Chapter Two: Smile
Hitsugaya felt Unohana guide him to the same apple pie scented waiting room.
"I know you have a lot of questions," she said quietly. "So please wait here. I have other patients I have to check on, but I will answer whatever you ask when I return." Unohana put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down onto the sofa. "Sit. You said so yourself—what matters is that Momo is alive, so don't look like she died. Try to be happy for her, okay?"
Hitsugaya nodded wordlessly and let himself sag into the soft cushions. "But why—"
Unohana cut him off there. "I will answer your questions when I get back." She smiled in a maternal way. "Don't worry; it won't take longer than half an hour." With those words, she left the waiting room and closed the door behind her.
For the first time in about a week, Hitsugaya forced his thoughts away from Momo. He then took his first good look at the room he was in. It was wallpapered with a pink and yellow rose design that gave the entire room an elegant air. The cream-colored sofa he sat in faced a dark wooden coffee table with a glass surface. A small window was behind him, its light pink curtains fluttering in the warm summer wind.
He walked over to the window and sighed. "I've lied to you again, Momo," he said quietly. "This day is far from perfect."
This day is perfect! Kira Izuru thought as he was shunpoing. The sun is bright, the birds are singing, and Momo's all better! These were some of the happiest thoughts he had in many weeks.
Just an hour ago or so, when Unohana sent a hell butterfly to Hitsugaya, Kotetsu Isane also sent hell butterflies to the lieutenants telling them that Momo was well. Kira had rejoiced at the news and headed to the hospital immediately. However, he did not know that Momo had traded her memories for her health.
"May I see Lieutenant Hinamori Momo?" Kira asked Yamada Hanatarou, who was currently in charge of the front office.
"Cer—certainly," Hanatarou stammered. He had not yet been told that Momo was not supposed to have any visitors. "Right this way."
"Thank you," Kira said politely. He took a deep breath and opened the door—harder than he intended, as the door slammed against the wall and left a small dent.
"Shit!" he swore, examining the wall. "I hope they don't make me pay for this..." A light, bubbly laugh distracted him from the dent. Momo? he thought in wonder.
"You're funny!" she said with a smile, miming him slamming the door. "You left a dent in the wall, then you said 'I hope that I don't have to pay for this...'" she imitated. "I'm Hinamori Momo. What's your name?"
What's going on? "I'm Kira Izuru, Lieutenant of the Third Division," he said stiffly.
"A lieutenant? Wow!"
"What's so impressive about it? You're a lieutenant, Momo!"
Momo cocked her head, as if thinking. "I am? Oh, yes. But Unohana-taichou said that others would help me run my division while I'm in the hospital, so I'm really only an 'acting lieutenant.'" She made air quotes with her fingers, still smiling.
Kira was going crazy now. Has Momo completely lost her mind? Or am I the crazy one here? Maybe this is just a crazy dream and I'll wake up soon, drunk with Matsumoto. He pinched himself hard. "Ow!" he screamed. "That hurt!"
"Of course it would. You pinched yourself," Momo stated matter-of-factly. She pointed to a wooden chest facing her bed. "Can you pour me a cup of water?"
Kira walked over to the crystal pitcher and poured some water into a teacup that had a peach blossom design on it. "Here you are," he said, handing the cup to her. "Be careful, don't spill it."
"Thanks!" she drank the cool water thirstily, and for several minutes the room was silent except for Kira's ragged breathing and Momo's quiet sips.
Okay, think about this rationally, like Hisagi-sempai would. One, I'm crazy. Two, Momo is crazy. Three, Momo has lost her memory. Kira didn't feel like a lunatic, and as he glanced at Momo he didn't find her particularly crazy, so it must be that Momo has lost her memory. But that's impossible, isn't it? Regardless, he decided to test the theory.
"Momo," he said slowly. "Do—do you remember who your childhood friend was?"
"I don't have a childhood friend. I was born here in Seireitei to the family of a nobleman. Then, when he died, Unohana-taichou became my foster mom. That's what she told me."
Kira let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. If Momo doesn't remember Hitsugaya, then she wouldn't care if I asked her out... would she? "Momo, would you like to... er... would you like to have dinner with me... or go out... or something else... when you get released from the hospital?" his words were stilted and unsure, as he was very nervous.
"Sure!" her smile grew even larger. "I'd love to go out with you, Kira-kun!"
"I'll call you later," Kira said faintly as he left her room. If this is a dream, please don't let me wake up.
"I understand now," Hitsugaya said quietly. He and Unohana had finished discussing Momo's amnesia, and he was ready to leave the room. "I will stand by her decision all the way, and I shall protect her with every bit of strength I have."
Unohana smoothed her long braid. "Thank you."
Hitsugaya left, closing the door quietly behind him as he headed back towards Momo's room. It's... so much to take in. But if Momo is happy, then the least I can do is to support her. His right hand closed around the doorknob when he heard a voice. Kira?
"Would you... like to go out... when you get released?"
"I'd love to go out with you, Kira-kun!"
For the second time in less than two hours, Hitsugaya felt his heart break into several little pieces. He headed back to his division in a daze, too shaken to even yell at Matsumoto for drinking in the middle of the day. As he sat in his office doing paperwork, he realized that he just couldn't care about anything anymore; he was numb. What the hell happened? Did Kira really ask Momo out? Did she really say yes? Hitsguaya sank lower in his chair. It's your own damn fault, he yelled at himself mentally. You knew her for all those years but you never asked her out. So of course someone else would take that chance that you gave up. Stupid, stupid, idiot!
Hyorinmaru materialized suddenly and roared. Will you shut up already? I'm trying to sleep.
It's mid-afternoon! Why would you be sleeping?
The great ice dragon yawned, and the temperature of the office dropped several degrees. Well, it doesn't matter now. So, what do you want?
What do you mean 'what do I want?' You just materialized out of nowhere! Shouldn't I be asking you what YOU want?
You're troubled, aren't you? Hyorinmaru asked, delicately avoiding Hitsugaya's questions. If Unohana said that Momo will be better without her memories, then you should trust her.
It's not... it's not that. In the most brief way he could, Hitsugaya told his zanpakuto spirit about what he had heard between Kira and Momo.
That's all? The dragon laughed, a sound which resembled a hailstorm.
What do you mean 'that's all?' Hitsugaya shouted in his mind. Kira asked Momo out!
Hyorinmaru wrapped its body around the desk, nearly freezing it, but Hitsugaya didn't mind. So do you finally admit you have feelings for the girl?
Hitsugaya blushed. Go take a nap, he snapped.
Kira was in a blissful state of mind. Momo agreed to go out with me! Those were his only thoughts as he did the paperwork. A yellow telegram with a title of 'REQUEST' caught his eye.
"Oh well, I'll say yes," he said aloud, stamping the sheet of paper. "I'm having a good day. I think others should have one too!" He called for a seated officer to take the order to Yamamoto.
In his high spirits, Kira never bothered to read the request. The seated officer who took the telegram to the sotaichou only noticed three words he found odd—'Signed, your Captain.'
"Kira-fukutaichou must be drunk," the officer concluded. "We don't have a captain."
"Did your request go through?"
"Of course."
"Excellent..." Aizen grinned like a maniac. "Then in three weeks, hell shall break loose in Seireitei. Get the newly made arrancar ready, Gin."
"Hai, Aizen-sama."
