I received constructive criticism (when Part I was uploaded in ALOFAI)! I'm happy~
So, XOXO: thanks for your review. I agree completely with you. No one's perfect; Hinamori is no exception (though sometimes I do forget to write about her bad qualities). But her shortcomings aren't here yet. It's just at a young age, I'd imagine her to be very innocent, hence the good-naturedness. So, the problems actually arrive in this chapter! We get a better idea of her personality here:)
Oh, and Happy Birthday to Hitsugaya!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
Part II
Words: 6343
In the second year of high school, class 2-A had a new English Language teacher: Aizen Sousuke. He was a kind, patient and respectable man and his students all looked up to him, striving their best to excel in the subject. Hinamori was no exception.
Well, actually she was. The brown-eyed dancer admired Aizen-sensei with all her heart. She was already captivated by his kind face and gentle voice since the first lesson and although English Language wasn't her strongest subject, she worked hard to do well. Her determination made her stand out in class and Aizen-sensei frequently praised her for her hard work and improvements. As a result, Hinamori was motivated to keep pushing herself and improving and one might even think she was trying to be a teacher's pet.
The truth is, Hinamori Momo was infatuated with the bespectacled English Language teacher.
No, the truth is, the kind, patient and respectable Aizen-sensei is the complete opposite of what everyone perceived him to be. However, Hinamori didn't know that. No one did.
While Hinamori was crushing on her English Language teacher, Hitsugaya thought he was just another ordinary teacher. Sure, he was a good teacher with a good personality, but that's all. It's not like he won the Best Teacher Award or was that good-looking or something. There were better teachers out there, like Kuchiki-sensei, who taught Japanese Language. So he really didn't get what was so great about this Aizen-sensei guy.
He also was a tad bit annoyed when Hinamori wouldn't stop going on about how great Aizen-sensei is during their lunch breaks and what-not. She kept repeating the same stuff about him, like "Aizen-sensei is really something huh. He's so patient; I'm really glad we got him as our teacher," and so on, until he could even repeat it after her.
Once, he retorted, "He isn't that great. There are a lot of teachers like that. He's just one of them."
After she got really mad at him for saying that, he stopped. But that didn't mean he stopped disagreeing with her claims.
However, the whole Aizen banter thing changed when Hinamori said, "You know Hitsugaya-kun, I think I finally know what my type is."
It wasn't merely disagreement anymore. It turned into full-blown jealousy.
Her type? Her type? Aizen?
How could she think Aizen was her type? And how could she not think that's wrong?
It got Hitsugaya thinking, "Does she like Aizen because of his looks? Personality? So she likes guys who are kind, patient and gentle? But that's exactly what I'm not…and Aizen is so old. Does that mean she prefers matured guys…? I'm younger than her, does that mean…"
During practice that day, Hitsugaya was completely unfocused and scored fewer goals than usual, which caused Ichigo to make fun of him. Matsumoto, who frequently sits in to watch their training, noticed something was off and questioned him about it but Hitsugaya just brushed her off. As if he'll admit that he's jealous of some teacher.
So when he became suspicious of Aizen for doing something fishy, he didn't know if it was because of his jealousy or…
One thing's for sure, there was something off about him.
Hitsugaya noticed it when Aizen came to school really early and left later than anyone else. He knew because Hitsugaya liked to arrive in school earlier than most since it was the most peaceful then and usually left late due to practice. 90% of the time, he would see Aizen at his desk, engrossed in many documents. He normally couldn't see what Aizen was so immersed in as he always walked past the teachers' room briskly.
However, after a particularly long practice when he was taking his usual route out, he chanced upon something that Aizen was studying. He had slowed his pace as the familiar sight of financial document on Aizen's computer screen caught his attention. He was aware of what they were since he studied financial management in his free time.
"How does he have anything to do with the school's finance? He isn't part of the administrative staff…" he thought with a look of confusion on his face.
Aizen had noticed someone outside the teachers' room and immediately faced him, closing the window at the same time. When he caught a glimpse of white hair, his eyes narrowed. He was going to have to keep an eye on that boy.
In the following days, Aizen was particularly aware of Hitsugaya and though he still maintained his caring disposition, the latter noticed it. It only confirmed his suspicions.
Now wary about Aizen, he immediately thought of Hinamori. So he decided to tell her about his misgivings.
Bad idea.
During lunch break, the two friends didn't meet on the roof to eat with the rest as per usual. Instead, they went to the open area behind the library to have their lunch.
It was Hitsugaya who suggested it, and since he never did, Hinamori was surprised and curious.
After finishing their food, Hinamori piped, "So, why did you want to eat here today?"
Hitsugaya had already prepared for this, but it just felt weird. He was going to talk about Aizen after all. What's more, he had a growing disdain towards the English Language teacher.
"Beware of Aizen," he said curtly and without tact.
Hinamori frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
"There's something fishy going on about him," he started and explained how he saw the financial records and about the whole situation.
By the end of it, Hinamori's frown had deepened. "Maybe he's just helping the school check records or something? I'm sure he has that sort of skills."
"No," he argued. "Those aren't pages that look like financial records a person would use for tracking or observing. If I'm not wrong, they look like deposits and withdrawals."
"Well, maybe Aizen-sensei is in charge of some of the school's finances," she countered.
"I doubt it. If that was the case, he wouldn't be so secretive and suspicious about it."
"How do you know he's secretive and suspicious?" she questioned.
Tired of the argument, Hitsugaya replied impatiently, "I just do. Look, just be wary of him okay?"
"Why are you so suspicious of him anyway? Do you have something against him?" she asked rather heatedly, her voice slightly raised.
He raised his own to match hers. "I don't think he's what you make him out to be. He isn't that good of a teacher and I'm sure something's off about that Aizen."
"It's 'Aizen-sensei'! Stop slandering him! What's the matter with you?"
"There's nothing wrong with me. I'm telling you—"
"You make it sound like you're jealous of him!"
"Why the hell would I be jealous of him?"
"Because he's everything you're not!"
The moment those hurtful words came out of her mouth, the argument stopped.
He knew what she meant.
Hinamori opened her mouth to apologize, a guilty expression on her face.
He didn't need it. He didn't want it either. "I'm late for class," he lied and walked away.
Practice did not go well for him later that day. He missed the puck several times, his aim was off and he sometimes hit the puck with more force than needed, resulting in Ichigo almost earning a bloody nose on a few occasions. Matsumoto, having sat in the practice again, noticed his less than satisfactory performance and went over to question him during their break.
"What's wrong Captain?" Matsumoto asked. She had been calling him that ever since he was made Captain of the ice hockey team.
"Nothing."
"Well, that's obviously not the case," Matsumoto stated, tired of Hitsugaya's avoiding.
"Go away Matsumoto."
"Not until you tell me why you're such a mess on the rink."
Hitsugaya sighed. She meant it, and she'll keep bugging him about it until he spits it out. One way or another, Matsumoto had her ways of finding out.
He might as well have her hear it from him than anyone else. "I got into an argument with Hinamori," he answered reluctantly.
She blinked it him. "That's it? You guys always have arguments! What's the big deal?"
"No, not that kind. It was more like a fight."
"How serious?"
"Not talking to each other kind of serious," he replied gloomily.
"Okay, that's serious. What happened?"
And so he told her.
He told her about his suspicions of Aizen and how they got into an argument when he tried to tell her his misgivings and most importantly, what she said to him. When he was done, Matsumoto had an incredulous expression.
"She really said that?"
He nodded sullenly.
"Wow...that's harsh. I didn't know she had it in her," Matsumoto said off-pointedly.
Hitsugaya glared at her and she replied, "Okay okay. So what are you gonna do about it? I can tell her off if you want me to. She was being unnecessarily harsh after all."
"No. Don't do anything. Or say anything about it to her. It's already bad enough," he sighed as he got up to resume his training.
As he returned to the rink, Matsumoto called after him, "Well you have to do something!"
"I know," he murmured under his breath, trying to get his head back into the game.
It was hard, but he managed to pick up his performance. All the while during practice, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened, and how her words hurt him more than they should. She was right, he wasn't kind or gentle or patient or anything like the 'perfect' Aizen.
So he was going to prove that Aizen wasn't either. He was going to need a few resources first.
-x-X-x-
It was well into the evening and Hitsugaya was still in school. The championships were coming up and the Death Gods, Karakura High's ice hockey team, were pushing themselves to the limit. But Hitsugaya wasn't complaining; it gave him the opportunity to execute his 'mission'.
He made his way carefully to the teachers' staffroom and pulled out a bunch of metal paper clips. He had already twisted them into the shape of a lock pick and was attempting to break into the staffroom. Lady Luck was not on his side as he fumbled with the lock pick, having much difficulty trying to break in.
Dammit. I should've practised this beforehand.
Without warning, a hand shot out and snatched the lock pick away. Hitsugaya whirled around, only to find Ichigo holding onto the lock pick.
"You suck at this," he said.
"Oh? And you can do a better job? What the hell are you doing here anyway?" Hitsugaya whispered fiercely.
"To save your ass," Ichigo replied while working on the lock.
"I don't need saving—"
"Come on Captain, just let Ichigo do it," a familiar called behind him.
"Matsumoto? What are you doing here too?"
He was already surprised to find Ichigo and Matsumoto who seemed to be his accomplice as of now and then Renji and Hisagi turned up.
"What's going on?" he demanded.
"I followed you and figured you could use some help," Matsumoto answered.
"Matsumoto..." Hitsugaya growled.
"Got it," Ichigo called as the 'click' signaled his success.
The five of them made their way in quietly, until Hitsugaya started with his questions again.
"You guys don't even know what I'm trying to do. Why would you help me?"
"Yes we do," Renji piped up. "You're trying to get evidence to prove Aizen's up to something."
"Rangiku-san told us about it," Hisagi said.
"Relax Captain. I didn't tell them anything else," Matsumoto said before Hitsugaya could accuse her.
"You're not the only one who has suspicions against him, Toushirou," Ichigo said. "He's our English teacher too, we can tell."
Hitsugaya sighed dejectedly. It seemed they wanted to be a part of this and it didn't look like he could stop them.
"Fine. Just search for something that looks like financial records of any kind," Hitsugaya instructed. "And hurry."
They immediately got to work, with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto checking Aizen's computer and the rest searching his desk.
A few minutes later, Hitsugaya chanced upon a folder in one of the external drives they were checking named 'BOP'. It may seem unrelated to what they were searching for, but for someone who has studied business and financial management, it was jackpot.
Lists of financial records including deposits and withdrawals popped up in the screen.
"This is it," Hitsugaya said as Matsumoto, Ichigo and Renji crowded around him. He noticed that the withdrawals far outweighed the deposits and after more checking, found out they have been transferred into an external account, without the school's approval.
When Hitsugaya was about to print the documents, Hisagi caught everyone's attention with a "What the hell...?"
He had somehow managed to find his way to the neighboring desk, which belonged to Tousen.
"What is it?" Hitsugaya asked.
Hisagi simply handed him a few pieces of paper he found and Hitsugaya's eyes widened. He was holding onto another set of similar documents as the ones found in Aizen's computer, this time the funds were transferred to another account, which was under Tousen's name.
"So...they were in cahoots with each other?" Ichigo spoke.
"I don't believe it..." Hisagi breathed, shocked at the revelations. Tousen was his teacher, who also taught most of the second-years. He was physically disabled but that didn't keep him from being a great teacher. Hell, he even taught Moral Education.
"Looks like we got all the evidence we need," Hitsugaya said.
-x-X-x-
A few blocks down, Hinamori was sitting on her bed with a bowl of jelly, mulling over a certain incident.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said that..."she thought, her forehead wrinkled. "Of course I shouldn't have said that! It was so mean! What was I thinking?"
"But he shouldn't have said all those things about Aizen-sensei...why does he hate him so much?" Hinamori said out loud while biting on her spoon.
"Maybe I should call him," Hinamori mused as she picked up her phone.
"No wait...he started it first! He shouldn't be so hateful and dubious towards Aizen-sensei! Yeah, I won't call him. He should apologize first!"
"...but I really miss talking to him..." Hinamori admitted.
"Ahh...I don't know what to do!" she exclaimed, toppling the bowl of jelly onto her bed.
-x-X-x-
The next day, Hinamori, and the rest of the school, got a big surprise when they saw two police cars parked outside their school. Some of them even witnessed the police officers leading a handcuffed Aizen and Tousen to the cars, and Hinamori was one of them. When she saw her beloved teacher get arrested, her mouth hung open, disbelieving her eyes. It was Rukia who snapped her out of her trance and brought her inside the school.
The principal, Yamamoto, made the incident public by announcing it during assembly. However, he excluded the part about who brought the evidence to them, which was because he didn't know. Nobody did, except five people. Once the fact that Aizen and Tousen had been embezzling money from the school was made known, the school was filled with discussion and speculations from students and teachers alike.
While others were guessing who brought them to justice, Hinamori had a better idea.
That day, after much avoiding from Hitsugaya (mainly due to embarrassment), she finally mustered the courage to look for him after his practice.
She found him tying his shoelaces, with his skates beside him on a bench. Hinamori was glad the others had left and Hitsugaya was the only one in the rink. She made her way towards him and upon hearing footsteps, Hitsugaya turned in their direction.
Their eyes met for the first time in a week and while Hitsugaya was surprised to see her there, Hinamori was consumed with embarrassment and guilt. She continued to walk towards him and eventually sat on the bench beside his, her gaze never leaving the floor.
"It was you, wasn't it?" she started, her voice soft.
"Yeah," he replied, knowing exactly what she meant, yet afraid of what would happen. "Kurosaki, Abarai, Matsumoto and Hisagi were there too."
"Were they all suspicious of Aizen-sensei too?"
"Sort of."
At his reply, she snapped her eyes shut.
How could I have been so blinded by my admiration for him? I'm the worst. I even...said such mean things to Hitsugaya-kun...I really am the worst.
"Hinamori?" Hitsugaya called out, worried at her prolonged silence.
"I'm sorry..." she said timidly. "I'm really sorry...I even said such mean things to you. I really don't-"
"Hinamori!" he cut her off. "I don't care about that anymore. So stop apologizing."
"But...Hitsugaya-kun," she started but stopped midway when he stood up and made his way towards her, sitting himself beside her.
"I told you. I don't care anymore. They're brought to justice. Everything's alright now. Don't cry," he pleaded and she looked at him once more. His expression was soft and he wore small smile which made her blush.
Hinamori nodded and sniffled. "Thank you, Shirou-chan."
For once, he dismissed that nickname. Hitsugaya hesitantly put his hand on hers and called, "Hinamori."
She lifted her head and asked, "Yeah?"
"Never not talk to me again," Hitsugaya said awkwardly.
The brown-eyed girl seemed to have gained back her mirth as she laughed and answered, "I missed you too."
With that, she put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He was taken aback by her sudden act of affection but hugged her back nonetheless; glad they could still return to normal.
When she let go, she said, "I'm still sorry for what I said. I really didn't mean it. So I'll make it up to you! I promise!"
So for the whole of the next week, Hitsugaya had a treat for every meal. Hinamori had specially brewed her very own coffee and tea, which she had a knack for, and surprised Hitsugaya with one treat or another, be it simply coffee or tea, or coffee cake and tea muffins. Hitsugaya was very happy with her idea of making it up to him since he always enjoyed her cooking and hardly got to try it. He was however, a little displeased when everyone started taking a bite out of Hinamori's treats for him and she eventually had to make some for them too.
-o-O-o-
"Hey! Here's you during the ice hockey championships back in second year!" Momo spoke up excitedly, pointing to a picture of Hitsugaya in his hockey gear, in action on the ice. It was taken by the school's own magazine team (known as Karakura Communications), which Hisagi managed.
Toushirou looked over and said, "Yeah, we totally beat the Espadas then. I can see Matsumoto cheering in the background. She's such a crazy woman."
"We were all excited for you guys," Momo replied, flipping the page to reveal more pictures of Toushirou's ice hockey days. "Remember Ichigo-kun and Rukia after the game? They really took everyone by surprise!"
"I still can't believe that's how they got together. You would've expected something sappy from Kurosaki."
Momo laughed and turned the page once more, this time showing a picture of Toushirou shaking hands with the Espadas' centre, Ulquiorra. It was during the game in their senior year, when the Death Gods clinched the title once again. It was unusual, since that was the first time both teams actually acknowledged each other.
"I still don't like them," Toushirou said out of the blue.
"Toushirou! They're nice after you get to know them. Well at least, some of them are," Momo countered. "Grimmjow-san even helped Ichigo-kun once remember?"
"Hn."
"I know what you're thinking. Don't you think it's time to let bygones be bygones?" Momo asked and kissed him lightly on his temple.
She was right about that. He was thinking about the time the Espadas laid their hands on her.
-o-O-o-
Weeks passed and finally, the ice hockey championships were here. The Death Gods made it to the finals and were faced with their nemesis, the Espadas, from Hueco Mondo High School. It was an international high school and the Espadas were a formidable team, having won the championships for two consecutive years.
But that was going to change. Hitsugaya made sure of that. With the team's rapport and intense training from their coach, Zaraki Kenpachi and teacher-in-charge, Urahara Kisuke, whom the members seem to like more, the Death Gods were like never before. Also, Zaraki usually brought along his hyperactive adopted daughter, who cheered for them when they performed well and insulted them when they sucked. This time, they were determined to claim the championships.
The arena was filled with cheers for both teams and flags of blue and black. The Death Gods were huddled in a circle and minutes later, the whistle went off and the game was set in motion. The Espadas truly lived up to their reputation as a formidable opponent.
25 minutes into the game and they've already scored 2 goals, as opposed to the Death Gods' 1. Zommari proved to be a tough goalie, giving the Death Gods a hard time scoring. Not to mention their defense, Yammy and Syazel, were strong, putting up a good fight against the Death Gods' own defense team, Hisagi and Ikkaku. Even the wingers, Ichigo and Renji had difficulty keeping up with the Espadas' wingers, Grimmjow and Nnoitra, despite their skills and stamina. Hitsugaya was mainly up against Ulquiorra, the Espadas' centre. But he wasn't giving up without putting up a good fight. The Death Gods came here to claim the championships, and that's what Hitsugaya will lead his team to do. He wasn't going to let some dark-haired emo boy1 hinder them.
It was half-time and the Death Gods were still 1 point below but their determination did not falter. As the Death Gods sat at the side of the rink listening to Zaraki and Urahara instruct them on their strategy and flaws, Hitsugaya looked across the rink. Nnoitra noticed and gave him a rude gesture while sticking out his tongue, revealing his tattoo. Hitsugaya scowled and reverted his attention to the coaches. He noticed Ichigo wasn't really paying attention and was instead, glaring at Grimmjow, who seemed to be staring hungrily at someone in the benches. He glanced over and realized it was Rukia he was staring at. Hitsugaya sighed and nudged Ichigo who finally tore his glare away from Grimmjow.
They were on the rink again and Hitsugaya could hear the cheers from the students of Karakura High. As he skillfully maneuvered the puck towards the goal, dodging the defenders expertly, he saw, from the corner of his eye, Hinamori with her hands clasped together, a look of nervousness and excitement on her face. Whether it was the adrenaline from the game or hid pride, he didn't know. All he knew was to get the damn puck away from Yammy and Syazel, past Ulquiorra and Zommari and into the net.
Hisagi and Ikkaku were busy trying to prevent Yammy and Syazel from getting the puck. Good. That got rid of the trouble of being threatened by the defenders. Ichigo and Renji made good use of their fast reflexes to keep Grimmjow and Nnoitra busy. That gave him the opportunity to charge right through. Ulquiorra was the only obstacle.
He skated swiftly towards Hitsugaya, his eyes never leaving the puck. The white-haired genius knew there wasn't enough time to dodge cleanly, so he hit the puck right under Ulquiorra and just when his stick was about to make contact with Hitsugaya's foot, he jumped and twisted in the air, landing perfectly with the puck still within his range.
The crowd went wild and Hitsugaya's move surprised everybody, including the goalie. He took the chance to aim the puck right into the goal and before he knew it, he scored. The cheering got louder than ever and his team mates crowded around him to say what an awesome shot that was. He took in their compliments with pride but it was Hinamori who made him feel like he just won a Nobel Prize.
He glanced up to her and met her brown eyes. Hinamori was smiling from ear to ear, clapping and giving him a thumbs-up, awe evident in her eyes. He smiled at her; the soft smile that he showed to her only, and he could have sworn he saw her blush.
However, the Death Gods and Espadas were only tied in a draw. And they only had 2 minutes left.
Both teams gave it their all in the last 2 minutes of the game, but the Death Gods were now in possession of the puck. Ikkaku passed it to Hitsugaya, who was supposed to make another similar shot. But the Espadas saw right through it and were closing in on Hitsugaya as he skated, their opponents having a hard time preventing them from nearing the Captain once they got aggressive. Hitsugaya still managed to be in possession of the puck, skillfully dodging and controlling. But he didn't have a clear shot. The net was in range and he could take the risk, but he didn't.
Without so much as a signal, he smacked the puck to the left winger, Ichigo, who was steadily keeping up. His quick reflexes kicked in and he caught the puck perfectly. In an instant he swung the hockey stick and slammed it towards the net.
Gasps turned into loud cheering as the final buzzer went off, signaling the end of the game, and that victory belonged to the Death Gods.
Before any of the team members had the chance to carry Ichigo and lift him on their shoulders, Rukia came running down the steps and into the rink. Without warning, she jumped onto Ichigo who almost lost his balance from the surprise glomp and once she let go of his neck, she kissed him full on the lips.
The cheering turned into cat-calls and whistles as the two of them pulled back awkwardly.
"About damn time."
Hitsugaya recovered from his shock and for some reason, his eyes travelled over to Hinamori. She was standing up and watching Ichigo and Rukia, a knowing smile playing on her lips. She noticed him and gave him a megawatt smile and he found himself breaking into one as well.
-x-X-x-
Days later, people were still congratulating the Death Gods for claiming the trophy, which was displayed in the middle of the showcase cupboard. Almost everywhere Hitsugaya went, there would be someone who would tell him a job well done and so on. He didn't mind the compliments (although it can't be said for the attention) but the in increasing number of girls giggling around and staking him was one thing he did mind.
It seemed after the game, the Death Gods gained a lot more fame, even from the seniors, especially Ichigo and Hitsugaya. But no girl dared to get too close to Ichigo, partly because he just wasn't interested and could get a little annoyed at times, but mostly because of his new girlfriend, Kuchiki Rukia. She wasn't scary, but she had some sort of authority over other people. Speaking of their relationship, it seemed Kuchiki Byakuya picked on Ichigo relentlessly during their Japanese Language classes.
In Hitsugaya's case, those random girls (who could even be called his fangirls, as Matsumoto puts it), have no shame following him around and even flirting with him. He wasn't attached and they disregarded the rumors about him and Hinamori, so they found it perfectly okay to stalk and chase him. Wrong, because the white-haired prince hated the attention, especially when the people giving it were annoyingly pissy.
Hinamori found it quite amusing though and even congratulated him on becoming so popular, which drove him mad because he knew what those girls were trying to do and Hinamori had no idea about the whole situation.
Their victory brought glory to the Death Gods as well as Karakura High, but it also foreshadowed the impending danger for two particular girls.
-x-X-x-
Dance practice had ended for Hinamori and Rukia, who were walking back to the latter's house together. They took their usual route, which included a rather obscure alley among clusters of terrace houses since Rukia lived in a terrace nearby. However, their trip was far from usual.
Once they turned into the alley, 3 figures blocked their exit.
With a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach, Rukia said, "Hinamori, let's take the other route."
"Okay..." the girl said, hurriedly following after Rukia.
They did not have the chance to take the other route as 2 figures loomed at the entrance.
"Where do you think you're going?" a sinister voice called out.
The figures approached them and once the light hit their forms, Hinamori and Rukia realized they were the Espadas, Grimmjow and Nnoitra. Both girls could sense they were also being closed in from behind as footsteps started to sound nearer.
"Don't you recognize us?" the voice that belonged to Nnoitra teased.
"Espadas...!" Rukia said under her breath and clenched her fist.
"That's right," Grimmjow said darkly. "And we've got a score to settle with the Death Gods. But before that, we were thinking of having some fun with their girlfriends first."
Someone behind them, Syazel it seemed, cackled. "You two are dancers right? I've seen you two dance before. I think we're going to have a lot of fun."
Rukia shot him a disgusted look and spat, "You guys are low!"
"Huh? What was that, you little bitch," Yammy bellowed.
"I said all of you are low; actually coming to harass us when you didn't have the ability to win," Rukia taunted.
Hinamori gulped. "Rukia..."
Yammy shouted something but they weren't listening, for Rukia was whispering something to Hinamori. "Listen, we can-"
Before she had the chance to finish, Yammy interrupted, "Hey! I was talking to you bitch!"
Without warning, he charged right at them, yelling in anger. Despite his size, he was fast.
But they were faster. Hinamori dodged the blow that would have struck her right in cheek and Rukia swiftly did a backflip to avoid the attack. She landed without a scratch.
"Oh?" Syazel said in amusement. "Looks like I was right."
"Get them."
In an instant, Rukia found herself dodging blows from Yammy and avoiding snatches from Syazel while Hinamori put her flexibility and quick reflexes to use by defending herself from her attackers.
The Espadas were getting highly irritated by the two girls and it was until Yammy shouted, "Oi! Ulquiorra, give us a hand!" to which he replied, "You need me to help you deal with two girls? You're pathetic." that he lost it and aimed a punch right at Rukia's neck. She backflipped just in time, meeting Hinamori in the middle of the alley, her heart racing.
"Rukia! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, somewhat."
"I hope you're not tired, we barely even started playing!" Syazel said madly and rushed towards them, his hand reaching out.
"Rukia! Duck!"
She did and dodging his arm by mere centimeters, Hinamori raised her arm and struck him across the face, causing him to stumble and crash into Yammy.
"That's it. Play time's over," Grimmjow snarled.
He reached out and caught Hinamori by surprise, who staggered back and tripped, falling into an arbitrary box of wooden planks. Her arm met with a broken plank which put a large gash in her forearm. Before she had the chance to regain her balance, Nnoitra grabbed her by the collar and pulled her up, slamming her much smaller frame into the wall.
"Hinamori!" Rukia shouted.
It gave Grimmjow the opportunity to grab her by the arm roughly swing her to the wall. Rukia was unprepared and besides the pain in her back, there was a searing pain in her ankle as well.
"You're that orange-haired guy's girl aren't you? He's going to have one hell of a surprise when I find him later and tell him what a difficult girl you've been."
"Shit..." Rukia cursed, as the pain prevented her from escaping.
"I expected something more from that white-haired boy, not this," Nnoitra said, his face threateningly close to hers.
"Rukia was right," Hinamori taunted, ignoring the pain and blood that was flowing down her arm. "You guys are low. I don't know why they said the Espadas are so good. If you are good, you'll settle this in the rink! Not with us!"
Nnoitra's beady eyes flashed in anger and he slammed her against the wall again, earning a pained scream from her. But before he could do anything more, he was met with a hard blow to his face, causing him to stagger to his side and facing his attacker in fury.
He didn't have the time to register much when he was once again punched hard across the face. However, before he could be further mutilated, a hand shot out to stop the fist from striking his face.
"You..." he started, quite shocked to see Ulquiorra stopping the blow. From his peripheral vision, he could see Grimmjow wiping at his bloodied mouth, Ichigo standing protectively in front of Rukia. His eyes narrowed at his attacker, Hitsugaya Toushirou and his anger boiled.
"Let's go," Ulquiorra ordered before any of them could start another fight.
They left with their dignity in shreds, but not without declaring that it wasn't the end.
"Hinamori! Are you alright?" Hitsugaya asked, worry lacing his voice.
She nodded and silently let him inspect the gash. He tore off a part of his shirt and wrapped it neatly around her wound.
"Hey, I'm going to take Rukia to my dad's clinic. You probably should come to, Momo," Ichigo said.
"It's okay," she declined. "It's not that deep."
"Hinamori..."
"I'm fine really!" she said nervously. She hated needles and if she went, she knew they'd give her just that.
Hitsugaya sighed and said, "I'll take her home and treat her. You go ahead."
"Okay, but stop by if you need anything."
With that, he carried Rukia over his shoulder despite her constant protests and left, waving to the both of them.
Minutes later, Hinamori was sitting on a high stool in her kitchen, wincing as Hitsugaya applied alcohol on her wound. He dabbed at it without a word and Hinamori could see a crease between his eyebrows, a sign of his displeasure and something that was hard to detect: his worry.
As Hitsugaya cleaned up her wound gently, with his scowl in place, Hinamori couldn't help but notice how gentlemanly he was. He was focused on treating her and the pain gave way to tingles that travelled up and down her arm. In place of the previous pained expression was now an affectionate gaze. He could be cold and brutal when he fought, especially when it was for her sake, but he always treated her with gentleness and kindness, in his own way.
She stared at the young man in front of her, her cheeks beginning to be tinted pink.
Hitsugaya-kun can be really gentle sometimes...it feels warm...am I...blushing? Come to think of it, it felt warm when he smiled at me after the game...No. I couldn't have been blushing; it must have been the excitement. And now it's just because I got into a fight. Yeah, that's it.
"There, it's done," he said, his voice breaking her out of her reverie.
He had already bandaged the wound but before she could thank him, he asked curtly, "What happened?"
"Umm," she started, unsure of how to explain. "They said they had a score to settle with you guys and...wanted to 'have some fun' with us first..."
Her voice trailed off as she saw Hitsugaya clench his teeth and let out an angry 'Tch!'.
"And how did it become a fight?"
"Well...we kind of...offended them," she replied sheepishly.
"What?"
"Rukia said they were low," Hinamori answered quickly. "And I said if they were as good as people made them out to be, they'd settle it in the rink and not with us."
"Hinamori..."
"I'm sorry..."
"No," he stated firmly. "When I see them, I'm going to—"
"Hitsugaya-kun, let it go. There's no use aggravating the situation," she said imploringly.
"They hurt you."
"But I'm fine. It's nothing serious. Please, Hitsugaya-kun, don't start anything."
Her appeal made him wonder how she could forgive them so easily. If she didn't persuade him not to provoke them, he'd be on his way to pummel the crap out of them right then.
"It seems the aikido classes were useful huh?" she added light-heartedly. "And looks likes the training from my dance practice came in handy."
Hitsugaya sighed wearily. He couldn't believe this girl.
"You still need to work on them."
She smiled at him, knowing he meant he complied with her wishes. "Thank you."
When he raised a quizzical brow at her, she added, "For being my knight in shining armor again. And treating my wound."
He fought hard to keep the blush down but when it seemed to rise, Hitsugaya turned away and mumbled, "Yeah, just call me if you need anything."
Moments after he left, Hinamori touched the bandage on her arm and she blushed when she could still sense his gentle touch on her skin. But this time, she didn't realize.
-o-O-o-
"You know, I think that was when I started to realize that I liked you," Momo said, her eyes still fixated on the album.
Toushirou kept silent, so she turned to him and said with a smile, "Thank you."
"For?" he asked, though he had a rough idea.
"For waiting for me to realize. I know I took a long time."
"You definitely did," he answered teasingly, tilting his head to capture her lips. The kiss was short but passionate and Toushirou could feel her smile against his lips.
-o-O-o-
That was certainly merely the 'prologue' of the chapter that told of how dear Hinamori Momo discovered her feelings for her white-haired friend.
It took a lot to make her realize but once she did, the gears of the next phase were finally set in motion.
To be continued…
Thanks for reading!
I notice a lot of people like AU (especially high-school) fics, so just to let you know, this is only the beginning.
PLEASE REVIEW!
1 Don't get me wrong, I love Ulquiorra; I'm just describing him like that in order to make Hitsugaya stay in character.
