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canariie · 2 years

Text

i just called to say

Rating: K+

Synopsis: “Momo-chan—what’s wrong? Should I come in?”

“I’m fine,” her voice cracked and Momo winced at how pitiful she sounded. The door tentatively opened as Orihime peeked her head in, her warm amber eyes immediately softening when she saw the lieutenant in the tub.

“I’m sorry to be crying like this,” Momo said as she wiped her tears. She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry in front of people after the Winter War, but some habits were harder to kick.

Orihime smiled understandingly as she knelt down and held out a small towel. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Momo-chan.”

…

Momo arrives in the World of the Living to start her personal kido training sessions and spends the night at Orihime’s apartment.

Word Count: 5460 words

Setting: during the time skip, before the epilogue of Bleach (probably 3 years after the last chapter)

Prompt: @hitsuhina-week‘s Hitsuhina Week 2022 - Day 4 - Things Left Unsaid

Authour’s Note: THIS IS SO LATE I KNOW ;-;

I honestly didn’t know that this would grow so much! This is my longest fic on tumblr to date!!!

I struggled a lot with figuring out what to write for the celebration week, I think this was my fourth attempt at something? But the more I reflected on writing Orihime in this, I found myself saying to myself, oh this needs to be fleshed out longer, i have to include this as well. Until it evolved into this long, short novella for you all.

For the most part this is Momo and Orihime, but there are conversations on Ichihime (and this is obviously, or maybe not so obvious, Hitsuhina) so proceed as you will haha.

This was inspired by many many things:

- @rays-of-fire-and-ice‘s fic In Time’s of Peace

- @whipplefilter ‘s fic Donki

Shout out to Harry Style’s Late Night Talking and Steve Wonder’s I Just Called to Say I Love You for being the inspiration around intimate phone calls.

Enjoy!

—

"lnoue-san, I'm so sorry I'm late! My meeting went over, and I had to wait to be approved for a new departure time, which took longer because the Senkaimon wasn’t prepared in time," Momo rambled, panting in between breaths.

It was late into the summer night and Momo had just arrived from Soul Society into the World of the Living. It was the first time on her own without a predetermined mission, and she wanted to make the most of it. Hirako-taicho had given her a week off to train with Haachi of the Vizards so she could develop her kido skills. It was something they both had wanted for a long time, and the fifth division was finally in a place where Momo could take the time off to work on her own personal goals.

However, her first steps weren’t as smooth as she couldn’t get her location to work on her denreishinki correctly— it would throw her two streets over and its north arrow wasn’t calibrated correctly (though the twelfth division had assured her it was the newest prototype with the latest updates) leaving her clueless in the dark of how to find Orihime Inoue’s apartment. By the time she had picked up her gigai, got lost around the neighborhood, circled around twice, and walked up the steps to the apartment, Momo was flustered and sweaty with her clothes sticking to herself.

"No worries, Hinamori-chan!" Inoue chirped, gently grabbing her bags from her hand and leading her into the kitchen. "I just got back from work and was setting up the extra futon!"

"Thank you, lnoue-san," Momo said with a defeated sigh. Just looking at the girl in her oversized shirt and baggy pants, instantly put her racing mind to ease. Though they hadn’t met before, Hirako-taicho had told her that the human girl was more than happy to host Momo since she herself was continuing her own healing training with the former Kido corps leader.

"Also!” The human girl beamed, “Please call me Orihime!"

Momo smiled. "Then, please call me Momo."

Though the apartment was small, there was a charm of youth that the lieutenant didn’t realize she missed from being in the barracks. Little stationary pens and washi tape (which Momo made a note to ask Orihime where she bought them for later) along with a pile of worn old schoolbooks stacked on the desk. A small bookshelf hosted stuffed animals and novels with an old pink CD player perched on top. Below the hanging fabric print, Momo noticed a small family altar with a picture of a handsome dark haired young man.

Though she could see Orihime all around her, there was also a sense of a new presence: a dark blue coffee mug next to a pale pink teacup; military green flip flops by the entrance next to soft white bunny slippers; a black hoodie with a ‘15’ emblem hanging by the closet door. Someone had squeezed themselves into the space and the apartment had accommodated itself for one more.

It was cozy and intimate, and filled Momo with a longing for peace. Things had been hectic in Soul Society, from her training new recruits to also part timing at the Academy—she was excited to be involved in so much and could feel herself growing. But after a long day of prepping her subordinates before she left and emergency meetings, she felt that she barely had the time to breathe, let alone sit down to herself.

"Would you like me to warm up the bath?"

At the thought of immersing herself in warm water, Momo could feel her shoulders instantly deflate.

"That sounds wonderful," Momo sighed.

“It’s a bit small,” the human girl warned with a sheepish smile, “but feel free to use as much bubble bath mixture as you would like!”

“I’m sure it’s alright, Orihime-chan! I really appreciate it,” Momo said with a smile, feeling a strong desire to comfort her.

As Orihime went to set up the bath, Momo opened her bags in the living room and finally got a chance to look at her denreishinki. There was a short message from Hirako-taicho asking her to message him when she reached and say hi to Hiyori (if she were in a good mood). Rangiku has also texted her asking her to give her love to Orihime and bring back some face masks from the Human World. Toushiro had texted her early in the morning before she had started that day to call him when she arrived, but in all her hurry she hadn’t paid it too much attention. She had sent him a quick text message when she stepped foot in the World of Living, to which he replied with a short “ok” – he was never the greatest at texting, but she had assumed he was busy.

Once Orihime led her to the bathroom, it didn’t take Momo long to shed off her sticky clothes and eagerly step into the steaming water. She sighed in content as she could feel her muscles loosening. It had been such a long time that she had taken a bath, she could hardly remember. There was something so feminine and relaxing about the concept that allowed herself to unwind. During the work week, she only had time for quick showers and washes— so sitting in a bathtub with bubbles felt like an unprecedented luxury. Momo settled herself in further, the water reaching the ends of her ears.

“Is the water alright?” Momo could hear Orihime say through the closed door.

“Yes, it is!” she affirmed as she blew a froth of bubbles away from her knees. Momo giggled to herself as some landed on her nose.

“I’m glad! You should try the apricot scrub! It’s the best exfoliator after a long day. By the time I come home from working in the bakery, I’m covered in flour and sugar and that’s the only thing that can take it all off.” Orihime laughed and Momo hummed in agreement, wondering absentmindedly if it was a human tradition to have a conversation through the bathroom door.

It was quiet for a moment and all Momo could hear was the sound of cicadas chirping outside. The slosh of water echoed across the bathroom walls. Everything was much quieter this time of night, like the whole world had paused to take a breath. As she leaned against the rim of the tub, Momo could almost feel herself drifting to sleep.

“You know Momo-chan,” Orihime called out. A long pause stretched out. “I saw Toushiro-kun after he spoke to you.”

Her eyes snapped open as the image of her childhood friend flashed before her eyes.

“When was that?” Momo asked tentatively.

“It was right after we left Soul Society—and Rangiku-san and Toushiro-kun came to stay with me during their mission. I didn’t know much at the time—especially when they set up the TV creature. I’m still not sure how they were able to set it up by themselves—and especially how they fed it,” Orihime rambled on, and Momo felt herself piecing the memories together. A plea to the general captain. The bubble of anticipation in her stomach and the bated breath as she waited to talk to the tenth captain.

“I wasn’t sure if I should have been listening in, but the head captain called me into their meeting. It was one of the first times that I felt included in such important matters,” Orihime laughed quietly, and Momo felt herself leaning forward to hear more. “I left the two of them to update Kurosaki-kun and the others, but when I returned home… I could sense there was something off.”

Momo could feel her heart still and her breath hitched. She remembered that conversation well. Feelings of being on a precipice, so scared to look down that she could fail to see the anguish in her friend’s eyes. Looking back, she could remember the agitation in the way his eyebrow furrowed and his grimace as he muttered her name. As a vice-captain she felt ashamed that the situation escalated to the point that the General Captain had to intervene.

“What did he say?” she asked softly, her voice wavering.

If Orihime heard her anxiety, she didn’t notice and continued on. “He was really quiet and didn’t say much—he just went to the roof. But there was something in his eyes that looked…sad.”

Momo shuddered. Her dear friend had grown so strong through the ranks, but due to her naiveté, she had knocked him down and hurt him—something she would never forgive herself for.

A stab of hurt went through Momo and suddenly the water felt too hot, the steam too overpowering and her vision blurred. She sniffled and tried to keep her voice steady. “Was he okay?” she asked.

“Momo-chan—what’s wrong? Should I come in?”

“I’m sorry to be crying like this,” Momo said as she wiped her tears. She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry in front of people after the Winter War, but some habits were harder to kick.

Orihime smiled understandingly as she knelt down and held out a small towel. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Momo-chan.”

And they were no longer a shinigami and human; just two individuals who had seen harsher things at too young of a time.

“It’s my fault that he was so upset,” Momo confessed. “I was foolish and…disillusioned.”

Flashes of broken eyes. Ice missing the heart by an inch. Cold searing pain as she fell from the sky. A lamenting howl piercing the heavens before she faded into black.

She looked down at the ghost spot of her scar.

“I thought I held him back,” she weeped. “And I still do.” Her shoulders wracked in sobs as she cradled her face in her hands, embarrassed to be wallowing in self-pity but also to be seen like this by someone she just met.

“I’m sorry I brought it up, Momo-chan,” Orihime gently said, and Momo could feel a warm hand touch her shoulder. “Rangiku-san briefly explained to me what happened and ever since then…I had always wondered if Toushiro-kun was feeling that way, then you must have been really hurt as well.”

Momo looked up as Orihime smiled softly, melancholia hiding behind her eyes. Momo knew that look—she had seen it in herself before.

“You know…I also felt a similar way when the Arrancars had first attacked Karakura. Kurosaki-kun got badly hurt because of me. Rukia-chan and Abarai-kun had to come and cheer him up—which was more than I ever could do at the moment…”

Momo watched as Orihime picked absently picked at the fleece of the floor mat.

“I felt like I was…useless. They were able to support him more than I could, then. And though I had started training to become stronger for myself, it didn’t feel enough.” Orihime looked up, her amber eyes firm and resolute. “So, I went to Hueco Mundo—because that’s what I could do to protect them.”

Momo had remembered the moment and panic. She was sent back to the Fourth for further recovery when she had heard the former Ryoka girl had defected and willingly entered enemy territory. Word had spread around Soul Society of traitorous slander. They were only slowly warming up to the intruders when the scandal happened. At the time, Momo had only felt confusion but also had wondered if people had expected her to do the same—especially when she had arrived in the Fake Karakura Town.

Now looking at her, Momo realized that Orihime was just a girl who loved her friends so much that she would do anything—and everything—to protect them.

Orihime smiled proudly. “Now, I feel like I can fight alongside Kurosaki-kun. Because we’re stronger—together.” She gently took Momo’s hands in her own and squeezed it tight. “You’re already taking the first step by training with Haachi-san!” Orihime beamed. “You’re on your way to be stronger.”

Momo blushed, feeling overwhelmed by not only the warmth of the water but Orihime’s gentle smile. Though she had entered the apartment feeling exhausted and was now spent from crying, but inside there was a sense of lightness that came with a deep revelation.

“Thank you, Orihime-chan,” Momo smiled whole heartedly. “And even though I don’t know Kurosaki-kun as much, from the few times I’ve seen him, he always seems happier when he’s with you.”

The human girl’s cheeks reddened, shaking her head side to side in denial that Momo couldn’t help but think was cute. Thinking that it was time to finish up, Momo reached for the soft pink towel, but stopped in realization.

"I'm so sorry Orihime-chan but I forgot my sleeping robes," Momo apologized, feeling bad for imposing.

"No worries at all!” Orihime chirped as she got up. “The amount of times I've forgotten things while traveling—I always end up borrowing from Tatsuki-chan. I actually have an extra shirt from when Rangiku-san and Toushiro-kun was here!" Momo could hear the rustling of robes and opening of drawers. The door suddenly opened big enough for an arm to stick themselves in, "This was Toushiro-kun’s! I think it might fit you more than Rangiku-san's!"

Momo gently got out of the bathtub, making sure not to put too much weight down and slip, as she took the shirt in her hand. She let the dark black fabric run through her fingers, the silver chains clinging as they fell. Toushiro's shirt was a bit…unusual. It wasn't something she would expect him to wear.

She unwrapped the towel from herself and pulled the shirt over. The hem lifted right above her navel and the sleeves landed by her wrists. Momo brought up the collar to her nose and inhaled softly. Even though it was washed, she could still get the hint of a fresh mint scent that she had come to associate with Toushiro. Breathing it in, she relished the feeling of being at home.

When Momo had stepped out of the bathroom, towel in hand as she dried her hair, an array of pastries on the table greeted her. Orihime was pouring some tea next to two steaming bowls of udon, that reminded Momo of how hungry she was

“This looks amazing, Orihime-chan!” Momo exclaimed as she sat down. “Really?” Orihime’s eyes widened, as if she wasn’t used to the compliment. “I’m glad! This is not usually the food that I cook so I was a little hesitant to try.”

Momo moved closer to smell the food. “It certainly smells delicious,” she affirmed.

“Since I started dating Kurosaki-kun, I’ve had to learn to follow recipes strictly...” Orihime laughed hesitantly. “I usually like to wing it and add extra garnishes, but after one of our first dates at home, he had to go to the hospital from food poisoning,” she admitted sheepishly as she poured a cup of hot tea for Momo. “Ishida-kun and he sat me down and told me that I couldn’t cook like that for others anymore.

“But I still cook for myself my own recipes,” she mused unabashed. “The only one who’s liked it so far has been Rangiku-san.”

“Well, I can take some for Rangiku-san since she loves it so much,” Momo supplied in confidence.

Orihime’s amber eyes lit up. “Yes, of course! I’ll send her some cream cake with pickles!”

Momo laughed weakly, quite unsure of what to make of that but was more than happy to dig into the bow of udon in front of her.

The two talked casually about everything and nothing. Momo asked Orihime how long she had been working at the bakery (three years), what was her favourite bread (the custard bread on Tuesdays because that’s when they make it fresh—otherwise its melon bread). The human girl had also been taking extra shifts so she could earn enough savings to get an apartment on her own. While she was in highschool a distant relative had helped her with rent, but now that she’s graduated, she’s been trying to save up so she could have her own place and hopefully go back to school.

Orihime tucked her bands behind her ears, as she bent down to slurp a noodle. “I’ve been thinking about studying nursing for a while. Ever since the war and seeing everyone hurt—it made me realize that I wanted to do something more.” Momo could agree with the sentiment herself; it was another reason why she had thrown herself so much into the academy and training. She wanted to be someone that didn’t hold others back while helping others out.

“I’ve spoken to Ishida-kun about applying to nursing school and he agrees that it’d be a good translation of my healing powers,” Orihime said. “Kurosaki-kun has also been really supportive by touring schools with me on his weekends off. Sado-kun has offered to drive me to take the exam when he’s in town as well.” Orihime smiled fondly as she talked about her friends and it reminded Momo of when Rukia would come back from the human world and tell stories to them about meeting her friends.

Orihime’s eyes widened in realization. “Haachi-san actually gave me the idea! During one of our training sessions, he had mentioned how it was one of his human part time jobs—though it took a while for people to get used to his size since they would get scared,” she laughed making Momo wonder how big the kido trainer was.

“I think you would be an amazing nurse, Orihime-chan! Rangiku-san said you’ve healed Hitsugaya-kun faster than anyone in the Fourth,” Momo recalled.

“Speaking of, how long have you two known each other?” Orihime smiled gleefully, as if she were in on a secret.

“It’s nothing like that,” Momo defended, her cheeks going red. “We’re just childhood friends.” She had experienced this kind of inquiry from Rangiku, so she knew what to expect, but it didn’t stop the blush from reaching her face.

“Hm, I was hoping my women’s intuition was right,” Orihime muttered defeatedly. “But I do remember Toushiro-kun was popular during school,” she tapped her chin, looking up in contemplation as she munched on her melon bread. “A lot of girls were excited when he joined the kendo team briefly.”

“Really?” Momo asked, trying to keep her voice steady but feeling a slight tightness in her chest as she set her empty bowl down. She pulled her sleeve down her arm, fingering the fabric. “Well, that’s Hitsugaya-kun for you—he picks up everything so quickly.”

“He’s really an incredible leader,” Orihime affirmed. “Everyone always listened to him diligently during battles.”

“He truly is,” Momo smiled wistfully. “And not only that, but he’s also incredibly kind. He may not look like it, but he’ll go out of his way to make sure people are supported or recognized for their work.” She remembered the days when they had group training sessions, and all the seated and unseated division officers would gaze at him in wonder as he led them. Momo knew that her friend had to fight to gain respect when he obtained the captain seat prematurely. But she always felt a swell of pride inside when she heard people praising him for his leadership. “I think he’ll do amazing things wherever he goes.”

She looked up and caught Orihime smiling at her endearingly, making Momo blush. “But enough about me,” she said. “When did you and Kurosaki-kun get together?”

Orihime smiled softly. “After Rukia-chan & Abarai-kun’s wedding, he asked me to make some time for him. I didn’t really know what to expect and was even more surprised when asked if he could see me more—just the two of us.” Orihime blushed furiously, pushing the tips of her fingers together. “And since then, we’ve been taking it slow…”

Momo remembered the wedding in bits and pieces. It was a joyful occasion since it had been a long time in Soul Society that there was a large celebration. She had cried seeing Renjii and Rukia look at each other as they exchanged their vows and was an emotional mess as she drank the celebratory shots. But the excitement and high emotions had gotten to her so all she could remember was a pounding headache, blurred conversations and a late night walk home on something warm and strong.

Even though they had just met, Momo could feel there was an ease of openness between her and Orihime. She was witness to all the stories that the human teenagers had gone through in helping fight wars that weren’t theirs, so it made Momo immensely happy to see them moving on and creating happiness in their own lives.

“I’m really happy for you Orihime-chan,” Momo said wholeheartedly. “You deserve it.” She stood up, grabbing the empty bowl from Orihime and stacking it with her own dishes to take to the sink.

“I’ll take care of these dishes Momo-chan! You must be tired!”

“No, no, I can help you with those!” Momo protested. “You’re also tired from a long day of work.”

Orihime shook her head softly and smiled as she stood by the sink. “It won’t be hard at all! Kurosaki-kun and I have been calling each other every night, so I can do the dishes while I talk to him.”

“That’s so sweet,” Momo said. “It’s nice that you can make time for each other even with your busy schedules.”

Orihime blushed. “Kurosaki-kun is taking some summer classes to get ahead before the first year but since the college is far, we’ve been trying to talk on the phone often.”

“That must be so hard to be apart from each other since you two just started dating,” Momo sympathized.

“It is a bit difficult but we’re managing. Our phone calls have been really nice…” Orihime said softly, as she played with the fabric of her shirt. “I know Kurosaki-kun gets embarrassed around his family, but when it’s just the two of us on the phone he’s more comfortable. We’ve been able to be more honest with each other. Even if it’s important or trivial…it’s nice to just let some else know how you’re doing.”

The brown-haired girl smiled. “I’m sure it is.”

Momo helped put the dishes in the sink before going to the main room and getting ready for bed. Though she had been upset earlier, after talking to the human girl, Momo felt lighter inside. She knew there would always be some part of her that would hold the wounds of the Winter War close to her heart. But she was slowly coming to terms that it was okay to keep those pieces as long as they motivated you to move on. Momo smiled remembering the human girl’s resolute eyes and her advice. Orihime could heal people not just through her powers, but her warm words and kind presence.

She stepped closer towards the kitchen to go use the bathroom but stopped when she heard Orihime on the phone.

“Yes, Momo-chan arrived safely! We stayed up talking and she’s going to bed now.” Momo could see Orihime slightly blush and tuck her chin in and play with her hair as the girl listened to the other side. She put the wash cloth down “Have a good night Kurosaki-kun! I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” There was a slight pause and the girl turned slightly more red. “I love you too.” Momo smiled as she watched Orihime hold the phone close to herself, spinning from side to side before throwing the washcloth aside and leaning against the fridge with a squeal.

Momo gently closed the door to the kitchen and moved towards the living room window, careful not to make a sound as to not alert the amber-haired girl she was listening. It was such an intimate moment and it made Momo happy to know a more personal side of the famous substitute soul reaper. Though she hadn’t met him formally, from seeing the two of them interact she could tell that the boy was a special person to Orihime. Rangiku had once told her that people in love look more beautiful and she could truly attest to that.

Her thoughts swayed back to her childhood friend. Though Momo hadn’t seen Toushiro that day, he had messaged her to give him a call when she arrived.

I texted him when I arrived…but I want to also talk to him.

Before she knew it, Momo found herself pressing the call button and listening to the ringing tone. They hadn’t spoken to each other before on the phone, so she felt a little nervous. But she couldn’t contain her excitement also at the prospect of hearing his voice, especially at the thought of them having a conversation alone.

“Hello?”

“Hitsugaya-kun!” Momo yelped. She didn’t expect him to pick up so quickly.

“Why are you surprised? You’re the one that called me.” Even though she couldn’t see him, she could hear the slight eye roll in his tone. His voice sounded gruff, like he just woken up.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t realize you would pick up right away. Were you sleeping?”

“Not yet,” he admitted, and Momo instantly felt guilty. “But I told you to call me when you reached. I know your departure was delayed so you were traveling at night.”

At the thought of him waiting for her call, Momo could feel her heart beat a little faster—though she’d blame it on the summer heat.

She cleared her throat. “It was a late arrival, so I felt bad to keep Orihime-chan up. But she was so sweet, she cooked dinner for me, started a bath for me and stayed up until I was settled in.” She twirled a finger through her damp hair as she looked out at the crescent moon. “It’s really peaceful here.”

“Were you able to eat the food alright?” She could hear a bit of worry in his tone.

Momo laughed. “Orihime-chan explained to me that ever since she started dating Kurosaki-kun she’s had to limit herself to strict following recipes since he had to go to the hospital once.”

There was a low laugh over the phone. “I could imagine that. It seems like Matsumoto is the only that can stomach Inoue-san’s cooking.”

“But yes, it was delicious! I hadn’t eaten someone else’s cooking in a while, so it made me feel really warm inside,” Momo confessed. “I’m really excited to get to know Orihime-chan more.”

“Are you excited to start your training tomorrow?”

Momo nodded her head vigorously. “Yes! Orihime told me she’s trained with Hachi-san before and that it was really helpful! Hirako-taicho already prepped me a bit about what to expect, but I still feel a little nervous because I’ll be focusing on high level kido—and I haven’t done that in a long time.”

She could hear some noise over the phone that sounded like Toushiro was moving to sit up. “You shouldn’t be nervous. You’re more than ready.”

And she understood that—in principle. While at the academy, she loved reading the incantations and discussing with her professors of possible combinations. But it had been so long since the Quincy War and there hadn’t been a moment for her to push herself yet. Will she remember the incantations correctly? Should she have brought her books with her—

“Stop that.”

Momo paused. “Stop what?”

He scoffed. “I can hear all your overthinking over the phone.”

She spluttered quick protests to which he replied, “You’ll be fine, Hinamori. There is no one more capable than you.”

Momo said nothing as she traced the frame of the window with her finger, taking in his words. “You really think so?” she asked softly.

“I know so,” he responded immediately.

She instantly felt a wave of relief wash over her. Whatever little anxiety that was in the pit of her stomach dissipated like a breath of fresh air from the cool night. She always felt so relieved when Toushiro comforted her.

“Oh! Also Hitsugaya-kun—”

“Hitsugaya-taicho.”

“Hitsugaya-taicho,” Momo amended with a roll of her eyes. “I actually forgot in all my haste to pack sleeping clothes.” She laughed sheepishly. “Orihime-chan is in the midst of packing her apartment to move somewhere else but she actually had some of your clothes from when you and Rangiku-san stayed over…”

“And? She gave you Matsumoto’s clothes?” She could hear the slight confusion in his tone.

“Um, no…she gave me your old shirt,” Momo admitted softly.

There was a pause on the line, and she wondered if he had fallen asleep.

“You’re wearing my shirt?” Maybe it was the sleep, but Momo thought she could hear a slight waver in his voice.

“Yeah…” Momo blushed and look down at it. “It’s a bit short for me—when I lift my arms my whole midrift is exposed,” she laughed. “And it ends above my elbows. Also, I wouldn’t expect you to own something so...”, she fingered the hanging chain at the base of her collarbone, “…edgy.”

“Matsumoto had ordered those clothes—I didn’t pick them out.”

Momo giggled. “That makes sense—it wouldn’t have been the first thing I expected you to wear.”

“If it doesn’t fit you should wear something else,” he retorted.

“No, no! I love wearing it!” she defended quickly. “It reminds me of you…” It even smells like you, she thought but that felt too honest even for this late night of a call.

“…if you wanted something of mine, I could have given you something that fits.” Even though she could hear the sleep in his voice, she couldn’t stop the furious blush that appeared on her face.

Momo could feel herself becoming nervous and the need to diffuse whatever sparks were happening in between. Maybe it was the feeling of stepping out from a hot bath on a cool summer night. Or the solace of the white moon hanging above. But it seemed that both of them were revealing things usually left unsaid.

“It reminds me of how much you’ve grown. I kind of miss my short Shiro-chan,” Momo said playfully.

“Well, I’m no longer that short,” he said dryly. “Almost taller than you, now. You’ll have to get used to it.”

“You’re right,” she said softly.

It was quiet except for the low murmur of breathing on either side. Though no words were said, it felt comfortable. She could hear him turn around on his futon.

Momo thought back to Orihime calling Ichigo and how her smile was so bright. And though she couldn’t see Ichigo on the other side, she could imagine that he was just as happy to talk to them. She wondered how Toushiro felt on the other side of the phone.

“Is that all? I have to be up in a couple hours for morning training.”

“I’m so sorry Hitsugaya-kun!” She looked at the clock and instantly felt remorsefully for not considering the time-difference.

“Don’t worry about it, Hinamori. I wanted you to call.”

“I just called to say…”—how much I want to see you, how much I care —“…I’m excited to come back and tell you everything.”

He scoffed. “Don’t be excited to leave yet, Hinamori. Enjoy your training.”

Momo felt like her heart was hanging on a precipice at the thought of her next question. “Then…can I call you again while I’m here?”

A pause so long she felt like her heartbeat could be heard over the phone. Momo worried if she had stepped too far. This summer night had made her much bolder than before. She half expected him to scoff at her and remind her to focus on her own work. But there was hope that she wanted to continue these calls and tell him more.

“Of course you can.”

Momo beamed. “Wonderful! I’ll call you soon again! And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to call you earlier, so I don’t disturb your sleep.”

She could hear him chuckle on the other side. “Go get some sleep now, Hinamori.”

Even after putting the phone down, Momo couldn’t stop the smile from breaking out. She fell back on the futon, clutching the phone to her fast-beating heart.

There was something new about the phone call. She felt it and she had a feeling that somehow, Toushiro felt it too. A kind of intensity she wasn’t used to but was looking forward to in future conversations.

Momo wondered; how many things were left unsaid between them?

—

Authour’s Note: I really hope you enjoyed this!

I have always always loved the conversation between Rangiku and Orihime during the Advance Team Arc. I think it can get dismissed as fanservice, which I won’t deny, but I really loved the keen perception of Rangiku to sense Orihime’s insecurities and then give her big sisterly advice! I’m also such a fan of writing Momo with other female characters so I really wanted that sort of moment with her and Orihime (who I also believe is highly emotionally intelligent when it comes to other people’s emotions).

This is my first time writing Orihime so I was really nervous! (and also why it took so long to write this). but after watching clips of her and reading other orihime fan interpretations of her, i really found myself falling for her and her beautiful emotional strength. I also really wanted to showcase her relationship with Ichigo as a young high school sweetheart way and hope that came across :) I think I still need to get a hang of her dialogue but I would love to write more of her in the future!

Also, I am such a sucker for phone conversations! I think they’re such a beautiful concept to focus so much on someone’s voice and hang onto everything the other person says without really knowing how their face looks as they talk. There’s really such an intimacy with it that’s hard to replicate. The phone call between Momo and Toushiro was actually the first part of the fic that was written because it came the easiest to me :)

I started writing this fic in the summer when I was physically and mentally in a different part of the world, so I have fond memories of listening to Late Night Talking during the short nights and writing this after the long summer days. I think this is my favourite fic of the year because it contains a lot of memories of changes to where I am currently and I put a lot of love in Momo and Orihime’s interactions:) I truly hope you enjoyed it :)

#ITS FINALLY DONE #momo hinamori #toushiro hitsugaya #orihime inoue #ichigo kurosaki #bleach fanfiction #canariie: my fics #ichihime #hitsuhina #does it count if the characters are only there in name hahahaha #yes yes yes it does #honestly my true motivation to release this now is because i have to work on a written statement and my mind could not focus on that #until i actually just finished this long piece

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