A.N.-This is post Winter War. It is slightly AU in the fact that Hinamori died, but it wasn't due to Hitsugaya's blade. Thanks to Skitter160 for the prompt, rain. I don't own Bleach. Enjoy!
Rain
It had been raining in Seireitei for nearly a week. The Winter War had ended a day before it started raining. Most shinigami just ignored it. Others sat in it to hide their tears. Some simply acknowledged it as bizarre weather and moved on. A few people pondered it. The captain of the 10th division, Toshiro Hitsugaya, and lieutenant of the 10th, Rangiku Matsumoto, were two of these people.
Matsumoto strode into the office as late as usual, completely drenched. She turned to her captain and whined, "Captain… It's still raining."
Hitsugaya hardly glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. He was a lot more worried about the paperwork that needed to be finished. He responded, "I can see that, Matsumoto." The look on his face said he didn't understand what her problem was. Hitsugaya added, "It would take an idiot not to."
"Well, I hate it! It makes my hair frizzy. Why does it have to rain, anyways?" Matsumoto was not to be deterred in her finding the rain to be wrong. Something about her face told Hitsugaya that she would not be amused if he gave her a lecture on why it had to rain. He chuckled and Matsumoto sent him a glare. "What's so funny?"
This only made Hitsugaya laugh more. The look on Matsumoto's face was priceless. After a while, he said, "It's not you or your problem with the rain I find funny. It's just ironic, don't you think? In the Living World, people say that when it rains, God is crying. We are shinigami, the gods of death, and right after the war ends and Hinamori dies, it starts to rain. It's kind of like the sky is crying so we don't have to. The sky is mourning when we don't have the time to. A lot of shinigami think that emotions get in the way. We don't cry or show pain, but we don't have to. The sky is doing it for us. The timing is impeccable."
Matsumoto gaped at him like a fish out of water. She had never thought of it that way, but it was slightly relieving. It was an outlet for all of the grief and sorrow caused by the war that others thought was a weakness. Hinamori, Gin, and Tousen were the only shinigami (at least at one point in their lives) that had died. Yet, Ichigo Kurosaki lost his powers, effectively making him another lost friend. Hinamori, Gin, and Kurosaki deserved to be mourned by the skies. Gin and Kurosaki because they just wanted to protect the people they loved. Matsumoto wasn't sure about Hinamori, but knew to include her for her Captain. After a few moments of silent contemplation, Matsumoto composed herself and replied, "It is ironic, but very poetic. They deserve to be mourned by the skies. Are…Are you okay, Captain?" Matsumoto knew Hitsugaya wasn't, but had to ask anyways.
"Yes. Are you, Matsumoto?" She wasn't either. They both knew this and asked as a silent promise to be there for each other. If it was to listen to slightly hysteric ramblings or to sit in silence as a pillar for the other, they would be there. It was how they offered support.
"Yes. Come on, Captain! Let's go sit in the rain and talk," Matsumoto said with a bitter smile.
They sat in the rain for a few hours, telling both happy and sad memories. They told all about their childhood friends and the human boy that had managed to find a place in the 10th division by becoming friends with its leaders. They told each other of how their childhood friends had left them and Kurosaki popped up, causing them to question Soul Society. They talked about the changes sure to come and the things left behind. They were the only pillars of support the other had, but could rely on something else now. The rain could always cry for them when others deemed it inappropriate to cry.