Mission
Pastel hues of pink and yellow gently took over the sky as the sun reclaimed its rightful place above. A dim streak of light glided through thick, blue curtains, causing a certain white haired Captain to stir awake. He lazily groaned, eyes of teal shining brightly against the darkened colors of the room. The clock read exactly 5:00 AM. How was it morning already?
Reminding himself to not make any sudden moves, Toshiro tenderly glanced at the sleeping woman in his arms.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, with her messy charcoal locks spiraled all around, and her small upturned nose nuzzling up against his naked chest. Bruised and plump, her lips were slightly parted and he would take them into his own right there and then if he wasn't such a gentleman.
Momo looked so peaceful, soft sighs quietly leaving the small of her mouth. Toshiro drowsily smiled when he caught sight of the pale blush lingering on her cheeks. He must have really tired her out then. Good.
He felt his heart swell up with pride as the memories of their lovemaking surfaced in his mind. She had begged and pleaded and moaned his name relentlessly. And he had listened and pushed and touched until the both of them finally collapsed on top of each other, breathless and fully intoxicated.
"Mhm...Shiro?" With a murmur, Momo slowly looked at him, chocolate-brown eyes still dark with sleep. "Whatimeissit?"
"Don't worry." He shushed her, warmly caressing the top of her head.
He used to really like mornings. He used to enjoy waking up early, getting started on his rigorous training before anyone else. It made Toshiro feel as though he had an edge over the others (which he did), although he couldn't really understand why. It had just made him feel superior. Toshiro liked doing things that made him feel better than everyone else (because he was).
Until the unexpected shift between him and Momo, that is. Now he disliked mornings. Hated them, even. Because then she would get up and leave his bed to sort out her duties and stupid Captain Hirako never left her side and damn how he missed her.
Why did she have to be the most hardworking Lieutenant in the whole Seireitei? Why couldn't she just take her job a little less seriously? And succumb to the warmth of his bed (because his touch had always been ice and she was the only fire to warm up his winter heart).
Shooting the ticking clock an angry look, Toshiro came up with a plan. Whatever, she was already overworking herself. He was just looking out for her, and he would do this solely for her own good because that's the kind of gentleman he truly was. That's right, he had no alternate motives or anything of the sort. It wasn't like he desperately wanted Momo to take some days off (and spend more time with him).
Toshiro was a very sensible Captain, very rational and utterly devoted to his responsibilities. He was just doing what he had to do. Take care of Momo because apparently she was incapable of doing that herself, so...
"Hyorinmaru." He whispered and in less than a second, the infuriating clock was ticking no more. It quickly surrendered to the powerful, hard ice that froze it in place.
How considerate of him, doing her a favor like this. Had he really become a man of such attentive generosity? Apparently so.
"No, no, no, no, no!"
She was desperately looking for her undergarments, frantically searching, running around Toshiro's room like preteen on a sugar rush until finally, Momo tripped over her own sandals. How could this possibly happen? She had exactly 15 minutes before her squad left on a very important mission. Precisely, 10 minutes to properly sneak out of Toshiro's quarters and 5 minutes to flash-step back to hers!
Momo was never late. It just didn't happen, so how in the world did she find herself in this situation? Usually, she was the one to arrive before anyone else and prepare all the necessary supplies and basically everything that had to be taken care of beforehand, she would see to it. Now, besides being embarrassingly late she would have to also cook up a believable excuse. She couldn't just storm inside her Captain's office and casually say hi hello sorry I just spent the majority of the night indulging in sexual activity with my gorgeous boyfriend. Like she'd ever.
Wait.
Something seemed off, different somehow. Now that she thought about it, it was strangely quiet inside the room. Did she hit her head a little too hard earlier? No, impossible. She had sustained way worse injuries before. Confused, the brunette mindlessly glanced up.
When Momo saw the glistening, icy clock on the wall, her eyes caught fire.
"SHIRO!"
He was out in the garden when she found him, training underneath a familiar tree. On any other occasion, she would have thoroughly enjoyed a sight such as this. This time though, merely looking at his unbothered face made her blood boil.
"You! You did this, didn't you? Well congratulations, Captain. Now the clock is a useless block of stupid ice and I'm late for my mission!"
To hell with his stupid training. If he didn't care about her responsibilities, then why should she care about his exercise? Just because she didn't spit it out every two seconds, she was still a Lieutenant. She would have a talk with Hyorinmaru too because for the love of kido, how could he betray her like that? Momo took her job seriously. She worked hard, harder than anyone and that defined who she was and most importantly, who she wanted to be.
"You're going on a mission?" Toshiro's eyes immediately shot open at her concession. "Why didn't I know this?"
She was supposed to be the angry one, what on earth was his problem? Toshiro was the one who froze the damn clock to winter ice hell and somehow, he had managed to make her feel guilty about not telling him sooner.
"I didn't get the chance to say anything! I overslept. And it's all your fault!"
"You're not going."
"Excuse me?"
"That is an order, Lieutenant Hinamori." His eyes were hard around the edges, frightening and cold, his words filled with a kind of urgency he only used when his men were in battle.
Obviously obeying was never an option for Momo. He might be a Captain alright, but he wasn't her Captain. He could tell her to do things, ask and say please, even. But he had no business ordering her around like that. Her title had always meant just as much to her as his had to him, and yet she didn't go around telling him to not do his job, did she?
Before Toshiro could think to stop her, Momo started running. She would go back to her division and have Captain Hirako straighten him out. Because yes, he was indeed following.
Had Shiro really forgotten that she would always win at catch? Of course she was the first to arrive, although not by too long. Apparently, his sprint had improved together with the growth of his legs. Unfair.
"Lieutenant Hinamori, nice of you to show. I was starting to get worried."
Catching her breath, Momo shot Toshiro another glare before turning to Shinji Hirako. He was grinning ear to ear, as if her mere existence was precious entertainment for him. In a good way, though. She looked up to him and he had a strange way of always getting under her skin. Definitely older brother material.
"Sorry I'm late. Captain Hitsugaya over here ordered me to skip out on this mission. However, I must implore you Captain. Allow me to rightfully carry out my duties as the Lieutenant of your squad, sir."
Momo was wondering how absolutely ridiculous this all looked to him. She and her white haired boyfriend (because despite their best efforts, it was painfully obvious), panting and frowning at each other like some imbecilic brats.
However, he only managed an interesting "Is that so?" while shifting his eyes from her, to Toshiro.
"What're you talking about? Of course you're coming."
"Really? Thank you so much Captain!"She hadn't properly finished thanking him, when Momo discovered he paid her no mind at all.
It was an intensive battle the two Captains carried, even if by the eyes alone.
"Lieutenant Hinamori, you may go on with the rest of the squad."
With a nervous nod, Momo complied. And with her innocent self out of the way, the real talk could finally commence.
"If anything at all happens to Momo, you're a dead man." Toshiro warned, spiking his spiritual energy enough to make anyone understand the gravity of his words.
But Hirako merely laughed, reassuringly patting him on the shoulder. "You two are so cute! Relax man. She's gonna be fine alright? Look how excited she is. Let her have some fun outside of your bedroom, how about it?"
Toshiro could only blink as a furious blush appeared on his cheeks. He cleared his throat loudly before taking another look at Momo. She caught his winter turquoise with her autumnal amber and smiled so brightly at him that it made him curse himself for not turning day into night.
If only he'd known about this stupid mission sooner.
"Make no mistake. I meant every word." With a final warning, Toshiro was out of sight. Leaving behind a rather bemused blonde haired Captain who could only shake his head accordingly.
"Ah, to be young and in love."
Rangiku was so not a fan of days like this. When the Captain was being such a pain in the ass, it usually came down to one thing: Momo. And of course she was emphatic about the whole deal, who wouldn't be? The poor guy had been pining over her his whole life.
But seriously, with all the action he was getting as of late (because she could recognize that particular smugness anywhere), how could he still be so uptight? To her privileged knowledge, Toshiro and Momo started going out about what, two months ago? That automatically meant that they had crossed the bridge between childhood 'friends' (when had they ever truly been just friends?) and lovers. Rangiku had been so happy for the two of them, because honestly. It was about damn time.
She had been joyous, not only celebrating their love, but for herself too. Momo was an angel, really. Her and her pretty little body and her distinguished charm had helped tremendously, taking into consideration how Captain Hitsugaya recently became more lenient when it came to certain things. Take paperwork for example. It was a great change, seeing how the Captain wasn't so moody all the time.
Until today, apparently.
Rangiku leaned back against her chair as an annoyed look molded her features. She viciously scowled at the huge pile of unsigned documents sitting on her desk. Then, she sneaked a curious look at the Captain. By the looks of it, he was somewhere else completely. With his pale eyes fixated on the windows, his crossed fingers and the overall tension, Rangiku immediately figured out that something must have happened.
What else was there for her to do besides pestering him about it? Certainly not paperwork.
"What's the big idea? If you're going to sulk like that at least pretend to hide it, Captain. Or you could just tell me what's bothering you and get it over with." She crossed her arms characteristically, sighing. If she had to put up with his attitude, might as well know why, right?
Toshiro let out a rather pained sigh himself as he stood up from his chair. He moved towards the windows and before Rangiku could blink, he said something that took her by surprise:
"The 5th Division left on a mission today."
Rangiku's eyes visibly softened. Well, she couldn't really blame him for worrying. It was a long time ago, but the battle at Karakura Town left everyone with a vile scar, let it be physical or emotional. Momo had almost died back then, and by his sword no less. Aizen had tricked everybody, he cruelly took advantage of Toshiro's feelings and manipulated him into a weaker opponent. A distressed adversary is easier to take down.
Full of rage and anguish, Toshiro inevitably forgot that was all it took. One moment when your body turns to what makes you vulnerable for you to become just that. The Captain only fought and trained and trained so hard to become stronger, strong enough to protect Momo. Strong enough to be worthy of her. And that particular incident had left him with a wound so deep that it turned blood into bone.
It wasn't a matter of whether Momo could handle herself, there was no doubt that she definitely could. She was intelligent, skillful and very much determined. It was a matter of facing the demons that plagued his existence to this day.
Rangiku was aware that his natural instinct to protect Momo would never cease to exist, on the contrary. The stronger Toshiro became, the more prevalent his need to shelter loved ones from harm. Some called it naivety, she called it strength.
"She's going to be fine. I know it's pointless to tell you not to worry, but at least try to have a little faith, okay?" Her hand was gently resting on his shoulder. All she could do was comfort him and encourage him through this challenge.
Toshiro was trembling, undoubtedly forcing every fiber of his being to sit still and not storm after Momo right there and then. He closed his eyes slowly, a simple attempt to calm himself. Carelessly, his long fingers ran through silver locks and with a final pant, he spoke:
"Are you finished with those papers yet?"
Rangiku smiled widely. That's more like it! She thought. But before completely giving herself away, she replaced the grin with a familiar scowl and said:
"But it's so boring, Captain! I'm taking a break, I want a drink. See you later!"
"You don't get a break. You haven't done anything!" It was already too late. The lazy Lieutenant was out the door before he could protest any further. Moreover, she recklessly abandoned a huge pile of documents that would inevitably become his responsibility. As per usual.
Accustomed to Rangiku's antics, he merely pinched between his pale eyes and sat back down. Toshiro then picked up a pen, licked its tainted tip to stimulate the ink and started writing.
He mindlessly worked, his thoughts solely focusing on chocolate-brown eyes and dazzling smiles.
You better be safe, Momo.
"WHERE IS SHE?!"
He burst in, a dangerous, ferocious look all over his eyes. It was as if nothing else mattered, as if the walls of his carefully preserved composure finally crumbled to nothingness.
Momo was hurt.
"Calm down, Captain Hitsugaya!"
Momo was hurt.
"Calm down, please, Captain! Let's hear what Captain Unohana has to say!"
No. He needn't hear anymore. It was enough. He would damn everything, damn himself too because if he had known earlier maybe things would have turned out differently. Then again, it all sounded painfully familiar. A loud, disturbing ringing seized his ears as his winter heart cried tears of autumn—so bitter and full of pain that Toshiro knew his physical body was crumbling, too.
"You should listen to the voice of reason, young Captain-"
"Cut the crap! I need to see Momo, whereisshe? Take me to her right NOW!"
He wouldn't bother trying to explain anything anymore. How could they just stand there and look at him like that? Captain Unohana, Isane and worst of all, his own Lieutenant would not listen to a damn word coming out of his mouth. How could they be so unaffected? They all had mischievously lead him to believe that they shared something precious. A love for Momo.
Had it all meant nothing? With everything they've been through together...how could they not understand how he felt?
No matter, he didn't need them. He would find Momo on his own and steal her away from this cursed reality once and for all. Toshiro was stronger than all of them combined, probably as strong as Yamamoto now. He was the chosen one, a prodigy, the rightful owner of Hyorinmaru. His element derived from water, the source of life itself, but seeing as his ice controlled even the smallest traces of breath, he could easily immobilize anyone in less than a second. All it took was one, simple word: "Hyorin-"
Before the spell could be fully recited, Toshiro felt a stinging pain in his chest, like his heart had been snatched from its cavity. He touched his thorax but there was no hole, not the faintest traces of blood either. In spite of that, he found himself unable to move, restrained and struggling on the floor.
"I'm terribly sorry young man, but you must first learn to listen when spoken to and most importantly, ask politely. Had you been a little patient, I would have happily informed you that Lieutenant Hinamori is fine. Her injuries were of no real danger."
"Besides that most important aspect, I must also disclose that the Lieutenant received those injuries protecting one of the members in her squad. Now, I do believe I need to ask you to please refrain from making any unnecessary accusations for you, my dear sir, would have done the same. I believe such selfless acts of kindness must be celebrated, not condemned." After finishing a most necessary lecture, Captain Unohana gently released him.
"You may see her now."
In an instant, Toshiro felt all of his senses return to normal. He got up, keeping his eyes locked on the ground. He should have felt shame for the terrible commotion he had caused. In spite of it all, his being pulsated only with relief. Momo was alive. She was unharmed, she was breathing, she was fine.
He had always been an honorable man, dedicatedly carrying out his duties. But like everybody else, he had a purpose, something, someone he fought so hard for. Kenpachi became a Captain in order to find worthy enough opponents. Byakuya became a Captain to carry on the legacy of his prestigious family. Toshiro became a Captain to be close to Momo, to look out for her. So, to honor the very reason he was who he was, Toshiro would not apologize.
He would say thank you, instead. With a bow of his head, he showed the respect they rightfully deserved. After a couple of seconds, Toshiro quickly made his way to where Momo was waiting.
Not thinking to knock, he slowly opened the door and stepped inside. There she was, visibly immersed by the colorful pile of books laid-out on the bed. Her dark hair was carefully braided, resting on one of her shoulders. Was she reading?
Elegant, thin fingers innocently played with the longer strands of her bangs, curling and bending in numerous ways, all of them familiar. She was dressed in hospital attire, probably tired and hungry, but for some reason, she looked absolutely beautiful. Wherever she was, she carried herself gracefully and Toshiro had foolishly thought he would get used to it after all these years.
"Hey look! Isane brought me some of your old books. She said you used to read to me all the time when I was unconscious after the war. I think this one is nice."
She showed it to him. The thick cover was interestingly decorated with many variations of blue, creating a special design that prettily highlighted the title: White Fang.
"Is it from The World of The Living?"
"It is."
He climbed on the bed with her, tenderly placing his arm over her shoulders. White locks blended with raven hues as he placed a long and aching kiss on top of her head.
"There is no life more valuable to me than yours, you better remember that Momo."
"Please don't be mad at me."
He kissed her lips. It was slow, full of everything Toshiro knew he could never find the words for. They broke apart after awhile, his forehead resting on hers. "I'm not mad at you."
Momo started giggling as a strange look appeared on her face.
"Good. I was awesome back there. You should've seen me! I think I'm close to activating my Bankai! At least that's what Captain Hirako said."
"I wouldn't listen to anything coming out of that guy's mouth."
"You're so mean, Shiro!"
If only they'd known that behind the slightly opened door, there was Shinji Hirako with Rangiku Matsumoto, watching with nothing but utter fondness in their eyes. They smiled as Momo and Toshiro resumed their friendly banter, relieved to know everything was back to normal.
Well, maybe normal was a bit of a stretch in their case. But they wouldn't have it any other way.
author's note:
hi! i'm very inspired to write stories with these two (couldn't you tell? lol) anyway. hope you like this one. also, for those asking about the modern world AU, yes, there will be a part two. or maybe more, I haven't decided yet. i'll see where I want it to go.
review pretty please with cherry on top?