Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Tempests of the Heart ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Title: Tempests of the Heart (6/?)
Author: blue_crystal_9
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Eventual Hitsugaya/Hinamori, Kira/Hinamori
Spoilers: Anything up to episode 62 at this point.
Warnings: Innuendo, swearing.
Summary: It is years after the betrayal of Soul Society. Hinamori's finally beginning to move on with her life, and with that comes much change. Can Hitsugaya handle these changes?
Disclaimer: I do not own Beach; Tite Kubo does. I am not making any profit from this; it is for entertainment purposes only.

 

Author's Notes: I spent my entire day lazing around; first I watched one of the Star Trek movies (the third one, “The Search for Spock”. I'm a total Star Trek/Spock fangirl, by the way), then I wrote this fic while watching a bunch of random crap on TV. It was a very lazy day. :P

 

 

 

Tempests of the Heart

Chapter Six

 

_____________________________

 

 

Hinamori rested her head against her hand, trying to breathe steadily in a desperate attempt to calm herself.

 

It wasn't working very well however.

 

She gave up, curling up in a tight ball on her bed while she choked back sobs. Her head ached, she felt like she was going to throw up and there was tightness in her chest, a breathless panic that she couldn't get rid of.

 

Another year had passed since Aizen had tried to kill her today, and she was feeling terrible. She hadn't felt this bad since the first few weeks after it had happened. It probably had something to do with the fact that she'd dreamt about him the night before, a terrible, awful, utterly realistic dream. She'd woken up with tears on her face and a lingering headache that was now bridging on a full blown migraine.

 

She'd been feeling so terrible that she hadn't gone to work; she hadn't missed a day of work in years. She'd mainly been lying desolately on her bed all day, staring at the wall and thinking about things she'd rather not think about. She'd drift in and out of sleep every once and a while, but it had not been restful and had made her even more tired. She was exhausted, she hadn't eaten, and she just wanted this day to be over.

 

There was a quiet knock on her door then, which startled her. She sat up slightly, and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Enter.” She winced at the shakiness of her voice.

 

Kira poked his head in the door, looking at her warily. “Can I come in?”

 

“Of course.”

 

He took one look at her pale face and red eyes and sighed sadly. “I can't believe I hadn't realized what today was until just now. I hadn't seen you around during work, and one of the lower seated shinigami from the fifth division mentioned you'd taken today off, and then it hit me. I've just been so busy lately that I hadn't even been paying attention to what time of year it was.”

 

“I only realized it a few days ago too, actually.” Hinamori murmured.

 

“It's weird for me to have missed it though… I mean, my captain betrayed us as well. Usually this particular day sort of looms before me, the sort of day to dread. But this year I just… forgot, almost.” He shrugged. He walked across the room then and sat on the bed beside her, giving her a concerned look. “How are you doing?”

 

“I've been better.” Hinamori gave him a watery smile.

 

Kira pulled her lightly into a hug. She rested her head against his shoulder and let out a long sigh.

 

“Would you like me to stay with you for a while? Or would you rather be alone?”

 

“I've been alone all day. I'd love some company.” Hinamori said softly.

 

“Okay.” He shifted into a more comfortable position, pulling her closer to against his side.

 

She sniffed suddenly, feeling her nose sting and her eyes fill up with tears again. She pressed her face into his shoulder, trying desperately not to cry.

 

She really, really couldn't wait for this day to be over.

 

_____________________________

 

Hitsugaya sat in the mess hall during supper, mindlessly picking at his food. He'd noticed Hinamori hadn't come to supper, and was feeling a little concerned.

 

For he was the only one, besides Hinamori, who had this day marked vividly in his internal calendar. It was the day he hadn't saved her, the day he had failed her. And every year that this day rolled around, he worried about her. He was even more worried about her than usual today, as he suspected she hadn't gone to work. That hadn't happened for years and years. But he knew that if she needed him, she would come find him. That was what she had always done.

 

But the nagging worry wouldn't stop. Perhaps he'd check on her after supper, just to make sure she was alright…

 

There was a clank of a plate on the table and he looked up to see Matsumoto pulling out the chair across from him in order to sit in.

 

“Hey taicho.” Matsumoto said through a mouthful of food.

 

He gave her a ghost of a smile in return. The slight shadows under her eyes didn't escape his notice however. This day was always hard on everyone, not just him and Hinamori.

 

“Matsumoto, do you know if Hinamori went to work today?”

 

Matsumoto stopped chewing and regarded him silently. Finally she said, “No, I don't think so. That's what Kira said anyway.”

 

Hitsugaya frowned. “Huh. I hope she hadn't been alone all day. Perhaps I should go see if-”

 

Matsumoto cut him off, avoiding his eyes. “Uh, Kira went over to see her a little while ago.”

 

“Oh?” He tried not to make his voice sound strangled, but his throat had suddenly closed up.

 

“Yeah. He told me before supper, because we were supposed to go drinking with a few other people but he said he might be late, or he might not be there at all, depending on how Hinamori was feeling.”

 

“Right.” Hitsugaya forced himself to swallow around the lump in his throat, and started eating again, ignoring the dull ache in his chest.

 

Hinamori had always gone to him when she was upset. But now, she was going to Kira.

 

The ache in his chest intensified. If that was what she wanted, if Kira was the person who gave her comfort, if that was made her happy… then that was it.

 

He was just going to have to deal with it.

 

_____________________________

 

 

She'd shooed Kira away after a while, not because she'd wanted him to go but because she didn't want him to be sitting in the dark, being angst ridden like she had all day. Besides, he had his “lets forget out sorrows” drinking binge with Matsumoto and the rest which happened every year on this day. She'd forced him out despite his protests. He'd tried to get her to come but she was in no mood for alcohol.

 

Part of the reason she was so upset was because she'd realized something today. Everyone else, even those who had been affected the most like her and Kira seemed to have almost forgotten that this day was coming. She had nearly forgotten as well, but then after it had hit her it was all she had been able to think about it. But for everyone else… they weren't as bothered by it anymore. But to her, it was still extremely painful. Although, this date had always hurt her more than the rest of soul society because of what had happened to her. The date the others seemed to remember the most was the end of the war. People still mourned fallen friends, and she did as well, but she always was more upset on this day. It felt like she was still stuck here while everyone else was finally beginning to… move on. It left her feeling unsettled, somehow.

 

She sat by the window, watching the rail in the foggy grey of the evening. The weather all day had been exactly like her mood; bleak, cold and depressing. She sighed, and leaned her head against the cool glass. She'd tried to sleep again earlier, but had been unsuccessful.

 

Hinamori suddenly saw a figure walking into the gloom. The person had their back turned away from her and was walking past the fifth division, but Hinamori could tell who it was right away. No one else had the same messy white hair as Hitsugaya. He must be heading back to the tenth division from supper.

 

Suddenly, she realized where she'd rather be right now. He had always comforted her in situations like this before, and there was no other person's presence that calmed her as much as Hitsugaya.

 

She grabbed a heavier robe to throw on over the white robes she had been wearing all day and hurriedly headed out the door.

 

_____________________________

 

 

Hitsugaya was drying his damp hair off when there was a quiet tap on the door. He opened it and blinked in surprise when he saw Hinamori.

 

She gave him a hesitant smile, “Hi.”

 

“ 'Evening. Come in.” He stepped aside so that she could enter and then he shut the door behind. He turned to look at her then, his eyes watching her intently. “Are you alright?”

 

She brushed a piece of her bangs away wearily, “No, not really. To be perfectly honest… today just sucked.”

 

His mouth quirked up a bit, but then his expression turned solemn again. “I'm not really surprised.”

 

“I know, but… today was worst than usual. I almost had a panic attack, I think.”

 

His looked concerned then. “Really?”

 

“Yeah, I couldn't breathe for a while there. Eventually I calmed down though.”

 

“What made it worst than usual?”

 

“Well, I had a dream… and it was pretty awful.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“It was just really realistic and brought back unpleasant memories and everything just sort of… piled up.” Her voice broke then, and she covered her face with her hands.

 

Hitsugaya immediately pulled her into his embrace. She pressed her face into the curve of his neck and cried. After a while, her tears slowed and she sniffed, before pulling away. “Sorry I cried all over you.”

 

“It's fine.”

 

“But I know you hate it when I cry.” She bit her lip, looking at him guiltily. There were still unshed tears in her eyes, making her eyes shimmer unnaturally.

 

He sighed, and leaned forward to wipe away a tear that had escaped and trickled down her cheek. “I'd rather you cry than let all of your emotions build up. That would be worst.”

 

“I suppose so.” She mumbled, and then sniffed again.

 

“You'll be fine.” Hitsugaya murmured, and Hinamori nodded mutely in agreement. He surprised them both by pressing a kiss to her forehead.

 

Hinamori blinked, gaping a little. “Er…”

 

Hitsugaya's cheeks looked a little pink. “Sorry. I don't know where that came from.”

 

Hinamori gave him an embarrassed little smile. “It's okay.” She stood then, her face slightly flushed. “Anyway, I think I'm going to go to bed now, so I'm going to go back to my quarters.”

 

“Okay. Make sure you eat before you do.” Hitsugaya said as she headed to the door.

 

“I will.”

 

“Well, goodnight then. I hope you're night's better than your day was.”

 

Hinamori snorted. “Me too. Goodnight.” She gave him a small smile before she left.

 

He stared at the door in bewilderment. What had just happened? Clearly, he was losing control of his emotions.

 

That was not good. Not good at all.

 

_____________________________

 

 

Hinamori headed back to her division, still slightly shocked. She couldn't believe he'd just kissed her forehead. That had been… strange, but not unpleasant. It was just that she was used to him being uncomfortable when in close proximately with someone. Usually he stiffened when she hugged him… let alone all this kissing on the forehead business.

 

The spot was still warm where he'd kissed her. She touched the spot hesitantly with her fingertips, in an almost trance-like state. A warm feeling spread through her chest, a feeling she wasn't familiar with. She didn't know what it meant.

 

She blinked, and then the moment was gone. What was she doing anyway, standing outside in the dark, acting like an idiot? She shook a head at herself and then continued walking back to the fifth division.

 

_____________________________

 

 

 

Hitsugaya had been watching them discretely for the last few minutes. It looked like they were arguing, or at least having some sort of intense discussion. He would have went on his way then, as he'd only just noticed them outside the mess hall on his way back to work after lunch. It was then that he noticed Hinamori looked upset. She wiped her eyes, and seemed to be shaking a little, perhaps from trying not to sob.

 

She was crying. Again. And it was Kira's fault.

 

Kira murmured something into her ear, and she nodded, wiping at her eyes again before walking away.

 

He waited until she was out of eyesight before walking over to Kira with barely controlled rage glinting in his cold green eyes.

 

Kira didn't even have time to speak before Hitsugaya had pinned him against the wall. “What the hell did you do to her?!” He snarled.

 

“N-nothing!” Kira sputtered.

 

“Bullshit. She was crying. What. Did. You. Do.”

 

“She wasn't crying over me!” Kira said almost exasperatedly. “It was about something else.”

 

“I don't believe you.”

 

“Ask her if you don't believe me!” Kira's voice had an undertone of aggravation now.

 

Hitsugaya stared unblinkingly into Kira's eyes for several minutes.

 

Kira broke the silence by muttering, “I don't see how this is any of your business anyway. It's between her and me, not you.”

 

Hitsugaya barely refrained from hitting him. He growled lowly before letting go of Kira's robes roughly and stalking off.

 

 

_____________________________

 

 

A few hours later, the door to his office flew open suddenly and hit the wall with a bang.

 

Hitsugaya looked up to see Hinamori glowering at him. “Is there something I can do for you, Hinamori?”

 

“Yes, there is.” She said tersely. She turned to Matsumoto, who had been watching the scene before her with wide eyes. “Rangiku, I'd like to speak to Hitsugaya-kun alone if that's alright.”

 

“Sure. Go ahead. I'll take my break now.” Matsumoto shot Hitsugaya a bewildered look then left the room, shutting the door behind her.

 

Hinamori then whipped around, increasing the intensity of her glare.

 

“Really, Hinamori. What's going on?”

 

She walked closer to his desk until she was standing right in front of it, her voice forcefully light, “Oh, I was just informed by Kira of a particular …incident that occurred between you and him this afternoon.”

 

“Oh. That.” His voice was flat.

 

“Yes, that. You attacked him, Hitsugaya-kun!” She placed her hands on her hips.

 

“Not really.”

 

“You pinned him up against a wall.”

 

“Well, he made you cry.”

 

“No, he didn't!” She snapped.

 

“Well then, why were you crying?”

 

“Because I told him about how I went to you last night for comfort, and I felt guilty because that made it look like I didn't trust him as much as I trust you. But he was perfectly nice about it all, and that made me feel even guiltier, so I -predictably- started crying.” She gave him an extremely disgruntled look.

 

His eyes narrowed. “It that all it was?”

 

“Yes.” She nearly growled. “And besides, how was it any of your business?”

 

He blinked, “Excuse me?”

 

“It wasn't any of your concern!”

 

“Jeez, why are you so cranky?” He snapped back, his tone matching hers.

 

“I'm cranky because you almost got in a fight with my boyfriend over nothing.”

 

“It wasn't nothing.” His voice was cold.

 

“Yes, it was. Why are you always like that with Kira?” She demanded.

 

“Because I don't trust him.”

 

“Well, obviously. But there's something else, isn't there?”

 

“Whatever.” He said indifferently, avoiding her question.

 

“Hitsugaya-kun! Tell me what it is!” Her voice was bordering on a yell.

 

His green eyes shot up to her face, his expression unreadable. He'd put up a wall of indifference and ice to block his emotions from showing. “Fine, Hinamori. I don't think he's good enough for you. In fact, I think he shouldn't be with you at all.”

 

Hinamori froze for a second before finally saying in disbelief, “What?!”

 

“You heard me.”

 

“How could you think that? Do you have any idea how much that hurts me? I really like Kira, Hitsugaya-kun. Maybe even more than that. And he's never been anything but sweet to me.”

 

“Well, that's your prerogative. And besides, you wanted to know.”

 

“Well, I guess I brought it upon myself then.” Her voice was sarcastic, and Hitsugaya did not reply. Instead he looked away and turned back to his paperwork.

 

The silence stretched between them until Hinamori finally spoke up, her eyes bright with anger.

 

“So, that's it then? That's all you have to say about this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You're not even going to apologize to him?” She asked incredulously.

 

Hitsugaya snorted. “Certainly not.”

 

“Fine then. From now on, I don't think you should… interfere like you did today.”

 

He looked up at her then, anger flashing in his eyes. “So, are you saying you want me to stay out of your business?”

 

“No, I'm telling you to stay out of it, Hitsugaya-taicho.” She said heatedly.

 

He simply turned back to his paperwork. “Fine.”

 

“Fine.”

 

He heard her spin around and stalk out of the room. The door slammed loudly behind her.

 

He didn't bother to look up.

 

_____________________________

 

End of chapter six.

 

Notes: I think that Hinamori would always see that day Aizen stabbed her as a sort of “dark day” (kind of like with Luke on Gilmore Girls, for anyone who watches that show), and would always dread it and feel terrible when that day came around. Which is why I figured she would be more upset about it's anniversary than Kira or Matsumoto or Hisagi. Even though they were also betrayed on that same day, I think they would move on quicker, while with Hinamori it would take more time. And Hitsugaya too would find it difficult because he would always see it as the day he failed to save her. I don't think she'll ever stop dreading it either, because with something like that you can't just “get over it”. It will always stay with her. The pain would dull, but I don't think she's ever going to forget about it. She was damaged too much by it, both physically and certainly emotionally for that to happen.

 

Well, everyone seemed to be getting rather irritated. *lol* It was probably all the drama in this chapter. :P

 

And yay, now I can watch more Star Trek. Kekeke. Wow, I'm so nerdy. :P