Just One Last Time [Toshiro Hitsugaya] (DISCONTINUED)

[One Surprise After Another!] o18

A/N: Did you guys see my new lovely covers for this story and my APTK story? Kasumi_18 made them for me and I love them! She's too sweet C: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter <3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC

...

A week and five days have passed since I received my sentencing. Today is August 8th and I'll be executed at the end of the month. I was having my daily lunch while Hanataro cleaned up my cell by mopping and sweeping the floorboards, dusting away cobwebs.

"Akane-san? May I ask another question?" Hanataro spoke up hesitantly, but excitedly.

"Of course!" I beamed at the boy as I took a sip of my green tea.

My smile may have looked convincing to the 7th seat Soul Reaper, but it was fake and it didn’t reach my eyes. I felt dead on the inside. The fact that Ichigo was hurt and left to die that night still haunts me and it continuously weighed guiltily on my shoulder. I couldn’t even imagine how Rukia was feeling right now. It haven't felt like this in a long time…

Not since Katsuo…

And, though, my untimely death was approaching, my optimism for Toshiro and Captain Ukitake pleading clemency for me was dying out. Even with them pleading upon my behalf and Rukia's, it wasn’t going to work. My efforts of keeping Rukia and I alive have turned out fruitless and my original plan has backfired on me. All that was left for me to do was to accept my fate.

"What are the buildings like there?" he turned to me, fully attentive as he paused in his sweeping.

I hummed in thought and spoke. "Well they're much different. There are tall buildings called skyscrapers and they harbor many windows on all four sides of the building. And then there's smaller structures called houses or stores."

He was bouncing on his feet as he eagerly asked another question. "What's it really like over there, in the World of the Living? What kind of food do they eat? And tell me, what kind of drinks do they have? I'm sorry! I know I talk too much, you don’t have to answer me, Akane,"

He laughed nervously and I gave him a smile of encouragement. I turned my eyes back to the square window as I stared at the blue sky again with my lifeless gold eyes.

"Well, I suppose they have similar food like us, but there are some differences. They have this stuff called pizza and cheeseburgers and French fries. And do you remember what I told you about convenience stores? They basically sell food wrapped in packages there. This guy bought me a packaged rice ball one day,"

I paused in my story to reminisce about Ichigo. Hanataro nodded in understanding as he sat on his knees in front of me like an attentive student, and brought up his earlier question. "And what kind of drinks do they have?"

I giggled and answered, "They have a thing called juice that comes in paper cartons,"

Hanataro perked up interestedly with a wide grin. "Oh! What kind of drink is that?! What does juice taste like?"

I brought my gold eyes back to the boy and gave him a convincing mischievous smile. "They have all kinds, they come in the flavors of fruits; it's good, but it's tricky!" 

He leaned forward, absorbing everything I was saying. I looked back up at the window, Ichigo once again coming to my mind. A soft pained smile came to my lips and I sighed as I continued, "It was…hard to open. There was a certain technique…"

"That's hard to imagine! How could there be any kind of technique that you haven't of mastered, Akane?"

I grinned at his compliment and turned to him. "Well, it was difficult! You might've not been able to master it,"