xxx

Hitsugaya sat in the field of snow as white as his hair, staring up at the sky. The very sky was filled with the swirling mass of snowflakes slowly drifting down to meet the ground, the snow-covered ground he was currently kneeling on. His legs were outstretched in front of him and he was sitting quite similarly to how a child would sit, staring curiously up at the sky, so many unspoken questions revolving around the boy's head.

He slid his gloved hands down behind him as he lent back at an obtuse angle, staring up at the snow above and around him. Snowflakes would melt upon touching his hot flesh, almost stinging softly. He liked the feeling – of the icy cold winter against his naturally warm skin. It wasn't insufferably cold, just fresh and cool… it was sweet.

Not unbearably sweet however, like sugar-loaded candy or toffee-smothered fruits, just a nice feeling, a nice sensation. It calmed him, relaxed him completely, and set his mind at ease.

A questioning look and one eyebrow raised, one could find none other than Kurosaki Ichigo staring in disbelief at the boy before him, his features pressed up against the tainted glass window. Stepping outside, trudging along in the snow with his loud obtrusive snow boots, the strawberry-blond made no effort to conceal his presence.

"Oi, Toshiro, whaddya' think your doing?! It's bloody freezing out here and you're barely wearing anything!"

Ichigo shivered, despite his thick layers of clothing against the chill of the weather. He was of course referring to Hitsugaya's shorts-and-tank-top apparel.

"I, unlike you, can stand a little cold weather Kurosaki. And it's Hitsugaya-taichou to you.

Ichigo took no notice of the captain's latter comment and bluntly plopped down on the snow beside the white-haired boy, dissipating all of what was left of the boy's peace and tranquility. He frowned. Ichigo smirked. Drawing his legs up to his chest, Ichigo for once decided to be silent. It almost surprised the captain.

…Almost.

Deciding to be grateful for this rare opportunity of silence, Hitsugaya sank back into his thoughts, but of course this rareity was only so long and it was but before long that the bright orange-haired idiot was distracting him once more.

Hitsugaya found the man to be drawing shapes and squiggles in the snow. If he was trying to be creative, he certainly had no talent, and the focused look on his face told Hitsugaya that he was indeed trying.

"Kurosaki…What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Ichigo continued whatever it was that he was doing, or trying to do at least, never once breaking concentration whilst speaking.

"Duh. I'm drawing."

The captain decided to ignore the imbecile next to him and closed his eyes, feeling the snow around him. All was fairly peaceful for several calm moments, until Ichigo grew bored once more and opened his mouth, making Hitsugaya twitch.

"What's so great about the snow anyway? I mean, why do you love it so much? It's cold, wet, and I don't like it…" Ichigo muttered away, Hitsugaya trying the best he could to ignore him. When Ichigo continued rambling on Hitsugaya finally interrupted irritably.

"It's because of all the reasons you dislike it that I like it, Kurosaki."

Ichigo stared at Hitsugaya as though he was insane, raising his eyebrow as if to say what the hell? Before the man got a chance to open his mouth again, the captain continued.

"It's refreshing… not the extreme cold, just some chilly weather like this, it's nice. It's pure, relaxing, like it cleanses you as it washes away…washes away the blood of your enemies. It cleans them of bad, you know…like finally ridding them of evil intentions."

Ichigo sat silent for a moment, apparent in thought, before exclaiming out loud.

"That explains your method of attack, then." Hitsugaya merely nodded.

"If you don't like the snow, then why are you here?" Hitsugaya kept a straight face as he spoke, his eyes closed once again.

"Because… I think I could get used to it." Hitsugaya opened his eyes to find the man stripping off his jacket before tossing it aside in the snow, where it lay to get soaked. Hitsugaya stared at him like he was some kind of madman. What was the idiot doing now?

"Kurosaki, what do you think you're doing this time?"

Ichigo merely grinned at the scornful captain as he removed another layer of clothing and rolled up his pants until he was about as bare as the boy beside him. Finally removing his scarf before tossing it aside, Kurosaki leaned back, not bothering to praise the boy with an answer.

"Ugh, Kurosaki, you're going to get yourself sick. See what I do about it."

Ichigo merely smiled, and leant further back on palms, luckily still covered by the material of his gloves or else the skin would be burning from the cold. Hitsugaya frowned deeply before casting his eyes away, pretending he could ignore Ichigo. But he just couldn't. Hitsugaya growled in his throat exasperatedly.

"Kurosaki, you are not used to the cold like I am. You're going to get yourself sick. What are you trying to prove?!"

Ichigo's posture did not waver, however his features did flicker in delight.

"I want to feel what you feel."

Hitsugaya blinked in astonishment, not knowing what to portray. Settling for some form of frustration or annoyance, the white-haired boy crossed his arms and faced away from Ichigo. After a few moments silence, it looked like the dammed idiot wasn't even going to make an attempt to explain himself, so Hitsugaya spoke.

"Kurosaki, whatever do you mean by that?" Hitsugaya's straight face never once faltered, his teeth clenched together slightly with impatience towards the man.

"You speak very formally; very old-fashioned like, Toshiro… it makes me wonder how old you are…"

Hitsugaya was slightly taken aback, but did not show it. What on earth was Kurosaki thinking? It made no sense to him.

And again, Ichigo failed to see the need to explain.

"Listen, Kurosaki…you're already turning blue…" Ichigo never stopped smiling, not even at the prospect of his skin tone turning a shade of unnatural color.

"But, Toshiro, you've been out here even longer than I have, and if I'm cold now, you must be freezing."

Hitsugaya groaned. Why was Ichigo so unnecessarily stubborn, even about the minutest of things? Was he trying to get himself sick?

"Kurosaki, you're a masochist. Get inside. If it makes you shut up for once, I'll go with you; you've disrupted my peace and meaning to be here anyway."

Ichigo seemed content with that answer, for some reason Toshiro would probably never get a grip of. He would probably never understand Ichigo, and his stupid yet admirable need to prove to people, to … just forcibly, and stubbornly relate to them. Kurosaki had a strange way of touching people.

"You know, I think I like the snow, Toshiro. It's not bad… it's kinda…nice."

xxx

-author runs away, never to be seen again-