Extermination
By Fatima Natasha
A Bleach Fanfic – Rangiku/Toushiro Ship
Summary: Rangiku Matsumoto's dating days had ended.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I would love to own a few Captain's though, but sadly.
Author's Note: I was taking a break from 'Push' and this came out :P Seems I'm obsessed. God help me.

***

Rangiku Matsumoto's dating days had ended.

Toushiro watched his lieutenant's slump become droopier and droopier. Taking an incensed breath the 10th squad captain stood from his usually cluttered desk and made his way to where the woman was gazing off into the distance, her chin in her hands forlornly. "Matsumoto?

The strawberry blonde head didn't waver, her eyes remaining glazed.

Crossing his arms Toushiro glared down at her. "Matsumoto, the office is on fire."

No response.

"I'm on fire."

And yet the woman remained immobile.

"I'm on fire for you."

When that didn't warrant a response, he sighed. It was much more serious than usual. Reaching out he snapped his fingers before her face until the ice blue eyes snapped into focus and the woman jerked away to gape up at him. "Captain! I didn't hear you."

"You don't say." Eyes straying to the ever existent pile of pending paperwork, the young captain shook his head. "You've been more negligent than usual Matsumoto. I'm afraid to ask: is something the matter?"

Still a tad disoriented Rangiku blinked up at the looming form of her little Captain. "Matter?"

Toushiro raised an eyebrow at her bewildered question. "Your pile of paperwork seems to be growing taller than usual."

"Oh!" Startled Rangiku turned to her stack and winced. "Oh yeah. It is kind of big now."

Rolling his eyes Toushiro let out a disgusted breath. "It's always big. Dammit Matsumoto, where's you mind today?"

Running a hand over her forehead the lieutenant whinned. "I don't know. I promise I'll get to it..."

"You know what," Toushiro reached out and scooped away the pile of pending paperwork from her desk, "you're useless to me in this state. Go away Matsumoto. Go do whatever you do to get your head on straight."

"But Captain..."

Scathing aquamarine eyes swiveled to her with deadly precision.

The woman sighed heavily, wondering if he'd let her stay if she told him that nothing could fix her problem. But no. This was Toushiro Hitsugaya they were talking about. Rolling to her feet the feline spirited woman stretched, and then trudged out of the office.

Toushiro slapped the stack of papers on his desk and stood there for a moment. He allowed himself a stab of guilt. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so harsh. Then the night ahead reminded him of the aching back he would wake up with and Toushiro waded back into his desk. First things first.

*

"I don't understand it!"

Rukia stared at the beautiful lieutenant sitting across her low table, a cup of forgotten sake in front of her, her fingers threaded into her strawberry blonde hair. If her elbows were supporting her weight on the table, Rukia was worried her head would be in the sake. Reaching out Rukia awkwardly patted her friend's shoulder. She had no consolation for her. Rangiku, was inconsolable.

"HOW could this one disappear even before a second date?!"

Nanao winced, her pert little nose scrunching up at the unthinkable notion. It was rather unheard of. Their lovely buxom friend had struck out the fourteenth time in the past three months. The idea that men didn't call Rangiku back was impossible. Nanao had no words of comfort for the woman.

Rukia pushed the cup of sake towards the distraught woman. "What exactly did he say?"

"Oh I don't know," the 10th squad lieutenant lifted her heavy head and gazed forlornly at her raven haired friend. "Everything was fine! He seemed nice enough. I mean he took me to an expensive restaurant; I wore my skimpy little dress. Hell, I touched his hand ALL through the meal! I was making a connection!"

Nanao pushed her glasses firmly up her nose and frowned. "And he didn't give you an impression that he wasn't interested?"

"NO! He was nearly cross-eyed from staring down my dress! There was no way he wasn't interested!"

Rukia shook her head. "I don't get it. No man can resist the cleavage."

The woman with said cleavage let out pitiful grown and dropped her head back into her hands. "I'm finished."

Nearly sputtering her speckled friend interjected. "No! You cannot be finished! If they stop looking at you, NO one is going to look at Rukia."

"Oh gee thanks Nanao."

Rangiku was shaking her head. "I don't get it. I've never had this problem before," she whined, staring out into the evening beyond the window. "After the last time, I thought I had it figured out. What am I doing wrong?"

"You know Ran, we've seen smarter men walking into trees without you even looking at them. You must have done something."

Humorless blue eyes lifted to her two incredulous friends. "Right. I did something wrong. All fourteen times, I did something wrong."

Nanao pondered her claim with a curled lip. "Hmmm, fourteen?"

"Duh! Yeah."

The woman shook her head. "You can't count the shop clerk coming back; he was only momentarily blinded by you."

"HAH! He followed me all the way to the Seireitei!"

"Yeah but his wife probably beat the crap out of him. I'm guessing he probably couldn't walk for a while."

Rukia snickered and took a sip from her own warm sake. "Oh I remember her. The ogre."

Scowling, Rangiku pushed the cup of sake away from her and glared down into its depths. "Let's admit it girls. Rangiku Matsumoto is done."

"What about the musician? Didn't he write you a song?"

"Yeah," Rangiku grumbled, arms crossed as she settled back into the cushions. "I was sure he was in the bag; what with him singing an ode to my breasts." Rolling her eyes, she threw up her hands. "I just don't get it!"

"Rangiku, you can't let this get you down. You didn't even like any of them," Rukia pointed out.

"Of course I didn't!" The woman in question rolled her feet, her lament melting into indignation. "That's not the point! I haven't been able to get a single man to ask me out on a second date! This is a nightmare!" She paced like an angry lioness, her blue eyes sparking with icy fire. "This has never happened to me!"

It was unthinkable, but Rukia couldn't help muffle her laughter. Her friend had been trying unsuccessfully to date and none of the men seemed to call her back. "I'm at a loss for solutions really."

Nanao had been silent for a while. Rubbing her chin, the studious lieutenant lifted her smoky eyes thoughtfully. "You know, you could just ask them."

Two pairs of horrified eyes snapped to her in alarm. It was Rangiku who finally managed to find her voice. "Call THEM!? Are you mad!? ME! The great Rangiku, call a man and ask him why HE didn't want to date me!?"

Rukia shook her head sadly. "Seriously Nanao, you gota let Shunsui let you have more sleep. You're beginning to get dumbURPH!"

While holding the cushion in the squawking Rukia's face, Nanao spoke calmly. "Listen to me Rangiku, you deserve to know why those idiots didn't get back to you or you'll worry yourself into an early grave."

"I'm already dead!"

With Rukia screeching beneath the cushion, Nanao didn't budge and only rolled her eyes. "I meant proverbially. And do not deny that you aren't completely disturbed. Dammit Rangiku, you haven't even TOUCHED your sake!"

Finally finding enough leverage, Rukia shoved the cushion off her face and panted for breath. She was going to reach out and snatch Nanao baldheaded when she realized it was the perfect solution. "Rangiku! For the sake of the SAKE! Go find out what the hell went wrong."

Chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully, Rangiku contemplated the ridiculous notions for a moment. It was the dumbest idea she'd ever heard, but she'd tried everything else. She didn't like dragging out all her secret weapons to lure men. If she didn't do anything soon, she'd have exhausted all her lovely tricks even before she became senile. "You're right." Scooping up the half empty cup of sake she drowned it in one gulp and smacked it down on the table with a determined grunt. "No man dumps me and gets away with all his limbs attached. I'm going to talk to each and every one of them!"

Nano's smile was positively triumphant.

"And you're both coming with me!" Turning on her heel, Rangiku stomped out into the night.

Rukia picked up a stray cushion and smacked their bright friend hard enough to knock her over.

***

Now that Rangiku Matsumoto was seeking answers her situation hadn't gotten any better. The first two wouldn't even open the door. Rangiku threatened them in within an inch of their lives but nothing changed. She'd chased the fourth around his front yard and nearly squished the fifth.

"I swear I wanted to call you back! I DID!"

"Then why didn't you, you deceitful worm!"

"Ah…Rangiku, maybe you shouldn't put your foot there," Nanao advised tightly.

"Please Rangiku! You're gorgeous! You're funny! I wanted to call you back but I couldn't!"

"Let me guess, someone cut off your dialing finger," Rangiku growled down at the cowering man she had pinned to the grass while the people in the neighborhood stared out of their windows. It was a sight to see three reasonably good looking women holding down a man built like a truck. The muscle bound man was cowering. Begging.

"Tell me why!" She pushed harder.

"I CAN'T!" He nearly wept.

Blowing the front bangs of her hair off her forehead, Rangiku stepped away from the simpering man and dusted her hands. "Well, that didn't work."

Rukia leered at the man for good measure until he scampered away leaving the three women in the yard. Rangiku was now more distraught than when she'd started on this quest. "I don't get it," she snorted. "Why won't any of them tell me why! Not one of them thought I was repugnant, so then why didn't they ever come back?"

Nanao was the first to notice the cautionary glances being sent their way. Someone was bound to call authorities. She wisely grabbed the grumbling woman's arm and dragged her towards their next destination. "Rangiku, he was about to pee his pants."

"Oh for Seireitei's sake why!"

Rukia threw her head back and laughed. "Maybe because you threatened to cut off his twinkie."

"He still didn't tell me."

"It's because he was more afraid to tell you than of you Rangiku," Nanao pointed out wisely as they headed towards the river.

Voice laced with disbelief the tall woman snorted. "What could be scarier than me!?"

As it turned out four of her candidates immediately professed that they were gay. One of them had a cardiac arrest and Rangiku had to call the ambulance for him. When she found the landscape artist, he jumped into the river he was painting.

Exhausted, depressed and insecure, Rangiku dropped onto the curb and whimpered. "It's official. I'm a pariah."

Sitting down beside her distraught friend, Rukia wrapped an arm around her and patted her shoulder. "Come on Ran, they were all a bunch of idiots. You're better off without them."

"You're only saying that to make sure I don't go jumping after him in that river." Dropping her chin in her hand Rangiku sighed heavily. "You know Captain Hitsugaya let me have the whole day off so I could figure out what's wrong with me. I can't concentrate. I can't do paperwork! What am I going to tell him?"

"Rangiku," Rukia offered gently, "you could never do paperwork."

"Hey!" Bristling the woman pulled away to glare at her raven haired friend. "I could always do paperwork, I just didn't LIKE to do it. Now I'm always guilty how my poor little captain has to do what little I used to get done. The guilt alone is killing me," she lamented dramatically.

Nanao rolled her eyes. "Yes Rangiku, you look destroyed."

In a highly mature move, Rangiku stuck her tongue out at her. "Hmph. Strike fourteen and I'm out. I'll be laughed out of the Seireitei women's club. Where's my Scarlet Letter?"

Eyes narrowing, Nanao tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Thirteen."

"Huh?"Rangiku blinked in confusion. "That's a rather prophetic number to give me."

"No I meant you forgot the store clerk."

Groaning, the titan haired lieutenant draped an arm over her eyes. "Please Nanao, I'm in no mood to be mocked."

"I'm not mocking you melodramatic woman. You've been humiliated thirteen times, what's another?"

"Thank you Nanao, if I was depressed before, now you've made me suicidal."

Rising to her feet, Rukia held out a hand to the woman who used to make grown men walk into open manholes. "Come on Rangiku, let's do this or you'll always wonder."

Taking her hand Rangiku took a deep breath. "Yeah," she muttered, "how ever will I ever believe in myself without Pete the store clerk's testimony?"

As it turned out Pete the store clerk lived in a small suburban little village just out of Karakura town. The door opened on the third insistent ring. A thin, wobbly man peeked around the door.

"Hello Pete." Rangiku's smile was dazzling. Predatory.

Poor Pete saw fangs and the door swung back, but Rangiku had had enough and stuck her foot between it and the door frame. "Oh no you don't!"

"Go away!" The man grouched from behind the door, persistently trying to shut the door on her foot.

"Hey! AWO! Will you stop…UFFF!" Bracing her hands against the door, Rangiku put her weight against it and shoved it open. Inside Pete stumbled for a second before crowding her back onto the threshold.

"Look here Miss Rangiku, I don't want no trouble."

Crossing her arms, Rangiku glared down at the man without a speck of regard for the worried glances he was throwing over his back. "What's the matter Pete, your wife not over your little trip across death's door."

Casting one last furtive glance behind him into the house, he winced and ushered them back into his yard, closing the door behind him. "I made a mistake okay," he hissed. "And I think I've paid enough for it."

Eyebrow hiking up, the women huddled closer to the man. Nanao looked down at him owlishly. "Did your wife really beat you half to death?"

"Almost to death," the man grumbled before glaring up at Matsumoto. "Why are you here? I haven't bothered you since I went chasing after you through that godforsaken place!"

"Well why not?"

For just a moment Pete looked at the three pretty women gazing expectantly at him. The ex-object of his affection didn't look troubled, she was affronted. "Excuse me?" He wondered if the happy farm made house calls. He could have all three of them committed.

Waving a dismissing hand at his question, Rangiku narrowed the full beam of her icy gaze at him. "You follow me around Karakura town like a little lost puppy, came chasing after me to the soul society and then you suddenly disappear? What's up with that?"

Pete frowned up at Rangiku Matsumoto. "Are you daft woman! What choice did I have with him breathing down my neck!"

All three women froze. Rangiku opened and closed her mouth a few times before she forced a wide smile, holding up a hand as if to keep the confusing notion the man had presented. "Wait. What? Who was breathing down your neck?"

Crossing his arms, Pete straightened to his full height self-importantly. "I could have taken him. It's just…" his confidence seemed drain out of his as he paused, "he was awfully fast. Didn't even know what hit me."

Dread pooled in Rangiku's gut. Someone had chased Pete away. That could mean someone had chased the others away too. Oh god, her heart sank. Gin? But he died years ago.

"What did he look like?" Rukia pressed.

Pete seemed unhappy about his eminent defeat. "Didn't get a good look at him, but before I could figure out what happened, he had me pinned. Moved in like a blink of an eye."

Nanao exchanged a glance with Rukia. "Flash step. Definitely soul reaper."

Unable to contain herself, Rangiku reached out and grabbed Pete's shoulder, shaking him. "Dammit Pete! Tell me what he looked like!"

"Unhand me woman!" Rattling like a handing skeleton, the man stuttered. "I don't remember! I only remember those eyes. They were neither blue. Neither green." Rangiku staggered back as he continued. "Cold bastard. And I mean literally."

Rukia gasped a hand coming up to her wide mouth, eyes like saucers.

Pete steadied himself before continuing. "That didn't scare me none, but then he got all personal. Said Rangiku Matsumoto is mine." Pete groused. "Shoulda told me you had a jealous boyfriend."

Teetering on her feet like she'd consumed all the sake in the soul society, Rangiku couldn't process the information her brain was being fed. "I don't."

"Yeah well, he seemed to think otherwise." Pete glared at the three horrified women. "Look he threatened to dismember me, but after my wife's welcome I figure what's the worst that could happen?" Then he turned on his heel. "You might be gorgeous babe, but he can have you."

For several moments the only sound was of the crickets chirping in the night as the three shinugami stood staring at the closed door where Pete disappeared.

"Rangiku?"

And just like that her shock was morphing into fury.

Before either of her friends could grab her, Rangiku's gigai went limp and the woman was gone.

Rukia stared into Nanao's equally panicked eyes as the gigai lay prone in their arms.

Nanao recovered first. "Holy crap."

*

Toushiro was standing in his kitchen grabbing a glass of warm milk to help him sleep. The paperwork had been grueling. More than that, it was hard to see his Lieutenant in the doldrums since he started redirecting her love life. In the light of the open refrigerator his smile was self-satisfied.

The first had been unexpected. He'd never thought he'd feel the kind of jealousy watching the man smiling into her clear blue eyes. The sharp stab of pain in his gut had been unwelcome and it took him days to realize the real reason he wanted to gouge the man's eyes out.

Jealousy was a new emotion for the child prodigy. He spent hours analyzing its implications and how he should deal with it. And Toushiro Hitsugaya tackled it with the same single minded approach that he applied to everything. Dogmatic will. He concluded the only way to get over the offending emotion was to remove the stimulus which in this case had been the poor soul reaper from Squad 8.

It had been easy. He'd merely waited around the corner, grabbed the offending creature by his collar and dragged him into the alley to explain his way of thinking.

And then it got easier. The less he saw Matsumoto with other men, the better his day went. But he hadn't realized how persistent and ignorant the damn woman could be. She jumped back into the dating fray like a trout trying to swim upstream. She went against the current and threw his plans out of whack. He'd thought it was a onetime thing. But soon he found himself chasing away a second man, a third, a fourth until every man who brought her home accidentally ran into her Captain and the point of his zanpaktou.

To think he'd hoped the blind woman would pull her head out of the current and look up and see him. But she hadn't. His interference had only made her more determined and now more miserable. But after watching her moping today, Toushiro realized he'd have to change tactics.

He'd have to seduce her. Show the unaware woman exactly how far they'd come. Show her that he wasn't a mumbling, blushing teenager or her little captain anymore. She'd just have to meet the man.

Snickering under his breath at the plan formulating in his head, the young man turned while kicking the refrigerator door shut behind him and lost his breath. "SHIT!" He jumped like a fish.

She stood before him, arms crossed, hair aflame in the soft light of the lamplight from the living room, eyes like his coldest ice. "Matsumoto!" Heart caught somewhere between his throat and his stomach, Toushiro Hitsugaya experience the first near heart attack of his adult life. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Now that's not fair," the woman grated out with underlying steel to her voice. "You're stealing my lines Captain."

It was when the cold of the milk he'd gotten for himself soaked into his skin did he realize he'd spilled the glass down the front of t-shirt. Peeling away the wet t-shirt away from his skin, he winced and glared icily up at her. "Have you been in Shunsui's stash of sake again?"

"Do I LOOK drunk?"

Even without his genius status, Toushiro could tell the woman was honed into the most potent point of explosive anger. That could mean two things. Either she had finally gone off the deep end or she'd found out about his lovely intervention. He already knew which one would have squealed. With a dissatisfied grunt, he placed the glass on the countertop beside the fridge and whipped off his milk soaked t-shirt. "No I'm afraid, drunk is the least of what you look like now."

He noticed a fraction of her anger morph into alarm at his topless state before it sharpened again. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"Is that a trick question?" Feigning confusion, he tried to side step her, but she moved like lightening, blocking his path to the exit and growled low under her breath.

Highly amused at the absolutely feral picture his lieutenant presented, Toushiro's mouth twitched for a moment before he wisely smothered it. "Something on your mind Matsumoto?"

"Answer my question," she snapped.

"I thought it was rhetorical."

"It wasn't!"

Relenting to her obvious blockade, the young man let out a defeated sigh and crossed his arms. "No Matsumoto, I do not think you're stupid."

"Then, did you really think I wouldn't find out!" She thundered, eyes flashing with intent to kill.

The notion only made the young Captain smile. "Of course I knew you'd find it out."

Struck by his uncharacteristic admission, Rangiku teetered on the edge of bewilderment for a moment. Was he admitting his underhanded interference? Without a fight? That was certainly out of the ordinary. Shaking her head, she frowned up at him, some of her anger melting into surprise. "You did?"

"I have to admit I'm a little disappointed Lieutenant." The snowy Captain's smile widened into a rather wide, rather predatory smirk. "I was expecting you after the accountant."

Mouth dropping open, Rangiku Matsumoto stared at the boy she no longer recognized. Dear god, when did Captain Hitsugaya wake up and discover wicked intent? She was still sputtering and trying to absorb the sudden changes she began to notice as he shot her another rather cocky smirk before walking around her in all his tall, lean, shirtless glory.

What the hell happened to the little boy!? Shaken by this sudden turn of events, she turned and followed him deeper into the house, her righteous indignation and the notion of taking him over her knee melting into confused helplessness. How the hell did he turn tables on her so easily? "You sabotaged me? With all of them!?" Her incredulity escalated into a shriek of disquiet.

In the warm glow of his room, Toushiro reached into his wardrobe to withdraw a clean t-shirt. "Yes."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "WHY!"

"Come now Matsumoto, I didn't accept you for my Lieutenant because you're great to look at." Turning around, he threw her a sinful little leer, his aquamarine eyes flickering with mischief. "Which you are. Exceptionally great," he purred, drinking in the sight of her from her feet to the flaming top of her head.

Panic exploding into absolute horror, Rangiku took a staggering step back as if physically struck by the sweep of his possessive gaze. "OH MY GOD! Who are you and what did you do to my little Captain!?"

Chuckling at her disbelief, Toushiro took pity on the woman and pulled his t-shirt on. "If the blame falls on anyone Matsumoto, I'm afraid that someone is you." Walking to his cabinet he carefully opened it and reached for his bottle of sake. "This is all your fault."

"ME!?"

Walking back to her with the cup of Sake, Toushiro gentled his smile, his bloated male ego giving way to sympathy. The poor woman looked like she was about to pass out with shock. "I've been growing up under your nose since before I could remember; you're the one who hasn't been looking."

"I'm not blind!"

"Only a little." Picking up her hand, he wrapped it around the cup with an encouraging nod of his head. He delighted in the crazed woman as she tossed back the cup without further coxing. Predictably, she swayed as the potent alcohol hit her. Wrapping one hand around the elbow, he held her steady, stepping closer to her for good measure as the woman slowly hyperventilated, and then began to breathe normally. "Easy there Lieutenant Matsumoto. Just breathe."

Skittish blue eyes flickered up to him and held. "But…but but…"

"You should get that fixed," he teased with a wink and took the shaky cup from her fingers, placing it back on the top of his cabinet. Turning around he finally faced her with complete seriousness. "Rangiku, I grew up a long time ago." Shrugging the young man offered her the only explanation he had. "I just grew taller."

"WHEN!"

"Is it so bad?"

"YES!" Still shaking and lost in the odd light in her captain's eyes, Rangiku took a step away from him to put some distance between them. His proximity was doing strange things to her knees. She'd expected him to evade. To deny. To run, but here he was; holding his ground while she wanted to bolt. "You made me think I was unattractive, you…you… you conniving little…"

He reacted on instinct. In a single flash step he had her pinned against the nearest wall, his hands braced on the wall on either side of her head as he trapped her there. His nose was a good six inches above her forehead. "It's funny you should still say 'little' when you have to look up at me Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto."

But his lieutenant had effectively lost her breath. The previouslyspitting tigress stared up at him with abject awe, her pretty blue eyes dawning with realization. In fact her epiphany was so palpable and helpless Toushiro couldn't help offer her a sympathetic smile.

"How did you…"

"It's called shunpo Matsumoto. Remember?"

His taunt seemed to spark something inside the woman and she glared up at him defiantly. "Is that the trick you used on Pete?"

Unable to contain his smirk, Toushiro's aqua eyes flickered with amusement. "I was tempted to break his limbs for speaking of you like a conquest, but I am a Captain and my job is to protect."

His possessive declaration struck her like a fist in the gut. She'd expected resistance. A lot of sputtering. Some blushing, but she'd never expected this. Holy crap! When did he get so sexy? Or so old? Or so bold?! Where the hell had she been when her little captain disappeared into his gorgeous confident man? A shudder of confused fear went through her as she placed her hands on his chest to push him away, but to her utter horror, Toushiro Hitsugaya was not only immovable like stone, but he pressed closer, his sharp demanding eyes boring into hers until she forgot to breathe. "Captain?" She asked uncertainly, almost frightened of this new man holding her prisoner with just his gaze.

"Rangiku," Toushiro whispered her name gruffly against her jaw. "I was merely removing competition."

Mouth dropping open Rangiku stared at his brazen admission. "Have you no shame!?"

Chuckling, he pressed closer to the supple softness of the woman he'd been dreaming about for years. "None. You've been a very bad influence on me. And don't lie Matsumoto," his nose lips delicately grazed her lashes until she had to let them drop, focus on only on his mouth, "you didn't want them."

"And I want YOU!?" She snorted with disbelief.

Bending his head down, he felt her hitch of breath, the dry swallow course down her throat and he smirked against the delicate shell of her ear. Delighting in the shivers that coursed through her. Knowing it wasn't the temperature because the woman was radiating enough heat to melt Hyorinmaru's ice. "Let me show you."

Her eyes widened as his mouth devoured hers and her world tipped off its axis.

Toushiro was talking. Explaining the fine points of Matsumoto's own ignorance.

Only he wasn't using words. He was using his mouth and he was using his tongue and he was using his hands. And while Rangiku was being consumed by Toushir's deep, gut twisting kisses, her brain caught up with what he was telling her.

His fingers threaded through the strawberry blonde curls. You're gorgeous, they whispered across each strand before mapping the curve of her skull delicately.

His body slid into hers, her back pushed seamlessly against the concrete of the wall. I want you, his hips slurred and breathed, his thighs pressing against softer, more pliant muscle.

His lips slid into the soft contours of hers and pressed, until breath was not an option. I love you, they murmured with each stroke and deliberate bite.

Rangiku's heart and mind spiraled from the heady taste of the cool Captain cocooned around her, her own hands clenched into the cotton of his t-shirt at his waist and her lips involuntarily molded and shaped to his kisses.

When the need for breath arose, Toushiro allowed his mouth to release hers with one final possessive pass over her bottom lip and she drew a sharp unsteady breath. When she stood soundlessly beneath him, he whispered her name. "Rangiku?"

"You're kissing me," she breathed against his mouth which hadn't moved farther than a few inches.

The left corner of his mouth quirked. "You don't say."

She swallowed at the first sign of wicked sarcasm and her brow wrinkled. "Why?"

This time Toushiro laughed, the sight gorgeous to the woman who was used to seeing the brooding little boy. Aqua eyes glittering with mirth, Tourhiro nuzzled her nose with his. "Isn't it the usual prelude to looking down your shirt?"

She stared up at his down-swept eyes and then at the twitching lips as his tongue slowly ventured across his lower lip and she realized he was indeed staring down her shirt.

Rangiku had never been stupid. She knew when she'd been beat.

With laughter bubbling in her belly, the woman grabbed her Captain by the collar of his shirt. "Blah blah blah," she yanked him towards the bed, "let's get naked."

Rangiku Matsumoto's dating days hadn't ended. They'd been exterminated.

And she didn't mind a bit.

THE END