Polaroids - Thien Minh

Polaroids Standard Disclaimer Apply Author: Thien Minh Host: FF

A: N/ After almost a year of being on hiatus, I’m finally back on track writing fanfiction. I guess I caved for so long that some readers even asked if I had given up writing for good. I apologize, but last year had been a difficult one for me. Anyway, for now I’ve decided to write for the Bleach fandom simply because my love for the series was revived after reading the latest manga chapters. This is a Hitsugaya/Matsumoto fanfic inspired by the one sentence community. I randomly selected fifty themes and started working from there, using it as a template for this piece. I love the idea of Hitsugaya and Matsumoto being together, so here’s the product of my constant procrastination.

Fifty themes, one sentence each. Fifty moments of truth. A collection of snapshots between Hitsugaya Toushirou and Matsumoto Rangiku. HitsuMatsu.

Deal “I promise to do paperwork, Taichou,” she replied teasingly and the mischievous glint in her turquoise eyes told Hitsugaya that his lieutenant was up to something, “only if you reward me with a kiss for every paperwork done.” Mad Matsumoto is driving him crazy, whether intentionally or otherwise. Cool Seeing Hitsugaya angry and annoyed always makes Matsumoto laugh at the familiarity of fiery outbursts against his cool demeanor. Wall Hitsugaya’s heart is quite like a wall: solid, steady, silent and keeping things out from where they shouldn’t be –the one thing it doesn’t do is keep Matsumoto in. Eye Even when he’s not supposed to be looking, Hitsugaya can’t help but watch her out of the corner of his eye. Attention Because in all honesty, no one can catch and hold his attention quite like she can. Time Whatever Matsumoto has done, past or present, he will always accept her for who she is. Century A century isn’t a big deal to a shinigami but it’s an eternity for a man in love. Motion Hitsugaya Toushirou likes watching his fukutaichou, Matsumoto Rangiku, move around the Tenth Division taisha; the grace in her movements is almost like poetry.

Young If only he had been the one to feed Matsumoto when she was younger, how different things would have turned out to be? God ‘Gin may be able to give me the world,’ Matsumoto whispered to herself as she watched him battle it out against her taichou, ‘but the world isn’t what I need.’ Memories After hearing of her taichou’s defeat in the hands of her childhood friend, Matsumoto desperately wanted to wash herself of her memories with Gin. Candle Like a candle in a windowsill, they became each other's guiding light in the aftermath of the storm. Rain When Hitsugaya opened his front door he couldn’t see Matsumoto’s tears through the rain, but he knew they were there: the pain in her eyes told him so, along with her quivering chin and the whisper of her voice as she asked if she could come in. Comfort They comforted each other in ways no one else could - both of them were missing a precious person in their lives, and so they clung to each other in familiar pain. Safe Her taichou is the only man she truly felt safe to be with. Vision Hitsugaya’s vision was a blur after Aizen’s betrayal but Matsumoto’s smiles were more than a spark to light up his life. Drive The memories of his defeat against Aizen weighed him down, threatening to crush him, but seeing Matsumoto triumph over the tragedy gave him the drive to continue fighting. Need Hitsugaya reasoned to himself that he only volunteered to supervise Kuchiki, Abarai, Madarame, Ayasegawa, and Matsumoto to the real world because there’s a need for someone to look after his fukutaichou (for God knows what crazy things she’ll do) and not because he didn’t want to be away from her for that long. Promise Hitsugaya promised never to hurt her, but some things just can’t be helped. Mile When he slips away from her, it always feels so sudden, even if she could see it coming from a mile away. Torn He is torn between two people, and so is she, but he doesn’t seem to realize that. Kiss There were times Matsumoto felt something between them, like Hitsugaya was going to lean in and kiss her; however, her hopes were always shattered when somehow the subject of their past

comes about. Question "Do you love her?" Matsumoto asks him, hoarse and hesitant, and when Hitsugaya closes his eyes and shakes his head, she forces herself to bear down on all the other questions that want to follow, and simply be grateful for small mercies. Façade When the burden of Gin’s betrayal starts to weigh her down, Matsumoto instinctively avoids Hitsugaya’s eyes because she knows that he has always been able to see right through her facade. Demons Only Matsumoto can fight her own demons and it pains him to see that she has to bear it alone. Grip Matsumoto longed to erase the shadows of Gin from her dreams, wishing she could grip to the present as tightly as Hitsugaya did. Quarrel Their arguments about being together had never been about their taichou/fukutaichou status or their age difference; it had always come down to if Matsumoto was using Hitsugaya as a replacement for Gin. Ghost Sometimes, the ghost of Ichimaru comes back to haunt him, and Hitsugaya would debate with himself if he was chosen to be Gin’s replacement in her life, but whenever he catches a glimpse of Rangiku’s content smile when she would look at him, he would remember that she had made a choice, a choice that her heart made- so who was he to complain? Last Gin may have been the first man she loved but Toushirou will definitely be her last. Fortune Hitsugaya is fortunate not because he has the most desired shinigami in the entire Sereitei for a partner but because he’s with an amazing woman who could’ve anyone she wanted. Numbers It only took Hitsugaya Toushirou three unspoken words, two hands, and a pair of lips to tell his fukutaichou that he was hers. Hold Hitsugaya made the first move to lace his fingers with hers; Matsumoto knew from that moment on that he was ready to put their relationship out in the open. Precious Their relationship was seen as false, but to them it was precious, almost reverent, and amidst the tears, they were both able to find hope. Fool Hitsugaya was a fool to even hope that everyone would agree with their relationship but Matsumoto’s constant declaration that she preferred short, grumpy, white-haired younger men made it easier for him to accept reality. Sunlight Maybe the day will come when he can kiss her in the sunlight and to hell with anyone who

protests. Sickness Ichigo snorts and calls Hitsugaya a lovesick moron, but he doesn't care - if anything, it makes him prouder of his feelings. Picture Before she left for a mission to Karakura Town, Matsumoto insisted to her taichou that he should keep a picture of her on his desk in the event that he misses her; Hitsugaya grunted in annoyance, but days upon her return, she noticed that he still hasn’t removed the frame from his table- her picture remained on his desk ever since. Goodbye Whenever Matsumoto had to leave Hitsugaya behind, either because she needed to attend to a drinking session with the Eleventh Division squad or to a mission in the real world, she would always say, “See you later, Taichou,” because she knows how much he hated saying goodbyes. Sudden ‘When did he grow so tall?’ wondered Matsumoto when she noticed that he actually towered over her while they were walking through the Tenth Division gardens. Sing Although Matsumoto’s singing could have used a bit more practice, it still sounded like a melody to his ears. Hide When Hitsugaya saw the stack of paperwork filed on his desk, he mentally reminded himself never to agree again with Matsumoto, even if she begged, that they play hide and seek around the taisha because they would only end up locked inside his room ‘hiding’ underneath the covers. Skill It was a pity but Hitsugaya was never going to be able to show off his new skills in public, for Matsumoto and he would scandalize Soul Society with the erotic, absolutely sinful way she thought him how to dance. Waltz Although Matsumoto was thoroughly logical in her explanation, Hitsugaya still refused to believe that there was a need to take off their clothes before they start the waltz. Harm Every time Matsumoto found herself in battle, Hitsugaya swore it was the last though he knew that he needed her there, fighting beside him. Stop If he had a heartbeat, it would have stopped the moment he saw Matsumoto lying motionless on the ground after fighting an arrancar. Cold Hitsugaya had always known Matsumoto’s skin to be soft and warm, but as he ran his hand over her forearm that one night it was neither soft nor warm: it was red, harsh and swollen from wound upon wound, and cold as Matsumoto’s body clung onto life. Wait At the end of the day, no matter what happens, they know they’re going to wait for each other if

they have to. Soul The idea of soul mates never existed in Soul Society but Orihime can’t help but wonder if Matsumoto and Hitsugaya knew that they were, and then she would smile to herself because she believed that they were a match made in heaven. Home Hitsugaya never really felt he had a home, when he was younger he lived in a house with his socalled family, but he never felt at home: the first time Matsumoto opened her arms to him, and he let her hold him, Hitsugaya knew, from that moment on, that he had found what he had unconsciously been searching for- he found home.

A: N/ So how was it? Please tell me what you think of this piece. I tried my best to achieve a sense of continuity with my sentences and I hope I was able to accomplish that. Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome and appreciated. Just no flames please especially for my chosen pairing. I started writing this piece in order to get back into the writing groove. My addiction to Bleach is back after its long dormancy and so expect more Bleach fanfic soon. I’m planning to write a collection of one-shots featuring Inoue Orihime (because she’s my favourite Bleach female character along with Matsumoto Rangiku) with another Bleach character in some sort of a relationship (whether romantic, platonic, or otherwise). So if you have a request, just drop me a line in your review or send me a private message with a prompt and the Bleach character you want Orihime to be paired with. It will be posted as soon as I manage to finish writing the first few drabble. As for my Naruto fanfic readers, please be patient. I’m trying my best to hatch either a chapter or a new story. Anyway, I hope you like this. Please review!