Mhm, since this one is mostly flashback, I've updated twice! nn "Senbazuru" seemed so long ago...memories, lol! Okay, well I'll probably be updating my other stories tonight cause I don't think I can go for more than two weeks without an update! But exams are coming up, so I mught have to...ugh...Lol, enough rambling XD


Chapter 7 - Peach Crane, He Called Her

Peach as in your name

Peach as in the fruit I held

Peach as in all there was in my mind

Therefore peach as in the day I called you


Toshiro is what a lot of people would call a yeller. He yells when he's angry, he yells when he's annoyed, he yells when he's embarrassed. …Okay, maybe they're all legitimate reasons to yell, especially if you have a fukutaichou like Rangiku Matusmoto who's concept of working was organising weekly parties. Weekly sake parties.

He just had a habit of stressing himself to the point that he'll snap instantly at anything at anytime; including Momo. Now we all know Toshiro wouldn't purposely yell at her. The poor boy's in love with her for goodness sake! She just inconveniently came to see him at the wrong time.

--

"Um, why don't you take a break for a minute? It's a nice day."

"No time."

"It'll only be for five minutes at mo-"

"HINAMORI!" Toshiro snapped and looked at Momo with angry eyes. "I have A LOT of paperwork and would APPRECIATE IT if you didn't bother me!!"

He looked back down without another word, sighing in frustration. Momo was trying not to let tears fall as she belatedly told herself that she should've known better.

"…sorry…"

--

Yes, that incident had happened a while ago. Yes, it no longer pained him so much when this memory was dredged up from time to time. No, he doesn't think he'll ever forget that moment because despite the unfavourable event, it led him to a much more gratifying one.

--

"I'msorry for yelling at you Momo," he said slowly.

Momo looked up at him. Two things surprised her: one, he was out and out apologising and two, he had called her by her first name for the first time. She could see him flush as he held up a hand with a peach in it.

"Will you forgive me? It's not much but…"

He broke off there and looked away, still holding up the peach. Momo couldn't help but smile. Not only did Toshiro not hate her but he actually came and apologised, and in such an adorable way too! She accepted the peach and engulfed him in a hug, surprising him.

"You didn't have to apologise Shiro-chan!" she laughed. "I was going to apologise to you!"

"W-Wha? What did you do?!"

"I knew you were stressed but I still bothered you. I'm sorry that I did."

"Baka, stop apologising"

They broke apart and Momo noticed a bag in his other hand .

"What's in the bag?"

Toshiro looked away and looked very flustered. "If you still wanted toI thought I would take a break and spend some time with youif you wanted," he mumbled.

Momo looked into the bag and saw a couple more of the fuzzy skinned fruit. She took his free hand and dragged him outside.

"Let's go Shiro-chan!"

"H-hey! Slow down Hinamori!"

--

Some might think it was a complete waste calling her by her first name in that situation. An apology is nothing more than two simple words of "I'm sorry". It's carelessly spat out so often these days that it's become cliché and meaningless. Well that's exactly why Toshiro called Momo by her first name for the first time back then. Besides, who said that calling a person by their first name would make the other times completely meaningless? This may apply to some but not to Toshiro, because he knew that whenever he called Momo by her first name, her heart would soar higher than any bird could ever soar.

And then she would say his first name, and they would soar together.

--

That was the day he found out how much it hurt to hurt the one he loved. That was the day he discovered they could overcome any obstacles in their way, no matter how small or large. That was the day Toshiro Hitsugaya first called the name of Momo Hinamori.