Spoilers again...tread with caution.

It was no secret that Hitsugaya despised Aizen Sousuke and Kaname Tousen for what they had done to Soul Society; he had made his opinion known countless times, whenever someone had the audacity to bring it up.

It was a bit strange, however, that he barely ever mentioned Ichimaru Gin when vocalizing his hatred...and whenever he did, it was with decidedly less venom than when he mentioned the other two.

Most of the other shinigami hypothesized that it had something to do with the fact that his vice-captain had been childhood friends with the Third Division captain. Everyone knew that Hitsugaya cared about Matsumoto, even though he barely ever showed it, and so that was the most popular theory.

And indeed, that was a part of it.

But it was a bit more complicated than that.

The reason Hitsugaya didn't feel the same animosity toward Gin as he had toward his two accomplices (although Aizen had obviously been the ringleader) was because of a singular incident.

Ichimaru Gin, for all his faults, understood.

It had been a while back, but the boy captain remembered it clearly. He had been walking with Matsumoto toward the First Division's headquarters to deliver some paperwork when they had chanced upon Ichimaru.

He and Matsumoto had conversed a bit, mostly about nothing, and that seemed to be the end of it. Matsumoto continued on, but Hitsugaya stopped and turned back over his shoulder, catching an odd expression on the man's face.

Ichimaru turned as well, and for once that grin, that annoying grin, was gone. He was frowning, and his eyes were actually visible. There was a somber look in those eyes, and it made Hitsugaya frown in confusion.

"...Hey, 'Gaya," Ichimaru said, and for once the pet name didn't rile the white-haired boy.

"What is it, Ichimaru?"

"I know me 'n Rangiku-chan ain't 'zactly...close no more. So...if somethin' ever happens...you take care 'o her, huh? She's m' best friend, ya know...'n if somethin' ever happens t' me...well, I jus' wanna know she's safe. I wanna know she'll have somebody...'f I ever end up gone."

His usually ridiculous drawl was soft, contemplative, and sad. Hitsugaya hadn't thought anything of it at the time; he'd just thought that it was a friend feeling apprehensive because he was in a line of work that constantly put him in danger.

But that wasn't it.

He'd known. The plan had already been set in motion, and Ichimaru had been making sure that Matsumoto would have a shoulder to support her when he ripped the rug out from under her feet.

And months later, when he was lying facedown on a floor made slick with ice and blood, both his own, knowing for certain that he was going to die, he was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it...the deceptively chipper captain became serious again.

"...Stay alive, Hitsugaya-taichou," he said, and they were the clearest words Hitsugaya had ever heard. "Stay alive, because she's gonna need you...now more 'n ever. She ain't ever goan f'give me this...but she'll have you...so stay alive."

And, against all odds, he had.

He'd survived, he'd persevered, he'd trained and fought and scrambled his way into top form, making absolutely certain that he was as strong as he could possibly be.

So that he could stay alive.

He owed it to his vice-captain, because even though he never said it he loved her and she was now his only true friend, the only one who really understood him.

And he owed it to Gin...because even though he had betrayed Soul Society, even though he was a backstabbing bastard...

...He had the decency to feel bad about it.

And that was more than he could say about the other two backstabbing bastards.

So he never mentioned Ichimaru whenever the subject was brought up, because he didn't deserve to be lumped together with Aizen and Tousen. He was better than they.

Not by much...but better.

He had cared about his friend, even as he turned his back on her. He had regretted hurting her, even as he did it. He had ensured that she would live, even as he prepared to kill her.

Ichimaru probably expected Hitsugaya to kill him, eventually, and Hitsugaya was prepared now to do it.

And he would do it quickly, cleanly, without much pain.

Because Ichimaru Gin was better than his accomplices.

Ichimaru Gin understood.

I've always thought that Gin was...creepy, and maybe that was part of the reason I liked him initially. His manner of speaking, which is usually casual to the point of silliness but sometimes (when he uses Shinsou's shikai) is downright demonic...I love him. I always like interesting villains, and Gin was most decidedly a villain from the very beginning. And that constant smile...yeesh. Evil. Sadistic. Downright awesome.

I also have much more sympathy for him than for Aizen or Tousen, because he didn't fight Matsumoto when she stood up to him. Something about that just...appealed to me. So, inevitably, that sympathy turned into this. Somehow I doubt Hitsugaya would actually feel this way about Ichimaru, but...I like it anyway. It's an interesting idea to me.