I Shall Roam the Summer Fields, Chapter 8 [Bleach]

[sophiap]

Title: I Shall Roam the Summer Fields ( Master Post)
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Ensemble, and while this is primarily gen, a number of pairings (mostly but not entirely het) figure in the background. See master post for more details (updated 9 December).
Word Count: Novel-length overall, c. 5,700 in this chapter.
Rating: R, mostly for language. Also, see warnings.
Warnings/Possible Triggers: Character death. Mentions and some description of pregnancy complications and miscarriage/stillbirth.
Notes: This story is an AU that takes place ten years after Chapter 422, i.e. the end of the Deicide arc. The story diverges from canon just after that last battle in terms of the fates of several major characters (for good or for ill).



Izuru honestly had no idea what he was supposed to do. He looked up at Unohana in desperation, but there was going to be no help from that quarter. As she had so many times before, she was clearly going to wait and see how he managed a difficult situation on his own.

He wondered if Hinamori had fallen asleep. Her face was still pressed against his shoulder, but she had stopped shaking, and he wasn't getting any more tear-soaked than he already was. He continued stroking her back awkwardly, and turned to Renji for help, but Renji had backed into a corner of the room and was wide-eyed with panicked confusion.

"Um..." he said, because that was all he could think to say.

Hinamori was alive.

It was still so hard to believe, even with her solid and real and clinging to him tightly.

Hard to believe, and hard not to think about what might have happened if she hadn't... if things had ended differently ten years ago. Over the course of two horrible days a decade ago, he had gone from imagining holding Hinamori just like this once she recovered from her wounds to knowing he never would have that chance after all.

He had no idea how it happened, but ten years later, here they were.

In all his imaginings, he had failed to ever come up with a scenario where things were quite this awkward.

In retrospect, he should have thought things through before charging over here. It had taken a few minutes for Kuchiki-taichou's news to sink in, but once it did, instead of asking the hundreds of questions he should have, Izuru had flash-stepped straight to the Fourth. He had to see for himself before he could allow himself to believe.

Renji had shouted for him to wait, and took off in close pursuit. He was fast enough to catch Izuru, but instead of stopping him, Renji pushed past to be the first through the infirmary door.

It was just as well, because when they barged in, Hinamori gave a shriek of delight and nearly knocked Renji off his feet with a flying hug.

Renji stood still and startled for the space of two heartbeats before whooping with delight and catching Hinamori up in an embrace that lifted her a full foot off the ground and had her bursting into laughter as he spun the two of them around. When Renji finally set her down, she smiled at Izuru, bright and happy for one perfect second before she collapsed into him more than hugged him and started bawling.

Now, after a moment of quiet, her back rose and fell beneath Izuru's hand as she took a deep breath. She pulled back from him and he reluctantly let her go.

"I'm so sorry," she said, laughing with embarrassment as Unohana-taichou handed her a cool, damp cloth. Hinamori pressed the cloth against her eyes as she tried to regain her composure. "Ten years. And I was... It's still a lot to take in."

"It is." Izuru swallowed hard. "A lot."

She was smiling again, even though there were sniffles and rapid blinks mixed in. "I guess some things have changed since I've been, um, gone." She pushed at his shoulder, urging him to turn around, then tugged gently at his ponytail. Her fingers had tangled in it when she'd clutched him so tightly. "This is new."

He blinked. "Is it?" He'd worn his hair like this long enough he couldn't remember when it had finally grown to where he'd started tying it back at the nape of his neck to get it out of the way.

"Yes. I think it's nice."

There was a pointed throat-clearing from the corner of the room. Both Izuru and Hinamori turned to look as Renji tugged at the front of his captain's haori. He raised an eyebrow at them both.

At that, there was much laughing and exclamations of delight, and more still when Renji told her that Ikkaku was now captain of the Ninth Division, and Kuchiki Rukia was vice-captain of the Thirteenth. If it wasn't for the damp patch on his shoulder, Izuru would never have guessed she had been sobbing a moment ago.

In a rare display of tact, Renji didn't say anything about how the Fifth Division had been all but decommissioned. Izuru sighed with relief just as Renji decided to go ahead and put his foot in his mouth after all.

"So, who else has come by to see you? Taichou said we were the last stop on his route and it took him about half an hour to get around to the good stuff, so we can't be the first, right?" Renji asked.

Unohana-taichou glared at Renji, and Izuru was only just able to not sigh too deeply.

Hinamori either didn't hear or chose to ignore Renji's frightened what? and she didn't seem at all bothered by the question. "Well, I've seen Isane-san, of course, and it was Kuchiki-taichou who found me last night, but he didn't say much--oh, I must have startled him so badly! And I also saw Hisagi-fukutaichou, but only for a little bit before he went to see Kanisawa-sempai. He said he'd come by to see me again after, but I think he forgot." She shook her head. "Poor Kanisawa-sempai. I went and talked to her, too, of course. She's so young, and she's been gone even longer than I have..."

Hinamori only faltered when she stumbled into the reminder of what had happened to her and to Kanisawa.

"You're here now, and that's what matters," Izuru said. Here for good, he thought, willing it to be true, just as he willed this to truly be her. "You'll have plenty of time to catch up with everyone."

Everyone, including some people who were very much not in the room. At first, Izuru had been surprised that Hitsugaya-taichou had not beaten them to the infirmary, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, he found he wasn't surprised at all.

Someone had to have told Hitsugaya-taichou by now, right? Izuru didn't envy whoever it was who had that job.

Matsumoto, probably, he thought with a twinge of guilt. The twinge ratcheted up to a full spasm when Matsumoto herself knocked on the door while hobbling through it.

Every time Izuru saw the way it hurt her to walk, he always wondered how much of that was his fault.

That thought got swept aside when he realized she had arrived alone, and that her reiatsu was sparking with tightly restrained killing intent. He had an uncomfortable suspicion that the beads of water on her scarf and in her hair were from recently melted frost. Her smile boded nothing good.

The smile changed, though, the instant she actually saw Hinamori. Hinamori's own face lit up in return, so full of delight it hurt to see. Then they were babbling over each other, with only a brief interlude of 'what's this' and 'oh, nothing--it's not important' when Hinamori noticed the cane, and then they were hugging each other so tightly it was a miracle either one could breathe.

It didn't last. If Matsumoto was there, then of course Hinamori--along with everyone else in the room--had to notice who wasn't there. Izuru could practically hear Hinamori's thoughts clanging together to form all the wrong conclusions as she took in Hitsugaya's absence and Matsumoto's injury.

"Matsumoto-san, I'm surprised Hitsugaya-taichou didn't come along with you," Izuru said innocently. "Or is he away from Seireitei at the moment?"

Hinamori sat down hard on her bed with relief, letting out a breath, then shaking her head in rueful self-mockery. As for Matsumoto, she looked at Izuru consideringly for a moment, probably debating whether or not to take the out he'd just given her. Hinamori wouldn't understand the significance of the damp spots on Matsumoto's scarf. The Hitsugaya she remembered might have been cranky, but he had also been reasonable.

Then, Matsumoto sat down next to Hinamori and pulled her into a gentle, sideways hug. Hinamori looked like she was about to start crying again.

"He's back at the office, being an idiot. I know he's your best friend, but honestly... taichou can be a stubborn little butthead when he wants to be!" Matsumoto said, thumping her cane on the floor.

Renji snorted with laughter, and Izuru had to look away from Unohana-taichou trying not to smile before he let something slip. Hinamori looked stricken.

"Stubborn? Oh... He's still mad at me, isn't he?" she asked tentatively. "About Aizen-taichou?"

Renji cursed out loud, and Matsumoto went very, very still.

As for Izuru, he felt a twist of pain in his chest, and even though he wasn't sure it was a good idea, he sat down next to Hinamori. Matsumoto gave him a quick, sharp look over the top of Hinamori's head, but it was approving for all that it was sharp.

"How much do you remember from when... from before, Hinamori-san?" he asked her.

She stared at the floor for a while, saying nothing. Izuru assumed that meant she didn't remember anything about her last minutes, but then Hinamori finally spoke.

"I remember everyone attacking me. They were so angry at me. I could see that they hated me. Kyouraku-taichou. Soifon-taichou. Shiro..." She swallowed hard, but shook her head when Unohana-taichou stepped forward to intervene. "It was like a bad dream. When I showed up here, at first I thought it was a dream. But it wasn't. I remember Shiro-chan screaming--I'd never heard him sound like that before, never, it was awful, horrible--and I was cold. So cold. That's all I remember. And then I woke up here. I mean, now."

Izuru started to reach over to stroke her back, but Matsumoto pulled her even closer, gently shushing her even though Hinamori was perfectly calm and quiet.

"Aizen used Kyouka Suigetsu on us," he said. "They thought they were attacking him, not you."

Hinamori nodded. She was still calm, a little too calm, even though she flinched at the mention of Aizen's name, and Izuru thought he recognized the set of her mouth. "I know. Unohana-taichou told me."

"I felt it was best to ensure that Hinamori-fukutaichou was aware of at least the basic circumstances behind her death. There have already been enough misunderstandings as it is," Unohana-taichou said, for some reason looking at Matsumoto when she said this.

"Honestly, I'm glad it wasn't a dream," Hinamori said. She was laughing a little, but it sounded much too tight. "Until Unohana-taichou told me what happened and that it was real, I kept wondering why my mind would make up such awful things about my friends."

Izuru looked up at Unohana-taichou, silently asking permission to follow a hunch. Sometimes, he missed having her as his captain. Renji wasn't bad, but he asked what Izuru thought they should do as much as he ever said what to do. Having orders that were given with certainty, and that he knew he could follow with certainty... it made everything so much easier.

Unohana-taichou didn't hesitate before inclining her head gently, telling him to proceed.

"So you don't think they would have attacked, if they knew or even suspected it was you?" He hoped Hinamori wouldn't have to struggle to believe him, the way he had struggled to believe Unohana-taichou when she had questioned him into finally looking at some hard truths several years ago.

He shouldn't have worried. Hinamori sat up so fast she nearly knocked heads with Matsumoto. "Of course they wouldn't!"

"So, in that case..." And here was the part that would be tricky, and he was aware of Unohana-taichou watching him very closely. There was blame to be assigned for her death, but he didn't know if she was truly willing to lay it upon the right person just yet. "Do you blame them for your death?"

Hinamori's flare of killing intent almost knocked him off the bed. He didn't fall, but he did scoot to the far end, much to Renji's amusement.

"No! Why would I?" she snapped, and he remembered what she'd said about hearing Hitsugaya-taichou screaming in rage and grief.

Matsumoto flung her hands up in the air. "Yes! Thank you!" she shouted in exasperation. "That is exactly what I said, but you would have thought I was shouting at a brick wall! No, a glacier. A stupid, stubborn glacier! Oh, I should have just dragged him here by his ear. I could, you know. He's still short," she hissed.

"I would have paid good money to see that," Renji muttered.

Hinamori had gone from looking horrified and angry at the realization of what Hitsugaya must have been going through to stifling a highly inappropriate laugh at her old friend's expense.

"Is he--"

"Yup, still short," Matusmoto said, even though that likely was not what Hinamori was going to ask. She held up a hand at shoulder height. "He only comes up to here on me."

Hinamori thought for a moment, twisting her hands together in her lap. The familiarity of that simple motion broke his heart. "Unohana-taichou, I know you want me to stay here for now, but would it be all right if I went with Rangiku-san back to the Tenth Division? Just for a little while? Maybe if I tell him I don't..." She didn't say any more, and Izuru thought that maybe she was trying not to cry. He moved closer again so he could rest a hand on her shoulder, and she reached up to put her hand over his in thanks.

Unohana demurred, and Izuru understood why. Hitsugaya's temper had become legendary over the past decade. The rumors were largely out of proportion, but they were based in reality.

"Maybe if I go along with them?" he suggested, more timidly than he would have liked. "Just in case?"

Renji looked at him dubiously. "You sure that's a good idea, Kira?" It wasn't an order or even a suggestion, but Izuru nearly said 'never mind,' anyway.

Even though Unohana-taichou hadn't said anything, Matsumoto leaned hard on her cane, pushing herself back to her feet. "Great idea, Kira. Let's go, everyone! Field trip!"

By the time Matsumoto was standing, Unohana had moved to the door, ready to either step aside or continue to block their path. "Before I let you go, Hinamori-fukutaichou, let me ask you this: what will you do if Hitsugaya-taichou refuses to see you?"

Matsumoto looked thunderous at the idea, while Hinamori was simply hurt and confused.

"He has had ten years to let an idea--a definition of himself--take root in his mind. If your presence alone were enough to disloge it, he would have come here with Matsumoto-fukutaichou," Unohana said.

"What if we don't give him the option to refuse?" Matsumoto hefted her cane in a suggestive manner. "That might be what it takes to get through to him."

"No." There was a familiar, determined set to Hinamori's mouth again. "I'll go, and I'll wait outside his office while Rangiku-san tells him I'm there. If he refuses to see me, then I'll come right back here."

Unohana raised her eyebrows, but did not go so far as to say 'really?'

"Then tomorrow, I'll go to see him again. And I'll keep on going every day until he realizes that I don't blame him and that I do want to see him."

"Very well." Unohana didn't sound happy, but she stepped aside and beckoned Izuru to her. "Kira-fukutaichou, I do think you should go along with them. When the time comes, if you have reason to believe Hinamori-fukutaichou is in any distress, mental or otherwise..."

He nodded his understanding, then set out with Hinamori and Matsumoto. He looked back at Renji, who started to follow, but Unohana stopped him and whispered something that made Renji nod in grim agreement.

"Have fun! I'll go fill people in back at Third," Renji called out after them instead. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

Matsumoto could still flash-step when she had to, but Izuru knew what it did to her leg if she did it more than a few times in a row. They were more than halfway to the Tenth before Kira could convince her to slow down.

"Er... I'm sorry if I shouldn't ask, but what happened to you, Rangiku-san? Was it from that last fight?" Hinamori didn't need to specify which fight she was talking about.

"Probably," Izuru said, not wanting to look at Matsumoto just then.

"Oh, don't start again, Kira!" Matsumoto snapped. "You don't know that. No one knows that, so would you please stop acting like you screwed up when you saved my life back then! It wasn't like you had time to worry about anything besides keeping me from bleeding to death."

From the way Matsumoto was wincing with each step, Izuru was glad he'd stopped her when he had.

"I'll tell you about it later, Momo--it's a long story," she said. "Right now, you need to be thinking about Hitsugaya-taichou."

"How is he? Really?" Hinamori sounded worried enough that Izuru decided to jump in before Matsumoto could come up with another non-answer like 'short.'

"You died at his hands, and all because he was trying to avenge the injury done to you. Like Unohana-taichou said, he has been living with that idea for the past ten years." Fault or not didn't matter. Izuru understood too well the way guilt could wrack a person even after acting with the best intentions.

He had raised his sword against Hinamori, once. Yes, it was to defend his captain, but he remembered what had happened afterwards, and how everything had fallen apart so catastrophically once the moment passed and he realized what he had just done.

Izuru had no desire to revisit those dark days. Not now, not when Hinamori had returned to them.

And it was Hinamori. It had to be.

They were near the Tenth Division now, and they were getting some startled and even frightened looks. Hinamori had been a frequent visitor in the past, and after only ten years, there were still many shinigami there who recognized her. Fortunately, with the number of shinigami who were on patrol this time of year, they didn't encounter too many people.

"Taichou would say he's fine, and he even manages to act like it--most of the time," Matsumoto said. "Just a little more distant than normal. And cold, bitter cold, even though his temper's worse than it used to be." She laughed harshly. "Oh, and you'd never know he ever had a sense of humor."

"You two used to bicker all the time," Hinamori said. "I always thought it was cute."

"Yeah, it's cute when it's all in good fun. And it still can be, sometimes. Sort of." Matsumoto shrugged with her free arm, and let the subject drop.

There was a lot more she could have said. Izuru remembered seeing her in tears a few months ago, and not believing her when she said it was just because she'd overdone things and her leg and hip hurt. He also remembered a couple of times over the last year or two, when they'd been out drinking, and she'd made some vague but speculative comments about the vacant vice-captaincy at the Sixth Division, and how bad the loss of face would be if a vice-captain were to change divisions.

For all that, she still spoke of Hitsugaya-taichou with affection more often than not. Maybe it wasn't too late.

Izuru looked at Hinamori, the set of her jaw and the worry in her eyes, and he thought about second chances.

A young shinigami held the door for them when they reached the Tenth's headquarters, and tried not to stare at Hinamori.

"W-welcome back, Hinamori-fukutaichou," he stammered. "Takezoe-goseki told us all what happened, but... It's good to see you again, ma'am!"

Hinamori thanked him absently as he bowed them in; she was more intent on looking all around the entryway, eyes narrowed as if searching for but not finding something quite specific. She rubbed at her arms in the sudden chill, and after she removed her waraji, she gave a little 'ah' of surprise when she put her stockinged feet on the tile.

"Was it this cold when you left, Matsumoto-san?" Izuru asked. He offered a hand to help her up from the bench where she'd sat to remove her waraji.

She ignored the gesture and used her cane instead. "Nope. It was cool, not cold." She did not sound at all surprised, just tired.

To his surprise, Hinamori did not comment. She did, however, continue to scrutinize everything as they walked down the hallway to Hitsugaya-taichou's office.

"Does it look the way you remember it?"

"I wasn't gone that long." Hinamori sounded distant and distracted. "That long for me, I mean. And no, it doesn't."

Izuru leaned down to whisper to her, close enough that he could feel the warmth of his own breath caught between his mouth and her ear. It was just one more thing that established her reality, her hereness. "Are you all right with this?"

It was an odd question for him to ask, given that he wasn't at all sure that he was all right.

Hinamori nodded (he felt her hair graze his cheek), but only after hesitating for a breath longer than Izuru would have liked. At the office door, Matsumoto gave a silent nod, telling them to wait right there.

She slipped into the office awkwardly, not allowing the door to open enough to betray who was behind her.

Izuru started to tell Hinamori that he was glad she was back--in all the confusion, he hadn't had the chance to say even something that necessary--but Hinamori spoke before he had a chance to get even half a word out of his mouth.

"What really did happen to him, Kira-kun?"

"I'm sorry?" There were so many things she could be referring to.

"This place. Look at it." She turned where she stood, lifting her hands to indicate the hallway and everything beyond it. "The wood around the doors is warping. The plaster has cracks. There's water damage everywhere!"

He hadn't noticed the damage, but now that Hinamori pointed it out, it was all he could notice, for all that it was subtle.

"When he was younger, he used to struggle with control, but he's better than that now! He should be, anyway," she said.

They heard Matsumoto yelling something on the other side of the door, but they couldn't tell what.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou would agree with you," he said after a moment. The Tenth was still a popular division for recruits and transfers, but Hitsugaya-taichou was gaining a reputation for being personally unpleasant for all that he was a good captain. He did have to wonder what would happen to the division if Matsumoto left. "But losing you hit him harder than anyone could have imagined."

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together tightly, probably biting them. He knew that she would not want to be in tears when (or if) Hitsugaya called them in, but he couldn't keep from saying more.

"It hit a lot of us harder than we could imagine."

Hinamori looked up at him in surprise, then looked away, face flushed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but..." He cleared his throat, then smiled. "But it is good to see you again."

That got him a tentative smile in return. It turned to a wince, though, when they heard Hitsugaya-taichou snapping something back at Matsumoto, something vicious, from the sound of it.

The first time she'd heard his voice since she'd been back, and it had to be like that, Izuru thought. "I'm sorry. Maybe this wasn't a good idea?"

She shook her head brusquely. "No. This started even before I was killed. And I want to put it right. Soon. I have to--" She stopped, and her eyes focused on something that was not in the room. Then she blinked, and smiled up at him. She was back. "I'm sorry! I don't mean to be such a scatter-brain, but I just had the strangest feeling I was running late for something, that I'm supposed to be somewhere."

For a wild moment, Izuru could picture what would happen next. Hitsugaya-taichou would agree to see her. Apologies would be given, and forgiveness extended on both sides and then, her task done and her regrets settled, Hinamori would simply vanish once more.

But that wouldn't be fair, now would it?

They waited a bit longer. Hinamori started doing a scaled-down dance step in place, watching her feet carefully as she moved them a few inches at a time and counting under her breath. Her arms shifted slightly as if she were thinking about broader motions.

"Hinamori-san?"

"... three, four... ah? Yes? Sorry," she laughed, "but I was trying to keep from worrying and my mind keeps wandering. By the way, why didn't Renji-kun come with us?"

Izuru shrugged. He suspected Unohana-taichou had held Renji back deliberately, thinking that the presence of another captain would make the situation even more volatile. Plus, Renji would say what was on his mind, consequences be damned.

Both of them deliberately ignored a thwack! "Ow!" on the other side of the door.

"I think Unohana-taichou wanted to speak with him. Also," he said with mock severity, "it's 'Abarai-taichou,' now."

Hinamori went adorably rosy with embarrassment, but then she laughed. "Oh, I'm going to keep forgetting that, I know I am!"

He smiled. It was strangely not-strange, talking to her like this. "He's been my captain for five years, and I keep forgetting," he admitted.

Even now, he called Renji by his given name more often than not. It certainly wasn't that way with Unohana-taichou, or with Ichimaru-taichou... and yes, he shouldn't put it off any longer. There was something he needed to tell her.

"Hinamori-san, back before, when you and I crossed swords--"

The door to the office opened. Matsumoto stood there, shivering and grinning triumphantly. "Please. Come in," she said sweetly. She stepped out of the doorway.

Hitsugaya-taichou was there, glowering, hands clenched tight by his side. He had clearly agreed to see them only to tell them to go away again, but Hinamori didn't notice. Or maybe she just didn't care. She shrieked with delight, then crossed the room in one flash step and flung her arms around Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya stayed so perfectly still he had to be fighting back a dozen different reactions. He kept his arms straight by his side and stood as rigid as an icicle.

"Matsumoto, I told you--" he started waspishly, but Hinamori squeezed him hard enough to get an urk!

"Oh, Shiro-chan! I'm so sorry! I am so, so sorry about everything!"

Hitsugaya looked very confused, Izuru wondered what on earth Hinamori had to be sorry about, and Matsumoto looked wonderfully smug.

Hinamori did not let go. She could now rest her chin on Hitsugaya's shoulder without stooping, and she pointed this out merrily.

"Now stop being silly and stop blaming yourself. I'm back, so everything's okay, now."

Hitsugaya didn't look like he planned to believe a word of this.

"But we don't know why--" he started, but cut himself short when Matsumoto raised her cane a fraction. Izuru fought back his own instinctive flinch.

"Does that matter right now?" Hinamori stepped back a little, but kept her hands on Hitsugaya's shoulders. Izuru wasn't sure what she would say next. Something simple like 'I don't blame you,' perhaps, or 'I forgive you, so please forgive yourself.'

She didn't say anything at first. She simply pulled him close again, reaching up to ruffle the hair on the back of his head. Hitsugaya-taichou was now wide-eyed with shock. He didn't quite relax, but he didn't seem to be so determined to hold himself rigid.

"I missed you." It was so soft Izuru could barely hear her. "Even before... when I... after I got that letter that said you'd killed Aizen... I am so sorry, Shiro-chan! Oh, I missed you so much!"

Izuru had to look away for a moment. Hitsugaya-taichou probably wouldn't want anyone to see the look of anguish on his face just then. But when he looked away, he saw Matsumoto fingering a tear away from the corner of her eye.

Hitsugaya didn't say anything for a while, and when curiosity got the better of Izuru (he told himself it was to make sure that Hinamori was okay), Hitsugaya looked as young as he did when he'd first made captain.

Izuru was just about to get Matsumoto's attention and suggest they leave, but Hitsugaya stepped back, breaking Hinamori's embrace. He was brusque about it, but not rough.

"It's really her, taichou." Matsumoto sounded like she was continuing an argument that had started earlier but that had never concluded. "I told you what Unohana-taichou said."

It was probably the same thing Kuchiki-taichou had told them earlier--until they knew more, those who had returned should be kept on restricted duty but otherwise treated as if they were exactly who they seemed to be. As far as Izuru was concerned, it was a pointless warning. This was Hinamori. It had to be.

Hitsugaya scowled, but did not respond for nearly a full minute. His gaze cut to an empty corner of the room when he finally spoke to Hinamori. He spoke harshly, but Izuru wondered if that only was because he'd forgotten there was any other way to speak. "Granny's still alive, in case no one told you."

"Isane-san found out for me, when I asked," Hinamori said, her voice very small. Izuru moved in closer to her, even though he wasn't sure what he could do.

Hitsugaya nodded, and looked as if he didn't trust himself to speak. Not for the first time, Izuru could sympathize with him.

"I might be free to go with you tomorrow if you want to visit her. Maybe." He still would not look at her, and he was practically mumbling. "I'll have Matsumoto-fukutaichou get word to you if I am."

Hinamori was crying again, but she was smiling, too. "I'm looking forward to it, Shirou-chan."

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou!" he snapped automatically. He started at what he'd just said, then turned and stormed back into his private rooms.

Matsumoto started to call out after him, but the door slammed shut behind him and her shout turned into a sigh that left her slumped. She looked like she wanted to cry. "I'm sorry. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

Hinamori went over to her and gently leaned her head against Matusmoto's shoulder. Matsumoto braced herself on her cane and allowed herself to take Hinamori's weight.

"It's fine, Rangiku-san. It will be fine. He said he'll go with me to see Granny."

Matsumoto humphed, and Izuru recalled hearing a rather prominent 'maybe' in Hitsugaya-taichou's non-promise. He though it best not to say anything about it, but Matsumoto didn't hold back.

"Really? That's not what I heard..." Then she sighed again and tilted her head so her cheek rested against Hinamori's hair. "I'm sorry. That was mean. He didn't say he wouldn't go, after all."

"He'll go." Hinamori said it plainly, but Izuru thought he heard a little laugh in there, too. "I think... I think maybe I should leave?"

For some reason, Izuru remembered her saying there was somewhere she needed to be, and he held his breath, half expecting her to disappear.

Matsumoto nodded. She looked exhausted. "Yeah. If I don't hear anything about going to visit your guys' granny by tomorrow afternoon, I'll start in after him again."

Hinamori rose up on tiptoe and gave Matsumoto a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Rangiku-san. Maybe you can come by the Fourth this afternoon? I'd love to have tea with you."

Matsumoto pulled her into a hug and said that she would be sure to do that. She didn't let go for a long time.

Once she did, Izuru touched Hinamori on the shoulder to get her attention. "I'll walk you back to the Fourth." He had a feeling Matsumoto could use some time to herself right now.

They retrieved their waraji and walked out quietly. When they stepped outside, Izuru noticed that the difference in temperature was not as shocking as it had been when they first arrived. Perhaps Hinamori was right to be confident.

He crooked his arm and was pleased when Hinamori smiled up at him and threaded her arm through his. After their promotions to vice-captain--hers coming in mere days before his--they had seen much less of each other than they had before then. Other things and other people kept getting in the way. It gradually became easier to make excuses than plans. He had missed their old closeness, missed it very much, but somehow he could never seem to bring himself to do much about it.

Funny, how in the past ten years, it had become easier to remember the closeness than the slow separation that had no doubt been deliberately engineered by those they had thought they could trust.

Of course, he never forgot their last real encounter, sword against sword and her glaring up at him with grief and rage.

He almost said something, but she was here by his side, brow furrowed as she tried to remember something. How long she would be here, he didn't know, but he was in no hurry for her to leave.

And so he said nothing, in case his words were what it took to reverse this miracle. It didn't make sense, but he felt that as long as there was unfinished business between them, maybe she could stay.

Halfway to the Fourth, Hinamori idly let her arm slip from his, but he didn't mind. She wasn't going anywhere. Rather than simply walking, she kept pace close beside him as she moved through a series of dance steps, counting out beats with deliberate concentration.

It was so good to have her back. If his silence was the price for keeping her here, then so be it.

Chapter Nine: In which Jyuushiro has to deal with a situation that really isn't funny at all, and in which some people think single-malt scotch is a perfectly good breakfast drink for invalids.