Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights of this series goes to Tite Kubo.
How do you Capture a Captain's Heart?
Plan C: Get Drunk and Confess Personally
-- ONE DAY TO GO --
"Rangiku-san!! You said this one will work this time!" Hinamori said as she held her hands up in front of her.
"Gomen ne Hinamori-chan, but I forgot about the enormous amount of gifts sent to taichō from the Hitsugaya fan club every year," Matsumoto replied.
Sitting back down again, another thought crossed her mind. "Huh, there's a Hitsugaya fan club?"
Waving her back and forth in front of her as it if was a fan, she replied, "Ah never mind that, there's always plan C!"
Though she said it's going to be alright, it really isn't. Now knowing that Hinamori has to compete with other women in order to get the prize: her Shiro-chan, it is even more discouraging.
"Plan C?" Hinamori asked.
"Yep!"
Feeling a bit uneasy, Hinamori asked, "What is it?"
"Don't worry, this one has to get his attention one way or another. In the meantime, let's head over to the 10th division headquarters to get the preparations ready for the party," Matsumoto said as she pulled Hinamori's arm along with her as the two vice-captains left the room.
Hitsugaya took a sip from his warm cup of green tea from his desk in reward of finishing his final stack of paperwork for today. Then, he looked through the window to watch the pleasant scenery outside. At this time of day, the sun is setting as a flock of birds were flying towards it. It reminded him of the old times he was in Junrin'an. He would always sit outside of his house to view the beautiful sunset like this one. The only difference about these two moments was that back then, he would never be alone watching the sunset. He always had her at his side.
Hinamori...
Come to think of it, lately she's been acting a little more timid than usual around him. Whenever he suddenly appears at her side, her face would always turn red and turn away from him. After a moment of delay, she finally starts to speak to him, but in a stuttering and soft voice.
There was also times when he would find her in front of his office. Whenever he asks why she's doing here, his heart starts to beat a little faster as if he was expecting her to say those words. However, his heart would always stop whenever she talks about something else. He knew that she wanted to tell him something important, but her timidness would always prevent her from doing so.
Does it really mean so?
The captain of the 10th division also noticed how his lieutenant has been helping Hinamori with her 'concerns'. The living proof of that would be the love letter and the box of chocolates.
That Matsumoto...
He sighed in defeat. Though she is lazy with her paperwork, she does have her good points. Unfortunately, one of them had to be playing matchmaker.
FLASH BACK
"You're late Matsumoto," Hitsugaya interrupted in a rather almost calm manner.
"I'm sorry, but I have an imp--"
"I don't want to hear another one of your excuses; I'm not in the mood right now. Just sit down and finish your paperwor--" he said as he sat up from his seat, moved to the side so that his vice-captain can sit down and start working.
Just as he did that, he noticed that she was nowhere in sight. "Matsumoto..." Hitsugaya slowly and angrily said as a vein popped above his head.
However, his thoughts were cleared when he noticed a lone envelope sitting on his desk. Picking up the letter, he opened the contents inside it and began reading it.
White as snow
Young and Strong
Oh dear 10th Captain of the Gotei 13
Listen to what I have to say
From dawn to dusk
Day and Night
Like the moon and the sun
We'll always be one
That's because
You are the one
Who I will always love
Hitsugaya-taichō
"Great, not another love letter from a girl who I don't kn--," Hitsugaya thought before his mind is interrupted by the author's handwriting.
It looked so familiar. From the back of his mind, he knew the writing could only belong to her. However, why would she do such things like this?
"It can't be..."
A few moments later, he tore the paper into pieces, and threw them into the garbage bin as he walked out of his office. He concluded that she is pulling a fast one on him because she wanted to take revenge on him for all the things he has done to her in the past. (Teasing...xD)
"That's not going to work Matsumoto. You're not hooking me up with yet another one of those Shinigami fan girls."
END OF FLASH BACK
For a long time now, he had these intimate feelings for her. However, the young captain knew he couldn't just confess to her. At the time, she was only interested in her goals. She had Aizen in her eyes. As a result, he buried these feelings into the deepest and darkest place in his mind and focused on watching over her as her protector. Just when he forgotten about these feelings, they have arisen again after that one letter he read.
Since you called out for me...
He stood up from his seat and headed towards the door. It's time to get ready for the Valentine's Day party that is going to take place at his headquarters.
...I will answer you
FLASH BACK
"This is going to be one long night..." the young captain said as he sat down on his seat behind the desk.
Just then, he noticed something peculiar. It never bothered him before, but for some reason, this one stood out from all the rest. He stood up, walked towards it, picked it up, and returned to his seat.
Holding the box of chocolates, he opened the box to find snowflake shaped chocolates and a folded piece of paper. Picking up the paper, he unfolded it and read it.
I have regretted of my actions
At first I thought someone else would be the one for me
But it turned out that I only needed you
To wash away all my sorrows
And bring me a smile on my face everyday
Though you may never understand what I am trying to say to you
But let me tell you
I love you
In this world and the next
At least do me this favour and eat these
You're always working so hard
I understand that
Once he closed the paper, Hitsugaya had a moment of silence, staring at the night sky through the window. "Why...do you keep teasing me like this, baka Momo?" he wondered.
Running through the possibilities of why she could be doing this, he came to one conclusion. Picking up a piece of chocolate from the box, he threw it into his mouth.
"You're such a Bed-wetter...You're always getting pampered by others who are trying to help you."
AT NIGHT
Matsumoto finished chugging down yet another bottle of sake. "Delicious! Nothing but a nice jug of sake to clear all your sorrows!" she exclaimed, "Especially on a day like this!"
"You said it Rangiku-chan!" Ryōraku-taichō of the 8th division agreed. "It's been a while since we had a large party like this one!"
"Ano Rangiku-san," Hinamori said, "you haven't told me about plan C."
"Hm? Did you say something?"
Holding her arms up she pouted, "Rangiku-san..."
"Daijoubou Hinamori-chan, just relax."
"How can I? Even you said so, I should be speaking out my feelings to him and accept the consequences whether I like it or not."
Sitting next to the 5th division lieutenant, Matsumoto placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have faith in me, it will take sometime. In the meantime, have a glass of water."
Holding the cup in front of her, Hinamori sighed in defeat and gratefully accepted it. Matsumoto is right, she needed to slow down a bit or else she'll become very desperate. With that, she began drinking the contents in the cup.
By the time, Hitsugaya arrived, he knew he isn't going to enjoy it at all. It has not been an hour yet there were Shinigami walking around drunk. "Why does Matsumoto have to be the one who is organizing this?" he thought.
"Taichō over here!" a voice called.
Looking towards its direction, he saw his vice-captain waving at him. Now that she saw him, there is no running away. So, he walked up to her and sat down on the seat next to her.
"You made it taichō!" she said.
"I had no choice in the matter," Hitsugaya replied.
"Aww come on loosen up and enjoy yourself! We all deserve this especially since we won the Winter War."
"That was a month ago..." Hitsugaya replied, turning his attention away from her.
Just then, Matsumoto held up a small plate of sake. "Come on taichō! Just this onc--"
Hitsugaya knocked the sake away from his view. "No thanks Matsumoto. I'm working. Who knows when I'm going to be called up."
"Tch, if you say so..."
Once Hitsugaya finished his conversation with his vice-captain, he turned only to be startled to see Hinamori in his presence. A very close presence. She's right in front of him.
"Don't tell me you got forced here too Hinamori," Hitsugaya said.
"Heh, what are you talking about Shiro-chan?" Hinamori replied before she hiccuped. "I wasn't forced here. Rangiku-san invited me to come!"
Smelling the aroma of alcohol, he asked, "Are you drunk?"
Hooking her arm around his neck, she replied sluggishly, "No way! You know I don't drink!"
Outraged by this, Hitsugaya grabbed her shoulders and exclaimed, "Hinamori! Who did this to you?"
All of a sudden, he took back those words because she started crying. If there's one thing he didn't like, it is her crying. He can't stand seeing his childhood friend unhappy. As a result, he vowed to himself that he would always protect her even if he has to kill someone to make her smile again.
"I'm sorry I yelled..." he said as he let go of her.
Sniffling her tears away, she replied as she reached and took her glass from the table in front of them, "Daijoubou, it's not your fault...*hiccup*"
Shortly, she drank the rest of its contents and slammed it back onto the table.
"Why does my life have to be so terrible?" she suddenly asked.
"Hah?"
"Ever since I came to the fifth division, I was caught by his illusions and believed that he's someone good. I can't believe it. He made me point a zanpakutō at you!"
"Hinamori, I told you already, it's not your fault," Hitsugaya replied. "Plus, I have already forgotten about it. It's all in the past already."
"I guess..." she replied as she looked down at her feet.
"Hey taichō! I see that you're with Hinamori-chan!" Matsumoto interrupted as the large breasted vice-captain joined the two friends.
"Matsumoto, what did you do to her?" Hitsugaya warningly said as he glared at her.
Blinking as if she didn't know, the orange haired Shinigami replied, "What do you mean?"
"Hinamori's drunk..."
"Drunk?" she asked as she turned to look at her. "Ahh, I must have given her sake instead of water. Gomenasai taichō."
Sighing with defeat, Hitsugaya watched the fifth division lieutenant, happily embracing him.
I must protect her...
"Taichō, is it okay for Hinamori-chan to be clinging onto you?" Matsumoto asked as she watched the drunken Hinamori trapping her captain in her embrace. "Aww, that's so adorable!"
"It's not like I have a choice," Hitsugaya replied. "She's drunk."
"Oh, I see," she replied. "You must really like that taichō."
Giving her a glare, the 10th captain decided to take Hinamori to some other place away from all the sake drinkers and drunk Shinigami who might want to jump her."
"Ano, Hitsugaya-taichō," Hinamori said before she hiccuped. Hitsugaya managed to take her away from the chaos in the party room and brought her to her room in the 5th division headquarters.
"That's a first..." Hitsugaya thought. "What is it, Hinamori?"
"There's also one more thing that makes my life terrible: why is it that I don't get myself into a relationship with a boy?"
Looking away from her, he replied, "How am I supposed to know?"
Suddenly feeling arms crawling up and wrapped around his back, he realized that Hinamori is pulling herself closer to him.
"Hina--mori?"
She hiccuped. "Oh yeah, I forgot..."
Before he knew it, she knocked him down to the wooden floor with her sitting on top of him, kissing with lip to lip. As the moment lasted, Hitsugaya realized what she's doing isn't her character.
Before things get anymore complicated, Hitsugaya broke the kiss from her.
"...you are the only one I have in my eyes," Hinamori said. "I love you...Hitsugaya-taichō."
Stunned to hear those words come out of her mouth, for once, he didn't know what to say.
"Momo..."
Before he could say anything to her, the young captain realized his childhood friend has fallen asleep. Sighing with defeat, he carefully stood up again with her in his arms and placed the sleeping figure in her futon bed he made for her. After placing the covers over her body, the young captain stood up again and silently left the room. No more words were said for the rest of the night.
Though she is supposed to watch over Hinamori to see how the plan is going, Matsumoto has forgotten all about it because she herself gotten drunk and fell asleep.
PLAN C: FAILED
AznVKai: Once again I would like to thank all of you who reviewed. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review and I'll be back with the Epilogue on Valentine's Day! Laterz!