[Hitsugaya didn't even notice the PCD video. It was 2:30 in the morning, and he'd managed to get to sleep earlier than usual. It had been nice, until he realized that Uchiha Sasuke was missing. A sweep of his senses pinned Sasuke's chakra location at the graveyard. Figured.
He wasn't entirely awake, but he was getting there, and he quickly pulled on some of the clothes Sasuke had given him for Christmas (that was part of the deal, right?). Snagging an umbrella, he headed out. It was going to be a long day.]
[He wasn't going to be moving anytime soon. He was just sitting there, wet, and staring at the recently-marked tombstone. It'd only been three months since he had last seen his parents, really, and technically they have been dead for eight years now.
It just happened to hit harder this year, with actually being able to live with them again for a couple of weeks.
Sasuke didn't budge, didn't make a sound, didn't do anything to acknowledge Hitsugaya's presence when the shinigami did arrive.]
[Hitsugaya frowned at the complete lack of outward reaction. It made him uneasy, but he'd seen Sasuke mourning more than once, and with the other boy at the graveyard so early in the morning, he hadn't been expecting a "Hi, how are you? Weather's great today," either. He stood back for some time, just watching, but finally he stepped forward until his toes nearly scraped Sasuke's back and tipped the umbrella so that it covered Sasuke instead. The shinobi was already wet, but if he wasn't going to move to any sort of shelter, Hitsugaya would just have to bring the shelter to him.]
[When the rain ceased to stop hitting him, Sasuke finally looked up. His expression had been the same as it was in the video - dead. It was almost like Hitsugaya was dealing with the living dead.
This was pretty much his reaction right after the massacre, after all.]
[Sasuke returned his gaze to the grave in front of him. He was silent for several minutes, like he wasn't going to even bother saying anything, but he did, as stretched out as the silence had been. Even then, however, it was nothing more than a grunt.]
[He had no idea how to handle these situations. Whenever Sasuke showed any signs of being really, truly upset, Hitsugaya simply diverted his attention. The one time he hadn't had been the last time Sasuke had mourned his parents, several months ago. It had been one of the most awkward moves of his life, hadn't even been comfortable, but Sasuke had seemed to gleen something from it. Would it have the same effect now, or would the contact receive as little reaction as his arrival had?]
[The response was almost automatic, but it was true. For the past couple of days, he had had trouble sleeping. It didn't matter how long he had been out, running around the city killing and burning Angels, at the end of the day he couldn't sleep. It was always like this around the time of the massacre.
While he was growing up, and the anniversary came around, the nightmares would haunt him, and they'd haunt him badly. He was somewhat immune to it now, thanks to the constant playbacks from Itachi and Madara, as well as having lived in a house almost exactly the same. But that thought...made him feel empty inside. True, he didn't have any nightmares this year, yet...
He'd rather have the nightmares and wake up in a cold sweat and screaming than this...void. It hurt, and it hurt bad to feel empty.]
[Well, no matter how often anyone moved around and worked off energy destroying the angels, so long as they continued to exist, they'd always do the opposite of promoting sleep.
From the way Sasuke delivered that one answer, however, Hitsugaya was sure it would take nothing less than physical force to get Sasuke to move so long as he didn't want it. Hitsugaya wasn't willing to do that. Not here and not now.]
[Sasuke offered no response as he pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms loosely around his legs before resting his head in the space between limbs. If you were trying to be funny, Hitsugaya, it wouldn't work on him. Not now, not today.
[Hitsugaya only sighed. There would be no attempt at a hug or anything to the sort. He had never wanted his privacy violated when he left specifically to be alone, and he wasn't going to violate Sasuke's. But he wasn't going to leave, either.
After a few minutes of silence, he turned so that he was no longer facing the shinobi and sat down on the ground. His back pressed against Sasuke's as he lifted his torso straight, but any further contact was avoided. At this point, Hitsugaya was fairly soaked himself, but he paid it no mind, the umbrella still sheltering Sasuke moreso than him. He didn't know how long Sasuke had been outside before he realized he was gone, and he hadn't been joking about catching cold.]
[The biggest difference between years past and now was that he hard someone with him, and here for him. Sure, his teammates might have understood in the past, but they...had always left him alone this time of year. Afterward, he had always been...colder toward them, as if it were a punishment of sorts.
When Hitsugaya sat down behind him and leaned against him, Sasuke couldn't help but glance back at the shinigami. Then, up at the umbrella covering him, but not Hitsugaya. Both of them were going to get sick at this rate, really, but that was... way in the back of his mind.]
[Hitsugaya hadn't given it a second thought, really. If Matsumoto didn't want to be alone, she found someone herself. If Hinamori needed help, he'd do what he could. And every time Sasuke had been upset, he'd always asked for company. In the beginning it had been hard to imagine that his presence would change much of anything in a situation like that, but a year later, it was simply second nature to offer without even being asked.]
[He was glad to have it, glad he didn't have to ask it of others anymore. Being alone had never helped him; in fact, it did the exact opposite. It made it harder for him to trust, made it harder for him to reach out to others since he had been a loner for...half of his life, really.
This was good. This is exactly what he needed to start his own healing process.]
He wasn't entirely awake, but he was getting there, and he quickly pulled on some of the clothes Sasuke had given him for Christmas (that was part of the deal, right?). Snagging an umbrella, he headed out. It was going to be a long day.]
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It just happened to hit harder this year, with actually being able to live with them again for a couple of weeks.
Sasuke didn't budge, didn't make a sound, didn't do anything to acknowledge Hitsugaya's presence when the shinigami did arrive.]
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This was pretty much his reaction right after the massacre, after all.]
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...Uchiha.
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Hn?
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...You should be in bed.
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[The response was almost automatic, but it was true. For the past couple of days, he had had trouble sleeping. It didn't matter how long he had been out, running around the city killing and burning Angels, at the end of the day he couldn't sleep. It was always like this around the time of the massacre.
While he was growing up, and the anniversary came around, the nightmares would haunt him, and they'd haunt him badly. He was somewhat immune to it now, thanks to the constant playbacks from Itachi and Madara, as well as having lived in a house almost exactly the same. But that thought...made him feel empty inside. True, he didn't have any nightmares this year, yet...
He'd rather have the nightmares and wake up in a cold sweat and screaming than this...void. It hurt, and it hurt bad to feel empty.]
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From the way Sasuke delivered that one answer, however, Hitsugaya was sure it would take nothing less than physical force to get Sasuke to move so long as he didn't want it. Hitsugaya wasn't willing to do that. Not here and not now.]
Don't blame me if you catch cold.
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He just kept staring.]
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After a few minutes of silence, he turned so that he was no longer facing the shinobi and sat down on the ground. His back pressed against Sasuke's as he lifted his torso straight, but any further contact was avoided. At this point, Hitsugaya was fairly soaked himself, but he paid it no mind, the umbrella still sheltering Sasuke moreso than him. He didn't know how long Sasuke had been outside before he realized he was gone, and he hadn't been joking about catching cold.]
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When Hitsugaya sat down behind him and leaned against him, Sasuke couldn't help but glance back at the shinigami. Then, up at the umbrella covering him, but not Hitsugaya. Both of them were going to get sick at this rate, really, but that was... way in the back of his mind.]
... Thanks for being here with me.
[It really was all he wanted out of his friends.]
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Of course.
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This was good. This is exactly what he needed to start his own healing process.]
...I miss them.
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...What do you miss most?
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Everything.
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