You already know

TWO WEEKS LATER

"I should have never told you" Rukia's words kept ringing in the captain's mind as if she had said them just yesterday.

"I really wish I could remember, Kuchiki" he whispered into his left hand as it held his head up, when a cheery voice came in

"Taiiiichou!! how are you today?" Matsumoto asked as she made her way to hug the boy when he glared up at her with eyes that could kill. He was really annoyed at himself and didn't want to be around anyone.

"Leave me alone, Matsumoto"

"Tai...chou?"

"Now!"

"Hai!" and the strawberry blonde shunpoed out of the room, leaving the white haired boy alone.

"I need some fresh air" Hitsugaya sighed and headed towards the only park in soul society.

"I really kissed her?" the captain asked himself as he walked down the dirt road, thousands of cherry blossom trees stood on both sides of him, it was spring a beautiful season but not his favorite. It wasn't

"Our favorite" Hitsugaya whispered as he remembered once, a memory from long ago, when he and Rukia had their first encounter. It was December and all the captains and vice-captains along with their closest friends were invited to the first division for a Christmas party. All the captains had come along with their vice-captains and an assortment of colorful people.

Rukia was there, for she was brought by her brother Byakuya, even though Hitsugaya knew Abarai wanted to bring her.

It was crazy inside and Hitsugaya never did like crowded rooms. He silently made his way out into the courtyard where he thought he was alone. Green eyes widened when they saw a petit shinigami sitting quietly on a weeping willow branch, looking up at the moon, her back towards him.

"What are you doing there Kuchiki?" he asked at the shocked girl

"Hit...Hitsugaya taichou! I didn't know you were here!?"

"Well now you know"

"Forgive me"

"Forget it"

"...Sir" Rukia had jumped off the branch and was standing in front of the small captain, wondering why he wasn't inside with everyone else. As if reading her mind he answered with a sigh

"I don't like crowded rooms, especially with drunk people" Rukia found she had the urge to giggle at what the captain had just said.

"Are you laughing at me Kuchiki?"

"I'm sorry taichou! please forgive me, but thinking about you in a room full of drunk people is funny"

"Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry I can't!" Rukia continued to laugh at the mental picture of the small captain blushing his head off at the crazy things adults do when drunk, especially his lieutenant.

Hitsugaya didn't like being laughed at, definitely not by a shinigami he barely knew.

"I said stop Kuchiki, as your superior, I command you!" Rukia heard the seriousness in his voice and tried to stop the best she could

"I'm truly sorry, Hitsugaya taichou, please forgive my rudeness"

"Never speak of this again"

"Yes sir" and he made his way to sit on the wooden balcony that was a few inches off the ground. Rukia then followed him and when he made no move as to push her away, she sat next to him. There they sat in silence.

"Why aren't you in there with everyone else, Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked the girl beside him. He wondered since she was a Kuchiki, she would be accustomed to crowded rooms.

"The same as you, Hitsugaya taichou, I don't really like crowded rooms, and besides" Rukia looked up into the night sky

"The moon tonight was too beautiful to miss" she whispered

"It is, only in the winter can you see it so clearly.."

"..As if you could touch it" Rukia finished his simile, with a smile he had never seen on her before.

"Does the moon bring you such happiness Kuchiki?" the usually quiet captain found himself asking

"It does taichou, especially in the winter on a night like this, I feel..." the raven haired girl turned to her left to stare at the small captain with a kind smile

"so free" Hitsugaya was left speechless at her innocent confession, and soon found himself sharing her smile

"So do I" he confessed, for finally there was someone in the world who felt like he did. Hitsugaya smiled as he remembered that night like it was yesterday.

"Ever since then, I guess you've had me in your palm" he said as he made his way towards a bench in the park

"Right, Kuchiki Rukia?" the white haired captain blushed as he said her name. When a shadow appeared on the horizon.