So, after all of the subtle Hinamori torture, it's now time to call her forward! That's right, it's Momo's turn and we're just SO excited to have her! Aizen fans, you may want to bring tissues. And, er… beware the chaos and remember, kiddies! Eavesdropping is bad!
Disclaimer: I only own Chiyuu… and the ducks, because I love them too much not to write them in again. If I owned Bleach, there would so be more Urahara kick-ass action. Spoilers for Chapter 173 and onward, or so I believe. Beware cursing, OOC!Momo, and so much strangeness you'd think you'd walked onto the set of Rocky Horror Picture Show.
This chapter is dedicated to Gal, for all her help.
"No, Hitsu-chan, you are NOT allowed to accompany Hina-chan inside, got it?" Two equally-short shinigami held each other in a fierce gaze, neither backing down, and the female added, "Not that I don't appreciate you coming with her, since she's still... recovering, but a therapy session is one-on-one and that means you can't come in with her."
Hitsugaya folded his arms across his chest and sighed, wanting to mention that she had quite happily done a session with the Eight Division captain and vice-captain only two days ago, but then Chiyuu would most likely respond that it was to strengthen their love, or some other sappy and romantic reason that would only serve to make him embarrassed. So he acquiesced.
"Fine. But I'm warning you, if you make her cry--"
"You'll glare at me and make me want to retire early, I know, I know," Chiyuu cut in. "Unfortunately, I can't promise that she won't cry. It's beneficial. But, if I'm not mistaken, my patient is here, so you'll have to excuse me. Have a good day, Hitsu-chan!"
"Stop calling me that." When she made no reply, only waved at him, Hitsugaya dragged himself out of her office, meeting the large brown eyes of Hinamori Momo as she passed him. She gave him a fleeting, trembling smile and then disappeared into the office. The door slid shut.
And it was then that Hitsugaya noticed a miniscule crack between the door and the wooden frame.
He was protecting Hinamori, he told himself, struggling with his conscience before caving and kneeling on the floor to press his ear against the space. This was only one end to the means.
"Hinamori Momo-chan, was it?" Chiyuu greeted Hinamori with a smile from behind her desk. "It's so nice to meet you! I've heard a lot of good things about you from Hitsu-chan and everyone!"
"Ah... thank you very much, Chiyuu-san." Hinamori bowed her head and took her seat, staring down at her hands. "Well... I suppose you must know why I'm here."
"Let's just say I've got a pretty good idea." The therapist ducked under her desk for a moment, reemerging with a file clenched in her hand. "Ah, here we go," she murmured, opening it and glancing down. "Hinamori Momo, vice-captain of the Fifth Division, recently awoken from a coma induced from a stab wound and severe shock, courtesy of Aizen Sousuke... turned her sword against Hitsugaya Toushirou after breaking out from the retention cell..." She let out a low whistle, shaking her head. "Listen to me and listen carefully, because I'll only say this once and it's going to hurt you and you may cry, but you need to hear this. Hina-chan..." Brown eyes met brown eyes as Chiyuu solemnly uttered, "Do you trust me? It's the only way I can help you."
Still, Hinamori hesitated, her hands now nervously twisting and scrunching the black fabric covering her lap. The therapist was giving a choice: avoid the painful truth and remain in a rut for the rest of her days, or accept it and face forward. Hitsugaya couldn't shield her this time, no matter how much he adamantly declared that she had done nothing to be blamed for. No, she had to deal with it on her own and she swallowed harshly, nodding.
Chiyuu kept her eyes fixed on the other girl's face, observing indecision war with desperation and (not for the first time) wished there could have been another way to go about this. She was a therapist, however, and she had to go through with it. If Hinamori could be brave enough to accept it, then she had to be brave enough to speak the truth.
"You idolized your captain, didn't you?" Her words were low and soft, but served the purpose of startling Hinamori from her trance. "You were very happy when you entered his division and you worked tirelessly to rise to the rank of vice-captain. You were so focused on Aizen that you completely glossed over the attention of another captain who cared for you more than your own ever could. Aizen was a father and a mentor to you and you were devastated by his death, so much that you attacked Ichimaru Gin and your own friend Izuru-kun and, if it hadn't been for Hitsu-chan, you most likely would have died. You were arrested and taken away, but even being jailed didn't stop you. Rangiku-san unwittingly handed you the letter that caused you to spiral downwards into confusion, but neither she nor her captain were to blame for that. You trusted the words of someone you worshipped blindly and, as a result of that, your sense of loyalty was torn asunder and you pointed your sword at your best friend and most trusted person, which pretty much not only broke your heart, but his as well."
Hinamori's eyes were already misting and she wanted to break the girl's steady gaze and look away, but the fact that she needed to hear this kept her firmly rooted in her seat. How vividly she remembered the stunned expression on Hitsugaya's face and the pained look in his eyes as he tried so frantically to get her to listen to reason. Instead, she had just released her agony and grief in a wild scream and a disoriented attack... and, eventually, he'd had to lash out at her to save them both. Even after that, she had still believed he'd killed Aizen, harboring confusion and distrust so deeply imbedded in her heart that she feared it would never fully dissipate.
Chiyuu waited for another moment, then went on. "Hitsu-chan fought Gin because he inadvertently made you bleed and, if it hadn't been for Rangiku-san's intervention, Shinsou would have killed you. Hitsu-chan took you back, but you woke up and followed him, right? And you became even more confused with the Central 46 affair. Not only that, but you got to see your beloved captain again, and he stabbed you." Hearing a muffled sob from her patient, her brow crinkled slightly. "And I don't think you heard the whole story, since Unohana-taichou told me that Hitsu-chan had requested she withhold the information from you, but Hitsu-chan came across you and attacked Aizen in a rage. He summoned his Bankai, but Aizen took him down in one slash before he was even attacked. He almost died, Hina-chan."
Three things happened simultaneously. Hinamori burst into tears, Chiyuu let out a squeak and fumbled for a handkerchief, and Hitsugaya kicked down the door.
"Ahhhh, Hitsu-chan, my DOOR!" The therapist, now handing Hinamori a handkerchief, whirled around and glared at him. "What did it ever do to you, huh?"
Hitsugaya placed a foot on top of the poor, battered door, his eyes flashing. "You had no RIGHT to tell her about that!" He yelled furiously. "She was better off not knowing and now you made her cry!"
"Well, it's a good thing you already went through therapy or I'd be dead now, wouldn't I?" Chiyuu retorted, placing her hands on her hips as Hinamori mopped at her eyes. "You honestly think she was better off not knowing everything? You think you were HELPING her, Hitsu-chan? Get this straight: I can't help any of my patients if they don't know the full truth and are willing to commit to getting better, understand? She had to cry eventually. It's part of the healing process; she'll be all right soon, so kindly remove yourself from my office before I make you put that door back up."
"What makes you think--" The captain began heatedly, but Hinamori interrupted him.
"It's all right, Hitsugaya-kun... I DID need to hear that." She gulped quietly, eyes still red from her weeping session. "Chiyuu-san? Can you... help me...?"
"Like Kenpachi-kun loves fighting and fine dining!" She was quickly assured. "Fret not, Hina-chan! On my honor as a therapist, I swear you will be helped!"
"You have no honor," Hitsugaya muttered, and then yelped as Chiyuu very calmly stomped on his foot.
"I'm not the one who was eavesdropping," she replied. "See you tomorrow, Hina-chan! And Hitsu-chan, if you do that again, I'll ask Rangiku-san to tell everyone what it is you mumble in your sleep when you conk out at your desk. Enjoy the rest of the day, taichou."
Hitsugaya grumbled something under his breath as he left, vowing that he'd make the therapist pay dearly if Hinamori was scarred for life by the end of the week.
---Day Two of Seven---
"Er... what is that?" Hinamori eyed the stuffed figure mounted on a stick and then the shinigami who was affixing a pair of black glasses to the goofily-smiling face.
"Huh? Oh!" Chiyuu fluffed up the brown cotton on top of the lolling head, draped a captain's coat over the body, and stood back to proudly survey her handiwork, ponytail bobbing as she nodded approvingly. "It's your captain."
Now Hinamori was SURE she had missed something. "My... huh?"
"It's an Aizen dummy," the therapist explained. "See, you idolized Aizen, like I said yesterday, and the best way for you to get over him is to beat him up! He beat you up, he beat Hitsu-chan up, and he lied to everyone. In fact, if this wasn't for your sake, I'd beat him up myself!" With a huffy sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest. "So feel free to take your frustrations out on this guy. It's great for relieving stress! I'll act as his voice."
"A-ah... okay..." Hinamori was still confused, but obediently stood in front of the dummy, staring blankly into its beaming button eyes.
Chiyuu cupped her hands around her mouth, ducking behind the Aizen reject and lowering her voice to ridiculous levels. "Hello, Hinamori-kun!" She boomed. "I'm your captain and I have no nose, so obviously I can't smell how I rotten I am! Ohohohoho, I like to cause pain and screw with your mind!"
Hinamori bit her lip, then punched the dummy in the chest. It was a feeble attempt and she didn't feel any better.
"Oh, yes, and I almost forgot to tell you that after I stabbed you, I stabbed Hitsugaya-kun too! That was fun! And I smashed my glasses so I could look sinfully hot and I tricked everyone! Ohohohoho, I am so awesome! Come give me a hug!"
Hitsugaya-kun... Hinamori's hand balled into a fist and this time, she shot her fist straight at the dummy's head. The head rocked back, and Chiyuu nodded to herself. Good, she was getting angry.
"And I kick puppies and Gin and I enjoy molesting little boys and I groped all the girls in the Fourth Division! You were fun to toy with too, Hinamori-kun--"
The vice-captain snapped. He had hurt her and her loved ones enough and she'd finally realized and come to terms with the fact that he was no longer the man she adored and looked up to. He was a murderer, a liar, and a traitor and she would show him no mercy. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" She flew at the dummy in a fury and, when pummeling it didn't satisfy her enough, she drew Tobiume.
SCHWING went Aizen-dummy's head.
BOOM went the rest of his body and three-quarters of Chiyuu's bookshelf.
The therapist mourned the loss of some of her favorite books and the loss of anything else in advance as she cowered under her desk. She'd meant for Hinamori to punch and kick the dummy a few times, not try to decimate her office.
"Hina-chan, I need that vase! I really do!"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" CRASH.
"... Okay, maybe not. But I really like that one!"
Thirty minutes later, Chiyuu crawled out from under her desk once Mad Avenger Momo had calmed down sufficiently and she was positive there was nothing left of Aizen to destroy.
The dummy lay in shreds on the floor, scattered pitifully around the feet of one heavily-panting shinigami, and Chiyuu knelt to pick up a shattered lens from the short-lived glasses. Aizen's button eyes were nowhere to be found, but she knew she'd have to look for them eventually before one of the ducklings ate them. She just didn't think Byakuya would buy "Your child choked on Aizen's eyes" as a good excuse for the death of a ducky.
"Somehow," she commented ruefully, clapping Hinamori on the shoulder, "I don't expect my Aizen toys to live long. Really, you should've seen what Hitsu-chan did to his plushie--although, you have to admit that Aizen DOES look better without a head, wouldn't you say so?"
Hinamori blinked, her eyes clearing. The stick the dummy had perched on teetered and fell over, burnt black. The biggest chunk of the Aizen dummy remaining was the corner of a smile and she stepped on that.
"Hm, I'd have to agree with you there..."
The two girls exchanged looks, then giggled--until Chiyuu saw the charred lump of what had been the captain's robe in the corner and cringed in dismay.
"Oops, I borrowed that... maybe I can get another one before he gets back..."
"...From my visit to the estate?"
Chiyuu flinched and slowly turned around, looking up into the marble-like countenance of Kuchiki Byakuya with a nervous smile. "Ah... Byakuya-san... welcome back!"
The captain looked as stoic as ever, wearing his usual robes and kenseikan... but minus one crucial addition to the uniform.
"I believe that would be my robe currently smoking over there, would it not?" He inquired, glancing at the remnants of his once-proud and pristine symbol of his rank.
"U-um... well, you see... it was all for Hina-chan's sake... your coat had to be sacrificed for the good of Aizen's destruction... um... I'llget you a new one?" She broke off as Byakuya kept staring at her, then suddenly grabbed Hinamori's hand and took off running.
"Chiyuu-san, where are we going?" Hinamori gasped, chancing a glance over her shoulder and seeing Byakuya still standing there, looking intently at them. His gaze would have succeeded in frightening her senseless--if not for the five quacking ducklings perched on and around his feet that completely ruined the effect.
"Far, far away until Byakuya-san doesn't want to kill me anymore! Hitsu-chan, Shuuhei-kun, I'd run!" She threw this tidbit of advice over her shoulder as she dashed past the two males, a baffled Hinamori in tow. "AND STOP TRYING TO EAVESDROP!"
Hitsugaya glanced over at the motionless noble, then at Hisagi. "..."
"Pft..." The vice-captain shrugged, although he discreetly reached up to finger his still-swollen nose from the LAST time Chiyuu had caught him listening in on her sessions. "Don't know what she's talking about," he said airily. "Honestly, she's paranoid."
Hitsugaya said nothing more, merely rolled his eyes.
---Day Three of Seven---
"For the rest of the week, you are not allowed to say Aizen's name under ANY circumstance," Chiyuu instructed her wide-eyed patient. "While we've already gotten you to beat him to a ripped fabric and cottony pulp, you still think about him, don't you?"
Hinamori shook her head wordlessly, but the look in her eyes told an entirely different tale and that was the one the therapist chose to believe.
"He'll haunt you if you don't make a conscious effort to stop thinking about him, either the captain you thought you knew or the man who betrayed his fellow shinigami... so! Every time you say his name, not only will you get whacked by Yours Truly, but you will also have to yell out... ummm..." She paused, letting an idea formulate before she leaned over to whisper something in Hinamori's ear--which abruptly turned just as red as her face.
"WHAAAAAAAT? I... I-I can't say that!"
Chiyuu winked (and botched it rather badly, although Hinamori didn't mention it). "It was either that or kiss the person closest to you, be it male or female, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to mention Aizen's name in front of Kenpachi-kun, now would you?"
The red receded like a rocket, only to be replaced by a faint green tinge. "I..."
The therapist burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! Calm down, Hina-chan, I wouldn't make you do that!"
A very relieved Momo heaved a sigh, one hand on her chest. "That's good to kn--"
"After all, Unohana-taichou doesn't like anyone kissing Kenpachi-kun but her, and her revenge tactics are quite ingenious," Chiyuu added very seriously.
"Hina-chan, that was another joke. Well, not really... I mean, I'm sure Unohana-taichou would prefer it if no one else kissed him, but I don't think she'd seek revenge for--Hina-chan, you're swaying a little bit too far le--"
THUD.
"Hina-chan, hang in there, I'll--Hitsu-chan, she's not hurt, so don't you DARE break down my door again!" Chiyuu's head whipped around to focus on the door as she struggled to lift the dazed vice-captain off the floor. "Or I'll--Hina-chan, wake up!"
Outside the door, Hitsugaya swallowed and slowly backed away. His concern for Hinamori was great, but Chiyuu was a healer; his childhood friend would be fine... and he wanted to keep what little dignity he had left.
---Day Four of Seven---
They were in a vice-captains' meeting and talking amongst themselves about who would take over the three recently-vacated captain roles in Divisions Three, Five, and Nine when Hinamori accidentally said the one thing she wasn't supposed to say.
"I don't think I could be the kind of captain that Aizen-taichou was--OW!" She winced as Renji gave her a good, solid thump on the head, peering up at him with teary eyes. "Abarai-kun, that hurt!"
"It was supposed to," he told her with a "I-worry-about-your-logic-sometimes" eye-roll. "Soujuku's not a vice-captain and couldn't come to the meeting, so she asked me to hit you if you said his name and make sure you do the rest."
"But I wouldn't want her to be that sort of captain, either," Matsumoto objected, giving the smaller girl a pitying glance.
"Tch. Doesn't matter." Renji tugged annoyingly at his hair band. "She was thinking of him as a good captain and that's shit."
"Still, I don't think..." Matsumoto and Renji began to bicker and Hinamori inhaled and exhaled rapidly until Nemu quietly asked her if she was going to hyperventilate and, in that case, if medical assistance would be needed.
"DAMMIT!" Hinamori suddenly blurted out to a room that had just gone completely and deathly silent.
Nanao looked faintly disapproving, Matsumoto and Isane looked completely and utterly shocked (although the former was starting to grin), Hisagi snickered into his fist, Nemu's face remained perfectly blank, Iba did a double-take to see if the very gentle girl who'd never cursed in her life had just said that word, Kira swayed in pure astonishment and Renji wondered if their therapist had gone insane. Or maybe Hinamori had finally just snapped.
"Umm... Hinamori-san, I understand that life's been a bit hectic for you lately," Isane began hesitantly. "But is it really necessary to use that word?"
"Oh, no..." Hinamori pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks. "It's just... Chiyuu-san told me that was what I should say if I said Aizen-tai--ow!-- SHIT!" She then began to wave her arms about as if she were doing interpretive dance. "Nonono, I didn't mean that, it was just an example to remind me that I shouldn't say Aize--OWWWWW--FUCKING HELL!"
It only got worse. Poor Hinamori kept trying to explain herself and thus kept uttering Aizen's name, which only resulted in getting whapped and letting loose with a string of cursing so profuse in its ferocity that Isane and Nanao had their hands pressed to their ears, Hisagi and Renji cheered her on and Kira was curled up in a fetal position in the corner, having been there since, "I'M BEDWETTER MOMO, BITCH!"
They all had to admit, however, that this had to be the most memorable vice-captains' meeting ever.
---Day Six out of Seven---
"It's progress," Chiyuu assured Hinamori. "And you've said his name less, haven't you?"
She thought it over and was somewhat surprised to realize that after the whole meeting chaos, she hadn't said Aizen's name or even though about him for the rest of the day. It was progress, indeed, and Hinamori nodded with a small smile flickering onto her face.
"So then, we're working on your assertiveness today!" Chiyuu cleared a few files from her desk and nodded, wresting a folder from the bill of the ever-mischievous Kuro (she was stuck with duck-sitting duty again). "This, in short, means finding those who have treated you like a doormat and telling them how you really feel about it... for starters, has anyone talked down to you recently?"
"Umm... well..." Hinamori fidgeted. "Those who do have ended up in the infirmary and I don't know why... but sometimes Abarai-kun treats me like a child and a member of Soi Fong-taichou's division shoved me the other day..."
Chiyuu could have easily told her why those people were getting maimed, but she knew Hitsugaya was probably listening in again, so she wisely kept her silence and nodded encouragingly.
"Then you have to let them know that you don't like it. You're a vice-captain, Hina-chan! You can fight back! You have power, too, and it's time for you to let it shine through!"
A Bit Later...
Hinamori, after a bit of prompting, had finally spoken up when the same Second Division member had purposely jostled her shoulder when he passed her in the hallway; in fact, she had spoken so brusquely about being more careful next time and respecting vice-captains (all said with a peaceful smile) that the man had apologized and rushed off, deciding that Hinamori Momo was no longer an easy target.
And Renji's confrontation had been... interesting. He'd been striding around in his lovely pink kimono, avoiding Rikichi (who'd been tailing him like a groupie lately), and sweet, shy little Hinamori had come racing over to him and said a stern monologue very breathlessly.
"Abarai-kun, I'd just like to say that I graduated the same time you did and although I'm very short, I'm still a vice-captain, just like you, so kindly don't condescend to me as if I'm some sort of irrational child because I'm not and if you make fun of my nickname again, I'll... hit you!"
"WHOO!" A tall, black-haired girl from the Fourth Division yelled as her squad strolled past, thrusting a fist into the air as proud homage to Hinamori. "Way to break it to him, Hinamori-fukutaichou!"
Chiyuu grinned, waving to the girl as Renji muttered something about "crazy Fourth Division brats". He then switched his attention back to Hinamori and smirked. "So that's what you were glaring at me for? Hell, I'll stop messing with you. And, y'know, this is more like you. I remember at the Academy how argumentative and stubborn you were with me and Kira, and now you let anyone and everyone walk all over you. You bring it upon yourse--ACKKKKK!"
From the rooftops descended the Fatal Fury, The White-Haired Wonder, the Tamer of Dragons, the Protector of Hinamori Momo and the shortest captain alive: Hitsugaya Toushirou! And his hapless victim was none other than the oblivious Abarai Renji, who quickly became more aware as Hitsugaya crashed into him and began to aim punches at his face and chest.
"Don't you pick on Hinamori!"
"GET OFF ME, YOU DAMN BRAT!"
"Hitsugaya-TAICHOU! SHOW ME SOME RESPECT, ABARAI!"
Hinamori and Chiyuu observed the (somewhat pointless) brawl, shaking their heads until Chiyuu finally moved her waddling charges out of the way with her foot and shouted, "Hey... HEY! I did NOT put you two through therapy so I could schedule more appointments for you because YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY IN GREAT NEED OF PSYCHIATRIC HELP! Are you even listening to me? OH GATHER YE ROUND AND I'LL SING THIS SONG TWICE, OF TWO MORONS WHO ACT LIKE MONKEYS ON ICE--"
That got the job done and the two broke apart, glaring at each other. The short shinigami sighed and straightened her sleeves, giving them both a reprimanding stare and reminding herself to make a "Ballad of Abarai Renji and Hitsugaya Toushirou" when she got some time off.
"Well, Hina-chan, I'm proud to say that your week is almost complete and you are well on the road to recovery. It'll be tough at times, but you have good friends who will watch your back and you now know that you're no longer under Aizen's shadow. Please come see me tomorrow morning, because I have some very interesting things to tell you about Hitsu-chan and the people who wound up in the infirmary and his feelings for you and how he's been trying to eavesdrop whenever you go visit me because he's worried I might make you cry! At this moment, however, I have to start getting ready, since I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Hinamori bowed, taking Chiyuu's hand in hers. "Thank you very much," she told her fervently. "You've helped me so much, Chiyuu-san!" She didn't say anything about Hitsugaya, just glanced his way and smiled... and then colored and looked away at the strange, almost-gentle expression on his face (which was rapidly turning embarrassed, due to Chiyuu's accurate comments). "Anyway... I hope you have a good trip!"
"Huh?" Hisagi, on his way back to his own Division, paused and sidled closer to note with interest that both Hitsugaya and Hinamori were blushing slightly and looking everywhere but at each other. He'd have to tease them later. "Going somewhere, Soujuku?"
"Yep!" The therapist answered cheerfully. 'I'm going to the human world to deal with some very special cases... and the first one is... ah! Kurosaki Ichigo!"
Renji choked... and far, far away, Ichigo sneezed and wondered if he was getting a cold.
---OOC---
Ten pages? O.o Huh, didn't imagine it'd be that long… at ANY rate, sorry this took so long, I had a bit of a predicament with things and being distracted and schoolwork and misunderstandings, so there you go. Please review, even if it IS to tell me how much I suck and up next is Kurosaki Ichigo, followed by an Ishida Uryuu/Inoue Orihime chapter. That's right, Chiyuu's headed off to Karakura next chapter! Be afraid, citizens… be very afraid.
And no, I have not actually devised a "Ballad of Abarai Renji and Hitsugaya Toushirou", but I bet I'm going to have to soon. XD