Chapter One: The Plan and the Help
Hitsugaya Mizuki walked around the Tenth Division as she thought about her good friend, Hyoshi Arisu. Mizuki wanted to "hook up" her younger brother, the captain of the Tenth Division (and by far, the more mature one of the two siblings) Hitsugaya Toshiro with her midget friend. She has been thinking about this for a couple of months, but she hadn't been able to do a thing about it. First of all, the two she was trying to help by playing cupid were incredibly stubborn. Secondly, both were busy people. Mizuki decided that the best way to get the two stubborn workaholics together was to enlist the help of her best friend, Matsumoto Rangiku.
Mizuki snuck around as quietly as possible. If her brother were to catch her, he would question her endlessly and she would just have to tell him what she was up to. She was a terrible liar and he could read her like an open book. Undoubtedly, her punishment would be (cue shudders) paperwork.
Mizuki tried her hardest to conceal her Reistu and sneak past passing Shinigami without looking too inconspicuous. However, when the officers gave her strange and confused looks, Mizuki knew her ruse was over.
"Mizuki!" a female voice shouted from behind her.
Mizuki turned around quickly only to be hit in the face with giant breasts. Arms wrapped around Mizuki's small frame and forcibly held the young female in a death grip. Mizuki shrieked and cursed until she was able to wiggle out of the older female's grasp.
After regaining her breath, a small giggle escaped Mizuki's lips. "Well, hello Rangiku! I was just looking for you!"
"Looking for me?" The strawberry blonde repeated as she tilted her head to the left in a questioning gesture.
"Yes!" Mizuki exclaimed happily. She ushered her friend into a storage closet and closed the door. "Today, we are going to work together to get Shiro-chan and Arisu-chan together!"
Rangiku squealed and clapped her hands together happily. She nodded her head fervently, "Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" She calmed down when they heard someone outside the door ask if they were alright. Both girls answered affirmatively and then lowered their voices to plan. "So, what are we going to do?" Rangiku asked.
Mizuki's right index finger began to tap her chin in a thoughtful manner. Both girls crouched down on the floor as they thought. They were both extremely quiet as they plotted in their heads. Neither one spoke out loud of their ideas; sometimes they shook their heads and sometimes they sighed to themselves.
"This is going to be harder than I thought…" Mizuki mumbled as Rangiku nodded. "I thought that since we were their closest friends the ideas would flow from us like curses from Ikkaku…"
Rangiku giggled, but then she gasped. "Wait! Why don't we set up a blind date with things that they both love? Then we just send them letters to the location and let the sparks fly!"
Mizuki clapped her hands and Rangiku mocked a bow. "That's a great idea, Rangiku!" Mizuki paused in her clapping, "What are Shiro-chan's and Arisu-chan's favorite things?"
Rangiku thought for a moment before she deadpanned, "Weren't you the one who said we know them the best and yet here you are asking that?"
Mizuki huffed. She swatted her hand at her best friend who easily dodged and snickered. "Oh shush! If you're so smart, answer the question!"
"Well, I think we both know about Taicho's favorite things such as watermelons, jasmine tea, spinning tops, winter, cold places, and sugared beans… Oh and he loves taking naps!" Rangiku said it as if she had recited it before.
Mizuki stared at her best friend for a moment. Of course, she had known all of those things (and a bit more), but she was honestly surprised that her ditzy best friend noticed all of those things about Toshiro. "Wow… Well, you're right on the dot about Shiro-chan. Arisu-chan is another story though…"
Rangiku and Mizuki were quiet for a moment as they realized that they didn't know anything about their petite friend's favorite things or hobbies.
"Let's go to the Sixth Division and investigate!" Mizuki suddenly shouted whilst pumping her fist into the air triumphantly.
Rangiku stared at her before shrugging. "Why not!"
The two quickly exited the storage room and escaped the Tenth Division barracks. They Shunpoed to the Sixth Division easily and without anyone noticing them. As they landed in the division's grounds, the Sixth Division Lieutenant, Abarai Renji, came out to meet them.
"Yo, Matsumoto-san, Hitsugaya-san!" he called with a friendly wave.
Mizuki blushed and quickly bowed her head in respect to the lieutenant before them. Rangiku snickered.
"Hey Renji! We need to talk to you and Kuchiki-taicho about Arisu-chan! Are you guys busy?" Rangiku asked sweetly.
Renji was visibly shocked at first, but he immediately grew serious. "What's wrong with Arisu?"
Rangiku immediately waved her hands in front of her to feign innocence, "it's not like that! Mizuki and I want to hook my taicho and her up is all. We need to know what she likes and we thought you and Kuchiki-taicho were the best people to go to ask!"
Mizuki nodded her head quickly. Rangiku wondered if she had lost her voice. It was painfully obvious the girl had feelings for the red head. Of course, said red head was as dense as the Sekkiseki and couldn't see it.
"Oh," Renji practically deflated in relief, "alright. Yeah, uh, we're not really doing anything besides paperwork." Renji turned and motioned for them to follow him. "So Hitsugaya-taicho, huh?" He titled his head back to peer at them and wiggled his tattooed eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Rangiku noticed Mizuki blushed furiously.
"Yeah," Rangiku responded as she nudged Mizuki in the ribcage to explain.
"Ow! Oh, uh… yeah! I noticed not that long ago that Shiro-chan would get all flustered when Arisu-chan would deliver paper or her name was mentioned in a conversation. Then later he would get all depressed. I know that she has had a crush on him since forever, but she won't admit it. They both are just far too stubborn to do anything!" Mizuki finished with a large sigh and a shake of her head. Rangiku noticed that Mizuki's nerves seemed to disappear as they continued on.
"Really?" Renji seemed genuinely surprised, "Kuchiki-taicho seemed to have noticed the depressed part in Arisu too, because he told her to take the day off today." There was a pause in the conversation as they continued to walk down the hallways of the Sixth Division. The three became absorbed in their own thoughts.
"How are you planning to get them together?" Renji finally asked as they entered the hallway with his and his taicho's office in it.
"We're doing a secret date with all of their favorite things in it!" Rangiku informed with a satisfied nod.
Renji didn't say anything as he called to his taicho in his office.
"Enter," came the monotonous reply of Kuchiki Byakuya, the Sixth Division taicho.
The trio shuddered as a chill reached their ears, but they entered the office anyway.
Kuchiki-taicho sat at his desk. He silently filled out his paperwork with regality that no one else in the Gotei Jūnsantai could pull off. He glanced up from his work as the two fokutaicho and the third seat entered his office. He looked up fully in silent question.
"Excuse us, Kuchiki-taicho, but Matsumoto-san, Hitsugaya-san and I were wondering if you could help us figure out Arisu's favorite things so we can…" Renji trailed off. He looked at his two female companions for help, but they offered nothing except blunt looks that told him to tell the truth. "So we can hook her and Hitsugaya-taicho up."
Kuchiki-taicho was silent for a moment and the three questioned in their heads about asking him (of all people) for help. He placed his brush down and stood from his desk. He walked around it and motioned for them to sit down on the couch that was in the shared office.
The trio glanced at each other in shock. They were surprised that he was being so cooperative. They quickly sat across from Byakuya. Rangiku purposefully made Mizuki sit between her and Renji. She had to hide her smug look when she noticed the red on Mizuki's cheeks.
"Have either Hitsugaya or Arisu expressed their feelings about the other to any of you?" Byakuya asked as he looked each one in the eyes.
"Eh…" Came Renji's nervous reply.
"Well…" Mizuki muttered as she fiddled with her thumbs in her lap.
"About that…" Rangiku started, but stopped when she looked back at Byakuya.
Byakuya refrained himself from sighing and shaking his head at the three. It was obvious they were lost, but at least their intentions were good.
"Fortunately," he interrupted their stutters, "I do know that Arisu does indeed harbor feelings for the Tenth Division taicho."
All three of the Shinigami sitting across from him gave him a surprised look, but only Renji voiced his surprise.
"Really, taicho?" He questioned. "Er… well, I mean… How do you know? Did Arisu tell you?"
Byakuya nodded once.
"Wow," Mizuki mumbled, "I can't believe she didn't tell me…" Mizuki frowned and stared at her hands. Rangiku placed her hands on Mizuki's and squeezed them in a comforting manner.
"She did not want anyone to do what you are trying to do now," Byakuya informed. "She knew that as her closest friends, you would try your hardest to make everyone happy no matter what."
Mizuki and Rangiku shared a glance and Renji sighed.
"What's so wrong with that?" Renji asked. It was obvious that this bit of information rubbed him the wrong way.
"Well," Rangiku answered, "She was probably scared what it would mean for Taicho. She knows that he is very stressed and that well… Everyone gets on his last nerve, so she probably thought she was just going to do the same. Especially since taicho doesn't show his true feelings around her… Or well, anyone for that matter."
Everyone ventured into their own thoughts as silence crept into the office. Mizuki thought about how she was going to get Toshiro to de-stress enough to enjoy the set-up date with Arisu. Rangiku went so far to think that she could possibly do her paperwork on the day of the date, so her taicho could enjoy himself, but she knew she wasn't a miracle worker. Renji wondered about how Arisu was going to react when she found out what they were planning (he knew she was going to find out one way or another). Byakuya's mind went back to the paperwork he had been finishing for Arisu on her day off.
The group sighed together (minus Byakuya). This was going to be far more difficult than they thought.
"Well," Mizuki broke the silence, "I still at least want to try. I mean, even if it blows up in our faces, it was still worth a try, right? I will take full responsibility for it because it was my idea."
"We're all in this together," Rangiku said as she looked at Renji and Byakuya. She hesitated, "Well, Kuchiki-taicho is just giving us information."
"I will help in any way I can," Byakuya said smoothly. His response got him three astonished looks from the Shinigami sitting across from him. "Arisu is my third seat and what happens to her is my business."
The others wondered if that was his only reason, but they all knew too well not to question Kuchiki Byakuya. They were, however, notably grateful for the taicho's offered assistance.
"We can start with favorite snacks and foods," suggested Rangiku.
"Dango and jasmine tea," Renji said after he thought for a moment. Mizuki nodded in agreement.
"She loves to play Shoji," Kuchiki-taicho said thoughtfully. The others' eyes asked their silent questions. "More than once she and I have played together." The taicho answered.
"She loves cold things and hates hot things," Mizuki offered with a snap of her fingers.
"Like taicho!" Rangiku giggled as she bounced on the couch. "The date should be in the evening when it's a really clear day so they can watch the stars together and then cuddle and fall asleep in each other's arms! It'll be so cute!"
"Yeah! And they can have a picnic with all of their favorite foods and snacks! We can even put spinning tops and a Shoji set, so they have something to do and teach each other!" Mizuki supplied as she mimicked Rangiku. The two girls squealed happily and clapped their hands together as they had a mini celebration.
Renji rolled his eyes, "Ok, well now we have the basics down. Is that all we really need though?"
Silence snuck in like the setting sun.
"That is the best we can do, I believe, at the moment," Byakuya answered as he stood from his seat. The others followed his lead.
"Well, thank you very much for helping us, Abarai-fokutaicho, Kuchiki-taicho!" Mizuki bowed low and Rangiku nodded her head in thanks.
"We will continue this tomorrow after lunch," Byakuya stated as he sat back at his desk, "I will make sure Arisu is running errands so she will not overhear us."
Renji nodded, "Good idea. I can get Kira, Hisagi-san, Ikkaku-san, and Yumichika to help us out, too."
"I'll skip out on my paperwork so taicho has to stay in his office!" Rangiku stated with a smirk and a wink.
Mizuki laughed, "I will do the same, fokutaicho!" She mocked a salute and both girls laughed.
"On the day of the date," Byakuya cut them off, "you should at least do your paperwork so your taicho can relax." Byakuya fixed the two females with a look that said 'do-it'. The two girls nodded their heads adamantly. Renji snickered.
"We can also enlist the help of the Women's Shinigami Association and some of the taicho's!" Mizuki exclaimed. She knew for a fact that a select few of the taichos would be more than willing to help out in their plan. The others nodded in agreement.
"I will send word to the taichos," Byakuya informed. With that, he went back to his paperwork.
"Well," Renji began, "I'll walk you two out." He slid open the doors and gestured to the two females. They bowed once more to Byakuya and left the office silently.
"I think," Mizuki began as they walked slowly out of the Sixth Division barracks, "we shouldn't pick a specific date for the… date."
"Why not?" Renji asked before Rangiku could.
"Well, we should wait for the day that they both are in a really good mood and the weather is going to be really nice or else it will be disastrous," Mizuki explained as she looked between her two fellow companions.
"But," Rangiku whined, "taicho is never in a good mood!"
"He might be if you two did your paperwork," Renji offered with a sly smirk. His smirk washed away when he received two glares. He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck.
"Oi! Renji!" a voice called out.
The three stopped walking and turned around at the same time to see Kuchiki Rukia running up to them. She stopped right when she reached them. She caught her breath and bowed to the females.
"Good evening, Matsumoto-fokutaicho, Hitsugaya-san!" She greeted politely. The two women waved and smiled. Rukia turned her attention back to Renji, "I heard from Nii-sama that you are going to try and get Hitsugaya-taicho and Hyoshi-san together."
Renji nodded to the others, "Yeah. We are."
Rukia squealed and bounced in her spot. "I want to help!"
Mizuki stepped up and began to jump with Rukia. "Yes! She can help us distract Arisu-chan!"
Rukia looked confused as she stopped bouncing, "Distract her? From what?"
"From us," Rangiku chirped. Then a thought hit her, "Oh no! Mizuki! We have to leave… like ten minutes ago!" She grabbed Mizuki and began to drag her away, "See you two tomorrow! Renji! Tell Rukia our plans!"
Renji could only nod before Rangiku and Mizuki Shunpoed out of sight.
Rukia sighed and turned to address Renji, "You still haven't asked Hitsugaya-san out, have you?"
Renji's only response was a defeated sigh and hanging his head.
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