Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights of this series goes to Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: Yay, another update of The Healing Heart! Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: becomeafan, Lil'EyeCandy, lil'sayuri-chan, michi. hishiro, yumi-2121331, MoonLightView, icyangel27, lalulweeb914 (x4), Ai Angel, Epoch95, Neko-cheung, KnowledgeandImagination, maili-chan, Samantha, k a y - t h i, KingOfHeroes aka Ougon22, applestoapples, Love the story, monkeywinz, RebelAngel91210, athfdrizzle, Sun Geisha, Miko Micaela, WhitePrincessOfHope, j cloud xD, cool! Well, I've kept you all waiting long enough. Here is chapter twenty-five. Enjoy!
LEGEND
"Talking." "Thinking." Dreaming or Flash Back.
The Healing Heart
Part II - Hardships and Love
Chapter Twenty-Five: Onwards
"Oi Toshiro, wake up!"
The eleven year old boy let out a groan as he stirred in bed back and forth. He took a moment to open an eye. He saw his older sister, Miyuki kneeling beside him on the edge of his comfy bed with a happy smile on her face. He closed his eye again and turned his body away from her. "I'm sleepy Onee-chan..."
"But it's Christmas today! There's no point trying to stay in bed when we have so many things to do!"
Hitsugaya finally opened both eyes and sat up in bed. He gave her a bothered look. "First of all, it's only Christmas Eve. So, it's still too early to be saying that. Secondly, we're not going to start preparing for the family dinner until later in the afternoon and finally, we're not supposed to open our presents until midnight. What's the rush?"
"I'm just very excited, that's all."
Placing a hand over his mouth, he let out a yawn.
"If you stay in bed all day, you're going to miss out on all the fun," the thirteen year old girl said.
Toshiro put his hands high above his head and began stretching. After putting them back down on his sides, he replied, "Okay, I'm awake now."
She nodded with agreement. "Alright; let's go and wake up our parents together."
"Hai Onee-chan..."
Punching her fist into the air, Miyuki said excitedly, "And onwards we go!"
In response to her comment, Hitsugaya let out an amused smile on his face. Today is going to be an interesting day, indeed.
When he opened his emerald-teal eyes, the first thing he saw is the face of his former next door neighbour from West Rukon. Dressed in a brown fur coat and a pair of blue jeans, the strawberry orange haired woman greeted, "Hey Hitsugaya."
"What are you doing here Matsumoto?" he asked upon slowly sitting up from his hospital bed.
In response, Rangiku raised an eyebrow as if he's being stupid or something. "Isn't that obvious?"
He gave her a stern look before replying to his own question, "You came to visit both Hinamori and I."
She smiled. "That's right!"
"It's Christmas Eve; shouldn't you go back to your parents' home to celebrate it with them?"
"I will eventually, but first, I have to drop a few things," Matsumoto said as she lifted a gift bag up for him to see, "like yours and Hinamori's presents."
"Ehrm, thanks for the present, but...I-"
She interrupted, "You don't have to get me anything especially after knowing what has happened to you over the past few months."
Hitsugaya didn't say a word. The older teenager walked up to his bedside and placed a hand on his shoulder. With a smile on her face, she said, "I also heard the news from Isane that you're going to be discharged today."
The fourteen year old turned his head off to the side and replied, "Apparently, my injuries weren't as serious as they were before. So, there is no reason for them to keep me here any longer than I should be. Compared to last time, I'm not only I'm able to walk, I'm also old enough to take care of my self."
"Yeah, you're right about that..."
Hitsugaya then noticed the slightly depressed look on her face. He folded his arms over his chest. "What is bothering you Matsumoto?"
"What are you going to do after you're released?"
He soon turned his gaze away. "Isn't that obvious; I'm going home to rest. Maybe later...I'll come back here to celebrate Christmas with Hinamori."
"Didn't want her to celebrate it alone?"
He gave her a stern look. He warned her, "Matsumoto..."
Placing a hand over her mouth, she let out an amused giggle. "There's nothing wrong with being sweet Hitsugaya. Besides, you love her, right?"
Toshiro didn't say anything in response to her comment. He just lowered his head, feeling bad about himself.
Rangiku noticed the depressed look on his face and decided to knock some sense into him. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Oi, didn't I already told you once before not to beat yourself up like that? It's not your fault that you made things the way they are now."
"I know...but it's hard to think that way especially when I got her involved."
"That's all in the past; now it's time to concentrate on the future. If you really care about her, then you will wait patiently and see what happens to her."
He raised his head to see the strawberry orange haired woman and slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah...whatever you say."
She let out a faint smile. "I have to get going now. I'll see you again as soon as I can."
"See you..."
With a short nod of agreement, Matsumoto left the white haired teenager's side and walked to Momo's bedside. "I'll come back to visit again Hinamori. Wake up soon..."
By the time she left, Hitsugaya left the safety of his bed and walked over to his friend's side. Unlike him, who is free of any health equipment, the sleeping raven haired girl is pretty much the same as she was before. He bit the bottom of his lips, cursing over that he should have been the one in a coma, not her. "Hey...you probably heard from Unohana-sensei a while ago that I'm going to be discharged today," he said. "I-I'm somewhat glad, but I'm not at the same time. I wished I could have been more injured so that...I can stay with you a little longer."
There was a short pause.
"Don't worry; I'll come and visit you whenever I can...just like what you did for me years ago. I won't leave you alone."
"I'm sure she's happy to hear that from you, Toshiro..."
Hitsugaya glanced over his shoulder to see the elderly woman at the door. "Hinamori's grandmother..."
She walked to his side to take a look at her granddaughter's condition. "Congratulations on your release..."
He whispered, "Arigato."
There was a moment neither person spoke. All they heard is the sound of Momo's heart monitor beeping and her soft breathing. It's almost time for him to return to the life he used to live except he won't be living it with his friend nor his foster mother in the picture. It is a bittersweet feeling. "Toshiro, you can live with us if you want."
Upon hearing that comment, Hitsugaya turned to the elder and quickly replied, "T-Thank you for the offer, but I can't do that. Besides, i-"
Obaa-san placed a hand on his head and gently moved it back and forth through his soft white hair. "Momo would love to have a younger sibling like you. Judging from all the good things she told me about you, I know two get along well."
He then slightly lowered his head. He didn't say anything.
"Is there something wrong?"
His tone of voice lowered to that of a whisper. "I-I...love Hinamori."
"...So ka?" She then smiled. "That's fine with me."
The fourteen year old raised his head up. "Are...you sure?"
She nodded with agreement. "You have already proven that you care about her. There is no reason to hold it against you. If, by any chance, she feels the same way, then I hope that you will do whatever you can to make her happy."
"Thank you again for letting me live with you and...Hinamori, Mrs. Hinamori."
The elderly woman smiled. "It's no problem, but please don't address me as that. Feel free to call and treat me as your grandmother, Toshiro."
He let out a faint smiled back. "Wakarimashita Obaa-san."
After putting the last of his clothing into his suitcase, he zipped it closed shut before standing up to look at the almost empty bedroom that will soon be unoccupied. Thinking back on the past, he had to say that he has been through a lot to get to this point: from losing his biological family to getting new ones only to lose them too. In the end, he gets the privilege to live with the family that he has become fairly close with. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer in hopes of not losing his third family. "Toshiro Hitsugaya," said a voice.
The white haired teenager opened his eyes and turned around to see the landlady at the door.
"Are you ready to leave?"
With a short nod of agreement, he walked up to her and raised a hand up. In his fingertips is his house key. She extended a hand out and reclaimed what was hers. Hitsugaya then gave her a bow. "Thank you for letting me stay here for the last few months."
She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that you're going to be living in the Hinamori family. They're very nice people."
"Yeah, they are those types of people who are like that."
"If anything happens, you can always come back here."
"I hope...that doesn't happen."
The lady let out a giggle. "Considering what has actually happened to you, you've got a point there."
Toshiro showed a faint smile.
"Well, good luck out there."
"Hai."
Once he is done, he slowly made his way to the door with his suitcase at hand. He opened the front door, stepped out (with the landlady) and took his final look inside. It is calm and quiet. After all this time, he can now leave the feeling of loneliness behind him. He walked out the door, looking forward to the new life with his grandmother and hopefully his new older sister.
Obaa-san opened the door to reveal an open room that has nothing, but a low table, a tall wardrobe, and a few boxes of various sizes. "This will be your room," she said. "It just needs to be organized a bit. Sorry for not getting everything ready for you."
Hitsugaya shook his head. "Iie, daijobou...I can deal with sleeping in the living room."
It was the elder's turn to shake her head. "I don't want you to wake up in the morning feeling sore. Until your room is ready, you can sleep in Momo's."
"Um, okay..."
She then nodded with agreement. "You can worry about unpacking your stuff later. For now, let's go to the kitchen and make some dinner for us to eat. After that, we'll go back to the hospital to see her, okay?"
"Hai..."
With that said, the elder Hinamori left the soon to be bedroom, leaving Toshiro behind. Not wanting to keep her waiting, Hitsugaya left the room to catch up to her. However, along the way, he passed by a familiar door next to his room. He stopped and stood in front of it, looking at the name plate which her first name written on it. "Hinamori's room..."
He placed his head on the doorknob and turned it. When he opened the door, the first thing he noticed is how empty it has become since the raven haired girl's absence. Toshiro walked in and took a moment to look at scenery around him. The kotetsu (a built in heater low table)is the first thing that caught his eye.
"Shiro-chan, can you tell me how to solve this type of question again?"
Interrupted from his note studying, Hitsugaya turned his attention to the peach girl and gave her a stern look. "Oi oi, are you really listening to any of the tips I have been pointing out?"
"Yes, it's just...I need a little reminder, that's all."
"That's practically the same thing, you do know that Bed-Wetter?"
"Mou, can you stop calling me that?"
"I'll stop calling you that once you stop calling me Shiro-chan, remember?"
She let out a pout. Eventually, Toshiro let out a sigh of defeat.
"Fine, I'll show you how to do this again, bit this time, I want you to have your full attention on me. Don't get distracted, okay?"
She nodded with agreement with gave him a bright smile. "Hai!"
He then changed his focus to her bed. Once again, he recalled the times where she woke him up from his short naps.
"Hey, sorry to wake you up."
Hitsugaya opened his eyes to see the sixteen year old close to him. He gave her a stern look. "Get out of my face, Hinamori."
He grumbled a bit before slowly sitting up from bed.
"Is it already time for me to leave for work?"
Momo giggled. "No silly, you told me that you don't have work today."
Toshiro placed a hand over his mouth and let out a short yawn. "Oh...yeah, I did...Why did you wake me up?"
"Obaa-san brought us something to eat."
He then looked down to see the plate of freshly sliced watermelon in his friend's possession. He felt his mouth become watery suddenly crave for the taste of the fruit. Realizing he is about to start drooling, Hitsugaya slightly turned his head to the side and said, "Ehrm, thanks..."
She smiled. "No problem."
He moved to the edge of the bed and accepted the watermelon slice that she offered. Hinamori placed the plate on the table and picked up a slice. Together, the two friends ate.
Noticing a picture frame on his friend's small table, he walked over and picked it up. It is a photograph of the raven haired girl in her younger years and her parents (back when they were alive). He couldn't help, but crack a smile at how adorable she looked before they met.
After putting the frame down on the table, he placed his left hand into his pants pocket and took out his cell phone. He flipped the cap open and began pressing a few buttons. The LCD screen soon showed a photograph of him and his family at the amusement park they went to, hours before his life turned upside down. The painful memory lingered in his thoughts, causing him to feel a bit depressed. He missed the good old days. He closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh.
Once he reopened them, he started pressing another few buttons. The cell phone screen then showed the photograph of his friend, Hinamori, he has taken at Seireitei Park three years ago. He turned his back toward the bed and let his arms out on his sides. With the use of the Earth's gravity, he allowed his body to fall onto the comfy bed. He stared up at the white ceiling for a few moments before looking at the photograph in his cell phone once more. He then began staring at the cell phone strap that she has made for his birthday. Once again, thoughts about his new sister and crush has clouded in his mind.
"Hinamori..."
Japanese Word Translations
Onee-chan - Older Sister, Hai - Yes, Sensei - Doctor/Teacher, Arigato - Thank You, So ka - Really/Is that so, Wakarimashita - I Understand, Obaa-san - Grandmother, Iie - No, Daijobou - It's Alright
Author's Note: Though things have definitely gotten better for Toshiro, but he's still sad over the fact that Momo still hasn't woken up from a coma. Poor little guy...anyway, stay tuned for the next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.