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

Chapter 1: In Too Deep

I picked at the rough skin on my fingertips as I waited for Yuki, who was currently inspecting the vegetables at a stand in the market. In the heat of the summer, it was hard to forget the long trek we had to make into town to purchase food and supplies. The cool breeze was a welcome relief on my fevered skin, and as I listened the cicadas oddly clicking a song, I let my body relax against the hot sandstone wall behind me. I watched as he smiled at the lady at the market stall and shouldered the newly purchased sack of goods. Goods that were bought with the money Keisuke was always sending us. Yes, it was nice that our older brother took care of us, but I would have paid him all that money back and more to have him home once and a while. I mean, weren't we even family anymore?

Every time I asked Yuki about Keisuke, he'd just shrug and make up some lame excuse. Lately, that excuse included a newly built research facility that our brother was now in charge of in the Seireitei. He must have loved what he was doing there because it's getting close to six months since the last time we saw him. At first, I was okay with him being gone all the time, but the more he made excuses for work and research, the less supportive we felt.

"Kiri, did you hear me just now?" Yuki cleared his throat, readjusting the satchel on his shoulder in the process.

I pushed myself up off the wall and snatched the second bag he tossed at me.

"Sorry Yuki, the sun's baked my brains. I didn't hear you."

He rolled his eyes at me, pulling his fingers through a mess of sweat and blonde hair on his head. ". .as I was saying, do you remember the letter we received from Kisuke two weeks ago?"

I remembered that letter, and the letter before that and the one before that as well. I was quickly learning that his letters never held any weight. "I don't think I'll live to see the day he shows up home again Yuki. You shouldn't be so hopeful, he's not coming home. What do we have that the Seireitei doesn't?" I picked up the pace to end the conversation; I didn't want to fight about our absentee brother right now.

"Don't be like that Akira. You know he's busy," he reasoned with me, easily keeping up with my short stride. Damn it he was too tall.

"Busy?" I snorted. "It's more like he doesn't care! When was the last time we even saw him? It's like joining the thirteen court guard squad went to his head or something."

I could almost hear the gears working in his head as he tried to reason with me. "It's not like we've gone hungry since he joined Kiri. If anything, it shows that he cares a lot. You need to understand that everyone has to walk their own path in life, his just happens to be in the Court Guard Squad. Who knows, someday we both might do the same thing and then you'll get to see a lot more of him."

If there was a word to describe Yuki, rationality would be it. He was so rational it pissed me off. I grumbled and stomped down the path as a way of finishing the argument with Yuki quietly following beside me, knowing full well he won.

I opened the door a little too forcefully and tossed my bag on the table with a thump. Yuki pushed past me. Grabbing the bag, he held up a broken carrot with a disapproving look.

"Seriously Kiri, you don't have to take your anger out on the food," he emptied the bag and assessed the damage.

I plopped myself down on the couch, pretending I hadn't just thrown a tantrum like a five year old. "I'm sorry Yuki. It just really bothers me that we're like strangers to him."

He put aside the broken carrot and dusted off his hands. Something behind me must have caught his eye because he paused and held a hand up. I followed his gaze to where a shadow was sitting in the window, watching us.