Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: Sick and tired of waiting? Well, wait no longer; chapter twelve is complete and posted right here! Special thanks goes to my reviewers: Mariliisa, tlg, MoonLightView, Pieps XD, KnowledgeandImagination, AznInvasionGirl, Samantha, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, Neko-cheung, Kaye. Shirogane, WhitePrincessOfHope, chococat450. In the previous chapter, Toshiro lost his grandmother, his home, and has fallen into deep depression. Will he recover by the end of this chapter? There's only one way to find out. Read and enjoy the latest installment to The Greatest Treasure!

LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking." Flash Back.

The Greatest Treasure

Chapter Twelve: True Feelings

Hinamori Momo is cooking lunch in the kitchen when Matsumoto Rangiku entered the room. She is yawning and stretching her arms into the air at the same time. "Good afternoon!" she greeted.

"Konnichiwa Rangiku-san," she replied back. "Where were you this morning? I saw you got out of bed early."

"Oh, I just went for a little walk, that's all."

"I see."

Matsumoto looked over at the slide door and turned her attention back to the princess. "He still hasn't waked up?"

Momo stopped cooking for a moment and tilted her head forward. He must have had a very sleepless night which leads to his tardiness. "Yeah, he hasn't..." Hinamori turned to the strawberry orange haired teenager. She then noticed Rangiku suddenly stood in front of the slide door. "W-What are you doing?"

She stopped. Turning her head to the girl, Matsumoto replied, "I'm going to try to knock some sense into him. He needs to eat and walk around for a bit."

The older woman opened the slide door and entered Hitsugaya's bedroom. Once she closed it behind her, she saw the boy lying in his futon with his body turned away from her. The woman walked up to him and stood there silently for a few moments. "If you want to stay there and rot all day, that's fine with me."

He didn't say a word.

She knew losing his grandmother is a big shock for him. It is also lead him to remember the last time he has felt depressed. She remembered it would take quite a long time before he gets over it and move on in his life. Matsumoto let out a sigh. Placing a hand on her hip, she continued, "Just to let you know, I have retrieved your stuff from your old home. They're together with my sake stash. I'm pretty sure you know where they are."

She then left the bedroom. Hitsugaya, who has been awake the whole time, just covered his head with his blanket. He is not in the mood to move around or even talk to anyone. All he wants to do is to be alone for a little longer.

On the other side of the slide door, Matsumoto returned to the kitchen. After taking a seat across from Hinamori, she placed her arms on the table and let out a sigh of defeat. "How is he?" the princess asked.

"He's definitely not waking up," the older teenager replied.

"Oh..."

The two girls were silent for the next few minutes until one of them finally decided to break it. "Let's go to the marketplace Momo," Matsumoto said as she raised her head and stood up from her seat. "I'm running out of ingredients to make a decent meal for the three of us."

Looking up at the busty woman, the younger one replied, "But what about Hi--"

"He'll be alright at home; he's not a kid."

After a brief moment of thinking, she finally nodded with agreement. "Okay then."

They took their time heading over to the marketplace. The girls stopped by at a few places to check out the merchandise at the bazaar first. However, they didn't buy a single item from there. Before long, the day is fast approaching to its end. "Rangiku-san, are you sure it's okay to leave him alone at home?" Momo asked.

"Daijobou, he'll be fine," Matsumoto replied. "It's not like he's going to try and commit suicide or something. He doesn't have the insanity to actually do it."

"I see..."

She looked at the princess for a moment before a smile appeared across her face. "Hey Momo, I have a question for you."

Hinamori turned to Rangiku and asked, "Hn, what is it?"

"Do you care about Hitsugaya?"

Momo blinked. "Of course I do; he's my friend."

She gotten into more detail. "How much do you care about him?"

The peach girl paused. "W-What are you trying to get at?"

Matsumoto shrugged her shoulders. "I was just wondering, that's all."

"Are you sure about that?" She does not quite believe the older woman's last statement. "It sounds to be that you want to know something in particular."

The strawberry orange haired woman let out a faint smile and looked up into the clear blue sky above. "Whenever I look at you and Hitsugaya, you two seem pretty happy together."

Momo gave her a look. "W-What?"

"Yeah, you really do."

"Erhm, okay then...how can you tell?" Hinamori asked.

She turned to the raven haired girl and replied, "He's always close by to you. Hitsugaya is usually the happiest whenever he's around people he truly cares about."

"Oh...I see."

"It is obvious that looking after him from a distance will help him recover, but it may take a while before he returns to being his usual self. And since you two share quite a close relationship, I hope...you'll be able to cheer him up somehow."

"Bu-But what about you? You've known him longer than I have."

"We are close, but that's only because we respect one another despite being very different people."

Soon, a faint smile escaped her lips. Maybe there is some hope for his recovery after all and she might be the right person for the job. That is fine with her; besides, she wants him to be his usual self again: the intelligent, sometimes bratty child who loves to call her Bed-Wetter Momo and the brave, daring thief who steals valuables for the sake of the Rukongai people, Aisu no Ryu. "I'll my best Rangiku-san!"

"Arigato..."

By the time Matsumoto and Hinamori returned home, they found the white haired teenager not in his room and nowhere to be found. "Shiro-chan, where are you?" Momo called out, going through every single room in the house. "Shiro-chan!"

Matsumoto just sat at the kotatsu in the living room and waited for the frantic girl to finish. She eventually did so after continuous minutes of name calling and running around. The princess sat across the table to Rangiku to catch her breath. "Have you finished searching?" the strawberry orange haired woman asked.

"He's nowhere to be found," Momo replied, resting her head on her arms. "What if he's in danger or something?"

"Relax Momo, he's walking around somewhere in Rukongai, thinking to himself. He'll be back when he's hungry as said in this note I found here on the table," Matsumoto replied, holding up a small piece of paper with his handwriting on it.

"Oh...I see."

She is worried about him; there's no doubt. If only he would just open up and share his sediments with his friends. When she was younger, the princess was taught to express her feelings whenever she runs into a problem. Bottling things up inside will not only worry one's friends and family, but also oneself in the long run. Momo let out a sigh. "Anyway, you should start making dinner," Matsumoto suggested.

"Hai," she replied. "Wait, what?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you; I have to go to work soon. I have to do a night shift today."

"Ah yeah, that's fine. When are you leaving?"

Matsumoto placed a finger on her chin. She thought about it for a moment before replying, "Hn, in about an hour or so."

"I see," Momo replied. "I wonder what he's doing right now..."

All he thought about is her, his loving grandmother as he walked through the streets of Rukongai. Everyone around him have become obvious and insignificant. He didn't care at all if they're throwing rude comments at him or just feeling sorry for him. On the other hand, it's still amazing that he didn't bump into anyone or anything. "There's Toshiro," he heard a voice say from a close distance.

"Poor child," another voice said. "He just lost his grandmother yesterday..."

"Yes, it's really unfortunate. I hope things will get better for him."

"He'll come back soon enough. Before long, he'll be going out again to do the things he usually does."

"The things I usually do..." the thought lingered in his mind, remembering the events that lead to his thievery.

"Toshiro, are you alright?"

The ten year old child slowly opened his eyes to see the elderly woman at his side. He turned his head to the side and asked, "Obaa-san...what are you doing here?"

Just as he sat up from bed, she placed a hand on his head and gently ruffled through his white hair. Hitsugaya looked at her quizzically before a slice of juicy watermelon is handed to him. The elder gave a sweet smile. "It must have been very hard on you to starve for so long..."

"Oba--"

"Now eat up until your heart's content."

But he didn't eat; Toshiro thought for a moment. Looking up at her with his innocent emerald-teal eyes, he asked, "Ha-Has Okaa-san come home yet?"

The grandmother didn't say anything. She just embraced her grandchild with open arms and kept him close. "I'm not sure when she's coming back. I don't even know if she really is going to come back to you," she admitted. "But don't worry; I'll look after you Toshiro."

He then smiled at her and began to eat his watermelon slice.

"Toshiro, how did you get your clothes so dirty?" she asked.

The boy just giggled, showing a silly smile on his face. "Gomen nesai Obaa-san, but I was training with Matsumoto."

"Rangiku? What exactly were you two doing?"

"I'm learning to learn swordsmanship from her."

"Swords?"

He nodded with agreement. "Yeah, she learned it from her close friend. Now, she's teaching me. Well, actually it's more like I'm teaching her now because I learned how to do it after seeing her swing her sword several times using the proper technique and skill. Don't worry; we're not using real swords. We're using wooden ones."

"I don't understand why you're learning such a skill."

"I want to protect you Obaa-san from everyone who dares to hurt you. I will also protect my friends and the weak! That is why I'm learning how to use a sword."

"I see..."

"And also, when I'm a little older...I want to show my gratitude for taking care of me," the boy explained. "Likewise, I don't want people to experience the same hardships I went through."

"How are you going to do that?"

With a silly smile on his face, the white haired child declared, "I'm going to steal valuable items from the people in Seireitei! After that, I'll trade them to some money dealer for cash. We'll keep some for ourselves, but the rest goes to everyone here!"

The grandmother took a good look at her grandchild. After long moments of staring, she finally let out a sigh. "Toshiro, you do understand what you're planning to get yourself into?"

"Of course, I do Obaa-san; I understand completely. That is why I'm going to work hard to become fit so that I will never get caught!" He placed his hands together and pleaded to her, "So please...let me help you and everyone else; their lives depend on it."

She then placed a hand on his head and gently ruffled through his snowy white hair. The boy looked up to see her gentle smile. "You're just like your father..."

Hitsugaya smiled back. "I know; I hear that a lot."

"Obaa-san..." Hitsugaya thought as he continued walking.

He is trapped in his own world, trying to stop something he has no control of. Not even the notorious thief, Aisu no Ryu is no match for it. Time is an enemy he can never defeat. Before he knew it, the sun has already started to set.

The last time she looked at the clock, Momo remembered it was about seven-thirty when Hitsugaya finally returned home. "Hitsugaya-kun, you're back!" She greeted him at the front door, watching him take off his footwear.

The white haired teenager glanced at the peach girl and slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

Toshiro's mood has not improved at all; she could tell from the look on his face. Even though he's physically here, his thoughts are obviously focused on other matters. Nevertheless, she promised to herself and Rangiku to change all that. "You must be very hungry by now. Let's go to the living room and eat dinner now. I just finished cooking for the both of us!"

"Both of us?" he suddenly asked.

"Yeah, Rangiku-san had to go to work," Hinamori explained. "So, she won't be back until the overnight hours. She just left two hours ago."

"I...see."

The two friends went to the living room, got dinner set up, and ate together. Momo noticed that his eating habits and routine has returned back to normal. She could only hope his feelings could improve the same way. "Um Hitsugaya-kun," she said. "If you need anything, I'm here to listen."

Hitsugaya stopped eating, but didn't say a thing. The eerie silence filled the air for a few minutes before, he returned to finishing his meal as if she never spoke at all. Hinamori let out a silent sigh. "He definitely doesn't want to talk about it..."

He then placed his empty bowl and chopsticks on the table. "Thanks for the food," Toshiro said.

The quiet teenager left his seat and immediately retreated to his room, leaving the princess to finish her meal and clean up the table on her own. Doing these things is the least of her worries. Her focus is on the boy who just lost his grandmother. "Shiro-chan..."

She closed the door to her room. It is ten-thirty at night; a time when they should be already in bed and sleeping. However, Momo knew better that Toshiro isn't going to do that. As long as he keeps being depressed over the death of his grandmother, there is no way he's going to have a good night's sleep. The raven haired girl knocked and opened the slide door to see him sitting on his futon, staring down on his hands. "You're still not asleep?" she asked.

Hitsugaya took a glimpse at the princess and soon turned his head away. "I-I was about to sleep," he said. "Just...go already Hinamori."

"He's trying to push people away." Momo didn't listen; she walked up to his bedside. "You miss Obaa-san don't you?"

He resumed his attention to her with sudden anger. "Wh-What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine! There's nothing wrong with me! Don't you understa--"

Momo suddenly got down to her knees and pulled Toshiro into a deep hug. He froze at the bold move, but didn't retaliate. "No, you're not alright!" she exclaimed. "You're depressed!"

He could feel his tears trying to break free, but he shut his eyes tightly. Hitsugaya began struggling to get away from the princess' grasp. "I-I'm not sad!" he shouted. "Stop talking about it!"

She refuses to let go. Hinamori continued to restrict his movements by tightening her grip on him. "Don't say another word! You said enough Hitsugaya-kun; I won't let you beat yourself anymore!"

Hitsugaya suddenly stopped and opened his eyes. Slowly raising his head up, he saw a sad look on Momo's face. "Please...Please let me comfort you," she softly said. "Let me protect you during your moment of weakness. There is nothing wrong with letting out all your feelings. It is only proof that you're human just like everyone else is."

He didn't want to let anyone see it. He doesn't want to be judged. Regardless, his body soon relaxed, allowing the girl to relax as well, but stay close. She could feel the young teenager's body starting to shiver. Toshiro closed his eyes and buried his face on her shoulder. "Why? Why does Obaa-san have to die?" he whispered. "It-It's just...not fair."

She then heard the first sounds of his cries. Hinamori gave a faint smile and sat on her bottom, allowing her legs move to the side and rest. Raising a hand up, she began to rub on his back. "I know. I know..."

Toshiro then raise his arms around Momo's waist and upper back and kept her close. He didn't care anymore if someone saw him in his weak state; he had to let it go. Pulling on her nagajuban, he continued to cry, releasing all tension that has been built up in his thoughts for so long. Minutes later, the princess suddenly asked, "Are you alright now?"

Hitsugaya stirred for a bit. He raised his head a bit and replied, "...yeah. I'm feeling a little better."

"That's good to hear."

The two friends fell silent. "Hinamori, can you stay here a little longer?"

Momo smiled and closed her eyes. "Of course..."

Their hugging lasted for a while until Hitsugaya decided to just rest his head on her lap. He is glad Momo was there to comfort him. If she wasn't, who knows when he's going to recover? He closed his eyes and let out a relaxed sigh. "Thank you Hinamori for cheering me up."

The princess looked down at him and smiled. "You're welcome Hitsugaya-kun."

She began stroking through his snowy white hair with her hand. It felt soft like cotton. At one point, he tilted his head a bit to the side, feeling a bit ticklish by her movements, but didn't bother to open his eyes. Her touch felt nice. It remained that way until his eyes opened to see the sixteen year old girl very close to his face.

Momo snapped back to reality and quickly pulled back. Placing her hands on her cheeks, the peach girl is fighting off the dark red stain on her cheeks. She turned her head to the side and stuttered, "I-I-I'm sorry Hitsugaya-kun! I-I didn't know what has gone over me an-and...well, it won't happen aga--"

Suddenly, he extended an arm out and cupped one side of her cheek with his hand, surprising the princess. He looked deeply into her chocolate brown eyes and her loose raven hair, dazed over the fact that she looked very attractive. He never noticed it before. Momo too felt the attractiveness from him and his emerald-teal eyes. Toshiro slowly pulled her face close to his own. It is moments later; they closed their eyes and shared their first kiss with one another.

It felt blissful and filling. All bad emotions seemed to have disappeared from their thoughts and their hearts. It felt so right as if their meanings of life has just been fulfilled. In a sense, they feel like they're meant to be together. Toshiro slowly sat up and began embracing Momo in his arms. She did so likewise, still lost in their new found eternal happiness.

Once they were done, the two looked at one another, holding each others hands. "I never realized it before; I thought you were just some stereotypical princess who has no idea what is really going on in the world around her. However, you turned out to be much more than that," Hitsugaya said. "You're a young beautiful woman who cares for your people both in Seireitei and in Rukongai. Your intentions are good and pure. Never in my whole life would I have dared to love a princess."

"Neither have I; I would have never dared to love someone like you; you're not from a wealthy family yet you still provided me with the proper protection and kindness like any other person would treat me," Momo replied. "You're also able to give something that the others couldn't. Those are the joys and sorrows we share. I'm glad to have met you."

"Is it...okay for me to call you Momo?" he asked.

Hinamori smiled back. "Of course, you're allowed to call me by my name as long I can call you by yours."

Hitsugaya offered her a warm smile. "I don't mind at all; I love you."

"I love you too Toshiro."

With that said, the two new found lovers shared another loving kiss.

References

Konnichiwa - Good Afternoon, Daijobou - It's Alright, Kotatsu - A low table with a built in heating system, Aisu no Ryu - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, Arigato - Thank You, Obaa-san - Grandmother, Okaa-san - Mother, Gomen nesai - I'm Sorry

Author's Note: After twelve long chapters, they're finally together! Yay for the HitsuHina love! *throws confetti into the air* But don't be content just yet; there's still about thirteen chapters to go! (What?! I'm only at the half way point?! Gah, there's still a lot of writing to do. xD)

On a side note, I've closed the last poll (8 votes for happy ending, 4 votes for ambiguous ending, and 2 votes for sad ending) and opened up another one. Please check my profile page and answer the question. Many thanks to you all who voted!

Anyway, it's time for you to press the pretty green button below and review! Thanks.