This is the sequel/continuation to my previous HitsuHina fic, The Storm. If you haven't read that one you may want to first, or this might be kind of hard to follow.

Comments and feedback are much loved and appreciated!

February 2008: heavily edited for grammar and other various things. None of the content has been changed, only the mistakes. Also the original 3-chapter setup has been condensed to a one-shot, because it works better that way.

Resolutions

Hinamori Momo awoke to the light leaking into the room, the early morning casting pale rays through she shades and onto the tatami covered floor. As her eyes adjusted to being open she concluded that the sleep she had just come out of had been the first in a long while that was free of nightmares, and although she was still a bit groggy (she had never been a morning person) she felt completely rested.

She was suddenly aware of the body next to her. A muscular arm was thrown lazily over her waist and she was half pinned to the bed by his bodyweight. She also realized that their legs were intertwined and she didn't think she could move without waking him. Her eyes moved up to see silver-white hair, messy from sleep, and a face smooshed against her shoulder and the pillow.

Shiro-chan?

This scene was not entirely shocking to her as she had spent many nights snuggled against him when she was younger, afraid to be alone for various reasons, mostly because of her fear of storms. She had crept into his room many times, and he had never scolded her or made fun of her childishness. He had simply made space for her in the bed and gave one of those annoyed sighs that she knew better than to believe as she curled up next to him.

She had woken in his arms many times and so was not alarmed by his presence, but was mildly surprised and curious as to why she was here now. She hadn't come to him like this for many years. Not since she joined the academy and became a shinigami. No, it was to another that she turned when in need of comfort after that. She forced herself not to dwell on that thought and to figure out what she was doing here. There was also something different about the way they were sleeping as well, but her sleep-fogged brain couldn't figure it out yet. There had been a terrible storm last night. Was that why she was here? Her other comfort source was gone, she remembered, and a dark shadow flashed across her thoughts. She quickly tried to push it away but she knew in a way it was critical to this moment somehow. She remembered then that not only had she not slept in his room for years, she hadn't even spoken to him in months.

She allowed the reason for that fact to come to the front of her mind. She had pushed him out of her life because of her guilt over his injuries and her fear of trusting anyone again. Once again she berated herself for being a fool. He was the only thing she really had. He had been a constant and stable force in her life for as long as she could remember, and she knew now that he was the only one who could get her through this dark time in her life. So she had come to him to apologize and also to seek shelter from the storm and her troubled mind, to borrow his strength again and hope he would forgive her.

But things hadn't gone as she'd planned. Not that she'd really had a plan anyway when she ran haphazardly into the worst storm she had ever seen. She had been terrified of it, of the loud thunder and the lightning that was far too close for comfort. She remembered getting soaked, and was surprised she wasn't sick with a cold by now. But she had needed to reach him, and that thought was the one that drove her, giving her courage. But when she reached his rooms, when she opened the door and saw him standing there, she forgot why she had come.

She was pulled out of her thoughts for a moment as his steady breathing changed and he tightened his arm around her. He looked so peaceful, not at all like he did last night when she arrived. She remembered the strained lines on his face, the dark circles under his eyes. Not unlike her own face these days when she looked in the mirror. She wondered what had made him so upset and stressed. She was just glad that look was gone now. Seeing he was still asleep, she looked away from him to the room now filling with pale, amber light. Her eyes grew wide as they focused on a white bundle on the ground, next to a pale yellow one. His captain's haori? Why is it on the floor?

Suddenly the full memory of the previous night came rushing back to her as she recognized the yellow pile on the floor as her sleeping yukata, and at the same time realized that neither of them were presently wearing anything other than blankets. She smiled and blushed at the flashback she was having, and a warmth began to spread through her. She was also now aware of what was different in their positions from all of the times before. She had always lain with her head on his chest and he with one arm around her shoulders; protective, perfectly innocent. They had also been children then and now were adults. And the way they were laying now was definitely not innocent even if they had been clothed. He was practically half on top of her and her legs were wound with his, she could feel his soft hair tickling her calf. His arm across her waist wasn't so much protective now as…possessive, claiming ownership with a familiarity only a lover is allowed.

She smiled at his unconscious gesture, and thinking back over the years she wondered why she hadn't noticed that he demonstrated this behavior on a regular basis. He had always stood up for her, picking fights with anyone and everyone who hurt her feelings or showed her the smallest bit of disrespect. It wasn't because he thought she couldn't stand up for herself, she was a vice-captain after all, but because he had designated himself as her champion in all things. She suddenly felt like a princess in those stories Yachiru always wanted read to her. And he was her knight, or whatever they were called. She had always been his, she just didn't know it. But he had always known, had always waited.

Again the flashes of last night came to her mind; memories of soft whispers and passionate kisses. She never imagined anything could feel like that. And she was the one to start it! She wondered what ran through his mind when she had made the first move that eventually led them into his bedroom. It was a surprise to her, considering she was usually so shy. She really hadn't had any idea what she was doing, it was as though some other force had been guiding her movements. It all had just felt right, had felt natural to touch him in that way, to kiss him and let him touch her. She had never thought about what her first time would be like, but somehow it didn't surprise her that it had been with him. It was like her heart had known all along what her mind wouldn't admit.

She wondered if anyone else knew, if she was really the last person to see the truth about their relationship. Was that why no guy had ever asked her out since Hitsugaya had come to Seiretei? Or why any guy who ogled her or made suggestive comments about her ended up in the 4th division with frostbite or a broken nose? She had to laugh at herself; she really could be naïve at times. She wondered if that was why Matsumoto always looked at her funny when they were in the room together. Had he said anything to her?

No, he didn't talk about things like that to anyone. He was always very practical and proper, never saying or doing anything outrageous. He was the polar opposite of Rangiku-san.

Most people said he was as cold as the sword he wielded, but Hinamori knew better. It was all a cover, a shield to keep his emotions in check. Because he was actually very emotional, felt things too much, especially anger, and he didn't want people to think he was unstable. He had been bullied a lot as a child, because of his white hair, because of his small size, and especially because he was a genius. Hinamori suspected the other children were afraid of him and had lashed out because of it. It had gotten worse when he began to show the beginnings of enormous spirit power. He was constantly starving and would tear through Obasan's watermelon patch like there was no tomorrow. He never showed or spoke of what the Rukongai kids made him feel, and she knew that was the beginning of his icy outer demeanor. Even when he learned to fight back and the kids stopped picking on him for fear of their limbs he continued to hide his feelings from the world. She would just clean his cuts and bandage his skinned knees, and he would call her baka bed wetter if she tried to talk about it. When she began to show signs of spirit power the kids picked on her too, but it soon stopped once Shiro-chan learned about it, and they would sit on the porch of their little shack and eat watermelons together, and he would spit seeds at her if she tried to make him talk about anything girly.

Well at least no one can call him short anymore, she thought happily. Even lying down next to her it was obvious that he was now quite a bit larger that her. She figured he was about as tall as Ichigo, though not as skinny. She on the other hand, hadn't grown an inch since she joined the Gotei 13 and probably never would. That suited her now as she thought about the fact that their bodies fit together perfectly in this bed, and that she was extremely comfortable lying there, listening to him breathe against her neck. She was glad he was still asleep. She didn't feel like talking just now and she knew they would need to talk about this at some point. For now she needed to get her thoughts straight so she would know what to do when that moment came.

Comfortable. She thought about that word again. It seemed strange to her that she was so relaxed in her present situation. Somehow it just felt right to be here, like this, with Shiro-chan. Toshirou, she corrected herself. Shiro-chan was the boy she knew from Rukongai, and she had continued to call him that because she was unwilling or unable to see him in the present tense, to accept the man he was becoming. Perhaps that was why he hated for her to call him that. She had thought it was because he worked so hard to get where he was and didn't want to be seen as a child anymore. But she wondered now if he had taken it as an insult from her, that maybe she would always think of him as a kid. He had never been a kid in the sense of maturity, she knew, and although his face still had a boyish quality to it no one could call him a child now. She wondered if Captain Ukitake still tried to give him candy. She knew the older man had always fancied himself as a kind of father figure to him, and she secretly believed that Toshiro returned the feeling, thought he would probably never admit it.

As she lay there thinking back on the events in her life that had led her to this moment, a tiny feeling of guilt began to creep over her. He had always been there for her, but what had she ever done for him? She had left him alone in Rukongai when she went into the academy. She had promised to visit every weekend but as time went on she found herself so busy with training and social invitations that she hardly ever thought about going home. Had he waited for her on those days she never came? He had told her he wouldn't but she knew he just said things like that to seem tough. She had always been popular and had so many friends she sometimes felt there wasn't enough time in the day for them all. He had never really had any friends, she knew. He was too guarded and aloof. And no one really ever understood him anyway. Not like she did. And she had thrown him aside like an old toy she was too grown up to play with.

Then she had met him, Aizen, and from that point on she'd had a sort of tunnel vision. All she'd cared about was doing well in her lessons so she could become a seated member of his division, to be closer to him, to earn his notice. He had obviously noticed this about her and used it to his own ends, playing to her crush, systematically isolating her from everyone she cared about until she only had him to rely on. When she heard that Shiro-chan had entered the academy despite swearing not to follow her, and that he was excelling at an alarming rate, she had been so proud of him and happy that she would get to see him more often. She had spoken about him to Aizen, that someone with his talents would be good for the 5th division. She hadn't stopped to question at the time why Aizen blatantly refused to have Hitsugaya in his division, she never questioned anything he said or did. But the answer was obvious to her now.

It made her sick to think about it. Toshiro had protected her, had saved her life. She had tried to end his life because of what another had made her believe. She was glad he was so much stronger than her that she couldn't put so much as a scratch on him. She didn't know what she would have done if she had hurt him. Well…she had hurt him. Not with her sword, nothing that could be seen on the surface. It went much deeper than any sword ever could. And accusing him of Aizen's murder wasn't the first time she had hurt him either. She had abandoned him, forgotten him, taken advantage of his friendship and offered little in return, and then she had turned on him.

Was she a bad person? What if she would only hurt him again?

She had pushed him away because he had risked too much for her sake, and in a moment of weakness she had run to him, and he was there to pick up the pieces again. She was afraid she couldn't give him what he deserved, what she wanted him to have. He had told her he loved her, that he always had. She knew she loved him as well; she wanted to give him her whole heart. But her heart was broken. She was broken. Her spirit had been shattered. She was afraid to trust. She didn't know if she would ever recover. Even here with his strong arms around her she felt the same old fears rise up to swallow her. She knew he would be there, would never leave her side again even if she told him to, that he would hold her and calm her fears. But would they just rise up again?What had Aizen done to her? Was she going crazy? It wasn't fair to put him through that, to make him go through such an ordeal.

A sudden urge to flee came over her, and she tried to think of a way to get out of his embrace without waking him. But where would she go? She didn't really want to go. She knew he meant it with his whole heart when he said he loved her, and she knew of she pushed him away again, if she made trivial what had passed between them, she would hurt him worse than any of the times before and she couldn't bear that. And she no longer had the will to distance herself from him. She felt pathetic. She knew she was a weak person emotionally, that she had always needed someone strong to lean against. No one would guess that about her; she always put on a brave, smiling face for everyone, a mask of independence.

Toshirou knew it was a mask. So had Aizen, though he had used it against her. And it had been him she had chosen to lean on. After waking from her coma and recovering from her wounds she vowed never to lean on anyone again. She could be, no, would be strong on her own. She would prove to herself that she didn't need anyone anymore. But now she knew she couldn't recover from this on her own, yet still she was nagged by guilt that however much she truly loved him, she was using him as a crutch again.

She felt him stirring beside her and knew he was waking up. She hoped that her fluctuating reiatsu wasn't what had woken him. But as he shifted himself to look down at her she saw no concern in his eyes, just sleepiness and love as he broke out into a grin. She smiled back. She loved his smile, shy and uneven from lack of practice, made all the more beautiful because he only did it for her.

"Hi," she said shyly as he stroked her hair.

"Hi," he answered in an amusedly as he leaned down to kiss her. The kiss reminded her of the night before and once again everything in the room but him began to fade out. She felt as though she could kiss him forever and if she suffocated she didn't think it would be a bad way to go. She made a little pout when he broke away and he chuckled at her and kissed her nose. She lifted her head to try and catch his lips again but he was too quick for her.

"Did you sleep ok?" he asked.

"Mmhhmm" she nodded sleepily as she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. In fact she had slept better than she remembered doing since childhood. She reached up to move his unruly hair that was falling onto his brow, and used the opportunity to grab the top of his head and force him down for another kiss. He gave in with no fight whatsoever and returned her kiss with matching intensity.

When they broke apart he looked at her with a serious expression. "Momo…"

Damn. She knew this was coming, although she had hoped he wouldn't bring it up, hoped that they could just pretend they had always been like this and there was nothing strange to talk about. She was suddenly quite nervous.

"Why did you come here last night?" he asked finally, a hint of concern and fear of what she might say in his voice.

"I was afraid of the storm…" she replied weakly. She looked away, unable to meet his searching gaze.

"Momo…"

Obviously he didn't entirely believe her. After all, she had run into the storm to get here, so something else had driven her to overcome that fear. Hitsugaya thought he knew why; she needed to feel safe and secure again, and now that Aizen was gone she had turned back to him. She had needed to feel something other than pain and doubt. What he hadn't expected was the form her need took. Was this how Aizen had comforted her?He fought down the sick feeling that was growing in his stomach. He was no fool. Even before Aizen had left she was no longer a little girl. He reminded himself that she was older than him, she was beautiful and kind and it was a logical conclusion that she may have had lovers. It pained him to think of it but he had no right to expect anything from her. But it burned in his gut that she may have given that part of herself to Aizen. He used her in every other way, he thought bitterly, why not that one too? Still he couldn't bring himself to feel hurt or used by her turning to him like this. He loved her and would do whatever she needed to make her feel better. He was honored that she trusted him in such a way.

"Look at me Momo…" he said softly. After a few excruciating moments she turned her head and looked at him with teary eyes.

"I needed you, Toshiro," she whispered. She broke from his gaze as her lower lip began to tremble.

He felt a small flutter in his stomach at the sound of his real name on her lips. She had never called him that before last night. It signified the change in their relationship. It said that nothing between them would be the same again. The way she spoke it, in a way no one else ever had, in a way no one else had the right to speak it, made him want to hold her close and never let go. It had broken down his wall of ice and he knew he could never hide anything from her again.

At last she seemed ready to continue. "It's true I was afraid of the storm, you know I always have been," she said with mild embarrassment. She was staring at some non-existent point between them, afraid that if she met his gaze she would crack, and she needed to stay strong now. "But it was more than that. I was afraid of being alone, because when I'm alone…I have…flashbacks, things I don't want to remember. I have nightmares…and I wake up alone…and…,"she took a shaky breath. "It just hurts too much."

It was hard to hear this confession that was obviously so painful for her to give, and he wished he hadn't asked. He wanted to hold her and tell her she would never be alone again, that he was going to be there from now on, but it was apparent that she needed to say more, needed this release.

"I tried to be strong…tried to deal with it on my own. So many horrible things have happened; Aizen, the way he betrayed everyone, betrayed me…and I believed him. I tried to hurt you and Kira-kun…and then…then I was in a coma and…I kept re-living that day…I couldn't escape…I wanted it to end just to stop re-living it. You brought me back…I heard your voice…I wanted to reach out to you. But when I woke up they told me everything, and that you had been hurt trying to save me…I felt so ashamed. I mean…I attacked you and… I couldn't let you do that again…so I tried to push you away. I thought it would be easy…I haven't been a very good friend to you." She didn't see the incredulous look that came to his face. "I mean, you were always there for me, but I only had thoughts for Aizen…he made me forget how much I cared about you…I know he manipulated me, but it's no excuse and…"

She sighed heavily as she struggled to find the words, her eyes finally meeting his. "Last night I couldn't sleep. I never sleep well anymore…but the storm made it worse. I was thinking again about…things…and I wished that I could come and sleep with you again, like we used to back in Rukongai…and you would make me feel safe again. And then I realized how…you had always been my rock, you know? You're my best friend and…I was so unhappy without you around. I just …needed to be with you. So I came here to…tell you I'm sorry…for everything…and I hoped we could be friends again."

His expression softened. "Momo you don't need to be sorry for anything. I never thought you were a bad friend," he shook his head gently. He cupped her face in his hands to emphasize his point. "You are my best friend. You are my family. I don't want you to punish yourself anymore. I love you. I always have and I always will. So stop doing this to yourself," he said softly, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. He pressed a feather-light kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry," she said again. She looked away from him, embarrassed for what she was about to say. "Last night…I didn't mean to…I mean I didn't plan…what happened. I just felt like I needed to be with you…and you said that you loved me…and I knew I loved you too. I'm not really sure why…I just wanted to…show you…how much you mean to me. I…I've never done anything like that before…I don't want you to think I'm…" she trailed off, not really sure what to say next.

He hoped his face wasn't showing the relief he felt inside at hearing those last had never done that before either…He felt overwhelmed with pride and happiness that they had shared that with each other.

"I think you're beautiful," he finished her sentence for her, kissing her tenderly. "I think you're perfect," he kissed her again. She gave him a shy smile and blushed at his words. He had never spoken like this before. "And I think last night was perfect. I've never done anything like that before either." She looked at him in surprise. "What? You don't believe me?" he laughed incredulously.

"Well, it's just that it was so…I mean, you were…" she flushed a deep red, unable to finish her sentence.

This time he blushed, happy but a little embarrassed by her unspoken compliment. "Well it's true." He wrapped his arm around her again and leaned closer to her. "And I could say the same thing about you…" he rasped, leaning in to kiss her again, this time more deeply as the memory attached to his words came back to him. "Besides," he murmured as he broke their kiss, "why would I want anyone other than you?"

She felt a sudden stab of guilt as he said this, because she couldn't exactly say the same thing. She'd had thoughts about Aizen, and there had been several times when she had thought he was about to kiss her, that he might cross that line. Maybe he had just been toying with her, drawing her in further. But she was fairly certain that if events hadn't played out like they had, if he'd had more time, he would have taken that last step to securing her loyalty, and it pained her now to know she would have gone willingly. She was glad that Rukia-san had disappeared, and events had forced him to change his plans. If his betrayal of her had gone that deep, she may never have come back from it.

This new train of thought was bringing all of the things she had thought about before he woke up to the fore again. It was so easy to forget everything when he talked to her like this, when he kissed her. She wished the whole world would just disappear and leave the two of them in peace.

"What's wrong?" He had seen the change in her face, her eyes becoming dark and troubled.

"Toshirou…" she faltered, her voice unsteady and the pain of what she was thinking showed on her delicate features. "I do love you…more than anything…but I'm afraid…I don't know if I can give you what you want…I don't feel like a whole person anymore…I don't want to hurt you again." She was unable to hold back the tears now, and she felt as if her heart were breaking as she prepared herself to lie to him, to tell him that they had made a mistake, that this couldn't happen.

"What are you talking about?" He tried to get her to look at him, holding her chin in his hand, but she refused to meet his gaze. She was trying to sit up, to distance herself from him. He let her move and she covered herself with his sheet. He sighed. What did he have to do to get through to her?"Listen, the only thing I want is you, Momo. I don't care how, I don't care why, I don't care to what extent. I just want you, and I want you to be happy. And if that's not with me, then…ok. But I would do anything for you, I want you to know that." He reached for her, his hand brushing her cheek. She didn't look at him, but she didn't move away.

"Don't you understand? Everything I've ever done was for you. I joined the Academy because I was afraid you were forgetting about me." Her face contorted at hearing this, and she hung her head, letting her hair fall to hide herself from him, But he wasn't about to let her hide again. He would get through to her. He needed to. "I became a captain so I would be strong enough to protect you from anything. I lashed out at anyone who tried to hurt you. Not because you needed protection, but because I needed to do it. And when I failed to save you from Aizen I couldn't forgive myself, and seeing you lying there in that coma…it killed me to watch you suffer and slowly waste away. I knew I had let you slip by me, that I may never get the chance to tell you…I swore that if…when you woke up I would tell you how I felt…but…you turned away from me…I didn't know what to do. I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you lately. I swear I won't let you fall again. Don't worry about hurting me, the only thing that hurts me is seeing you like this. Let me help you Momo…"

He forced her to face him, sitting up and holding her head in his hands. He leaned closer to her, his forehead touching hers, his fingers tightened in her hair. She met his gaze with a pained expression. "Toshiruo…I…I can't…" she shook her head sadly.

"Don't push me away," His voice broke, but he fought the stinging in his eyes. He was losing her again "Please," the single word contained all of his emotion, all of his desperation and fear.

He brought his lips to hers, kissing her so tenderly her heart broke from it. "I need you," he whispered. His eyes were closed as he fought against the emotions that threatened to break him. It cost him more than she knew to open himself to her like this. He was begging her; quietly, desperately pleading with her to stay with him.

I need you…His last words echoed in her mind over and over. He needed her. She knew it was true, he wouldn't have said it otherwise. Admitting something like that was not easy for him. She knew she needed him, but it had never occurred to her that he might need her too. She was the weak one; she was the one who needed. She had never been needed before. This sensation was new to her. It was like a deep feeling of happiness, of peace, it was a feeling of knowing that you belonged, that there was a place for you in someone's heart and a place for them in yours. She knew then that she could never be without him, as he could never be without her.

She placed both of her tiny hands on his face, and he opened his eyes to look at her. Her decision was made; she could never really have done anything else. "I love you," she whispered softly. She saw the relief in his eyes and the smallest smile played across his features. "I don't want to be without you." She kissed him with all of her heart, and her resolve to distance herself was washed away and replaced by a new one; she would conquer her demons, with his help. She would become the woman he needed. She had been floundering for so long, but now he filled her with a purpose, a direction from which to escape the darkness. She knew it wouldn't be easy, that it would take time, but she would do it for both of them.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, afraid that if he let go she would slip away. He pulled her into his lap, her head on his shoulder as she clung to him. He buried his face in her neck, the scent of her hair filling his nostrils. He felt drained, yet at the same time he felt complete. He had never given such a raw outpouring of his emotion before, but there were no walls of ice to erect against her eyes, her soft, tiny hands, the taste of her lips. He was completely and totally hers. He only hoped that she wouldn't turn once more to the darkness, that they would never come to this point again. He would be there anyway, whatever happened. If she fell again, he would catch her.

She pulled back slightly to look at him. "I don't want to forget what's happened, because it's led me to this moment, and I don't ever want to regret what we've become. But I want to overcome these fears inside me. I want to love you, to be there for you…like you've been there for me. But I'm afraid the darkness will try to swallow me again. Promise me…no matter what…" she kissed him softly, "don't let me go."

"Never." He kissed her. Again and again, until all of the sadness and uncertainty was gone, and there was only each other.

They held each other long after the kiss ended. They both felt as if a great weight had been lifted, everything had been said that needed saying, and they could now move forward with their lives; together.

The sun had risen fully now, and she knew that soon the world would come to intrude upon their refuge. She sat back with one of those little pouts he had always adored, her hands resting heavily on his chest. "I don't want to go out there," she said, casting a perturbed glance at the general direction of the city outside. "Can't we stay in here, just for today?"

"Sure," he said simply. She hadn't expected that. He wasn't the type to ditch work for personal reasons.

"Really? Don't you have to go to your division?"

"No," his lips turned up in that familiar smirk. "It is the weekend after all."

It was the weekend!They really could spend the day together. After all, it was their first day together, and she didn't want to waste it on something like work. She smiled happily at him as she moved to settle back down into the bed.

"Do you want some breakfast?"

She just shook her head and reached to pull him down beside her. "I want to stay right here."

He let her pull him down, his arms supporting his weight as he hovered over her. He smirked, amused by how insistent she was. Her tiny hands could be quite forceful when she wanted something. "Alright, but I don't feel very sleepy."

"Neither do I…" she replied mischievously, shifting until she was underneath him, removing the sheet that she had wrapped around her earlier.

He chuckled as he leaned in to capture her lips. He reminded himself to thank whatever kami had sent that storm last night. He didn't know what the weather outside was like in the aftermath, but he didn't care.

It was going to be a beautiful day.

End