Bleach: The Captain Part Two & Three, Toshiro Hitsugaya x OC

Chapter 22: What I Want

I focused on the fuzzy sensation that slowly crept up my calves until it felt like my legs were no longer a part of me. How many days had it been-- three or maybe four? I couldn't remember really, the only thing helping me mark the passage of time was the odd visit from Kisuke, who brought me food as well as a lecture about doing something more productive than playing nurse. 

He could lecture me all he wanted; nothing was taking me away from that room, away from Yuki.

His recovery was extremely slow, I worried sometimes that he wasn't ever going to wake up and I had to constantly remind myself to be patient. Being locked away for so many years was bound to have some effect on him. 

What was it like? Did he dream? Did he suffer? Did he miss his family, or did he hate us for putting him through all this?

I felt my heart squeeze uncomfortably at that thought.

He had to hate being imprisoned like that. Who wouldn't? If I was being honest with myself, I wouldn't have forgiven someone for doing something so selfish to me. If someone had to choose between eternal imprisonment or death. . . well then swing the axe executioner.

Get a grip Akira, it's over now and Yuki's just fine. You're being dramatic.

I had to remind myself that my eagerness to be the first one to be there when he finally woke up outweighed my worries for the time being so, as I wrung out a cloth and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, I continued to play caretaker.

After being reunited with my brother a few nights ago, and subsequently turning into a useless Shinigami, Toshiro had thought of everything. He made sure to relocate us to Kisuke's shoten which made it possible for me to spend so much time with him. I felt so guilty for not being able to express my feelings to Toshiro, knowing he'd have to pick up the slack while I wasn't working.  He didn't seem to mind at all and gave me the space I needed to take care of Yuki.

Toshiro let it be publicly known that the entity causing the disturbance was Aizens doppleganger but the knowledge of my brother continued to be under wraps. Anytime someone asked where I was Toshiro would give a vague answer about paperwork or meetings and left it at that. 

I even found ways of keeping my lieutenants occupied; Momo I sent to the archives back in the Seireitei while Kensei organized patrols and kept the other squad members busy.

As for the visoreds, they insisted on taking over Yukis care but Kisuke persuaded them to let us do it. If family couldn't take care of him, what would we even be to him anymore?

I tucked a messy lock of hair behind his ear, examining his face for what felt like the millionth time. I traced the thin line of a scar that ran the length of his jaw and tried to remember how he got it but came up blank. I guess we'd been apart so long that my memory was blurry. 

His hair really wasn't doing him any favors, it was just a tangled gnarly mess in a serious need of scissors. I considered the possibility of going at it with my zanpakuto but then I realized that he might wake up in the middle of it and discover his sister turned into a total nutcase while he was gone, so I resigned myself to something less insane and grabbed my book instead.

It seemed like we had taken on sort of a humorless roll reversal; Yuki was always more  of a caregiver between the two of us. He was steadfast and sometimes strict when he needed to be, but when it came to me, his little sister, Yuki always put my needs above his own. Now it was my turn to put his needs first and just maybe I could start making amends for the hell he went through.

THUMP.

"Welp that should be the last of them," Kisuke dropped a box on to the stack he'd built in the corner with a resounding thud. He took up residence on his constructed pile of boxes and gave me a severe look.