"Yes."

I had thought about all of last night. It wasn't an easy decision for me to make, but I think a distraction is what I need. Haru and I were good friends so it wasn't like I didn't know him and was saying yes to some random stranger, he was my friend. It just seemed a bit wrong to be saying yes to him when I knew there were more things I could be doing with my time.

"Really?" Haru asked seeming shocked.

I nodded my head.

"Yes Haru I will go out with you."

"That's great!"

"Well I got to get off to practice. If I'm late I'm afraid I'll piss off Hitsugaya."

"You're close to Hitsugaya aren't you?" Haru asked as his eyes sobered and became a bit dual.

"Yah, I guess you can say that, but he's a really good guy and was there for me when I needed someone most."

"But he also hurt you. Don't get me wrong I respect Captain Hitsugaya and think he's a really good guy, but it hurt me to see you so hurt."

"I guess you're right…" I trail off as I remember when we got into a fight the week I was here and by the end of the second almost beginning of the third week I had left the training ground, before training even began, crying. I had gotten over it a long while ago, apparently Haru had not.

"I've grown past it though. When we got in that last argument it was because he didn't want me to be so distant. He was looking out for me."

"Fine," he sighs, "if you're past it I guess I can try and grow past it."

"Thank you," I say as I give Haru a hug before leaving to head off to the training ground.

"Hello Mai," Hitsugaya said as he walked up to me.

"Hi Captain Hitsugaya," I smile as I see him walking through the door.

He is so beautiful when he walked through that doorway as the sun was rising it was more apparent than normal. He had a light all of his own as the raise aluminates him. I can see the color of his turquoise eyes brought out more, the same eyes that I had mistaken for a blue when I first saw him. His white hair stood out more when the sun raise shined down on him. His pale skin looked paler, but somehow full of life and color. Hitsugaya was such a beautiful creature.

"I gave Haru my answer earlier today," I tell him to start the conversation. I really wanted Hitsugaya to know first on what I told Haru.

"What did you tell him?" Hitsugaya asked not seeming to care too much, but this was Hitsugaya he made it seem like he didn't care about very much.

"I said yes," I told him somewhat sheepishly.

I don't know why I was suddenly sheepish to tell Hitsugaya. I had brought up the conversation wanting to tell him, but admitting it suddenly seemed different. My happy personality dropping as I admitted it.

Wasn't I happy about this? Aren't I the one that said yes? I'm the one that spoke that word to Haru and meant it. So why the sudden sheepishness when bringing telling Hitsugaya.

"Is that what you want?" Hitsugaya asks as he hands me an apple.

"Yah, I think so. I thought about it all of last night. I'm good friends with him. He seems to be very serious about this and I know he cares for me." I nod my head with confidence. "I also think this will be good for me."

"Do you think you really know him? You only see him when it's the two of you, never in a group. You also don't know very much about his track record."

"What do you mean?" I ask more than I little lost.

"You know nothing of his past."

I nod.

"I know I don't know anything of his past, but he knows nothing of mine either. I know to truly ever understand someone you need to know their past, but it's who they are that truly matter right?" I ask giving him a hopeful smile.

"What if that past them hasn't changed from future or present them?"

"Then what is there to worry about?" I ask shrugging my shoulders.

"Now, what is this apple for and the bag of them in your hands?" I ask changing the subject so the day can begin.

"Now that you know how to use the move you need to learn how to be able to target one spot." I nod my head.

"Before we can do that you need to show it to me.

(Hitsugaya's POV)

Hitsugaya truly love watching Mai train. Watching her weld her sword everyday was his favorite part of the day. She wasn't of this world or the human world to Hitsugaya. To Hitsugaya she was a gift to them. She has gone through so much pain, and yet she still cared so much about those who were willing to be kind to her. She has been so strong too, at such a young age. She was truly unworldly in Hitsugaya's eyes.

"We can end today early since you have the move down." Hitsugaya spoke to Mai as he turned and walked away from the training ground.

"Hitsugaya," Mai's voice called softly.

"Yes," Hitsugaya asked turning around.

"I just wanted to say thank you for everything."

"There's no need for you to thank me."

"You say that, but I feel differently. I never felt so close to someone before."

Her words cause something in Hitsugaya to stop. Hitsugaya didn't think Mai felt close or cared for him more than as an authority, but her words shouldn't be said to an authority. Her words should be saved for a lover or boyfriend, just not him or Haru, in Hitsugaya's eyes.

"Go enjoy yourself," Hitsugaya said to cover for his halt.

"Alright, bye Hitsugaya," Mai shouted as she ran past him.

When Hitsugaya got into his room he finally allowed that frustration that has been building up inside of him since he first told Haru that he could date Mai and grow even worse when he gave Mai permission to date him, but the final blow was when Mai said yes to Haru. He had tried to persuade her to find out about his past if not break up with him, leaning more towards breaking up with him.

Hitsugaya hated himself for putting her at such risk. Hitsugaya had promised himself that he would protect her, but he had just put her in danger that might not ever heal. He just didn't want to let his emotions get in the way of letting Mai live her life, because the thought that he had of Mai he felt that they were not thoughts or feeling a captain should be having for a subordinate.

"I'm so stupid!" Hitsugaya screams as he feels like hitting something, but he can't risk someone coming in to the office while he's like this.

"Why did I give her permission to date him? What is wrong with me?"

"Captain are you alright?" Matsumoto asks walking in. "I could hear you yelling down the halls!"

"I'm fine!" Hitsugaya snaps.

"What are you yelling at then? Who did you give permission to date someone?" Matsumoto seemed concern and it wasn't because this could become great gossip, she was genuinely concerned about Hitsugaya and Hitsugaya could see it.

"Mai, I gave her permission to date Haru." Hitsugaya's voice was that of someone hurt inside; from shame, regret, and sorrow.

"What, why?" Matsumoto asked shocked that her captain would do that.

"Because I can't hold her back just because I love her!" Hitsugaya yelled, but by the time the words were out there they couldn't be taken back. They were out there for Matsumoto to hear and no matter how bad he wanted to take them back and keep them a secret he can't.

"You finally admitted it!" Matsumoto squeals with joy.

"Shut up."

"But you finally confessed that you loved her!"

"Matsumoto shut up!" Hitsugaya's voice was cut and crisped.

"but Captain-"

"Shut up!"

Matsumoto was the only one in the room happy about. While yes, Hitsugaya finally admitted something Matsumoto's known all along Hitsugaya didn't want anyone to know that he had feelings for Mai. It wasn't right in his eyes, no matter how much he cared about her it didn't change the positions.

"You should tell her." Matsumoto said sober again.

"I can't she's dating Haru." Hitsugaya admitted with his head hung low in shame.

"Then all you can do is be the one there for her when she needs you and she realizes what Haru really wants."

"Captain are you sure you're alright?" Matsumoto asks after a time of silence.

"I'm fine." Hitsugaya still refuses to look at Matsumoto.

"She's strong, but she needs you too. Trust me when I say that she'll realizes she loves you as well. She's probably letting the same thing hold her back." Hitsugaya nodded his head in reply.

(Mai's POV)

I chuckled at a story Haru had just told me about his friends and him in the academy as we lay on my bed just talking with our hands inter twinned.

"Jack sounds like a very interesting person."

"Huh, he's alright. He's a bit of a player."

I nod my head.

"Aren't a lot of guys? So many guys go from girl to girl that it's hard to trust a lot of them."

"Mai?"

"Hm," I ask Haru as I watch him turn on his side and props himself on his elbows.

"Do you trust me? Or do you think I'm going to hurt you like other guys do to girls?"

"I trust you Haru!" he nods his head and lays back down on his back.

"Haru if I ever thought you would hurt me like that I wouldn't have said yes to you."

"What made you have to think about whether or not you should date me?"

"A lot of things, but the main thing was would it hurt me or be better for me to date you. We both know I don't belong to this world, but I also have things that I need to get back to in my world. I have someone who can take care of it, but they are my responsibility."

"So it wasn't that you don't care about me?"

"No, it wasn't that I don't care about you." I shake my head lightly and offer him a kind smile.

"I love you Mai," Haru said leaning in towards me.

Was he going to kiss me? I panicked afraid that that was his plan.

"Ha-Haru you can't kiss me," I stutter as I look at him with wide eyes.

"Why's that?" He asks pulling back.

"Because we just started dating. We haven't even been going out for a day yet."

"Alright," he nods, "I will wait tell you are ready."

"Thank you," I say with a smile as the look of shock and worry is replaced for a much more relaxed and happier one.

"Anything to make you happy." This causes me to smile a little bigger.

He's so good to me, I think to myself as we begin to talk again.