SUMMARY: Some parts of childhood are hard to leave behind. Hitsugaya tries, and Matsumoto is there to comfort and snuggle him when he falters.

PAIRINGS: None, really. Just a close bond between Matsu and Hitsu.

WARNINGS: For once, none. (wow, first time I think I ever wrote that…) Just to keep my arse covered, possible OOC, though I did try to keep them IC

NOTES: Set in the human world, when Hitsu and company come to Karakura town, and he and Matsu stay at Orihime's. Contains lots of fluffy fluff and sap and snuggles, but not much in the way of a plot.

DISLCLAIMER: Bleach and all associated characters, etc, do not belong to me and I make no money off of this.

TOY SOLDIER

by Neko Oni

Hitsugaya sat curled up in the window seat, listening to the windchimes dancing and rain tapping on the glass pane. His large teal eyes were dull and slightly glassy; they kept slipping closed. It was cold next to the window; he shivered, pulling his knees closer to his thin chest. All he wore was an oversized t-shirt and a pair of socks.

The young taichou yawned and blinked, curling further into the cold glass of the window, his cheek pressed against it and his breath fogging it. He hugged his knees tighter. It was dark out; the streetlights of Karakura were not visible through the rain. All he could see was pounding rain and darkness. And cold.

It was lonely in the wee hours of the night, just before morning. He usually did not have insomnia, but since coming to the living world, he had had trouble sleeping. His pale cheeks blossomed into a rosy hue. His reason for staying up was stupid, childish, and made him want to bury his face in his knees.

Matsumoto and the other shinigami slept wherever they could find that was comfortable without a problem. But the youngest member- and leader of the mission…Oh, how the others would laugh if they knew. His small hands curled into fists. He was embarrassed. The only consolation he had was that Matsumoto often had trouble sleeping without his small body curled next to her longer one.

Well, Matsumoto could sleep on her own- as she often did on the couch back in their office in Soul Society, when she should be doing paperwork- but after centuries together a routine had developed. Hitsugaya would finish his paperwork, and Matsumoto's, often pulling an all-nighter and would end up falling asleep at his desk, his body giving out under his stubborn will. Then Matsumoto would come along, unable to resist how cute he look asleep, she claimed, scoop him up, then go cuddle him on the couch and take a nap with him.

He would never admit it outloud, but he secretly enjoyed being held close when he was exhausted. She would tuck a blanket around him and stroke his hair, his head pillowed on her infamous boobs while she played with his hair and grinned like the idiot she was.

Even here in the human world, at Orihime's house, Matsumoto often waited for the human girl to fall asleep, then tip toe over and scoop Hitsugaya up, claiming she got a much better sleep with her arms around her tiny captain. But Hitsugaya had been awake each night and bit her head off, forcing her to go sleep in her own bed and leave him alone.

Although he was the youngest high-ranking officer, besides Yachiru, he was mature, serious, and focused, striving to set an example for those under his command. For all that, though, there was one part of his childhood the tightly disciplined prodigy had not left behind.

"Shiro-chan." Matsumoto's warm whisper washed over him, laced with sake. She had been drinking, and somehow had gotten the human girl drunk as well- Hitsugaya could hear her snores. Matsumoto reeked as bad as Kyouraku-taichou. Rum, vodka, beer- she smelled like a fermented cocktail of every alcohol available in the human world, and underneath that potent brew lingered the sweet, faint scent of sweet peas.

He bit his lower lip, hiding his soft smile, and allowed himself to slip into her embrace. She tucked his head under her chin and he growled softly. "You're drunk."

"No m' not." Her breath curled over him and he wrinkled his pert little nose.

"No, I take that back. You're piss-ass drunk."

Matsumoto snorted. "Bah, maybe I'm a little buzzed, but I've done paperwork more hammered than this." She grinned, proud of how well she was managing. She pulled him against her, so his weight was resting against her. "And you're tired. Come to bed, Shiro-chan."

Hitsugaya pushed back. "You're completely soused. And I'm not tired-" He was interrupted by a yawn.

Matusmoto eyed him beadily, grinning in triumph at his yawn.

He glared back at her, but it was ruined by his cherry-blossom pink blush. Matsumoto's cat-ate-the-canary grin grew. Hitsugaya growled at her and looked away, at the dark window streaked with running rain.

Something warm, soft, and furry pressed to his cheek. He gasped, teal eyes huge. Was it really-? Hitsugaya looked down. Matsumoto had a white dragon plushy with a baby blue ribbon around its neck. The toy he had since he was in diapers, had slept with every night since before he could walk. The companion he had forgotten when in a rush packing. The reason why he was having trouble sleeping.

Blue eyes danced at the surprised delight in large teal ones. "You haven't been sleeping, Shiro-chan. And you've been extra cranky."

Hitsguaya went to embrace his beloved stuffed animal, but quickly glued his arms to his sides, scowling in embarrassment. No one was supposed to know, and shame washed over him, drowning his joy. His entire face burned.

Matsumoto made the plushy kiss Hitsugaya's cheek, giggling. "I've known for the last several decades. Momo told me. You can't keep secrets from this vice captain, you know!" She beamed, proud of her snooping abilities. "And don't worry, no one else knows." She tacked that on as an after thought.

Hitsugaya still said nothing, just glared at her. She still grinned like a drunk idiot, rubbing the plushy against his baby cheek. "Shiro-chan, he's missed you, too."

Hitsugaya bit his lip. He was still too embarrassed to speak, but he had missed his bedtime companion. He was tired, and he wanted nothing more than to hold the dragon close and go to sleep. Lowering his eyes, he took the dragon in his arms.

Matsumoto squealed and hiccupped, then scooped him up as she stood up. Hitsugaya would have glared, but he had been in the last week he had gotten a total of five hours of sleep. He was exhausted, and now he had the one thing keeping him up back. He felt like the taut strings that had kept him awake were cut; he sighed, snuggling against the dragon's soft fake fur, and was asleep within seconds.

Matsumoto danced with delight all the way to her bed, snuggling her adorable little captain close. She shot the snoring Orihime a smug smirk- the girl had said, in a drunken confession, that she would love to hug the adorable little Hitsugaya- and here Matsumoto was, doing just that. She snuggled the small, slim shinigami captain close, curling her longer body around his protectively, and fell asleep, snoring as loud as Orihime.

OWARI