It was a beautiful day in the Soul Society. Months had passed since the war, and there had many who thought peaceful days like this would never come again. In the end, they won the battle thanks to Ichigo, although the cost was high, everyone had been working hard to rebuild what was broken. The healing process was still going on for many of them, but they were all moving forward.
Hitsugaya Toshiro, captain of the Tenth Division, was one of those who was moving forward. If this war had taught him anything, it was that he was nowhere near strong enough to protect Hinamori. He let himself fall victim to Aizen's deception, and because of that, he ended up hurting the girl. He stabbed her in the chest, nearly killing her, and then instead of tending to her aid he rushed off like a fool and almost died himself. With the combined efforts of both the Fourth and Twelfth Division, the two childhood friends had recovered and returned to their duties.
Once Hinamori had been discharged and was deemed healthy enough to work, he had rushed to see her, to beg for her forgiveness. The whole time she was recovering he had been training nonstop to better his skills and gain more strength and power. He wouldn't fail her a second time. It shouldn't have surprised him that she didn't blame him for anything that happened and happily expressed how glad she was to see him alive and well. That was just how she was. She always put other's concerns before herself. Which is why he made up for it by putting her concern above his own. Her safety was the most important thing to him.
Sighing to himself he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to help ease the dull headache that was starting to form. He had spent his break speaking with Hyōrinmaru, trying to better his bond with his Zanpkauto while also trying to come up with better training regimens together. If this war had taught him anything it was that he needed to hone his skills and have better control of his Bankai. He was a captain, having a Bankai was supposed to give him an edge of his opponents. It was supposed to be his most powerful form to aid him in defeating his enemies and protecting the ones he cares for. While he was able to obtain the power at a young age, he wasn't anywhere near close enough to adequately control it. If he wanted to keep his promise to protect Hinamori, then he needed to get stronger and to do so meant he needed to be able to use his Bankai properly.
So far his progress wasn't going as quickly as he hoped. He still wasn't at the level he was confident enough that he could protect Hinamori against any evil that may appear. While they were experiencing peace, no one knew when and if a new enemy would attack them. He needed to be ready if he was going to keep his promise. Unfortunately, this new time of peace didn't do anything to ease his share of paperwork. If anything it only increased it. They had a lot to do after the war, and the Seireitei was still recovering. They had been able to fill the captain positions with the previous captains who had been used by Aizen. The three Visoreds seemed friendly enough; he spoke mainly with Hirako than the other two, so he didn't know too much about them. Although in the beginning of his returning as acting captain Kira had been in his office drunk out of his mind and complaining about the long-haired blonde man and his odd behavior.
Thinking of the depressed lieutenant and the reason why he was drunk beyond comprehension only made his headache worse. Everyone knew who and where to go to if you needed a stiff drink during working hours and sadly that meant his office had become the hangout spot for many Shinigami. Sighing to himself he opened the door to his office, pleased that it was empty, but glared when he saw the sleeping form of his Lieutenant. He should have known that she would be like this although he continued to hope that one day she might surprise him and actually do her fair share of the work. "Like that'll ever happen." He rolled his eyes at the thought and made his way towards his desk. She's been like this since he first joined the division and he doubted even the Soul King had the power to change her.
Light snores could be heard coming out of the strawberry blonde. Her once long wavy hair had been chopped off. It was shorter, stopping short of her shoulders and curling near her chin, the left side of which hangs over her face. She had come into the office one day with a new look, stating it was time for a change, but he knew better. After all, he was the same. He had changed his own look as well, or maybe it was more accurate to say he changed it back. His hair was styled like how it used to be when he first became a Shinigami, but he felt this was a good change for it. He was going back to the basics. During this whole ordeal with Aizen, he let himself become blinded with hate and focused only on ending his enemy. He nearly forgot that the entire reason he took up a sword was because he wanted to protect those he cared for.
Despite him being in the room and moving about Matsumoto didn't so much as stir. She was completely passed out. There weren't any empty bottles surrounding her, but he didn't doubt that she had a few drinks in her. Usually, he would yell at her to do some work the moment he walked in, but he would let her sleep a bit more. The war had only been a few months ago, barely enough time to recover and not nearly enough time to grieve. She didn't tell him what took place when she chased after Ichimaru and he didn't ask. That was her business, and if she didn't feel like sharing, then he wouldn't pry.
He was a gray area in the eyes of their superiors. No one knew whose side he was really on. Urahara had uncovered evidence that suggested the silver-haired man was really plotting against Aizen all this time but without him there to confirm these theories there was not much they could do. Central Forty-Six had other issues to deal with and didn't feel like wasting the resources to investigate the matter further, so they swept it aside. The case of Ichimaru Gin was forgotten.
He has never gone to see it, but he knew that Matsumoto had constructed a grave for him outside of the Seireitei. She would visit it during the middle of the night and be out there for longer than she would ever admit. She acted like she always did but they knew she was still healing. Hitsugaya didn't pretend to understand what she was going through and frankly, he didn't want to. He couldn't even begin to imagine what would have happened if Hinamori had died during the war. That would have been the end of him. She was his life, his very existence for living; he couldn't exist without her by his side. If she had died, then he would have as well. He loved her with every fiber of his being, and if he were ever to lose her, then he doubted he could go on.
Which is why he was cutting Matsumoto some slack and letting her rest despite the giant pile of paperwork with her name on it. He would let her sleep now since she obviously wasn't during the night and when he really needed her help, he would wake her.
That had been the plan, but the shrill ringing of her phone surprised them both. With failing arms Matsumoto woke up from her nap, looking bewildered as she tried to figure out where she was. When she caught the look of his frowning face, she gulped but flashed him a smile, hoping to ease whatever scolding she would get. "Rangiku speaking," she answered the phone, cutting off the loud ringing and offered him an awkward wave. All she got in return was a blank stare.
"R-Rangiku-san,"
The soft voice on the other end caught both their attention, mainly because of whom it belonged too. "Hinamori, what's wrong?" she sat upright; looking worried as she pressed the phone closer. She didn't have to look over to see that her captain was now focusing on her phone.
A sniffle was heard, along with a soft hiccup. "I need your help…can you please-"
"Oi, Momo, get off the phone."
"No!"
The line went dead; the two officers of the Tenth Division were left in silence after hearing the pleading from Hinamori and the scolding from her captain.
Not really sure what else to do Rangiku stood up. She wanted to check on her friend and make sure that she's okay. "Taichou, if you don't mind. I'm just going to check on Hinamori, and then I'll get started on work," she offered him a quick explanation but wasn't surprised to see that he was already pushing away from his desk and making his way towards the door. Smiling softly to herself she followed after him. She should have known that the moment Hinamori was heard crying on the other line that he would be rushing off to check on the girl.
It didn't take the two very long to reach the Fifth Division. If she asked him about it later, Hitsugaya would probably deny rushing towards the girl, but she had to use a bit of effort to keep up with the white-haired boy. Dashing past a few officers they made their way to Hirako's office, detecting both his and Hinamori's reiatsu from there. Without even knocking Hitsugaya threw open the door, his spiritual pressure spiking as he frantically searched for his childhood friend.
"Oh great," Hirako stood in the center of the room, arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the two that just entered his office. "This is exactly why I didn't want her to call."
Hitsugaya frowned, eyes scanning the office one more but he didn't see any signs of his friend. "Where's Hinamori?"
Hirako pointed behind him, where a thin arm appeared, waving at the two. "She's not gonna come out until you two close the door."
Although he still didn't know what was going on, he was at least glad to see that Hinamori was indeed in the office. Closing the door, the two Tenth Division officers stepped closer to the blonde. "Hinamori, what's going on?" he tried not to be bothered by the fact that the girl was all but clinging to her captain.
"You sounded really upset on the phone." Rangiku tried to look at her friend, but the girl kept shifting away.
Hinamori sniffed, chocked hiccups were easily heard, and it caused Hitsugaya to stiffen up. Glaring at the blonde, he pointed an accusing finger at the man. "What did you do?" he didn't know what happened here, but he had a strong feeling that this man was the cause of it.
Looking appalled at being accused Hirako scoffed and turned his head away from the young captain. "I didn't do anything. Momo is just being overly sensitive and – ow!" he yelped, clenching his now aching knee that his Lieutenant kicked.
"I am not being overly sensitive!" Momo cried out, her brown eyes glassy with unshed tears and a deep frown set on her face.
"Hinamori…" Rangiku and Hitsugaya stood in awe, mouths gaping open as they looked on at the young peach girl. "Your hair!"
Realizing that they were looking at her, Momo's hands flew up to her head, trying and failing to cover up the dark locks. "No! Don't look!" she cried, the tears building up more in the corner of her eyes. Her once shoulder length dark locks had been chopped off, reaching up to her chin. The hair had been cut straight-laced, looking more like a bowl cut than anything. Even her bangs had been trimmed, running evenly along her forehead. It was not a good look.
"I don't see what the big deal is," Hirako shrugged his shoulders, coming to stand beside the young girl. "Momo was telling me how she wanted to change up her look and I offered to give her a haircut. I think she looks pretty good." He said with a wide grin, clearly not seeing anything wrong with the new look he had given the crying girl. He picked up a strand of his blonde hair and a strand of her hair. "Look we even match!"
That comment was what broke the dam. "Rangiku-san!" Momo threw herself at the older woman, crying into her chest.
Feeling offended by her reaction that he deemed over the top Hirako opened his mouth to speak up but was quickly silenced by the menacing look he was receiving from Hitsugaya. Was it just him or did it suddenly get very cold in here?!
His anger was rising while the temperature was dropping. Logically he knew that Hinamori wasn't harmed, at least not physically, but her crying had never sat well with him. In his opinion, she had shed enough tears to last a lifetime, and he didn't want her to cry anymore. Stalking forward he gripped the collar of her captain and pulled him down to eye level. "Apologize to her right now." He growled through gritted teeth. It was taking all his self-restraint not to punch the older man in the face.
Hirako gulped, suddenly feeling very afraid and very cold. He's heard stories of the young captain's temper, but this was the first time he was experiencing it. "Momo, I'm really sorry. It wasn't my intent to make you cry. Please forgive daddy." He broke away from the kid's hold, trying to suppress the shiver that was running down his spine.
Sniffling softly Momo turned her head away from Rangiku's chest; glossy brown eyes looked directly at her captain. He did seem genuinely apologetic, and strangely a little fearful. Breaking away from the comforting hold of her friend she wiped away the few stray tears that lingered and offered the man a faint smile. "I forgive," she whispered.
Sighing in relief and returning her smile with one of his own Hirako stood up straight, feeling a lot better. "What do you say you take the rest of the day off? Go to a salon and get yourself a look that you'll love. My treat!" he pulled out a small pouch of coins and handed it to the young girl.
Hearing the jingle of coins and realizing a prime opportunity was in front of her Rangiku grinned like a cat and eagerly snatched up the pouch. "I know the best salon in the Seireitei. They'll treat you like royalty there, Hinamori," she hugged the young girl close to her. Shrugging off the pink scarf around her shoulders she wrapped it around Momo's head to cover up the haircut that left the poor girl in tears. "Taichou, if it's alright with you, I'll escort Hinamori to the salon and make sure everything turns out fine."
A little dazed from hearing the daddy comment Hitsugaya just nodded his head. "Yeah sure."
Not giving him a chance to second-guess himself Rangiku grabbed Hinamori by the hand and pulled her out of the office. "We'll see you, boys, later!"
"Geez," Hirako shook his head, a little impressed with how fast Rangiku got them out of there. He was well aware of the blonde and how she always ditched work to go drinking. Rose has told him plenty of stories how he caught her and his Lieutenant drinking in the middle of the day. "Women right?" he chuckled, butting shoulders with the boy. Or was it more accurate to say he butted his elbow against the young captain's shoulders. He held his tongue to prevent him from making a short comment.
Hitsugaya didn't find his comment funny and glared up at the man. "For your sake, this better be the last time you ever make Hinamori cry." It wasn't spoken outright, but the threat was there. He didn't want to hear that this man made his friend cry ever again. If he did, then he would surely regret it.
With that said, Hitsugaya made his way towards the door, and Hirako was left standing there with his mouth wide open and completely shocked. "Man, Momo never told me that she had such an overprotective boyfriend."
Hitsugaya stopped short, his fingers just brushing over the door handle when his entire body went rigid.
"Now that I think of it, she never mentioned having a boyfriend either," Hirako muttered, mostly to himself but the young man in the room still heard it. Brown eyes looked at the stiff form of the white-haired boy and were amused to see the tips of his ears were a bright red. "You two are dating, aren't ya? If not then I'd say what you said to me then was kind of an overreaction." He grinned, very amused by this sudden turn of events.
Turning around almost robotically Hitsugaya glared with all his might at the blonde captain. "Urasi!"
Hirako held back the urge to laugh. "You know, Momo is a real sweetheart, but she's a little dense so if you don't tell her how you feel then she'll never know."
Hitsugaya stiffened up once more, but this time it wasn't only because of his embarrassment. Not knowing what else to say he left, leaving the Fifth Division and headed back to his office. He still had work to finish.
Hirako sighed, "Oh well, you can't rush these things." Seems like the two still had some growing up to do when it came to matters of the heart.
The day came and went in a blink of an eye and Hitsugaya was drained. It had taken him most of the day to finish all the work that needed to be submitted by the end of the day. The sun was just starting to set, and it was close to dinner time but he found himself unwilling to move from his spot. For once he was the one sleeping on the couch in his office, in an attempt to fit in a quick nap, one of his many efforts to grow taller, before his stomach deemed it was time to eat. Only he found it hard to relax and fall asleep. He was too wired from working all day long and trying to get the paperwork finished. He should have realized that Rangiku was just using Hinamori as an excuse the goof off for the rest of the day, but he had been thrown off by the absurd "daddy" comment that Hirako had made. What kind of weirdo calls themselves the father of another person they've only known for a couple of months? At least he didn't have to worry about the man holding any romantic interest in the girl. He already had enough stress built up from that very scenario from Aizen, and he wasn't sure how much more his heart could take.
"If you don't tell her how you feel then she'll never know."
He groaned, rolling over onto his side. He hasn't had many encountered with Hirako Shinji, but in a matter of moments he had figured out his feelings for the girl. He knew that threatening the man like that over such a foolish thing was extreme, but when it came to Hinamori, he found it was hard to think straight. Acting in such a manner was a clear sign of his feelings for the peach girl, and the blonde captain saw through him instantly. But if it was so obvious then why was it that she had yet to figure it out? Was she really that dense?
With a low sigh, he sat up, knowing that no matter how hard he tried he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. He wasn't hungry, yet so he settled for drinking tea and just sitting there, relaxing and enjoying the silence that was so rare. Usually, his office was overrun with Matsumoto and her drinking buddies. Some days he wonders how he ever gets any work done.
Taking a long sip of his tea his mind brought him back to his childhood friend. Not that it was much of a surprise. She was usually the center of his thoughts. Years ago he promised himself that once he was as strong as a captain, he would confess how he felt. Well, now he was not only as a strong as a captain he was one. He was respected throughout the Seireitei, a prodigy they called him, but he didn't feel the same. So what if he had immense reiatsu? So what if he graduated from the academy within a year? So what if he became the youngest captain in history? None of that mattered out on the battlefield. He had failed her in the worst way possible. He vowed to protect her from harm, and his sword was the one that nearly killed her. Because he was too weak to fight against the hatred, he let himself fall under Aizen's spell, and he stabbed Hinamori. A hand flew up to cover his mouth as he choked back by the vomit that came up. Just thinking about it made him sick.
He was working hard to become stronger to keep his promise to protect her but did that mean he would still confess? For years he worked hard to block out the images of Hinamori being enamored with Aizen. It hurt seeing how brightly she smiled at the man when he wanted her to look that way at him. He had thought once he grew stronger she would recognize him as a man and finally stop seeing him as the little kid she grew up with. He still wanted that but did he deserve it? Did he have the right to ask her to love him after all he had done? Never in a million years would he ever intentionally hurt her but this past year with Aizen only showed him that he had a long way to go if he wanted to keep her safe. He gave her the letter that mentally berated her, making her turn against him and even caused him to raise his hand against her and knocked her out. He was too late to stop Aizen from stabbing her and nearly killing her. He had plunged his sword through her chest. It was his fault this time that she had been hooked up to all different kinds of machines as she fought for her life.
No, he didn't have the right to ask for her love in return. She had given him her forgiveness for hurting her, and that was all he would take. No more and no less. They were still friends, they still had their memories of childhood, they still had a deep bond, and that was all he would need. He didn't have the right to ask for anything more. They were childhood friends, and they would stay that way until the end of time. He would stop any romantic feelings that might take over his heart. He wouldn't let them blind him from keeping her safe just because of his selfish desires.
Jumping off the couch, he walked back over to his desk and opened one of the drawers. He's learned over the years that Matsumoto liked to use his desk to store her alcohol, but it seemed that she never figured out he had his own secret hiding spot. With a wave of his hand, he released the kido spell that kept the secret compartment he created hidden. Opening it up it revealed to him the few things he kept hidden from the rest of the world, things he considered private. Letters from Hinamori when she first entered the academy and a few from his Obaa-chan, his old spinning top from his childhood, and some photographs taken of him and Hinamori throughout the years. Matsumoto had a nasty habit of taking secret snapshots of them for her Women's Association, and he always caught her before she could print them to the public, but he kept a few of the photographs for himself. With shaking hands, he pulled out a small hairclip that sat in the center of the drawer. Sealing it back up he closed the desk drawer and returned to the couch, the hairclip in the palm of his hands as he stared at the small trinket. He's had this thing for nearly twenty years with the promise he would give it to her after he became stronger. In the time he's had this thing he's become a captain and grew up from the young third-seat officer he used to be. With a bitter smile, he chuckled to himself. This hair clip was a representation of how much of a coward he really was. After it came to light Aizen's true persona, he couldn't help but wonder if the man had seen him purchase the clip and purposely prevented him from giving her the hairclip all those years ago. It wouldn't surprise him if that were the case.
Things were so different back then. His focus was on getting stronger and proving himself as a capable man, but now he wasn't sure if he had the right to think of himself like that. He still wanted to remain by Hinamori's side until the end of their days, but now he would do so as just her childhood friend. He wouldn't allow anything to stop him from getting strong enough to protect her, and he would stay with her as "Shiro-chan" the young boy that grew up alongside her. He would be nothing more and nothing less. If anyone tried to say otherwise he would convince them that this was the way things needed to be. Even if that meant lying to his own heart.
"Hitsugaya-kun?"
Hinamori softly knocking on his door jolted him out of his thoughts. Shoving the clip into his robes he straightened himself out, taking in deep breathes to calm his racing hair. Clearing his throat, he answered her. "Come in." he hoped his voice sounded like it always did.
Slowly she opened the door, revealing herself to him as she shyly looked down at the floor. Her one hand twitched to touch the ends of her new short locks, but she stopped herself, making her cup her two hands together.
She seemed uncertain as she kept glancing his way, but he knew exactly what she wanted. "You look nice." His smile was genuine, and so was his compliment. Even with that atrocious haircut, her captain had given her he still thought she was the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He gripped the fabric of his pants, mentally scolding himself for thinking such things when he already swore to give up on his feelings for her. He shouldn't be thinking of her in any romantic sense anymore. He didn't have the right too.
Hearing him say he liked her new look sent a relieved feeling throughout her. "Arigato," she beamed at him, happy to have his approval on her new look. Personally, the bob haircut the stylist gave her was much shorter than she would have ever chosen herself. Rangiku had been telling her that it was a good look, but she wanted the opinion of her friend to help reassure her. Closing the door to his office she came to join him on the couch. "I wanted to thank you for letting Rangiku-san help me out, and I came to see if you needed any help with work." She and blonde had spent more time at the salon than they initially thought. After prepping her hair, the stylist had to carefully trim and layer her hair that had already been cut very short.
"She never changes," Her concern for others always outweighs her concern for herself. He saw how nervous she was about her hair, but she was more worried about him completing his work than staying home and trying to fix her hair. "Let me guess, once you and Matsumoto left the salon she went to the nearest bar and is already drunk?"
"Well…" Momo didn't know what to say. On the one hand she didn't want to sell out her friend after she went to the trouble of helping her but on the other hand, he was spot on. The busty lieutenant was already drunk with their friends and wouldn't be returning to the office tonight.
Hitsugaya could only sigh and rub his temples. Just thinking about his lazy lieutenant gave him a headache. "I appreciate your concern, but Matsumoto is a grown woman who should be doing her own damn work," he crossed his arms and frowned as he looked at her desk that had two stacks of paperwork waiting to be completed. "And I plan to make sure she does them." he all but growled out, letting his anger and threat be known. Tomorrow he was going to freeze her to the chair so she couldn't run away and skip out on work again.
Momo let out an awkward laugh, silently reminding herself to warn her friend about her impending fate. Stifling a yawn, she stretched her arms above her head, and let out a pleased groan. "Today has been kind of crazy."
He scoffed, relaxing his shoulders but still kept his arms crossed. "When isn't it?"
She giggled, "That's true." She leaned back against the plush couch, a pleasant smile on her face as they sat there in silence. It's been a while since it was just the two of them like this. Casting a sideways glance at him her smile increased, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "I'm happy to hear that you like my haircut. Your opinion was the one I was the most worried about."
This caught Hitsugaya off guard. He didn't mean to, but his body stiffened up at her words, his head turning sharply in her direction so he could take her all in. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the faint blush on her cheeks
Seeing his reaction made her blush deepen, but she wouldn't let a little embarrassment deter her. If this past year taught her anything it was that time is short and she didn't want to go through life with any regrets. So that meant she would speak what's on her mind. "I had thought about cutting my hair short a couple of times. Granted I would never have cut it this short, but I had thought about changing up my style a few times over the past decade," reaching into her robes she pulled out a light blue cloth. The same one he had gifted to her all those years ago. "However if I did cut my hair then I wouldn't be able to wear this haircloth that you gave me," she brought the blue fabric close to her chest, directly above her heart. "I've loved this haircloth ever since you gave it to me and I'm disappointed I can't wear it anymore, but I promise to always keep it with me." She smiled at him, hoping that he saw just how much this cloth meant to her. This was special to her because he had given it to her. He gave her this present not because it was her birthday or another special occasion but because he had been thinking about her. To her, this cloth was a symbol of their bond. No matter how much time passed, they would always be in each other's thoughts.
Hitsugaya bit his lower lip as he gripped tightly to his arms. He was sure later on tonight he would find red marks on his skin from how hard he was clutching his arms, but he didn't care. Seeing her smiling like that, hearing those sweet words, being able to experience her kindness, it always caused this kind of reaction. His heart was beating out of control, making his mind shut down and filling him with a warmth that only she could do. He hated the heat. Ice was his home, and it was a part of him. But he was addicted to the warmth that she gave off. "Hinamori, you don't play fair." He had to bite his tongue to keep from saying all the words he wanted to say. There was so much he wanted to tell her. Had this been over a decade ago he would have considered this a prime opportunity to confess his feelings but didn't he just swear he would forgo any romantic interest in favor or keeping her safe and happy? That had been his intentions, but not even he could anticipate just how strongly her smile could affect him. "If you look at me that way it'll make it harder to give up on you." All he wanted to do right now was take her in his arms and confess all that he felt for the girl. He knew she didn't feel the same. While she may no longer feel enamored about Aizen she was still healing and entering a relationship was the last thing on her mind. Hinamori was an open book to him. While he has been hiding his emotions since childhood, she always showed her in her eyes. Her chocolate doe-like brown eyes told him all he needed to know. She still saw him as the little boy she grew up with. But he was amazed to see looking into those shining eyes that never once looked upon him with fear he saw that there was something new shining in them. Recognition.
He gulped at this. For years he's wanted her to recognize him as more than just "Shiro-chan," and it seems, at last, she finally was. She was starting to look at him as more than just some kid that used to spit watermelon seeds at her. Taking a deep breath through his nose and exhaling through his mouth he reached into his robes and pulled out the hairclip. Without giving himself a second to think about it he stretched out his arm, reaching across her to lock the clip into her soft raven locks. His fingers slowly caressed the hair that he often used to play with whenever she had fallen asleep before him when they still lived together. Their faces were only inches apart. If he wanted to, he could easily place his lips on top of hers, but instead, he leaned back and did his best to control his thumping heart. Had this been a decade ago he wouldn't have been able to do such a thing. He would have been too embarrassed and worried about his image. He always wanted to appear more adult. But he realized that he shouldn't care so much about how he looked and just start doing all the things he wanted. He didn't want to regret anything more in life.
Momo felt like her two cheeks were on fire. She never once expected Hitsugaya to do such a thing. For as long as she's known him he's always been too embarrassed to behave in such a manner. "When did Shiro-chan grow up?" she was too embarrassed to say that's he found his sudden behavior change really cool. Reaching up she touched the clip he put in her hair. Taking out her phone she flipped open to the photo app to look at herself and smiled when she saw the accessory. "It's so kawaii. Arigato, Shiro-chan!"
He smiled, his eyes softening when she saw her continue to examine the clip. It was twenty years late, but he finally got to see her reaction, and it was exactly what he expected. "I'm glad you like it."
She nodded happily, one finger fiddling with the turquoise ribbon. "I match with your Zanpakuto again! I'm so happy." She still held her blue haircloth in her other hand. She had been upset when she realized she could no longer wear it, but now she had something new to remind her of her bond with her old friend. Deep in her heart, she still feared that the others were slowly forgetting about her and moving on but him presenting her with this hairclip told her that no matter what he would always be by her side. The thought of it made her heart flutter.
Hitsugaya was left with a bittersweet feeling in his chest. He was overjoyed at how happy she was, but he was still lying to her. Twenty years ago he had been too much of a coward to give her the hairclip, and the cloth that she treasured was just a cover-up. Knowing how much she loved the two items, he gifted her made him want to slap himself and hug her at the same time. Only she could make him feel such confusing things. "I still have some growing up to do." He sighed to himself, letting himself relaxing into his couch as he sat there, perfectly content with watching her smile like that all night long. Just moments ago he had been more than ready to let go of his feelings, believing that it would be better for her and for him. But after seeing her smile like that he knew it was hopeless. Repressing his feelings would only put a distance between them, and that is precisely what happened with Aizen. He wouldn't allow that to happen ever again. If he was going to protect Hinamori properly, he needed to be more honest with his feelings. He loved her. He desperately, truly, and uttering was head over heels in love with her.
But he wouldn't tell her.
At least not yet.
The war had taken a toll on all of them, and they were still recovering. She was still handling the mental abuse she suffered from Aizen, and he still had to master his Bankai. He would take his time, letting his heart mature more and his skills increase before he told her how he felt. Who knows, maybe in the time to come that recognition of his skills in her eyes will develop into more? For the time being though he would enjoy moments like this.