Author's Notes: Hello there fellas! Advance Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to everyone :) As promised, here is the second and last chapter of Dense. Now, back to making chapter 23 of Worlds Apart :)
I would like to say thank you to everyone who read this new story of mine. Hope to hear from you guys after reading this chapter~
A huge 'Thank you' to Geeeky-fandoms for beta reading this chapter!
Keeping Up
Hitsugaya Toushiro could only beam in contentment as he watched the moonlit city beneath him. From where he was, he could clearly see the people taking their time to stroll the sidewalks lit by lamp posts and the different buildings and establishments whose signage gave the whole place its lively, bustling atmosphere. As he folded his arms and rested them on the marble balcony, he let the wind blow his silky, white locks as if to comfort him from the stress and tension that the week bought him. The final exams that they just took, the upcoming prefectural soccer competition, and the scheduled entrance exams for their chosen university were not the only cause for the uncomfortable and unnameable feeling lingering in his insides.
He was trying his best not to give in to the thought. He was doubling his effort in everything that he did so much so that he was starting to feel that the person waking up early for soccer practice and going home to face-plant on the couch was not Hitsugaya Toushiro. Heck, he even started opening his book in philosophy (a subject which he thinks was undeniably dull) so that his thoughts will be diverted to another thing instead.
But he was failing, and he was failing big time. He tried to avoid the person responsible for his uncharacteristic demeanour, but it was so hard. So hard that yesterday after school, he went to their house to say that he was not feeling well, that's why he wanted to be left alone. He cannot help but groan as he recalled his lame excuse. Who declines Hinamori's invitation for her cake and tea just because he wanted to review for advance trigonometry?
"Hey"
He turned his head towards the sound of the voice and he cannot help but blush at the sight. Her hair was up in a messy, lace braided bun and she had light make up on. She was wearing a light blue sundress that reaches up to her knees, the skirt flows nicely every time she walks and in a strange way, it accentuates her legs. It was very rare that he would see her all dolled up, and he like it very much.
"Hey too" she joined him on the balcony and now he could clearly see the loose strands of her hair being blown by the wind. He knew he was now staring at her blatantly, but he was too mesmerized to care.
"Do I have something on my face?" she asked innocently, in a span of a second, her face filled with peace contorted into an expression of worry and she started lightly patting her face with the back of her hand. Toushiro could only frown at her reaction.
"Nothing"
"Then why are you staring intently at me Shiro-chan?" with a glint of curiosity she waited for his reply.
He could only sigh as frustration begins to build his insides, "Because you look breath taking" he said the words as honest as he could and as charming as he can.
"Oh, thank you. The truth is that I was a bit worried dressing and looking like this when I came here" she smiled as she unconsciously tucked a few loose tendrils of hair behind her ear. "I don't really…look this…pretty all the time and" she then started rubbing her neck, a habit of hers when she feels uneasy "I feel like I don't suit looking like this".
Toushiro's brows furrowed, "Why, in the name of all that is logical, are you thinking that way?" he tried to act unaffected by fixing the sleeves of his crisp, white long sleeved shirt.
"Well, for one I don't feel comfortable, I feel very strange. All of a sudden people are now looking at me as if I look bizarre"
"I told you already, you are very beautiful" he said, trying his best not to sound too patronizing. He again looked at her pixie face and he was holding on to every ounce of self control not to start ogling at her again.
Truth be told, any person with perfect 20/20 vision, could tell that she looks…nothing extraordinary. A shallow, good looking guy who would happen to walk the streets would not even spare a second glance at her and in all honesty, he did the same the first time he laid his eyes on her when they were in elementary school. But as the years went by and he spent most of his time in school with the brunette, he realized that her personality and unique outlook in life was much to admire.
"Oh Shiro-chan. Thank you but I know what I look like" she said as she gently patted his arm in gratitude, he could only look at her in irritation because of her attitude towards her looks. Looking 'plain' did not necessarily mean 'ugly'; at least on his book. He hated it whenever this subject was the topic of the conversation, she would give him that 'I know the truth' smile, which looks so resigned and so defeated he wanted to shake her and yell something along the lines of 'I've liked you for as long as I can remember!'
He heaved another sigh and offered his hand as he led her to the nearby staircase, "Come, let's walk"
Standing at the balcony while she was looking so beautiful while talking about how she was not attractive enough for the taste of the opposite sex's general population was getting him all worked up. He was biting his tongue more than he should.
"Your relatives from England are very interesting" she opened up the conversation and he was thankful that the topic was something he was fine with.
"Yes, they are"
"They speak perfect Japanese though, honestly when you invited me to come for tonight's gathering I imagined them speaking English in impressive British accents" she laughed and it made her eyes sparkle.
He couldn't help but beam as well. Yes, the boys surrounding her are fools, and for that he was eternally thankful. No other guy tried to make moves to Hinamori since they were not into her looks.
It works totally fine for him; it's their loss anyway.
"British accents are so cool! I listened to them while they were talking to each other in English and I could only listen and stare in wonder, ah by the way…"
She took a piece of paper out of her pocket and though he cannot see what was written the handwriting was so loopy he could tell that it was written in haste.
"…since Shiro-chan is really good at English, what does 'Are you free on Saturday night' mean?" she asked as she read what was written at the paper. Their leisurely walking was put into a halt as Toushiro listened to her.
"It's a question. The person is asking if you have nothing else to do on Saturday night" where did that came from?
"Oh. Why would he ask me that?" she murmured in obvious confusion.
"It is a question used when you are asking someone for a schedule that works for both of you, usually when the person is inviting you for a date" he said for elaboration.
"What?" she blushed ten shades of red and he would have admired how it made such contrast with her skin colour if not for the panic that suddenly bubbled up from his insides.
"So your cousin Kira-san is asking me out on a date? Indirectly?" she said in confirmation and as his brilliant brain came up with what happened inside the function room while she left her to mingle with his relatives, his fist suddenly became hungry for a certain blonde's jaw line.
"What exactly did he tell you?" he expressed the question slowly and as composed as he can. He was proud that he wasn't looking for his cousin right now and provoking him for a fistfight.
"I am listening to their English conversation and then he suddenly looked at me straight in the eyes and he said those words" with her brows scrunched in recollection she continued, "And then he asked for my phone, saved his number and then tucked my hair behind my ear. That part was so embarrassing; my hair must be truly messy for him to do such thing"
Yes, he is definitely going to cluck that jerk in the face.
But he wasn't even asking the most important thing yet.
"And what did you tell him?" the warm sensation that he was feeling from his stomach to the tip of his ears reached up to the point wherein he started to break a thin sheet of sweat in his forehead. He was hoping that she did not say 'yes' or else, the sleeping beast of jealousy was threatening to be unleashed and he did not know what he would do.
"I said, 'Yes' because that was the only safe answer I could remember" she smiled sheepishly afterwards and Toushiro could only clenched his jaw in irritation.
No, he would not let this happen. For years he was so careful of his actions, creating a barrier between his true feelings for her and the limited number of ways on how to show her that he cares without putting their years of friendship on edge, and now, his brainless cousin enters the picture and the chance to finally ask her out (by him of course) was blown into thousands of shards just because Kira wanted to be all cool and charming.
Toushiro raked his fingers on his scalp to calm himself down.
"We need to talk" he took her hand and it made him calm down a bit, now if he could just rub her palms on his cheek for him to be fully composed once again.
He sacrificed so much for the sake of peace, for the sake of their friendship. He exerted so much effort in keeping the delicate balance between love and friendship intact and as a result, he held back. He was a martyr for years, he could say that with certainty, and he would not let things go down the drain just because he was too afraid of what others might think, how the people around them would react once they discover that they were dating.
Now, he was on the brink of losing her and just the thought of it is making him queasy.
Under the line of trees on a nearby playground he took his dear friend for a crucial conversation.
"First of all, you need to listen to me" he said as he took her other hand. Momo's face was laced with concern as his mood changed.
"Toushiro…" she hugged him tightly and Toushiro froze on the spot. He felt so warm as her body heat slowly seeping through his clothes and her concern for him was palpable in the atmosphere. This was the first time that she hugged him for this long and this tightly. His arms encircled her waist and in response Momo hugged him tighter.
'Oh God'
He could smell her hair; he could smell her body wash as his nose was now buried on the crook of her bare neck he could feel how soft her body was against his. Everything felt so perfect and he wanted to be just like this forever.
He whispered against her ear as he dipped his digits on her stylish, messy bun.
"Listen to me," he began "I like you. I like you a lot Hinamori"
With those words, his world was suddenly filled with light and the heavy burden on his shoulders that he carried all these years due to of self-denial and self-inflicted deprivation suddenly disappeared. Like a wandering sailor who suddenly found a piece of land in the midst of the sea, he smiled like there was no tomorrow. Now, he already found the place he longed for, and it was right here with Hinamori Momo with her scent surrounding him and her warmth making his breathing a bit ragged.
His heart thundered to his ears as overwhelming relief showered his being.
He felt her nod and he felt so relieved his knees almost gave out.
"Yes Shiro-chan. I like you too. We are very good friends aren't we? For years now…" her answer made him wince inwardly.
'What?!'
'No, that's not what I meant!'
"No, no Hinamori, that is not what I meant" really, what part of what he just said did she not get?
Toushiro begrudgingly broke the hug though his arms were still on her waist, supporting most of her weight. His teal eyes met hers and he wanted nothing but to just caress her cheeks and maybe kiss her for real but, he was definite that she was missing something.
"I like you" he repeated, more slowly, each word said clearly for her to hear. For a second, he felt like talking to a toddler.
'Come on now Hinamori, you are smart. You should get this by now' he closed his eyes in agony, this whole confessing thing was already eating his happiness whole and he wasn't able to fully enjoy the taste of sweet joy yet.
She searched at his eyes as if reading the depths of his soul. Her brown orbs lit up in realization and he could only hold his breath.
"I like you too Shiro-chan, that's why we have been side by side for years now"
'You have got to be kidding me!'
Like a kettle with too much steam, Toushiro decided that he cannot take much of this anymore. He needed to vent out in any way possible.
"How could you be so dense?! I like you, is my cowardly way of saying I am in love with you!" cupping her face with both of his hands, he made sure that all throughout his very direct confession can now be understood by her fully.
"I teach you Math because I am in love with you, I go with you to the park every Sunday because I am in love with you, I listen to everything you say, I tell you my stories, I fool around with you, I tell lame jokes, I buy you stuff every now and then for no particular reason, I've shared my whole self with you for years because I am hopelessly in love with you" he was breathing heavily afterwards that every intake of air felt like droplets of sweet manna.
"Now, do you get it?"
Hinamori could only shake her head in confusion, "W-wait, I-I there must be…you to-told me you like someone else" her eyes were glazed with unshed tears, whether it was from utter confusion, shock or disgust he was not certain.
"You are someone else" he was very much tempted to roll his eyes because she was so slow in taking his confession in. To be honest, every ticking second was a prick in his manly, macho side but his feelings for her would overpower senseless pride anytime.
"I am not beautiful" she whispered as her eyes looked down in comprehension.
"I can see that, but to me you glow" he struggled with the appropriate words but he knew what he wanted to say. Hinamori kept on looking at him as if asking him to continue.
"You have this warmth that I really love and I am just… captivated" his cheeks were now red he was sure of that. "When you get all sweet to your adopted pet dog, when you comb your grandma's hair while humming a song or that time when you cried because you got embarrassed in front of the class" he smiled at the memory "but you smiled and whispered 'I can do this' to yourself, and whenever you bake cake for me because it's my birthday…"
Slowly, he leaned and gave her a lingering peck on the lips and for a brief moment, he tasted her strawberry lip gloss. He will let her slap him later; he just wanted to kiss her in any way for tonight.
"…you have no idea what all those things mean to me"
She hugged him again, but tighter this time. He wanted to moan in contentment as his body was generating so much warmth because of the brunette before him, his lips were still on fire and the memory of their brief kiss kept on rewinding inside his head.
"Hinamori?" he felt droplets of liquid on his shirt and he was certain that it was her tears.
"I am fine" she sighed, "I wish we could be like this all night"
Toushiro smiled to himself. If that's what his Hinamori wanted, who is he to contradict her?
End
P.S. About the freckles,,, well, I imagined that Hinamori have some freckles on her back...some people have that right? hahaha, I used that description to really make the readers think. :*
Thank you to: hinnn, Proud Vegetable, ApplesStrawberries, AznVkai, sanaa11, and the dear Guests who dropped by and gave a review, I am ever so grateful!