Toshiro's POV

"Taicho, hey taicho wake up," I heard a voice say.

"What do you want Matsumoto?"

"It's morning and I have to ask you something."

"What do you want to ask?"

"Do you want to come walk with me and Rukia?"

"Walk? Why?"

"I told one of the medics that Rukia was having trouble with walking. They said that she'd have to go through physical therapy. We're starting today, want to come?"

What, how is she that weak? I know that yesterday she couldn't walk but I thought it was just that once? I don't know why but I feel like I have to go.

"Sure," I said as I started to get up.

"Yay! Rukia-chan, my taicho's coming with us!"

"Really, thank you, both of you."

"You don't have to thank us, Rukia-chan." Matsumoto said.

We helped Kuchiki-san out of bed. Right when she got up you could see she was having just standing. Matsumoto took one of her hands. I don't know why but I took her other hand into my own. She turned over to face me. She was blushing then it was replaced by a smile.

We walked out of the 4th division and onto a path behind it. The path was next to a stream. The stream was so clear; you could see the fishes swimming in it. We were silent most of the time. It was nice and peaceful. Then the silence was broken.

Momo's POV

Oh, today's such a nice day! I slept nicely last night for once. It's been hard since Aizen-taicho… I mean Aizen betrayed us. I haven't had much work to do unlike the others. All I've really done is sleep and eat. I feel bad sometimes but I'm glad I don't have to stay up for days.

Today is my first day actually working again. All I'm doing is delivering papers. Right now I'm on my way to the 4th division. I decided I'd take the path behind it because it's always so peaceful.

Oh, my gosh, it's Shiro-chan! Wait, who's he with? I see Matsumoto-san; she's kind of hard to miss. But who's the other person? And why's he holding their hand?!

Calm down Momo, it's probably nothing.

You're probably right, Tobiume.

"Shiro-chan!" I called out. I started to run towards him. As I got closer I started to recognize the other person. Rukia Kuchiki? What, why? She's the one that was to be executed! Why's my Shiro-chan with her?!

Calm yourself, Hinamori.

I'm trying to, Tobiume! But her?

I finally reached then. I put on a fake smile.

"Morning Matsumoto-san, Kuchiki-sama." I bowed to her. I have to bow to her. I wouldn't have to if she wasn't adopted into the honorable Kuchiki Clan!

"Oh, please, you don't have to bow to me or add the Sama to the end of my name," she said with a blush on her face. What a fake!

"Shiro-chan, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"First stop calling me that! It's Hitsugaya-Taicho, TAICHO! And, yeah I am, but I'm helping Kuchiki-san with her physical therapy."

What? He never took time off for me!

"Physical therapy? What happened?" I asked. I had to strain my voice so I could sound friendly.

"Oh, it's nothing. Really, Hinamori-san, I don't want you to worry."

Worry?! For you, never! I wanted to say that so badly. "Oh, well I hope you get better soon!" I said instead.

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"Hinamori-chan shouldn't you get back to work? I don't want you getting in trouble because of us," Matsumoto-san said.

"You're right, I should. Bye Matsumoto-san, Kuchiki-san, Shiro-chan," I said as I started to leave.

"Don't call me that!" Shiro-chan yelled at me.

"Bye," Matsumoto-san and Kuchiki-san said simultaneously. Then they smiled at each other.

Toshiro's POV

Why does she keep calling me that?! It's so annoying! It's Hitsugaya-taicho, TAICHO! I worked hard for that title! I deserve to be addressed as that not that stupid nickname!

My thoughts were then interrupted by laughter. Kuchiki-san's laughter. At first I was wondering why she was laughing then I got distracted. Her laughter is so… cute.

"What's so funny Rukia-chan?!" Matsumoto asked with a smile in her face. I'm glad she's smiling again.

"'Shiro-chan', that's what's funny!"

"Hey, I didn't choose that nickname. Hinamori's always calling me that!" I said.

"Whatever, Shiro-chan," she said slyly.

"What did you just call me?!"

"I called you Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan."

"Call me that one more time and…"

"Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan!"

"Hey, stop calling me that!"

"Why, it's such a cute nickname!"

"Stop, it's not cute, it's annoying!"

"Can't stop me!" she then broke away from mine and Matsumoto's hands and started running on the path! Matsumoto gasped. Kuchiki-san then started yelling out 'Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan' over and over again.

"She has her strength back!" Matsumoto cheered.

"Shiro-chaaaaaaan! You didn't stop me! Ha-ha!"

"She's back to her old self!" Matsumoto said. She sounded so happy.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"" I asked.

"You see, I knew her since she was in the academy. She was always trying her best and was always so happy. She had so much energy and loved everyone. Everyone loved her. Then, when she was adopted into the Kuchiki clan, she changed. She was never happy and all that energy was gone. She was so sad. Then I noticed that she was always putting herself down. All her confidence was gone. This is the first time I've seen her this happy since."

"Shiro-chaaaaaaan, I'm waiting for you to try to stop me!"

"Yeah, Shiro-chan," Matsumoto started to run too.

"Hey I said stop calling me that!"

I chased after then. Matsumoto was running with Kuchiki-san, they were both laughing. I caught up to them then stepped in front of them. I crossed my arms and lifted an eyebrow at them.

"You'll have to run a lot faster than that to out run me!"

Then, all of a sudden, Kuchiki-san disappeared.

"What, where's she go?" I asked Matsumoto. Then I heard Kuchiki-san's laughter.

"Did you forget who my brother is? He's Byakuya Kuchiki; captain of 6th division and the head of the Kuchiki clan! Did you think I'd be that slow when he's that fast?"

Then I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and she was there. Then she wasn't and I felt her tap the back of my head. She continued to do this then started saying "Shiro-chan' over and over, again! Then I caught on to her pattern and if I'm right she'll be hear… now! I was right. I caught her in my arms. Her face showed that she was shocked.

"Caught you," I said to her.

"Awwwwww, you guys look soooooo cute!" Matsumoto squealed.

"Matsumoto stop it!" I yelled at her. I looked over at Kuchiki-san and she was blushing deep red.

"But taicho, it's true. It's like you guys were made for each other!"

After she said that Kuchiki-san disappeared from my arms. I looked around and saw that she was running into the woods that are by the path. As she was running I could see that she was wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh, crap, I messed up." I heard Matsumoto whisper.

"What was that? Why's she running and why's she crying?"

"Because she doesn't like it when people talk about things like that. Most of the time she puts up with it like yesterday. But I pushed it too far this time."

"Why does it bother her that much?"

"Because, the first person she ever fell in love with is dead now." That hurt me a bit. I didn't really want to hear about someone that she was in love with.

"What happened to him?"

"He was killed. Or rather, she killed him."

"What?"

Rukia's POV

Why? Why did she have to go that far? Every time someone mentions anything like that I remember Kaien. His blood on my hands, my zanpakuto going through his chest, and his limp body in my arms. It's my fault that he's dead.

What makes it worse is that I loved him. Loved him when he had a wife. I'm such a terrible person. I admired her yet I loved her husband.

I finally stopped running and sat with my back against a tree. I pulled my knees towards me and hugged them tight. I put my head on my knees and started to cry. It hurts so much. It hurts my heart to think of him. Think of all the times his wife helped me or made me feel better. It hurt to think of all the times I had wanted Kaien all for myself.

"Kuchiki-san, where are you?!" I heard Hitsugaya-taicho call out.

"Rukia-chan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to go that far!" Matsumoto yelled out.

I didn't respond to either of them. I didn't want to see anyone right now. I just need to be alone. I just can't…

Toshiro's POV

We searched and searched for her but we still couldn't find her. I was running around, searching, and Matsumoto was searching in another part of the forest.

"Kuchiki-san, where are you?!" I called out again. I tried to look for her reiatsu but I couldn't find a trace of it. She must have hidden it. Where is she?

I kept running and then I heard something. Was it, crying? Now that I'm getting closer it sounds like Kuchiki-san. I followed the muffled cries and found her sitting against a tree. She was crying. She had her knees against her chest and she looked so sad.

"Come on Kuchiki-san. Let's get you back to the 4th."

"No," she replied. I was shocked.

"What are you saying? You can't stay here!"

"It doesn't matter!" she said, more aggressively.

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter'?"

"I'm saying that it doesn't matter what happens to me!"

"Why are you saying this?!"

"Because I've done so many terrible things!"

"No…"

"Don't say I haven't. You have no idea of what I did! I killed the one person I ever loved! I loved him even when he had a wife! She would always help me while I'd be thinking about one day having him all to myself! I've done all this and you're telling me that I haven't done terrible things?"

"Kuchiki-san, you can't control what the heart wants."

"If you haven't noticed I'm dead. I don't exactly have a heart."

"Kuchiki-san, everyone will always have a heart. Sometimes your heart will want things that you can't have. It'll want things that you can't control, things that are just impossible to have. Like my heart," I admitted. She was shocked when I said this. "Just yesterday I realized what my heart had been yearning for. Then I realized how impossible it would be to have it. The heart can be cruel sometimes but we can't do anything about it."

She was looking up at me. Her eyes showed that she was confused and that she was thinking about my words. Her head then bowed slightly.

"Thank you," she said then started to cry. She looked so vulnerable, so sad. I couldn't stop myself. I got down to my knees and took her into my arms. She gasped when I did, then she placed her head on my shoulder and continued to cry. Later Matsumoto arrived. When she did I put a finger over my mouth, gesturing for her to remain quiet.

Kuchiki-san continued to cry but she eventually tiered herself out. She was asleep. I picked her up and carried her out of the woods. For a moment my hearts' yearning stopped. Its wish had been temporarily fulfilled.

Kuchiki-san, my heart's wish, the one that could never be fulfilled:

Is for you to be mine. For you to love me back.