Author's note: Hello again my beautiful reviewers/readers~ I am back again two weeks later to upload... the final chapter of Beautiful Lie. I was debating whether or not I should wait to upload this until the one year anniversary on September 11th, but I decided that that would be too long of a wait. To be honest, I wanted to upload this chapter really badly to see all of your guys reactions to it being the end of Beautiful Lie. To imagine that it's almost been a year since I posted this story, just wow... Looking back, I sucked so badly in the beginning that it's not even funny xD. And you guys... you helped me through so much! Even when my uploads took weeks to come you all came rushing in the day I decided to upload it to fanfiction, reviews all ready to write. All I have to say is, thank you. It may not seem like much, but you guys really supported me in getting to where I am today. I will admit, that once I finished the last sentence of this chapter, that the tears just overwhelmed me and I couldn't stop myself from crying. I was so happy that I finished it, you have no idea! But, I also felt sadness because I knew that it was over, that Beautiful Lie will no longer need future chapters, and that's just a lot of emotion to take in all at once. This was a very nice chapter to write, and honestly I finished it in less than two days after I uploaded Chapter 20, but I waited until it was two weeks so some reviews could come in since I know I won't get anymore after this chapter. Now, I must say, that this was my favorite chapter to write. I believe that it has a good display of emotion and a conclusion to all this madness that had happened. Hopefully, you'll also agree with me once you read it :). Now, it's time for a final thank you to all of my reviewers out there: icyangel27, SomethingPersonal, ichiruki45, REDROSES13, Kero-mero, Michie .A, SongHyeRii, LightningFox17, Lil' EyeCandy, huan05, Reader-Favs, xODarkmistOx, pinksugarrush, My Heart Stained Blue, Hyourinmaru10, Rainb0wNinja, mysteri0s, skylark dragonstar, Yoru Yasha, WhiteRose810, AznVKai, HibarixZhen, animefan4eva5, splitheart1120, TheDanaDobreAKAToshiroLover, Aiko Rin Sayuri, kitkathappiness, shadowrukia6613, Hitsuhina fanatic, Santashelper834, HitsuHinalover, LuluTemmy22, ayoshi-chan923, SilencedAtMidnight, .PyR, LyraHikaru, galdonik165, ulquihimefohever, AnimeYuki99, rabukawa, Sabanoodles, xbrainlessxxwriterx, and JulieBookLover21. I'd also like to thank the various reviewers who didn't have their own webpage but I was seriously lazy to write all of their names down xD. Keep an eye out for You Belong to Me, because I shall now start continuing that postponed story since now Beautiful Lie is over. I have several good songs to listen to while reading this story: Unspoken by Hurts, It is what it is by Lifehouse, and How He Lovesby David Crowder Band. Now, I'm not religious in anyway shape or form while How he Loves is centered around god, but I just imagine that he's singing about a woman he loves. So if you listen to that one (which is highly recommended for a later scene because it's emotional) just keep that in mind (:. You don't have to listen to any of them but it's very nice to listen to something that has some emotion... Anyways, enough with this agonizing long note, let's get onto the story!
Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I'd make sure that there were Hitsuhina moments in nearly every chapter.
Beautiful Lie
Chapter 21: Final Wish
"Taicho, look I finished my paperwork!"
A vein visibly popped on a man's forehead and the woman who had called out was startled when he sent her an icy glare from behind his desk. She giggled softly, rubbing the back of her head in uneasiness while she strolled over to where he was placed in front of an overflowing amount of papers and envelopes that required his signature. Folders documenting to previous fights and letters dedicated to him scattered across his lap and laid sloppily besides his ink quill. A few drops of ink splattered on the burgundy surface and managed to stain the white fabric of the cloak the man had over his under uniform.
Another vein snapped.
The woman sheepishly stopped at the front of his desk when she couldn't bear his cold stare any longer. His eyes flamed in annoyance and frustration but he didn't make any sudden movement so she felt her confidence rise slightly despite her captain's short tolerance rate. She delicately placed her heap of sheets on top of his completed pile and watched in horror as the stack wobbled before tumbling towards the ground and sending papers flying high into the air. All of his hard work displayed itself now in an unorganized arrangement, sheets disappearing in different directions. She stood there, staring at her hands as if she was still holding her pile of work before her gaze nervously rose to see the man's reaction.
Twitch of an eyebrow and the tightening of a jaw.
Uh oh…
"MATSUMOTO!" the man suddenly roared, slamming his hands on the desk and rising abruptly to face her. The woman had let out a terrified shriek and childishly disappeared behind the couch that acted as a barrier from the infuriated man. She could feel his chilly reiatsu sink into her stiff shoulders and she had the sudden urge to sneeze. She held it in however, when he suddenly appeared on the other side of the couch, glaring daggers down at her crouched form. She gave him the most apologetic smile she could muster and was relieved when he just narrowed his eyes and turned in the other direction back to his desk.
"Clean up this mess," he muttered.
She slowly rose from the comfort of the sofa; her eyes rising in speculation at her captain's hunched over stance, scribbling his neat signature on a sheet of paper from the stack she had managed not to knock over. She glanced down at the floor to see a huge mass of the white-colored pages and she found her bottom lip jutting out in a pout. She felt his glare bore into her head and she didn't even dare to look up before she had flashed over to the foot of his desk and lowered to begin collecting the various printed squares.
She heard him sigh before he began to continue his swift ability to attempt and finish the overload of paperwork he had recently be assigned. A small smile played on the woman's lips while she continued to pick up the sheets of paper; taking glances at her captain who was fumbling on the information on a certain report. She scrutinized on his face and noticed that his eyes were alit with concentration and intelligence that she still hadn't gotten used to seeing. She remembered when his eyes had been so lifeless; hope having vanished from their depths; when his soul refused to properly take care of his body, forming hollow cheeks and shrunken skin; when his personality had drastically changed from a born leader to nothing more than a crazed, lonely, lunatic that longed for the one he loved.
It had been exactly three years since he was captured and released.
She recalled the day that they had all grouped together in search for the tenth division captain who was prowling around in the outskirts of Seireitei. News of him silencing Kira with the length of his blade caused an uproar among the lieutenants. The captains were disbelieving when they heard that Hitsugaya Toshiro had slaughtered the man until Kira's body was presented to them and Kurotsuchi revealed to them that it was indeed Hitsugaya's sword wound. They had later set out for the two missing men, Renji and Hisagi, while on the lookout for the white-haired prodigy. She was scared, not for herself, but for the condition of her captain. She didn't want to face him in these desperate times, especially after seeing him locked up in that cell a few days ago.
Not just her, but everyone weren't expecting the captain's state of mind. When they had arrived and Komamura was forced to attack the man who was slowly cutting into the ninth division lieutenant's throat, sending him flying away before crashing into the ground, Matsumoto had to refrain all of her willpower to stand up and fight beside her captain. No one was moving in to help and she later found herself pleading for the white-haired man to snap out of it. If it wasn't for Komamura she wouldn't be here today. He had pushed her out of Hitsugaya's range and took the blow himself, sacrificing his own body to protect the lower ranks like a true captain while she had blindly stood there, as vulnerable as a mouse in an open field.
When she had heard her captain cry out Hinamori's fate, she had understood how he felt. He had to experience true pain at having to see the one he devotedly loved die in his arms from the wounds he caused. She could picture his tearstained face while he held her before he had been consumed by anger, causing the forest that they had been in to become frozen by his sorrow. He had resorted to all his pent up fury and took it out on the captains that tried to restrain him, placing lethal wounds on their bodies until they could barely stand.
The look on her captain's face when she and Renji had pursued for their friend's body still haunted her to this day. He had barreled into the lieutenant, sending them both to the ground in a heap, but leaving Renji gasping for breath due to the punctured lung he had received. When her captain's blade had knocked her to the solid ground and she was forced to hold his sword with her own was when she saw it. On the surface was nothing more than a maniacal grin that split across his face. His eyes were huge and emotionless but held a hidden emotion deep within them. He was determined to not let anyone near Momo's body, despite her already being dead for the past few hours. He had laughed and laughed and laughed, scarring her more with this new version of her captain that she had never seen. Her words never seemed to get through to him, only fueling his animosity and causing his blade to get closer and closer to her throat. Just when she thought it was over for her, she had felt his grip loosen from her neck and she watched as the realization finally surfaced in his eyes.
"Taicho…"
"I'm so sorry, Matsumoto…"
He had backed away from her and allowed himself to be captured by the rest of the group that was finally making their move. Various kidos forced his arms behind his back and tied his wrists together to prevent him from launching any surprise attacks on anyone. She had wanted to be beside him as they determined his sentence but the order she received from Komamura forced her to leave his side in search for Hinamori's body. She had watched them lead him in the direction of the prison cells and she swore that she saw a glimpse of tears slipping down her captain's face before the snow transformed back into rain and her vision of him was blurred.
She had felt her own tears prick at the corners of her eyes when they had found Hinamori.
She was lying near the entrance of a massive cave; body unmoving and silence unraveling around her. She was unharmed by the ice and she almost appeared to be sleeping until they noticed the three, cracked wounds on various parts of her body. Her blood had stopped flowing shortly after her heart had stopped beating, but a pool of dried blood soaked the frozen grass beneath her, surrounding her on either side. She had run to the woman, falling to her knees, and clutched onto Hinamori's lifeless body in her arms. She wouldn't stop crying despite that there were people there beside her who shared her current condition, although not in an overflow of tears. Ikkaku had his arms crossed while he looked away, a sad frown and a concealed emotion struggling to stay hidden along his face. Yumichika was gently patting Matsumoto's back in a comforting gesture, eyes glued to the ground in remembrance.
They had brought her body back to the fourth division to be inspected by healers. Unohana had excused them from her quarters while she examined the fifth division lieutenant and they had no choice but to leave. Ikkaku and Yumichika had given her their empathy before leaving her alone outside Hinamori's room. She never realized that she waited there for countless hours, never having to move, never thinking about her captain locked up in a dungeon, never even thinking of his punishment. When Unohana had opened the door and walked out with a mournful expression on her face before giving the woman a comforting hug, Matsumoto had burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, Matsumoto-fukutaicho…but, she's gone."
She didn't know how she had mustered up the courage to walk inside the room and see her captain's love lying still on a bed underneath silken covers. All the grime and blood had been washed away from her face and she noticed that her wounds had been fully healed, not even revealing a small, jagged scar where she had been struck. Her flawless face along with her ravishingly long eyelashes and pink lips made Matsumoto think of her captain and how he always gave her that soft look that held so much emotion when he thought the petite woman wasn't looking; how his eyes would brighten whenever she walked by and talked to him; how he would reveal that rare smile whenever she did something idiotic; and how he would laugh when she snapped back at him after he pointed out a flaw. Matsumoto had reached down and grabbed her hand; brushing her fingers across the surface of her skin.
"Rest in peace, Hinamori-chan…"
She had left shortly after to make her way towards the Central 46's dungeons; a fresh new trail of tears slipping down her face as she shunpoed through the hallways. When she had reached the large doors that led to the inner sanctum she was surprised to see the kind captain of the thirteenth division appear from them. The look on his face revealed his pronounced concern and he raised his head to give Matsumoto a weak smile. She nodded her head, trying to suppress her tears, while he placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort before disappearing.
She had made her way down the flights of stairs to the chambers that her captain would be held in. She passed by guards who didn't stop her from pursuing the captain that was placed somewhere in one of the various cells. Eventually she had no choice but to ask one of the guards where his cell block was, and she was surprised when they actually led her in the direction of her captain. She saw numerous murderers in the same blocks that her captain was placed in several days ago; their beady eyes staring at her while she saw malicious smiles and wicked laughs were heard. She pictured her captain but quickly shook it out of her mind, realizing that thinking about the past wouldn't help her in any way. She didn't know how much more she could take until finally the guard had stopped and she glanced at the man to see him pointing at a certain cell and she recognized her captain's snowy locks.
His eyes were staring unfocused on the ground below him; a thin mist clouding over the surface of his eyes. He was hunched against a wall, his head hung low so his hair was falling into his face. She was relieved to see that he wasn't pinned to the wall by kido but instead just tied at the wrists with a thick rope. It didn't seem like the beast within him had taken over his senses since his eyes were their normal aquamarine. He was now wearing a clean shihakusho, having been removed his previous bloodied and torn one. She noticed that his wounds had been healed and she thought of Unohana and smiled gratefully.
"What is his sentence?"
"One year of imprisonment before returning to his captain duties."
She had been shocked when she heard this for she thought that his punishment would be much more severe. She was so sure that he'd be executed and hung for his crimes, or at least condemned to jail for eternity. He wasn't even stripped of his captaincy and however thrilled she was she still didn't understand how he was allowed to stay alive even after everything he had done. She didn't object to the guard's information however, and took his keys when the man offered them to her. Unlocking her captain's cell she saw him lift his head ever so slightly before she returned the keys to the guard and walked over to his lithe form. She sat down in front of him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders, giving him a small smile despite that her heart was in pain from all these past events.
"Taicho, did you hear that? Just one year and everything will be back to normal!"
The man had raised his head to face her and she saw the emotionless expression he wore. He looked like he wanted to snap at her but held in the temptation and waited for her to understand what his eyes told her. Slowly, she noticed that his eyes were beginning to brim with emotion and she saw dejection, grief, sorrow, and loneliness surface before he whispered.
"Things will never go back to normal, Matsumoto."
When he was finally released a year later he had received his captain's haori and was allowed three months to recover. Matsumoto had taken him back to his quarters and he quickly shut himself away in his room, never even taking a step outside despite all of his visitors. Day after day he refused to answer the door even when she had attempted to get him to talk to her. Days turned to months and he still hadn't left the room or spoken a word to her. No matter how many times she knocked or called out to him there was never an answer and she began to worry that he might have committed suicide in this depressed state. The door would never open because he had frozen it to the frame with Hyourinmaru and it wouldn't even budge when she forced her weight on it. Sometimes she would try so hard that bruises would appear on her arms from slamming into the door so many times.
"Taicho, please, you can't stay locked up in there forever. I know that you're still not over Hinamori's death and everything that happened but you can't just shut yourself off from the world and expect no one to care!"
Her pleas were never answered no matter how much she tried to get through to him. While she slept at night she could sometimes hear his muffled cries from his room but even when she forced herself to get up to check on him, he instantly became silent when she knocked on his door. His nightmares became more frequent as his second month of freedom wrapped around and one night she finally couldn't take any more of his agonizing pain. She arrived at his door and sat down in front of it, staring up its broad, wooden structure. She didn't knock but only waited, listening as his cries dulled down once he realized that she was sitting outside his room.
"Taicho, I know that you don't want to talk to me, but… I just want to try and comfort you through all of this."
"I know what it's like to lose someone you love, not necessarily by my fault, but still having to see them die in your arms. It's a feeling that you just can't explain to another unless they've had to go through the same thing. Taicho… it hurts doesn't it? Knowing that you couldn't do anything no matter how powerful or how strong you are. You want to remove yourself from this world but you must know that there is one person that you know for sure would never want you to share their fate. Hinamori wouldn't want you to remain like this, Taicho; she'd want you to move on and enjoy life to the fullest. I know it sounds hard, it took me a lifetime to get over Gin, and I still haven't. But, I've realized that this is what he'd want for me. He'd scold me for remaining secluded for the rest of my life," she laughed softly at the image of Gin wavering his finger at her face in an amused scowl.
"But, I just want you to know that you're not alone, and that I'm here for you. I'm not asking you to get over Hinamori, but to understand what she'd want you to do with your life. Hinamori will always be in your heart, and she'll always love you Taicho, no matter what."
She was surprised when she heard him shuffling behind the door and watched as the door was pried open, causing ice to scatter across the floor. Her captain stood in the doorway with his hand grasping the handle tightly; eyes dilated and staring down at her. He looked like a skeleton; she could almost count the bones in his fingers and see the sockets underneath his eyes. Dark bags hung below his eyes, revealing countless nights of restless sleep. His hair was untidy and greasy and she could smell the damp sweat along his forehead from the scare he received from his nightmares. He was wearing a light yukata in replace of his shihakusho and captain's haori; a deep blue that matched his eyes. If he wasn't wearing a shirt, she was sure that she would be able to see each individual rib. He was in much of a worse state than how she had found him in that cell and she was sure that he was slowly starving himself until he'd rot away into nothing.
"Taicho…?"
She stood up and gazed down at him in worry, watching him not move from his original place. He was several feet away from her and if she wanted to she could reach out and bring him into her embrace but she hesitated to see how he was reacting. His head slowly inched upwards until their eyes met and she held back a gasp when she saw how revealing his jaw was along with his hollowed cheeks. His eyes were just as lifeless as he looked; dark, troubled, and revealing so much emotion that it suffocated her. His full lashes were spiked from the saltwater that escaped his eyes and she noticed the dark lines trailing down his face. She realized that he had not stopped crying for these past few months, and the truth tore her heart at the state he put himself in.
"Oh, taicho…"
"I miss her…" he had croaked; tears escaping his eyes before his body crashed into hers suddenly, his arms wrapping around her when his body broke down in a fit of uncontrolled sobs. Matsumoto was surprised by this sudden move but bent over and embraced him against her body, patting him slightly on the back. His grip tightened painfully around her and Matsumoto held back a cry of discomfort, instead holding him just as tightly as he unleashed all of his emotions from everything that had revolved around him. They had stood there together for hours, not one ushering a word to one another because the silence suited them in those few moments. She never pushed him away while he cried upon her and used her for support. Right now, she knew that her captain was in pain, and she wanted to do everything in her power to help him pull through.
When the sun had begun to rise, displaying itself in rays through the curtains that hung over the windows, Hitsugaya had finally loosened his hold on her. She glanced down to see him pulling away from her; eyes downcasted and staring at the ground in shame. She placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a small smile, watching him raise his head and stare at her eyes that shone with understandment. Gratitude flowed from his eyes and he nodded his head at her; the first smile she had seen in a long time grazing the corners of his lips.
"Thank you, Matsumoto…"
The woman smiled warmly at the memory; focusing back on the pile of papers that she had scavenged up from earlier. She was glad that she had helped out her captain although most of the time he preferred to do things on his own. He would cover up all of his feelings and emotions with his cool exterior so that no one would intervene with his personal life, even though sometimes it slowly killed his mental stability. He was finally returning back to his old self although that special spark he once had, had disappeared along with Hinamori's death. At least he was gaining back his cold ways, even though as much as Matsumoto loathed it, it was better than when he was overwhelmingly depressed.
She finished collecting all of the papers she managed to spill over and got up to place them on the edge of her captain's desk. She watched him as he continued writing, not noticing that she had finally finished picking up all of the sheets. She observed him scribble neatly on a document before swiping it with another, going through the same procedure. She glanced at her captain to wait for another order but was relieved when he didn't instruct her to finish more paperwork. Deciding that a good nap was in need, she twirled around and went to the couch before flopping down into its silky cushions, burying her head in the pillows.
She didn't know how long she laid there trying to fall asleep while listening to her captain's soothing flicks of his quill before she heard him drop the feather upon his desk and stand up. She raised her head from the sofa and peeked at him, watching as he put everything away neatly on his desk before straightening out his haori. She noticed that his expression was grim while he stared past her at something unknown and she slightly turned her head to see him gazing out the window at nothing in particular. Her eyes returned to him and she saw him grabbing Hyourinmaru from beside his desk; adjusting it across his back.
"Taicho, are you going somewhere?" she blurted out, eyes curious as to what he intended to do at such a late hour.
Hitsugaya sighed at her prying question; tying the sash in front of his chest before turning towards her. "If you must know, I'm going out to watch the sunset."
Matsumoto blinked, surprise flickering across the surface of her eyes. She turned her head to the window to see the warm colors of the sun escaping behind the trees and licking up the sky in its elegant dance of red, orange, yellow, and white. Her eyes softened as she watched the comforting colors, almost as if it soothed her soul just to sit and watch the sun disappear beyond the horizon. She remembered what her captain had told her about sunsets, and although he preferred the wintery chill, his heart always seemed to surrender when those familiar rays appeared in the sky.
"When I lived back in Rukongai, Hinamori and I would watch the sun set behind the hills while eating fresh watermelon. Seeing the sunset makes me feel like I'm still a child, surrounded by people who love me. It allows me to feel at peace even if it is for a short period of time."
Hitsugaya turned towards his lieutenant to see her looking at him worriedly; eyes searching his for any true reason why he was leaving. He let out a small laugh and he felt a smile prying across his lips when he noticed the shock flashing across her face at hearing the rare sound of his laughter. He placed his hand on the khaki door and swung it open; turning around to face the strawberry-blonde woman who had helped him through so much. He might have never gotten through that insanity if she hadn't coaxed him through all of it. However much he despised her working habits, he couldn't ask for a better friend.
"I'll be back soon, Matsumoto. Finish the rest of the paperwork while I'm gone."
He smiled when he heard her wail of protest after he had left the office, closing the door silently behind him.
XxXx
Just when I thought I was going to get a break!
Matsumoto huffed, standing up from the couch, before stomping over to his desk where all the paperwork sat. She stared at the massive stack of documents and files and she couldn't stop herself from raising her hand and smacking her forehead. She groaned, reaching down and picking up a single sheet and scanning through its information. It said something about hollows attacking the shinigami along with the casualties and wounded they received and a bunch of super technical stuff that she couldn't seem to figure out. She narrowed her eyes and had a sudden urge to rip the piece of paper to shreds in fury.
She turned her head towards the window and felt the warm rays of the sun reflect off her skin. She placed the sheet of paper back on her captain's desk before walking up to the large glass embodiment. She looked around the grassy fields that surrounded her captain's building and her eyes locked on a white tuft of hair that just disappeared in the light of the sun. She couldn't make out the body of her captain because the sun blinded her eyesight and so she was left to sigh in disappointment. She was tempted to follow her captain and make sure that he didn't do anything drastic that could trigger the beast that had been locked away deep within the recesses of his heart. Although, she highly doubted that that thing would ever take over her captain again.
She had noticed that after the day they had recaptured him, that the monster had remained dormant. She never saw those large, glowing eyes surface and control her captain's actions and thoughts. Even while he was locked away, he never raised a finger to try and harm anyone. He didn't even resist when they had forced him into the jail cell. However, she wasn't sure if the demon had risen while he locked himself away in his room, which would explain all of the ice she had discovered after he had finally escaped the seclusion of his quarters. She began to wonder if maybe he locked himself in there to try and calm down the raging monstrosity that threatened to consume his mind, body, and soul. And all of those nightmares he had might have been the creature's way of showing him why he should remain a savage; to avenge Hinamori.
Well she was glad that she had convinced him to leave because it seemed like he was losing a hopeless battle. He was on the verge of surrendering to that demon but she had interrupted and broke through his delusion. Somehow even her words had convinced the beast within him to settle down. They both knew that the person that they both loved was gone from this dimension and fighting wouldn't bring her back. So it seemed that they both locked away their precious emotions and became the Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of the tenth division once more.
It took several months for him to regulate on his old patterns but eventually he was just like he used to be; cold, mysterious, and independent. That serious and authoritative look had replaced the previous despairing and longing that was stitched onto his face for years. He had slowly begun to regain his weight, returning him back to his natural lean and muscular state. It took him awhile to get over his nightmares but Matsumoto found she could sleep through many weeks without him crying out in the middle of the night and causing her to dash into his room to consult him. His subordinates seemed to welcome him when he had finally appeared before them in his hollowed state. They were all revealing their worry for their captain and she could recall the small smile that had spread across her captain's lips at seeing them display their gratitude.
He even began to bicker with her again and she couldn't say that she didn't miss that. It was always over the silliest and irrelevant things that would cause him to yell in annoyance while she'd either fly out the door or take refuge behind the safety of the couch. It was just like old times back when doing daily paperwork always caused her captain headaches at her laziness. She laughed at the time when he had actually pursued her when she refused to do a huge pile of paperwork that he had dropped on her desk and he had tripped over his own feet when he tried to snatch her wrist that was fleeing his office door.
"GOD DAMNIT, MATSUMOTO!" His voice echoed in her ears and she remembered the overwhelming satisfaction she had felt at having escaped from her captain's icy wrath.
She scratched the side of her head and sighed, turning around and eyeing the stack of paper placed neatly on her captain's desk. She felt the growing guilt in the pit of her stomach and she muttered something unintelligible before walking over to his desk and picking up the pile. She tried to count the amount of pages but it seemed near impossible and she really felt like stomping her foot and pouting childishly. She took the pages and placed them on her desk before taking a seat and grabbing a nearby quill, placing the first sheet in front of her and surveying over the information.
A soft knock disturbed the silence and she was tempted to whirl around and shout at whoever had interrupted her concentration. She slumped her shoulders in defeat before standing up and walking over to the screen door, stopping to pause and glance out the window to see that her captain had yet to return. She placed her hand on the latch and slid the door open, closing her eyes and glancing down at the floor in an attempt to control her short fuse.
"Hitsugaya-taicho is not in; you'll have to come back later if you wish to speak with hi―"
She raised her head and her eyes widened; words unable to form in her throat as oxygen suddenly escaped from her lungs.
"You…"
XxXx
Hitsugaya sighed in contentment, feeling the cool breeze whisk past his face and ruffle his hair. The warmth of the sun shone down on his cheeks and dazzled his eyes with the crimson colors of the beautiful sky. The pleasant rays felt like open arms that longed to embrace him within their comforting heat and he welcomed it. Normally bright, warm, and sunny things would draw him away but sunsets seemed to be different. They were calming, mild, and peaceful; composing his raging mind and wiping away all of his worries within the vibrant shades.
He was standing on top of a cliff that overlooked Rukongai, just on the edge of Seireitei. He came to this place often to gather his thoughts together and think about the future and the people he would have to lead. He had forgotten how important the duties of a captain were and how, without him, his subordinates would be at lost in battle. He never knew how much his subordinates needed him and he realized that he had almost failed all of them. To think that he had almost lost against the demon within his heart; nearly surrendering to his longing for the woman who was killed years ago. He cursed at his foolishness, but he couldn't find the strength to blame the beast, for he could understand why it had acted like that. They both didn't want to believe reality.
He stared up at the sky, making sure that his eyes avoided the sun's damaging light if looked straight into. If he looked closely, he could make out the tiny stars that illuminated outside the atmosphere, barely making themselves out underneath the blinding sun. He squinted his eyes when the sun suddenly intensified and he was forced to blink and turn away for a split second before it toned down, allowing him to return his attention to the small dazzling balls of gas. He was tempted to reach out and attempt to grab the stars like he did when he was a child but he held back the urge and scolded himself to act like a man. Men don't just reach up randomly and try to grab stars that are obviously nowhere within reach.
A memory suddenly surfaced in his mind and his eyes lowered in sadness. It was one of those times in Rukongai when he was sitting upon the porch with the delicate peach beside him. They were watching the stars in the night sky and he could recall the little girl pointing up at the brightest stars before reaching up and pretending to catch it within her hands. He, of course, had childishly mocked her, saying that trying to catch stars was one of the stupidest things she had ever tried to do. She didn't seem to hear his rude comment and instead tried to coax him into following her actions.
"Come on, Shiro-chan! All you need to do is reach up and catch it, like this!" She extended her little arms high into the air and cupped her hands around a single star before clamping them together and bringing her arms back to her sides in excitement. She turned towards him with a smile on her face while he only scowled at her.
"You can't catch stars, baka, and quit calling me, Shiro-chan!"
She pouted, her bottom lip jutting out in sadness. "Please?"
Toshiro rolled his eyes but surrendered to the pleading look in her eyes. He did as he was instructed; reaching his arms high into the air and finding a single star that seemed to shine more brightly than the others. He wouldn't admit it, but excitement had actually begun to rise within the depths of his eyes when he caught the star within his palms and held it against his chest. A smile danced across his features and he turned towards his friend to see her eyes brightening at his expression. He heard her giggle and the blush rose to his cheeks and he immediately unlocked his hands, releasing his pretend star back into the sky.
"Aw, Shiro-chan, you lost your star!"
"I didn't have one to begin with, Bed-wetter!" he muttered, glancing away from her curious gaze.
"Mou, I don't wet the bed anymore!"
They continued to bicker until eventually it turned to silence and the two of them were left staring up at the broad night sky. Toshiro took quick glances at her, watching as her eyes lit up just like the stars in the atmosphere. His mind began to wonder about their future together and how she was planning on entering the academy soon. His heart ached at the thought of his only friend leaving him to attend a school where she would possibly have to fight for her life. He had always tried to protect her despite his size, and most of the time he ended up getting hurt and she would protect him in the end. He knew that someday, he would grow strong enough so he wouldn't ever have to be protected and could always keep her safe. He vowed this on the day that they had met.
Hinamori suddenly gasped, jerking Toshiro out of his thoughts. He glanced up at the little girl who was jumping excitedly while pointing up at the darkness above them.
"Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan, I saw a shooting star! We have to make a wish!"
Hitsugaya snorted, rolling his eyes in the process. "That's childish and stupid, baka."
"It's not childish! You make a wish and it comes true!" she argued.
"You can't wish for something and expect it to become reality. That's what grownups tell children to believe those fantasy lies," he snapped back rather harshly, instantly regretting it when he saw tears welling in the girl's eyes.
"Just this once?" she whispered, looking at him desperately.
Hitsugaya sighed. This girl was so persistent and yet he couldn't find it within himself to deny her. He owed so much to her, heck; he believed that his life was to her disposal. She had helped him through all the bullying he had received due to his strange eyes and hair color and defended him when someone tried to harm him. He never showed his gratitude, claiming that he could take care of himself, but he did appreciate everything she had done for him. He most likely would have grown up alone or died if she had never appeared that day and saw him lying shivering in the snowstorm.
"Fine…" he muttered, covering his ears when she squealed in happiness.
She reached down and grabbed his hands, pulling him up beside her. He flushed when she pulled him against her body before pointing at the sky. "Okay, all you need to do is close your eyes and concentrate on what you want your wish to be. If you try really hard, your wish will come true!"
Toshiro wanted to roll his eyes but he followed her instructions, closing his eyes and thinking deeply about what to wish for.
What did he want to wish for? He already had everything that he could possibly want in his life, possibly even more than he ever thought he'd get. He had a warm home with food and shelter, a caring grandmother, and even an annoying, yet loving friend who lived beside him. What more could he want? He felt Hinamori's fingers suddenly thread through his and a small smile spread across his lips. He held her hand against his side, not daring to break the hold between the two of them. And then he knew.
He knew what he wanted.
He opened his eyes to see Hinamori staring intently at him, her eyes wide in curiosity as she waited for his response. He stared at her oddly, one eyebrow raising as she continued to stare at him.
"What?"
"What did you wish for?" she asked casually, her eyes widening even more if that was possible.
"Baka, it wouldn't come true if I told you," he smiled.
"What?! No fair, Shiro-chan! That's mean!"
"Quit calling me, Shiro-chan!"
Hitsugaya chuckled at the memory, glancing down at his hand that had once held hers years ago. He had never told her what he had wished for; always keeping it locked up within the chambers of his heart, a place where no one could reach. He raised his hand and placed it against his chest, feeling the beating organ underneath his fingertips. He sighed, it turned out that wishing on shooting stars was indeed a child's myth. He was still glad however, that he had made that wish with Hinamori by his side.
I wonder; what did you wish for?
He suddenly heard the soft crunch of footsteps advancing towards him and he held in an annoyed snort that threatened to spill from his mouth. It most likely was Matsumoto, following him to see if he was true to his word and watching the sunset instead of returning to that cave where he had fought his life out. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes tightly together. He let out a deep breath before straightening and turning around to face the person who had interrupted his special reconciliation moments with his deceased love.
"Matsumoto, how many times do I have to keep telling you to stop following m―?" he stopped.
The person before him wasn't his lieutenant or anyone he seemed to recognize, but he probably wouldn't have been able to recognize them anyways because the mysterious figure was adorned with a low hood, covering up most of their face, only revealing their lips. He couldn't make out their eyes for the shadows hid them from his keen eyesight but he knew well enough that the stranger was obviously female. She was wearing what seemed to be a normal white yukata and had added the beige hood to cover up her features from anyone she approached. The sudden sense of danger crawled up his skin and he reached a hand back to grasp the hilt of Hyourinmaru, who was latched against his back.
"Who are you?" he seethed, his voice altering into his commanding tone that he used with his subordinates. "What squad are you from?"
The woman didn't flinch at his harsh tone but instead took several steps in his direction, not noticing his threatening stance. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, not removing his sword from its sheath but instead intently watching the woman's movement, trying to determine what she planned on doing. She was within five feet of him now and she kept advancing towards him and just as he was about to release his Zanpakuto and figure out her purpose, she was suddenly in front of him, gripping his wrist slightly to stop him from unsheathing his deadly ice dragon.
He could easily shake out of her light grip but something within him stopped him. He still had his hand on the hilt of his blade but he found himself unable to release his Zanpakuto. He stared down at the slightly shorter female, his eyes trying to analyze who she was. She didn't move despite her being literally flushed on his chest. Her head lowered when he tried to look underneath her hood and he cursed before removing his hand from his sword and stepping away from her.
"Who are you?" he repeated, although his tone wasn't as harsh as before. The woman didn't respond and it only caused the man to scowl in frustration. He gets interrupted by a complete stranger that won't even explain her reasoning for being here. He observed her, his eyes prying into her slightly revealing face, looking for any clues so he could identify who the person before him was. He thought he could recognize them but no one came to mind when he gazed at the petite woman. An idea suddenly came to mind and he found himself walking back towards the woman, stopping just inches away from her face.
He saw her begin to take a step back but he snatched her wrist, stopping her in the process. "You're not going anywhere, now, who are you?"
He saw her slightly open her mouth to speak and he was surprised when he could scarcely hear her hoarse voice. "I…"
He raised an eyebrow, before his eyes narrowed; realizing that getting her to talk to him was getting him nowhere. He decided that he would figure out who she was by what she looked like. He was surprised when he suddenly felt her slender hand reach down and grasp a few of his fingers within her palms. He looked up at her, confusion flashing across his eyes, before he begun to slowly raise his hand while she still held onto him, her fingers coaxing and encouraging him to continue. His fingers lightly grasped the helm of her hood but he hesitated, unsure if he should proceed since this could possibly be a trap that she's trying to lure him into. But, the warmth that sunk into his skin from her touch seemed to make him reconsider and he slowly pulled the hood back to reveal her face.
Long, beautiful, silken locks flowed down her shoulders like chocolate swirls, framing her round face. Bangs covered her forehead but underneath he could tell that her face was flawless. Her eyes were closed and he noticed her long lashes dazzling her cheeks while the sun shone on her face. He was left speechless at her beauty, his eyes searching her face for the reason why he sensed familiarity upon her features. Her petal-pink mouth let out a soft breath and slowly her eyes began to open, squinting against the harsh sunlight. He moved his body to block out the light and he watched in amazement as she fully opened her eyes, blinking at the vast world around her before locking on him. She smiled up at him; large, tawny-brown eyes mixing with his dark, sea-green ones.
He couldn't form any words from the utter shock he felt right at that moment when he recognized the woman.
"Hello," she croaked out; coughing as her voice seemed to not have been used in quite some time. Tears began to swell in his eyes and he couldn't stop himself from stuttering out what he thought would never have been possible.
"N-No way... is it really... you...?"
She flashed him a brilliant smile, laughing slightly although it sounded strained. "Forgotten about me already, Shiro-chan?"
The watergates broke down and he instantly had her in his arms; tears trailing down his face and splattering onto her neck. She could feel his sobs wreck both of them and she held onto him tightly, burying her face in his chest while he cried on her shoulder. His hands gripped her sides before he wrapped his arms around her as he hungered to embrace her, having missing her warmth against him for all these years. Soft cries escaped from his throat and he could feel her grip tighten on his haori. The overwhelming emotion he felt right now, after so many years, he never thought that he could feel so sad and relieved. He could feel her crying into his chest and he held onto her just as tightly, crying along with her as they relished their reunion together. His arms hid her from the outside world, for all he wanted right now was to be with her, and no one else.
He didn't know how she had come back from the dead. He didn't understand where she could have been all this time, away from his sight. But he didn't care, and when she began to pull away, he kissed her full on the lips. She didn't retreat, only gave into his longing and kissed him back. He brought her body closer to his, deepening the kiss until air became a necessity, releasing her lips before kissing her again. He kissed her again and again; enjoying the feeling of her lips on his while her body was pressed against his chest. His tears continued down his face, tears of happiness, of joy. He never thought he could feel this emotion rise within his chest ever again. Love; she was alive, and she had found him after all these years. She came back to him yet again, and she was going to stay with him forever.
He broke away, searching her eyes for answers to the billions of questions that were racing through his mind. "H-How?"
Her lips pulled up in a small smile. "Unohana never gave up on me. She kept fighting to keep me alive although the chances were slim. That's why she never buried me."
He lips trembled and he cried again, trails of tears rolling down his cheeks uncontrollably. He felt Hinamori's delicate hands hold his face while she brushed away his tears with her fingertips.
"I ran into Rangiku-san earlier. That's how I was able to find you," she whispered, her eyes glimmering with her own tears.
"You've changed so much…" She noticed that he had grown over the years where she had been recuperating and that his face had lost all baby fat from his childhood. She ran her fingers over his jaw, feeling the tight muscles relax underneath her touch while her hands continued their search. She could feel his rippling muscles under his broad shoulders and his muscular chest that revealed hours of practice sword fighting. His hands reached up and grasped hers, stopping her exploration on his changed features.
"While you haven't lost a single aspect of beauty," he whispered, leaning down and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.
"Why won't you tell me, Shiro-chan?!"
"Because, baka, it doesn't involve you!"
She responded to his kiss fervently; wrapping her arms around his neck while her hands played with his hair.
"You're such a bad liar, Shiro-chan, so tell me!"
"I already told you, my lips are sealed!"
He smiled against her lips; tears once more slipping past his vision and spilling onto her face.
"Why won't you tell me?!"
"You'll find out in the future, so stop asking!"
The sun dazzled their faces and reflected the tears that were so apparent along their cheeks. Their arms were wrapped around one another, holding them close as to never separate again. No one disturbed their special moment upon the hill above their childhood home where they shared many happy memories with one another. They were together through Rukongai and joining together in the Seireitei after they both decided their destinies were intertwined from the moment they met one another. How they ended up falling in love with one another during the war and how all the pain they had to go through to return to one another's arms.
My wish.
They broke apart and he placed his forehead on hers and closed his eyes in silent gratitude for everyone that had helped him and Hinamori reunite in the end; Matsumoto for getting him through his depression after Hinamori had died; Unohana for keeping Hinamori alive throughout the years and never giving up hope; his subordinates for always believing in him.
I wished that no matter what, we'd always be together.
"I'm back, Toshiro," she whispered; fingers trailing across his chest. "I've missed you so much."
They both opened their eyes and stared at one another before they embraced each other. The sun began to set behind the horizon and the two were illuminated underneath the brilliant stars that revealed themselves above the setting sun. Toshiro reached up and cupped her face in his palms; a smile spreading across his face before he kissed her underneath the moonlight that shone above them.
"Welcome back, baka… welcome back."
It seems, in the end, my wish came true.
Author's note: Annndddd here comes the onslaught of tears *cries* So I decided to give us all a happy ending :). Momo turns out to be alive after so many years, hiding in that mysterious room earlier in the story where Hitsugaya would never find her since it was hidden to everyone but Unohana. Well this is several years after Hitsugaya was captured, precisely three years. As you can see, his punishment wasn't that severe because they thought that they'd need the prodigy because there wasn't any possibly captain candidates. It seems that his depression never went away and he locked himself in his room to deal with all the emotions boring into his heart. Matsumoto convinces him and the beast that raged within him to calm down with words of understandment and eventually the captain returned to "normal" although losing that special spark he had when Hinamori was alive. Matsumoto and Hitsugaya have another quarrel and she's left to finish the rest of the paperwork while Hitsugaya goes to watch the sunset, where later she gets a surprise visit from Hinamori, who demands where Hitsugaya is. And of course, they reunite. However, Hitsugaya doesn't recognize her at first but once he removes the hood, he instantly recognizes her and then the crying starts :(. I'm sorry for such a cheesy ending with the making a wish on a shooting star, but I thought it'd be a cute ending, sorry for any others who disagree with me D:. Anyways, thank you all so much for sticking with me throughout the story! I love you all so much, you have no idea! Keep an eye out for You Belong to Me, because I'll hopefully be able to post another chapter before school starts on sept 4th. Arrgghh, school! D:. Hope to see you guys soon :) please review!