Title: What He Does
Author: reenil
Series: Bleach
Characters: Hitsugaya x Hinamori, implied Matsumoto x Hisagi (Because I am crazy don't get me wrong, I luv Matsumoto x Gin too!), implied Shunsui x Nanao
Spoilers: Soul-Society Arc
Rating: PG (for some swearing. sorry)
Words: 2, 473 (whoa.)
Status: Unbetaed
Warning: Some swearing, and is AUish. Sorry.
Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach.

During the night, he likes to climb up to the roof and just lie there. He is most relaxed here. Truth be told, he's never really felt like he belonged in Soul-Society. The shinigami's don't like him, after all, he's just a kid (and it doesn't help that he's as cocky as hell), and they only respect him because he's a captain. And it doesn't help that Hitsugaya is disrespectful to everyone else.

Especially Aizen.

Hitsugaya's fist shakes uncontrollably as he thinks about the unconscious girl lying in the medical barracks. Stupid. Stupid, Bed-Wetter Momo. Stupid, stupid Toushirou. If being a captain meant that he could protect those important to him, then maybe it would've been better if he was NOT a captain.

He did a shitty job protecting her. He couldn't protect her. And that really, really sucks.

"Taichou?" Hitsugaya watches his vice-captain climb up and sit next to him.

"Done with your date already?" he asks, sitting up.

"It's not a date when you're with other people." He smirks at her. "What are you doing up here?"

"I don't know. It's comfortable up here." Matsumoto holds out a bottle of sake.

"Drink?" He sneers at the drink.

"Not unless you want me to turn into Shunsui." She laughed.

"Nanao had to leave early because he drank himself into oblivion again."

"That happens a lot, so I'm not really surprised." She holds the bottle in front of him, and he glances at her, and then at the bottle. Sighing, he reaches for it. "I'll be sure to make you do all the paperwork for this week for giving alcohol to a minor."

"You know… technically, you're not a minor." He takes a swig of the sake.

"Close enough." He hands the bottle back to her.

"Feel better?"

"No. I need to be completely hammered before I feel better. Hell, if you can make me forget what happened the past few weeks would be even better."

"If you're still blaming yourself for Hinamori's injuries-"

"I'm not."

"Hmm…" Matsumoto drank her sake. "Isane said that Hinamori woke up today."

"WHAT!"

"And went back to sleep. She's still heavily medicated, you know."

"And NOW you tell me?"

"Yes?" Hitsugaya stands, and glares at his vice-captain.

"Cleaning duties is yours this week."

"But, taichouuuu-"

"And I am telling Hisagi that you're not allowed near sake for two weeks."

"Taichouuuu-" Hitsugaya jumps off the roof, and hurriedly makes his way to the 4th division. Matsumoto smiles secretly to herself.

"Honestly, you're such a brat." Matsumoto bends to the side to smile at vice-captain of the 9th division. "Now you have cleaning duties for your division."

"It's not that bad. Our division is kept clean. Besides, now he'll be back to normal."

He opens the door to her room quietly, and sits on the chair next to the bed, his sword leaning against it.

"Hitsugaya-kun?" her soft voice barely audible. He leans in close to her, and helps her sit up.

"Hey," he says, his own voice quiet. "How are you?"

"I'll live," she says. "I heard… I heard that you were here… everyday, Hitsugaya-kun."

"I don't know where you heard that from."

"I was glad you came to visit me. I am glad you're here now." Hinamori takes a deep breath. "Isane-san said that you recovered fast. It's always been like that, hasn't it, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Yeah. But that's only because you kept walking into things and hurting yourself by accident." She giggles weakly, and then starts to cough violently. Not knowing what to do, Hitsugaya put a hand on her back, and rubs it. "Don't talk so much, Hinamori." She nods, and smiles weakly.

"You know… Isane-san told me what happened with… Aizen –taichou and the rest…" she coughs again, his fist clenches. "And I know. I know that he's no Captain or anything… but… I hope you'll forgive me, Hitsugaya-kun, if I call him that. It's hard to just suddenly forget…"

"It's okay. Doesn't matter. It's been hard on everyone."

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

"What?"

"Am I going to be okay?"

"Yeah," he answers. "You'll be just fine. And if you're not, I'm gonna go beat the hell out of Aizen's punk ass and bring him here and APOLOGIZE to you." She smiled.

"What did Unohana-taichou say?" She didn't know when you were going to wake up, Hinamori…

"She said that because you were in a coma for so long, it might take a while to regain your physical strength."

"Aa… It's only to be expected. You… You will be here, right?" Hitsugaya nodded.

"I'll try." She nods weakly, but understanding.

"Of course. After all, you're a Captain, ne, Hitsugaya-taichou?" And she smiles. And he can't help by wonder why that sounded so wrong coming from her.

Hitsugaya really tried to be with her during her physical rehabilitation, but watching her try to walk, and then try to hold a brush, or a sword really pained him for some odd reason. Hinamori notices this, but doesn't say anything – Hitsugaya has been through a lot for her. He tries his best, she mused, in the middle of the night when she can't sleep, he really does.

And that is enough for her. Without Aizen here, she realized how small her world really is, how blinded she was by her affections towards the former 5th Captain.

Hinamori places an arm over her eyes. She is so tired…

"Waaa… you look so messed up, Hinamori." Sitting up hastily, she grinned widely at the visitor.

"Hitsugaya-kun! Isn't it a bit late for you to be here?"

"Huh? Oh. No. I was busy this morning and in the afternoon we had a meeting."

"Oh…"

"How'd your rehab go?"

"Good. I'm allowed to go back tomorrow, and resume Shinigami duties."

"That's good. You still have to come back?"

"Just for check ups, but Unohana-taichou said that I've recovered enough that it'll be okay to leave."

"When you going tomorrow?"

"Probably in the morning."

"Okay. I'll come by and help you."

"You don't have to …" He smirked at her, patted her head.

"I want to," he said. "Go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Night, Hitsugaya-kun." And he was gone. And she misses the warmth and weight of his hand on her head.

He was there in the morning, like he promised, and Unohana felt something heavy lift off her shoulders when she watched the two of them walk away.

"They should be okay, right, taichou?" The woman smiled at her vice-captain.

"Aah. They'll be fine." She turns and walks back into the building. "I'm sure. As long as they have each other, they'll be fine."

Hinamori Momo did NOT want to stay here tonight, but she really did not have much of a choice. She had shooed Hitsugaya away after he expressed his boredom at watching her clean up, and she is suddenly aware that she is –very- alone. She shivers, the cold night air making its way into her room from the open window.

"It doesn't smell that bad," she mumbles as she goes to close the window, remember what the complaining Hitsugaya-kun said

"It stinks!" There was suddenly a knock at the door.

"Hinamori?" She opened the door.

"Rangiku-san?"

"Ahh… I was wondering… A couple of us are going out tonight, and wanted to know if you wanted to come."

"Um… No thanks. I think I'm going to get some rest." Rangiku nodded, understanding.

"Okay." Rangiku turned to leave, but then she said, "Oh. And taichou needs to talk to you. Would you just pop by the office later?" Hinamori nodded.

"Okay. Thanks, Rangiku-san." When the older woman left, Hinamori sighed, and left her room too, sliding the door closed behind her.

"Hitsugaya-kun?" Hitsugaya looked up from his paperwork. "Did you want to see me?"

"Hinamori? What are you doing here?" The girl sat wearily on his couch.

"Eh? Rangiku-san said that you wanted to see me."

"… I didn't say anything like that to her."

"Oh?"

"No. I didn't. But," he said hurriedly when he saw the girl stand up, "don't go yet. You're here already." He stood from his desk, stretching his tired limbs. "Tea?"

"Sure," she replied, amused. "You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" She laughed.

"Matsumoto usually does this…"

"You're a captain and you don't know how to make tea."

"Don't be so sarcastic. You should be more respectful to a captain, you know." Hinamori laughed at him again. "Besides, I made tea back in Rokunagai."

"Hai, hai, Hitsugaya-taichou." She takes the water from him, and carefully pours the water. "Here."

"Aa… Thanks." Hitsugaya takes a sip. "AGH. Bitter." Seeing Hinamori fight back a yawn, he asked, "Are you tired?"

"Hm? Just a bit. It's kind of been a long day…" She sat on the couch. "I didn't think that I would recover so fast, you know? It's been hard…"

"You did your best."

"Still. Sometimes my best isn't enough."

"For now, it is. Your friends are with you, you know? Abarai and Kira came to see you often too. Matsumoto, and Ise… You had their support too."

"Did I get yours, Hitsugaya-kun?" The boy captain scoffed.

"What do you think?" He takes another sip of his tea. "Of course you would. I'm your superior, remember?"

"Hai hai, Hitsugaya-kun." Then she thought of something. "Hey, you don't blame me, do you?"

"What for?"

"For… you know… fighting against you…"

"No. I don't. I don't blame you for anything."

"Shouldn't you?"

"Why should I? We were all under Aizen's trickery." She sighed.

"Hitsugaya-kun? Is it wrong of me to forgive him?"

"Forgive him? Why would you want to? How COULD you forgive him? He tried to kill you!"

"But… I loved him, you know. I really did. I think that I could forgive him for anything he's done to me."

"Oh. You loved him. And you're prepared to forgive him for almost everything."

"Yes. And don't look at me like that. How would you understand how I feel?" The captain shrugs, his face devoid of emotions.

"I don't know if I understand, Hinamori, but I forgave you, didn't I?" The color drained out of her face at the coldness of his voice.

"What?" she whispered. He didn't say anything, holding his cup by his lips. "You…"

"Anyway, I've got paperwork to do. You can stay here, or go, I don't really care." Standing, he starts to walk towards his desk when her hands reach out and grab his coat.

"I didn't know… I'm so sorry… I didn't know." Her voice coarse. "Why didn't you say anything?" When did he get so tall? she wondered. Hitsugaya-kun's not so short anymore…

"Should I have? You were perfectly happy not knowing, and you didn't notice either, not with Aizen prancing around in your mind – his perfect composure, the perfect Captain, right?" he replied, bitterly, not turning to look at the girl. "Besides, I'm just a little kid."

"You're a Captain too, Hitsugaya-kun." His coat muffles her voice. "I'm sorry. I never noticed… You were always there." He said nothing. "Hitsugaya-kun… you were always there…" Her hand clenches his coat tightly, her tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry… Shiro-chan… I'm sorry. I didn't know…If I knew… If I knew, it might've been different." Falling slightly, her knees failing her, and she suddenly wonders if her affections for Aizen really ruined her. Sighing, Hitsugaya turns around, and he kneels in front of her, his palms on her face. If I knew… I might've fallen for you instead.

"You are an idiot," he said. "You were so completely blinded by Aizen's death that you were willing to believe everything." She flinched visibly, but he didn't hold his words back. "You didn't even question whether or not that letter was authentic. You know, Hinamori. You know. Don't you remember? I told you once. I won't do anything to make you cry. If having Aizen around made you happy, why the HELL would I touch him?" He takes a deep breath. "I mean, sure, he annoyed the hell out of me. Who the hell would be so perfect? But you were happy, right?" He takes her hands. "Right. So how could you even attack someone you've known for so long, Hinamori? Why would you believe a stupid little shitty piece of paper over your common sense?"

"I don't know," she said. "I'm sorry." Hitsugaya shakes his head.

"I'm sorry too." She looks at his face, surprised. "I'm sorry. I thought being that by being a captain, I could've protected you from him. Instead, I was 10 seconds too late and 100 years too young to beat the asshole. It didn't take long for Hyourinmaru to be broken."

"You blame yourself?" She glances at their hands and interlaced fingers. "You shouldn't. When… When I saw him almost kill you… I felt responsible, like I had killed you myself." She shuddered. "I… I had almost killed you…"

"Hey. Hinamori?" he said gently, a small smile on his face. "Let's just forget about it, okay? I forgave you, you forgave me. It's okay now." She nods slightly, and smiles at him too.

"Okay," she answered. "So… are we okay?"

"Yeah. We're okay." Leaning forward, she rested her forehead on his.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." His cheeks were pink.

"Are you blushing, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"No." Softly, she kisses his cheek.

"Wait for me, Hitsugaya-kun. I'll be okay soon." And we can start over. He scoffs.

"I'll still be too young for you."

"That's okay. I'll wait for you too."

When Matsumoto comes back to the office later, she is surprised by the couple on the couch. They were both asleep, the girl's head lying on his lap, his captain's coat used as a blanket covering the girl.

"Well… That's pretty cute."

"Huh?" Hisagi Shuuhei looks out from behind Matsumoto. "Oh."

"C'mon. Let's go somewhere else."

"Okay." Hitsugaya opened an eye, watching the two leave the room.

"Are they gone?"

"Yeah." He rubs her forehead softly. "Go back to sleep."

"Want me to stay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Just… just don't wet the couch, okay?"

"…Shut up, Hitsugaya-kun."