I'm back! (claps) Yes, I'm sure you're all so excited.
Well, I'll be going a little slower than my normal pace of every other day from now on because soon, school's gonna be starting back up, I've got band camp, I want to work on my DNAngel fics, and I REALLY want to finish a video I started oh…2 months ago?
So yea…
Kudos goes to my baby kitty, Junior because he's the only one who puts up with my randomness when I write these things. That and for some reason, I mean he is only a cat, he somehow helps me get ideas for fics. So you should be grateful to him! (holds up cat) SHOW YOUR GRATEFULLNESS!
Haha, I think he uses like hypnosis to give me these ideas or something…
Story 11/Part 2: Fall
"No, no, no! Stop denyin' it!" Ichimaru said, poking him repeatedly in the chest. "You know in you' heart it's true! But guess what…an' I know I said I wouldn' tell you, but this is too fun…" Ichimaru grinned wider and leaned down to Hitsugaya's face, "She feels the same way…"
That dream…
He was going to make sure it came true.
"Go on…"
Ichimaru's voice echoed through his brain as he picked up speed.
"The nerve of her."
Yamamoto's cruel words popped into his mind and he gritted his teeth. That man was a downright bastard. The angrier he got at Yamamoto for treating Matsumoto badly, the angrier he got at Ichimaru himself for leaving her. But the more he became angry at the other two, the more he hated himself.
He'd done the same thing. Well…maybe not the same thing, but close enough. When Ichimaru was around, he always yelled at her for being late or sleeping. He'd called her stupid or idiotic every other day. Even after Ichimaru was gone, he wasn't there for her. He knew she was crying. He knew she was beating herself up over it. And what did he do? Nothing. Gave her more paperwork. Yelled at her more. No wonder she snapped.
He jumped onto a nearby roof. The sun was beginning to set. His fists were clenched so hard his nails were digging into his palm, drawing blood. If it got dark he'd never find her.
He mentally punched himself. Why didn't he do anything? He had the authority. He could have shouted back at the old man for his accusations and still have kept his position. Hitsugaya thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh at himself. He would have been defending Ichimaru. True, it was for the sake of his lieutenant, but still…that's something he never thought he'd do in a million years. Of course, the accusations were pretty ridiculous…
He shook his head and began running again. He shouldn't be thinking about stupid things like that. He should be finding Matsumoto before she did something they would both regret.
Another twenty-five minutes of pure running and jumping went by with no sign of Matsumoto. Hitsugaya collapsed against a wall.
"Hitsugaya-taicho? What are you doing?" he heard from above him. He looked up to see someone leaning out a window. Even in the approaching darkness, he could tell it was Yumichika.
"Y…You haven't…seen…Matsumoto 'round have you?" Yumichika's brows furrowed in concern.
"I saw her a little while ago…she told me she was taking a walk…"
"To…where?" Hitsugaya said, his breath returning. "Did she say?"
"Sorta…she said she was going to the last place she saw 'him'…but don't ask me who that is." Yumichika shrugged, "…did something happen? Her eyes were puffy but…" he looked away. "I didn't think anything of it…"
Hitsugaya knew Yumichika was blaming himself for not stopping her. "It's alright." Hitsugaya took a deep breath and stood. "Thanks anyway."
"Wait!" Yumichika cried as Hitsugaya turned away. "Her face…I know it too well…it's the face she makes when she thinks about Ichimaru-taicho…"
It popped into Hitsugaya's mind as clear as day. Of course she'd be thinking about Ichimaru. He took off again. "Thanks Yumichika!"
"Wha…? Hey, where are you going?!" Yumichika shouted after him.
"The execution grounds!" Hitsugaya called back. "The last place she saw him!"
"Wha…?" Yumichika raised his brow. "Does everyone know who 'him' is except me?"
Hitsugaya ran faster than he ever had before. Taking the stairs three at a time, he reached the top in record time. He blew through the trees and stopped.
There she was, standing on the edge.
She was silhouetted by the falling sun and her hair moved from the winds. Even from several yards away he could see her shaking.
He slowly moved towards her. The closer he got he could see every few seconds she repositioned one of her feet. Her shaking had gotten her off balance.
"Matsumoto…" he said softly, hoping not to scare her. He knew it was a stupid question, but it just slipped out of his mouth, "Are you okay?"
She turned her head slightly and he could see a small smile on her face. "I'm fine, Taicho. Perfectly fine."
Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, "You're lying."
The sun dipped behind the mountains and stars began blinking on before she turned around to face him, "Really Taicho…I'm really okay."
"Sto-" he began but stopped and sighed. "Matsumoto…I'm sorry."
She looked confused. "For what? You haven't done anything wrong…"
"Yes I have." He said looking up at the darkening sky. "I've seen you crying and I haven't done anything about it…I've completely ignored you and what you've been going through…"
"Ta-" her shaking legs suddenly gave out on her. Luckily, Hitsugaya was close enough to catch her before her knees hit the ground. He held her tightly as he placed his chin on her shoulder. Her shaking continued as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "T-Taicho…"
"I'm sorry." he said closing his eyes. "I'm so sorry…"
Her nails dug into his shoulders as her breathing became sharp. "I…I can't take anymore! I can't take the whispering and the stories…I hate the way people are looking at me now! And…and I can't put on my mask anymore…I can't fake it anymore…"
Hitsugaya stroked her hair silently. Deep down, he knew all that. This whole time he knew she couldn't bear to hear these things. Again, he mentally punched himself. He had the power to do something and he didn't…
Now who was the bastard?
Night was settling all around them. Lights were flickering on and he could hear distant songs from the local bars and clubs. But he didn't care. Right now, the world only consisted of the two of them.
"I'm…sorry, Taicho…" she whimpered after a while.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." He said, pushing her away so he could look her in the eyes. "You haven't done anything."
Matsumoto looked away, hoping to change the subject, "I probably got you into a lot of trouble back with Yamamoto."
Hitsugaya shrugged and sat on the cliff side, his legs dangling over the edge. "Not really. But I'm sure he's pissed 'cause I came after you."
Matsumoto sat beside him, "Well that was stupid."
Hitsugaya couldn't help but laugh, "And why was that stupid?"
Matsumoto pursed her lips and swung her legs back and forth, "Because captains shouldn't worry about their lieutenants."
"Well…cou-" he shut his mouth. He just almost said 'couples'! Where the hell did that come from?! "…friends worry about each other don't they?"
Matsumoto smiled. "Well yes, I'd assume they do."
Hitsugaya looked the other direction to hide his blush, "Do you think that's stupid?"
"No." she said, shifting her hand so it their fingertips were touching slightly. "I don't think that's stupid at all."
He turned back to face her with a smirk as he placed his hand on hers, "Well then don't call me stupid."
She blushed, "Wha…no! I-I didn't mean you were stupid! I just…I meant…" she sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know what I meant…"
"Tell me what's wrong." He said, squeezing her hand. She opened her eyes and looked down to see him staring at her intently. "Tell me everything."
She thought for a second as she stared back into his green eyes. Behind all of his own pain and suffering, she saw, he really did want to know her problems. Not just so he had the knowledge of them, like other people did, but because he truly cared and wanted to help. Behind the sadness, she saw the eagerness to erase her troubles. She saw that he didn't care about himself, not at all. The only thing he cared about was what was reflected in the shining green, and that was her.
"Well…it's Gin…but you already knew that…" she watched as he sat, clinging to her hand, watching her silently. He wasn't going to interrupt. "What I mean is…it's not so much the fact he betrayed everyone in all of Soul Society. It's the fact he left…well, the fact that he left me…because then that started a chain reaction."
He blinked for the first time since she started talking. "Chain reaction? What do you mean?"
"Well, more people started to leave me…" she said, looking down the cliff to the buildings and lights. "After Gin left, less people came by to see me. I went out less with people. Like…like after Gin was no longer by my side, I became repulsive to everyone and they all left…the only people I've seen in months are you, Nanao, Kyoraku-taicho and Yamamoto…"
Hitsugaya huffed, "Well, I don't think Yamamoto counts as a person…"
Matsumoto giggled before continuing. "Anyway…it scares me that you guys are the only ones I see…because it could lead to one day…no one will be around…even you, Taicho…" tears began to well up in her eyes. "And…and I'll be all alone again…"
She turned away from his gaze and sniffed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Suddenly, she felt his hand leave hers and reappear on her shoulder. "Come here." He muttered as he pulled her towards him. Her head landed on his shoulder and she found no need to remove it from there. His grip on her shoulder tightened. "I've told you before, haven't I? I won't leave like Gin did…I won't leave like everyone else has been…I'm gonna stay with you 'til the end no matter what it takes."
Matsumoto smiled. Unlike Ichimaru, Hitsugaya's words rang with truth. But to her, his words weren't just a promise. It was more a protection. A protection from the darkness she knew was building inside. She knew, if the darkness got too big, he'd show up out of nowhere and be her light. With him there, the only darkness would be the shadows he'd cast just from being with her.
She thought for a minute. That kinda sounded like an angel. She laughed, making him look down at her in confusion. No, he wasn't her angel…
More like a heavenly guardian.
Hm ja, well, since I'm being threatened by people on DeviantART (cough-Reflecting-cough).
And I couldn't help but think this one is a lot like chapter 5…(shrugs) all well.
Song: 'Fall' by Clay Walker
And I'm getting angry at myself. I promised myself I wouldn't do it, but I'm doing it anyway. I keep using country songs. What I really wanna do is use a rock song from like the 80s and make non-romance…just one chapter non-romance related…
So the next chapter may be a while…:D
BlackAngel