Free Fall (Bleach, Ichimaru/Hitsugaya, #13 - Excessive Chain)
Title: Prodigal Son
Chapter: Free Fall
Author/Artist: azardarkstar
Pairing: Ichimaru Gin/Hitsugaya Toushirou
Fandom: Bleach
Theme: #13 (Excessive Chain)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo. All characters are depicted as legal age.
Spoilers: Soul Society Arc and Beyond
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
There once was a boy, who was more dragon than human. All he’d wanted to do was soar. To be able to spread his wings and fly. But the things that bound him down held him more tightly than chains ever could.
Captaincy. Responsibility. Expectation. Pride. Duty.
Until there was no more time for flying, for diving through the clouds. And the only thing he could do was watch the sky through his office window.
And sometimes… most of the time, Hitsugaya Toushirou honestly wished he had never been made captain. Wished that he had never shown Hinamori his bankai. Wished that she hadn’t immediately run and told Aizen.
He hadn’t been himself in so long. Prodigy and tensai and Hitsugaya-taichou. So many labels that he wondered when he has stopped being Toushirou. When he had ceased to be his grandmother’s boy, her helper and best friend. When the ice was no longer a fascination but a mask, a shield to hide behind.
But such thoughts were too time-consuming. Took up too much of the precious seconds he had to himself. The only real free time he had aside from sleeping was walking to and from work. Just a scant few minutes to finally breathe.
And of course that time would be over just as he was settling himself. He walked into the tenth division headquarters with a clear scowl painted on his face, though it was habit more than anything. Not like there was anyone else there to witness it this early in the morning. Simply anticipation for the mess of documents he would undoubtedly find on his desk. And most of them would belong to his lieutenant, a steady stream of backlog that he could never quite finish by himself.
Toushirou strode through the building, coming to the outer office that should have been occupied by Matsumoto. His third-seat normally manned it instead since she often couldn’t be bothered. Plus, she seemed to think it her personal right to lounge on his sofa.
He slid the door to his office open and turned on the lights. Surprisingly, the paperwork on his desk was in a very neat stack. But he merely shook his head as he sat down and settled himself, thankful that his subordinates could at least do this right. Some days, he wondered if he was the sole competent person in the entire division. At least among the officers.
Not that the rest of the Gotei 13 was in better shape. Else he would have kicked out the lot of them ages ago. Instead, he was stuck trying to correct them, attempting to improve performance. However, it was rather like trying to teach an old, dying, deaf, and dumb dog a new trick. Or even just to get off his lazy ass and do something worthwhile.
An impossibility of the grandest sort.
Mind otherwise occupied, Toushirou idly got out his writing utensils and stamp and picked up the first page, only to blink at it stupidly. The form was already filled out. Frown deepening, Toushirou went to the next paper, but it was in a similar state. So were the third and fourth. The fifth. The tenth. Every one of them.
His paperwork was done. All of it complete. Not a single sheet unmarked or unstamped. The handwriting was familiar, remarkably so. Definitely not Matsumoto’s. The mere thought alone laughable to the extreme. Not his third-seat’s either, and if he were a betting man, Toushirou would wager that it wasn’t anyone in his division.
Not Hinamori either. She was too wrapped up in her own boss to even care that he hadn’t had a day off in nearly a year.
Aizen then. Perhaps Ukitake. Or maybe Kyouraku had sent over Nanao-san. He couldn’t think of anyone else who would do such a thing for him. Who would bother to take the time.
The mystery eluded him, but Toushirou found that he couldn’t really bring himself to care. He was too stuck on the idea that he had no work. Absolutely nothing to do. Sure there were drills, but those were one of the few things Matsumoto actually liked and was willing to do. Let her handle it for once.
However, that meant only one thing. He had free time. Actual free time. Time in which he could do anything he wanted.
Such a novel concept. And one so beyond him that he sat at his desk in a stupefied haze for a full five minutes before hastily jumping to his feet. He was quick to reorder his completed paperwork before heading out the door. His third-seat was just coming into the outer office as he passed, but Toushirou didn’t even stop.
“You’re in charge today,” he said as he went by, smirking at the man’s stunned expression. A quick shunpo took the captain away before his underling could even respond.
He stopped on the roof of a division building, not entirely certain where to go. Much less what to do. He hadn’t been free like this in ages. Between running his division, training to keep his skill, doing the paperwork of two people, and a thousand other things, there just was no time.
Now that he had it, Toushirou had no idea what to do with it. Thousands of possibilities that were all shadowy and vague. He just stood there and considered as the sun rose the rest of the way above the horizon, a chilly breeze tugging at his haori.
And finally, he just stopped and breathed in the morning air. Just watched as Seireitei came awake. Felt the warm sun kissing his skin. Listened to the wind gust through the bare trees.
He didn’t know how long he stood there. Minutes. Perhaps an hour. But by the time he was done, there was a smile on his face. A genuine and real one.
Toushirou glanced back at his division, noticing the various Shinigami milling about. He idly searched for a band of pink and strawberry blonde in the sea of black, already knowing that his lieutenant wouldn’t be awake for hours. Still, he almost swore that he did see a flash of silver and the whirl of a captain’s robe. Yet, that thought went out of his mind as quickly as it entered. Toushirou merely shook his head and went north along the rooftops, mind clear and centered. Steps taking him all the way to Jidanbou’s gate and the first district. Determined to make this time worthwhile.
After all, it wasn’t every day that his paperwork magically did itself.
Of course, Toushirou was extremely surprised to find the exact same thing the very next week, papers neatly finished and stacked on his desk. Or the following week. And the week after that. Month after month. Year after year. One free day a week.
One day to be himself and soar above the clouds.
Chapter: Free Fall
Author/Artist: azardarkstar
Pairing: Ichimaru Gin/Hitsugaya Toushirou
Fandom: Bleach
Theme: #13 (Excessive Chain)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo. All characters are depicted as legal age.
Spoilers: Soul Society Arc and Beyond
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
There once was a boy, who was more dragon than human. All he’d wanted to do was soar. To be able to spread his wings and fly. But the things that bound him down held him more tightly than chains ever could.
Captaincy. Responsibility. Expectation. Pride. Duty.
Until there was no more time for flying, for diving through the clouds. And the only thing he could do was watch the sky through his office window.
And sometimes… most of the time, Hitsugaya Toushirou honestly wished he had never been made captain. Wished that he had never shown Hinamori his bankai. Wished that she hadn’t immediately run and told Aizen.
He hadn’t been himself in so long. Prodigy and tensai and Hitsugaya-taichou. So many labels that he wondered when he has stopped being Toushirou. When he had ceased to be his grandmother’s boy, her helper and best friend. When the ice was no longer a fascination but a mask, a shield to hide behind.
But such thoughts were too time-consuming. Took up too much of the precious seconds he had to himself. The only real free time he had aside from sleeping was walking to and from work. Just a scant few minutes to finally breathe.
And of course that time would be over just as he was settling himself. He walked into the tenth division headquarters with a clear scowl painted on his face, though it was habit more than anything. Not like there was anyone else there to witness it this early in the morning. Simply anticipation for the mess of documents he would undoubtedly find on his desk. And most of them would belong to his lieutenant, a steady stream of backlog that he could never quite finish by himself.
Toushirou strode through the building, coming to the outer office that should have been occupied by Matsumoto. His third-seat normally manned it instead since she often couldn’t be bothered. Plus, she seemed to think it her personal right to lounge on his sofa.
He slid the door to his office open and turned on the lights. Surprisingly, the paperwork on his desk was in a very neat stack. But he merely shook his head as he sat down and settled himself, thankful that his subordinates could at least do this right. Some days, he wondered if he was the sole competent person in the entire division. At least among the officers.
Not that the rest of the Gotei 13 was in better shape. Else he would have kicked out the lot of them ages ago. Instead, he was stuck trying to correct them, attempting to improve performance. However, it was rather like trying to teach an old, dying, deaf, and dumb dog a new trick. Or even just to get off his lazy ass and do something worthwhile.
An impossibility of the grandest sort.
Mind otherwise occupied, Toushirou idly got out his writing utensils and stamp and picked up the first page, only to blink at it stupidly. The form was already filled out. Frown deepening, Toushirou went to the next paper, but it was in a similar state. So were the third and fourth. The fifth. The tenth. Every one of them.
His paperwork was done. All of it complete. Not a single sheet unmarked or unstamped. The handwriting was familiar, remarkably so. Definitely not Matsumoto’s. The mere thought alone laughable to the extreme. Not his third-seat’s either, and if he were a betting man, Toushirou would wager that it wasn’t anyone in his division.
Not Hinamori either. She was too wrapped up in her own boss to even care that he hadn’t had a day off in nearly a year.
Aizen then. Perhaps Ukitake. Or maybe Kyouraku had sent over Nanao-san. He couldn’t think of anyone else who would do such a thing for him. Who would bother to take the time.
The mystery eluded him, but Toushirou found that he couldn’t really bring himself to care. He was too stuck on the idea that he had no work. Absolutely nothing to do. Sure there were drills, but those were one of the few things Matsumoto actually liked and was willing to do. Let her handle it for once.
However, that meant only one thing. He had free time. Actual free time. Time in which he could do anything he wanted.
Such a novel concept. And one so beyond him that he sat at his desk in a stupefied haze for a full five minutes before hastily jumping to his feet. He was quick to reorder his completed paperwork before heading out the door. His third-seat was just coming into the outer office as he passed, but Toushirou didn’t even stop.
“You’re in charge today,” he said as he went by, smirking at the man’s stunned expression. A quick shunpo took the captain away before his underling could even respond.
He stopped on the roof of a division building, not entirely certain where to go. Much less what to do. He hadn’t been free like this in ages. Between running his division, training to keep his skill, doing the paperwork of two people, and a thousand other things, there just was no time.
Now that he had it, Toushirou had no idea what to do with it. Thousands of possibilities that were all shadowy and vague. He just stood there and considered as the sun rose the rest of the way above the horizon, a chilly breeze tugging at his haori.
And finally, he just stopped and breathed in the morning air. Just watched as Seireitei came awake. Felt the warm sun kissing his skin. Listened to the wind gust through the bare trees.
He didn’t know how long he stood there. Minutes. Perhaps an hour. But by the time he was done, there was a smile on his face. A genuine and real one.
Toushirou glanced back at his division, noticing the various Shinigami milling about. He idly searched for a band of pink and strawberry blonde in the sea of black, already knowing that his lieutenant wouldn’t be awake for hours. Still, he almost swore that he did see a flash of silver and the whirl of a captain’s robe. Yet, that thought went out of his mind as quickly as it entered. Toushirou merely shook his head and went north along the rooftops, mind clear and centered. Steps taking him all the way to Jidanbou’s gate and the first district. Determined to make this time worthwhile.
After all, it wasn’t every day that his paperwork magically did itself.
Of course, Toushirou was extremely surprised to find the exact same thing the very next week, papers neatly finished and stacked on his desk. Or the following week. And the week after that. Month after month. Year after year. One free day a week.
One day to be himself and soar above the clouds.