Softly Snowing
~ Football ~

Hana found that she liked going to school. That was one of the ways that she was allowed out of the house, because the majority of her family thought that she was safer off being inside. But unlike Hita, she could actually get to go out. The boy was stuck in the doorway, leaning up against the doorframe, always watching them to leave.

However, on her way and too, she would stop near the field where Nashini and Shirezu stopped to play with a leather ball that they kicked around. She would sit on the green hill, letting the breeze run through her long, dark brown hair, that was tied back with a ribbon to keep it out of her face. She enjoyed watching, even though she didn't comprehend what they were doing.

Nashini had a problem with her being there. He made complaints about how their parents would want her back home and inside as soon as school ended. He also complained about the fact that he lost his concentration whenever she was around. This was possibly confirmed when he threw a tirade, while a few of the others cheered about something.

Shirezu though, had no problem, as he doubted that their parents would want her walking home by herself. He also had no problem with the fact that she was there, and never called her a distraction. He played with the ball, because it was fun. Yet there were other people who ended up telling him, he was really good at playing the game.

Hana knew that what they were doing was a game, but didn't at all understand what the game entailed. She knew from watching, that the boys used almost all of their body to hit the ball, disincluding their hands. A line of rope was stretched across the ground, one piece on either side, and the boys attempted to get it pass a person who was allowed to block it with their hands.

One of the reasons that she liked coming to this spot, was that weird boy, with the white, white hair, would come sometimes, unnoticed, sitting there and watching the other kids play, but never asking to be involved in the game. Toshiro would stay there, until someone saw him, and choose to drive him off. Most of the time it was Nashini.

She had asked Shirezu, why the older boys never let Toshiro-kun play with them. Not only did she get in trouble with Nashini for using a honor if with the boy's name, as a form of politeness, she had also gotten a look from the older of the two twins. He had told her that calling someone by their first name, without getting to know them was impolite, which was in itself confusing.

He had then told her that no one wanted anything to do with Toshiro, so they didn't go and invite him to ever play with him. He softly told her, it wasn't something to worry about, as the small boy never seemed bothered by the fact he wasn't allowed in, and simply choose to ignore the other children when they didn't ask him.

There was also the fact that Toshiro tended to be really good at things, which made the other, older children a tad mad, and jealous. That though was something that she had learned from the small school that they were in, and seeing his educational work, which surpassed the older kids quite a bit. It was also proven when, the times her eldest brother tried to beat him up, he went hurrying off, and could outmaneuvered the boys, if he needed to.

One of the days that the small boy was sitting there, she took the chance to go over and talk to him, as she for once was becoming bored with the game, and wanted someone to talk to. "Are you all right, Toshiro-kun?"

"Hitsugaya," the boy muttered, leaning his chin on his knees.

"If you want to play, why don't you ask," she suddenly asked, hoping that he might liken to the idea, and ask the boys. She wondered if they could be friends. However, he answered her question for her.

"What is the point, when they happen to not like me?" the small boy sighed, leaning on his chin, his teal eyes taking in the movement of the other male children, particularly the older ones. While most of his body acted like he didn't care about getting to join in, his eyes said another thing completely.

"I like you," the girl smiled, giving him one of her biggest smiles.

"No offence, but you're like Hinamori. You like everybody, and can make friends with everyone that is around you. That is, unless their personality is that which doesn't care about others in one way, or another." Toshiro continued to watch the boys play, sitting perfectly still.

And the boy was in truth right. The only person who didn't seem to like her was her eldest brother, and that just happened to fit his personality. At school, all the other students liked talking to her, and they wanted to be her friend, specifically because she was nice to everyone. However, everyone also seemed to shun one small boy, for no real reason, at least as how she saw it.

Suddenly, the ball came hurtling over towards her as an accidental kick had sent it flying in the wrong direction. To her utter surprise, the small, white haired boy moved, and kicked the ball back to the boys who were playing. A good deal of the other children just choose to look at him, irritation written all over their faces.

Nashini quickly stormed over, pissed that Toshiro had done what he had. "What the hell are you doing with my sister."

"He was…" Hana though found herself interrupted by her brother with a glare, and she timidly backed away, remembering that he liked to be mean for some reason or another.

"Go away Hitsugaya…" her other brother at the field stated firmly. "We don't need you playing…"

"But he kicked that ball away from me so well!" Hana stated, standing up to him, her eldest brother giving her a glare, indicating that she should shut up about everything and he glared at them.

"He's a horrible player. I bet he couldn't keep the ball away from all of us for a long period of time!" came the snappish reply.

A sudden light appeared in Hitsugaya's eyes, almost as if the challenge wakened something up. "You don't think… I could do that?"

"No… I don't," the boy stated, snapping at him, even though Shirezu shook his head, saying that wasn't something he should say.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the boy took off towards the ball. Someone made the attempt to try to keep it away from the small child, but he was quicker, and maneuvered the ball away. This caused a few of the older boys to give chase, while Shirezu glared at Nashini.

"Seriously… did you want to provoke him? We don't want him around, and yet you place a bet with him to get him to go far out. You know how he got when Hinamori-san brought him to those top spinning contests."

A few minutes passed, and the small boy was still keeping the ball away from the few that were chasing him, and the other children began to slowly join in, yet the boy continued to maneuver in and out. Shirezu stood to the side, letting Nashini take the brunt of everything, as he felt that the boy needed to learn a lesson.

However, after fifteen minutes of everyone but him having joined in, he let out a groan, and then darted forward. He moved quickly, and moved better than the players. It looked like he was catching up with the small boy, but then suddenly he would pull a feint. Some of the other kids collapsed, tiered of chasing Toshiro.

He found that the boy continued to feint and dodge, maneuvering the ball out of his reach. A good deal of the other children weren't up to his speed of ability, and they slowly, but surely began to drop out. At first he had found it humorous, but that slowly turned into shock. The white haired boy's movements were better than his.

Suddenly, they heard an adult yell from the road. "What the hell are you doing bulling all those kids!"

This was the thing that stopped the small boy. Before he had heard this, he was going full-blown, but then he stopped, finally letting Shirezu to get the ball away. Everyone looked up, to see that one of the kids who had dropped out, had gone and gotten their father. He was storming down to the field, rolling up his sleeves.

And this was enough for Hitsugaya to suddenly bolt away, leaving all the other kids standing there. Shirezu felt himself out of breath, as Nashini rattled off his lies. Hana came up to him. "Ne… Oni-chan?"

"Hai?" he let out through gasps.

"I thought I saw Toshiro-kun smiling there," the small girl stated.

This caused the boy to blink a couple of times, remembering that he had in fact looked the white haired boy in the face, and had seen those teal eyes. There had at first been a coldness about them, but as he had moved, and played with the other children, especially Shirezu, that coldness had melted. The two teal eyes had been completely warm, and friendly.

"That wasn't like how people think he is, is it?" Hana stated.

"I don't have an answer for you," the boy stated, still breathing hard. The small girl could only frown, as she didn't at all understand how people couldn't see what was right in front of their eyes.

Author's note – Wow… five months since I updated this one… always open to suggestions to expand this… otherwise it will be a very short story…