Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

However: I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

Warning: Spoilers may be present.

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long, but I've been so busy with school and water polo recently. And I just got over being sick and had to take the high school exit exam (which is really easy, just boring and tiring) this week, so I've been really busy. I'll try to update quicker next time. Review please. (:

The bright sunlight that filtered through the window across the room shone on Hitsugaya, waking him up. He sat up gently, his eyes still closed. The fact that he hadn't slept so well in months made him drowsy with the idea that he could sleep like that forever. But he knew he couldn't. He had to get back to his work sometime. And he doubted Unohana would be keeping him for much longer since he wasn't actually sick and his headache had disappeared after the third day of his stay. He actually didn't understand why Unohana had kept him for so long.

Haruka stirred gently next to him, still asleep. Her blanket had fallen half off sometime during the night. He pulled it back up, careful to not wake her. He sighed softly, knowing that soon he would not enjoy the pleasure of seeing her lying next to him when he awoke. After only five days it had become routine for him to fall asleep with her at his side.

He lied back down. Sleep called to him, even though he wasn't tired. He rested his head gently back on the pillow and wrapped his arm around Haruka. She snuggled in closer to him, attracted by the warmth. The fact that she was there, lying next to him, gave him the hope that maybe he still had a chance with her.

The soft sound of Haruka's breathing lulled him back to sleep.

Haruka woke up drowsily. She was curled up in Hitsugaya's chest, his arm around her. It was odd, being so close to the icy captain. He was a lot warmer than Haruka would have ever guessed. Even through the oddity of the situation, she still felt comfortable. She still didn't understand as of to why she refused to leave his side, even at night. She had stayed by his side from the moment he was admitted into the hospital, not even leaving his side at night to sleep in her own barracks but instead finding comfort lying next to him.

She sighed and got up from the bed, slowly, as to not disturb the sleeping captain, and headed down the hall towards the bathroom.

The second time Hitsugaya woke up he was alone. For a moment he panicked about the idea that Haruka might have left him some time during the night even though he knew she was mostly either going to the bathroom or helping out Unohana with something as she often did in the morning. It wasn't like Hitsugaya to panic at such a trivial thing. He decided it must have been because he knew that this would be his last chance to wake up beside her. He slumped back against the headboard of the bed and stared out the window.

"I see you're finally awake," Haruka called from the door, causing Hitsugaya to turn to look at her. "Unohana said you're free to go whenever you feel like it, just sign out as you leave."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Well then, I guess I might as well get changed."

"Here," Haruka said, handing him his shihakushō and captain's haori. "I'll wait outside until you're done. Tell me when you're finished." With that she walked out and slid the door closed behind her.

Hitsugaya laid his clothes on the bed and pulled of his shirt, quickly changing back into his own clothes. He slipped his haori on top. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing his bangs that had fallen in his face back. "You can come back in." He said as he opened the door.

"It's almost noon; would you care to get some lunch together?" Haruka offered. "There's this really good teriyaki place right around the block."

"As good as it sounds, I really should be getting back to my office," Hitsugaya replied. "I have no doubt that Matsumoto left all the paperwork undone for me to finish upon my arrival."

"How about I walk you to your office then?" Haruka smiled. "It's not that far from my own anyways. I need to check that Umeko hasn't been stressing herself too much covering my work. I think I'll let her have the weekend off. She's been doing so much for me recently."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't spent all your time here in the hospital, never leaving, then maybe she wouldn't have had to do all your work in addition to her own," Hitsugaya stated. They both laughed.

The two of them began walking side my side down the hall.

"I'm glad you're better now," Haruka stated as they turned a corner. "I was really scared when I found you unconscious on the street."

"I'm sorry to have worried you," Hitsugaya replied.

"You better not pass out in the street again, Toshiro," Haruka laughed. "Or else you'll be in big trouble when I find out."

Hitsugaya frowned. "If I did pass out again, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be picking on me then. Don't want to make it worse, now do you, Haruka?"

They laughed as they entered the lobby. Hitsugaya quickly went to the counter and signed out. As he was walking back towards Haruka, Unohana joined them.

"Get out of here you two lovebirds," Unohana stated. "I'm sick of you two using my hospital as your little love nest."

"What?" Haruka nearly stuttered to say.

"Us? Together? Are you insane?" Hitsugaya and Haruka said in unison. "We're just friends."

"Whatever you say," Unohana smiled as she turned around and walked off.

They turned to look at each other and quickly looked away.

"Come on, let's get going," Hitsugaya said, grabbing Haruka's hand to lead her out.

They walked in silence for a long time, Hitsugaya still holding Haruka's hand. They were quite far from their barracks. Both the squad ten and squad fourteen barracks were on the opposite side of Seireitei from the hospital, meaning that if they kept up the pace they were going at it would take them days to get back to their barracks. But neither of them was in a real hurry.

"I think we should head out on our own from here on," Haruka said. "We'd get back faster."

Hitsugaya was reluctant to release Haruka's hand. "I guess," he said halfheartedly and let go. "I need to tend to my paperwork anyways. I'll see you later then, Haruka."

"Bye, Toshiro," Haruka said as she used shunpo to land on the top of her squad's barracks.

She proceeded to jump to the ground and head into her office where she knew a slightly upset Umeko and a pile of paperwork awaited her.

Haruka lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She was exhausted from spending hours catching up on all the work she had shoved off to stay with Hitsugaya while he was in the hospital, but she couldn't will herself to sleep. She couldn't understand why she was unable to sleep. It was as though she was cold, as though in the short week she spent falling asleep next to Hitsugaya, she missed his warmth. She sighed and got up from bed. She pulled on a thick robe and headed outside to sit on the roof.

Haruka was staring at the stars. She didn't know how long she had been up there when she noticed someone else's reiatsu filling the air, signaling their presence.

"Gin, why are you up so late?" Haruka asked without even looking at him. She could recognize his reiatsu anywhere.

"I could ask you the same, Haruka," he replied sitting down next to her.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, leaning against him. She rested her head on his shoulder. "It was too cold."

"Missing your little prince?" Gin teased. "Can't sleep without him at your side anymore?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, as if," she replied, suddenly feeling sleepy. "It was just cold," she drowsily muttered.

Gin stood up and gently picked her up. He carried her back to her room and tucked her into bed as she fell asleep.

"Goodnight, my love," Gin kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami