AN/: Hello everyone! :D It's me again! It's been a long time since I've uploaded a fic. I've been so busy with my acads. Sorry for the excuses. Will save a lot of explanations later on the other AN/: on the bottom. So moving on…enjoy this fic! :D
A pair of chocolate-colored eyes lazily opened from its slumber. A few blinks and Momo was awake, thinking this would be another day for her to consume by doing the usual stuff: working in the division then hanging out with her friends if time would allow and kill some hollows then and there. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. It's been like this for the past 14 years.
The young girl only stared at the ceiling in front of her, not bothering to get up and start the day ahead of schedule. Her eyes felt dry, unlike the first days when she was informed that he was sent to a dangerous mission, far away from Soul Society. Far away from her.
And it scared her. She didn't even had the chance to say goodbye, remind him that he tends to be reckless at some times (especially when they tease him about his height) and for him to be careful.
So the waiting had begun. It was always like this every morning. For her, it was a daily routine to stay at bed for almost half an hour, silently praying to someone (the Soul King probably) to keep him safe from all dangers. And the remaining minutes were used to sense his presence. As far as her tracking abilities could reach out.
She'd been expecting ever since.
"None again." Momo whispered to herself. She rose up from her futon, took a warm bath and quickly changed into her Shinigami uniform. Afterwards, she walked to the door facing her own private garden. Pushing it sideways, the light supposed to lighten up her mood wasn't there.
Instead, a chill came running down her spine as the young peach saw snow cautiously falling down from the sky. Her eyes widen, knowing full well that Sakura petals should be the ones falling, not snow. Not when April is approaching.
Momo couldn't believe it. She shut her eyes tight, double checking if there was any trace of his reiatsu around the area.
None, she told to herself. She pinched her cheeks just to check if she was still asleep, but she wasn't. From her place, she could hear loud cheers from the new recruits' barracks.
Look, it's snowing!
Let's play outside!
Momo chuckled. That line reminded her in so many ways about the past. Just when she was reminiscing her childhood, another loud voice (guess who) interrupted her thoughts.
Why the hell is it snowing?!
That was her cue. Almost for a second did she forget why it was snowing on a supposedly sunny spring day. Figuring out that she literally froze on the spot, she dragged her feet to move forward, also aware that she was a bit afraid. Afraid that she might be wrong that he returned. And she'll wait again on the sidelines for years or decades. Or if he ever did come back, would he still be the same white-haired friend she has grown to care for?
A gust of cold wind carrying some snow caressed her unshielded figure, making her quiver in familiarity. Just then, she noticed her arm extending out in front; cold hand catching a lone snowflake that has softly landed on the middle of her palm.
Momo slightly clasped her hand in an effort to protect the flake, as if holding a newborn baby fitted onto her palm, but not as firmly to let it melt by her body heat. She brought it up to her eyes for a closer look and smiled in wonder how a little thing could be so beautiful.
And that's when she knew.
Her smile broke off into a wide grin, while her eyes closed, not doing a fine job of keeping the joyful tears from leaking out. Momo placed both of her clasped hands against her chest, knowing his snowflake won't ever melt or shatter.
"Ano, may I come in?"
No response.
Hinamori sighed. She slid the door to enter without knocking and confirmed her suspicion. Matsumoto was still asleep on the couch, snoring loudly. Her eyes turned its gaze on the scattered paperwork on the coffee table and some cups and bottles of sake around her. She couldn't contain her giggling; old habits really die hard especially with Matsumoto and her sakes, even if for the past few years the responsibility of running the division was given to her.
It was an unexplained miracle how he told about his division crumbling down if his strawberry-blonde lieutenant did become the leader, was a mistake.
But the tenth division wasn't a weak division, even after their captain left to fend off more serious threats outside Soul Society. There were only times when the seniors in the group would ask how their captain was doing, and some recruits who were very much intrigued as to who's their legitimate leader. And if he really was two to three feet smaller than the busty lieutenant….
A low grunt was heard from the sleeping woman and Momo snapped out of her thoughts. She somehow heard her mumbling in her sleep about her 'missing sake' and 'please don't freeze me'- the usual lines. Before she went out to find him on other places, she draped a thin blanket onto Matsumoto. With that, she head out to the 1st division.
"Ah, Hinamori-fukutaicho! It's nice to see you here," greeted Ukitake, with Kyoraku walking with him towards the young lieutenant. They spotted the girl on the middle of the hanging hallway, her body leaning on the wooden railing facing the snow-filled scenery of Seireitei. Her elbows were propping up her cold yet flushed cheeks rested on her palms before she heard her name and turned her gaze to her side.
"It's also a pleasure, Ukitake-taicho, Kyoraku-taicho," Momo flashed them a bright smile she could hardly contain, and it was easily noticed by the two captains. They looked each other with knowing stares and decided to accompany the waiting girl. They settled to stand beside her. Momo didn't mind.
Or so she thought.
"My my, you look quite dazzling than usual today, Hinamori-chan. Must be the weather?"
Hinamori broke away from her daze and attempted to feign a confused face and sputtered out incomprehensible words. Kyouraku deviously grinned, earning him a nudge from Ukitake, who was also slightly amused yet worried at the same time.
"So what brings you here in the 1st division, Hinamori-fukutaicho?" After what seemed to be their 'ice-breaker', Ukitake decided to ask even though he was sure of her answer.
Momo averted their eyes, mumbling to herself while inwardly cursing the rising heat on her cheeks, "Um, ano…I was—I thought…" Sigh.
Ukitake gazed up on the gray sky and smiled softly. "Yes. He was supposed to meet us here, but seeing the snow is falling heavily, he must still tbe on his way."
The young girl blinked at them, a bit fascinated how the older man had read her thoughts. Was she really that obvious? "Oh. I see." She relaxed her shoulders, tense from waiting since early morning. The wave of excitement calmed down inside her, like a violent tidal wave reduced to a still and flat lake in a second. She guessed she would have to wait long—
"In other words, he's stranded out there."
Her hung-up head shot up and wide, surprised eyes quickly turned to the flowery-kimono-coated captain. "S-stranded?"
It was Ukitake's turn to heave a sigh. "Do you really have to put it that way?"
"W-why is that—" Then it clicked to her. He would never release a large amount of his reiatsu to reach onto Seireitei without any valid reason, unless…
"Is he…Is he injured?" Her voice was quite shaking now from the cold and the mental images of her childhood friend in such a dire state.
Kyoraku only shrugged his shoulders. "More or less."
Momo gasped. She felt her heart pound against her ribs painfully from the news whether the captains knew he was safe out there or not. Tears were starting to sting the back of her eyes, but she resolved not to let weakness show in front of her superiors, not when she haven't done a thing yet to go and see for herself. Not when there's a possibility of him and her—
"Rest assured, Hinamori-fukutaicho, he'll return in no time." Ukitake tried to comfort the woman, but the latter cut him off.
"I'm gonna look for him. Please excuse my leaving." And with a flash step, she was gone. The white-haired turned to his companion, "Oh, Kyouraku…"
His friend only smiled casually, "Daijoubu, daijoubu."
Ukitake was about to say something in return but was stopped by a soft pat on the shoulder. "It's only natural for Hinamori-fukutaicho to be worried about him."
He turned around to see his fellow captain. "Unohana-taicho! Did you already send a relief squad to his whereabouts?"
"No.I wasn't planning at all in the first place."
"But why?"
"Those two have been through a lot. It's only right that the both of them have a reunion out there, without any interruptions."
The braided captain smiled knowingly before replying, "Perhaps that could bring themselves closer as what we've always imagined for them to be."
Kyoraku gave out a loud, abrupt laugh. "Ah, young love!" Ukitake mouthed an 'o' and Unohana let out a small giggle.
" Very well then."
"…I wonder what he's doing right now…"
...
...
An echoing sound of howling winds filled his ears, together with the slight crunching of snow underneath his tired feet making its way to his final destination: Seireitei. His wounded body continued to battle against the cold as he took small steps with such an effort to reach the home of Shinigamis.
Shirou-chan!
His hazy eyes suddenly retrieved its focus in the memory of her voice. It felt so old in his ears. His head turned around different directions, albeit the protest of his body to be treated fast. He had always believed he was hallucinating. Every time he got almost killed. When fast asleep. When alone. He would hear her cheerful voice, and an image of the girl he left behind would haunt and calm him in the most unexpected times.
Now was no different.
What remained of him was that drive to go back to her. That sense of longing he persistently set aside during those 14 years. It was the same sense of regret when he couldn't do a thing to wake her up from her coma. Then he'd tried to push her off of him by staying away, leaving her without any warning whatsoever.
He felt so ashamed. And lost.
His eyes were turning dull again.
"Master Toushirou, you should head back to the 4th division first, or else your injuries—"
"T-that can wait."
I wanted to see her.
"Besides, I left without—" ..Thud!
"Master!" His zanpakuto exclaimed, materializing beside the fallen Shinigami.
Toushirou lifted up his pale face from the white-layered ground and coughed out some snow from his mouth. He rolled onto his back, so that now he could see the heaven above him. He tried to get up, however, his energy was draining too fast that he could only clench his jaws; not even his arms and legs responded to his demands.
He needed to go back.
He didn't give her a chance to say goodbye.
That's why he vowed to—
Hyourinmaru kneeled beside him and let out a hand. "Master, are you—" He was about to carry him off to a warm, safe place when he cut him off.
"No."
It was only a single word, and even though Hyourinmaru was worried about his master, he understood what it meant.
"Not yet."
He watched the snow fall gracefully from the grayish-white sky.
Must…
He clutched his half-healed injuries wrapped by a thick bandage around his torso, sensing the pain was wearing off as more and more snow accumulated on top of him.
Must stay…awake….
It was a matter of time before he would be buried under the cold. But for him, it didn't matter.
He was so tired, even if he didn't want to.
Must…
So perhaps…
A quick nap wouldn't hurt.
Momo had been looking around for almost an hour, cursing how every place seemed to look exactly alike because of the heavy snow. Her only clue was the changing trees to get her back to the safe confinements of her home. However, it's getting harder to memorize the places she'd gone through.
It was a forest beside the West Rukongai where she felt his presence more clearly. However, it had died down a couple of minutes ago. Fearing the worst, she still searched through the place, while having a weird feeling that she'd been here before…
"Ahh!" Her feet got stuck in between the roots hidden on the snow and came crashing down the mound of snow in front of her. She blocked the coming impact by guarding her arms up in front of her head down to chest, fearing it was a big rock coated with snow. She was surprised to feel that it wasn't; instead, she felt something soft and cold underneath it. It was only when she got up that she saw pale fingers sticking out to the side of the heap of snow.
"Gahhh!" She yelped for the second time, thinking it belonged to a corpse, and crawled backwards like a defenseless child. She immediately felt ashamed after that; how could she be frightened by a dead body when she's a trained killer of Hollows, which looked a lot times hideously than a dead soul?
Picking up a stray wooden stick, she swiped some of the snow covering the unknown man's hand. Only the hand, 'cause who knew if this could turn out ugly? She didn't like to see anything gory. And so she stood up from her spot and stopped beside the mound. Kneeling down, she carefully touched the back of the unidentified man's hand. It was cold, not long before she decided to engulf it with hers completely. The man's hand was big. Big enough to grip onto her hand almost perfectly. And they were somewhat rougher than hers.
Momo blushed, letting go of the hand she unconsciously lifted. She watched it fall helplessly on the white, cold ground. Sad and limp, it rested there. She remembered about Shirou, who's probably still out there on the cold, just as this defenseless man who got trapped under the snowstorm that her best friend started.
Just as she needed to be gone and search for her friend, she felt she needed to at least pull the dead man out of there and try to save whatever that was left of him. If he was still alive...
And if not…she would have to give him a decent burial.
I hope Shirou-chan wouldn't mind…
Warm brown eyes stared at the pale hand again. She couldn't figure it out why the unknown man would stroll inside a forest in the middle of the snowstorm. He should have stayed under an abandoned house or something. Or better, he should not have gone out just to have snow be dumped onto him.
Right?
Just before she could attempt to pull him out, she seemed to have stepped upon something hard. Lifting her foot and looking down, a small light radiated from the object, blinding her right eye for a quick second.
"W-what was that?" She turned her attention to the object. It looked like a metal. She dug for it, putting aside any thoughts, any suggestion or hint that it was—
"No." She whispered.
It was a broken sword. With a light blue hilt and a four-pointed star cross-guard. Its blade dull and broken.
"No." She shook her head.
The peach girl scurried back to the mound, hastily swiped the snow using her arms. Once the thick layers have been lessened, she scooped a handful of snow and found an older, yet unconscious Hitsugaya.
"Shirou-chan!"
...
Who's there?
"W-What are you doing lying there in the snow? Staying there's gonna make you sick!" She pouted at the lying figure of his childhood friend, sleeping too comfortably on the snow, pale, unmoving and cold. She breathed out a sense of relief that she found him at last! But…
But that cold, limp hand…
"H-Hey, Hitsugaya-kun…" She shook his shoulder. However, there was no response.
"Come on, this isn't funny."
Panic arose inside her. She quickly grabbed his arm and checked for a pulse. It beat faintly; nevertheless the slow rate was still alarming.
"H-hang on Shirou-chan! I'm- I'm gonna get you out." A sob managed to escape her lips. A tear fell down to his pale cheek, mocking its coldness.
I'm not dying you idiot! I'm just so tired… Please don't cry.
All the while a hand reached out to her. With little pressure he held onto hers, as if he was touching a soft, delicate snowflake.
We've grown up so fast. Your hands were so little back then..
Hinamori gripped his hand tight, taking indescribable delight that he wasn't a corpse she thought he was earlier. That he'd returned and she found him again. Safe and alive.
She coiled an arm around his back still buried in snow and tried to prop him up, while her other hand still entwined with his cold fingers. His head was falling backwards from the lift, hair that was once sticking out in spikes were smoothed out with some patches of snow on them, though Momo couldn't really tell because of the color.
Then both remembered now
The place, the time, the situation…
Both of them knew this had happened before.
"Shirou-chan…" Hinamori froze, realization and mirth filled her eyes.
He could only smile back.
That's right…
You pulled me out from the snow. That day…
Never knowing you also pulled me out of the darkness.
While Momo gained her momentum to pull him up, he instead pulled her towards him, making her body collide with his, and once again his back met the cold.
Hinamori's eyes widen at the sudden contact, her head landed perfectly on top of his firm, muscular chest, where she could hear the strong pounding of his heart, as if he was brought back alive and well from approaching death. While she was unaware of her snuggling at him, he encircled one of his arms around her waist while the other one hooked on her neck.
Momo closed her eyes for a moment, savoring how she felt so secure and safe around his touch.
And how she missed that feeling whenever she's with him.
Finally…
"Shirou…chan?"
He didn't utter a single word. Which Hinamori was grateful for. His heart beating just below her ears was enough for her.
The two stayed like that for what seemed like eternity when one of them decided to cut the eerie silence.
"Momo?" Came a low raspy voice underneath the peach girl. She almost jumped out of her skin upon hearing, if not for his arms holding her against him.
"Y-yes?" She croaked. Suddenly she became extremely nervous.
Toushirou gasped in between breaths. "Y-You're too heavy."
Momo, shocked, lifted a hand and pinched his cheek, "Mou! I am not!"
"Itte!" He tried to pull out her hand from his face, "Yes, you are. Now hurry up and get off me!"
Hinamori complied and sighed. She should be happy as Kenpachi killing Ichigo, but she couldn't for some odd reason. Sure, she was happy that he came back to her, and he was surely alive unlike earlier…
Momo inwardly face-palmed for thinking like an idiot back there. She should have known it was Hitsugaya—
Wait a minute!
Turning around, she was surprised to see a very healthy, undead Shirou in stark contrast with the-the—
"How?!" She pointed a finger at him.
"How…what?" He stared at her confused while brushing off some snow on his shoulders.
Momo felt her jaw dropping from its rightful place, of course, figuratively. For a second, she thought the body she found was dead, and then it happened to be Hitsugaya. "Hyourinmaru!" She shouted, revolving to her back, eyes darting to search for the broken blade. She gasped. It was lying there a while ago. Now it was gone!
Hitsugaya cleared his throat to get her attention. "Are you looking for this?" He raised his own sword in front of her. She was shocked once more to find out it was pieced back together. Was she seeing things earlier?
"A-are you sure it's really Hyourinmaru?"
Toushirou gave her a stern look.
"Okay, okay. But how did you—you were—"
"You knocked me unconscious."
"W-what? How?"
"You came crashing onto me, remember?"
"You mean, you were—"
"I was about to get up from my nap when a weight came crashing onto me. I couldn't breathe any longer so I passed out." The white-haired boy explained with a grim look on his face.
Momo chuckled. "It couldn't be that bad, right?"
"Oi, oi, I almost ran out of oxygen back there."
The peach girl raised a finger. "At least it's better than choking from Rangiku-san's chest."
Toshirou cringed at the mental image.
"I suppose…"
Momo giggled, but it was cut short when a cold breeze seemed to have swished away her good mood.
That's right! I should be angry at him for leaving me without notice!
She tried to give him a cold look that earned her a raised eyebrow and with a cold voice, she stood up, her back facing him. "We should go now, Captain Hitsugaya. The other captains are looking forward to your return."
But definitely, Hitsugaya dismissed it as another of her failing acting. "Oh really?" He said in a taunting voice. "So did they send you here to locate my whereabouts?"
Hinamori immediately replied almost out of honesty, "No, I mean yes!" She frowned. Being his longtime friend, she was certain he was smirking at her knowing it was a lie.
"Why are you annoyed all of the sudden?" Hitsugaya asked. He didn't have to see her own sulking (cute) face to know she was upset at him. For this, Hitsugaya mentally cursed himself.
The peach girl peeked back a little at the man sitting comfortably at the snow before she snapped her head back, obviously displaying her dismay. She folded her arms like he usually does. "I am not!"
"You haven't changed. You're still bad at lying." Toushirou chuckled even though he knew what she felt for him was true. He was about to say sorry (that he painstakingly practiced when he was alone) when she cut him off.
"I-I'm gonna leave you behind!"
The young man's face grew dimmer. Now, he felt absolutely guilty and disappointed with himself. Sigh. "Yeah yeah whatever…" But before he could prop himself up properly, he felt a sharp pain sting his side, making him fall harshly on the snow. Momo, who was a bit far away from strolling alone, never heard him grunt in pain. A few seconds have passed before she turned to check if he was following her behind. She gasped, seeing Toushirou crumpled down on the snow again, looking so much pained.
"Shirou-chan!" She ran towards him despite the heavy snow slowing her down. She kneeled to his side and heard him hiss. She flipped his body to her view and the sight of him hurting had also hurt her in the inside. How many times did he go through with this condition? Perhaps countless, for the past 14 years he had been alone.
Now, it was her turn to feel guilty.
"I'm so sorry, Shirou-chan." She whispered to him, hands delicately searching for any serious injury. "I should have known better that you're weak. I shouldn't have left you behind."
Toushirou gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm sorry too."
Momo's eyes widen, mouth slightly open. How very rare did she hear his stare and voice turned soft. "…Shirou-chan."
Cold, yet surprisingly serene turquoise eyes gazed back at her warm chocolate brown eyes. For a moment, they felt as if their eyes are the ones continuing for their apologies. It wasn't before long when Hitsugaya broke off with a knowing smirk. "It's Hitsugaya-taicho."
The fifth division lieutenant sighed and smiled. "You haven't changed a bit too, Shi-rou-chan." Wink!
Toushirou could only roll his eyes pretending not to be attracted by her cuteness. It was always a great wonder why she was so irresistible to him and also how he'd been keeping that idiotic grin from showing whenever she was around him.
His lovey dovey thoughts were cut off when he felt her hand wrap onto his. "Come, we shouldn't stay here any much longer."
He only nodded at her, a cunning move in order to execute his plan.
Just as Hinamori stood up and pull up the tired boy, he pulled her again with a greater force than hers, making her body collide to him.
But this time he made sure she would land to his—
"Oof!"
Blink.
Blink blink.
Toushirou frowned. Then he turned to his right, where Momo's face was—
Momo's face was buried on the snow beside his head.
His mouth slightly open with disappointment, but soon it was replaced by a low chuckle, then fits of laughter.
Hearing him, Momo pulled away from the snow on the ground with a "Gwah!" She then narrowed her eyes on the white-haired man still under her body. If only Toushirou wasn't laughing so hard, he could have seen the redness of her face in full contrast with the pure white snow. Seeing him smile was so rare to her, plus the 14-year absence, so how would she make sense to his beautiful laughing?
She just glared at him. This time without fail... "Mou! Why do you keep pulling me?" She somewhat held herself up, arms and legs bent, locking Toushirou in between.
But Toushirou didn't mind nor notice because he kept on belly-laughing. Which Momo really did find extremely adorable (she was damn turned on alright!). If only he would calm down for a second, she would have—
But of course, instead of cooing, she urged not to hug him back. In its place, she smirked.
"Eat this!" Momo scooped some snow and shoved it onto his face. Some of it made its easy entrance to his mouth, instantly stopping him from further laughing. He choked and coughed on a few, and pretended to be annoyed (when inside, he really missed playing on the snow with her).
"Hey! What did you do that for?"
"'Cause you pulled me again and you were making fun of me!" The two started to throw snows to each other from their positions.
"Well sorry if I can't help it!" The young man tried to cover his mouth from laughing again. "Y-you should have seen yourself!"
The little snowfight continued and halted when the raven-haired girl stopped bombarding her disadvantaged target with snowballs. After feeling nothing following her attacks, Toushirou slowly put down his defense on his face and was greeted by that bright smile on her face that felt so familiar to him, and at the same time, it wasn't.
He couldn't explain it in simple words, the look she's giving him. Is it something out of happiness? Or a long-sought goal she had finally gotten? No, it wasn't quite like that. He always kept a photographic memory of every smile she'd shown to him. But not this one.
How could he possibly describe something more beautiful than her usual smiles?
Toushirou soon found his throat drying up. He gulped slowly. Wondering and wondering. Breaths were huffed but calm all at once. Her cheeks were red. Probably because of the coldness. Perhaps his cheeks were burning too, but for a different reason.
Momo, on the other hand, felt the same way. She knew she was smiling at him and stupidly if she might add. That's probably why his eyes felt so lost yet so intense at the same time. No. Why was she smiling again? She was happy alright. But why did the beating of her heart so ever slowly became this loud? She felt it was all over the place. And that's probably why he was staring back at her. Perhaps he could hear it too. How embarrassing.
But it didn't seem to be the case. Because she knew she's embarrassed if she immediately puts a hand to cover her face. Her cheeks were burning. His too. Must be the coldness. But her heart is pumping blood everywhere in her body, only with more power. Her breathing was light despite her heart throbbing not in pain, but in desire.
That object of desire she unconsciously held closer, never knowing until know that she was sitting on top of him, heads a little closer than what they've never imagined, a single hand touching his chest where she could feel his heart, too, pumping blood everywhere in his body, with so much power, in harmony with hers. With a bigger hand, also on top of hers, caressing it, making it warm with his body heat. His breath fanning across her face, making her cheeks burn red even more. Eyes fixed onto each other's gazes as he broke the silence with a whisper sending chills down her spine.
"What's with the face, bedwetter?"
Which she returned with a softer voice…
"I don't wet the bed anymore, Shirou-chan."
Both of them smiled even wider as the two sat up and out of trance, his lips found its way to her forehead, making her close her eyes and savor all the feelings bursting with that gentle yet so powerful kiss.
His hand left hers on his chest and encircled an arm around her waist, while the other was combing her soft silky hair before he leaned in to her ear and said "I missed you," with so much emotion.
That's when she knew.
She pulled away from him, so slowly, and brought themselves closer and closer until it felt there was no more to fear and hide.
Their lips touched one another ever so lightly until it felt it was the most precious thing they could ever possess in their lives.
"I'm home, Momo."
…And they were in love with each other.
"Welcome back, Toushirou."
.
.
AN/: Awww. Did you like it? I'd been finishing this since January, if I'm not mistaken. And then one day I thought the file was gone! :O :'( I couldn't find it at first, but luckily I had retrieved it, thank goodness.
As for Shirou The Dog, I'm so so sorry. I'll update soon as I finish all my papers and exams. Which I guess will roughly take me two weeks more. I deeply apologize for the backlogs. Ohhh and if you like, you can visit my profile and view my other stories and other people's Hitsuhina stories. J Also, do review on this one. I'm not pretty confident with my perfect tenses ever since high school, so constructive, grammar-related reviews would definitely be a great help! And of course, a little more support for Hitsuhina will make my day really happy too :D So don't forget to click Review and (patiently) watch out for more updates and stories! :D
-suikatomomo
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