#hitsuhina day

[el-yon]

Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love

Hamlet

[ashenswanart]

[alexiethymia]

hitsuhina and choice

I mean I love all iterations of hitsuhina and any version of them and their backstory, but the fact that Hitsugaya and Hinamori didn’t actually live together gets me y’know? (despite that many people thought the same, like me too and I always loved reading fics with that premise).

Because the fact that they didn’t actually live together (in fact they weren’t even neighbors, Kubo just says they lived in the same neighborhood) just hammers down Hitsugaya's strong regard for her. Because sure you could always argue that Hitsugaya was protective over her because they lived together (I mean I’m pretty sure many people characterized their relationship as familial because of that), and yeah I could totally get behind that, but knowing that they didn’t actually live together shows that of all the kids in their neighborhood, it was Hinamori who he grew his bond with to the point that he was ready to murder for her. It’s such an intense emotional tie to a childhood friend (*cough like Gin with Rangiku*) that I always wondered what could have led to it.

And I think a lot of it has to do with choice. Like Hinamori was popular. Hinamori was well-liked. Hinamori already had friends in their neighborhood. Hinamori didn’t have to be friends with the ‘cold’ kid that everyone - children and adults alike - were wary of. But she still did. She still laughed and smiled at him, hung out with him and ate watermelons with him, kept on visiting him even when her other friends were scared of him. And from Hitsugaya’s pov, she didn’t have to. She wasn’t family like his Granny. And it wasn’t as if he was alone either precisely because he had his Granny. In those early days he must’ve been confused why this sunny and warm girl would choose him. And this is way before he eventually becomes a powerful and well-liked captain, way before he was a prodigy, way before he was discovered to have strong reiatsu. He must have kept wondering why this girl kept on choosing him when he felt like he had nothing to offer her back and when it might have been detrimental to her to keep on hanging out with him because of the chance that she could have been isolated as well, like what was in it for her?

And this goes into the core of why I love Hinamori so much, of this little thing being an integral part of her character where we see snippets of it in the manga (like with Byakuya, Zaraki and to an extent Gin) that she never really judges people by their looks, that she’s open and accepting. Even when people were generally creeped out by Gin, she was only on her guard when Hitsugaya warned her about him. Sure it could be seen to be a weakness, but for something I’m sure she thought nothing of, I’m sure it meant a whole lot to Hitsugaya, enough that he considered her laughter like a spring breeze. Like honestly, I could believe how that ended in Hitsugaya becoming so intense about her and becoming incoherent with rage with what Aizen did.

Because that something that she ended up beating herself up about in the aftermath of Aizen - her trusting and accepting nature which I’m sure she thought was a weakness that she had to change, that nature of hers which was trampled upon and taken advantage of by Aizen and Gin - it was that very same nature which in Hitsugaya’s view probably saved him from his loneliness. He couldn’t stomach how that very same thing which made Momo who she was, the very same nature of hers which saved him, was so carelessly used to hurt her. Like, how dare they? Even worse, how dare they make Momo doubt herself? It was no wonder then that he couldn’t even hope to control or bottle up his unstable emotions threatening to overflow until they eventually did, with disastrous consequences.

In the same way Momo chose him so long ago, he continues and always chooses her, time and time again. Even when her attention was drawn away, even when her bright smile was no longer solely his, he never begrudged her. Time and again, he continued to prove that he’d always choose her - her safety, her well-being, her happiness - always choosing to protect her, even sometimes above and beyond Soul Society.

It’s all about the choice.

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

congratulations on another year of writing :)))) <3

for the fic requests, Hitsuhina first date! (yes I still remember when you teased that one snippet of Toushiro going to meet Momo for dinner and Rangiku finding out haha) it can be awkard it can be spectuacular it can go horribly wrong, i want to see your take on them navigating through a change in relationship :)

What if it Was?

Rating: K/General with mild themes

Setting: sometime after the 10 year timeskip. I personally see this happening when they’re in their early young adult years, but please feel free to imagine this happening whenever you want.

Synopsis: Toshiro and Momo go on their first date, but Toshiro isn’t sure how first dates are supposed to go, or if this even a date at all.

AN: I’m starting the year off with a VERY overdue request.

 @canariie, you’ve got me! I’ve been dancing around this one for years, but now I have no choice but to release it! XD

I’m joking, but in all seriousness, this one has been collecting dust in my WIP folder for a few years now. I always got stuck on it in one way or another. This fic originally came about as a sequel to In Times of Peace (which I think is the first fic I wrote for you, ironically), but morphed into something else.This one does get angsty and a tad bit melodramatic – it’s me we’re talking about - but I promise it has fluffy moments.

Just three quick notes:

The research I did into this one was based on searching online and remembering old conversation I had with a friend who went to Japan. A shokudo is a casual restaurant that offers a variety of dishes, including curry, rice and noodle dishes, even sushi.

The mural in this piece is inspired by this one.

I wrote this fics with several songs in the background. Feel free to listen to them as you read: going home and compassion by Shiro Sagisu, The Bygone Days by Joe Hisaishi, and State Lines by Novo Amor

Anyhow, enough rambling, hope you enjoy it!

____________________________________

“Hey, Captain, when can I get my magazines back?”

Toshiro neatens the paperwork before putting it on top of the ‘completed’ stack. Without looking Rangiku’s way, he replies, “When you stop relying on those horoscopes to predict the future.”

The lieutenant slams her hands down on her desk, almost shooting up to stand. “But they’re so accurate! Besides, it’s a fun to learn about the World of Living and how they…” She trails off when the captain stands and starts wrapping a scarf around his neck. “Wait, are you going out?”

“Yes.”

“But I was going to go drinking with Kira and Hisagi! Captain, you can’t leave me with all of this!” She thrust one hand out towards the stack of incomplete paperwork, and the other to the much smaller completed pile.

“You went out drinking last night!” he retorts. “You can’t leave this office until you complete all of this, some of it is overdue now.”

Rangiku falls back into her seat with an exasperated sigh. “I know, but it’s no fun.”

“Since when was it supposed to be fun?”

“Well, you seem to like doing it.”

“Where did you get that idea from?!”

The lieutenant pouts and leans forward, resting her elbows along the desk. “Why are you going out? You rarely go out on a work night.”

Toshiro continues to wrap the scarf around his neck, considering his words. He can already predict her reaction if he tells the truth, but telling her a lie feels wrong. “I’m going out to dinner in the Junrinan.”

Rangiku raises a brow. “By yourself?” Then after a beat she smiles. “Or is it with your Granny? Taking her out for a treat?”

“No.” He breathes in deeply as he shrugs off his haori, preparing for her reaction. “It’s with Hinamori.”

And sure enough, the lieutenant gapes at him, hands slamming down on the desk again to push herself up and out of her chair. A vein threatens to throb in his temple when her paperwork stack wobbles, but thankfully doesn’t topple.

This goes completely unnoticed by Rangiku as she rounds the desk, barraging him with questions. “Where? When? How?! How did you ask her out? Or did she ask you out?! Oh my gosh, why didn’t she tell me?! She was updating me two days ago with Women’s Association business, why didn’t she tell me then?! Please don’t tell me you-”

“Enough, Matsumoto!”

She quietens, widened eyes blinking. Toshiro lays his folded up haori on his desk, ready for him tomorrow morning. “She just said she wanted to go eat dinner somewhere in Junrinan,” he clarifies. “This isn’t a…date.” He barely gets the last word out.

Rangiku taps a finger against her chin. “You’re going to a restaurant in the Junrinan for dinner?”

“Yes.”

“Is anyone else going with either of you?”

“No.”

“So, it’s just the two of you then?”

“…Yes.”

She grins. “Sounds like a date to me.”

Faint pink colors Toshiro’s cheeks. “Whatever, I’m going!”

Rangiku scoffs. “You know, if I had my magazine I could use a horoscope to predict how you’re date will go tonight. Last I check for your sign it was-”

“I don’t want to know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going.” He stabs a finger towards her paperwork as he strides to the office door. “Those had better be done by tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, they will be! You go and enjoy yourself, Captain! Good luck!”

This is one of the few times Rangiku looks happy to be doing paperwork, but Toshiro can’t stay to absorb this strange moment; he’d be two minutes late if he didn’t hurry. He hastily leaves his division, acknowledging but not stopping when any of his subordinates greet him.

Stepping out into the dusk, the cold air picks up, bringing grey clouds over the Seireitei. He adjusts his scarf, bringing it higher over his face as the temperature plunges. Winter had just begun, and he senses the snow is on its way, likely to fall sometime tonight.

Nearing the White Road gate, a sense of unease bubbles up in him. What if this was a date? It couldn’t be. Momo didn’t see him that way, he knows. She sees him as a close friend to him, had told him as such not too long ago.

She just wants to properly catch up. In the years following the Quincy war and reconstruction of the Soul Society, they chatted when they could, even had the occasional lunch breaks together, but work always took precedence in both of their lives; or at least, in his life. Momo has more friendships, more people to spend time with. He’d seen her with the Women’s Association members at various shops and resturants, and Izuru and Renji – who sometimes brought Ichika along when he couldn’t find someone to mind her when she was a baby and child – sharing a tea or meal after a lieutenant’s meeting on a veranda of one of their divisions. She’d also gotten more World of the Living missions, sometimes simply as an excuse to visit the Visoreds with Shinji. They were long overdue to spend time together outside of work.

Coming through the gate, he already gets stares from the small crowds of Souls and off duty Shinigami that crowd the Junrinan. It’s for that reason he chose to leave his haori behind – he already attracts enough attention with his appearance outside of the Seireitei, and he didn’t want preferential treatment based on his rank.

He heads straight for their old meeting place: the alleyway between the stall that sold spinning-tops and a garment shop Momo used to always look into but never buy anything from.

He glances around for Jidanbo, but frowns when he doesn’t see him anywhere. Must be having the night off, he thinks. It’s been a while since he last saw him too. He makes a mental note to visit him sometime this week on his break – maybe he could fit in a visit to Granny too.

“Hitsugaya-kun!”

He swivels his head in the direction of Momo’s voice. She calls out for him again, and he spots her emerging from the alleyway. He weaves his way through the crowds to her, not once losing sight of her.

As he nears, his eyes widen a fraction at the scarf around her neck. It was a birthday present from him and Rangiku, but it’d been over a decade since he last saw her wear it at a formal dinner for then-Captain General Yammato. Made from red and orange silk and patterned with the branches and flowers of peach blossoms, it was one of the most expensive gifts he’d ever gotten her. Why would she wear something like this to a dinner? Where is she taking him? Should he have dressed up more? Maybe he should have worn his haori after all.

“How long have you been waiting for?” he asks, his neutral tone at complete odds with the nervousness thrumming through him.

“Not long.” She points to a large building down the street, bustling with customers inside and outside. “That’s it right there.”

He blinks when he spots one of the red lanterns swaying in a breeze. A shokudo? He calms a fraction; it’s more casual than he thought. “Well, let’s get inside if we can, it’s freezing out.”

Momo lets out an bemused snort. “You’re cold, Hitsugaya-kun?”

He’d normally correct her for not addressing him by his title, but they’re off duty, he’ll let it slide for tonight. “I’m not the one with a fire-type zanpakuto that’s sensitive to the cold.”

She giggles, holding the end of her scarf. “I’m okay, I made sure to wear extra layers.”

As they start towards the restaurant, Toshiro asks, “Why this one?”

“I’ve been meaning come here for a while,” Momo says. “Apparently the owner used to be a Shinigami but after he retired, he decided to open a shokudo inspired by the different types of restaurants in the World of the Living he went to while stationed there. I’m curious about the food, it’s supposed be different in taste and the types of dishes they offer compared to others in the area.”

Toshiro raises a brow. He was actually referring to her scarf, but let's it go. “He had time to go do that while on missions?”

“Well, you apparently have time go for walks when you’re on missions. We all have our ways of winding down or keeping ourselves occupied during missions.”

Fair point, he concedes inwardly. “And how did you find out about this place?”

“It was recommended to me by my third and fourth seats. Apparently a lot of people have already been to it, it’s quite popular.” She gestures to all the patrons, her smile tightening. “Hopefully we can get a table.”

He hums in agreement. If either of them had come dressed in their full uniforms, there would no doubt be a fuss made over them. They’d be offered private tables away from the noise, or ones with the best view if they were outside. Some places even offered discounts or meals on the house. He appreciates the generosity, but he also considered it making a scene. He’s glad Momo is of the same mind, never flaunting her status for benefits.

He receives a few looks as they walk between the outdoor tables. He recognizes some faces from Junrinan, children he had known on his street now grown up. Momo waves to one group of them, and they smile and nod back to both of them in response. The way he is treated now compared to then is almost night and day. Although some continue to stare, there’s a respect from some Souls that wasn’t present when he was a child.

Once inside, they’re shown to a table along the wall, right beneath a painted mural.

“What drinks would you like to start off with?” the waiter asks.

“Water,” Toshiro requests.

“And yuzu juice for me, please.”

After the waiter leaves, Momo glances around the restaurant. “Are you okay with this? It’s not too noisy?”

“It’s fine.” Toshiro peruses the long menu list. “How big is their kitchen? How can they serve so many dishes?”

Momo’s smile relaxes, the nerves seeming to dissipate. “You can see why it’s popular, huh?”

Toshiro lifts his gaze from the menu. There’s only two free tables inside, and the others are mostly occupied by…couples. Couples laughing and giggling and smiling and holding hands and talking like they’re married and one going in for a shy kiss on the cheek.

He quickly darts his head down. Considering or even noticing such things would be the furthest thing from his mind normally, but he’s potentially on a date – with Momo. Maybe he should have gotten Rangiku more involved in this. She’d know what to do and what not to do…or maybe not.

Toshiro snaps out of his thoughts when the waiter comes back with their drinks.

“And are you ready to order?” the waiter asks.

Momo looks questioningly to Toshiro. “I’m ready.”

Toshiro picks the first thing he sees. “I’ll get a the teishoku with yakizakana and tamagoyaki.”

“And can I please have a serving of takoyaki and the katsudon curry dish?” Momo requests.

The waiter nods. “I can bring the takoyaki over in a few minutes. The other dishes will come after.”

Momo thanks him as he leaves.

“I thought we could share some takoyaki, if you want,” she says to Toshiro. “I’m happy to eat them all, though.”

Toshiro shrugs. “I’ll eat a few.”

He’s surprised by the silence that comes. He’s used to having quiet moments with Momo, when neither feels the need to say anything and they just enjoy each other’s company. The awkwardness that settles between them is unexpected, like something from when they were first getting to know each other as children. Was it just him? Was it because this could be a date and he had no clue what to talk about?

“This mural is really nice,” Momo suddenly says.

Toshiro looks at the painting. It’s bold black lines depict a scene of four Souls travelling through a hilly valley. Two of them carry baskets on their backs filled with wood and fruits, while another Soul strolls ahead carrying various kitchenware, and the last Soul is far away and waving back at his companions. The valley’s flora is detailed and elegant, while the Souls are more flat and seem out of place. The only patches of color come from the sakura trees on both side of the valley’s winding path, the petals either swaying on the branches or falling across the scene.

“I wonder what it’s about?” Momo says after a sip of juice. “Maybe it has something to do with the restaurant if one of them is carrying a pot?”

“Could be. You could ask someone who works here.”

Something softens in her gaze as it flickers back down to the table. “I might…”

“You should.” There was his problem. He couldn’t think creatively like her, or find a way to carry this conversation. He’s never been ashamed of this nor has it ever been an issue for him, but somehow he feels inadequate now. He clears his throat. “How has your day been?”

Before she can answer, the takoyaki arrives. After thanking the waiter, Momo pushes the dish towards him. “Have a few.”

“Thank you,” he says while taking two.

She makes a satisfied sound after biting into one. “These are good!”

He only nods as he munches on his. After her second one and taking another sip of juice, her head piques up with a nervous laugh. “You asked me about my day, sorry. It was busy, but productive.”

“No surprise there.”

She frowns and her lips are on verge of a pout. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re always busy, and you work hard, so it’s productive.” He’s surprised by his compliment and how easily it fell from his lips. He stops eating, gauging her reaction as she too seems as astonished as him.

A blush colors the tops of her cheeks. “Captain Hirako worked hard too.”

Toshiro bites back on the comment he wants to make about Shinji’s work ethic, afraid he might say something else without realizing.

“We finished up our schedules for the new recruits ahead of time,” she continues, “so we’re prepared for when they start.”

“That won’t be for another two months.”

“It helps to be prepared! With that out of the way, we’re now focusing on setting up training  exercises.” She takes a long sip of her juice, but then hums. “Actually, now that I remember, we were wondering if Tenth Division would like to join in one of those exercises.”

“What would the core lesson be?”

“It’ll be up to you and Captain Hirako to negotiate. I could arrange a meeting with you, me, my Captain, and Rangiku-san if you’re interested.”

“I doubt we’ll have time in the next month.”

“That’s okay. We have three months planned starting tomorrow.”

“In that case, I’ll have Matsumoto tell you our schedules at the next lieutenant’s meeting.”

“Great!” Her smile turns rueful. “Ah, sorry, I feel like I’ve been speaking for too long. What about you? How was your day?”

“The same as any other. We only came back from the mission in the World of the Living two weeks ago.”

“How did it go? It sounded like a difficult.”

“It wasn’t that hard, it went smoothly. The Hollows were eliminated and we reported our findings to Hueco Mundo. They’ll take it from there.”

“It’s incredible that we’re able to work with them this well now.”

He hums in agreement, ignoring the thought of his fight with Hueco Mundo’s queen all those years ago. “The last thing to do is the reports. Matsumoto is finishing them up.”

“I see.” At the quiet that followed, her smile wobbles. “I, uh…I guess we work a lot, huh?”

“Yes, we do. Our duties as Shinigami never end.”

“Mhm.”

Silence falls again. He internally lectures himself, annoyed that he’s gotten so serious in what was supposed to be a light-hearted atmosphere. For a moment, he’d though this like their usual chats, discussing their latest work and setting up training exercises.

He almost lets out a relieved breath when the main dishes arrive. Momo barely draws her gaze away from the food to thank the waiter for the meal along with Toshiro.

“These look amazing!” she half exclaims after the waiter leaves.

The tension dissipates Toshiro’s lips twitch up into a smile at seeing Momo’s glee. He didn’t see what the fuss was about, but he did have to admit they were decorative compared to other dishes in other restaurants. She still hasn’t started after he “Food is meant for eating, Hinamori, not staring at.”

She ignores him as she digs a hand into her sleeves and retrieves her denreishinki. “I have to take a picture.”

He’s lifting his miso soup when she gives him a look. “What?”

“I want to take a picture of yours too.”

He indulges her, putting the soup back down and watches as she leans over the table to snap a photo. Satisfied, she nods at him and he starts gulping down the soup.

After putting her denreishinki away, Momo makes an appreciative sound after eating a katsu cutlet. “This tastes really good!”

“Glad you like it.”

The silence falls between them again. They can use the excuse that they’re busy eating, but it feels wrong to him. Had they gotten more comfortable discussing work than their personal lives? There was a time where it was the opposite, and chatting about everything outside of work took up most of their conversations. When had that changed? Why had it changed?

So, with the nerves threatening to creep in again, he says, “It’s not everything.”

Momo blinks, halfway through eating another cutlet. “Hm?”

“Work, it’s not everything. What books are you reading right now?”

Momo’s brows rise, nearly touching her hairline, and she almost forgets to eat the rest of cutlet.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing, it’s just you’ve never asked me that before.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” He cringes inwardly at how petulant he sounds.

She giggles, raising a hand to her mouth, and he hates the small, pleasant flutter that goes through his chest.

“Of course,” she says, grinning. “I’ve been reading a drama series called the Crimson Chrysanthemum saga. It’s about three warring clans, and each book is about the generations of families fighting each other.”

“Sounds like something you’d read.”

“How so?”

“You’ve always been into things with high stakes and high emotions.”

“It doesn’t just have that! It has such interesting dynamics between the characters! It’s not just all of them proclaiming their feelings aloud, you can really sense how the history of the previous books has affected these characters. There’s so many moments where things have gone unsaid, but you can just sense how a character feels towards another through their actions! For instance, there’s a character who doesn’t speak, but you know every time he looks at another character or fights that characters brother he’s not just trying to protect his own honor, but the other character’s honor too! Some characters try to make peace with themselves and with their enemies, and others have become so blinded by the codes their families have set them down a path to continue the violence.” At his widened eyes, Momo shrinks back into her seat. “S-Sorry, I got carried away there.”

He lets out an amused huff and smirks. “No, it’s fine.”

“You think I’m silly, don’t you?”

“Not right now.”

She considers arguing back as he eats his miso soup, but settles on an angry pout.

 “You haven’t talked about a book like this in a long time,” he says. “It’s good to see.”

That calms her slightly, but a furrow remains in her brow. “I don’t really get a chance to talk about what I’m reading with a lot of people. It’s mostly with Ise-san and Kira-kun.” She cocks her head to the side. “You know, it’s a little surprising you’re not much a reader.”

He raises a brow. “How so?”

“It feels like something you’d be interested in.” He senses there’s more she wants to say, but she eats another cutlet before continuing. “I know just the sort of books you’d like, too. There’s a few mystery novels, ones that are hard to figure out but make total sense once you’ve finished them.”

“And why would I like those?”

“Because you like solving mysteries. Even when we were children, you’d get suspicious of something that seemed unusual or out of place and want to know everything about it.” Her eyes brighten. “Like that time when you were hearing noises at night time, do you remember?”

He frowns as he tries to recall. It’s vague, but then an image of Granny staring grimly at a turned over basket of spilled out peaches across the ground, muttering that someone had stolen some of the fruit. He’d woken to noises three nights in a row, but it wasn’t until the fourth time when they had been robbed that he decided to take it seriously. “That was when you were applying for Academy.”

“Yes! You went looking around for clues. You even asked me and my friend if we’d heard anything.  At some point, you found the animal tracks near your house. ”

He’s surprised she remembers everything in that much detail. Had she been watching on from the sidelines during that whole ordeal? “It was a stray dog.”

“Haruka-san ended up adopting her, right?”

He nods. “I think she named her Aki --”

“Because spring was a few weeks away,” Momo finishes with a grin. “I’ll never forget the look on her face when you brought the dog back to the Junrinan. You didn’t want to Aki be out in the forest because it was cold.”

He shrugs. “It’s good she found an owner. Besides, she was a good work dog, it would’ve been a shame to let her fend for herself when she could help someone in the Junrinan.”

Momo’s grin softens into a smile, one that makes his heart skip a beat and almost choke on the fillet he chews up. “It was kind of you,” she says. “And it’s not the only time you did something like that. You’ve always been kind. I wish more people saw it back then.”

He’s rendered speechless, only able to watch as Momo continues eating. He tries to do the same, but he eats slower and stares hard into the table. Where was all of this coming from?

“I wasn’t,” he eventually says. “I was a brat, really.”

“Well, yes, but not all the time. You always treated Obaa-san with kindness, at least.”

“I wouldn’t dare treat her any other way.” He eats the last fillet before speaking again. “On the books…If you have recommendations, then I’ll read them.”

“You would?”

“You’re an avid reader, I trust your judgement.”

“I’ll give my copies some time then! We can discuss them after you’re done, I’d be keen to hear what you think of them.” After he nods, she continues, “On the topic of hobbies, have you been doing any ice sculptures lately? I know you usually like to restart your Seireitei Communications column in winter.”

“It’s the best conditions for sculpting.”

“That makes sense.”

He goes on to tell her about the projects he’s working on while she eats the curry and the rest of the cutlets. As always, she’s genuinely interested, and that somehow makes him want to speak more at length about his interests, from the tools he’ll be using to the inspiration behind it. Only she does this for him, and both does and doesn’t want her to know what effect she has on him.

He gets back to eating once he finishes and she explains the new ikebana classes she’s attending. He doesn’t miss the brief sadness in her eyes as she reflects on how hard it was to get the classes up and running again after the loss of Unohana, but she brightens up again when praising Isane for her efforts to find new students and become the class’s new teacher.

Little by little, the awkwardness slipped away, and in it’s place is a bubble that envelopes them. It makes the restaurant blur away in the background, but also enhances the lights and colors that surround them, and his sense of smell is enhances to capture all the delicious scents and aromas coming from the kitchen. It’s like nothing he’s experienced before, and he nearly smiles from how pleasant it is. A world of their own, almost.

It’s only briefly interrupted when the waiter comes by to collect their empty dishes and glasses. Toshiro beats her to the counter to pay, but Momo still insists on a split bill. Not wanting to cause a fuss in front of the other patrons, Toshiro somewhat reluctantly agrees.

They step back out into the streets. It's now night and the snowfall has begun. The Souls who had acknowledged them had either left or are too busy amongst themselves to see the two of them leave.

Wordlessly, they walk through the Junrinan with no destination in particular. Toshiro watches their breaths fog in the air, floating away from each of their lips, carried by the wind, and fading a short distance away. Snow falls gently around them, and save for the shafts of moonlight peaking through the clouds and the soft glow coming from the windows of houses, it’s complete darkness all around them.

He thinks to ask Momo if she had anything else planned for them, but then she may want to part ways and break the invisible bubble around them. He wants to keep walking with her just like this, warmed by her presence and surrounded by his element.

He can make out the pink in her cheeks, it complements the reds and oranges in her scarf. She smiles to herself, content with how this evening has gone. But what was this evening? She invites him out to dinner tonight, yet he can’t tell what the nature of it is.

“Do you remember the day we met?” she suddenly asks without looking at him.

“Of course,” he replies.

“For some reason, the snow is reminding me of when we first met. It's hard to believe that was almost a hundred years year ago.” And she doesn’t have to say the rest, because it’s written all over her face when she glances at him. I’m glad we met back then.

This weather is familiar to him, he knows its rhythms and patterns, even when it was unpredictable to others. He wishes he can say the same for Souls, especially her. He’s known her for most of his life, but she continues to surprise him; just when he thinks he knows her completely, she proves him wrong.

He’s at his limit.

They’ve ended up at the edge of the forest and several meters away from the back of a row of houses. Nerves thrum through him as he comes to a stop after. She makes a quiet, surprised sound and turns to him. “Is something wrong?”

No matter how much he breathes, he can’t calm his racing heart. “Hinamori…”

His tone pops the bubble around them, and the gentle wind that blows through is colder than before. Momo waits, but the longer he remains silently, the more fidgety she becomes. She adjusts her scarf, shifts her weight from one foot to another, and takes in a breath that lifts and lowers her shoulders. Does she know what’s coming? Can she sense his apprehension?

If he says something, what will happen? She might be shocked, caught completely off guard by the very idea this evening was something more than two friends catching up. She may even laugh, wondering how he came such an odd conclusion. Either way, he needs to put his mind at ease.

“This wasn’t a date, was it?”

She frowns, a bemused grin twitching at the corners of her lips. “Shiro…” She trails off when she takes a step closer. She must see his genuine confusion because her expression falls, unsure of herself. She purses her lips, gaze briefly falling to the ground. “What if it was?”

The world stills around him. “…It can’t be.”

She fumbles over words. “I’m sorry, I thought – I assumed you…I was silly, I should have said earlier what I thought this was.”

 “That’s not it. ”

She takes another step. “Then…what do you mean?”

“You…You can’t have…” He doesn’t know if he can continue, hoping but also dreading that the implication will be clear to her.

A part of him is tempted to let out a bitter laugh, but it never reaches his throat. Even after all this time – even after forgiving him for what happened in the Fake Karakura Town, regardless of her belief an apology was never needed – he still thinks he’s unworthy of any feelings from her. He had been prepared when he visited her after her recovery to be told she couldn’t be his friend anymore, but a part of him hoped; and deep down, a part of him knew she would forgive, that’s just the kind of person she was. Her bond mattered as much to her as it did to him, to the point where it had been used against them to irreparably change it forever.

Aizen had intended the change to end in the death of one or both of them, but in the end all it did was make Toshiro realise his feelings had changed for her over the years. They burrowed deeper into his heart, to the point where seeing her in pain brought him to ruin, to the point he was willing to abandon everything he’d built for himself over the years to protect her and her pride.

“Shiro-chan, please. I don’t understand.”

“How can you…f-feel for me that way? After everything that happened, you shouldn’t.”

A pang runs through his chest at the hurt that briefly flashes through her expression. Then, something flickers in her eyes, a realization. She sighs quietly, nearly exasperated. “I’ve said it before, but everything that happened was his fault, not yours. Never yours.”

He knows this to be true deep down, but it feels like a smaller part of him always lie in wait, ready to catch him at his most vulnerable and remind him of what he did, screaming at him that it was his fault.

She takes another step. “I haven’t let it stop me from moving on, f-from…from realizing my feelings. I don’t exactly know what I feel for you, but –” Her gaze is soft and vulnerable and pleading, wanting him to truly understand. “I know it’s something more than I’ve ever felt for you in the past. I know it’s more than as a friend.”

He lets out a shuddering breath. He should be overjoyed. This should be one of the happiest moments of his life. Momo doesn’t see him as a close friend, she feels more for him, just as he feels for her. So why is he confused? Why does his heart tremble with doubt?

No, there’s something more going on here, beyond the few fragments of guilt buried in his mind and if he faces it, he doesn’t know how he’ll react in front of her.

At his lack of a response, a small, sad smile shapes Momo’s lips. She comes closer. “I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you before what this was. Somehow, I thought…” She scoffs at herself. “I thought you would know, but that was presumptuous of me. I don’t know why I…” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter now. I-I’ve said what I…” She stops in front of him. “Maybe I’ve said too much. Maybe you can’t see me the same anymore. Even so, only you can choose how you feel, and I’ll accept whatever it is.”

She says it as a reassurance, but there’s also a wobbly undertone, one of putting themself out for potential heartbreak.

“Hinamori, I…” He trails off as his throat constricts.

The snow dances around them, with not a single flake somehow touching her. Was it his own doing without realising? A silly thought, but one that he finds himself latching on to after such a proclamation from her.

If only she knew how wrong she was to think he would reject her. She deserves to know just how much she means to him, how much he come to love her, but he can’t get a single word past his trembling lips.

All this time, he had convinced himself she couldn’t feel the same way as he does. He believed he would harbor unrequited feelings for her, perhaps for as long as he lived, and he’d watch her find someone else. Someone who was as good, extroverted, and normal as she is. Someone who she could always smile and laugh with, who had no ties to the heartache she went through, and who would never let her feel the chill of winter. Someone she could grow old with without the knowledge of his shortened lifespan and maybe even have children with if they so desired.

She can't possibly want to be with him like that.

“Shiro-chan?”

His mouth and throat are dry and Momo is holding his upper arms, alarmed. Had he been hyperventilating or just breathing through his mouth?

“Y-You’ve gone pale," she stammers out.

He can only shake his head, trying to gain his bearings.

Her worry turns to pain. “What have I done?” Her hands fall limply to her sides. A shudder runs through him at seeing her impending heartbreak. “I’m so sorry, if I had known this would distress you, I never would've done this. I should never have said anything. I shouldn’t have --"

“No!” he exclaims as his own hands grab hold of her arms.

It startles her, and a tear slips from one of her widened eyes. “Wha…?”

“It’s not like that, stop.” He relaxes his grip on her, but doesn’t let go. He won’t make her cry, his doubts and fears be damned. Something roars to life within him, like a fire setting wood ablaze. It gives him an ounce of courage to finally speak his mind.

“It’s not what you think. When I wasn’t sure if this was a date or not, it’s only because I didn’t think you could…could --” He swallows thickly and bows his head. “-- that you could feel that way for me. Why do you feel that way towards me? I don’t understand.”

She lets out a quivering breath and sound. They’re both still for a beat, with only the wind tussling their hairs and clothes. Then, her arms jolt with a weak chuckle. He blinks, and raises his gaze, bewildered by the half smile she gives him.

She shakes her head disbelief. “You’ve always been like this.”

“What?”

“I wish you weren’t sometimes,” she continues on as if he hadn’t spoken, her gaze softening. “You see the good in others, but never in yourself.” Her voices wavers, on the verge of crying. “I wish you could see your value to those around you. I know you take a lot of pride in being a captain and in your work, but I wish it were the same in yourself. You’ve meant so much to me and many others, but I know that’s something only you can figure out.”

She raises her hands to claps his arms as another tear falls, this time for a completely different reason. “I don’t know entirely why my feelings for you changed, but I can think of a few reasons. I have always admired your work ethic, even if you work too hard sometimes. I know why you do though, because you deeply care for your division and want the best for everyone there.”

“And you you're kindness is something i have always liked about you. It's not often straight forward, it always takes on different forms, but I've seen it since we were younger. You've always been kind, whether it was finding a home for Aki, or protecting those who can't fight for themselves, or believing in me when I was at my lowest. To be on the receiving end of such kindness is a beautiful thing. You've been hurt so many times, but that kindness has never left you despite it all.

"You're strong, Hitsugaya-kun, you always have been."

Toshiro’s eyes burn with the threat of tears, but he holds them back. Trust her to say such things so openly, to show affection for him he never gave himself. Maybe, if lets her words in, deep enough o reach his core, he can start to believe her. That's for another day.

In the meantime, in a rare moment of physical affection, he gingerly holds the side of her head and brushes the trail of her tear away with his thumb. They can only stare at each other, registering a new emotion racing through them. One much like the bubble that had enveloped them earlier in the evening, warm and making a whole world for them.

He can feel for her without the pain of it. In a way, he's free.

It’s all so much, but also so simple. They feel the same about each other. They liked each other, more than friends.

Eventually, Momo ducks her head with a bemused huff. “This isn’t how I imagined this night going at all.”

Toshiro can’t help but let out a half-hearted snort. “Me neither.”

There’s something about the admission that makes a chuckle bubble up in his throat. He tries to suppress it, but when he senses Momo is trying to do the same, it falls from his lips. It’s a nervous and relieving one. Maybe the emotions had overwhelmed them, made them go mad, or maybe it was from how much both had worried about this night.

Eventually, they calm down. Momo smiles at him, but before he can do the same, she pulls him into a gentle hug. He’s slow to wrap his own arms around her, overwhelmed by how different this gesture now feels.

“Let’s take this slow,” she suggests. “One step at a time.”

“Yes,” he says as he pulls away. “I think that’d be best.”

The blush in her cheeks deepens. “I guess things will be different from now on, huh?”

“They don’t have to be.”

Her smile widens. “No, I guess not, but some things will be.” She looks back to the Junrinan. It's much later, and less lights are on. “We should head back.”

Without a second thought, he takes her hand. “I’ll walk you back.”

She blinks down at their joined hands. “Shiro-chan!”

“What?”

“Since when do you…?” She giggles. “That’s so unlike you.”

Heat rises up in his cheeks; even he can’t believe his own actions. He pulls his hand away. “It’s as you said, some things will be different from now on.”

She gasps and quickly snatches his hand back. “I didn’t realise it would be such a dramatic change!”

He only grumbles and tugs on her hand, signalling for them to get going. He tenses seeing a few souls still wondering the streets of the Junrinan, but relaxes a fraction when neither he or Momo recognise them. It dawns on him then something else they should discuss. “I may have a request.”

“What is it?”

His lips form a tight line before he speaks. “If we do go ahead with… this –” he raises their joined hands “— and we are going to take things slow, I don’t want Matsumoto to know just yet.”

Momo nods. “I was thinking the same.”

That surprises him.

“Why are you so shock?” she says. “I think we should see how this goes first before anyone knows, not just Rangiku-san.”

“Huh…I always thought you couldn’t wait to tell people when you were in a…a…” How can he not say it? He was in a relationship with Momo. The thought only made his blush brighter. Why was this making him even more flustered?

“A relationship?” Momo finishes with a knowing smirk.

He half-heartedly glares at her, which only makes her snort softly. “It’s good we’re going slow, it might take you a while to get used to saying that.”

He’s tempted to call her out at the way her smile wobbles from embarrassment and her blush spreads to the rest of her face.

“A-Anyway, I’m not like that," she continues. "I want to keep this quiet until we’re both ready to tell everyone. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” She shrugs. “How that looks in our day-to-day, I’m not sure.”

“We’ll discuss that tomorrow.”

She blinks at him.

“If you’re free after the day is done, I could come visit you.”

She grins. “Really? You usually work back.”

“Well, as you’ve pointed out, I could probably not stand to do that as much. We can meet at one of the joint training grounds after six pm.”

She bites her lip, clearly trying not to laugh again. “I’ll look forward to it then.”

Her smile in warm and wide, and he can't help but give a small one back in return as they walk back to the Seireitei.

Maybe one day they can look back on this and laugh – though he can only ever see himself cringing at his obliviousness. For now, he basks in the warmth of her hand and her presence, and in the nervous but hopeful jitters that rush through him at the unknown future with her.

[writerswhy]

When I have too much on my mind I start making lists to help me sort it all out. It also serves as a reminder as I have the attention span of a goldfish and the patience of a squirrel: 

Kaname. I think he’s a very important character, especially once you start thinking about the Seireitei, captainhood, and the nature of justice. (I’m rereading Frankenstein and I can’t stop thinking about him. Like, he’s the Seireitei’s monster, and he’s his sword’s [and Kakyō‘s soul] Frankenstein. Also Les Misérables.)

Anon asks! I’m so sorry, I will try to get to them as soon as possible.

There’s an entire section in the Poetics of Space dedicated to poems about forests and I’m thinking of Hinamori here, always: 

“Silently the birds Fly through us. O, I, who long to grow,  I look outside myself, and the tree inside me grows.  This is a tree always destined for grandeur, and, in fact, it propagates this destiny by magnifying everything that surrounds it.”

The nature of zanpaktou and its relationship with the soul, inspired by Jeff Wall’s “Photography and Liquid Intellegence”: 

“I think this is because the mechanical character of the action of opening and closing the shutter—the substratum of instantaneity which persists in all photography—is the concrete opposite kind of movement from, for example, the flow of a liquid.” 

Mmm, maybe it fits kidou more, now that I’m thinking about it.

Soul Society headcanons on time and existing and death and dying. I don’t think it’s canon and this may go against the overall theme, but I like this idea of failing to accommodate for death/spaces left by loss and what that looks like. From shoving ghosts who will reincarnate in a day with those who take decades to do so, to grieving the “wrong” way (like Orihime who thought she was mourning her brother the “right” way - by moving on - only to have that result in her brother’s hollowfication).

Vaguely related, but this GIF set of one of my favorite ships from Until Dawn sparked a little Hitsuhina interest. Like, maybe it’s best to not know everything and experience everything with a person, no matter how much you love them. I’m sure Hinamori would rather enjoy a nice meal with Hitsugaya than fight alongside him or I don’t know, train with the purpose of becoming a captain as well (which I think Hinamori would very much not like or enjoy. That’s not where her ambition lies imo).

Bleach’s orbital laser - the hogyoku! I’m really excited about this one :)

I want to rewrite this post. Maybe break it up into parts.

Aizen and Hinamori. I have a lot of thoughts on these two and they’re the reason my interest in Bleach never truly went away. I already stated that Hinamori saw in Aizen what she was looking for outside Seireitei’s framework as the wonder started fading not just as a captain but as a man, and given she quotes him from time to time post-TYBW (quotes that openly question the order of things), I think Hinamori had an inkling of Aizen’s opinion on SS.

In @sillier-things’s Becoming (one of favorite fics of all time <33), Hinamori says his title rather than his name when they’re together and I love it <33 Love the desecration of his title in the captain quarters.

Also, I don’t know why this stuck with me but it briefly came up during a convo with @graphesthesia (hey friend~) that Aizen never creates his own kidou like Hinamori. I know it’s most likely because he doesn’t need to, but I like to think it’s indicative of his modus operandi to dominate (kinda like the Seireitei). In my very delusional opinion, I see Hinamori as thesis and Aizen as antithesis. In this essay I will - 🧍‍♀️💥🚗

[canariie]

For your reblogs milestone requests (congratulations!!) If this pings you, I'd love to see Hitsugaya + Hinamori + CAMPING. Good trip, bad trip, planned, unplanned, business, pleasure... Any kind of camping and any kind of tone!

how to start a fire

Rating: K+

“Hinamori, you’re imagining things—go to sleep.”

“I am not,” she hissed, with a little more bite than intended. She was still bitter about their squabble. “I know there’s something out there.” She turned to her backpack, fumbling around in the dark as she searched for the flashlight. “Did you read the information pack that Hisagi-san had sent? Apparently, this used to be a habitat for bears.”

“Yes, and I read the amended version Ise-fuukutaicho sent—the local bear population has become endangered. The only thing we’re in danger of is losing our sleep,” he grumbled.

…

Momo is sent to train Toushiro in the World of the Living in combination kido.

Word Count: 3670 words

Setting: after the Bleach Anniversary Hell Chapter

Prompt: @hitsuhina-week Gift Exchange 2023 for @whipplefilter

"maybe we didn't argue, but we don't agree"/ "Hitsugaya asks Hinamori to teach him her kidou-weaving"/"HitsuHina from unexpected/outside POVs"

Authour’s Note: This is SO LATE IN ALL THE SENSES. Firstly, because Whipple sent this request in like, summer. And then I was matched with them for the Gift Exchange which I thought I could make! but holidays! & falling sick! (are we really ever as productive as we would like over the holidays??)

(Thank you @rays-of-fire-and-ice for being understanding!)

When I saw the prompts that Whipple sent, I immediately thought of their initial fic request & thought it was such a perfect thing to combine! Unfortunately, I couldn't get in the Hitsuhina from an outside POV but maybe one day in the future!

I had a lot of fun trying to flesh this out and was really happy to go back to writing after so long! However, I believe much like the rest of the fandom, life is going to get busy in the coming months for me and I won't be as active in writing as I would like to :( I hope to still participate in events but it does really inspire me reading everyone's work when I come back to try to write on my own!!

Happy New Year everyone! Here's hoping 2024 is one with happiness and laughter and fun for everyone!!

I hope you all enjoy this!

---

Momo dropped her duffel bag and began to rummage around it, pushing overnight clothes and toiletries aside. “Here’s a clearing: we can proceed here.”

Toushiro looked around skeptically, noting the abandoned fire pits and wooden pavilions in the distance. “Won’t we be disturbing the humans?”

“Soutaicho had reserved the whole camping ground area while the Twelfth Division set up a barrier that would send any human that would walk towards the training facilities, confused but turned around.” She swallowed the gikon pill, feeling her human body leave her as if she were shedding a coat off.

The tenth captain raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t the Kido Corps have facilitated that?”

Momo shrugged, though she admitted she wondered about the ethics of the research division sometimes. “All the training leaders were assured that they wouldn’t be harmed. Nanao-san also reiterated that each cell would be allocated a parcel of the forest—so we don’t have to worry about anyone else while we train.”

With the new frontier of Hell on the line, the Gotei 13 were implementing new training tactics to prepare for the unknown battle. Each division had received a list of candidates for leaders of the cell groups—specific internal training groups to provide targeted instruction on skills soldiers may find lacking. Momo had been selected from the Fifth Division to lead high level kido proficiency, specifically on combination spells. The leaders ranged in rank, from captains to lieutenants and even high ranked seated officers. She had heard later from Matsumoto, Ikkaku had been selected to lead swordsmanship skills, Isane for healing during combat, a fourth seat in the eighth division for defensive spells among many. The cell groups would then be volunteers from across the Gotei 13 that would train with the leaders in World of the Living on a reserved human camping site.

Momo had been flattered (even when her captain had bemoaned jokingly why he hadn’t been picked) but was also left feeling disconcerted at the letter.

A few weeks ago, there was an expedition team sent out earlier to understand the spells and mechanisms that opened Hell’s Doors as well as scope its initial terrain. The list was short and concise with only a few captains and lieutenants selected. Renjii & Rukia were on the list as they had already prior experience in the hellscape. Momo had been keen to go, as she heard her name was nominated by Rukia to help with kido to break down the entrance. However, the day before the mission, her name was taken off the list with a curt note saying that her kido services would no longer be required. During the prior lieutenant’s meeting Renjii looked at her with a regretful glance, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically and she later received an apology Hell Butterfly from the Thirteen Captain before the expedition team left.

Momo had walked back to the Fifth Division in a daze, feeling a bit bereft at the sudden change in plans. The shock must have been evident on her face as her captain immediately took one look at her before bringing her to the couch and placing a warm cup of tea in her hands.

“Hitsugaya-taicho seems to have requested you for your first training session.”

“Why?” Momo asked. She had been reviewing the list of volunteers who wanted to train with her and was surprised at the number of people. If she were to spend time with each one, she would have to remain in the World of the Living for at least a month.

However, she had not seen Toushiro’s name on her initial list—much less expected him to volunteer. The tenth captain was quick on his feet in battle and she never assumed his skills were lacking.

Hirako-taicho shrugged. “Maybe he wants a brush up as well? I know he had gone on the Hell Expedition Team & him and the little Kuchiki realized there was some reworking off spells to be done.”

That got Momo to pause as she was sorting through the files. It had been a couple of weeks since the team had returned from Hell. “Hitsugaya-taicho had joined the expedition?” As far as she knew, he was never a candidate for the expedition, and he hadn’t mentioned anything like that to her.

Her captain stilled, his eyes avoiding her questioning look. “I believe he was the last-minute change…”

“Hirako-taicho—why did Hitsugaya-kun go on the expedition?”

He sighed in quiet exasperation. “I heard from Abarai that Hitsugaya-taicho requested you off the mission,” he said reluctantly. “And when there was no other candidate to go, he volunteered himself.”

“And why would he do that?” she asked quietly, still processing what she had heard.

Hirako shook his head, his bangs falling away from his eyes. “He never brought it up at the captain’s meeting. He went directly to the Soutaicho & the expedition team.”

The news sat with Momo as she prepared her training plan and packed her bags to go the World of the Living. The unease festered inside of her, leaving her with feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. She found herself unable to sleep well and only when she stepped onto the campgrounds and breathed in the fresh air, could she feel the tension loosening in her shoulder.

Momo had an earlier departure time and was preparing the grounds when the Tenth Captain dropped in, much later in the evening when the sky was hedging into dusk. It had been the first time they had seen each other in a long while, and Momo was still feeling unsettled—so introductions were short, and she immediately led him to the training area where she was now beginning a demonstration. If the boy noticed anything unusual, he made no comment and followed suit.

Momo slipped into teaching mode, something she had learned while part-timing at the academy to help compartmentalize her life as a lecturer separate from a lieutenant.

“We’ll start off with one of my prior combination spells in battle: from during the Winter War era when Rangiku-san and I had to fight the three arrancars.” She avoided looking at Toushiro for she knew much after the fact that he hadn’t approved of her coming onto the battlefield—which apparently, things still hadn’t changed between them. “Let me show you first.”

The girl lifted her hands in front of her, demonstrating as she spoke. “The strength of the spell also comes from the foundation of the pose. I know after we graduate and go into battle, it’s very easy to skip this step as we’ve become comfortable with the incantations.” She moved her hands as if they were framing a triangle. “However, as we introduce combination spells, I find that there’s strength in using combative stances with defensive spells and vice versa.”

Her student nodded along, with a furrow in his eyebrows that Momo knew he was mentally taking notes.

“It started off with Hadou 12 Fuishibi: I had used it as a defensive base before obscuring it with a concealment spell.”

“That was Kyokou, right?” Toushiro piped in.

She nodded in affirmation. “Yes—that was the key to catching the arrancar off. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to blindside them in the initial attack.”

Toushiro’s eyebrow raised slowly, almost as if he were impressed if Momo had to guess. “That’s quite commendable that you were able to weave that many kidou together—especially for your first time.”

Momo had to stop herself from reacting openly to that. She hadn’t remembered telling him that it was her first attempt, a decision crossed in between luck and adrenaline. However, she had a lot to prove—and evidently, there were still people that doubted her.

“However, the key is finding the right igniting spell: Shakaho is a common one and it doesn’t matter how proficient you are in kidou—it’ll still give you the right amount of power you need.”

She beckoned with her head, her arms still held in front of her in stance. “You can follow me for now and then we can try separately on our own, Hitsugaya-taicho.”

When he mirrored suit, she started reciting the incantations—pausing in between lines to explain the steps.

“You start trying to imagine a series of lines, crossing each other. Imagine the intersection and focus on that. Personally, for me, it helps to visualize the centers becoming brighter to build a stronger net.”

“Like Bakudo #4, Hainawa?”

Momo winced, sensing the kidou web pull away from her. “Not really. It’s the foundation—it’s not the main goal. You’re setting up trajectory for the blast to follow.”

“Is it necessary to recite the full spell?”

“Sort of—I find it helpful to not focus fully on the incantation but instead what it represents. Breaks down the rigidity of the tradition and make it more malleable in combining different spells.”

“How do you control the scale of the net?”

“It’s all in the visualization—you need to imagine it,” she responded quickly as she felt herself faltering. The net grew dimmer and wilted, like a flower causing Momo to repeat the previous line again. She wasn’t used to being interrupted so often.

“When do you switch hand positions?”

“Hold on Hitsugaya—”, Momo could feel the net pull away from her like a storm wind catching hold of a kite. She proceeded forward and, in her haste, she skipped two lines ahead in the incantation.   

The effects were immediate with the strings of the net burning brighter and brighter. Momo faltered, immediately stopping the incantation but it was too late. The net hummed in power before it exploded, sending sparks back at the shinigami & the wooden structures.

Momo could only watch as Toushiro immediately called a cool wind forth to snuff out the embers, leaving just a sizzling trail of smoke as the remains of the misspell.

“I think we better call it for the night,” he said with a measured tone, evaluating the scene.

The slip back into their gigai was so quiet and routine that even the shift of corporeal bodies couldn’t cut the thick tension between the two. The moon was hanging high & alone by the time they had returned silently back to their campsite.

Momo immediately started collecting broken branches and twigs to start the fire. She kept her head down, repeating the recent events in her head over and over. Even though Toushiro had been peppering her with questions, she knew she was accustomed to that from teaching new recruits—and inwardly Momo knew that it was her earlier feelings towards the young captain that made her mess up the incantation. There was a strong part of her that was ashamed for getting her emotions get in the way of teaching—something she had promised herself she would learn to keep professional and private matters separate.

Momo sighed deeply, walking back to their clearing, and dumping the wood into the firepit. As she rearranged the pieces into a tented position, she could feel Toushiro’s eyes on her—much like earlier, observing quietly and learning.

“It’s to help structure the flame,” she explained quietly. Momo pulled some newspapers she had brought with her and began shredding them over the pit.

“How do you know how to do this?”

“Hirako-taicho and I went on camping trips as a way to get to know each other when we first started working together. The other Vizards would also join us as well.”

Toushiro rolled his eyes. “It still amazes me how he can circumvent rules to do it.” It was an offhand comment, nothing out of the ordinary for the young captain. However, at that moment it deeply grated at her nerves, and it struck raw.

Momo snapped a branch in her hand. “Hirako-taicho completes his work as necessary. He also doesn’t cross the line—unlike you Hitsugaya-taicho.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Hinamori?”

“You pulled rank and took me off the Hell expedition,” she said curtly, yanking out the matchstick box from her pocket and snapping the match strong against the box.

There was a pause where Momo could only hear the friction of the match. “You’re not ready,” Toushiro said carefully, as if he were approaching a skittish creature. “There are far too many unknowns, and the risk is too great.”

“You had no business deciding to do so.” The match didn’t catch, and Momo cursed under her breath as she flicked it to the ground. She pulled another one out and began again.

“Other lieutenants were pulled off as well, it came down to essential personnel only.”

“No, Hitsugaya-taicho, you are a captain of the Tenth Division and were overstepping your bounds. Kuchiki-san had requested me on that mission for my skills and you decided to pull me off.”

The match ignited brightly in her hands. Momo dropped it into the pile of wood where it immediately spurred into large flames. She looked up to see the fire reflecting in his turquoise eyes, resolute.

“If I had to do it again, I would,” he said solemnly, holding his ground across the fire from her.

“Well that’s the difference between us, Hitsugaya-taicho—I would be honest with someone if I didn’t think they were good enough.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he sighed.

Momo straightened her shoulders back and stared firmly back at him through the flames. “I am a lieutenant of the Fifth Division, I have earned my way to serve the Gotei 13—whether you like it or not.”  

--

Dinner was a quiet tense affair with the two of them eating their packed meals quite far and separated from each other. Momo had already started to feel awful from such negative feelings, but on principle she held her ground, quickly scarfing down her onigiri.

They had changed in silence to their sleeping clothes, each taking turns to watch shift before tucking into their respective sleeping bags across the fire pit. In the absence of a “good night,” Momo felt remorse, and found herself consciously holding back from asking if Toushiro was awake.

When they were younger, they’d climb up onto the thatched roofs to stargaze during the night. The hay would itch at bare skin and it would always take the two of them a while to get settled, but when they had found their spots, it was like the world quieted again and they lost themselves in counting the constellations. Sometimes she would speak and Toushiro would respond, in either one sentence responses or noises of affirmation—but always honest. And when it became too quiet to speak, the two would just lie in silence. It was those peaceful moments that would ground Momo whenever she was away studying in the academy; where it felt like possibilities were endless, but home was right behind her, keeping her grounded and safe.

But that felt like a different lifetime with too much death in between to tie them to the same life.

A loud rustle startled Momo from her stupor.

She pushed herself up off the ground. “Did you hear that?”

There was another sound, a creak.

“Hitsugaya-kun,” Momo called out, a twinge of fear creeping into her voice.

“I’m trying to sleep,” he groused.

She persisted, sitting up and listening carefully. The fire crackled and hissed, and Momo strained to hear through the crackle of the fire. Internally she felt at lost without being able to detect the rieatsu of whatever was out there.

“Hinamori, you’re imagining things—go to sleep.”

“I am not,” she hissed, with a little more bite than intended. She was still bitter about their squabble. “I know there’s something out there.” She turned to her backpack, fumbling around in the dark as she searched for the flashlight. “Did you read the information pack that Hisagi-san had sent? Apparently, this used to be a habitat for bears.”

“Yes, and I read the amended version Ise-fuukutaicho sent—the local bear population has become endangered. The only thing we’re in danger of is losing our sleep,” he grumbled.

“I forgot how grumpy you get when you don’t get your sleep,” Momo murmured.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

A rustle was heard and Toushiro shot up, his eyes much alert. “I think there’s something approaching.”

Momo fought the urge to roll her eyes as she fished out the flashlight. “That’s what I was saying.”

A twig broke and immediately Toushiro slipped a gikon pill in, his human body falling back onto the sleeping bag.

“I’m not going to use Hyourinmaru—the weather changes will alert the humans nearby.”

Momo rustled through her duffle bag, pulling things out rapidly. “I can’t find my gikon pills—I must have left them at the training site.”

Toushiro stepped in front of her sleeping bag, his stance defensive as he mimicked Momo’s earlier pose from the training session. “I’ll handle it. I’ll use the kido weaving to stop whatever it is in its tracks.”

That got Momo to pause. “Wait, Hitsugaya-kun—I’m not sure if you’re ready.”

He started to chant, slow and steady as the noise picked up. Momo could only focus on her heart racing that she almost missed the slip of incantation: Toushiro had skipped a line—a very crucial line.

“Hitsugaya-kun—you forgot—”

The threads burned amber, casting a bright glow against the surrounding boundary of trees before they began to constrict against themselves. The woven net grew and expanded, closing in around the two of them instead of pushing outward. Toushiro realizing his error, quickly turned around and crouched over Momo as the net imploded into great sparks, rivaling a fireworks show.

The rustling noise got louder and two of them could only look up as the bush rumbled and rustled—before a bunny slipped out. It stared comically at the two of them, cocking its head to the side before hoping through the campgrounds as the two childhood friends watched.

A bubble of laughter escaped from Momo’s mouth which earned her an exasperated look from her friend above her. Toushiro’s hair was mussed with grey soot streaking the spiky edges; he looked like the human confection of a burnt marshmallow—which made Momo laugh even harder.

“This isn’t funny,” he grumbled, swiping away at his face with soot coming off.

“It kind of is,” she continued to laugh. “I’m sure when you get back into your gigai, it’ll go away.”

Whatever previous tension that was there before, disappeared and now there was a lightness as the two young shinigami cleaned up the area. The campfire that had been blazing strong before had calmed down to a dying ember, its small spark still burning bright against the night.

Momo cleared her throat, sheepishly looking down. “Would you mind if we pull these closer?” she gestured towards the distanced sleeping bags.

Toushiro shook his head. “No, not at all.”

After rearranging the bags, the two settled in quietly, lying on their backs and looking up at the stars. Momo sighed in content, feeling a lot more at peace than before but still wanted to clear the air about one more thing.

“Hitsugaya-kun,” she whispered.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you today.”

There was a long pause and she had wondered if he had heard her. “I deserved it. I apologize for not being transparent with you.”

Momo raised an eyebrow. “The great Hitsugaya-taicho is apologizing to me?”

“Oh, shut it.” Even though it was dark, she could hear the eyeroll in his voice. “And I’ve done it before,” he added softly.

“I know.” Momo remembered it well, especially after the Winter War. “But those for things that were out of your control. This is for something you deliberately did.”

The young girl heard him sigh deeply. “It’s something I’m working on,” he conceded.

“Rangiku-san put you up to it?”

“Something like that…” he drifted off.

“Well…” Momo tucked the blanket around her tighter her shoulders. “Thank you.”

When he didn’t say anything back, she continued on, speaking softly. “You need to trust me—I understand you’re worried, but you can’t go around making decisions on my behalf without talking to me.” She turned onto her side and faced him. “I can take care of myself, Hitsugaya-kun.”

He sighed. “I know you can—I don’t doubt it at all.”

“Then what makes this different?” Momo whispered.

Toushiro was silent for a while before turning to her. “It’s what we don’t know—everything we’ve been taught feels…upended.” He grimaced & even in the dark she could see the storm brewing in his eyes. “Ukitake-taicho, the Soutaicho…they’re all there now. It feels like the rules have changed and things are out of control.”

Momo smiled sympathetically before reaching a hand across, and gently placing it on his shoulder. “I know. I’m scared too. I’m scared for everyone at the Fifth, for Hirako-taicho, Rangiku-san.” She paused and stared into his eyes. “I’m also scared for you.”

His eyes widened slowly. “Hinamori…”

“But I won’t let that stop me from wanting to protect everyone—to protect you.” She squeezed his shoulder. “That’s why I became a shinigami, right?”

Momo could sense his inner storm abating and smiled in relief. “So—trust me, okay? Like I trust you to stay safe.”

He sighed deeply and stared back at her. “Okay—I will try.”

She chuckled quietly. “That’s all I ask.”

Momo let her hand fall in the space between them. “Now let’s go to sleep. We still have to finish training tomorrow. I can’t send you back not knowing how to do one combination spell.”

“This will definitely be an experience I will never forget,” he said softly.

She smiled, her eyes already closing shut. “Good night, Hitsugaya-kun.”

Sometime during the night, Momo felt her hand being pulled, and held tight. That even if they drifted in dreams under the stars, she was grounded and safe, held tight to home.

---

Authour's Note: Again, this happens late at night because I am a sucker for late night conversations. I had a lot of fun trying to write Momo's teaching methods for the kido (as if I know anything lol) I also just love that something doesn't go splendidly well for Toushiro (though I wish there were more people to witness it hahahaha)

Until next time everyone :)

[hitsuhina-week]

Thank you!!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Hitsuhina Week 2023! If you haven't already, please check out the entries for this year:

Day 1: Academy Days / Fireworks

To Shine Brightly by @rays-of-fire-and-ice Academy Days by @roguedarthskywalker Fireworks by @roguedarthskywalker illumination by @alexiethymia

Day 2: Sunset / Homecoming

Sunset/ Homecoming by @roguedarthskywalker

Day 3: Shinigami / AU

AU by @roguedarthskywalker

Day 4: Back to back / I'm sorry

I'm Sorry by @roguedarthskywalker The Downpour by @rays-of-fire-and-ice

Day 5: I could go anywhere with you / Night

Reverse the Bone Part I & II by @bleachbleachbleach Night by @roguedarthskywalker

Day 6: Something beautiful / Waves

Something Beautiful by @roguedarthskywalker On the Shoreline by @rays-of-fire-and-ice

Day 7: Future / Fairy tales

Future by @roguedarthskywalker something blue by @canariie

A special shout out to @roguedarthskywalker for creating something for every day of the event, it's quite the achievement!

If I missed any submissions, please let me know ASAP so I can include them here. Otherwise, keep an eye out towards the end of the year, I'm hoping to host a gift exchange in November/December. If you have any ideas for future events, don't be shy and sent them in!

Thanks again everyone! :D

[bleachbleachbleach]

REVERSE THE BONE - PART 1

Timeline: less than 49 days after the Thousand-Year Blood War Characters: Hinamori (POV), Hitsugaya; 89 of the Gotei’s finest Word Count: 11, 800 (Part 1 of 2) // ~31k total

Summary:

A certain degree of lunacy is expected of all officers in the Gotei 13, and rumor has it Captain Hitsugaya has finally grown into his. At least, that’s the only explanation for why he’s agreed to take the East Rukongai Trash Job. ...Officially it’s called the East Rukongai Train Job. But Hinamori’s not buying it, and she is going to get to the bottom of this. Two tickets to ride on the East Rukongai Soul Train, packed to the brim with the Seireitei’s old and broken things—and a secret (or two) that is not listed on the manifest. AKA what passes for Rukongai pleasure tourism. AKA how to survive the war after the war. AKA the things you fall in love with won't be what you think.

[Read on AO3]

Written for @hitsuhina-week July 2023 | DAY 5: "I could go anywhere with you"!

NB: Please know that two versions ago, this fic was titled 'Hinamori had never seen such a mess.' While the statement is still true, Thomas the Tank Engine did not vibematch the story Hinamori ended up telling, so I had to change it. I am devastated by this.

PLEASE enjoy the train ticket. After the Atrocieties of an earlier version of this fic I was like, "Well, I can't not write it. I made tickets!" and that is essentially why I kept trying to write this fic. I love the tickets.

[summercreolefanfictioner]

so I wrote a random hitsuhina prompt (and idk if I will continue it)

the story goes like this:

They were just reminiscing about the past, how they ended up being this way, from Hinamori's naivety and solid devotion towards Aizen, Toshiro's insecurity over the fact that he wasn't strong enough to protect her, up to the day they were able to move past everything and forgive each other. They knew the past had to remain a chapter in their lives, something that served a valuable lesson.

Yeah, that was just it. Nothing more, nothing less... or so Momo tells herself as Toshiro kisses her deeply, bringing her inside his quarters and slowly undressing her kimono.

They were attending a festival, and Momo was enthralled by the fireworks and everything. Afterward, she and Toshiro decided to sit somewhere and enjoy the view because this kind of peace rarely comes by, so they must always take advantage of it. And during their walk back, they reminisced the happy memories before Aizen betrayed them, the ones Momo and Toshiro happily treasured. Looking back from there, she also remembered telling him her true feelings.

And no, there was no influence of alcohol or whatsoever. She straight up just told him the words she had been wanting to say ever since she realized everything on her own.

"I... I really like you, Shiro-chan."

That was it. The next thing, he was holding her hand all night and they both seemed to agree in silence that they wanted to be with each other for longer. So before Momo could go, Toshiro instantly swept her in his arms, sliding the door from his quarters open as they entered with him locking it.

"Momo," he whispered her name, and his adult voice has never been this warm and needy. "Momo."

He was desperate as if he had waited for her this whole time. Of course, who wouldn't? Toshiro's main goal was to protect Momo ever since and with everything that has happened, he couldn't just reveal his feelings for her in his emotional state. That would ruin everything he worked hard for.

That's why, despite his selfish desire, he was gentle, taking everything slow because he didn't want to hurt her. After all, that's what Toshiro signed up for. He would never do anything against her will and he would do anything just to make her smile.

And one by one, all their clothes fell on the floor. There was nothing hindering both of them, skin to skin and flesh to flesh colliding and melting until there was nothing but soft sighs and passion and romance. And every single time, Toshiro would kiss her lips, savoring her taste because he still believes this couldn't be real. But Momo calling out his name, "Toshiro," has never been hotter than before.

This is real, he told himself.

"T-Toshiro," she moaned, holding onto him as he thrusted deeper.

They made love to each other a few times more after that, then they succumbed to sleep. Their naked bodies covered with the sheets, Momo's head snuggled in his chest as he embraced her tight.

They wished this moment would last longer.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The day after was a freaking bitch because when Toshiro woke up, Momo wasn't there anymore, saved by the hairclip she uses for her low bun. He sighed, wondering why she would leave without telling him anything.

She said she likes me, and now off she goes like nothing.

But he couldn't forget the way she was saying his name last night.

Toshiro...

He was instantly flustered at that, feeling himself go hard before deciding a cold shower might be able to fix his worries.

[darkroguescribe]

Hitsuhina Week 2023 - Day 7: Future / Fairy tales

Rating: T

Summary: The Women's Association run a special article 😏

AN: Originally posted on AO3. I probably had about 20 half-baked ideas for today but didn’t get very far into writing them. So probably just going to share some of my already posted stories.

--------------------------

There had once been a time when the Soul Reaper Women’s Association had been one of the best funded and most influential organizations in the entirety of the Seireitei. But after the end of the Quincy War, much of their power had diminished greatly. The funds that had once been designated for the group had to be reinvested towards repairs and the time the members once reserved for the various activities they sponsored, had been redirected to be more usefully spent supporting the reconstruction efforts. The meeting room hidden in the Kuchiki Manor, which had been the group’s favorite headquarters, was left for dust to slowly build up where lively meetings and laughter had once persisted.

For four years the Seireitei remained in a state of limbo waiting to see what sort of enemy would emerge. For four years they worked tirelessly on rebuilding their strength and repairing their world that had been nearly destroyed by the Quincies. But now it felt as though there was true calm and peace in the Seireitei and it was time to take care of the smaller things that they had all but forgotten about. Central 46 and the bodies that be had loosened the strict budgeting that had been in place and now allocations allowed for spending towards groups and clubs once again. The Seireitei Bulletin was the first to be green lit, releasing the news through their New Years Edition and calling for new and old article writers to submit their work for the next edition. The Women’s Association jumped at the chance and were among the first to be allotted a two page spread for the next release.

Nanao Ise spread the word among the former members quickly and arranged for all of them to meet in their old meeting room. Excitement buzzed as the time of the meeting drew closer and Momo Hinamori was looking forward to it more than she thought she would. She had never been a frequent member of the group not having much interest in some of the topics or events that were conducted, nor did she always prove of the more… questionable means by which the group got its funding. But it was always a good time to spend with her female friends whenever she could go to a meeting.

Entering the old meeting room, Hinamori found herself to be among the first to arrive. Nanao and Kiyone were already there, dusting the old tables and chairs and preparing for the meeting. Momo joined in cleaning with the others while they all waited for everyone to arrive. One by one, the old members of the group filed in and once everyone had arrived and taken seats, they all found themselves looking around the room taking stock of how the faces had changed and the faces that weren’t there. Other than Captain Isane Kotetsu who was bogged down at the Fourth Division, and Rangiku Matsumoto who was in the World of the Living on a mission, Captain Unohana, Yachiru and Nemu, were all gone. Lost to the war.

Nanao walked to the head of the table where a blank board stood. Adjusting her glasses, she cleared her throat and began the meeting. “Welcome everyone to the First Soul Reaper’s Women’s Association Meeting,” She announced. “As you are all aware, funding has been approved for all clubs and associations through the end of the second quarter. Which leaves us with three major topics on the agenda today.” She turned to the board and wrote out the first item to be taken care of. “With the Presidency and Supervising Chairwoman positions, empty, we need to establish who will take on those roles.” A sad silence filled the room, no one wanting to voice possible replacements for the members who were gone. But eventually, in hushed tones, nominations were uttered and discussed thoroughly. By the end, the decisions were made. Nanao would become the President, with Rukia Kuchiki serving as the Vice-President and the Supervising Chairwoman would remain empty out of respect (and fear) for the former Fourth Division Captain who held the position.

With the hardest part of the meeting out of the way, the group moved on to the main topic that everyone was eager to discuss. The Seireitei Bulletin. With a full two page spread, they had the opportunity to come up with something great that would bolster interest in their group and potentially earn them profit for a future event they could plan. Ideas were quick to be formed in the group ranging from interesting to impossible, and from decent to horrible. A photo set of stealthily acquired images of Yoruichi, How to Turn a Closet into a Home, Health and Wellness Tips, Fending Off Unwanted Advances… Momo had little interest in any of the topics and everyone seemed to be quite polarized about which direction to go. The board filled up with ideas quickly and hastily scribbled notes kept track of the major points for and against each one.

As arguments were starting to get out of hand, Nanao called the group to a vote when the door to the room slammed open and Rangiku Matsumoto charged in. “Hold everything!” She shouted, holding a folder over her head and slamming it down hard on the table.

“I thought you and Toshiro were in the world of the living,” Momo said looking up in surprise at the late addition. She hadn’t expected her to be back for another day at least.

Rangiku smiled, “We finished early,” She said, waving off any other questions. “Normally, I’d still be there, shopping until the Captain dragged me back; but I have found the perfect article for our little group.” Opening the folder, she revealed what had to be at least 100 pictures all of Toshiro. The women huddled around the pictures and looked at them with curiosity.

“The captain seems to have a knack for football,” Rangiku said, “And he’s grown quite a bit since the war ended.” The women quietly gave a murmur of agreement because he really had grown, now standing about a head taller than Momo. But that clearly wasn’t what Rangiku was referring to. Flipping through the pictures, the shots got closer together in time especially after one image of Toshiro making a clean slide tackle that split the left side of his shirt up to his third rib and leaving little to the imagination of what the rest of his torso looked like.

A few images later, Rangiku had somehow managed to get a rather… impressive frame by frame set of him pulling the tattered shirt off. The smooth way in which he pulled it off by tugging at the back of the collar, the way the tattered hemline slowly rose up, revealing the sculpted muscles of the man who had the distinction of being the youngest Captain in the Soul Society. Momo felt her cheeks burn red as the other women looked through the images with similar looks of appreciation.

How did she get these pictures without him freezing her fingers off? There was even a series of photos of him drinking from a water bottle that made the simple act look… seductive.

“When did you take these?” Momo asked, diverting her focus to the images after the water bottle when he returned to the game shirtless.

“Yesterday,” Rangiku answered. “And this was after we’d eliminated that hive of hollows in the area. To be honest, if he hadn’t come across that game, we’d probably have been back last night.”

“Uh huh…” Ignoring the older woman’s attempt to practically sell her captain’s ‘sex appeal’, the photos did manage to capture a side of him that she had only seen glimpses of every once in awhile in the past few decades. The child-like side of him that he’d repressed since becoming a soul reaper. He’d always been competitive, but for him to be competitive and… happy at the same time was something she’d only seen fully on display when he’d been the undefeated champion in top spinning when they were kids.

Momo smiled as she looked at one of the last few images on the table. The ball was undisturbed halfway between him and the goalkeeper. He stood relaxed with his hands in his pockets as he stared straight ahead as if the keeper wasn’t even in the way. To someone who didn’t know him well, the smirk on his face could have been described as either confident or cocky. But she knew better than to just look at his lips to read his expression. The answer was always clear in his eyes. Even if he wanted to hide something, those turquoise eyes of his could never hide the depth of his feelings. His eyes were relaxed and almost half-lidded in the picture with the color closer to a blue-green. He was having fun.

After everyone had gotten a glimpse of the photos, Nanao brought the group back to order and after a quick review of options, brought the group to a vote.

———

A month had passed since the Women’s Association had decided on their article and, as with all activities within the group, were sworn to secrecy. Momo had mixed feelings about hiding it from her best friend but reluctantly complied. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to withhold this kind of stuff from him and as much as he hated it, he at the very least tolerated the group’s need for secrets. Besides, it couldn’t possibly be any worse than the other times Rangiku published articles about him, or the previous run of trading cards the Women’s Association had sponsored. And the last thing the Soul Society needed was Toshiro (literally) freezing the magazine for eternity.

As the publication date drew near, Rangiku made herself more scarce than usual around the Tenth Division. She had made the precautionary decision to remain in the Women’s Association room in Kuchiki Manor knowing there was no way her captain could reach her behind the walls of the imposing home of the noble. She had urged Momo to join her since, in her own words, Toshiro was horrible company when he was angry. Which was true, but Momo had known him her whole life so he wasn’t nearly as ‘horrible’ with her as he was with everyone else. Besides, it wasn’t like she’d be one of his targets. She hadn’t even voted for that article and had tried to convince the group that it was a bad idea. Unfortunately, the potential sale of prints and posters won out.

The day the monthly bulletin went out had started out fairly normal but as the day went on and people sat down to read it and talk about it, the entire place was abuzz with talk about the article submitted by the Women’s Association. Knowing her best friend, he probably hadn’t even read it yet, too absorbed with extra work left behind by his missing lieutenant. Abandoning her own work for the day, she made her way to the Tenth, taking the long way to get an idea of how bad the whole situation was getting. Momo spied several groups huddled over issues of the magazine, pointing, giggling, and sighing while whispering among themselves. This was bad.

Fortunately, it seemed his own division had some idea about how angry their captain would be once he got wind of the whole thing. She saw a few issues floating around the Tenth’s offices but the owners were quite secretive as they glanced at the infamous article when they thought no one was looking. Momo approached the Captain’s office and knocked, announcing herself before entering. As expected, Toshiro was at his desk sifting through several piles of paperwork, muttering to himself. “Have you seen the fourth seat? I’m missing their incident report,” He asked, not even sparing her a glance as he leafed through a report.

“I don’t even think I know who your fourth seat is,” Momo said, walking up to the desk and resting the palms of her hands on the wooden surface.

It was only then, he seemed to register he wasn’t talking to one of his men. He looked up, his eyes reflected his surprise but only for a moment before he hardened his eyes again. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You could sound a little more happy to see me, Shiro.”

“It’s Captain Hitsugaya,” He corrected, a little harsher than usual. Clearly it wasn’t a good day for him. And it would only get worse once he saw the article. “And I am glad to see you. I’m just… busy,” He said, tossing the pile of papers onto his desk. “I can’t find Matsumoto anywhere, and for some reason people around here are either avoiding me, or in a rush to leave as quickly as possible.” He frowned and folded his arms over his chest, thinking. “Maybe I was too rough on them yesterday with training…” A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and he immediately sat tall in his chair. “Enter.”

A young girl who looked to be fresh from the academy stood in the doorway, her cheeks flushed red, and holding a folder close to her chest. Toshiro cocked his eyebrow up, and the girl dropped her head down, hiding a girlish smile. “S-sorry, sir.”

“Did you need something, Shuyama?

The girl giggled, and blushed even more. Toshiro exchanged a look with Momo as though she might have some female insight into the girl’s behavior. And oh did she. The girl cleared her throat, “S-sorry. I-I have… here,” She held out the folder but she was still standing in the doorway. Momo could see the girl sweating from across the room as she slowly walked forward, her hand still awkwardly extended as she approached her captain’s desk.

Toshiro accepted the folder from her and his gaze softened a little. “You alright, Shuyama?”

“Uh, y-yes, sir! I’m perfectly fine.”

He didn’t seem to believe her but shrugged, and sent her on her way with orders to find the fourth seat and the missing report. Momo shook her head as the girl fled and he gestured at the door with his hands, “See what I mean?” He asked. “You wouldn’t happen to know what’s going on, would you?”

She shrugged, “What makes you think I know?” She asked.

“Because it’s mostly the women acting weird. The men just look at me funny.” He opened the folder and began reading the first few lines of the report.

Momo pursed her lips as she leaned her hip against his desk. “I’m sure it’s just… something in the air today. It’ll pass.”

He looked up from the report and focused his intense gaze on her. “You’ve always been a terrible liar, Bedwetter,” He said. “What is it?”

“I’m not lying—“

“You’re not telling the truth either.” Momo pouted, realizing her mistake. Toshiro always knew when she was hiding something. His fingers tapped on his desk as he waited, “Well?”

With a sigh, she walked out of his office and into another office nearby that was shared by four officers.

All four of them were working diligently, only looking up when she entered and kept their eyes on her as she walked over to the only woman working in the office. Momo ignored her as she looked under the report she was currently working on and pulled out today’s edition of the bulletin. Without saying a single word to anyone, she left and returned to Toshiro who had been waiting patiently for her to come back. His brow was arched as she held the magazine and handed it over to him.

He looked at her questioningly, “You’ll know when you see it,” She said.

His brow knit tightly as he flipped through it, coming to a stop near the centerfold of the magazine. The color in his face paled and she knew he had found it. Taking a small step back, she braced herself for what was to come.

“What. The. Hell!?” The windows in the office shattered and the temperature dropped as he slammed the magazine onto his desk, sending the stacks of paperwork flying into the air. “‘These shots of the Winter Lion will keep you warm through the winter’?

“‘Despite being a late bloomer’—” He growled as he read the few lines of text that accompanied the pictures, his fists clenching the magazine, ripping the ends of the pages. “Who wrote this shi—“ The room got colder and ice started to climb up the walls. Momo gently increased her own reiatsu to counter the cold as realization set in for him. “Matsumoto.” He said her name with such venom. “I thought I sensed her lurking around Kuchiki’s manor. Now it makes sense why,” He muttered. Looking up, he met her gaze, then glanced back down at the magazine, focusing on the prominent banner printed just above the title. “You…you knew about this?”

Momo sighed, “Unfortunately.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I couldn’t! You know how secretive the Women’s Association is!”

Toshiro pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, “Right, of course,” He muttered, shaking his head. “They just had to pick me again, didn’t they,” He muttered.

His reiatsu dissipated slightly, allowing Momo to come stand closer to him again. Walking up to his desk, she stood in front of it with her hands folded, “Rangiku was very persuasive. Er, rather… the pictures were persuasive.”

His cheeks were a little red and he looked away, torn between anger and embarassment. “Is… is that really how people see me?”

“Hm?”

“This,” He gestured at the magazine again. “The trading cards, pictures of me sleeping, that calendar from a few years back;” He listed off several of the Women’s Association’s past ventures that had featured him as the main subject matter, his brow knit tightly as he cleared his throat. “What… what exactly is it about me that makes me a target for… this?”

Momo shrugged, “Well, you’re a prominent figure in the Sereitei—“

“—That’s not what I mean,” He said, his jaw was tight as he grit his teeth forcing the clarifying question out. “How… how physically attractive am I?”

Her hand on his desk faltered as she nearly slammed her face into the wood surface. “Eh? What?” She could feel her cheeks burning as she replayed his question over in her head again, making sure she had heard him right to begin with.

Toshiro sighed and held a hand up, making a calming gesture, “I’m not asking what you think. I need an objective opinion. And you’re the only girl I can have this conversation with.”

“Oh…” Momo relaxed a bit, taking a moment to think about the question and how to answer it. As his friend, she didn’t like him for the same reason everyone else did. Her personal opinion was very biased and based more on the traits no one else could see. But, as a woman, she wasn’t blind to the superficial layer of physical appeal he definitely had. The only problem was he was completely oblivious to all of it.

“Well… See…” Her lips pursed as she looked down at the magazine, pointing at the picture of him drinking from the water bottle. The light perfectly highlighted the lines between his abs, and the sheen of sweat on his chest practically made him shine with an almost god-like glow.

“What?” His brow slanted, and he tiled his head sideways, still not seeing what she meant.

Momo sighed, wondering how he could be a genius and an idiot at the same time. “The answer to your question is… yes.”

“Huh?”

Rolling her eyes, she continued. “Women find you attractive,” She said. “More so now that you don’t really look like a cute little boy anymore.”

His eye twitched a bit in annoyance, still a bit stingy about having been so short for so long. “…That doesn’t tell me why, though.”

“Well…” Her lips pursed as she thought about how to explain it. “To start, you have really nice hair.”

“I always thought it creeped people out.”

She shrugged, “Well, maybe in the Rukon Districts, yes. But, you’ve been here a long time, and the color makes sense given your reiatsu and zanpakuto. So people are able to look beyond the color and… appreciate its other characteristics.” His hair had always been quite thick, but it became more noticeable after he stopped spiking it and let it fall more naturally around his face. It looked nice, giving him this almost rugged appearance that unintentionally added another notch to his physical appeal.

He gave her a blank expression, showing he really had no idea what the big deal was about hair. Sighing, she moved on. “Um… Your eyes are nice too.” Much like his hair, the color was unusual and the kids in the Rukon Districts found them unnerving. Momo never understood why. His eyes were probably his most beautiful feature. When the light hit them just right, they could look like deep pools of water, or dusty emeralds. And to be the focus of those eyes, it could be the most terrifying moment, or the most wonderful thing ever.

She cleared her throat, noticing he was waiting for her to continue. “And then there’s… that,” She pointed at one of the many shirtless photos of him. “It’s, er… nice… very nice.”

He blushed again and shook his head. “Madness,” He muttered. Grabbing the magazine, he tore it in half, tossing it in the trash before turning to face the broken window. A light breeze blew through, ruffling his hair and robes.

Momo closed the distance between them, coming to stand next to him. His arms were folded in his sleeves as he glared outside. There were a few groups on the streets below and some were looking through the magazine as they walked. Sighing, Momo wrapped her arm around his back, pressing herself into his side. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I did argue against publishing it. And I really did want to tell you about it, but…”

“I know.” He craned his head back and closed his eyes in an attempt to try and relax.

“Thank you, Momo.”

“Hm? For what?” She pulled back enough to look up at him.

Toshiro met her eye and shrugged, “For being honest,” He said. “Though I can’t say I completely understand… any of it. Girls are crazy.”

She pouted, poking him hard in the ribs, eliciting a loud “ouch!” From him as he shifted away from her.

“The Hell was that for?” He asked, guarding his ribs from her fingers still trying to jab at him.

“For calling me crazy.”

He scoffed, “I didn’t call you crazy.”

She crossed her arms, her eyebrow arching accusingly, “You just said girls are crazy.”

“You don’t count,” He said. Momo felt a small pang at the simple statement, though she wasn’t sure why. He sighed, adding, “You’re… different.” He returned his focus to the streets below the window, his body tense and indicating that he wasn’t going to elaborate further.

She smiled and turned to look outside with him, somewhat understanding what he was trying to say. She knew that words were not something he was particularly good with. From the corner of her eye, she caught the small scowl on his lips as he spied the two guards standing out front of the gates being sucked into a conversation as they giggled girlishly, pointing at a picture or two in the magazine.

Momo could only imagine the punishments he was thinking of putting the guards through for what he was sure to document as ‘neglecting duties’ in his reports. It made her wonder what he’d do once Rangiku surfaced again… it inspired a little idea. It was perhaps a little risky, given the secrecy of the Women’s Association, but one that, if played out right, would greatly improve her friend’s mood at the small expense of his lieutenant and maybe a bit of property damage. Besides, it wasn’t like any of it could lead back to her. Looking over at Toshiro, she smiled, confident that once she told him, he would never share where the secret entrance to Kuchiki Manor was located.

[pinkhairedlily]

the warmest place in the world

SUMMARY:

I have said I love you. You have said I love you too. The grand climax is over. The tumultuous journey is past and we have arrived in calm waters. It's mundane, ordinary, and silent. But between us, each day, in silent, smallest declarations, we still say, I love you. I love you. I love you.

(in which Hitsugaya and Hinamori are married)

gift for @ryomaunnie 🎁🎄 | @hitsuhina-week

a/n: sorry this got delayed so much!!! i hope i gave justice to your prompt of hh married/domestic life 🥺 belated happy holidays to the community. may you thrive and heal and live gently this 2023 🤍

Hinamori Momo was a winter bride.

One would think it was an inadequate choice; she was always bright and sunny, the very manifestation of a summer’s day.

But warmth has always been indispensable to the cold.

Like her to him. The love of his life. The fire to his ice. His red thread of fate.

She said I do to him under the curtain of snow, and Hitsugaya kissed his wife’s red button nose.

He kisses it all the same on slow mornings when the sun creeps on the Seiretei horizon, limbs all splayed out on the cotton covers, chasing shadows in the crook of each other’s embrace.

He touches it on nights he captures her lips and lets himself melt all over. Momo is my wife, he tells himself as she settles against his chest. Momo is my wife, he repeats again when he wakes up with her hair on his cheeks. Momo is my wife, like a prayer that came true.

— — —

“Which side of the bed do you want, Shiro?” Momo asks as she surveys the bare room. On one side, the window shares the view of the overgrowth. Rose vines and yellow bells fight for space on sparse earth while poison ivy rests comfortably on the concrete walls of the house. It will take some time to tame their backdoor wilderness, but Hitsugaya can see that it would be a beautiful garden in the care of her hands.

“I’ll take the one facing the wall Momo.”

A smile grows from his statement. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

"No take backs."

He smirks. "I don't do that."

"You'll roll me over!"

He holds up a pinky. She always made him do this when they were younger. "Promise. Stop being so insufferable. You're so cute when you're adamant."

"Ugh, so sappy all of a sudden." She giggles — that's all he wants to hear really — and laughter fills the crevices of the old house.

Under the futon that night, surrounded with boxes both closed and halfway open, Momo stares out the curtainless window to the unobstructed view of the full moon. She falls asleep after the fifth shooting star.

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya has the perfect perspective of her face; how she surrenders to the drowse, how her breathing evens out, and how she smiles in her dreams. Not all nights are like this.

Sometimes, the dreams are nightmares.

And he refuses to touch her in the aftermath.

He can vividly feel his hand — Hyourinmaru — go through her chest. His quickening pulse matches the spewing blood from her body. When it's emptied, there's a hollow instead of where her heart should be.

He goes frigid, his own pulse also frozen in shock, despair, some kind of indescribable grief. Then he jolts out of that plane when he feels her, the present her, draw his arm around her body. Calm and steady, her . In between the void and wakefulness, she forgives him.

Figures lost in crowd, that's what they look like on market days. She reaches out to him in the sea of bodies, intertwining his fingers with hers. It's a mindless gesture for Momo, but Hitsugaya feels tethered.

His hand in her. His soul is anchored.

———

"Tadaima."

10:07. Hitsugaya left Karakura around that time. Ichigo is boisterous, the usual, but even more so with the second addition to their family.

They broke the news over Orihime's okonamiyaki. A hefty dash of Ichigo's tears made it into the cooking. She made sure to pack portions for Hinamori.

Who happens to be burning her own okonamiyaki in the kitchen.

"Ah. I messed it up." She's near tears. "Did you have dinner yet, Shiro?"

He places the package on the counter and wounds his arm around her waist. She curls further into herself, sobs on the verge of escaping every limb, but he holds her close and whispers into her ear. "Yeah you burned it but I think it's still edible."

Still entangled with her, he samples a small part from the smoking brown concoction on the stove. Placid reaction gives way to strong grimace. "See, edible."

Momo groans. "I hate you Shiro."

"I love you Momo." His laughter resounds against her untangled hair. Smooth, flowing strands shaking as sobs transform into fits of amusement.

She faces him after a while. "Did you bring earth food?"

He nods. "It's not your favorite pizza, but Orihime's cooking is better than most."

"What did she cook?"

"Okonomiyaki." Her face falls flat from the sudden reminder of her failure. It disappears from his view when he pulls her in for a tight embrace.

Like earlier, his voice travels through her strands, wind to the leaves, water to sand, "Listen. You may not perfect every dish. You may mess up some things. You may not know how to repair the heater. Or keep planks straight when you hammer them in. Dogs may not like you. But you brew the best tea and coffee. You knit the warmest scarves. You sow the most beautiful flowers. The cats love to rub against you. You are my wife and I love you for all that you are."

"You talk so much," she groans against his shoulder. "I'm just hungry."

They laugh again, just as easily.

———

"Good... morning, taichou."

Normally, it would be Matsumoto slumped against Hitsugaya's shoulders, but on rare occasions that he would go drinking with Shinji (forced really) and his circle, Hitsugaya would always, always, return home intoxicated beyond his limits.

And her captain would always, always, bring this drunken stupor to her doorstep.

Even when they were still branding themselves as childhood best friends ("Of course, we would look out for each other.") When they were sidestepping the line that separates friendly concern to affection. A series of drunken declarations when he thought she was asleep, forgotten in the wake of the mornings as he casually slipped, unaffected, nonchalant, almost stoic from her quarters. ("Do you know, Momo, that I like you? I like you. I like you very, very, very much. I don't know what to do with these feelings. Momo, how do I tell you?") When they thought it was their best, well-kept secret in Soul Society. ("Way to announce you're mine, Shiro, banging on my door like that at 2 AM, calling me your darling?!") It was the best, well-shared secret.

"Hirako, you dumbassss. Why did you bring me to Momo? I'm a mess, look at me," Hitsugaya drawls over his words.

"Don't puke on her when you kiss, all right." Shinji winks at his lieutenant and bids adieu effectively in the dead silence of the night.

"I'm not gonna kisssss yew." Hitsugaya raises his palm and slaps it across his chest. "I am a good sssenpai. And a taichou. And I will not take advantage of yew."

"Shut up and go inside already."

He spots the gold band when she pulls his arm. He's sniffling by the time he makes it to their kitchen.

"Why did I wait so long?"

"Wait to come home?" Hinamori patiently goes through the same motions he does when she's drunk. Boil water. Brew some tea. Sober up.

"Wait to tell you I love you." His sniffles are louder, close to sobbing. "I've always wanted you to be my wife. Gods, I'm so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"I won't disagree with you on this." This happens every time, and each repeat just makes her fonder of him.

And yes, more annoyed.

But he's endearing when he's moping so he gets a pass.

He clutches her hand tightly. "Is he a good man? Does he love you more than I do? Are you happy?"

Hinamori leans in closer to his space. From this distance, she can smell the alcohol mingling with fresh pine and snow she associates him with. Her palms cup his drooping, tear-stricken face.

"He is a good man that loves me so much and makes me happy every day. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Then she kisses him as he does on nights she doubts his love. A seal of sorts, a magic touch that dispels the stormy clouds, a kiss.

"Momo, you're a married woman."

"And you're my husband, Hitsugaya-taichou."

———

The snipping of scissors molds with the hummingbirds perched on the blossoming dogwood.

Silver specks litter the hardwood floor. Momo's barefoot protrudes through the strands, his shoulders as her balance.

Her tongue peeks out in concentration as she trims the lengthened threads. It's easy to fall asleep on this cool, spring day while her fingers conduct an orchestra with his hair.

"Do you want an undercut?"

"Please don't make me look like Ichigo or Renji."

"Kira and Yumichika said it's fashionable."

"So why don't they say that to Byakuya?"

"Byakuya has a distinct style."

"And I don't? I'm offended."

"I think you look good in any hair."

"That's what wives say."

She brandishes a mirror in front of him. A relieved sigh leaves him when he sees no noticeable changes. "Great job, Ms. Hinamori. I'll give you a tip."

She kneels in front of him and rests her head on his lap. Her hair falls like waves on the side of his leg. Untangled in her braid, it's a shiny mane. They slip when he twirls his finger around them. "Cut my hair too, Shiro."

"Rukia-style? Or Yumichika?"

"Just don't shave me."

Cut hairs all gone and away and napes exposed to the blossom breeze, they spend the fading afternoon in the awning of the garden. Momo is asleep in his arms, her face dotted with pink petals, and the leaves playing across her features.

Hitsugaya mindlessly traces circles on her arm, navigating to her stomach where a shawl is splayed over. She knitted this some shinigami years ago and the fabric seems to call for his touch. To trace the same shape over and over until he feels the indentation. The slight slope he might miss in passing.

Adrift petals lay their rest right where his hand stopped orbiting.

"Momo?"

She only smiles and places her hand over his, flowers blooming in between the spaces of their fingertips.

"Shiro?"

His throat is heavy. "I'm gonna be a good father." He kisses the crown of her head, and they snuggle closer until twilight takes over the sky.

———

Fireflies are luminescent under the bridge. The river murmurs in the dark, continuing their voyage to the sea with the green attraction fading in their reflection, a memory drowned.

Momo wanted to rest. Rukia warned her about sore feet and wonky legs in the last few months of the pregnancy.

Hitsugaya would have wanted to carry her back home, if she let him. He's sulking from her stubbornness.

"It's peaceful tonight." Momo breathes in the changing summer air. Autumn has started to dispel its first notes.

"It's peaceful," Hitsugaya echoes. He embraces her from behind, his hands crossed like a prayer over her stomach. "I'm glad it's peaceful."

"But what if there's war again?"

It's not as if Hitsugaya hadn't thought of this already. It haunted his nights. It's a possibility on the back of his head when he attends council meetings, signs paperworks, reads reports. Always on the lookout for the first triggers.

It's a hard thing to keep — peace.

"Then there's another reason to fight for." But sometimes, it comes by easy. "For now, this is peace to me."

The fireflies steer towards their direction. Alight and luminous, their reflections are carried by the currents, a memory in voyage.

———

"Cold!!!!" Hanami bolts through the door. A child around five with brown hair covered in snow and teal irises that are so honest and bare and earnest. There's unbridled happiness in her eyes.

"Can you at least tone down that blush whenever you come home from Byakuya's estate?" Hitsugaya sighs.

"That's because of cold, Shiro," Momo reasons out from the kitchen.

"He made me tea, Papa!"

"As he does to all his guests?"

"No! It's the special tea!" She sticks out her tongue at her father while she quickly shrugs off her outerwear. Then her little feet urgently pad off to settle beside him in the kotetsu. "When I grow up, I'm gonna marry Uncle Byakuya!"

"He's old, Hana-chan."

"No, he's not! He's still handsome!"

"You have poor taste in men, my silly girl."

Momo sweeps into the room with a tray of tea. "That's too bad. You don't have room for Mama's special tea?"

"I have, Mama. The snow outside evaporated the tea earlier." She pats the little space beside her. "Sit Mama! It's cold!"

Lulled in drowse by tea, the family lies side by side on the floor, legs all tangled up under the kotatsu, as the snowstorm builds to a precipice outside.

"Did you enjoy painting with Byakuya?" Hitsugaya asks the growing babe on his shoulder.

Hanami nods. "He was worried I'd get snowed in."

Momo blows raspberries on Hanami's hair. "Was it cold, Hana-chan?"

"Very! He made me wear another coat. It was difficult to walk." She mimics shaking terribly but only ends up laughing. It's contagious, feeling the giggles travel the course of her skin and limbs, and unto her parents.

"Papa never gets cold, right Mama?" Hanami places her hand over their entangled fingers on her stomach.

"No, he never does."

"Are you cold right now, Hana-chan? Do you want me to move away?" Hitsugaya almost shifts out of their hold, but his daughter plants him to his side.

"Silly Papa! You're always so warm." Her button nose red from the cold, and her cheeks flushed pink, Hanami pulls her parents closer to her. "This is the warmest place in the world."

[fractured-sky]

—🌙🦋 MUTUAL CATCH UP

Tagged by @crystariumrose thank you lovely!! <3

LAST SONG: Melodies of life from FF9

CURRENTLY WATCHING: been rewatching some legend of the galactic heroes die neue these

THREE SHIPS: Satosugu, Reinhard x Kircheis, Hitsuhina

FAVORITE COLOR: Burgundy

CURRENTLY CONSUMING: as in media or XD

FIRST SHIP: Honestly can't remember, I did love Sasodei back in ye old days XD

PLACE OF BIRTH: England

CURRENT LOCATION: My computer chair ;)

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single pringle

LAST MOVIE: Chicken run dawn of the nugget

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: creating sims I guess XD (I'm not a very interesting person welp)

Tagging: @sadraccoon061 @briarre and @lan-tana if you wanna do this :)

[alexiethymia]

little things about hitsuhina and ginran I love (design-wise)

how kubo really designed them to be complementary

in the manga, rangiku’s hair is golden while gin’s hair is silver. even when they changed their hair color to strawberry blonde in the anime, they also changed her eyes from blue to silver-grey

even when gin defects, you have his white arrancar outfit with the aqua-blue sash, which complements rangiku’s black shihakusho and blush-pink scarf. it’s quite striking in the colored manga.  

the snake and virgin motif between the two of them, and even hades and persephone, I mean the both of them are also virgos (seriously the fact that they have the same birthday, and they count it on the day they met, they’re such soulmates)

the association of autumn and winter with the both of them (their favorite foods are dried persimmons, and rangiku most often remembers gin with snow)

you wouldn’t normally think that they have thematic links with their zanpakuto unlike say hitsugaya and hinamori with their ice and fire elements, but the fact that gin is also associated with foxes, and haineko’s hilt looks a bit like a fox is very cute to me (EDIT: Apparently, they do have a connection with their zanpakuto! Upon the reread, it seems that Shinsou’s bankai isn’t about how long or fast it contracts, rather it turns to dust for an instant, the moment it expands and contracts. Dust and Ash, wow. I don’t know if Kubo really planned all these out, but idc, I still love these bits and pieces.)

hitsugaya and hinamori are pretty obvious - smol to her tol, cold white snow to her earthy brown, ice and fire

despite hitsugaya’s element, I often associate them with spring and summer, especially since summer is when hinamori would visit home and they’d eat watermelon together

although both hitsugaya and rukia have ice as their element, their thematic connections with their respective childhood friends differ enough.

this is best reflected in hitsugaya’s and renji’s duet about their childhood friends. renji associates himself with dirt and being a stray, while he associates rukia with purity and the cleanness of snow. he’s a howling dog who longs for the moon, and one of rukia’s most famous attacks is tsukishiro or white moon. red and white are their colors.

hitsugaya meanwhile personifies the coldness of ice, while he considers hinamori’s smile and laughter to have been a “spring breeze” which warmed him

color-names and flower-names: there’s also slight symmetry as to their names. both gin’s and hitsugaya’s (or nick)names can refer to their hair colors (silver, white) while rangiku and momo’s names refer to flowers. rangiku or chrysanthemums are supposed to represent truth, and well we all know what gin is like. meanwhile, peach blossoms are spring flowers, while toshiro has the character for ‘winter’ in his first name. plum blossoms (or the ‘ume’ in tobiume), meanwhile, also bloom in late winter and early spring

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Happy 7th blog anniversary! As a celebration could I request something featuring Hitsuhina during the early days of their relationship, when they first started dating? Could be either a fic or headcanons, I'll leave the choice to you! Thank you in advance and also thank you so much for keeping this community alive with your posts, keep up the great work! 🫶

So I was hoping to make this a whole fic, but in the end, this will be a combination of fic snippets and headcanons. These all pertain to the early stages of their dating, so I’m think the first six or so months. I’m sorry if this a bit strange anon (and for how late this is!!), I hope you enjoy it though! ^^;

They finally get together in their late teens or early young adult years. Momo is the first to confess, tired of constantly feeling flustered around him and keeping her feelings unsaid. It wasn’t done on any special occasion, but it wasn’t spur of the moment either. They had been spending a break together, and Momo got to thinking about the future. She knows Toshiro won’t live as long as he’s meant to, but even so, she wants to be by his side, whether that's as a friend or as a partner.

They plan to keep it quiet, but it doesn’t take long for word to spread, and the whole Seireitei more or less does a collective ‘Finally!’ when find out.

In the early days, neither can really believe the other likes them, Toshiro in particular. He’s had feelings for Momo for years, but because of what happened in the past and with her being a sunny, extroverted person, he thought she’d end up with someone more like herself and far removed from all the events that happened with Aizen.

He’s also clueless about dating and love. He knows Momo, but how does he ‘date’ her? How does he show how he feels makes sure she feels appreciated and loved? He also finds the whole experience at first a little overwhelming, not used to the emotions he’s experiencing and how he goes about expressing them. He has to discover a part of himself he’s never developed or looked into before.

Momo has an easier time; she’s had crushes before and has better social skills. There is an adjustment period for her though, as she gets to used to being able to be affection with Toshiro beyond what they did when they were platonic. However, there are also gestures she sees in a new light, like when she holds his hand. She takes note of things she never noticed before (like how calloused his palms are), and can’t help but blush seeing their hands together:

It’s strange how a gesture one so familiar can take on a different meaning. Momo had discovered this in the last few weeks, and she's still not sure what to do with this new information.

Once she would've thought of nothing to be next to Toshiro, bumping his shoulder or holding his hand to lead him to something. Now her heart races when she reaches for his hand, and she has withhold a gasp when he shuffles closer to her. Sometimes, even glances got to her, making her duck her gaze away form his. He's also had deep gaze, one that could piercing one minute, then soft the next. It was like watching ice melt, turning from icicles into calm seas. Those were the gazes she couldn't look away form now, and they only made her want to lean in closer.

There’s a lot of baked goods. Momo shows her affection for Toshiro through making various sweets and desserts, usually his favourites. She’ll come back the division with a box or a bag of sweets for him, trying to encourage him to take a break. He of course appreciates it every time, and thinks of how he can repay her back despite her insistence he doesn’t have to. As the months go on though, Momo does slow this down, but worries Toshiro will have grown accustomed to her making things for him. He’s okay with it though, btu does tease her about it when she first tells him she can’t make as much baked goods for him as she used to. (“You’re going let me starve then?” “…You know I won’t.”)

Toshiro asks Rangiku for help with gifts at first. He gets Momo various sweets and small stationary items, like new ink brushes,  and a pen set she eyed on one of their dates. He thinks practical gits are best as she can use them in her everyday life (and maybe think of him as she does), but he does his usual with his ice sculptures as well on special occasions, making her ice roses and other flowers. He once made a bouquet and brought it to one of their dates.

There’s also the issue of work getting in the way. Both are hard workers who take on a lot for their division's workload. It comes down to Shinji and Rangiku encouraging them to leave work on time and to take longer breaks to make sure they can see each other.

They’re actually surprised at what they each learn about the other. They think they know each other, but in a relationship, they discover things they hadn’t realised or seen before about the other.

For instance, PDA. Toshiro always knew Momo was physically affection with friends, but in a romantic relationship, she’s even more affectionate. She holds his arm or hand without hesitation, often reaching for it while they’re walking about or reaches across the table at any restaurant they’re at. She also kisses his cheek and hugs him quite often. He unintentionally shirks away from her physical touches in public, and his embarrassment and discomfort shows. Momo expected this, but is still a little hurt when it happens. She therefore tries to restrain herself, but Toshiro notices:

“Ah there you are!”

Toshiro raises his head, and he can’t help but smile a little when Momo rushes through the crowds towards him. He’s surprised he even heard her over the crowd at all. However, as he’d discovered, love gave one odd abilities, such as being able to focus in on their partner's voice when there were hundreds around them.

“Took you long enough,” he teases when she finally reaches him.

“Just had some reports I couldn’t ignore. Let’s go…” She’d reached her hand out, but it freezes midair. She’s quick to raise it to brush a lock of her over her shoulder. “Let’s go before anyone else gets there.”

They make their way to the izakaya, her focus on the path and people in front of them, but Toshiro frowns at her. The way her smile had briefly faltered hadn’t gone unnoticed either. She’s holding herself back for him. She wants him to be comfortable. And what had he done to deserve it?

He recalls the way he’d recoiled last time she’d tried to wrap her hands around his arm. Even after explaining why he didn’t like it, he could see it still hurt her.

Every fiber in him protested at the idea forming in his mind, but his heart ached to see her like this. He knew relationships have compromises, but not ones like this. This cannot stand.

So, fighting against his discomfort, he comes to a stop before they enter an alleyway. “Hinamori.”

She halts, frowning as she turns to him. “Is something wrong?”

He forces his hand out. “Here. It’s, uh…” He’s never like this, lost or stumbling for words. “I-It’s about to get more crowded.”

It’s perhaps the most surprised he’s ever seen her. She stares at his hand as if it had grown a sixth finger. Then, her gaze softens, and a faint blush colours her cheeks. “Are you sure?”

He gives a firm nod.

She hesitates, but then reaches for his hand. He goes rigid and squeezes her hand back a little too tightly. They only get ten steps before Momo speaks up.

“We don’t have to do this,” she reassures.

“It’s fine,” he grinds out from between his teeth. His face is as red as a tomato, and his gaze is on the ground.

Around them, some Souls stare, but as soon Momo meet their gazes, they’re quick to bow their heads or pretend to be distracted by something.

Why did this have to be so hard for him? It’s a simple gesture, one he’d done with her hundred of times. She’d usually be the one to initiate it, but there were times he did, and he’d done so without much thought. Why had it changed so much now that they are together? Shouldn’t he enjoy something like this now more than ever?

Momo rests her free hand over his. “It’s okay. This isn’t that important anyway.”

“It is though, to you.”

“Not as important as how comfortable you feel.”

Again she puts him first. With a sigh, he looks down at their hands, one of hers enfolded with his, the other resting on top. Her hands had become smaller compared to his over the years. Despite all of the battles, hers somehow remained finely boned and delicate. The pinks of her nails are bright, as is the red in her knuckles. There’s a faint scar on the back of her pointer finger, reaching the second knuckle; it's the first time he's noticed it.

Somehow, observing her hands calms him. His heart still races, and there’s still a part of him willing him to pull his hand away, but it’s not as bad as before. Why did this have to be so hard for him? Was he really that afraid of showing others how he feels about her? Was he afraid showing her?

He lifts their hands in the space between them. “If this makes you happy, I want you to do things like this.”

“But you’re not –”

“Be selfish for once, Hinamori.” More gently, he says, “Besides, I’m already happy.”

Her eyes brighten and she smiles with a small gasp. She squeezes his hand, and it sends the smallest pulse up his arm and straight to his chest. It makes him smile in return.

It’s a different story behind closed doors, and this surprises Momo quite a bit. She always knew Toshiro was more expressive when he's around people he's close but, she noticed he'd opened up more since the end of the war against the Quincy. She never expected him to be as affectionate as he is in a relationship when it's just the two of them. Toshiro is hesitant to show it at first, but after a month or so, he starts putting his hand over hers while they’re sitting together alone. Eventually, he hugs her without prompting and resting his head on her shoulder when he’s tired.

He won't ever admit it aloud, but now that he's taller, he takes a small bit of joy and pride in being able to hug her from behind and rest his chin on her head, much to Momo's chagrin...and also joy.

They also discover they don't have any hobbies in common anymore. Momo went on to reading and baking after she left the Academy, while Toshiro discarded most of his hobbies to focus on training and running his division. While each are happy to listen to the other ramble on about their interests and hobbies, they still feel like something is missing.

On one date, Toshiro asks Momo for book suggestions. She's never known him to be a reader, but complies and brings a few books on the next date. They spend that date reading together, but as she discovers, Toshiro is one to criticise the characters and plot aloud as he's reading ("Why would he do that? It makes no sense to investigate Yuki when there's clear evidence against Naru." "Cars don't work that way, Kurosaki said as much." "This is clearly a contrivance. How did they get from the station to the warehouse in less than three minutes? And why would he lead Naru there without Ichiro or backup?" "...What is a 'maid cafe'?").

On the bright side, Toshiro does get an interest in reading (his favorite genre is mystery and crime) and Momo does enjoy their discussions about the books after he's read them. He also learns what her favorite kind of stories are and keeps an eye out for books that she might be interested in.

There's also the texting. Momo was on the texting scene long before Toshiro, using her denreishinki to message all of her friends out of the work hours. It takes quite a bit of convincing, but Toshiro eventually agrees to do the same with her. However, his texts are...:

Momo: Hey Shiro-chan! ヾ(•ω•`)o Toshiro: It's Captain Hitsugaya. Also, you missed a ','. Momo: You don't have to grammatically correct in text, Shiro-chan. Momo: How was your day? Toshiro: It's CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA, Hinamori. My day was fine. What about you? Toshiro: Also, I didn't mean those capitals because I was angry, just emphasizing the point. Momo: I know (❁´◡`❁) My day was great! I found the fourth volume of the Crimson Chrysanthemum saga while I was on my break!! ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆ Momo: Also, Captain Hirako and I got all of our paperwork done before the end of the week ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ He's got this new CD from the World of the Living and I think it helped me focus. Toshiro: That's good. I'm glad you found that book, I knew it was important to you. Momo: What did you do today? Toshiro: Mostly reviewing reports. In my break, I started work on a new sculpture. Momo: (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) Toshiro: I wasn't done. Momo: Sorry!! m(_ _)m It's just you didn't text for a while after your last message. Toshiro: There's a time limit? Momo: Not really, but there's an assumption that if you don't message after a certain time period it means you're waiting for the person to respond or you've left the phone. Toshiro: What's the time period? Momo:...It depends?? Toshiro: Why are there so many vague rules around this?! Momo: You'll get it in no time (✿◠‿◠) Tell me more about your day!

As a side note, she has him saved under 'Shiro' and has a picture of a❄️for his caller ID (until he makes her the ice roses and then she has a picture of that for him). He has her saved under 'Hinamori Momo' and has a picture she took as a selfie on his phone...which Rangiku put there because she was outraged that he didn't have a picture of his girlfriend as her caller ID picture.

When he does get his texting game better (sadly this won't happen until after the early days of their dating), he also becomes more open with his feelings over text (also the denreishinki update their emojis catalogue to include more...but Momo is prefers the Kaomojis with occasional new emjoy thrown in):

Momo: Thank you again for last night, I had a lot of fun!! (* ^ ω ^) 💕 We need to go to that ramen restaurant again! Toshiro: Me too. Toshiro: *attaches a picture they took together on their date* I really like this picture. Momo: You look so handsome! That scarf really suits you (´• ω •`) ♡ Toshiro: *several minutes later after getting over her compliment* Thank you🙂. Momo:（　ﾟ Дﾟ）Did you just use a '🙂'?! Toshiro: It's right there, dummy.

It takes him a while to use '❤️' and '💕' but he gets there.

Their dates are nothing extravagant, and neither wants to make a fuss. Toshio does worry if Momo wants more though based on Rangiku and others tell him about romance, but she reassures him that being with him doing things together with him is enough.

Their dates are mostly in the higher districts of the Rukongai, going to various restaurants, visiting local attractions, going to festivals when they’re on, and sometimes just walking through the forests and mountains. For the latter, Momo sometimes brings a picnic basket with her. A lot of their dates happen at around sunset, perhaps deliberately so…

They try to go to a different place each time, but discover they have a few places they like to revisit: there's a restaurant in the first district, a town in the World of the Living they make short visits to (and often say they want to go on a longer stay sometime), and a spot in the mountains which has a beautiful view of the Soul Society.

They try (and fail) to keep work out of their conversations while on dates. It worries Momo at first, as she thinks that might be all they have in common aside from their shared past.

Eventually, they open up more about their thoughts about random things, like what they think about a certain idea or philosophy, an event that's recently happened, or an idea for what they can do together. These conversations can get pretty deep.

In terms of verbal affection, it takes them both a while to use it openly. It comes easier to Momo, but she still struggles with it because she's had feelings for Toshiro for a while and doesn't completely know how to put it into words. She also worries she might come across as overly affectionate or saccharine.

Little does she know Toshiro lives for her verbal affection. If she says he looks handsome or that he did something sweet or that she likes him, it makes his days all the more better - some say he even 'glows'.

Toshiro is better with verbal affection than physical in public, but tends to keep his voice low when he expresses himself. He struggles to find the words sometimes, but other times, he knows exactly what to say. When Momo's reaction is particularly cute to him, he will also include a teasing comment or say something else to make her more flustered or surprised. A small pat of him takes a bit of pride that he can make her react like this...but he also knows she is capable of doing the same.

Their first kiss happens after their fourth date, which is a few months down the track. It's while they're walking through the mountains. Something about the way the light hit Momo just made Toshiro lean forward. He stops when she's surprised, and thinks he's made a bad move. However, she's quick to assure him by leaning forward and plant one on him (no pun intended). It's not a perfect kiss, but it's enough for them.

They don't kiss too often, and it's almost always behind closed doors. They don't feel the need to express their affection in that way, but gradually, they start to kiss more and more oftne after the early stages of their relationship.

Momo soon discovers just the depth of Toshiro's feelings through moments she intends to be lighthearted but he takes seriously:

"I'd do it."

Momo looks up from her book. Her grins falters with Toshiro suddenly so close. "Huh?"

"If that's what you wanted, I'd do it," he says, as if it clarified everything.

She lowers the book into her lap, and the light-hearted air she'd been ensconced in vanishes. As she takes in Toshiro's face, Momo is once again confronted with the notion that she truly doesn't know the extent of his feelings for her.

He says he's felt for her for decades, but just how many? Since the end of the Quincy war? Since they became Shinigami? Since they were children? The way he looks at her in moments like this, it's as if she were staring out into the ocean.

With heat rushing up to her cheeks, she asks, "You'd really do that if I ask you to?"

He nods, determined. She could almost see the logistics he was planning in his head to make her wishes a reality.

She can't help but chuckle. He'd once again taken something she meant rhetorically or without much thought so seriously; it shouldn't surprise her, but sometimes it still does.

He glances away, perhaps discouraged by her reaction. She's quick to put him at ease, raising a hand to cup the underside of his jaw. She smiles and holds his gaze, letting him search her eyes to see she appreciates the sentiment.

Several heartbeats later, she leans forward and puts her lips over his in a slow, prolonged kiss. He's quick to respond, following her lead. It's only the fifth time they've kissed, but it's nowhere near as awkward as the first.

She shifts to be even closer to him, and the book - and the silly romantic scenario she had derived from it - tumble to the floor, completely forgotten.

And that's it! Hope you all enjoyed these! :D

[canariie]

something blue

Rating: K+

Synopsis: “How are you feeling, Hinamori?” he asked.

“I’m doing well! I’m enjoying the party!” she said cheerily, but even to her ears it felt a bit forced. She sighed and took another sip, avoiding her captain’s watchful eyes.

…

Amidst the dancing and drinks, Momo doesn't realize how overwhelmed she feels on Renjii's wedding day.

Word Count: 5590 words

Setting: the RenRuki wedding during We Do KNOT Love You!

Prompt: @hitsuhina-week Celebration 2023 Day 7 - Future

Authour’s Note: Welcome to my pasta-salad of a fic! Partly because I think I tried to put so much into this, culminating in my longest fic on tumblr and usurping i just called to say's position!

This is also RenRuki adjacent, so proceed how you would with that.

Similar to that fic, this is also INCREDIBLY LATE and I apologize for that! It also has several music inspirations going from Enchanted (Taylor's Version) & Back to December (Taylor's Version) to the tone of Billie Eilish's What was I Made For & my future—and I think that shows hahahaha

I hope you all enjoy it!

—

Momo was excited for the nijikai, the less formal wedding after party, because that’s where the night truly began.

Renjii had picked Daruma Bar, a familiar haunt of his that the lieutenants had visited many times after late meetings, long work weeks and happy hour celebrations. And maybe it was the romantic in Momo, but she was delighted that they were celebrating a new chapter for her friend in a place that was cemented in such fond memories.

The Bar’s decorations were less ostentatious than the engagement party and the Kuchiki ceremonial shrine. However, it warmed Momo’s heart to see Kuchiki-taicho act so openly benevolent towards his younger sister—something unusual for the typically aloof man.

There was a room at the back of the bar off the side kitchen, dedicated for the respective parties to get ready. It had doubled as storage and a changing space for the servers, leaving it cramped with boxes and a folding screen. To call it a room was generous but the larger formal one was rightfully reserved for Rukia to get ready. Momo had joined in on the groom’s side because she was much closer to Renjii—and, because she hadn’t gotten the chance to spend time alone with him.

“How do you feel, Abarai-kun?” Momo had asked as she took the groom’s outer robe from him, carefully folding it away. The garment had been a gift from Kuchiki-taicho who had it embellished with the Sixth Division symbol. Izuru and Ikkaku had gone with the human, Kurosaki, to look for the final additions to Renjii’s next outfit for the night, leaving Momo alone to help the groom get ready.

“I don’t know…normal—but not?” the tall man shrugged. “I’m not used to all this pomp and circumstance—especially everyone looking at me.”

Momo laughed as she handed Renjii the black suit bag—a custom tailoring from the Quincy boy.  “It’s your day Abarai-kun, everyone should be looking at you!”

His cheeks turned bright red, rivaling his hair. “I’ve had enough of it for a while.” Renjii moved behind the screen, and Momo turned her back around to give him further privacy as he removed the other layers. (Days spent in the Shinigami Academy had broken through any semblance of modesty when they had to quickly change between fitness courses and studies along with their overnight camps).

“How are you, Hinamori-kun?”

“Me?” Momo looked down at her hands as she played with the strings of her purse, fiddling with the knotted ends.

“No, the other girl in the room,” he scoffed loudly.

She rolled her eyes and threw a tie over her shoulder and screen, smiling in delight when she heard him yelp.

“You were pretty emotional at the engagement party—and now at the ceremony…I just wasn’t expecting you to cry so much.”

Momo smiled to herself— she had definitely cried her fair share of tears the last couple of days. But she’d shed them all again because they were happy tears. And she knows she wasn’t the only one to be overwhelmed by such a beautiful moment; for even the human girl, Orihime, had started crying so much so when Rukia walked down the aisle, the human couldn’t hold her camera straight. During the ceremony, Momo had sat with Rangiku and the other lieutenants, and was bawling as soon as she saw Renjii have his first glance at Rukia.

“I’m just so…happy for you,” Momo sniffled feeling an onslaught of tears come on. “Is that such a bad thing?” she asked as she could hear him chuckle behind the screen.

She couldn’t help it. Momo loved love and she loved that her dear friend had finally found his.

Momo remembered in the Academy, how Renjii has first come out as rough around the edges. It had been the first time she had met someone from one of the lower districts, and she didn’t quite know what to make of him—except that his eyebrows were quite strange.

But any reservations she may have initially had melted away when she saw his sincere heart and what a dedicated friend he was. From walking her back to her dorm after late night studying sessions to dropping off sweets before her advanced kido exam to sticking by her side when they were prematurely attacked by the hollow—Momo dearly wished that Renjii believed in himself like how he believed in his friends.

“How do I look?”

Momo turned around, and gasped. The taller man had left his hair loose, hanging long down his shoulders—making him look older and more debonair. And though the black formal suit was atypical garb for him, he somehow brought it all together with his usual black bandana. He looked good.

Renjii tugged at his collar, wincing in discomfort. “Is it too stuck up?”

The young girl shook her head and walked closer, taking the tie into her hands. “Abarai-kun, you are going to break a lot of hearts tonight.” She winked. “It’s a good thing you’re a married man.”

“You sound like Matsumoto—or Hisagi after a couple of drinks,” he chuckled in disbelief. “But you really think so? I don’t look out of place?” He joked casually, but Momo could detect something deeper.

“Abarai-kun,” she tightened the knot and looked up at him. “Do you feel like you don’t belong?”

He shrugged his shoulders so much that the ruby tie slipped out of her fingers. “It just feels like a lot—the ceremony, the wedding party. We knew we wanted to be together, but I didn’t expect it would become such a big event,” Renjii looked away to the side. “It’s all out of my comfort zone,” he confessed, twisting the ring on his finger.

She looked at him sympathetically. “I know you two have gone through a lot, Abarai-kun,” Momo reasoned softly, putting her hand on his arm, having him look down at her. “But I can say with absolute confidence that the two of you are the strongest and happiest when you two are together. This party—it just became something for everyone else to put their energy into having fun for one night.”

Momo smiled wholeheartedly. “And honestly I’m sure for Rukia-san, she doesn’t care for all these extravagances—she’d marry you even with paper rings.” She reached up to straighten out the wrinkles on his shoulder. “Again—I’m so happy for you.”

Renjii smiled and ruffled her hair, much to her protests. “Thanks, Hinamori-kun.” The taller man paused, like he was trying to uncover something on her face, but before Momo could ask, Ikkaku came barreling in with the human boy Kurosaki and Kira following suit.

“We found the corsage!” Ikkaku boomed, holding it up in victory.

“Byakuya had it expedited shipped from some out-there province—but wasn’t clear about which import hub it was located in,” the human boy said as he rolled his eyes.

...

Daruma Bar had transformed from the quaint backyard bar they knew into a bustling reception area. Tealights strung from the trees, hanging over a generous dance floor, already teeming with well-dressed officers. There were Kuchiki mansion staff seen around serving cocktail drinks while Hisagi was manning the DJ booth (a custom export from the human world), with an overeager Omaeda directing the spotlight.

Momo found herself ushered out onto the main floor, following the loud cheers of the groom party as the bridal party followed suit. Rukia was resplendent in a white cocktail dress, though she still wore her veil attached to the back of her head. There were tiny little strawberry flowers dotting the lining—which Rangiku had eagerly whispered into Momo’s ear during the ceremony that Orihime had personally embroidered as a gift.

It was only with the deafening cheer when the young couple satisfied the crowd with a kiss that the party truly started.

A dusk had descended on the day, with candles illuminating the tables and basking everyone in red orange hues. Momo could see many of her lieutenants around the tables, chatting and mingling, along with lower seated officers who were clinking glasses of beer together. There was a relaxed air, and she felt immediately at ease to see everyone unwind.  

Hisagi had blasted the music loudly, and only for the fact that it was an official Gotei Thirteen event (and that Kyoraku-soutaicho was enjoying a round of shots himself), Momo was sure they would have violated some noise pollution ordinances. But when Renjii pulled her onto the dance floor as a line dance came on, she couldn’t help herself but laugh out loud and try to follow along.

And Momo danced. In the group dances when the crowd swarmed to the floor, she jumped from side to side. When the music slowed to heartfelt ballads, she clutched onto Nanao’s shoulders, singing with her whole heart out.

During the brief moments of respite when she was taking a break with a drink in hand, she found her eyes drifting to the human group on the side.

The war had been long over, but there was still a wide berth around the Quincy boy, Uryuu, who stood off to the side chatting with the other tall human. Momo could see Orihime run over to them, trying to liven up the conversation and eagerly pointing to her plate of food. And in between the loud beats of music, she found herself thinking how the war had left invisible scars on all of them.

The music shifted to softer, mellow music and Momo eagerly took that as a cue to head over to the chef’s table. There were several cooks who were preparing popular street food from the different districts of Rukongai, such as taiyaki, grilled corn and okonomiyaki pancakes—many of which she knew were Renjii’s favourites. There was still the presence of Kuchiki-taicho’s influence in the decoration, from the ornate ice sculptures, exquisite flower bouquets among finger sized hors d’oeuvres and a slow roasted pigling on the split. 

Momo didn’t want to eat too much as she was keen to dance more without the heavy feeling of being full. So, she quickly took a bite of the taiyaki before walking over the newlywed couple who were in line with Kuchiki-taicho at the kabob stall.  

Renjii gestured forward with his meat skewer, holding it by the Sixth Captain’s face. “You have to try this, Taicho! It’s an Inuzuri special!”

Rukia nodded her head eagerly, the excitement sparkling in her violent eyes. “They marinate the meat with plums to help sweeten it.”

Momo had to laugh at the look at the sixth divison’s captain’s face—the only indication of displeasure was the slight downturn of his lips. He slowly took the skewer, inspecting it on all sides before lifting it up and taking the smallest bite Momo had ever seen. He chewed slowly, maintaining contact with the eager eyes of the bride & groom, before swallowing.

“It is…appropriate,” he sufficed, before dabbing his lips with a napkin.

...

The party continued in beat again, with no clear sign of stopping. Hisagi’s position of DJ had been usurped by one of the Shiba men, eager to grab the mic and direct the audience in line dances. After the ninth lieutenant had realized what happened, it was a loud battle where the music changed pace and tempo to their scramble, confusing the audience in between switching from easy going sways and fast jigs. The fight immediately ceased and desisted when the older Shiba came on stage and hit the two men both, stopping the bickering without any question. It was only when the music slowed to a soft classical tune, did Momo decide it was time to sit out for a bit after another long stint on the dance floor.

She walked up to her captain, who was leaning casually against one of the high tables, observing the party with his eyes straying down to his phone every so often. Though he looked relaxed, Momo knew him well enough to know that he was eagerly waiting for the vizards from the Human World to join—specifically a short blond woman.

A server walked by, and Momo quickly took a drink, shooting a generous smile at the staff in thanks.

“Go easy on the drinks,” Hirako mused with a smile tugging on his lips, “We still have work tomorrow.”

Her captain had eagerly taken the opportunity to dress in human clothes, wearing a dark pinstripe suit with silver tie. Momo had never seen him before so excited to dress up and he had taken many trips to the Human World to find the right outfit.

“Taicho, the suit looks quite good on you!” she remarked, leaning against the table with a champagne glass in her hands. Now that she had stopped dancing, she didn’t quite realize how much her feet were hurting. She sighed, inhaling the dusky air that was sweet and heavy with candle smoke.

“You also look good,” her captain remarked, holding his glass up in a cheers motion. “Matsumoto had fun with the makeup?”

Momo smiled in agreement as she played with her flower hair ornament. “She did a fantastic job!”

The two lieutenants had eagerly gone through the stores looking for appropriate kimonos to wear. And even though the older woman had more stamina than Momo in that respect, she enjoyed the shopping spree; especially when she finally settled on a light pink print with white printed flowers. Rangiku had helped her dress up and made sure to spend extra time on the younger girl’s makeup and hair before getting ready herself.

When Momo finally saw the look, light pink blush and soft red lips, she couldn’t stop staring at herself which filled her with greater anticipation for tonight.

“How are you feeling, Hinamori?” he asked.

“I’m doing well! I’m enjoying the party!” she said cheerily, but even to her ears it felt a bit forced. She sighed and took another sip, avoiding her captain’s watchful eyes.

Hirako took a long swig of his drink. “You’ve been crying a lot—I know you and Abarai are close friends…” he drifted off. “But is there nothing else going on?”

Momo swished the glass around, looking down. “I’m not sure,” she confessed. “I am happy for Abarai-kun—I truly am.”

The Fifth captain leveled her with a long stare. “Sometimes seeing other people happy can remind us of when we’re not,” he said simply.

Momo turned sharply towards him. “Do I seem unhappy?” she asked softly.

Hirako shook his head and looked at the last of the crowd dancing. “Not to everyone–no. But I think those that care can tell when there’s something deeper.”

“Hina-chan! Hirako-taicho!”

The two Fifth Squad guards looked towards Rangiku who was walking towards them with a skip in her step, dressed in a beautiful vibrant violet kimono with peony flowers.  In the low light, her blue eyes were twinkling, and the red candle flames highlighted her wavy golden hair. 

Following behind slowly was the tenth division captain, dressed in a simple dark grey kimono. While others had gone for extravagance or taken the opportunity to dress up, the simplicity of his outfit made the young boy stand out in the crowd. His turquoise eyes seemed brighter, and his white hair shined amongst all the candle lights. Momo could feel her heart race up (but she blamed it on the lightheaded feeling from the drinks).

“Hinamori-chan, you dance so well,” Rangiku remarked as she plucked a champagne glass from a passing server. She shot a flirtatious smile at the server, who scrambled away flustered, their cheeks a bright red. “I don’t think I’ve seen you take a break all night.”

“I’ve been having a lot of fun,” she laughed, moving forward and almost toppling over if it hadn’t been for her captain and Rangiku who grabbed a hold of her arms. “I’ll say,” Rangiku laughed. She turned behind her, beckoning her hand forward. “Taicho, take a photo of us!”

Momo looked to the young captain who looked like he was frozen in motion, with hands slightly reached out. They fell lamely to the side. He recomposed himself and sent a glare towards his lieutenant—but complied, holding up the camera in front of him.

The lighthearted smile Momo had tried to put on all evening felt strained and she could only hope it didn’t show as the flash went off.

“The Kuchiki’s really know how to throw a party,” Rangiku observed demurely, “they should do it more often.” She flipped her long hair as she scanned the crowd. “I think they’re going to be turning off the music soon.” The older woman turned to look at Momo with a devious smile. “Hina-chan—you should dance with Taicho.”

Her heart rate immediately jumped, and she found herself frantically waving her hands in front of her. “Oh no,” Momo looked back for support but found herself being pushed forward by her captain, who was sporting a smug smile. “C’mon, it’ll be good for you,” he said with a final nudge.

A similar look was mirrored over with Rangiku who was pushing a protesting Toushiro towards the middle of the dance floor, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Taicho, hasn’t stepped on the dance floor at all tonight!” She agilely grabbed the camera out of his hands.

“Matsumoto!” Toushiro turned to yell at his vice-captain who quickly made herself scarce from the scene. He turned slowly to look at Momo as dancers passed by around them.

He cleared his throat. “Hinamori, we don’t have to do this.”

She could only mutely nod her head shortly, as she realized that this was the first time, they had spoken outside of work to each other after the recovery period.

The crowd continued to move around the two of them undeterred. Swaths of maroon, blue, purple flashed around her, but she could only look down at her feet. The music slowed down in pace, and a loud cheering occurred across the floor, with Renjii and Rukia making it onto the floor before holding onto each other like they had all the time in the world—which made Momo’s heart clench.

Momo could hear Toushiro sigh softly before she saw two feet approach her.

She turned to look up and he was too close, much too close. She forgot to breathe as she looked up and counted the flecks of sapphire in his eyes.

“Can I,” he asked softly, a sense of trepidation in his voice.

She jerked her head down and felt her heart rate quicken as he took her hands in his—which were several degrees colder than hers but grounded her in a reality that too many earlier drinks had lifted her from.

“Just humour them for one song…” he whispered.

It was an awkward start with Toushiro guiding Momo’s hand to his shoulder before moving behind to hold her shoulder blade. She had to swallow a gasp as she could feel the cold move dangerously close to the scar in her back, making her breath quicken.

And she didn’t know if it was cruel fate or not, but the music had slowed done to a pace that only in twos could one traverse. Out of the corner in her eyes, she saw her subordinates holding onto each other, with easy-going smiles as they swayed in comfort.

Momo stared straight at the side of his neck, trying to avoid all eye contact as they moved from one side to the other. She was too aware of his white hair tickling her cheek and the cool exhale of his breath on her collarbone.

This was too close too close. It was the closest they had been to each other in five years.

They had spent three years after the Quincy War dancing around the divide between them. Prior to that, Momo could only focus on her personal recovery after the Winter War as well as adjusting to her new captain. Toushiro had always seemed to be there on the periphery, flitting in and out of her consciousness.

He had apologized to her for what happened in the Fake Karakura town. She had profusely apologized in retaliation — no it wasn’t his fault, she shouldn’t have been there, she hardly remembered it, they were all foolishly tricked. (But that doesn’t stop the cold tremors she feels whenever she sees Hyourinmaru).

The young boy had stood there, silent and listening, but Momo could see the winter storm in his eyes, obscuring the shame that he had still felt whenever he got a glimpse of her scar through the Fourth Division robes. She had clutched the fabric tighter to her heart, where ice had barely missed, unable to meet his gaze. Even though she set the fissures off first, it was his sword that had swung the final blow in the demise of their crumbling relationship.

And she knows that he knows she feels that way because he had stepped aside, adamantly training in isolation to be stronger (at least according to her usual queries to Rangiku). And what could she do, except also turn around and try to move forward as a lieutenant of the Gotei 13.

For as much as she hated to admit it, they were not the same as before. Now they were just small talk and shallow inquiries about the weather, during the brief exchanges between captain and lieutenant meetings.

Momo wishes with all her heart that they could go back to who they were; where she could rush to him on the good days, a whole plate of watermelon in between them and see his eyes light up in excitement; or seek him out in the bad days when she desperately wanted to her hear his calm and rational reasoning, that soothed her like a cool breeze in the summer.

“How are you, Hinamori?”

Momo startled, looking to the right at him, but any closer and her lips would be on his neck.

“I’m good,” she responded quickly, inwardly grimacing at how high her voice sounded. “Hirako-taicho and I were excited to finish work two hours earlier so we could get ready. I had made sure we had finished all our reports for the day for approval, but it was nice to have an official announcement that work could be done earlier,” she rambled.

Toushiro raised an eyebrow, as if he didn’t quite believe her.

“Isn’t Hirako supposed to be one that handed those in?”

“Hirako-taicho,” Momo corrected, “He had done it the previous time but since I was meeting Rangiku-san and Nanao-san to get ready, we thought it best that I hand in the reports since it was on the way to the First Division.”

He hummed in agreement, before it became silent again. They turned around to avoid another couple who had swept a little too close. Momo found herself looking for Rukia and Renjii to distract herself from the awkwardness. The two were glued to each other, with Rukia staring up at her husband, the adoration evident in her eyes. She stood on her toes to which Renjii responded by lifting her higher. The young woman whispered something in his ear to which the red-haired man looked at her with wide surprised eyes before spinning her around as she laughed.

The two of them were out of step with the song but perfectly attuned to each other.   

Momo’s heart ached and a heavy weight settled in the pit of her stomach.

She looked down at the corner of his neck and shoulder. “Are you enjoying the wedding?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’ve been designated to photograph duty.”

“At least you’re part of the moments?” she tried to salvage.

“Not really,” the boy scoffed.

There was an awkward turn and Momo turned too quickly, tripping over her feet and bumped her chin into his shoulder. She mumbled an apology, not before she got an inhale of his scent which sent her mind into scrambles.

Momo pulled back to face him. “Did I hurt you?”

His emerald eyes went wide. A pause. The boy took a deep breath and leveled her with an intense gaze. “You could never hurt me, Hinamori.”

She stopped moving with Toushiro following suit. Everyone continued around spinning and laughing, while the music went up in crescendo.

“That’s not true at all…” Momo said distantly, shaking her head.

A loud bang startled her into moving closer to him, and she could feel him tighten his hold on her. Loud bursts of fireworks went off above them and the sky illuminated with bright vibrant streaks of colour.

All of a sudden, Momo noticed people looking at her with hopeful smiles and knowing looks, which made her chest tighten. And the cold on her back and her hand slowly felt like a vice that she couldn’t get out quickly enough.

“I’m sorry, Hitsugaya-taicho I have to leave,” Momo sputtered out right as the final note dropped, before running off the floor. Fireworks continued to crackle as she pushed past the dancing bodies, desperate to get as far away as she could. All the excitement that had made her feel before like she was floating on a cloud disappeared, leaving her with deep intense dread inside. 

A hand reached out and grabbed her arm, and she was pulled off the dance floor. Momo startled as Ikkaku thrust a shot glass into her face.

“C’mon, Hinamori—it’s the last shots of the night!”

The groom’s party had gathered around, with several bottles already empty in between them all.  Kira looked completely out of it, stumbling forward, and clutching onto Renjii with a dazed look in his eyes. The human boy wasn’t too far behind, his face mirroring the fruit he was named after. Ikkaku still seemed bright and alert as he poured the alcohol into her glass.

“Hinamori, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Renjii reasoned, trying to push off Kira so he could come towards her. She recognized that look of concern, it was his big brother mode when he saw she was teetering on the edge of anxiety.

Momo, determined not to make a bigger fool of herself and ruin her friend’s special day, took the shot lifted out towards her.

“To the Abarai’s!”

And she threw back the drinks, the liquid burning down her throat.  The rest of the guys hollered loudly, rivaling the sound of the fireworks. And they didn’t stop there, continuing to chase one drink after the other until Momo’s head pounded like the fireworks.

--

In front of Daruma Bar there was a large pond and several benches for guests to sober up on. Amid the final throws of excitement, Momo had hobbled alone out of the bar before throwing up in the bushes by the water. And even through the motions, she found herself thinking—that in no way was she getting her kimono stained—and that she was grateful there was no one to witness this embarrassment.

A cool cloth appeared in the peripheral of her vision, and she was too tired to not accept it.

“How much did you eat today?” Toushiro asked sternly as he hovered over her. She startled belatedly and threw a fatigued look over her shoulder.

“Not enough,” Momo heaved. When she was finally done coughing, she collapsed on the bench in exhaustion—feeling spent and drained.

The tenth captain stood a distance, in that quiet way Momo knew he reserved for battle, figuring out his first move.

Momo wiped her forehead and her mouth, looking down at the lipstick smears on the cloth. She sniffled, feeling despondent.

The war was over. They had fought, had shed blood, had lost men—but they had won. And though it was a quiet victory, with reconstruction looming as a herculean hill to climb, they all pressed on. People were having fun, becoming stronger, moving on. This party was just one moment of many future beginnings, a dynamic turn of high energy and excitement for what was ahead— and yet, Momo still felt caught in the past somehow.

Momo knew in the deepest of her hearts, that Renjii deserved this night. She had remembered it all too well, the pain on his face when Rukia had entered the Kuchiki household, leaving him at the Academy broken-hearted. He had fought tooth and nail and truly defied the odds when no one had believed him.

But, now sitting in the aftermath of the party, Momo was hit with the sobering thought that she was pitifully jealous of Renjii. Jealous that he had a new future to look forward to with someone he cared deeply for. Momo was nowhere near where he was, hell—she wasn’t even on proper speaking terms with one of her oldest friends.

Momo sobbed, furiously rubbing her eyes with her kimono sleeves. “Do…do you think—we’ll ever be like that?”

Toushiro sighed, knowing that Momo’s tolerance how gone past reason.

“We never stopped being friends, Hinamori.”

“But we don’t talk anymore,” she wailed tearfully, feeling fresh tears come down her face. It was bothering her now how sticky her cheeks were becoming, considering the amount of time Rangiku had spent on her makeup—which made her feel even more pitiful. “Do you hate me, Hitsugaya-kun?”

He stood there uncomfortably, as if trying to find the right words. “Hinamori I never…hated you.” Toushiro let out a long exhale as he sat on the far end of the bench. “I just wanted to give you space.”

“Are you sure? Because I don’t know what we are,” she bemoaned, gesturing her hands in between them. “But I do know,” Momo sniffled loudly. “we’re not the same as before.”

“No…no we’re not,” Toushiro said simply, looking at the moon’s reflection in the water. Momo could see that even though his hair seemed bright like the white light, there was a dullness in his eyes. 

“I thought training would be the solution, to get stronger and let you be on your own.” He kicked a loose pebble into the pond. “But that wasn’t the only right answer.”

Toushiro turned to her, and solemnly said, “You didn’t deserve that.”

Momo hiccupped and looked up at him with teary eyes. “…You’re not mad at me?”

He furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head in confusion. “Why would you blame yourself for everything?”

“Well, I started this all—this rift,” Momo drew a line in between them, tracing her finger on the stone bench. She looked up at him with doleful eyes. “I’m sorry, Shiro-chan—for all of it. I don’t think I can ever apologize enough.”

The boy looked down at the space in between them pensively. It was like she could see the gears turn in his mind, slowly and methodically, to find the next right step.

“And for every apology you give...instead of pulling away,” Toushiro shifted himself over until he was halfway over the bench, looking up at her with determination in his eyes, “I’ll move closer.”

Her brown eyes widened, before she smiled in relief, scooting closer to him, until they were side by side. Momo grabbed his hand in her’s, holding them up high in between them. “And for every time you feel like you want to pull away, I won’t let you.”

Toushiro noted objectively. “I think we’ve come to a standstill.”

She laughed as she wiped the tears off her cheeks, “That the Hitsugaya-kun I miss. You always know exactly what to say.”

They stayed in silence, listening to the last sounds of the party as it wrapped up. Finally, Toushiro pushed himself off the bench and turned to the teary girl. “Come on, let’s go home.”

At the thought of getting up, Momo immediately deflated with the pent-up fatigue from the party. “My feet are killing me,” she whimpered, quickly trying to kick off her heeled shoes. The brown-haired girl stuck out her bottom lip in contemplation.

“Can you carry me, Hitsugaya-kun?” she asked quietly, as if she were afraid to shatter the moment.

The tenth captain raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to remember this in the morning?” he asked dubiously.

Momo whined, her voice raising in pitch. “C’mon—I used to do it all the time for you when you got hurt.”

Toushiro rolled his eyes, before turning around and bending down. There was a moment of awkward fumbling as Momo eagerly climbed onto his back. She clutched her arms around his neck and leaned her cheek down next to his as he stood up.

“You’re so strong Shiro-chan…” Momo pulled back a hand to smooth the wrinkles of his kimono. “Like obviously your shoulders are a lot wider now,” she observed. “But I didn’t know you were this strong.”

Momo yelped as he shifted her with a jolt, making her knock her chin on the back of his head. “That was mean, Shiro-chan,” she said though she could feel her heart racing as he chuckled. “That’s what you get for making comments like that,” he responded dryly, though she could hear the slight smile in his voice.

The girl tightened her arms around him again, swinging her feet back and forth. “You’re a lot funnier than people take you for, Shiro-chan.”

“It’s a secret I try not to share,” he responded to which Momo laughed out loud. 

She snuggled closer into his back, relishing how secure she felt as he carried her away from the bar. “Shiro-chan…we’re friends again, right?” she mumbled softly.

Toushiro scoffed, feeling her doze into his shoulder. “Yeah…we’re friends.”

Momo fell asleep with a smile on her face, feeling more at ease than she had ever been before.

—

Author's Notes: You know the stressful thing about writing about a wedding party? It's almost like you're planning it!! Is there enough ice for the drinks? IS everyone dancing? What kind of music do they need? Who's going to be the wedding crasher? What are the decorations? How can I show that Byakuya has no chill and spares no expense in anyway he can? Where's the food??? IS EVERYONE HAVING FUN??

This was one of my first times writing Renjii and of course I have to do it during his wedding day but oh well. I would really love to write more about him and Momo's friendship together, and I thought it was a perfect place for Momo to compare herself in what she has and lacks since they both came from similar relationships to their childhood friends.

I think my trend has also to leave the Hitsuhina moments until the very end and then flourish the beginning immensely with self reflections and them talking to everyone BUT each other (which results in much longer fics)

[hitsuhina-week]

It's almost that time of the year again!

It's time to celebrate the fantastic ship that is Hitsuhina! Here are the themes for the Hitsuhina Week 2023 celebration in June and July:

[June 26th] Day 1: Academy days / Fireworks [June 27th] Day 2: Sunset / Homecoming [June 28th] Day 3: Shinigami / AU [June 29th] Day 4: Back to back / I'm sorry [June 30th] Day 5: I could go anywhere with you / Night [July 1st] Day 6: Something beautiful / Waves [July 2nd] Day 7: Future / Fairy tales

If you're new to Hitsuhina Week events, please take some time to read through the rules and guidelines here

As with previous years, you will have a choice of two themes per day. This is so you if you feel that one particular theme doesn’t inspire any ideas for you, you can choose the other. However, if you’re feeling up to it, you can create a submission for each theme if both inspire you, or somehow incorporate both themes together into one or more submissions.

You can interpret these themes whichever way you want, but if need some inspiration or want to better understand the themes, you can visit the 'Themes and Prompts' page here.

Follow this blog to get reminders leading up to the week and to see all of the amazing works everyone will make for the week. As always, let's make this year's celebration as good as the last! :D