I do not own Bleach. Nor do I own this story Chitorie does.


Hanatarou found himself gasping for air in a sea of darkness. He could not move and he could not see. It was almost as if the black that surrounded him was suffocating him. It made him sick to his stomach.

"Hanatarou..." said a mysterious voice that echoed in his mind.

"What do you want?" he whispered in to the darkness. Fear's cold hand gripped its icy fingers around his heart.

"You don't want to live this way, Hanatarou..." the voice whispered in his ear. "You know he would never love you, especially not the way you love him..."

All of a sudden, his whole body seemed like it was going to be ripped apart.

"You want this, Hanatarou..." the voice told him as he screamed. Pain surged thoughout his entire body. "It's the only way to get away from the pain you feel inside..."

"What's the only way?" asked Hanatarou as tears streamed down his face.

"Death..."

Hanatarou woke up gasping and cover in a layer of cold sweat. He turned his head from side to side remembering that he was still inside his room. It was still dark outside. Panting slowly turned to sobbing as he hugged his legs with his knees at his chest. He buried his face into his knees as his body shook from crying.

He looked over at his clock as he wiped away his tears. It was only about four o'clock in the morning. The alarm wasn't set until six, but he was truly afraid to go back to sleep.

Hanatarou got himself dressed and swung his legs out of the window of his room. A cool breeze hit his face as he began to sing a song. Soon, he was able to forget all about his nasty dream.

Four windows below, a certain Byakuya was awake and listened from the window.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I've heard of
Once in a lullaby...

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And all the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true...

Hanatarou speeds his tempo a little.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me...

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

Hanatarou slows his tempo.

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Hanatarou sighed after he finished that song. He remembered that song from a video that Ichigo had when he went to go visit him. He liked the video, but he wasn't too fond of the flying monkeys. The song, however, touched his heart and, even though he had only heard it once, he remembered all the words.

A couple of hours went by pretty quickly as anxiety ate away at Hanatarou's insides. His face never showed an ounce of worry. He picked up the tray of food that was Byakuya's breakfast. He gulped down his fear as he headed for Byakuya's room.

He approached the door hesitantly. He sighed before giving the door a quick couple knocks and entering.

"Good morning, Kuchiki-Taichou," greeted Hanatarou in a sing-songy voice that Byakuya found slightly familiar. "I've brought you your breakfast," he said as he went to hand the captain his tray. The captain's fingertips touched his as he took the tray and Hanatarou just about died.

Hanatarou continued to smile as he say in the seat next to Byakuya's bed. Byakuya set the tray on his lap as he took a drink of the tea.

"Your name is Hanatarou Yamada, am I correct?" asked the captain with his usual blank stare. Hanatarou was a bit surprised, but didn't really show it.

"Yes," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I just had to be sure," answered the captain as he took another bite of the fish on his plate.

"Hanatarou, could you open the window for me?" asked Byakuya.

"Why certainly," smiled Hanatarou. He hummed the tune to his favorite song as he walked over to the window. He opened the window and breathed in the fresh air. Byakuya continued to watched him from the bed. It wasn't until Hanatarou reached the window that he remembered the tune that he was humming. Hanatarou stopped humming the tune as he looked out the window.

"You know," he stated. "I really do love the first days of autumn. The cool air always seems to calm my nerves. I think I might take a walk later." He looked back over at the captain. "Are you feeling any better this morning?"

Byakuya gave him a slight nod as he started on the rice.

"That's good," said Hanatarou as he stared out the window again. He almost instantly became lost in his daydreams again and without realizing it, he began to hum the same tune as earlier.

Byakuya set his finished tray on the table next to his bedas he watched the peculiar young man hum away. It most definitely had to have been him singing really early this morning, he thought. As he stared at Hanatarou, he noticed htat he never seemed to look happy or sad when he was thinking. Maybe he was just thinking about what to do today or something. What Byakuya didn't realize was that Hanatarou was thinking about him.

Five minutes past like this before Hanatarou realized he drifted off into la-la land and he looked back at the captain to see how he was fairing.

"Oh," he said. "You're already finished with your breakfast?" Byakuya say in silence as Hanatarou went to go fetch his tray. "I'm sorry for drifting off into my thoughts just now. I had better go, but I'll be back later with your lunch. See you later," he said as he walked out the door. Byakuya watched him sort of wishing that he didn't have to leave.

Hanatarou leaned again the other side of the door feeling very idiotic, especially when he went off into dreamland and totally forgetting about Byakuya and the breakfast. He probably thinks I'm so weird now, thought Hanatarou. He was then approached by Rukia and Renji.

"Hey, Hanatarou," called Renji. "How's Taichou doing?"

"Oh, he says he's doing better this morning," said Hanatarou. "I think he can use some company." He left the two of them for the kitchen as they went inside.

"Good morning, Nii-sama," greeted Rukia. "How are you this morning?" she asked as she set a vase of flowers she picked on the table next to him.

"I'm doing fine," he stated as he stared out the window.

"That's great," laughed Renji. "You had us worried there yesterday. How's everyone treating you?"

"Alright," answered the captain. "You both know that Hanatarou pretty well, am I right?" The two of them looked at each other and then back at Byakuya.

"Um, yes," answered Rukia as she tilted her head to the side.

"He's a sort of... peculiar young man, isn't he?" asked the captain as he continued to look out the window.

"Well, yeah," Renji answered this time. "Why are you asking?" The captain paused for a bit.

"He brings me my meals," answered the captain. Renji just laughed.

"He's alright though," said Renji. "You don't have to worry about him."

"Yes," agreed Rukia. "He can be a bit ditzy, but he really is nice."

After a few more minutes of conversation, the two visitors decided to leave while giving him a couple of "get well soons" and such. Byakuya soon started thinking about Hanatarou.

Lunch time rolled around and Hanatarou came in with another tray. What he had came in to see, however, was a sleeping Byakuya. His heart had melted when he saw the sleeping beauty. He had imagined many times what it would be like to see him in his most peaceful state, but he never imagined it being this wonderful. Yet it was lunch time now, he had to wake him up as much as he didn't want to.

Very hesitant was he when trying to wake the captain. He set the tray down next to the vase of flowers on the table and reached a hand to touch Byakuya. Instead fo trying to wake him, his hand wandered to his face and he began to gently caress his cheek. That is, until Byakuya flinched. He froze there hoping that he wouldn't wake up. Then Hanatarou saw Byakuya's hand slither up from his side and take hold of his. Hanatarou almost yelped and blushed himself a pretty shade of pink. His face then went from pink to red as the sleeping Byakuya began to kiss the back of his hand. *nose bleeds*

It took a little bit, but then he was finally able to wriggle his hand free of Byakuya's. Byakuya seemed to feel for the hand with a confused look on his face. Hanatarou did it right this time and tapped Byakuya's shoulder.

"Kuchiki-Taichou, please wake up," called Hanatarou. At first, he didn't respond, but after a couple of tries the captain finally woke up.

"It's time for lunch," Hanatarou forced a smile. Byakuya noticed his hands were a bit shaky, but then decided not to ask. He pulled the tray onto his lap and began his meal.

Hanatarou was already a little tired. His eyes seemed to pick a certain spot on the wall to let his mind go off into nowhere and then they moved from there. Again, Byakuya watched him closely and he began to notice slight changes in his facial expressions. They were extremely hard to tell for anyone else, but Byakuya seemed to read him like a book.

At first, he saw happiness through a dreamlike gaze and eyes full of love. Then he saw sadness and a touch of fear in eyes full of hopelessness and a little regret. The eyes continued their sad gaze until a rumbling sound came from his tummy. He held his tummy and laughed.

"Well, I suppose this is what I get for getting up so early and still missing breakfast," he giggled. Byakuya paused his chewing and looked down at the assortment of food he had before him. He held out some food to Hanatarou, who turned it down.

"I really couldn't," he explained. "You need that to regain your strength. I can just get a snack later that'll hold me over until supper." Byakuya continued to eat a little hesitantly at first, but then was able to get over it.

"How come you didn't eat breakfast in the first place?" he wondered.

"Oh, I was distracted by something I saw before," answered Hanatarou while remembering his disturbing dream. "Wow, and I was up at like four."

"I know," stated Byakuya as he took another bite. Hanatarou tilted his head in confusion.

"Unless I heard another young man's voice singing something about a rainbow and you just picked up the tune this morning," explained Byakuya.

Hanatarou looked at him sheepishly.

"You heard me singing?..." he asked as he blushed. Byakuya gave a slight nod and Hanatarou just about died.

"Though before that, I thought I had heard crying," said Byakuya as he took a sip of tea. Hanatarou instantly knew what he was talking about. He turned his face away from Byakuya's.

"It could've been the wind you heard," he lied.

"It probably wasn't," said Byakuya plainly as ever as he set his tray to the side. Hanatarou looked back at him.

"Oh, you're finished with lunch," he said as he managed to force a weak smile. He grabbed the tray. "I'll see you at suppertime," were his final words before he left the room.

Byakuya stared at the door after he left. He suddenly started to feel very confused about himself. He ordinarily didn't care about the lives of others he didn't know very well. Yet, from when Hanatarou first walked through the door and greeted him with his sing-songy tune, he felt a sudden interest in him. The way he was feeling about Hanatarou now reminded him of how he felt when he first met Hisana. Like love at first sight...

"This cannot be..." he uttered to himself. "It's not possible..."