Remembering Winter

Chapter 14: Not Again...

--A/N--

Shame on me, I know, I know. I left you all hanging a bit while I took off on a hiatus.

Sorry... Really, I am. I wrote a page the day that I posted chapter 13... and then I just lost it. Then I got all caught up in school and friends and a relationship... writing took the back burner. I'm sorry, really- I am. I hope to make it up to all of you with this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would be more popular than Hannah Montana. (Who, no offense, I hate)

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A whispering breeze echoed through the sleeping Seiretei, bringing with it the deep blanket of night dotted with blazing stars. A symphony of crickets preformed in the tall grass beyond the small patio Hitsugaya stood on, staring up at the night sky. It felt so good to be home, yet so strange, too. He was unaccustomed to his shinigami uniform, and gladly changed into a white button-up and a pair of jeans once he went to his quarters for the night. Human clothes are pretty nice, he figured, as he un-buttoned yet another shirt button, leaving only two of the six done in the lower middle of his shirt. He ran a hand through his white hair and sighed contentedly as he leaned his elbows on the railing in front of him.

"Mind if I join you?" A sweet voice asked from behind, laced with a hint of seduction- as if it was there without her even knowing it.

He stood upright as he turned to greet the woman behind him. Hinamori stood in the doorway that lead from his bedroom to the small balcony with a light smile teasing her red lips. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun with a pair of chopsticks with strands that had escaped the embrace framing her face. A sheer, short robe in soft ivory donned her petite figure and left little to the imagination.

His heart skipped multiple beats as her bare feet padded forward until she stood beside him at the railing, the moonlight glowing on her pale skin. A smile blossomed on her full red lips as she caught him still staring at her.

"I'll take that as a no, Hitsugaya-Taicho." she murmured with that seductive tone again.

He gave off a breath of laughter as he averted his eyes away from her and up to the sky once more. "How could I possibly mind your company, Hinamori?" He asked with amusement as he turned to face her, leaning haphazardly on the raining with his left elbow.

She let her grin grow into a delicate smile as she brushed a strand of auburn out of her eyes and turned to face the leaning Hitsugaya. Smirking devilishly up at him from underneath her long eyelashes she laughed, "That's Hinamori-Taicho to you." before looking straight into his cool eyes with her ruby ones, the largest eyes he had ever seen, glittering in laughter and starlight.

Hitsugaya couldn't help but laugh at his overused quote. "Hinamori... I've missed you." He smiled lightly down at her.

"And I you, Toshiro." She replied softly, "I never forgot you... and I've been counting the days until I saw you again..."

A soft breeze ran it's fingers over them, Hinamori's loosened hairs dancing in the slight whisper, her robe flowing along her things. Her sweet, natural scent waltzed along with the breeze, drawing Hitsugaya in more than he thought possible. Her petite body was only a few painful inches away...

Another warm, dusk breeze took a few more strands of auburn hair along with it, letting them gently waver over her cheeks. A playful smile graced her lips as she reached her hands up behind her head, pulling the two chopsticks smoothly out of her hair, letting her auburn tresses, still damp and wavy from her bath, fall in one tempting, flowing movement. The soothing scent of her lavender shampoo awoke his scenes, all alive and burning for her.

Reaching out with a sure hand, Hitsugaya captured a few strands that were dancing in the breeze between his fingers and tucked them lightly behind her ear, just barely grazing her warm cheek as he did so- delighting in the rose blush that crept into her cheeks.

She was so... so breathtakingly beautiful... It pained him to not touch her.

As he slowly drew his hand away, so close to cradling her smooth cheek in it's palm, he felt a great loss at the warmth he was leaving behind. Ruby eyes met his own and in her eyes was no longer glittering amusement but painful desire, burning... begging to be released. His hand froze and lowered subconsciously as he looked at her parted lips, red and pouting, heavy breathing the only thing escaping between them. His fingertips found the entrancingly soft and warm skin of her neck, sheltered by the cool curtain of her hair. A small tremor ran through her body at his touch and he found a devilish smile playing on his features at the deeper blush in her cheeks. The rest of his hand found the softness of her neck and she welcomed it, closing her eyes in desire and tilting her head back, exposing more of that beautiful milky flesh...

Slowly, he moved his hand to the back of her neck, letting his thumb trace circles along the soft skin underneath her ear. Her eyes opened, still heavy lidded and shimmering with the dull throb of passion. Closing the space between their bodies, aching to be fused together, he bent over her slowly, letting the flames of desire grow unbearable.

Her moist lips parted and her eyes fell shut again, her long lashes caressing her cheeks, awaiting his lips against hers. Taking only a brief moment, he stared at her beautiful face, then only face he saw anymore- all the others were dull and boring in comparison, lacking her radiant light, before letting his own eyes slide shut and closing the gap between their panting lips...

His eyes flew open, groping the darkness for an answer. Head-rushing heartbeats rapidly sped flame-hot blood searing through his veins as his lungs clawed the air for more. Sitting up in bed, he let his eyes adjust to the darkness and the... lack of Hinamori.

Sighing a shallow breath he rubbed a shaky hand against his clammy forehead. Just another dream... when will these stop?

In fact, the dreams had become a common occurrence since he ventured into her territory, waking him wide awake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and with a breathing rate of someone who had just ran a few hundred miles. It was completely... ridiculous!

For as long as he was away from her, he refused to think of her- to allow his conscious or subconscious mind to ever think of her. Her face... her voice... even her name. As soon as he took one look at her all of that crumbled away. His conscious mind, suddenly took every chance it got to throw an image of her beautiful eyes up. Not wanting to feel left out, his dreams had taken over his night with more thoughts of her.

As if seeing her during the day isn't bad enough... He grumbled to himself as he let his feet slide off the side of the bed, to the cool floor beneath. Rubbing his eyes he yawned as he decided he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep for awhile. Bare feet padded on the wood floor as he walked to the patio he had been on moments before, in his dream. Pulling open the sliding lattice door, he stepped outside into the cool night air clad in only sleep pants.

In his dream, the night seemed to glow with intense beauty. Radiant light tattooed shadows on the ground from the moon, and fireflies waltzed around in the air, creating a romantic glow all around.

Now... the night just seemed... lonely. All it was... was black.

Sighing, he leaned his elbows against the railing and trailed his hands through his hair.

"I hate this..." he murmured, just loud enough for him himself to hear.

The hard truth was that this was killing him. The intense close contact with Hinamori was too much to bear. Not that he was always around him, in fact, whenever she entered the room he left before she could even notice his presence. He hadn't looked her in the eye since that day... nor had he been that close.

At the same time- he could hardly bear to be away from her. A false sense of calm fell over him the moment he realized she was alive and happy. The whole time he was away he told himself that as long as she was happy, he would be happy. She seemed happy, so why wasn't he? Sure, he was relieved that she was okay- at first. But soon apprehension gripped him tightly and he felt himself waiting for something bad to happen. What, exactly, he wasn't sure. Mixed emotions caused him to keep a sharp eye out for her; first to run from her, than to guard her from anything that could happen.

"Not again," He resolved sternly, standing up straight and eyes glistening in determination, "I will not let her down again."

With that, he walked back into his room and crawled back under his covers- already expecting to be woken up in an hour or two.

--A/N--

I know it's short. But I didn't want to make it too long since I'm sure a few of you will have to go back and re-read chapter 13... So yeah...

I'm sorry. Really. I'm really going to try to get chapter 15 out soon. I have a break from school, so lets see how much writing I can get done in that time. haha

Thanks for reading! I love all of you!

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