Chapter 12

Toshiro Hitsugaya

1 year old

"Captain!" yelled Matsumoto as she busted through the front door of my house.

"What do you need Matsumoto?" I asked not moving from my position on the couch. I knew that she would be running over as soon as she could because you couldn't see the twins from where she was standing at the front door. As I predicted she walked further into the house and stood in front of the couch.

"Which color do you like captain?" she asked as she dangled several pieces of colored fabric squares in front of my face.

"Why is this important?" I asked pushing her hands out of my face.

"That part is a surprise but I need to know your opinion." She replied as she put the pieces of fabric in front of my face. I grabbed the one in her left hand. It was a sea green color close to the color of the scarf that I always wear.

"If you insist on my choosing then I pick this one." I said to her.

"Okay and now these." She said as she switched hands revealing another handful of colored fabrics. I took one from her hand and held up it to show my choice.

"Thank for you cooperation captain." She said as she pushed the fabric pieces into her pockets before she continued to talk. I wasn't listening to what she was saying because I honestly had no interest in hearing whatever it was she was talking about. I just sat there on the couch and watched her talk, waving one of the pieces of fabric in her hand as she did so.

The color might have been what caught their attention or maybe it was the way the fabric was fluttering through the air as she talked; whatever it was she had the full attention of everyone in the room including the twins (which is something that not many people can do).

Toshi's loud squeal of delight is what caught my attention. I looked over to see her bouncing in place on the floor and pointing up at Matsumoto. Katsu was standing next to her looking up towards Matsumoto as well.

The sight of him on his feet wasn't something to get excited about, they could both stand on their own but neither of they was able to move from a stationary position without falling on their faces and hurting themselves. When he took the first stop I felt my heart clenched up in my chest; I just knew that he was going to fall before he could firmly plant his foot but he didn't. He took one steady step and then another and another. He kept going until he was standing directly in front of Matsumoto reaching up for the strip of fabric that was in her hand.

I could feel myself smiling but no one else said a word. Matsumoto, Karin and I all sat quietly waiting for someone else to say something.

"Did he just…." Matsumoto's voice trailed off.

"He did." Karin said. I could see her from where I was sitting but I could tell by her voice that she was struggling to hold in her bubbling excitement.

"He just walked!" Matsumoto screamed.

Katsu blinked once before falling back on his butt right in front of her. Another thing Katsu doesn't like is loud noises and Matsumoto was far from quiet. Matsumoto sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and watched as tears welled up in his eyes.

"No Katsu, I'm sorry. Please don't cry." She begged in a soft voice as she got down on the floor in front of him. Her begging proved futile because it was far past too late. He might not make a sound normally but his cry was something to be fearful of, and when he cried Toshi cried. It never failed.

"shh, please don't cry Katsu I'm sorry." Matsumoto said as she scooped him from the floor and held him in her arms. I stood from the couch and went over to Toshi who was sitting on the floor crying loudly for no reason at all.

It took a lot of begging, two cookies, and a cup of juice before Katsu forgave Matsumoto and stopped crying. He leaned his head against her shoulder as she ran her hand over his head and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

Matsumoto left after placing Katsu down in his crib after she fed him and he fell asleep in her arms. Toshi wasn't as easy to put to sleep as her brother. She fought until the very last second to stay awake. After rocking her for an hour she was finally asleep and I put her own crib.

"I can't believe he walked." Karin said as she leaned over the side of Katsu's crib to make sure he was still sleeping soundly.

"Yeah, I thought that Toshi would have been the first." I said.

"Well he probably won't do it again because he got the life scared out of him today." I said as I followed behind her as she headed for the door.

"Maybe, but you never know." She replied optimistically.

"You really think so." I said.

"I'm sure of it; he's fully of surprises. Just like his father." She said as she glanced back at me and flashed the smile that I love to see.