrounded her, beginning to fill the light pink tub, and while it and the salts she'd added began to do their job Hinamori reminisced casually on a conversation she'd had with Mastumoto ages ago.
"Ne, Matsumoto-san! Isn't this much better than spending your night out drinking with the boys?" She had asked innocently as the two sat in the public hot springs of the Soul Society bathhouse.
"Mmm…" The well endowed woman hummed. "It is nice, but I prefer a man any day." As she said this the Lieutenant of the Tenth division lifted a soft, pale leg from the water and inspected it in the moonlight.
'I don't know what you were thinking Matsumoto-san, but I don't see how a man could be better than this.' Hinamori concluded happily as she sank deeper into the water.
Just when she was beginning to relax, an odd and unexpected twinkling in her rooftop made Hinamori gaze upward. She squinted, not sure what to make of the sudden appearance. As if the shining thing might respond, Momo called out to it. "Hello?" Getting no reply, she stood up, almost in a trance, and began to reach for the light.
Upward her thin fingers stretched, but just as she was about to grasp it the fatigue and hard effort she'd put into walking all this way caught up with her and the brown haired shinigami fell backwards with a muffled gulp of a scream.
"Hinamori! I'm coming in!" Hitsugaya Taicho warned before entering the apartment. In his hands were two bowls of soba. He looked around and did not see her, thinking she must still be in the bath.
Before he could make a comment about 'women and their soaks' his trained ears caught the sound of a protesting scream and a sickening 'thumkluuuush.'
"…HINAMORI!"