Title: Sunrise

Characters: Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, minor HitsuMatsu if you squint.

Summary: "And, like with the evening, the morning will come, but the memory will remain." Matsumoto centric.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I can't be anymore specific.

A/N: Wow…another seriously reflective Matsumoto fic. Wow... I really don't know where these are coming from, though I blame the rain and Stand Alone Origin.

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Matsumoto sat on the roof, staring at the sunrise on the horizon. Her eyes lost in its fiery colors.

Her mind, however, was far from the sunrise. Her thoughts consisted only of him and of his betrayal.

Their betrayal.

The betrayal that has shook the very foundations of the Soul Society.

Her friend, her first friend, perhaps in fact her closest friend, and those her other friends looked up to.

They had broken their trust, as friends and as superiors.

And despite how hard they could try they could never change that.

Never forget it.

And that hurt like hell.

She sighed.

"You ok?"

She turned around at her Taichou's voice. "Hmm," she asked quietly. "Oh…yeah."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Sure."

He sat down beside her, and let his legs swing over the side. "Are you sure you're ok?" he asked again.

"Yeah," she said softly.

They were silent for a minute, gazing out at the sunrise. Then she took a chance and put her head on his shoulder.

He tensed but didn't shake it off.

More silence.

Then- "Does it ever go away?"

He continued to gaze at the blazing colors that filled the sky, but Matsumoto could tell he was a million miles away.

He didn't respond for a few moments.

Then he said softly, "The pain? No it doesn't, I guess. And, like with the evening, the morning will come, but the memory will remain. But,the scars will fade with time."

"I wish it would just go away, Taichou."

"Yeah, I wish pain would too."

She snuggled into his side a little, and after a moment, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.