Effort (Guest)- August 20, 2012

World: Anime/Manga

Summary: It was a matter of trying.

For the child genius that flew through Shino Academy and jumped from one seat position to the next, effort really meant nothing to him.

To the emerald-eyed youngster, effort was something he had never partaken in. He had contact with his zanpakuto at a young age- even before he had studied to become a shinigami. Studies came naturally to him, and he could boast that he had never gotten a low A in any assignment he was given. Even becoming the captain of the 10th division was easier than he expected- although that might have been because the former captain, Isshin Kurosaki, had deserted Soul Society and they needed a replacement.

Even the paperwork he complained so much about was easy- although that was expected. All he did was stamp certain papers and sign on the dotted line.

While most shinigami envy the life of the ivory-haired genius, Toshiro longed for something they had, but he didn't.

A challenge.

There were few things that were a challenge to Hitsugaya Toshiro, but they were of minor significance. Some things were just hopeless- such as getting his lazy lieutenant to do her job correctly.

Sure, there were some battles where he had to fight for his very life. Those were actually quite thrilling; a seedling of exhilaration always passed through him when he felt as if he was going to face a strong opponent. But something that Toshiro wanted was a challenge where it didn't threaten his life.

That wish was always in the back of his mind, subconsciously poking at him as he continued his daily routines. He always kept a lookout for anything that could excite him and enthuse him like no other. So when the substitute shinigami introduced his recently-dead sister, Toshiro felt as if he'd just hit the jackpot.

It wasn't as if he was just playing with her. His affections for the rough woman ran much deeper than anyone had expected. Maybe he hadn't shown it, but he actually genuinely cared for the raven-haired girl and as their relationship grew, so did his feelings for her.

And when Toshiro had realized just how far he had fallen in, he challenged himself to gain the affection of her heart.

So little by little, she grew closer to him and took his subtle hints one by one. Her heart was just as stubborn as his and Toshiro had found it indeed a formidable task to capture her as his.

But when he did, he found that trying and even failing at times was the second best thing he had ever experienced- next to finally getting the Kurosaki's attention. He learned that effort was something to be cherished, to be experienced for the heavy heart when it was weary.

And as much as he adored the excitement of challenges, he never loved it more than doing it with her.

I hope you enjoyed this one! I'm working on small plots for the prompts you guys have given me and I'm super excited to start them. Here's one now- for the anonymous guest who didn't want to log in.

Anyhoo, I'm still taking prompts, so I'd love, love, love to see your input. Include it in a private PM or in a review, if you prefer.

Please review! It means the world to me. (: