MLC: After I watched Bleach 241 and saw that short (really short) scene with Hitsugaya, Hinamori and Matsumoto I just wasn't able to get that idea out of my head and well… here's what you get… btw, the Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book (that's the name, isn't it?) was great, wasn't it? xD
Kira: You can talk quite fast.
MLC: Thanks. I know.
Kira: Well, whatever. MoonLightCrow doesn't own Bleach.
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Matsumoto's POV
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I could hear how a heavy sigh made its way over my friend's lips. "Two weeks…"
For a short moment the gloomy silence hanging in the room was broken. It had been two weeks since taichou had been "sleeping".
Hyourinmaru lowered his gaze guiltily as Hinamori sighed another time. Although the Zanpakutou hardly let his emotions shine through his cold exterior I, and I'm sure Hinamori too, could easily tell that he was feeling bad. Yet another point in which he was just like taichou.
Unbelievable. Hyourinmaru said taichou would only need some rest and everything would be fine. How could the "intelligent" dragon misjudge the situation like this?
…on the other hand, even Unohana-taichou and Isane were surprised when taichou hadn't woken up after the first night.
My gaze wandered over to Hinamori again. The irony was painful.
When Hinamori was in a coma, taichou was the one looking over her, whenever paperwork would allow it. Sometimes, if paperwork was piling, he would take it with him and do it beside her. Now when you looked back at it, the way my dear genius watched over her was heartwarming.
I grinned shortly when I realized I had just thought of him as my genius. Kira was right, in some ways I really thought of taichou as little brother or even son …somehow.
However, now Hinamori had to watch over taichou's sleeping figure. I noticed how my eyebrow rose as the short fuku-taichou let her shoulders slump. I had never seen her that frustrated before. Of course, there had been the time directly after the Aizen-betrayal, but something was different now.
Back then she was confused, let alone her nervous breakdown. In a way, on the first sight she seemed truly desperate, but when you looked closer at her state, something about it seemed unreal, not deep. Taichou didn't notice back then, either because he was too preoccupied with the Arrancar or maybe even because he simply was too concerned about Hinamori. Certainly, I could be only imagining things, but by now, although Hinamori seems calm from the outside, on the inside she seems to be far more shaken than after the events involving Aizen.
Hinamori raised her head to look at me. "Rangiku-san, what did Hitsugaya-ku- erm… Hitsugaya-taichou do while I was in a coma? He didn't get all gloomy and depressed, right?" She stared at me with big chestnut eyes.
What should I answer now? If I told her the truth she would most feel guilty for causing taichou so much "trouble", and when taichou wakes up and finds out that I told her he would certainly kill me.
"He was at your side whenever paperwork and missions would allow it. I'd even go so far to say he was sick with worry." My eyes widened in shock.
'Hyourinmaru, you stupid old dragon(1)!' my mind screamed furiously. The materialized Zanpakutou looked at me, and apparently he was able to read my death glare. Apologizing, he shortly bowed his head. Why did he have to say that?
"I see. Why?" Hinamori's shoulders slumped even farther.
Suddenly something in my head clicked. Why? I had never questioned taichou's actions that much, well, excluding the infiltration of the Central 46. But, why? Why had he been with Hinamori all his free time?
At first my theory, of course, was that he only looked out for his childhood friend. I never thought that there might be a deeper meaning to that.
However, I'm not stupid. Right after Aizen was supposedly murdered, it hadn't taken long until I heard that taichou would have killed if somebody hurt Hinamori.
…do people really go that far for just a friend?
"Because he…" Hyourinmaru started again his voice dead serious.
I had to take action.
"Because you're friends, right? Of course you are friends, aren't you? Yes, you are friends! What else should you be?! I mean, you don't hate each other, and… and…" I bubbled senselessly and jumped right in front of Hyourinmaru a fake but toothy, goofy grin plastered all over my face. Before I was even able to consider the consequences I elbowed the apparently senile human dragon. He winced in pain and I felt the temperature of the room drop at least a few degrees. "For acting all calm and strong you're incredibly stupid, dragon," I hissed venomously, hoping that Hinamori wouldn't hear me.
My fellow fuku-taichou looked at me oddly, she certainly saw through my act.
I felt that my palms were becoming sweaty. Nervously I looked from my right to my left. "Uh… would you… just… excuse us for a minute?" Hectically I grabbed Hyourinmaru's literally icy wrist and dragged the Zanpakutou with me out of the door.
With a loud bump I closed the fusuma after both of us had gone through it.
"What the hell do you think you were doing in there?!" I hissed silently, knowing that the sliding doors were anything but soundproof, and that, if I talked at normal volume, Hinamori would certainly hear me.
Hyourinmaru shrugged cluelessly. "Telling… the… truth…?" the Zanpakutou half asked half guessed. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot against the greenish tatami-mats.
"The truth…" I stabbed his chest witch my finger while leaning towards him. "…is the worst thing you can tell Hinamori…" the dragon-human's gaze followed my other hand as I gesticulated towards the sliding door "…right now!"
Hyourinmaru raised one of his green eyebrows skeptically. "So… Basically you say we should lie to Hinamori-san?" Now Hyourinmaru was the one crossing his arms.
My eyes widened slightly. Why was this dragon always this realistic? Or rather pessimistic. "No. Of course not. I say, we should just…" I had to pause shortly to consider the way I expressed without having it sound absurd or ridiculous. "I mean, it would be better if… if we just keep it secret from her."
The materialized Zanpakutou tilted his head looking at me as if I had clearly lost it.
"You know… the reason…"
He tilted his head even farther. Dammit, this dragon is dense when it comes to other peoples feelings.
I shortly massaged my temples to remain calm. Hoping Hyourinmaru would figure it out by now, I decided to give him another hint. "The reason, why taichou did what he did… after Aizen had faked his death…"
(A/N: Actually I would've ended it around here. But my fingers refused to stop typing. So, if you prefer an open ending you can stop here. But if you want a funnier version, then just read on, although it might get senseless in the end. Anyway, if you leave now, then I hope you enjoyed it. ^-^)
If that old dragon didn't figure it out by now, taichou would have to do a lot of convincing as soon as he woke up again, to make my respect for Hyourinmaru return.
Hyourinmaru's face lit up and I got a feeling that something clicked inside his head. "Oh! I see! You mean that master l-ompfs Pinapfori-pfan!" the Zanpakutou exclaimed muffled.
Gross! There's saliva on my right hand!
In a truly desperate attempt to shut Hyourinmaru up as good as possible, I tried to cover his mouth with my hands. As you heard it only worked partly.
Grossed out I wiped the liquid into the fabric of my shihakushou but looked at him anyway. "Really, for being taichou's Zanpakutou, you're far more tactless than him! Don't exclaim such things that loud what if Hinamori heard you?!" I announced bluntly.
Hyourinmaru's gaze wandered to the ground. "Well… I suppose it wouldn't have been that good," he mumbled guiltily.
I calmed again. At least he got what I meant.
Tiredly I let myself slump against the wall. I hadn't slept well last night and slowly the tiredness was starting to creep up my bones. Hyourinmaru didn't look as if he was full of energy either. Because, to be honest, he had been helping me with the tenth squad's paperwork. So actually, I was in no position to yell at him right now since I owned him a favor, but with taichou gone, everything seemed to be dumped on me.
With my ear being pressed to the fusuma this close, I suddenly was able to hear something from the inside of taichou's room. Hyourinmaru must have seen my right ear twitch shortly because he immediately had his own ear pressed against the door.
In the other room somebody was talking.
It was soft, so you really had to pay attention to notice, but it definitely was there.
Hinamori was the one talking.
At first I had troubles to understand what she said, but after a while my ears adjusted to her low volume and I was able to catch a few phrases of what she was talking about.
She was talking to taichou.
I could hear her ask things like "How are you doing?" or "Is there anything you want me to get you?" But no response could be heard.
Confusedly, Hyourinmaru and I looked at each other.
"I'm fine. Rangiku-san and Hyourinmaru are outside right now. I wonder what they are doing… Do you have any ideas?" Hinamori's voice spoke again. Obviously she tried to sound cheerful, but in a way it sounded faked.
Hinamori paused but quickly found her voice again. "Now that I think about it… both of them have been acting awfully weird. What do you think Shirou-chan? They seem like they're trying to hide something. Do you think they might have an affair?"
Hyourinmaru and I exchanged very disturbed glances.
In a way I had a feeling even taichou's eyebrow twitched in his sleep right now.
Sometimes I wish I'd be as oblivious as Hinamori.
"Can Shinigami and Zanpakutou even fall in love?" Hinamori sounded dead serious, but knowing her she probably had put her index finger to her bottom lip right now and was staring at the ceiling intensely.
My and Hyourinmaru's gaze turned even more disturbed.
"Talking about love, would you allow Hyourinmaru to date Rangiku-san?" suddenly Hinamori's voice wasn't that silent anymore. No, she sounded completely worked up.
"Geez, Shirou-chan. Why won't you wake up? What if Rangiku-san gets pregnant and the baby looks like a Mini-Zanpakutou? What should I do? Who would remind her to go to work although she has chores at home?"
I had the feeling I looked into a mirror when I looked at him. I think both of our jaws were hanging deep enough to touch the ground by now.
"Since we're already talking about kids… I wonder what my kid would look like… Well, of course, that depends on the father…"
If taichou wouldn't already sleep he certainly would faint by now.
"Hey, Shirou-chan… imagine we had a child! Who do think resemble more? You or me?"
Hyourinmaru raised an eyebrow. "What is she talking about?" the Zanpakutou whispered. I was just about to shrug when I heard an ear splitting scream from inside the room followed by violent panting.
Fearing the worst I almost tore open the fusuma. "Hinamori! What hap-…?! T- T- T- Taichou?" I stammered as I suddenly saw my captain sitting on his bed, damp with sweat and a horrified look on his face.
"Master?! What happened?!" Hyourinmaru was already by taichou's side.
Taichou looked at all of us slightly frightened, but found his voice soon again. "Hinamori, Matsumoto, Hyourinmaru, I had a terrible nightmare. Hi- Hinamori you suddenly had t- the weird idea t- t- that Hyourinmaru a- and Matsumoto might have an affair a- a- and s- suddenly y- you were talking about kids a- and…" taichou's voice cracked and for a moment he stared at me intensely.
"Matsumoto, please take care of the paperwork for a bit longer. I think it isn't doing me any good. My imagination is making fun of me."
Note: Fusuma are the sliding doors in traditional Japanese houses.
(1) I know, Matsumoto often calls Hyourinmaru dragon here. But just to avoid confusions, Hyourinmaru is in his human-from all the time.
MLC: I bet you hate me for not being able to stay serious! T-T
Kira: N- N- NO! I- I- It's fine!
MLC: *shoulder slump* I donnu why but I can't write serious stuff. Maybe I should quit trying.
Kira: Y- You just lack training! It'll g- g- get better! F- For sure. *calms down* Please, review.