Chapter 24. The Past And The Present

I do not own Bleach D:

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Hitsugaya pushed the pillows up against the bed with his right arm as Hinamori slowly sat herself up to lean against them.

The aqua-eyed boy supported her and gently helped her, the process took over 5 minutes, because he was trying so hard not to hurt her. She was so delicate now, the girl he had once known to be able to take down Hollow with one simple swing of her sword, the girl who was never afraid of anything worth being afraid of. The loyal, determined girl he had come to love was now as fragile as porcelain.

As she finally managed to shift into the position she desired, she folded her hands in her lap and smiled at her friend. He moved himself to sit down next to her.

"You never cease to amaze me." He smirked. The girl cocked her head to one side.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always finding ways to get yourself into trouble." He sighed teasingly. She glared at him and he knew that if they both had not been in the hospital, she would have jabbed him in the stomach. "So how long do you have to stay here?" He asked a moment later.

"Unohana taichou said that I would be in the hospital for about a month, and then I can leave, but I shouldn't train for a while." Her chestnut eyes twinkled with disappointment, she hated not being able to do anything.

She had lived with him and his grandmother when she was little, and he knew her better than anyone else. He knew that she became bored very easily, and he never got a moment of peace back then, because she was always nagging him to play with her. But he had also gotten bored very easily as well, so even though he never said it aloud, he secretly enjoyed playing with her.

Then Hinamori remembered that he had injuries as well, and quickly added. "When can you leave?" Hitsugaya cleared his head of their shared memories, and replied.

"Unohana said that I'll only be here for the week, but then I still can't train for two weeks after that." Jealousy tinted Hinamori's eyes.

"Lucky," She mumbled. "I can't train again for at least a month after I'm released." She pouted, he smirked.

"Well at least you won't have to do paperwork for a while." He tired feebly to make her feel better. "I can still use my right hand so I still have to do mine." His smirk faded teasingly. But his comment seemed only to make her feel worse.

"Yes but even if I don't have to do any now, you know that once I get out I'll have mountains of it." Her spirits dropped even more and Hitsugaya mentally slapped himself. But she knew his good intensions, and added. "Well I could try to become a lefty I suppose." She suggested half-heartedly.

"I could bring you you're paperwork." Hitsugaya proposed the thought.

"Yes and I could fill it out with my left hand?" She challenged playfully. He nodded with a smile.

"Yes, and then when whoever receives it reads it, they'll think you had a seizure while writing it." They both laughed. Then Hinamori opposed another question.

"Who does receive those papers?" Surprise filled aqua eyes as the question was brought forth to Hitsugaya's mind for the first time. He pondered it for a moment, seeing that Hinamori was also thinking deeply about it.

"I honestly have no idea." Hitsugaya laughed as Hinamori smiled.

"I bet they just give us all random papers and make us read and sign them for no apparent reason just to give us something to do." The girl put forth the possible option, and the two laughed again.

Memories of the times that they had once shared together came over the both of them, and they cherished the moments. The rays of the sun outside signaled that it was about noontime now. Hinamori noted the fact and spoke up to her friend.

"Its noon now Hitsugaya-kun, you probably have better things to do than sit here with me." Hitsugaya's eyes went round, with a bit of shock and amusement.

"Are you kidding me? I'm stuck in this place for another six days, its not like I have anything important to do. Besides, Unohana would have me bedridden for months if I stepped foot out of the 4th division." He joked.

"Besides," He added when Hinamori smiled faintly. "I want to be here, as long as you're here, there's nowhere else I'd rather be, and no one else I'd rather be with."

Her face flushed with embarrassment and shyness and she turned her head away. He smiled and stood to his feet, making his way back across the room. She whipped her head around quickly, regretting not saying anything back to him; she did not want him to leave…

"Ueito…" Was all she could manage to say. She fumbled for words to tell him that she wanted him to stay. He stopped walking and turned back to her.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute." He smiled good-humoredly.

Then she reflected the lighthearted smile and watched as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

She sat in the bed, patiently waiting for her friend's return. Once again she cupped her hands in her lap, and laid her head back against the pillows. She rolled her head over so that she was now looking out the window, the beams of sun strong in the sky, giving off warmth to the world below. She blinked her eyes and squinted in the bright light; her eyes still had not gotten completely used to the brilliance of the real sun and all of its intense light.

But her blinded eyesight aside, she was more than thankful to have the light of the sun blazing above her head, watching over all that it touched, and even things that it did not.

A small sparrow fluttered its wings and perched outside on the windowsill. It was so quiet that she could hear it chirping merrily from inside. She smiled, wishing that she could have freedom that of a bird. Being able to go where you wanted and do what you pleased, being able to fly on the breeze and sing blissfully, even when peril, risks and threats were manipulating the world below.

But for every bird, there was a hawk.

Troubles follow after everyone and everything, and there is simply no avoiding that fact. But, when there is menace, there is also peace; one just has to seek it.

And right now, there was one less menace in Hinamori's life, as well as Hitsugaya's, and right now, she just had too rest and receive her reward of peace.

Her eyes were about to fall closed, when the sound of footsteps perked in her ears, andshe turned in time to see the door open and Hitsugaya step into the room.

In his left hand, he held two slices of fresh watermelon.

Her eyes widened and happiness mixed in with their chestnut color.

Hitsugaya smiled.

"Let's eat."

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A/N: Yes yes fluff, good times...

Ueito means wait

This chapter did not have too much going on but there will be more going on later I promise!

Please review! At the first chapter I had about 2,000 hits, and now I am down to the small number of only about 60 loyal readers. So thanks to you all who have stuck with me this far! I appreciate it! Keep reading, keep reviewing and I will keep posting and writing more! Arigatou Gozaimasu!