Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All the characters and their likeness do not belong to me. I only claim ownership of the story line.
The story thus far: It's Christmas Eve and Hitsugaya has managed to be alone for the night, but it's not what he wants. After being caught outside the division eight office he has been convinced that he needs to tell Hinamori how he feels about her and to do what his heart is telling him.
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The talk that Toushiro had with Nano- fukutaichou had convinced him that he needed to throw out the rule book and do what made him happy. He jumped onto the roofs of the buildings surrounding the division eight office and ran over to the division five office. I hope that she is still there or I'm going to look like a fool. But that little bit of doubt was not enough to stop him. His heart was on a mission.
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Momo had put so much attention into decorating the Christmas tree that she had not even noticed how late it had gotten. The snow had begun to cover the window of the division office almost completely.
"I should probably wipe that off so people still know that I'm still here." She finished up the tree by adding the last few ornaments and a star on top. She opened the door to wipe off the snow and stopped in the threshold. Standing no more than three feet in front of her was Hitsugaya Toushiro.
"Hitsugaya- taichou, umm… what are you doing out here this late at night?"
"Well, that's a interesting question," but he could think of the rest of his answer, "umm…"
"Why don't you come inside and out of the snow."
"Thank you, would appreciate that," and he fallowed her inside the office. It was warm inside and surprisingly festive. "I see that you have decorated, it looks good," he was horrible at small talk and it was completely obvious.
"Yes, felt that it would be good for the squad to fee a little festive. It brightens up the office rather nicely, I think."
"It has been good to see you back interacting with your squad. But it was been very good to see you out of the hospital."
"I have been worried that you would still hate me after everything."
Hitsugaya's heart sank. How could she possibly think that I have been angry with her all this time. I though that she would be mad at me for not letting her go. "How could I ever hate you. I was trying to protect you but my feelings got in the way." What did I just say! He panicked, he had just slipped to the girl of his dreams that he wasn't cold and heartless.
Hinamori looked a bit shocked. In all the years that she had known him, not once did he ever let his true feelings show. "Hitsugaya- taichou…I…I'm sorry for everything I must have put you through. You have only ever been so kind to me and I over reacted and tried to…to…" and she began to cry.
That broke Hitsu's heart. He moved her over to her desk and sat her down. He kneeled before the crying girl, completely incapable of doing anything coherently. "Momo, please don't cry. I don't', I could never hate you. Even on your worst day you are still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."
At that point she looked up. She had never heard him say something so sweet. She stared I never straight into is aqua eyes and began to blush. He paused briefly before she moved closer to him. Keeping the connection between their eyes she leaned in. Stopping a few centimeters away from the man that she had always known and in the back of her mind wanted to be with, she closed those few centimeters with a kiss. She could feel the warmth of his mouth wash over her.
His hand moved towards her face to wipe away her tears. They broke apart form each other and Momo put her hand on top of his.
"Your hands are so cold."
"I have been out in the snow a long while."
"No one should be alone and out in the snow tonight."
"Your right, no one should be alone. Especially you."
She blushed. "Shiro- kun, you seem to know just the words to say to make me blush."
"It feels so good to hear you call me by that name." He gently grabbed both of her hands and pulled her up for the chair and into a kiss. He could feel her entire body relax in his arms. He had never felt more at home than he did right then with her in his arms. His mind was racing wither to move further on his feelings or to hold back.
"Momo, I want so much just to be with you forever, to never let you go again. I know that I haven't been perfect and I understand that you probably don't feel the same way. I must look like a complete idiot for saying all of this to you now considering everything."
"No better time than now," she cut him off. "Shiro-kun, I have been blind. Aizen- taichou was someone who manipulated me and you tried to protect me. I was so foolish to be that I was alone," she starred down at the floor to try and hide her face. But it was to no avail. Hitsugaya put his hand on her chin and pulled her face up to meet his.
"You should never feel that you are alone and you should never hide your face," he paused slightly before speaking again, as to gain confidence to say his next thought. "If you could ever think to let me stay by your side, I would never leave."
"I would love that," a simple reply that meant the world.
The two sat in the division five office though out the night. They spent the rest of the night talking about their lives before the incident with Aizen- taichou and how they could live together. When the early morning rolled around Hitsugaya and Hinamori had passed out on the floor of the office under the tree. Her wrapped in his arms.
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Author's notes: Their feelings are out on the table, and each returned. It kind of makes you fell all warm and fuzzy inside. This was a bit of a serious chapter so there will be comedy in the next; we still have to find out what Matsumoto has been up to all this time.