# 10 – Snow

Hinamori's head popped in the doorway.

"Shirou-chan! Ohayou!"

Hinamori walked over to Hitsugaya and gave him a hug. Hitsugaya returned it somewhat lamely.

"Ano, Shirou-chan, something wrong?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo is coming to Seireitai today."

"Oh yeah! Along with Rukia-san! Why are you upset about that?"

"Because…he keeps calling me Toushirou instead…"

"Shirou-chan…that's no bother…"

"It is to me."

"Fine, I'm going to call you Toushirou too."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"I would, Toushirou."

Hitsugaya sighed.

"Ok, I won't but don't be so grumpy, Shirou-chan. Matsumoto-san and I are going over to the Kuchiki mansion today. I want to ask Kuchiki-taichou if we can throw a party celebrating Ichigo and Rukia's return. They have been gone for a while, you know?"

"I doubt Kuchiki-taichou would agree."

"You'll see," said Hinamori and rushed off. Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair. There's no way Byakuya would let them have a party.

"Kuchiki-taichou!" shouted Hinamori as she rushed through the door along with Matsumoto.

"Nani-ka, Hinamori-san?"

"We want to ask you, can we hold a party here to celebrate Rukia and Ichigo's return? Please…"

"And why should I do that?"

"Because…if you do, then we will stop bombarding you with the people from the Shinigami Women Association," smiled Hinamori, knowing that Byakuya couldn't resist this offer.

"Fine, BUT, I will not contribute anything towards the party. Only the house. No food, no whatever."

"Hai!"

Hinamori ran off to tell everyone while Matsumoto went to Rukongai to buy the necessary party items. About two hours later, Hinamori and Matsumoto rushed to the formal Senkai gate to see Ichigo and Rukia rushing through.

"Rukia-san!"

"Hinamori-fuku-taichou…Matsumoto-fuku-taichou…what are you doing here?"

"Rukia-san, Kurosaki-kun, come to the Kuchiki mansion with us."

With that, they dragged the two people to the mansion.

"Surprise!"

Nearly every taichou and fuku-taichou was there; the only people who weren't there was the 1st Division, Soi Fong, Kuchiki Byakuya, the 12th Divison and the Ukitake-taichou who has been reported sick again. Hinamori even managed to drag an arrogant Hitsugaya to the party, who was muttering something about not having finished his paperwork.

"What's this about, Hinamori-san?"

"Celebration of you and Ichigo returning to Seireitai!"

"Hinamori…how did you convince Nii-sama to allow you to do this?"

"Oh don't worry," said Hinamori and winked at Matsumoto.

"Hey Rukia, come sit next to me, pretty one," said a somewhat drunk Ichigo.

Rukia blushed, then quickly recovered as Byakuya stormed into the room and dragged Ichigo out.

"Bye, pretty one."

Everyone laughed.

"Don't worry Rukia-san, he's just drunk."

The party continued and Rukia was the centre of attention with everyone asking her about the living world. Many people were dragged out by Byakuya as they became under the influence of sake, saying quite embarrassing things to Rukia. Shunsui, however, said embarrassing things to Nanao-chan so basically he didn't get dragged out.

Near 9pm, all the drunks walked into the room. Apparently, the effects of sake had worn off and every one of them had a bright red mark on their cheeks. It looked as if Byakuya had slapped each one of them.

"Nii-sama must have sore hands by now."

Near midnight, Hinamori told everyone to go on the roof. There, they enjoyed the fireworks that Matsumoto had organized and then Hitsugaya, who had given in to the nagging of Hinamori, released Hyourinmaru and scattered snowflakes all over Seireitai and Rukongai; technically the whole of Soul Society.

Everyone jumped down from the rooftop, not because the fireworks were over, but because Byakuya had told them off; promising to force each of them to pay dearly if they damaged the roof further. Safely on the snow white ground, Hinamori was admiring the scenery when she felt two extremely cold things against her cheeks. She jumped and turned around to see a smug Hitsugaya and the two things she had felt was two snowballs.

"Shirou-chan," she growled, and quickly rolled up her own snowball and pelted it towards Hitsugaya, who ducked and watched it fly and hit a bypassing Byakuya.

"Haha, you're in –" Hitsugaya never managed to finish his sentence as his mouth was full of snow, from the snowball that Hinamori had thrown when he started to turn around. He spat it out and glared at Hinamori. Byakuya's shadow loomed over them.

"Which one of you threw that snowball?" asked Byakuya, glaring at the couple.

Hinamori quickly pointed Hitsugaya, and received the biggest glare on record.

"Is that so…?"

Byakuya drew a huge snowball from his back and dropped it on Hitsugaya's head and walked away with dignity. Hinamori rolled over and started laughing at her childhood friend.

"Baka…" growled Hitsugaya and pelted a huge snowball at Hinamori, silencing her laughter.

Ichigo walked over to the couple.

"So, Toushirou, how did it feel to have been embarrassed in front of fuku-taichous and taichous?" asked Ichigo, who had a huge smile on his face.

Hitsugaya shoved Ichigo's head into the snow and everyone laughed.

"Stay there, you orange strawberry…"

Hinamori laughed and smiled at Hitsugaya and then threw another snowball at him, which he dodged.

"Haha, I'm not called the master of ice for nothing, you know?"

Ichigo's head popped back out of the snow.

"Then why did Byakuya manage to chuck an extra huge snowball onto your head?"

"Baka, he was right above me."

The night continued as snowball fights turned into the reason why everyone would be sick tomorrow as nearly everyone was drenched. Hinamori and Hitsugaya, however, had moved away from the snowball fights and sat together, Hinamori in Hitsugaya's arms.

"Eh, Shirou-chan…"

"Nani?"

"Unohana-taichou said tonight I can move back into the 5th Division Building."

"Oh…"

Hitsugaya was somewhat shattered, well, not exactly shattered, more like sad. He had enjoyed having Hinamori stay in his Division but now that she had to go, well, Hitsugaya didn't like the sound of that, that much.

"Ano…Shirou-chan, something wrong?"

Hitsugaya's silence had made Hinamori suspicious.

"Oh nothing, well…you'll have to move back to your Division someday. I'm pretty sure that your Division's just waiting for you to go back but if at any time, you have too much paperwork, you can always give some to me."

Hitsugaya remember how Hinamori no longer had a captain and had to manage all the paperwork by herself.

"I'll be fine," and the couple walked to the 5th Division Building.

At the door of Hinamori's room, she turned around and saw some sadness in Hitsugaya's eyes. She kissed Hitsugaya on the cheeks, said thanks and goodnight before walking in her room and closing the door. Hitsugaya trudged back slowly to his Division. Life would be different without Hinamori in his Division.