A/N: The last of the chapters. I've enjoyed this so much you have no idea! XD I hope you had as much fun as I did. Dedicated to all those who helped inspire me, and to darknessversuslight over on deviant art for providing the list.

By the way, 87 is the prequel to 42.

Just thought you'd want to know.

Enjoy.

76. Summer Haze

Summer had always been one of the things Hitsugaya Toushiro had hated the most until he realized that he wasn't the only one shedding most clothing on the beach.

77. Memories

There was him in a tuxedo and the day he first kissed her, that one time he got pranked by Ichigo, and the first time she made him laugh. . . those were things no amount of darkness could ever snatch away from her.

78. Change in the Weather

Rukia sat silently, grumbling to herself as she pulled the covers tighter around herself.

It. was. COLD.

Yes, Shirayuki made her somewhat immune to the effects of the cold, but not quite nearly as much as people thought. The petite shinigami though, had noticed that as she got more powerful the more immune she became to the cold weather.

Not that the information helped now.

Grumbling, she leaned her head against the nearby wall, starting to fall asleep when she heard her shoji doors slide open and a voice she had only heard a handful of times before drift through.

"You're gonna freeze to death in there."

Jumping, she immediately dropped the blankets she had cocooned herself with, awkwardly standing up while straightening out her expensive lilac kimono, and bowed.

"Hi-hitsugaya Taicho!" He looked at her strangely, seemed to lose himself in a thought, his eyebrows furrowed. Then suddenly, shaking his head, he turned away as he cleared his throat.

"You're brother has asked me to escort you to the party, Kuchiki-san." It was then she noticed his attire. Swallowing harshly, she couldn't stop the blush that spread over her cheeks.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya-Taicho. I, um, appreciate you doing this for my family." Bowing, she shyly peeked through her eyelashes up at the man before her as she straightened.

Stepping over to him, the kimono-clad Kuchiki took his offered arm as he guided her towards the main building where the party honoring her brother's birthday was to be held.

As they continued down the long corridors, Rukia heard him mutter something that totally made her forget about the winter's chill outside:

"I didn't do it for your family."

79. Illogical

She was messy, sporadic, prone to childish fits when truly frustrated and really really dense on occasions. But that was all the more reason to love her.

80. Only Human

He could take on hordes of hollows, defeat an espada, and even run Seireitei in a professional and proficient manner. But no matter what he did, he could never even begin to fathom taking on a new day with Rukia mad at him.

81. A Place to Belong

The pubs were where Rangiku was found. Ichigo on the training grounds, Byakuya in his office, Yoruichi in Urahara's shop. But his place, Toushiro Hitsugaya's place, was found in a certain Rukia Kuchiki's arms.

82. Advantage

The advantage Toushiro counted on as a rival for Rukia's love was that he had the status and respect from Byakuya that Ichigo lacked. . . he made sure the orange haired human never forgot it either.

83. Breakfast

Strawberries for her, watermelon slices for him, two waffles for both, and a chappy the bunny mug with steaming coffee that she reluctantly shared--that was their breakfast every morning after they got married.

84. Echoes

There weren't any. No distortion, no noise other than her voice in his ear as she whispered her secret to him that one stormy night.

"I love you, Toushiro."

85. Falling

"Alright ladies, bets start at 100 yen per gal willing to stake a claim on the time frame!" Rangiku's eyebrows wiggled up and down suggestively as she smirked, putting her own 100 yen in the middle of the table.

The room erupted in shouts and commotion as each Shinigami Women's Association member pulled out their money to bet on the day when their head captain would finally confess to fellow shinigami Rukia Kuchiki.

86. Picking up the Pieces

"I'm not good at being a housewife." She said on that rainy afternoon as she fiddled with Shirayuki's hilt, "I don't think I could ever stand a life at home like that. I was born into stealing, into hunger, into death."

His icy gaze didn't falter on the scenery before them as they took shelter under the sakura tree. Absentmindedly, his grip on her small hand tightened.

"I'm not good at believing in people. I was born into betrayal, fighting, and struggling."

Rukia swept away a strand of black hair from her eyes, her mouth a grim line as deep in her heart a dread began to grow at the sheer weakness of their attempts.

"It's hopeless.. . you think?" Her violet eyes strayed to him, a whisper of a pained smile on her lips. And for a moment, his memory flashed to a high tower, to a lonely young woman in the windowsill with a white robe.

Many people had turned their backs on her before, just like they had to him.

The dragon in him bristled.

"It's only hopeless," Yanking her to him, he leaned his chin on her hair as he sighed, "If you want it to be that way."

"I'm not a good housewife." She muttered. He smiled into her hair.

"And I don't believe you."

87. Gunshot

"You shoot like this." She mimicked the movement with her controller, making sure he was watching.

"Ok."

"And your health pack is this button." Her thumb lightly tapped the aforementioned green button.

"And how do I reload?"

"With this button." There was a frown of concentration on his face.

"Rukia, I don't think-"

"Just try one round, pleeeeeaaaase? I'm bored playing by myself." The petite girl pouted, her violet eyes wide and pleading. Grimacing, Toushiro looked away as he ran a hand through his hair and muttered a curse.

"Fine. Just. ONE. Round."

Half an hour and a good handful of losses later, Toushiro sighed as he threw down the controller.

"I win again, Rukia."

The black haired girl simply sat fuming, then turning to her boyfriend with dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Press start."

88. Possession

"You are mine. No one can touch you, no one can speak to you, no one can even look at you unless I say it can be so." His icy gaze was dark, burning into her as his hands slipped into her hair and he pushed her up against the wall. The light of the moon caught the very point of one of his glistening fangs.

"I don't care about that Kurosaki dog." At this, he leaned in, Rukia's breath quickening as she closed her eyes and turned slightly to the side. His nose met her jawline. It surprised her how heated his breath was for a vampire as his lips trailed the length of her pale neck.

"How can he want something you long ago gave to me?" He smirked against her pulse. "You're mine, Rukia. Until the day you give your last breath."

But of course, Rukia Kuchiki knew this. Then again that wouldn't have stopped her from trying to strangle him the first time she met him.

"Don't forget," She whispered as she pulled him in closer, "You're entirely mine too."

89. Twilight

To Toushiro Hitsugaya midnight had been when Momo begged forgiveness on behalf of Aizen. And as he sat there in the silence of the darkest night to have ever befallen him, he didn't notice the butterfly that sat then beside him patiently.

Twilight wasn't supposed to come like that. Not in the deepest of darkness, not silently, not with the flicker of a tired offering of peace.

No, not like this.

Not with violet eyes that slipped curiously to him. Not with two swords leaned together on the tiled roof, ice to ice.

"I couldn't sleep either." The butterfly said.

Ice to ice, grief to hope, the dragon's intensity to the butterfly's grace.

In his deepest darkness came his twilight. . . and not once did he ever consider chasing it away.

90. Nowhere and Nothing

"Rukia, where are you going?"

She froze. "Nowhere."

He eyed her back suspiciously, noting the strange hunched posture as her hand reached for the doorknob. He then heard a light whimper.

"What's that in your arms?"

"Nothing!"

"Woof!"

". . . crap."

91. Answers

The silence was thick with tension.

There were currently four occupants in the room: two poised--the epitome of calm, one fidgeting, and the last trying his damned hardest to not lose his nerve under the intense scrutiny.

Byakuya waved away the servant who eyed Toushiro disdainfully and bowed, slipping out of the room silently.

"I'm waiting." Raising an eyebrow the clan leader of the Kuchikis lifted his cup of tea, taking a small sip before setting it back down on the table once more. His gaze was hooded and definitely sharper than the prodigy before him had ever remembered it to be.

Rukia could barely breathe beside Toushiro.

"I want to ask your permission to date your sister." Swallowing, he didn't falter under Byakuya's heavy gaze. And just to add strength to his own words, he took Rukia's hand and clasped it tightly in his own. Her violet eyes flicked from him to her brother.

The older Kuchiki looked at them without a speck of expression, his eyes slowly taking in the sight before him. Figuring how to answer the two before him best, he opened his mouth-

Suddenly, the main shoji doors slid recklessly open and four figures tumbled onto the floor. Renji froze in place, wide-eyed and completely aware of the seething glare aimed in their direction promising pain. Rangiku seemed unfazed beside him, dusting herself off and taking in the situation with excited curiosity. Ukitake simply waved. Shoving and cursing Renji for his weight, the last of the spies stood and threw his arms up in exasperation.

"OI! Just let 'em date already!"

Byakuya stood then, calmly passing all the occupants of the room and hesitating before opening the shoji doors.

"You have one week to prove you are worthy of my blessing."

And with that, he left them all in stunned silence.

92. Innocence

"Ne, Toushiro why did Rangiku tell me to tell you not to become a rabbit tonight?"

93. Simplicity

"Hey Toushi, why do you like me?" Rukia asked, swinging her legs as she turned to him. Toushiro raised an eyebrow as he turned to her.

"I need a reason?"

94. Reality

For the first time he actually looked forward to waking up. For the first time reality was way better than any dream he could ever come up with.

For the first time, Rukia smiled from beside him on their bed, in their first home.

95. Acceptance

She now didn't think twice; every morning she made two bentos to take to school.

96. Lesson

He didn't need one when it came to learning how to love Rukia. . . it was like he already knew.

97. Enthusiasm

The dangerous fuel to Rangiku's matchmaking plans.

98. Game

It was a dance, a duet, a game of wits to see who could outdo the other in speed and dangerous play. Shirayuki was more a bullet than butterfly, Hyorinmaru a whipping arrow instead of a dragon.

And neither shinigami would have it any other way.

99. Friendship

"You like watermelon right?" She said, already splitting it as she sat on the roof of the school with him. "I can't eat it all by myself."

"Thanks." He muttered.

Every day since the beginning of the semester last week was the same: they sat on the roof, she spoke, he semi-listened, and then she managed to get him to speak enough that without realizing it, he told her about himself.

"I like today, it's sunny." She said, looking to the sky past the wire fence.

"Snowy days are better." Her gaze flicked to him then and she smiled.

Watermelon was his favorite food and winter his favorite season.

It wasn't much, but it was definitely a start for this week.

100. Endings

It would be foolish to say they lived happily ever after. But it was more than wise to say that neither Rukia nor Toushiro ever regretted a minute of it.

And he never told her his secret--not the one he vowed at the altar of their wedding.

In this life and the next. . . I will always follow you to the end.