Slow Kiss

Hitsugaya stepped into the ward quietly and as he watched his wife's back and noticed how her shoulder slumped, the knots in his stomach tightened. He couldn't help but blame himself for letting this happen. Soul Society was in disarray; divisions suffered heavy damage, the fourth division was skirmishing all over the place to reduce the already increasing casualties, the Gotei 13 was left baffled over the invasion and Hitsugaya had been blaming himself for failing to protect one of the most precious people to him. As he approached the figure that sat forlornly at the side of the bed, he caught sight of her tear-stained face and lifeless eyes.

It tore at him to know that she was beating herself up more than he was.

Hinamori didn't even look up while he sat beside her on the bed. It was as if his presence brought another wave of overwhelming despair and tears flooded her eyes again. She clenched her hands tightly and her words came out in a broken voice.

"They took him."

Saying it out loud made the harshness of that reality hit her harder and Hinamori didn't bother holding back her tears. Hitsugaya found himself at a loss of what to do. He couldn't assure that everything will be alright when he didn't even know who or what invaded Soul Society. He couldn't tell her not to let the sadness eat at her when that was exactly what he was doing to himself.

"I was there," she choked out. Her vision blurred as tears dropped onto her lap and the rising lump in her throat made it hard to talk. "I was there and I couldn't stop it. They took him right before my eyes…and I couldn't do anything."

Hinamori brought her hands up to cover her face, fiercely wiping the tears away but they flowed like a broken dam and nothing she did made her eyes any drier. Frustration gnawed at her and as the scene of her son being snatched from her flashed in her mind, a sob escaped from her. If there was anything she felt other than despair, it was anger. She was angry she couldn't do anything more to prevent her son from being taken. Raw anger coursed through her system and flooded her veins and Hinamori found herself clawing at her face in a desperate attempt to stop her crying. What right did she have when she couldn't even protect her own son?

Red marks lined her cheeks among the tear tracks and Hitsugaya reached out to pull her hands away before they did more damage. He held her wrists in an iron grip and all he could feel was pain as he watched the redness darken, marring her face; branding her skin. Hinamori kept her eyes downcast, unwilling and too ashamed to look him in the eye.

In that moment, Hitsugaya felt a flood of emotions wash over him, fiercely and all at once. In one swift motion he grabbed the sides of Hinamori's face and forced her to look at him with aggression that surprised them both.

"Stop it," he commanded. His voice was strong and urging but Hinamori could hear the slight crack of his voice. "Just stop."

She looked up and met his imploring eyes, realizing at once that he must be hurting too. It was their son in danger. She kept silent for fear another sob would escape her lips. She didn't want to be seen more broken than she already was.

Hitsugaya's hands slackened their grip but he held on to her face gently. Slowly and tenderly, he wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb. He gingerly caressed the red tracks that ran across her cheeks and knew that he had done something right when she sighed softly. The warmth in her skin melted away with Hitsugaya's cool touch. Hinamori closed her eyes and brought her hand to cover his. When she had finally calmed down, Hitsugaya released his hold and took her hands in his, making small circles with his thumb to soothe her.

"Hey."

His voice was lower than a whisper yet it caught her full attention nonetheless.

"I'll bring him back."

She admired how he could stay so strong at a time like this, at a time when she was breaking down. She wanted to believe him, really she did but the odds were stacked high against their favor.

"But what if—"

"We taught him well. He's a strong one."

His teal eyes bore into hers with such intensity that Hinamori could feel the determination and absoluteness behind his gaze. He was right. They did teach him well; they took pride in how they trained him in swordsmanship and kidou and the commendations of other ranked members were an attestation to that. If there was any young shinigami who was more well-prepared for battle than anyone, it would be their son. But above all that, she felt hope and her anxious heart was calmed just the slightest with his honest words.

"I'll bring him back. I promise."

Hinamori shut her eyes to prevent her tears from falling again. She nodded and clutched his hands tightly, as if to draw upon the hope and resolution he had.

Hitsugaya allowed her some time to collect herself before releasing her hands to caress her cheeks once more. The redness had subsided, he noticed with relief. Gently, he cupped her face and brought them closer to one another till their noses were almost touching.

"Don't cry."

He kissed her long and slow, covering her mouth fully with his. Hitsugaya could taste the saltiness of her tears on her lips but he tried to ignore that. He thought about how perfectly their lips fit against each other's instead. He moved his lips against hers, softly at first then firmly. He pressed his mouth insistently onto hers, hoping that he could convey what he felt in that one kiss. He wanted her to share his resolution and he wanted the hope he felt to seep into her very being. He wanted to show her that everything will be alright.

Hitsugaya knew he got his message across when he felt her respond more urgently to his kiss. She met his lips with fervency that rivaled his. Parting her lips just the slightest bit, Hinamori moved her mouth in tandem with his, causing his breath to hitch. He pulled away momentarily, only to kiss her once again with greater insistence and raw need. When air became a necessity, they parted but their lips stayed merely centimeters apart. Hinamori rested her forehead against Hitsugaya's and let out a small, shaky breath.

For the first time since the invasion, she smiled and sincerely believed that their son will return home, alive and well. A small smile made its way to Hitsugaya's mouth when he noticed how the corners of her lips turned up. He planted a quick kiss on her forehead and brought her into an embrace, circling her waist with his arms and tucking her head beneath his chin. With their newfound resolution, they knew they were about to bring their son home and raise a little hell.

End

This was supposed to be a drabble…