Alright, so my second chapter is up! I hope you enjoy, R&R! I don't respond to reviews, but I do appreciate them, thanks a lot!
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Two days later, Kumori was allowed to get out of the healing ward, and she made her way back to her division office, where Kira was glad to see her back. "You got better, good to see," he said, and Kumori just quickly nodded and sat down at her desk, taking out a pen and focusing on her paperwork. She had spent the last two days at the ward thinking about Hitsugaya, and she had concluded that she wouldn't give herself away so stupidly like that anymore.
After filling out a bunch of forms, she leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling, a wistful expression on her face. Her black hair fell in wisps over the back of the chair as her arms hung limply at her sides. Her amethyst eyes were lost and unblinking, deep in thought. Her fingertips ached from filling out so many forms, and her eyes ached from reading their small print. Thus, she closed her eyes, and slowly fell asleep.
She was in the 10th division office again, and she was safe in Hitsugaya's arms. His chin rested on the crown of her head, his arms wrapped around her. Somehow, she knew his soft green eyes were closed, and his breathing was even and smooth, a calming rhythm. She sighed, in heaven, and rested her head on his chest, feeling it rise and fall with each breath. He loved her, and only her. It was chilly outside, but in Hitsugaya's arms, Kumori was totally content. Content to stay there for all eternity.
Kumori was jerked awake harshly, but by nothing. She looked to her right, out the window, and saw that it was nighttime already. The moon set upon the black velvet sky, surrounded by a multitude of shining stars. The air outside was frosty, as she could tell by the thin ice settling in spider web patterns on her window sill. She got up, rubbing out the crick in her neck from sleeping in one position for so long, and looked around. The office was deserted, Kira wasn't here. Probably out getting drunk with Matsumoto again, Kumori figured. He did however, as Kumori noticed with gratitude, finish the paperwork before he left.
She picked up her zanpaku-to and headed outside, buckling the sword onto her uniform. Shivering slightly from the cold, she looked down and smiled at the snow she saw on the ground. It was drifting down soundlessly from the sky, every single snowflake different, like how every person was different. They swirled and danced in the air before landing softly on the ground to make their contribution to the fallen snow, white like Hitsugaya's hair, she noted with a soft smile. Kumori decided to leave the beautiful plains of snow untouched and instead morphed once again into the small black-purple dragon, flitting through the sky endlessly, blending in with the black night. She soared and glided through the air, skimming on her outstretched wings, enjoying the feel of the breeze on her face, and the freedom of flight. She found herself minutes later on the window sill of the tenth division office, and immediately blushed. Luckily you couldn't see it well on her dark colored scales.
She peered through the window and saw Hitsugaya working diligently at his desk, his green eyes intensely focused on the papers in front of him. Again Kumori couldn't help but stare for a few seconds, and then shook her head to clear her thoughts. Looking around some more, she discovered that indeed, Matsumoto was not there either. She and Kira were definitely out drinking. After a moment's hesitation, and a couple of deep breaths to calm her pounding heart, she tapped lightly on the window with her wing. Upon not receiving a response from Hitsugaya, she tapped a little harder. This time he put his pen down and looked around until he saw the small shape, barely discernable from the dark sky around it, on his window sill. He stood and walked toward the window and looked left and right to make sure that no one was looking. He gently lifted the window frame without a sound to let the dragon in.
Kumori flitted inside and shook the little snowflakes from her scales before perching on Hitsugaya's bedpost and looking up at him. Her deep violet eyes once again met his emerald green ones, and after a few seconds, Hitsugaya couldn't stand it anymore and looked away, "what are you doing here?"
Kumori glided to the floor and then morphed back into her human form. Hitsugaya, as amazing as he was, couldn't understand dragon tongue, after all. She sat down on the bed, averting his eyes, for she knew she wouldn't be able to speak if she looked into them, "I just wanted to drop by and visit…seeing as I'm out of the ward and Kira finished the rest of my paperwork. Am I disturbing you though? I can go if you're busy." She stood up but was very surprised when Hitsugaya stepped toward her and pressed on her shoulder, easing her back into a sitting position onto the bed.
"It's alright," he replied, blushing, "I was starting to get tired of the paperwork anyway. I needed a distraction." Kumori had no way of knowing whether this was actually true or whether he was just making up an excuse. She liked to think of it as the second option, because then that would mean he was glad to see her.
Kumori nodded, but didn't say anything, and, as it so often happened, an awkward silence descended upon them again. Hitsugaya broke the moment by walking over to the wall and picking up Hyorinmaru, swinging it over his shoulder. He then looked at Kumori over his shoulder, "in fact, I was just about to go for a walk outside, want to join me?"
Kumori smiled, her eyes brightening, "I would love to." She blushed a little, maybe she had sounded too eager?-and avoided Hitsugaya's eyes.
After a few seconds of awkward silence where Kumori was blushing like mad, Hitsugaya said, "well, are you coming or not?" Kumori looked up and nodded quickly, standing up and following her crush. She nodded in thanks, blushing, when he held the door for her, and then closed it behind him with a soft click.
The two of them hesitated when they reached the bottom of the stairs outside of the tenth division building. The snow had stopped falling, but it was still on the ground, the white flaky substance covering everything as far as the eye could see. The trees' branches were outlined with snow, and the ground seemed like an endless meadow of it. It was like a wonderland, so beautiful Kumori's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened.
"Amazing…" she breathed quietly and swept her gaze over her surroundings. She took a step forward but almost winced when she heard the crunch of the snow beneath her feet. She hated to ruin it when it was all so beautiful, so clean and perfect, untarnished.
Hitsugaya looked at her, "what are you waiting for?" He wrapped a scarf around his neck and went forward. Kumori sighed, smiled, and shook her head. Well, since Hitsugaya already ruined the snow, she might as well. She followed after him and walked alongside him, the awkward silence there again, ever present.
Kumori enjoyed this moment. Walking through the forests of Seiritei in the chilly winter, the snow crunching beneath her feet. She looked around and took in everything she saw. The pale moon up in the sky, the stars beside it, the snow on the trees, the plants. There was nothing else out here tonight, no one but her and Hitsugaya. Her and Hitsugaya. She blushed softly and risked a glance over at him. He too, had his head tilted up, taking in the gorgeous scenery. She wondered what he was thinking about. Again she couldn't take her eyes off of him. His spiked up silver hair glistened in the moonlight, his emerald green eyes appeared to be sparkling. As he walked through the forest, the trees cast shadows on his face, alternating shadows…and the addition of the white scarf made him look all the more dashing…Kumori felt her heart hammering in her chest as she looked away.
Suddenly Hitsugaya placed an arm in front of her, blocking her way, "Ryuhana…do you hear that?" Kumori tuned back into the forest around her and heard a soft, feeble chirping sound, barely audible. Without hesitation, she began scoping around in the forest, searching for the source. Hitsugaya followed a safe distance behind her.
After a minute, she found it. A small bird, one of those that stayed behind in the winter, had injured its wing and was lying in the snow, unable to fly back up to its nest in the tree trunk. Its feathers were ruffled, and as Kumori bent down in front of it, it cheeped again and tried to back away.
"Calm down, little guy…I'm not going to hurt you…" The bird couldn't understand what she said, but it sensed her soft tone and relaxed a bit, allowing Kumori to pick her up. Kumori delicately straightened up its wings feathers and looked around until she saw the hole in the tree trunk that was its nest. Gently she placed the bird in the tree and watched kindly as it settled into the twigs and leaves, chirping to her. She somehow knew it was thanking her. She turned around and saw that Hitsugaya had a soft expression on his face, and he was smiling faintly.
She rejoined him, and he nodded to her, "that was great, Ryuhana…"
Kumori blushed and flapped her hand modestly, "anyone would've done it. It's nothing too fabulous." She heard Hitsugaya scoff silently, and could tell he was rolling his eyes, but still had that smile playing on his lips, just the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly.
"Hitsugaya…" she sighed peacefully in a wistful tone. She saw him turn to look at her and realize she had said it out loud, and immediately blushed, "oh uh…nothing." She smiled cheerfully, hoping she didn't sound like an idiot.
Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow and then turned away, back to looking at the panorama of snow around them. Kumori sighed again and glanced at him, and then looked away to keep her mind off how amazing he was…
Soon the two of them ended up back at the 10th division building front and Hitsugaya turned to Kumori, "well…I guess I'll see you later." He looked down awkwardly, as if not really knowing what to say. His hands were stuffed in his coat pockets, and he all of a sudden seemed really interested in the footprints in the snow.
Kumori laughed softly, "Yeah, I'll see you later too." She turned and began walking away, back to the 3rd division office where she undoubtedly had more paperwork waiting for her.
"I enjoyed…the walk," she heard Hitsugaya call from behind her, and she looked at him over her shoulder and smiled.
"I did too," she replied, her violet eyes sparkling with happiness, and then she turned and made her way to her office again.