Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its affiliates. Anything that you recognise is property of its respective owners. Any relations to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

Base/s: Bleach

Title: Our Captain

Summary: Why the Tenth Squad loves their Captain best. Little drabbley things.

Music used for inspiration: Cold – Crossfade.

Credit goes to: Nomanic, for inspiring me to write this with their great peice 'Out Taicho is Better Than Yours'. Go on, read it. It's snazzy.


Our Captain is colder than yours.

The Captains of the thirteen Court guard Squads were meeting in the long hall at Head Captain Yamamotos request.

The post for the vacated third division captaincy had just been filled and they were meeting the new Captain for the first time.

They were talking quietly among themselves when the doors opened and a small seventh seat bowed and exited, leaving the way open for the figure that strode inside.

The woman that entered was a tall, statuesque beauty. Her long brown was elegantly coifed and she walked with confident prideful steps. Triumph and a hint of arrogance were written on her features.

She walked to the empty seat at the table and took her place.

Introductions were made and after the meeting, the Captains, as they usually did, stayed to chat.

Hotaru Kimiko mingled with her fellow Captains. She was not impressed. A right mismatched group they were. No class at all. Except for Captain Byakuya, he politely greeted her and took his leave. Polite yet rude at the same time, she sniffed.

Zaraki was a blood lusting savage, fit for only fighting and nothing more. Of course, he completely agreed and that was what made it unbearable.

Ukitake, in her opinion, was far too nice for his own good. Also the fact that he was sick should have had him removed from his post.

Captain Kyoraku had her immediate dislike. Lazy, with a disregard for the shinigami uniform and he had hit on her already. She resisted the temptation to sneer.

She did however like the Captain of the second division, Soi Fon. A strong, no-nonsense woman like that was to be respected.

She didn't like Unohana either. She respected her for her skill, but the fourth Captain let people walk all over her! She was sure that she could hold her own but...

Komamura she was surprisingly neutral towards. She didn't hold the usual grudges against his gender and respected the way he held himself yet she disliked his boldness and his relaxed attitude.

She despised the twelfth Captain with a passion. Rude, antagonistic and with a low opinion of women. She loathed everything he stood for.

When she was younger, she had been chastised for making judgements too soon. Pushing away many people who would have been her friend had she not disliked them on sight. She had eventually mellowed out, and let one person in particular close to her. Then, she had found he was just as she had thought he was, a lying deceitful bastard. She returned to her former state, believing first impressions were the only ones to make.

She smiled and she talked and she judged. So far, she had counted twelve people she had been introduced to, but where was the thirteenth?

Her question was answered.

"Yo Toshiro! Come talk to our new friend!" Shunsui bellowed across the hall to a small figure who was apparently trying to slip out unnoticed.

She privately agreed with whoever it was, wishing she could do the same.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya, as I've told you before." A dry monotone penetrated her ears and she looked for it's owner. She looked down.

A small figure that barely came up to her mid arm, with a shock of white hair was standing in front of her.

The child was wearing a Captains haori. What was he doing, playing dress up?

He bowed shortly to her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad ten." He said, his voice clipped.

She looked at the other people around them, wondering if it was a joke. Apparently not.

"Pleasure." She sniffed. Reluctantly she held out her hand. He didn't take it.

She waited and felt how embarrassment colour her cheeks. How dare he!

He must have noticed her anger because he defended himself.

"My apologies. I would take your hand but..." he trailed off, looking uncertain. The other captains watched with interest.

"But what! I assure you, I'm not contagious!" she said sharply.

"C'mon Hitsugaya! Just take her hand, what's wrong with you?" someone asked.

A small frown creased his usually expressionless face.

"I don't want to hurt you." He said and someone else laughed.

She spluttered and her anger grew.

"You can't hurt me boy, I can tell you that!" she deliberately worded it such and was rewarded by a flash of anger in the other's eyes.

"Very well." He said and held out his hand. She took it and a small cry left her mouth.

His skin was so cold it hurt. In a few seconds her hand was numb and then it ached something awful. She cried out, catching the attention of the other Captains.

"What is he doing to her?" one asked incredulously.

"Let go!" she cried. He did so and she clutched her blue hand to her chest. She stared at him. His face was blank.

"I told you. That is why no one will ever touch me." He said. He turned and walked through the silence to the door. He paused. "You should get that frostbite looked at Captain Kimiko." He said before disappearing with a bowed head.

She looked around at the other faces, some were shocked, others sad. Most were angry.

"You shouldn't have called him that." Shunsui said to her quietly as Unohana healed her damaged hand.

"What?" she snapped.

He sighed and looked serious.

"You called him a boy. No matter his looks, Captain Hitsugaya is most certainly not a child." He walked away.

She opened her mouth but couldn't think of anything to say. She closed it again.

Hitsugaya wanted the story to be kept quiet so, naturally, everybody knew.

Shinigami shot him sympathetic looks while the lower ranked and the recruits shot him fearful glances and shied away when he came near.

Such as it was for the ice master.

Then one day, his vice captain burst into his office wrapped head to foot in scarves, gloves and what looked like a balaclava. It was the middle of the summer so the young Captain was understandably confused.

Then she gathered him up into a huge hug. He protested of course, but then realised that he didn't need to hold his reiatsu in anymore. With all the clothing, he couldn't possibly touch her bare skin. With a sigh, he relaxed the spiritual pressure that strained painfully against its prolonged confines. The office iced over, frost coated the floor and walls and his vice captains breath came in puffs of white.

Matsumoto smiled as she felt her Captain stop struggling into her hug. She squeezed him tighter and giggled when he mumbled something about oxygen.

She finally let him go.

He did something that she was sure only happened once a decade or so. He smiled at her.

"Thank you Matsumoto."

End