Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way! All copyrights of this series goes to Tite Kubo. The only character I do own is Yuki Hikari.

Author's Note: I'm a little early to update for this story. Oh well, who cares...xD Anyway, special thanks goes to Pieps XD, MoonLightView, The Sweet Peach, Kaye. Shirogane, KnowledgeandImagination, Samantha, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, Neko-cheung, Sonozaki-sama, BleedingMoon. Thank you for all your support. Without any further delays, here is chapter ten. Enjoy!

LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking."

Hitsugaya's First Love

Chapter Ten: Crush

Thirty-Five Years Ago (from Present Time)...

"Argh, why do I have to carry all the paperwork?" Matsumoto complained. The strawberry orange haired lieutenant and her ponytail haired captain are both walking through the tenth division hallway, making their way to their office.

"Sorry Rangiku-chan, try to bear with it a little longer," Hikari replied. "Besides, we're almost there."

The female Soul Reaper grumbled for a bit before stopping in front of a slide door. Placing her hand on the handle, Yuki opened it to find the room silent. As the two elite members of the Gotei 13 entered the office, Matsumoto placed her stack of paperwork on the desk while the ponytail haired girl scanned the room. Leaning against the desk, Rangiku folded her arms over her chest and asked, "That's strange, where's Hitsugaya?"

Hikari then gave her a stern look. "Stop torturing the poor kid to do your paperwork. Can't you give him a break for once?"

"But Yuki-chan, he doesn't complain about it."

She shot her a glare before heading over to the sofa to take a seat. "He's our subordinate for Pete's sake. It's his job to follow our orders in the first pla--"

Noticing that her captain stopped talking in mid sentence, she walked over to see what she's doing. "Is there something wron--Oh..."

Lying on the sofa in front of them is their sleeping third seat. Judging from the peaceful expression on his face, he appears to be exhausted from whatever he was doing a while ago. With a smile crept up on her face, Yuki left for a moment and returned with a blanket in her arms. She draped it over his body so that he doesn't catch a cold. For the next few moments, the two Shinigami just watched him.

"So this is where he was," Matsumoto said.

"You can't blame him," Hikari replied. "He was awake since five o'clock in the morning."

"He was awake for that long? What was he doing?"

With a glance at the strawberry orange haired woman, Yuki smiled. "He was doing Bankai training with me."

"Bankai training? So that's what he was up to over the past five years."

"Yep, and it's safe to say, he's almost at the finish line."

Matsumoto let out a smile. Leaning against the back of the sofa, she said, "So, he has already surpassed me, huh?"

"In a sense, yes."

"He has grown up so quickly."

She had to agree. Ever since the captain has met the young boy back at Shino Academy, she knew he was special. Not only he is very talented, but he is also very hard working. Those are the results from being his superior for about ten years. Yuki bent down to her knees and began brushing his bangs off to the side. "Tell me about it..."

"You care about him a lot, don't you Yuki-chan?"

She smiled back. "Of course, I do care about him Rangiku-chan. He's my subordinate...and he's always reminding me of Kyo-chan."

"Your little brother, huh?" Rangiku said before suddenly letting out a soft snort. "If those two met, I'm pretty sure they would get along very well, don't you agree?"

Hikari giggled.

Suddenly, Matsumoto placed a hand on the bottom of her chin. "Wait, on second thought, they can also become the greatest of rivals. Besides, two people who are very alike don't go well together."

"You've got a point there." Yuki then lowered her head a bit. "However, it's just too bad Itoto-chan isn't here anymore."

There was a brief moment of silence. "Oh yeah, I forgot it has been about fifteen years since your brother died..."

"Fifteen years, huh? It felt longer than that..."

She understood what she felt. Twenty-five years ago, her little brother Kyo Hikari became a Shinigami and was admitted into the tenth division as her twelfth seat. Though he is not as powerful as the other Soul Reapers, he was responsible. Whenever his sister needed help, he would always be there to lend a helping hand. When it came to fighting, he does things up front and it's because he had a strong sense of justice. However, he met his end fifteen years ago.

He died, trying to fend off against a group of Huge Hollows. At the time, Yuki wasn't there to lead her division because she was in the fourth division, recovering her injuries from one of her fights against the Menos. When she heard the news, the female captain just cried. The only family she had before has left this world forever.

Hitsugaya stirred for a bit before opening his emerald-teal eyes. The first thing he noticed is Captain Yuki Hikari's presence close by. Suddenly, he could feel his heart pounding harder and faster than usual. As a result, it caused the redness to stain his cheeks. Just as he is about to fight back against the strange sediments he's experiencing, he noticed a sad expression on his captain's face. "Why does she look upset?"

Just as he slowly sat up, the ponytail haired captain realized her subordinate is now awake. Letting out a faint smile, she asked, "Hey Toshiro, did you have a nice nap?"

He didn't want to butt into her business, but he couldn't help, but ask, "Yuki, is there something wrong?"

"Oh, I was just reminiscing about my little brother, Kyo-chan."

He blinked. "Your brother?"

She nodded with agreement. "Yeah, he was the last living family member I have known..."

Realizing what she meant, Hitsugaya turned his head to the side, at a loss for words. "I-I'm sorry for bring it up."

With a smile on her face, Hikari suddenly placed her hand on her head and began ruffling through his snowy white hair. "Daijobou, that story was about fifteen years ago. There's no point for me to just mope around in the past. Now, I'm living my life for him, isn't that right Rangiku-chan?"

Matsumoto smiled back. "Yup, you said it Yuki-chan."

"Don't worry too much about it Toshiro, okay?"

He slowly nodded. "Hai..."

All of a sudden, a Hell Butterfly flew into the room. Upon noticing it, Yuki extended a finger out, allowing the small insect to land and transmit its message. Once it is done, it fluttered out the door. Standing up on her two feet, the tenth division captain walked over to her desk to pick up her zanpakuto. After putting it on the right side of her sash, she turned to her two subordinates and said, "I have to head over to the first division headquarters. Yamamoto-soitaicho wants me at his office as soon as possible."

"Okay then, have a safe trip Yuki-chan," Matsumoto said.

Captain Hikari walked over to the slide door, stopped midway, and glanced back. "Thanks and can you please do me a favour and start the paperwork?"

"Eh?!?! But..."

"Ja ne!"

"Oi, Yuki-chan!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Yuki suddenly disappeared out of sight. Letting out a sigh of defeat, she walked over to the desk. Just as she is about to begin her long hour's worth of paper signing, an idea popped into her mind. Looking over to the side, Matsumoto found Hitsugaya to still be in her presence. A grin appeared on her face. With one glance at the busty woman, he immediately knew what she's plotting. He shot an icy glare in her general direction. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho, don't you even dare ask me to stay and help you with your paperwork. I have my own job to do."

"But Hitsugaya, it's too much work to handle!" she complained. "I can't do it on my ow--"

"Yes you can do it on your own," he retorted, folding his arms over his chest. "You're a vice-captain, for Pete's sake! It's your job to complete and organize paperwork in the office. It's not mine!"

"It's not like you're complaining. I think you actually like doing paperwork."

"The only reason I do paperwork is because Yuki ordered me to. It's not my hobby."

"You're so stingy!"

"Of course I have to be stingy!" he retorted. "You're the one who is too lazy to work in the first place!"

"Am not! I work according my schedule," she said. "So, don't worry so much about it."

"How can I be rest assured when you say it so nonchalantly?"

"I think you need another nap."

"I just woke up from my previous one. So, I'm good until night time. Now, enough wasting my time and start doing your paperwork like you're suppos--" Suddenly, he found his vice-captain nowhere to be found. Once again, she has successfully ran away from her duties. He placed a hand on his forehead. "Why do I even bother wasting my breath on her?"

"Sumi masen, Hikari-taicho is at the door," one of the messengers said after giving the elderly captain a bow.

"Alright, let her in," Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto replied.

After opening the door, Yuki came inside and stood in front of the old man and his lieutenant. After hearing the door close from the side, the tenth division captain asked. "You wanted to discuss something with me, soitaicho?"

He slowly nodded with agreement. "I have received news from the higher ups."

With a blink, Hikari took a step forward. "Wait, the higher ups meaning the Royal Guard?"

"Yes, after taking a close look at the captains of the Gotei 13, they have decided to promote you."

The female Shinigami then lowered her head. "I see."

"You are scheduled to leave within tomorrow night," Yamamoto said.

"I have a little over half a day to stay here, huh?" She then nodded. "I understand soitaicho."

"Congratulations, Yuki."

Yuki placed her hands together and smiled. "It has been an honour to be working with you Yamamoto-soitaicho."

"You are dismissed."

"Hai."

With that said, the white ponytail long haired Shinigami left the first division office, slowly making her way back to her duties in the tenth division headquarters. "So, my time here in Seireitei is finally coming to an end, huh?"

Hitsugaya is in the front courtyard, practicing a few swings with Hyorinmaru when he sensed his captain's presence nearby. Putting his sword down for a moment, he took a glance to see Hikari walk past the front gates. He couldn't help, but suddenly feel a strange subtle vibe from her and it is not normal. "Yuki..."

She then stopped. Turning to the side, she noticed her concerned young subordinate. With a smile on her face, she held her arms out and suddenly began embracing him. Toshiro immediately froze up, surprised by her actions. He could feel his heart pounding so loudly from inside.

"This feeling...it has come back."

He wasn't sure what he is supposed to do. The best thing he could do are to lean against her and to hold her close. It remained that way for a few minutes. The tingly feeling felt nice and peaceful. It made him feel content. However, it was short lived.

By the time he snapped back to reality, Yuki has already let go of him. "Sorry about that Toshiro; it was sort of uncalled for," she apologized.

Feeling the hotness in his cheeks, Hitsugaya lowered and turned his head to the side. He quietly replied, "N-No, it's alright. I don't mind."

With one glance at the ground, the tenth division captain raised her head once more. Hikari asked, "Is Rangiku-chan in the office right now?"

Toshiro then shook his head. "Actually, she ran away before she even started."

"Oh, I see..."

Hitsugaya blinked. "Is...There something wrong?"

Yuki just placed her hand on his head, followed by a soft look and a faint smile on her face. Raising an eyebrow, the young white haired Shinigami just stood and wondered. "Let's go out somewhere tonight."

"Um, okay..."

She arm hooked around his neck and pulled him close. Feeling his cheeks heat up once more, Hitsugaya did his best to hide his strange behaviour from her. Luckily, she is too busy saying, "Yeah, just the three of us: You, me, and Rangiku-chan!"

"Uh, where exactly are we hanging out?"

After a few blinks, Yuki placed a finger on the side of her cheek and gave it some thought. "I've got a good idea. Let's go to the bar!"

There was a brief moment of silence before Toshiro exclaimed with surprise, "Wh-What? The bar?"

"What? Is there something wrong with going there?"

"N-No, that's not it. It's just there's no point in me going there. I don't drink."

Yuki replied happily, "Daijobou, even though you don't drink at all, you're still going to have lots of fun there, I guarantee it!"

"Yay! We're going to the bar! We're going to the bar!" Matsumoto sang as the three Shinigami of the tenth division are headed towards the bar where they usually frequent at. Looking back to see Hitsugaya and Hikari trailing behind, she said, "Come on you two! Sing with me!"

Yuki merely giggled with amusement while Toshiro gave her a stern look. After folding his arms over his chest, the young third seat let out a sigh of defeat. "I have a good feeling that Rangiku-chan is going to drink until she's down for the count," she said.

"I'm not too surprised by that," the white haired boy commented. "She does that most of the time anyway."

"You got that right, Toshiro!"

Though things appear to be alright, it doesn't feel that way for Hitsugaya. He had his eyes on the ponytail haired captain. In his thoughts, there has to be a valid reason why she wanted to go out with them.

When they have arrived, the three Shinigami got a private room to eat and drink together. "Umai! This brand of sake tastes so good!" Matsumoto exclaimed, raising her jug of sake up in the air.

"You got that right, Rangiku-chan!" Yuki agreed, doing the same thing.

Watching the two females drink to their heart's content, Hitsugaya merely sit back and let out a sigh of defeat. It will take a while before the party's over.

Without any warning, Hikari arm hooked around the boy's neck and pulled him close. He let out a faint pink stain on his cheeks as the familiar feeling returned to him. Letting out a cheerful laugh, she said to her subordinate, "Why are you sitting there, Toshiro? Loosen up and have fun!"

With one sniff of the air, he knew the female captain is already drunk. However, he has yet to find out to what degree she is intoxicated by the alcohol. "Ah hai..." the third seat replied.

After another drink from her sake jug, Yuki placed her hands on the table and stood up. Noticing her wobbling a bit, Hitsugaya instinctively got out of his seat and held on to her in case she collapsed. By the time he realized it, Toshiro's hand is on hers. He blushed and quickly pulled his hand away. He looked away for a moment, trying to regain his composure. Once he did, the young Shinigami resumed his attention to her.

"Where are you going Yuki?"

The tenth division captain then let out a laugh. After hooking an arm around his neck, she pulled him close and said, "I just need to use the little girl's room. There's no need to help me out. I'm still able to find my way around."

"Um, okay..."

She gave him a short nod before exiting the room, leaving Toshiro alone with Rangiku. After letting a soft sigh, he turned his attention to his smiling vice-captain. He gave her a stern look.

"Why are you staring at me like that Matsumoto-fukutaicho?" he asked.

Resting her elbow on the table, she placed her chin on the palm of her hand. "Hitsugaya, do you have a crush on Yuki-chan?"

Suddenly, his cheeks turned a few shades darker. Turning his body to her, the third seat questioned, "W-What are you talking about? Why would I have a crush on my own captain?"

Matsumoto shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know; you tell me."

"I'm telling you; I don't have a crush on Yuki!"

A grin appeared on her face. "Really? Then, why are you blushing right now?"

Realizing what she's trying to imply, Hitsugaya immediately lowered his head and turned his head to the side. He quietly said, "U-Uruse..."

Her grin suddenly reduced to a small smile. "Even though it's none of my business, I'm just saying this out in the open. If you continue to feel that way towards Yuki-chan, you might as well let her know. Who knows, she might feel the same way in return."

"Fukutaicho..." Just as he is about to reply back, he heard the door open. The two Shinigami turned their heads to see Yuki has come back from the washroom. Taking a seat next to her vice-captain, Hikari noticed her young subordinate still standing.

"Oi Toshiro, why are you just standing there for? Go ahead and sit down already!" With a short nod of agreement, Hitsugaya returned to his seat. Despite being partially drunk, the tenth division captain still has a stable mind. As Matsumoto drank down another mouthful of sake, Yuki placed her hands on the table. Putting her full attention to her subordinates, she suddenly said, "Rangiku-chan, Toshiro...there's something I need to tell you."

Rangiku stopped and put her jug down while Hitsugaya has given his full attention. "What is it, Yuki-chan?" Matsumoto asked.

She lowered her head for a moment before raising it once more. After taking a deep breath, she replied calmly, "Soitaicho has recently informed me that I have been promoted to the Royal Guard."

There was a short pause before Matsumoto sat on her knees and began hugging her captain with open arms. "Really Yuki-chan? That's great to hear!" Rangiku exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

It continued that way for a few seconds before the strawberry orange haired woman stopped. After thinking her thoughts through, the tenth division lieutenant took another look at Hikari.

"Wait a minute, if you're promoted to the Royal Guard, then that means you can't stay here anymore!"

Hearing her say that made Hitsugaya realize it too; if one is promoted to the Royal Guard, they must leave this place to protect the Spirit King in the other world. "Yuki..."

Hikari slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah, that's right."

There was a brief moment of silence. Matsumoto suddenly asked, "When do you have to leave?"

"Tomorrow night," she replied.

Rangiku lowered her head. "I see..."

Hitsugaya then turned his head to the side, thinking about what his captain has suddenly announced. "One day...there is only one day left until Yuki's time as Captain of the Tenth Division is over..."

References

Gotei 13 - The Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Shinigami - Soul Reaper, Hai - Yes, Itoto-chan - Little Brother, Daijobou - It's Alright, Zanpakuto - Soul Cutter, Soitaicho - Captain Commander, Ja ne - Good Bye (informal/casual), Fukutaicho - Lieutenant/Vice-Captain, Sumi masen - Excuse Me, Taicho - Captain

Author's Note: And her time as tenth division captain is coming to an end...It's bad news for Toshiro. What will he do? Find out what happens in the last flash back chapter! In the meantime, please review! Thanks. Five chapters left until story completion...