A/N This is a quick crack oneshot while I get back into the swing of writing. I am not too sure about it... Read anyway?

Although she doesn't tell anybody, Yachiru finds it hard to sleep. Even Ken-chan doesn't know, because he wouldn't understand how to help her.

He doesn't get nightmares.

During the day, Yachiru is full of mischief and life, and is the embodiment of childish glee. At night, however, she is reminded of all the terrible things she had seen.

She arrived in Soul Society in the 79th District – full of the worst kinds of life, predators that preyed on anybody foolish enough to appear weak. Yachiru, at the start, with her childish exterior, looked weak. She doesn't like to speak of those times.

She became stronger, but as she did acted more and more immaturely, until she would giggle as she slaughtered people who tried to hurt her.

Then she met Ken-chan, who looked after her even though it had been years since she needed caring for. She became so close to him that she even allowed herself to rely on him a little, and then a lot. She knew that there was a person she would die for.

But she does not own his heart – that privilege belongs to Unohana Retsu, the captain of the fourth division, who looks so serene and calm. But her eyes speak of unknown horrors and Yachiru can never quite relax around her.

Yachiru hops silently from rooftop to rooftop, trying to avoid the nightly patrols. It would just lead to awkward questions she doesn't wish to answer. She is trying to find some solitude.

She arrives at the dark, cool forest. It is far outside the reaches of the Seretei, but not too far into the Rukongai. She enjoys the silence – 11th Division is never quiet.

Something rustles behind her. She whirls around; living in the 11th Division and the 79th District doesn't do great things for your nerves.

Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of 10th division, stares at her in surprise. He looks awful, with heavy bags under his eyes and a defeated expression.

There is a brief awkward silence before he speaks," Sorry for disturbing you, Lieutenant Kujiashi. I will go elsewhere."

"You don't have to, "she replies, her voice echoing in the forest. She feels too tired to care, even though she cannot sleep.

He cautiously sits down opposite her, watching her warily, as if he expected her to attack or jump on him.

"Why are you here, Lieutenant?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She stares at the blank night sky – there are no stars in soul society.

He shifts uncomfortably, "I just wanted to think."

"Ah, you don't do that very often." She tilts her head, waiting for him to start shouting or frown irritably.

He does not react to her jibe."Hinamori… she's dying."

Her eyes widen. Yachiru had heard about the lieutenant of the 5th Division, and she'd know that they had been close.

"But… Aizen's dead. The war's over! She can't die." Yachiru was almost angry at the girl. Why was she giving up now? It made no sense; Yachiru was not the kind of person who could understand submission.

Toshiro shrugs, though the action isn't as nonchalant as he'd tried to make it. "She's just lost the will to live. She doesn't want to carry on without that bastard Aizen." His voice was bitter. "She doesn't care about how much it hurts her friends when she doesn't look at us, or speak when we visit. It's like she doesn't care about us anymore."

"I know the feeling," Yachiru offers up unexpectedly. At his inquisitive glance she finds the entire story slipping out, "Ken-chan hardly has time for me anymore. He's always with Unohana, and I want him to be happy, I do, but I feel like he doesn't need me now. I was always the person he trusted the most…and now I'm not. I don't know what to do without him, because he's like my entire world."

He seems surprised by how forthcoming and serious she is, especially given how innocent she looks. But he of all people knows not to judge someone by their size.

He opens his mouth, and somehow they start to talk, their need to tell anybody their troubles overpowering their awkwardness. They just chat about little anecdotes, like how Hitsugaya used to eat watermelon with Hinamori and he would always give her the biggest bit, how Kenpachi had gotten Yachiru a skull-and-crossbones hair-clip for her birthday because he knew she wanted to be cute but not too girly. Soon the sun peeks over the edge of the horizon, and they shake themselves out of their daze.

"Uh… thanks for talking with me. It really helped." He gives her an awkward smile, as if he isn't used to the action.

Yachiru stars at the forest floor. "I'll be here tomorrow, 'cause I come here every night, so if you want to come, that's cool," she announces with an air of deliberate casualness.

He nods. "Lieutenant Kujiashi." Then he flash steps away, and Yachiru watches the sunrise with a kind of stunned disbelief. How did that happen? She's never really talked to Hitsugaya Toshiro before – sure, she's played a few pranks on him, but she played pranks on everyone, so it doesn't really count. All she knows about him was that he was short and had an unnatural obsession with paperwork.

Yachiru is just as tired the next day as she was usually, but she doesn't feel so weighed down by the feeling anymore. She even musters a grin as the other members of Squad 11 laugh at Kenpachi as he puts on a clean uniform for the first time in anyone's memory. He is going to have tea with Unohana, and is putting in an effort (well, for him). He swings his sword threateningly at the gigglers, but doesn't fight them.

Yachiru has never known Ken-chan to back down from a fight, but Rangiku always said in WRSA meetings that love changes people. She wishes Ken-chan would stay the same. She hates everything changing.

He is already waiting for her when she creeps into the special clearing. He is chewing on something, and offers the bag to her.

"Amanatto?" he seems a little reluctant to share, but offers out of politeness.

"Isn't that an old guy's sweet?"

He scowls, and she steals one and pops it in her mouth. "Hmmm, it's nice enough."

He rubs a hand over his face, and she notices his bags are getting darker. "Have you heard Abarai is getting promoted?"

"Really?" she's surprised, she always remembers the former Squad 11 member being well, typically Squad 11, loud-mouthed with rough fighting skills.

"Yeah, they want him to be captain of 3rd. I think Matsumoto wants to be his lieutenant. She thinks it will be easier for him to have someone who knows what they are doing, and since Izuru died they've gotten quite close."

"I thought you two worked well in a team."

He smiles fondly," Yeah, when she actually does work and do the paperwork. I want her to be happy and she says that she'll still come and bother me all the time."

Yachiru snorts, "So you secretly enjoy it. Who's going to be your lieutenant then?"

"I think I can do without one until I find the right person." He finishes off the amanatto."I do most of the paperwork anyway."

"You are obsessed with paperwork. Geez, get a hobby."

"Paperwork is important!"

"11th don't do any cause Ken-chan hates filling it out." She sighs, feeling too awake despite the hour. "Hey, want to play tag?"

"I'm not a child!" he protests.

"You don't have to be a child to play tag. It's always fun!" She pokes him. "You're it!"

She flash-steps away, giggling. He sighs and speeds after her.

Strangely enough, they both sleep well that night.

Their nightly meetings continue, and Yachiru finds herself telling more and more to the icy 10th Division captain. She speaks about her insecurities, how she worries that Ken-chan will leave her and then where will she be?

He rants about Hinamori and unloads his stress onto her, thankful he has an objective outlet.

But it's not all serious. Yachiru manages to persuade Hitsugaya into joining her in several of her pranks, including icing over Byakuya's koi pond every night for a weak. He never suspects them because of Hitsugaya's astonishing skill at lying –Yachiru wonders when he practises - so Rukia is subjected to some serious questioning that week.

They also go through a ridiculous amount of sugar, which can't help their insomnia but does make Yachiru hyper, and Hitsugaya slightly less grumpy.

It makes her laugh when he pretends to be so serious but loves candy just as much as she does.

He even reluctantly allows her to call him 'Hitsugaya' without the suffix, but only when they're alone – first names would be a little too informal for him. Obviously, she immediately gives him permission to call her Yachiru whenever he wants to.

Their friendship is progressing well, and Yachiru even wonders if he could help fill the gap Ken-chan's distance is leaving in her.

Then Hinamori dies.

He draws away, not appearing to the clearing anymore, burying himself in that insufferable paperwork. Matsumoto has transferred as well, so she can't help.

Yachiru watches as the weeks pass and the bags return and his skin pales, and she's so angry that he's doing this to himself.

She decides she won't be passive this time, and bursts into his office at four o'clock in a rage, ready to scream at him to make him see what he's doing.

But then she sees his face and instead sits down quietly on the desk. "Amanatto?"

He looks at her blankly, but takes a sweet.

"You can't do this, Hitsugaya,"she tells him bluntly. "I know that nothing I could say will bring her back, but don't wallow in grief. She loved you, even though she couldn't show it at the end. Sometimes you just have to let people go.'

The silence stretches out so long Yachiru isn't sure she can bear it.

'She didn't love me in the way I wanted her too," he finally whispers. "I was so selfish for wanting more from her, but I couldn't help it. I told her I loved her, asked her to recover for me… and she died the next day, without ever answering me." He stares at the mound of paperwork. "I killed her."

She slaps him. "Don't you dare! She died because of lots of reasons, but you are not one of them. Aizen killed her, but she let him. And I'm sorry you loved her, but don't pretend like she was perfect. You could see that."

He puts a hand to his red cheek.

"Just… don't let it consume you, because then Aizen will have won all over again." Yachiru feels awkward, and hopes she hasn't ruined this tentative friendship with her words. "I'll, um, just go then."

"Will you be there tonight?" She smiles at him and nods.

That night she tries everything to keep him distracted, and he tries everything he can to let her.

Yachiru is feeling reckless, so she makes Hitsugaya keep guard while she dies the Head Captain's eyebrows pink. He can barely believe the audacity of her – and how does she conceal her reiatsu so well?

She stumbles out, bent over with laughter.

"I-I put too much on and now they're neon!" She stops giggling all of a sudden, her face going pale.

"Shit, run!" She grabs his arm and they flash-step away with all their might. The head captain leaps out of his quarters, brandishing his sword. He glances around the empty corridor in confusion, and wipes his eyes. He slowly brings his hand down and stares at the bright pink stains…

The next captain's meeting is interesting. Hitsugaya has to exercise all of his self-restraint to prevent himself from descending into hysterical laughter on the floor. The head captain has shaved his huge eyebrows off but the colourful fuzz is still visible. Captain Soi Fon just looks vaguely confused as to why the Head Captain has suddenly gone punk.

Yachiru is sitting on his desk when he gets back, and demands a full recount. He describes the scowl on the Head Captain's face in detail, imitating the expression for her.

"I have a mission in the World of the Living soon," he mentions casually. "I think they hope it will take my mind off Hinamori."

The hollow expression that passes across his face physically pains her – she knows she cannot get rid of his grief, nor would she want to, but Yachiru likes everyone to be happy, especially her friends.

"Can I come?" she blurts out, unable to stop the words from spilling out. "I mean, um," she tries hastily to excuse herself, as his expression is one of sheer surprise, " Since you don't have a lieutenant, and Ken-chan could easy spare me, I could help you a little. There are loads of sweets in the World of the Living, too."

He considers this. "I'll put in the request to the Head Captain."

"Yay!" She flashes him a bright smile." Thanks Shiro-chan."

He scowls "It's Hitsugaya – actually, if you're coming on a mission with me you have to call me Captain Hitsugaya!"

She waves a hand airily. "Sure, sure, Shiro-chan."

She speeds off to find Ken-chan, ignoring his refrain of 'It's Captain Hitsugaya, dammit!'. She lands softly in the middle of the 11th Division training grounds.

"Oi, where've you been Yachiru?" yelled Kenpachi over the noise of several bloodthirsty fights.

"Out," she replies vaguely. "Hey, do you mind if I go on a mission to the World of the Living?"

His face scrunches in bewilderment. "What the hell? I don't remember anything like that at the meeting!"

"Nah, it's not this Division. I'm helping out Shiro-chan."

"Who? Oh, wait, the midget. Course you can go, but why do you want to help him?"

Yachiru looks at him, this man she trusts so much, and wonders if she should tell him about this friendship. Then he sighs impatiently and she realises he's waiting for a reply. "I want the sweets."

He nods, satisfied, and leaves to yell at some unseated officers.

Hitsugaya's request for Yachiru to come with him on the mission raised some questions, but most people just ignore it, figuring it was just for practicality now Matsumoto had left.

They depart early in the morning, leaving through the Senkaimon before most people are awake. Their mission is to take care of some unusually powerful hollows in East Europe.

It doesn't take them long, as the hollows aren't much for two Shinigami of high-level power, but were rather too much for the local newbies.

Yachiru wheedles and whines, and eventually he agrees they can look around for a bit. She immediately goes to the park, swinging joyously on the rickey see-saw and zooming impossibly fast on the roundabout. He watches in exasperation, until she drags him on the swings, and he lazily rocks back and forth. They watch the sunset – it could be romantic, perhaps, except she's bugging him for sweets and he's arguing they need to return to hand in their report.

Despite the fact it's too cold and Hitsugaya would probably make her fill out paperwork when they returned, Yachiru thinks she's pretty happy.

A/N So... Hmmm, I quite like the idea of Hitsugaya and Yachiru being friends.

I apologize if it seems stilted and a little plot-less, but I haven't written anything in a while so please excuse me. Exams and whatnot.

Look at that adorable review button down there. It looks lonely...