You can thank Maroon 5 for giving me inspiration on writing this. I'm sick, on vacation, and the last thing I want to do is fall asleep on my computer again. Hah! Wake up call, caught you in the morning... On with the story! Notes on bottom.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Of Winning and Winners
Alternative Title: Ichigo speaks! Hinamori surprised. Fight! Who is the winner?
一護は話す！雛森 を驚く！戦い！勝者はだれ？
Hinamori stared weirdly at the captain. "Hitsugaya-kun...?" She spoke softly.
He leaned closer. "You know, you look cute like that, Bed Wetter Momo." Hitsugaya smirked widely.
"Who'd you bet on, eh Hisagi?" Kira nudged at his beloved best friend, "Ichigo and Rukia? Hitsugaya-taichou and Hinamori-chan?" He asked, irking him in the process.
Hisagi turned to glare at Ishida, who looked purely confused. "Asshole. I picked him and Orihime-chan. Thanks a lot." He sneered.
Ishida merely blinked, cluelessly giving the first answer to pop out in his head. "You're welcome?" Hisagi grunted in annoyance.
"Why you- ?!"
Yoruichi hissed at both of them. "Shut up! Just watch." Leaning over the railing, she looked across in delight, poking at Urahara. "Ne, ne, Kisuke, see? See? I told you that Hitsugaya and Hinamori are going to win!"
Urahara rumbled. "Guess you win the bet, then."
Kira, who stood next to them, looked at the two questioningly. "You weren't there when they made the bets, so how can you... ?"
Yoruichi stared at Kira for a second, glanced at Urahara, then back at Kira."Uhm, personal bets." She told him, a twinkle in her eye.
"I see." He said no more.
Nemu soon piped in. "Well then, shall we... watch?" Everyone was too caught up in their bets. She then realized. "Why are you all here... if you did not bet on either of the pairs?" She solemnly asked.
... ? Nemu looked at the shocked faces that stared into her.
"... uhm?"
"WHY WOULD WE NOT?" Hisagi, Kira, Urahara, Yoruichi... even Ishida and Soi Fon half-screamed out, Kisuke adding,
"It's entertainment, dear."
"I see."
"Rukia... I..."
"I..." Ichigo tried his best to speak his words, but apparently his mind and his mouth didn't feel like working together today.
Or, any day, perhaps.
"I... !" Nothing came out still, and Rukia looked a bit impatient. So were the people above them, but those people didn't matter right now.
Even though Ichigo did notice them above, and even though he did want to pummel them all into dust, there was only one thing that mattered.
Getting the stupid words out of his mouth.
"You know," Rukia finally spoke, tapping her foot on the ground and crossing her arms, "If I knew you were going to end up looking like an idiot, I should've gone and embarrassed myself elsewhere."
Spinning on her heel, she turned and started away from him.
"No, wait!"
Rukia turned back. "Anything else?"
There were millions of possible answers swirling around in his head, but nothing came out of his mouth.
"They're going to win! They're going to win!" Urahara jumped for joy. "I'm gonna win, eh, Yoruichi?"
Her eyes were slits by now, turning her head to Hitsugaya and Hinamori, then Ichigo and Rukia, and finally to Urahara.
"Kisuke?" She spoke.
Urahara blinked. "Yes, Yoruichi?"
-- "Stuff it." Her voice was covered with annoyance, laced with impatience, and sprinkled with rage.
"Yes ma'am."
Hisagi peered out across. "Hitsugaya-taichou and Hinamori-chan. Weren't they already dating, Kira?" He asked. "They always act so close."
"Nah," Kira replied, moving his blond hair from his face. "They're just childhood friends. They were always close."
"Damn, I would've bet on them if I knew that."
"Sore loser." The blond sneered.
"You wish. Didn't you have a crush on her before, eh, Kira?" Hisagi received a punch for that. "Ow. Hey, you know, if Hina-chan and Hitsugaya-taichou do get together, she'd be losing her own bet?"
"Wouldn't- Wouldn't you think that she wouldn't need to win the bet?" Ishida piped in, appearing from behind.
"What makes you think that?" The two vice-captains asked.
Ishida shrugged a bit. "Love over money?"
Hisagi stifled a laugh. "Love over money? I'd take money any day. Or not. Maybe? I'm confused." He scratched his head. "What do you think?"
No one listened, they were watching something-- or someone else.
Two someone elses, that is.
"I... ah... Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori squealed in embarrassment, inching away from the young captain. His height towered her, and she was no match for him. "Hitsugaya-kun?"
Slowly, he leaned in. Hinamori's eyes fluttered to a close, and she waited.
And waited.
No contact was made.
"Hitsugaya-kun?" She opened her eyes once more. There he was, Hitsugaya-kun in all his glory, with a piece of watermelon in-between his fingers and a smirk on his face.
"I picked the food out."
Hinamori blushed in embarrassment.
"Nooo!" Kira moaned, glancing at the younger couple. "They're just messing it up! Hisagi! Let's go!" He slid open the shuuji.
"Where are we going?" He was confused.
"To them!" Kira peered back in the room. "Let's go, Hisagi!" He tugged on his fellow vice captain.
Hisagi stood his ground. "But I want to win..." He mumbled. "Ishida! You! Go and confess to that-" Too late, Kira had already pulled him out of the room.
Ishida cocked his head slightly. "W- What was that all about. Huh, Nemu?" He asked the girl who stood behind him. "What was he-"
"Eh, Ishida-san?" Nemu smiled nervously. "J- Just ignore them, they will be fine. Let's just enjoy the... show, shall we?" And he agreed.
"Uh... Oh..." Hinamori sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "That's all, huh?"
Hitsugaya looked, his stare boring into her. "Why? Something else?" Although he was a very highly respected captain, it really didn't mean that he was smart. Okay, mentally, he was. Physically, he was strong.
Usually, his common sense was on the dot. But today, it was off.
"Ehh?" Hinamori blushed a bright red. "Oh, nothing, nothing, Hitsugaya-kun. Nothing at all!" She gave him a faltering smile. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason. Do you want something?"
Kiss.
Kiss.
Hinamori shook it off. The voices in her head were getting to her. "N- Nothing, nothing at all! You can stop worrying!" She tried to act as normal as possible, but her mind was out of control.
Hitsugaya didn't believe it. "... you're not yourself today."
Kiss.
Kiss.
How can she be okay? Her mind was out of line. "O- Oh? Really? I'm... I'm feeling fine!"
Kiss.
Kiss.
Dead silence.
Hitsugaya twitched. "Hinamori, can I ask you something?" He stepped closer to her, and leaned into her ear. "Hinamori, do you hear something?"
Kiss.
Kiss.
"Uhm, depends. What is it?"
Kiss.
Kiss.
"That." He bluntly pointed to the door. "Something's saying something. Here. Watch." Sneaking up to the door, he punched a large hole through the paper.
Kira and Hisagi stood there, red-handed, hands cupped over their mouth.
"Ki-" They both froze. "Oh. Kitchen! Kitchen!" Kira tried to over it up, but it was useless. Hisagi rolled his eyes at him.
"So much for that. Now, look. Hitsugaya-taichou is here." Hisagi blinked. "Holy crap. Hitsugaya-taichou is here. Kira, Kira! Run for our damned lives!"
Hitsugaya snarled, completely annoyed by those two. "Before I destroy you, why the hell are you here?!" He asked, clenching Hyourinmaru in the process.
"W- We... We..." Kira stuttered, pulling Hisagi next to him. "Tell him, Hisagi!"
Hisagi almost fell. "What?! It was you're idea!"
"Was not! Besides, you fell for it!"
"I was drunk, damnit!" He retorted angrily.
Kira choked on his spit. "It's the afternoon!" This went on and on, and it didn't really stop. Until Hisagi had the final word.
"It's not my fault you want them to kiss... oh. D- Did I say kiss? I- I meant... oh... uhm... oi, Kira. What rhymes with kiss?" Trying to whisper to his best friend, Hinamori and Hitsugaya heard them clearly.
"K- Kiss?" Hinamori blushed. "Uh..."
Hitsugaya cocked an eyebrow. "... kiss?"
"No!" Hisagi rambled, but was elbowed by Kira sharply. "I mean, maybe! I- ow- yes! Yes! Kira wants you to kiss!" He finally said it, and closed his eyes for the reaction.
"You want a kiss? I'll give you one."
And with that, he kissed her.
"I'll go now, then." The annoyed -slash- embarrassed -slash- angry -slash- disappointed Rukia spun and started to leave in the other direction.
Ichigo, who finally had sorted out his thoughts, came to his conclusion. He might regret it, but he really didn't care.
"Rukia, wait! I-"
She turned her head around.
Hinamori's eyes fluttered open, moments after Hitsugaya had kissed her.
"H- Hitsugaya...?" Her mind was still swirling around, the thoughts she had already placed together all mixed up again. "Wha-"
"It's Hitsugaya-kun to you." With another smirk on his face, he held her hands gently and gave her another kiss.
"Rukia, I love you!" Although it was barely audible, Rukia had heard it.
Suprisingly, this time, Hinamori kissed back.
Kira and Hisagi hollered loudly.
"No. I will not permit." Was Byakuya's first and final answer. Matsumoto had asked it both of them would work together, but she had failed.
"You're no fun at all, Byaku-taichou." Sticking her tongue out at the captain and straightening herself up, she got up from the seat and walked, no, stomped out of the 6th Division.
"Why'd you do that captain?" Renji asked the man. "She could've helped you-- no, us win."
Byakuya shook his head slowly. "I do not think that she would have been of use. Besides, I smell the scent of victory."
Winner? Kuchiki Byakuya and Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni 100,000,000 yen for Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia
Hm, I don't know if the Japanese on top is correct, because I wasn't too sure that was Ichigo's kanji. And noo. I didn't use BabelFish. o.O
If I did, it would be like, "One language is speaking, the forest is of surprised" or something crazy like that.
I am done! Yes! Yes! Yes! Well, for this chapter. It was hard to write, though, because I had a major case of colds, then a fever, then a big case of writer's block.
So, forgive me if this chapter isn't to your liking. But please review, because I will love you forever, and I shall give you a reply. Anything. Even a 'good' or a 'yay'. I'll be so grateful, since this took me, how long to write?
Ehehe.
You can say this is finished, but there is one more chapter.
So, please review!
EDIT: Forgot 'ol Yama-ji's name on the winner's thingy.
-Tsukia (I've resorted to going back to my old, old, original penname, because I think many noticed that I change my name too much. It's just Tsukia to me.)