Liking Oneself II: Thank You (Bleach Fanfic)

Home Stay (Part XI) Growth

Kira tried putting on a smile yet found himself struggling to do so. Unohana Taicho gave the medical orders she did so the youngest taicho would rest while his injuries healed, but in truth Hitsugaya Taicho also needed a vacation. He couldn't remember the last break the young man took but remembered Unohana lecturing about fatigue from overworking. Of course, a select few took this to mean they should avoid working, but they didn't last long.

However, this was anything but restful, let alone an adequate break. He watched the villagers staring at them. Instead of simply watching Hitsugaya Taicho with incredulous look, he suspected both he and Hinamori were part of the village gossip, and not in the manner he'd enjoy. Watching carefully, he also noted that the looks didn't have the same malice as before. Not many became captains, but for someone from some small village to become one – one that wasn't a captain of the eleventh division that is – was rarer.

"So..."

"Shiro didn't tell me." Momo's cheeks puffed out.

Kira frowned. "This still?"

"I'm his older sister. I should be protecting him."

The fact they came to the crux of the matter seemed a miracle, and yet there was so much ground to go. Glancing around, Kira lowered his voice hoping none of the villagers would hear. "Could we perhaps talk about this where none of the villagers can accidentally hear our conversation?"

"Now you care about keeping secrets?"

"Do you really want me vocalizing what constitutes private business between you and Hitsugaya Taicho publicly? He is a taicho you know."

Momo sighed, pulling her thin hands behind her back. "I know of a spot. It tends to be quiet. Shiro-chan and I used to go there a lot."

Kira wanted to chew her out for using the nickname the young taicho obviously dreaded but thought better of it. They approached one of the vendors and bought some snacks to eat. The young man found himself wallowing in the fact the seriousness of the conversation would prevent the time spent from feeling like a date, particularly when he saw the huge tree towering over them. His eyes widened. "Wow."

"Shiro-chan would climb up high, higher than I could. He'd stay up there for hours."

"It's not surprising he likes high spaces, given his zanpaktuo spirit is an ice dragon." Kira sat down, looking at the snacks but not feeling like eating. "Hinamari, if you want to repair your relationship with Hitsugaya Taicho, you should start by not using that nickname."

"This conversation isn't about repairing my relationship with him. It's about me protecting him because I'm the older sister."

"Except he doesn't need you to protect him. I doubt he ever did."

"Because Ichimaru can do it? Ichimaru abandoned him."

"I'm talking about the fact he can very well protect himself." Kira sighed, still looking at the food. "However, I have a question for you. How can you expect to protect someone when you can't protect yourself?"

"I can protect myself. I protected Rangiku quite well in Karakura."

"No, Hinamori, you didn't. You actually made things quite difficult for her."

"But she couldn't take those three on her own."

"She wasn't going to take the three of them on her own. She was drawing them into one-on-one battles. She then had to protect you from them."

"I'm a fukutaicho."

"Because Aizen picked you."

"Yes. Aizen..." Momo paused, the smile on her face falling. "Wait. Aizen can't be trusted. Am I at risk of being removed from the position when the new taicho comes?"

Kira took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"I know I'm the weakest of the fukutaicho Izuru-kun." Momo looked at her feet. "Marechiyo Fukutaicho may be lazy, but you don't become the fukutaicho of the second division easily. Unahana and Soifon Taicho are actually pretty amazing, but I could never be like them?"

"I'd like to say why not but becoming like them would mean becoming a different person. Shouldn't though we be focused on this desire of yours to protect Hitsugaya Taicho? That's not what he needs from you."

"Then what does he need?"

"He needs you to listen, not be so focused on one thing. Maybe talk to him about things he wants to talk about rather than just things you want to talk about and then he might be able to open up to you. However, he also needs his space. I can't say that you didn't hurt him with how infatuated you got with Aizen."

"How bad?"

"How bad? You accused your own brother of treason base on what Aizen told you. You then tried deflecting blame onto Ichimaru rather than accepting Aizen betrayed you. Oh, and you showing up in Karakura didn't help things either. Matsumoto Rangiku is his fukutaicho, but you heard why they're close."

"You really suspect she's his mother."

"That..." Kira drew in his breath. "You might want to avoid the subject of Ichimaru being his father, or the previous taicho of the tenth division."

"Wouldn't he want to know she's his mother? That the woman who saved him is his mother?"

"How do you plan on telling him that without telling him about Ichimaru? And what about Rangiku? If she'd known, wouldn't she have told him?" Kira sighed, leaning back to look up at the sky. "No, the reason they're close is because she saved him. He owes her a life debt. My real point is Rangiku got hurt in Karakura town, but you put yourself into a position where Toshiro ended up hurting you."

"I want to be stronger, but I don't know how." Momo leaned against her knees. "I heard that comes from admitting one's weaknesses, but my power levels never improved."

"For some people there is a cap, but have you really admitted to all of your weaknesses? You've a tendency to look at the world without really thinking about things."

"Sounds like a pretty hard weakness to overcome."

"I guess."