(no subject)
Okay, time to kick myself a few times and get it into gear... I think I've been avoiding my writing for long enough XD So, in celebration of... something I'll think of at a later date, let's kick tonight off with a couple of updates :D
Here is Chapter Two of my Kira/Hina fic, The Unknown. I didn't hear much back on the first chapter, but that's okay; I know it's not a tremendously popular pairing, but if you take the time to give this a chance, let me know what you think? Plznthx :)
~*~
Part Two
~*~
The darkness of the night was shattered by bright, beautiful colors, the fireworks lighting up the sky. A soft smile pulled at her lips, especially when she looked over at Shiro-chan. Even though he was a captain now, he would always be her little brother; he had grown more mature (but not much taller!) in the last few years, certainly, but that soft smile that he usually tried to hide was still there. His whole face was softer and so young with that expression-though he would yell and scowl if she ever told him that-and Momo wanted to ruffle his hair.
It was really nice of Aizen-taichou to take time out to come sit with them and watch the fireworks. He wasn’t even all that close to Hitsugaya-kun, but he had come out here for her, to keep her company. Not many of the other captains would do that, she was sure.
As they walked back, Momo couldn’t keep the smile from her face. She was so glad that Shiro-chan had had a good birthday, and that her captain was so nice, so caring… she actually felt comfortable around him now, unlike the first few times she had ever even seen him. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to help him-certainly, she would never be his equal, but she would serve Aizen-taichou proudly until the day she died. She was so… happy under his leadership, her life feeling… complete.
“… Lovely fireworks tonight, weren’t they, Hinamori-kun?” Aizen was saying, and she flushed nervously upon realizing she hadn’t even paid attention to him at first… nodding, however, she offered a small smile-and was rewarded with a gentle, warm smile in return.
“Very pretty,” she agreed quietly, content. “And Hitsugaya-taichou was pleased as well… thank you, Aizen-taichou.”
“It’s no problem at all,” he reassured her. “Hitsugaya-taichou is lucky to have such a caring friend as you… and I’m lucky to have such a caring subordinate.” Momo blushed at the praise, a small, pleased smile flickering over her lips and a warmth growing in her chest-
Just as pain erupted, sharp and jagged as blood seeped thickly through her clothes. She choked (on the pain, on the blood, on the betrayal), looking up at Aizen, who was still smiling so warmly…
And the expression had never made him uglier.
~*~
With a sharp gasp, Momo jerked awake, her hand flying to the center of her torso. The familiar ceiling of her room greeted her, and she forced her body to relax, spending a long few minutes regaining precious breath.
While she had been declared fully recovered, the ache in the center of her chest was almost enough to make her think otherwise. Her fist was clenched tightly in the fabric of her night clothes, knuckles white from her grip, even as the healed wound seemed to throb, painfully aware of the scar that marred her torso now. The ghostly pain paralyzed her now, even as she stared at the ceiling through teary eyes.
That memory… had been one of her most precious. Hitsugaya-kun had been pleased that night, relaxed in a way she hadn’t seen in a while, and Aizen-taichou… Aizen had actually cared-pretended he cared, you mean, a nasty voice reminded, and Momo blinked away tears.
Unfortunately, she had no idea whether the tears were from anger or sadness-or which was worse.
~*~
The day seemed to pass by in a daze for Kira Izuru; things had settled into a grim routine, and thankfully, that was enough for now. The lull was a false one, of course, but then, the lull was far from being wasted.
Outside, the day was drawing to an end, the eerie shadows of early twilight creeping through the office. He hadn’t heard from Hinamori at all in the last couple of days, which was worrisome. She was busy, certainly, but he hoped she was doing alright; her dazed confusion the other afternoon had concerned him. Perhaps he should-
“Oi, Kira,” a voice called, and Izuru shook himself from his daze with a small frown. He’d actually forgotten where he was for a moment, and now, Hisagi Shūhei was looking at him, dark eyes piercing. Over his abandoned cup of tea, his sempai was looking at him in faint concern, and he shrugged sheepishly. “What has you so distracted?”
“Nothing, just… thinking,” Kira replied, pushing his cup of tea away. He certainly wished they were drinking something more substantial, but then again, he had certainly spent enough time in a daze lately. That, of course, was partly (mostly) Matsumoto-fukutaichou’s influence, but right now, he needed to be alert in order to help prepare for the coming war.
“About?” Hisagi prodded after a long moment, and Kira couldn’t help but frown. Usually, the other man wouldn’t push the issue; neither of them were exactly the type to have a heart-to-heart, let alone confide their innermost thoughts. Apparently, he had been lost in his own thoughts longer than he had supposed if it was alarming Hisagi this much.
It wasn’t something they talked about; they had both been betrayed by their captains, left behind and thrown aside as so much trash… after they had fulfilled their purpose, of course. Even though it had been weeks since the events, it was just something that they didn’t talk about, aside from the acknowledgement that this had been unexpectedly painful.
“Hinamori,” he replied finally, frowning at the tabletop. “She… I’m not sure she’s completely okay yet.”
“It’s going to be a while before any of us are,” Hisagi said darkly, eyes hard and distant. “She was closest to her captain out of the three of us… she’s got to be really confused and hurt.”
“I know,” Izuru replied quietly, hurt. Of course he understood that much; after all, the three of them had all been abandoned by their captains, perhaps the most betrayed within the Soul Society. They had worked under their respective captains for years, closely, relying on them, helping them, trusting them…
Kira Izuru didn’t trust easily, not anymore. It had been a long time since he had been carefree, but those he let get close, he trusted implicitly-and would do anything for them. He doubted anyone-save perhaps Ichimaru-knew exactly how much it had torn him apart to draw his blade against Momo in order to defend his captain. He utterly regretted it now, of course… and Ichimaru had known exactly what he was doing. It had been a game to him, all of it, and that… that was unforgiveable.
“I think she still believes that Aizen is good,” Kira said finally, frowning. Hisagi leaned forward slightly, and Kira paused. Would his sempai report this back to the Fourth, or the First? After all, Hinamori had only just been cleared to return to her Division, but was still under watch… No.
Hisagi Shūhei was one of the very few that Kira trusted anymore; his sempai was one of his closest friends. He wouldn’t go behind his back, not unless Hinamori was truly a threat. If that was the case, however, Kira would be the first to seek help for Momo. He cared a great deal for her, and had for a long time; to see her hurting like this was a painful thing for him to watch, and he wished Abarai was here as well. Renji knew how to make Momo laugh, and right now, he would give almost anything to have the redhead here to help. Maybe that was what was missing…
“She’ll come around,” Shūhei finally predicted, much to Kira’s relief. “Hinamori’s strong; she just needs some time. Her idolization of Aizen scares some, you know?”
“I know,” Izuru agreed. To be honest, it was; he had never dared speak up, but even back in their Academy days, Momo’s hero worship of Aizen had been intimidating. Sure, he had rescued them from certain death, and had guided them through the ranks, helping them each to find a place in a Division, but that level of admiration was… incredible, for lack of a better word. What if he had admired Ichimaru that much?
Kira winced at that thought; while he and Ichimaru had gotten along, the man had always been off-putting, keeping everyone at a distance with that constant smile and his belittling attitude. The games he played…
“I think she’s getting past that,” Kira continued, his frown softening without his knowledge. “Hinamori-kun always does what’s right; that’s what makes her strong.”
Hisagi glanced at him knowingly, even as Kira caught the expression. He abruptly straightened, even as Hisagi sobered once more.
“Keep an eye on her and talk to her,” he advised quietly, rising from his seat. “She knows what’s right; Hinamori-fukutaichou will be fine. Now stop your worrying.”
~*~
Later that evening, Kira found himself with nothing to do; Hisagi had paperwork to file for the Seireitei Communication, Matsumoto (and her sake collection) and Renji were both in the world of the living, and anyone else he might consider drinking with was otherwise occupied… but then, he supposed he didn’t particularly feel like drinking. After all, the drunken daze he had spent that first week in after the betrayal had resulted in the worst hangover he could remember, and he was still firmly convinced that he was never going to drink again.
Instead, he made his way to the Fifth Division, intent on finding Hinamori. It didn’t take long until he found her sitting atop her Division walls, staring up at the sky. Though she gave no verbal sign, she shifted slightly, indicating her acknowledgement of his arrival.
He stood for a moment before sitting down as well, glancing up at the hazy sky. The clouds were thin enough to give brief glimpses of the stars above here and there, glinting like dusty diamonds under a gauze veil. It was a cool night, calm and faintly breezy, ruffling Momo’s hair as she finally turned to Kira.
“It’s nice out tonight,” she greeted, smiling faintly. Despite the familiar expression, her dark eyes were haunted, faint circles highlighting her tiredness. “It was really stuffy inside my room, so I came out here instead.”
“You opened the windows to let a breeze in?” Kira asked absently, the expected response, and Momo nodded. “How was training today? Any more accidents?”
“No, not today,” she responded, a faint smile easing the haunted look from her face. “I went to visit Granny today in Jurinran… it’s been such a long time since I’ve gone to see her!”
Izuru only nodded, watching as Hinamori’s entire demeanor shifted, her voice and expression lighting up with simple happiness, erasing the lingering darkness in her eyes. It was a reassuring sight, though he did feel a small twinge in response; it was so easy for others to earn a smiling response from her, and yet he couldn’t seem to find the right thing to say to help. Abarai would be playing indifferent to her mood (when in actuality he was pretty intuitive to that sort of thing, as much as he tried to deny it), earning smiles and even laughter from her. Kira had never met Momo’s adoptive grandmother, but she probably didn’t have to try hard, either.
Kira, on the other hand, was at a complete loss. It wasn’t really his nature to comfort, to crack jokes… but he wished deeply that he could coax that smile out as well.
“How is she doing?” He asked politely, and Momo smiled wistfully.
“She misses Shiro-chan and me,” she admitted, looking slightly unhappy. “Neither of us have as much time to visit her anymore, but she’s fine. She’s looking after a new girl these days, so she’s not so lonely.”
“That’s nice,” he replied, granting her a small smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go home.”
What he didn’t mention, however, was that there was a reason for that; there was no one waiting there for him. Even though his parents had long since moved on in the cycle, Kira still retained the family home. It was nice, having a place to escape to in order to get away from the stress that the Seireitei held. On the other hand, it was also unbearably empty at times, the silent halls filled with the echoes of memories.
“I don’t get to go home much anymore, either,” Momo said sympathetically, frowning. “But sometimes, it’s harder to go home than it is to just go on; things have changed so much…”
“I know,” Kira agreed, leaning back. Once more, he found himself not knowing what to say. He had never been a particularly verbose man, and yet… now he found himself at a loss for words. Recent events weighed so heavily on them all, and it felt rather like tiptoeing around with Hinamori; to mention what was going on was to potentially open unhealed wounds, and with her looking as if she hadn’t even slept in a few days, he didn’t want to upset her.
“Izuru?” Momo asked, startling him from his reverie. The blond jolted slightly, then glanced over to meet concerned brown eyes. “I know I look bad, but… are you alright?”
“Me?” Izuru asked, surprised. Momo’s honestly concerned eyes very nearly made him laugh at the absurdity of his being unwell, and he swallowed a wry chuckle. “I’m alright, Momo, just tired. It’s been a busy few weeks…”
“I know how you feel,” Hinamori admitted, smiling timidly. “It’s still hard to believe...” Silence fell between them for a long moment, then Momo swallowed audibly.
“I keep thinking it’s all a dream, Izuru-kun,” she confided, eyes falling to the tiles beneath them. “Sometimes, it feels like it can’t be real…”
“Unfortunately, it is real,” Kira muttered, bowing his head slightly. Alongside him, Momo had gone tense again, and he forced himself to relax, shaking off the stray into negative territory that his mind had taken.
For a long time, both of them remained silent. Kira hated the silence; for all that it was a familiar silence-companionable, in the way that old, close friends often shared-it was also slightly uneasy, tainted by all that had changed, and all that would continue to change… Izuru didn’t like it.
Shaking it off, Kira glanced up at the sky once more. As he did, Momo shifted slightly closer, her arm brushing against his. He inhaled slightly, startled, but then almost immediately relaxed. Kira shifted over slightly as well, affirming the contact so that Momo’s arm brushed against his, her shoulder leaning into his side. His cheeks heated slightly, and he chanced a glance over to his friend. Momo was smiling happily, and this time, he was the cause.
Maybe this new touch of silence wasn’t all that bad.
Here is Chapter Two of my Kira/Hina fic, The Unknown. I didn't hear much back on the first chapter, but that's okay; I know it's not a tremendously popular pairing, but if you take the time to give this a chance, let me know what you think? Plznthx :)
~*~
Part Two
~*~
The darkness of the night was shattered by bright, beautiful colors, the fireworks lighting up the sky. A soft smile pulled at her lips, especially when she looked over at Shiro-chan. Even though he was a captain now, he would always be her little brother; he had grown more mature (but not much taller!) in the last few years, certainly, but that soft smile that he usually tried to hide was still there. His whole face was softer and so young with that expression-though he would yell and scowl if she ever told him that-and Momo wanted to ruffle his hair.
It was really nice of Aizen-taichou to take time out to come sit with them and watch the fireworks. He wasn’t even all that close to Hitsugaya-kun, but he had come out here for her, to keep her company. Not many of the other captains would do that, she was sure.
As they walked back, Momo couldn’t keep the smile from her face. She was so glad that Shiro-chan had had a good birthday, and that her captain was so nice, so caring… she actually felt comfortable around him now, unlike the first few times she had ever even seen him. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to help him-certainly, she would never be his equal, but she would serve Aizen-taichou proudly until the day she died. She was so… happy under his leadership, her life feeling… complete.
“… Lovely fireworks tonight, weren’t they, Hinamori-kun?” Aizen was saying, and she flushed nervously upon realizing she hadn’t even paid attention to him at first… nodding, however, she offered a small smile-and was rewarded with a gentle, warm smile in return.
“Very pretty,” she agreed quietly, content. “And Hitsugaya-taichou was pleased as well… thank you, Aizen-taichou.”
“It’s no problem at all,” he reassured her. “Hitsugaya-taichou is lucky to have such a caring friend as you… and I’m lucky to have such a caring subordinate.” Momo blushed at the praise, a small, pleased smile flickering over her lips and a warmth growing in her chest-
Just as pain erupted, sharp and jagged as blood seeped thickly through her clothes. She choked (on the pain, on the blood, on the betrayal), looking up at Aizen, who was still smiling so warmly…
And the expression had never made him uglier.
~*~
With a sharp gasp, Momo jerked awake, her hand flying to the center of her torso. The familiar ceiling of her room greeted her, and she forced her body to relax, spending a long few minutes regaining precious breath.
While she had been declared fully recovered, the ache in the center of her chest was almost enough to make her think otherwise. Her fist was clenched tightly in the fabric of her night clothes, knuckles white from her grip, even as the healed wound seemed to throb, painfully aware of the scar that marred her torso now. The ghostly pain paralyzed her now, even as she stared at the ceiling through teary eyes.
That memory… had been one of her most precious. Hitsugaya-kun had been pleased that night, relaxed in a way she hadn’t seen in a while, and Aizen-taichou… Aizen had actually cared-pretended he cared, you mean, a nasty voice reminded, and Momo blinked away tears.
Unfortunately, she had no idea whether the tears were from anger or sadness-or which was worse.
~*~
The day seemed to pass by in a daze for Kira Izuru; things had settled into a grim routine, and thankfully, that was enough for now. The lull was a false one, of course, but then, the lull was far from being wasted.
Outside, the day was drawing to an end, the eerie shadows of early twilight creeping through the office. He hadn’t heard from Hinamori at all in the last couple of days, which was worrisome. She was busy, certainly, but he hoped she was doing alright; her dazed confusion the other afternoon had concerned him. Perhaps he should-
“Oi, Kira,” a voice called, and Izuru shook himself from his daze with a small frown. He’d actually forgotten where he was for a moment, and now, Hisagi Shūhei was looking at him, dark eyes piercing. Over his abandoned cup of tea, his sempai was looking at him in faint concern, and he shrugged sheepishly. “What has you so distracted?”
“Nothing, just… thinking,” Kira replied, pushing his cup of tea away. He certainly wished they were drinking something more substantial, but then again, he had certainly spent enough time in a daze lately. That, of course, was partly (mostly) Matsumoto-fukutaichou’s influence, but right now, he needed to be alert in order to help prepare for the coming war.
“About?” Hisagi prodded after a long moment, and Kira couldn’t help but frown. Usually, the other man wouldn’t push the issue; neither of them were exactly the type to have a heart-to-heart, let alone confide their innermost thoughts. Apparently, he had been lost in his own thoughts longer than he had supposed if it was alarming Hisagi this much.
It wasn’t something they talked about; they had both been betrayed by their captains, left behind and thrown aside as so much trash… after they had fulfilled their purpose, of course. Even though it had been weeks since the events, it was just something that they didn’t talk about, aside from the acknowledgement that this had been unexpectedly painful.
“Hinamori,” he replied finally, frowning at the tabletop. “She… I’m not sure she’s completely okay yet.”
“It’s going to be a while before any of us are,” Hisagi said darkly, eyes hard and distant. “She was closest to her captain out of the three of us… she’s got to be really confused and hurt.”
“I know,” Izuru replied quietly, hurt. Of course he understood that much; after all, the three of them had all been abandoned by their captains, perhaps the most betrayed within the Soul Society. They had worked under their respective captains for years, closely, relying on them, helping them, trusting them…
Kira Izuru didn’t trust easily, not anymore. It had been a long time since he had been carefree, but those he let get close, he trusted implicitly-and would do anything for them. He doubted anyone-save perhaps Ichimaru-knew exactly how much it had torn him apart to draw his blade against Momo in order to defend his captain. He utterly regretted it now, of course… and Ichimaru had known exactly what he was doing. It had been a game to him, all of it, and that… that was unforgiveable.
“I think she still believes that Aizen is good,” Kira said finally, frowning. Hisagi leaned forward slightly, and Kira paused. Would his sempai report this back to the Fourth, or the First? After all, Hinamori had only just been cleared to return to her Division, but was still under watch… No.
Hisagi Shūhei was one of the very few that Kira trusted anymore; his sempai was one of his closest friends. He wouldn’t go behind his back, not unless Hinamori was truly a threat. If that was the case, however, Kira would be the first to seek help for Momo. He cared a great deal for her, and had for a long time; to see her hurting like this was a painful thing for him to watch, and he wished Abarai was here as well. Renji knew how to make Momo laugh, and right now, he would give almost anything to have the redhead here to help. Maybe that was what was missing…
“She’ll come around,” Shūhei finally predicted, much to Kira’s relief. “Hinamori’s strong; she just needs some time. Her idolization of Aizen scares some, you know?”
“I know,” Izuru agreed. To be honest, it was; he had never dared speak up, but even back in their Academy days, Momo’s hero worship of Aizen had been intimidating. Sure, he had rescued them from certain death, and had guided them through the ranks, helping them each to find a place in a Division, but that level of admiration was… incredible, for lack of a better word. What if he had admired Ichimaru that much?
Kira winced at that thought; while he and Ichimaru had gotten along, the man had always been off-putting, keeping everyone at a distance with that constant smile and his belittling attitude. The games he played…
“I think she’s getting past that,” Kira continued, his frown softening without his knowledge. “Hinamori-kun always does what’s right; that’s what makes her strong.”
Hisagi glanced at him knowingly, even as Kira caught the expression. He abruptly straightened, even as Hisagi sobered once more.
“Keep an eye on her and talk to her,” he advised quietly, rising from his seat. “She knows what’s right; Hinamori-fukutaichou will be fine. Now stop your worrying.”
~*~
Later that evening, Kira found himself with nothing to do; Hisagi had paperwork to file for the Seireitei Communication, Matsumoto (and her sake collection) and Renji were both in the world of the living, and anyone else he might consider drinking with was otherwise occupied… but then, he supposed he didn’t particularly feel like drinking. After all, the drunken daze he had spent that first week in after the betrayal had resulted in the worst hangover he could remember, and he was still firmly convinced that he was never going to drink again.
Instead, he made his way to the Fifth Division, intent on finding Hinamori. It didn’t take long until he found her sitting atop her Division walls, staring up at the sky. Though she gave no verbal sign, she shifted slightly, indicating her acknowledgement of his arrival.
He stood for a moment before sitting down as well, glancing up at the hazy sky. The clouds were thin enough to give brief glimpses of the stars above here and there, glinting like dusty diamonds under a gauze veil. It was a cool night, calm and faintly breezy, ruffling Momo’s hair as she finally turned to Kira.
“It’s nice out tonight,” she greeted, smiling faintly. Despite the familiar expression, her dark eyes were haunted, faint circles highlighting her tiredness. “It was really stuffy inside my room, so I came out here instead.”
“You opened the windows to let a breeze in?” Kira asked absently, the expected response, and Momo nodded. “How was training today? Any more accidents?”
“No, not today,” she responded, a faint smile easing the haunted look from her face. “I went to visit Granny today in Jurinran… it’s been such a long time since I’ve gone to see her!”
Izuru only nodded, watching as Hinamori’s entire demeanor shifted, her voice and expression lighting up with simple happiness, erasing the lingering darkness in her eyes. It was a reassuring sight, though he did feel a small twinge in response; it was so easy for others to earn a smiling response from her, and yet he couldn’t seem to find the right thing to say to help. Abarai would be playing indifferent to her mood (when in actuality he was pretty intuitive to that sort of thing, as much as he tried to deny it), earning smiles and even laughter from her. Kira had never met Momo’s adoptive grandmother, but she probably didn’t have to try hard, either.
Kira, on the other hand, was at a complete loss. It wasn’t really his nature to comfort, to crack jokes… but he wished deeply that he could coax that smile out as well.
“How is she doing?” He asked politely, and Momo smiled wistfully.
“She misses Shiro-chan and me,” she admitted, looking slightly unhappy. “Neither of us have as much time to visit her anymore, but she’s fine. She’s looking after a new girl these days, so she’s not so lonely.”
“That’s nice,” he replied, granting her a small smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go home.”
What he didn’t mention, however, was that there was a reason for that; there was no one waiting there for him. Even though his parents had long since moved on in the cycle, Kira still retained the family home. It was nice, having a place to escape to in order to get away from the stress that the Seireitei held. On the other hand, it was also unbearably empty at times, the silent halls filled with the echoes of memories.
“I don’t get to go home much anymore, either,” Momo said sympathetically, frowning. “But sometimes, it’s harder to go home than it is to just go on; things have changed so much…”
“I know,” Kira agreed, leaning back. Once more, he found himself not knowing what to say. He had never been a particularly verbose man, and yet… now he found himself at a loss for words. Recent events weighed so heavily on them all, and it felt rather like tiptoeing around with Hinamori; to mention what was going on was to potentially open unhealed wounds, and with her looking as if she hadn’t even slept in a few days, he didn’t want to upset her.
“Izuru?” Momo asked, startling him from his reverie. The blond jolted slightly, then glanced over to meet concerned brown eyes. “I know I look bad, but… are you alright?”
“Me?” Izuru asked, surprised. Momo’s honestly concerned eyes very nearly made him laugh at the absurdity of his being unwell, and he swallowed a wry chuckle. “I’m alright, Momo, just tired. It’s been a busy few weeks…”
“I know how you feel,” Hinamori admitted, smiling timidly. “It’s still hard to believe...” Silence fell between them for a long moment, then Momo swallowed audibly.
“I keep thinking it’s all a dream, Izuru-kun,” she confided, eyes falling to the tiles beneath them. “Sometimes, it feels like it can’t be real…”
“Unfortunately, it is real,” Kira muttered, bowing his head slightly. Alongside him, Momo had gone tense again, and he forced himself to relax, shaking off the stray into negative territory that his mind had taken.
For a long time, both of them remained silent. Kira hated the silence; for all that it was a familiar silence-companionable, in the way that old, close friends often shared-it was also slightly uneasy, tainted by all that had changed, and all that would continue to change… Izuru didn’t like it.
Shaking it off, Kira glanced up at the sky once more. As he did, Momo shifted slightly closer, her arm brushing against his. He inhaled slightly, startled, but then almost immediately relaxed. Kira shifted over slightly as well, affirming the contact so that Momo’s arm brushed against his, her shoulder leaning into his side. His cheeks heated slightly, and he chanced a glance over to his friend. Momo was smiling happily, and this time, he was the cause.
Maybe this new touch of silence wasn’t all that bad.