Bleach © Tite Kubo. Bleach: Cross original characters and elements, including the "past life backstory" © Eugena.
A/N: This is a Valentine's-centric fic. Other details from Bleach: Cross are in the main story.
Pairings: Toshiro/Shirahime, Kenpachi/Shirahime, Kail/Shirhaime, Gin/Rangiku, Ichigo/Rukia
Opening Theme: Toki Ni Ai Wa by Masami Okui
Ending Theme: Sen no Yoru wo Koete by Aqua Timez
Bleach: Cross
Blush
By Eugena
Rated: T
Chapter One: The Unraveling
Ichigo's Narration (Voice Over)
Ichigo Kurosaki, 15, substitute soul reaper. Until recently, I was the only human soul reaper.
Rukia Kuchiki, the soul reaper that gave me her powers, has been living in my closet and trying to live a human life. She gave me a book called Kail the Knight and as it turns out, that's changed my life more than I could have imagined. But there's more to that story, I'll save it for another time.
Sam Hawthorne, author of that book, had been transported into Soul Society by none other than Zangetsu—the incarnation of my zanpaku-to. As it turns out, she was in love with him in a past life but married me. She was once the Snow Princess of the Heavens, Shirayukihime no Tenjou. Now she's taken up her old familiar name, Shirahime, the one she once let her friends call her and what I once called her. But I doubt I'm her only love this time, now she's the third seat of Squad Ten under Toshiro Hitsugaya Taicho and Rangiku Matsumoto Fukutaicho. After all, I'm sure my hollow, Kail, will cause trouble.
oOo
SOUL SOCIETY – SQUAD TEN BARRACKS – THIRD SEAT THORNE'S QUARTERS
"Sleeping as usual?" Hitsugaya asked Matsumoto as he looked over at Thorne.
"It can't be helped, Taicho," Matsumoto said, brushing back a lock of her hair. "She is still human. Time passes much faster in her world than ours."
Hitsugaya looked away from them both. "I know." His tone was low, almost remorseful. "I wish I could restore her back to herself."
"It won't be possible, Taicho." Matsumoto made a fist and brought it down to the desk. She stopped herself short of slamming it and making too much noise. "Not right," she said. "Will we always be prisoners of the past?"
Hitsugaya looked up, a slight blush on his cheek. Ever since meeting Shirahime, he had found out a past life he had shared with Matsumoto. It was a past life he regretted, one he never wanted to repeat. He would never be weak again. He will protect both Matsumoto and Shirahime.
"Rangiku," he said in a soft voice.
"T-taicho?" her voice broke, so unaccustomed to hearing him use her given name.
"I swear to you, and to her, that the past won't be repeated anymore."
Matsumoto looked away from him. The pain of memories threatened her eyes to tears. "Taicho, the best thing would be to give her happy memories. Erase the pain with new memories."
"For both of us. All of us."
Matsumoto nodded and left. She could take on the taicho's duties for today. They both needed their own sort of closure. She had the Gin of her heart to battle for the day and Hitsugaya had to grow up a little before he could take on his problem.
