Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
'What did you get me? What did you get me? What did you get me? Huh? Huh? HUH?' Matsumoto bit her lower lip with excitement as she abruptly leaned over her taicho's arm-chair, making him sink into it a bit.
'For a hundredth time – you'll have to wait. I'm not going to tell you.' Toushiro carefully placed his index finger on her forehead and pushed her away from him.
'Why not?' Matsumoto asked sulking as she stood up straight and folded her arms.
'Because you're not supposed to know! Period!' Hitsugaya rolled his eyes with irritation and was about to return to his book when she suddenly snatched it away from him. The boy stared stupidly at his empty fingers for a couple of seconds, then growled and jumped on his feet. His fukutaicho was giggling and waving the book above her head.
'What the hell are you doing, give it back!?' he demanded, trying his best to remain composed. She shook her head and stepped back.
'No, you won't get it back until you tell me what you got me for Christmas!' she sang. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes at her, then folded his arms and plopped back on the arm-chair.
'Fine.' A very evil stubborn expression appeared on his face 'Keep it. I don't care. I won't tell you.'
Matsumoto's eyes widened.
'But… Taicho!' she wined, pouting. He looked away.
'This is my final decision!' he announced solemnly.
'B-but… I…'
'Matsumoto, Christmas is tomorrow. You'll survive somehow until then.' Hitsugaya sighed as she let out a desperate whimper 'Just… go engage yourself with something. It's holiday. Go shopping… or I don't know… complaining to your friends that I didn't tell you anything…'
'Just give me a hint!' Matsumoto pleaded, tilting her head to a side and trying her best to look cute and innocent. Too bad that never worked on Hitsugaya. He just yawned, stretched his arms and scratched the back of his head.
'No hints.' He told her, a small evil smirk appearing on his lips.
Matsumoto, seeing he wasn't about to give up, tossed the book at him in a pitiful attempt to hit his head. The prodigy caught the flying object before it reached his nose, opened it and started reading, as if nothing had ever disturbed him. His fukutaicho sighed, before spinning on her heel and storming out of Hitsugaya's apartment.
'He's so cruel! He didn't even give me a simple hint!' Rangiku exclaimed, wrapping her pink scarf around her neck as she walked down one of the corridors with a grumpy expression on her face.
It's odd for you to say he's cruel, considering you haven't gotten him a present. she heard Haineko's voice in her head. Matsumoto scowled and caught a snowflake with her index finger. It melted almost immediately, leaving a small drop of water on her warm skin.
'I've got some ideas...' She murmured.
Yeah, right…Haineko snorted You should sit and think about what to get him instead of trying to work out new plans of how to make him tell you what he had prepared for you.
'Stop it already!' Matsumoto growled 'And besides… I just went to visit him in his apartment, not big deal…'
You're such a lame liar.
Matsumoto frowned and opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly heard someone's steps approaching her. From behind the corner a small familiar figure appeared.
'Hinamori.' The older shinigami indifferently greeted. In return Momo scowled and pursed her lips.
The two glared at each other for a couple of seconds, then Momo finally spoke.
'You went to Shiro's apartment, didn't you?' she slowly asked, her mordant tone only making Matsumoto smirk evilly.
'Yep, I did.' Matsumoto sang, but her happiness was short as her rival let out a snicker and shook her head.
'To annoy him with your questions, possibly?' Hinamori raised an eyebrow, an amused smile on her face. Matumoto folded her arms in front of her massive chest and looked away, pouting.
It seemed that everybody knew about the famous love-triangle Matsumoto – Hitsugaya – Hinamori, except of the captain, who seemed to live in a blissful ignorance about what was happening around him. A countless number of people tried to tell him, but either the circumstances didn't allow it or their odd and messed up insinuations only confused him and eventually he shook his head and left to do some paperwork. In the end everything turned out as follows: the three were just a big source of entertainment for everybody - like a soap opera. Some were on Matsumoto's side, others on Hinamori's. And that was that.
'Oh, and where are you going?' Matsumoto asked, narrowing her eyes at the girl. Hinamori snorted, then walked pass the strawberry-haired woman.
'Make a wild guess.' Momo teased heading to Hitsugaya's apartment. Matsumoto growled before shouting after her:
'I HOPE SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO FIX THE SHAPE OF YOUR HEAD, YOU STUPID PUMPKIN!'
Oh, that was mature! Way the go, Matsumoto!
The door of Hitsugaya's apartment opened and the snowy-haired taicho stepped in the hall looking oddly at his lieutenant and the approaching Hinamori.
'What's going on in here?' he asked, suspiciously raising an eyebrow 'Who's a pumpkin?'
Matsumoto immediately felt her cheeks heat. She gulped and let a nervous smile grace her face, while her mind searched for a suitable answer under the heavy gaze of her taicho.
'Oh, there're many pumpkins… around here…' she announced, nodding fiercely to support the statement.
Hitsugaya blinked a few times, then shook his head, barely holding back a smile. His fukutaicho was hopeless. She talked and acted without thinking about the consequences. In some way it was a very big downside, but in another… It was just who she was. It was part of her charm… her beauty… and he liked it.
'SHHIIIRRROOOO!' Hinamori suddenly exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. He would normally correct her for addressing him that way, but during holidays he just let it drop. On holidays he was less reserved and less formal, he allowed himself more. And the young dark-haired fukutaicho knew that.
'Hello, Momo.' Hitsugaya greeted after he was released. Matsumoto frowned as she saw him giving Hinamori that smile he kept only for her and nobody else. Rangiku always tried to convince herself that this was a friendly smile. After all the two had been friends for like… forever! There was nothing unusual in him being nice to her…
… But she still hated it.
'Wanna go somewhere?' Hinamori asked, tilting her head to a side and looking at him with big pleading eyes. Hitsugaya shrugged.
'Sure. Come in, I'll need a minute to get ready.' He said, already walking inside. On her way in, Hinamori glanced over her shoulder at Matsumoto, giving her an evil triumphant smirk. Matsumoto frowned and stuck her tongue.
Stupid me! I was there first! I should've asked him to go out first! AAARRRGHHH!
SCORE: Matsumoto vs. Hinamori: 0:1
In the evening Matsumoto found herself outside, walking around the completely covered in snow yard and gazing at the peacefully falling snowflakes. The sound of the snow, softly crunching under her feet, was the only thing that could be heard around her. And it was so relaxing… It didn't matter that it was chilly and icy… as long as there was no wind, she could stand the cold.
She let out a sigh, her hot breath forming a small white cloud, then stopped dead on her track and looked up at the sky and the tiny sparkling stars. She gazed at them as some of the snowflakes fell in her eyes or stuck on her beautiful long eye-lashes, then felt a smile form on her lips. She spread her hands and spun around, her eyes never leaving the night sky…
The winter reminded her of Hitsugaya. Sweet lil Hitsugaya, with his amazing teal eyes and silver hair and…
… No intention of telling Matsumoto what he had got her…
She frowned and stopped spinning around. Well, wasn't that just cruel! Refusing to even give her a HINT! A simple HINT about the gift he had prepared for her…
…And speaking of gifts…
… What was SHE going to give him?
What can I get him…? A teddy bear? …No. A fake snowman? …No. A ice-statue of him? …No. A pumpkin? No, I can't find a pumpkin…
A sash maybe? Nope. A book? Nahh, can't think of a good one. He has them all… God, this is difficult!
A football ball? He's awesome at football… Hm… Or some sort of clothing?
I wonder what Pumpkin got him. I bet something fluffy and stupid. She's all stupid. Stupid pumpkin. I'm better than her. The imbecile… what does she know except for how to do her hair in an ugly bun? She'll definitely try something at the Christmas party tomorrow… In front of everybody… Grrr… If she dares to even touch my…
'AAAAARRRGHHH!' Matsumoto screamed, jumping few inches into the open air as something cold and wet hit the back of her head. She then heard a familiar low chuckle and narrowed her eyes, before abruptly turning around.
'That was mean, taicho!' she indignantly exclaimed and quickly shook off all the snow of her hair. Hitsugaya chuckled once more while forming another snowball with his bare hands.
'On guard, Matsumoto!' he shouted before aiming the ball at her. Rangiku's eyes widened and she let out a squeak before dodging the snowball by centimeters. She then narrowed her eyes, bent down and picked some snow to avenge her ruined hair. In a second or two they were shooting snowballs at each other, screaming, laughing and chasing around the yard. They did that often during winter: acting like children, making snowmen and fighting. It was one of things Hitsugaya enjoyed the most and one of those rare times when he actually allowed himself to be the teen he really was. And Matsumoto could never have enough of that sight… or the sound of his wonderful clear laughter, filling the cold air.
'WOW! That was… pretty cool, ne? No pun intended.' Hitsugaya said about forty-five minutes later, leaning against a tree, a smile on his face as he watched his fukutaicho with her pink cheeks and messy hair trying to shook off all the show from her clothes.
'Yep, that was fun!' she giggled, stretching her arms a little 'We haven't done that for quite some time… ARRGHH!'
Hitsugaya burst into laugh as he saw her expression when he hit her face with a snowball.
'Now you're in trouble, taicho!' she exclaimed, angrily trying to get rid of all the snow. Hitsugaya didn't care. He couldn't stop laughing, no matter how hard he tried and how much his stomach was aching. She stared at him for a couple of seconds, then narrowed her eyes and threw herself on him, both of them landing in the snow. The boy was still laughing when she straddled him and pinned him to the ground.
'God… if you could just see… your face… priceless…' Hitsugaya managed to say after finally calming down.
'Not funny, taicho, that was cruel!' Matsumoto pouted, leaning over him, so her face was right above his and her long hair hung down beside his cheeks.
'Cruel and funny, Matsumoto.' He corrected, still smiling. Rangiku's expression softened as she watched him. God, he was adorable when he allowed himself to truly be who he was…. When he let himself joke and be happy…
SCORE: Matsumoto vs. Hinamori: 1:1
'Uh… Matsumoto?' Hitasugaya begun, a bright pink color that had nothing to do with the cold appearing on his cheeks as he shifted a bit underneath her 'How about… you get off me?'
An evil smirk appeared on her lips as she leaned forward.
'How about no?' she teased, her face inches away from his. Hitsugaya's eyes widened a bit, his blush became even brighter and his lips slightly parted. She giggled, leaning even more.
'Don't move, taicho! You owe me one for that last hit…' she murmured and just as their lips were about to meet…
'SHIRRROOOO! WHERE'RE YOU?!' Momo's voice cut through the still winter air, making them both wince.
'I have to go…' Hitsugaya breathed 'I… promised Momo to take her out tonight…'
Matsumoto frowned, then reluctantly got off of him. The young taicho stood up dusting off all the snow that was on his clothes and after giving her a final glance, followed the voice of the fifth division's fukutaicho.
SCORE: Matsumoto vs. Hinamori: 1:2
A/N: This is going to be a two-shot! One more chapter! And I'm serious. I'm going to update it when I can, ok? Hopefully that would be... around the 25th, 26th or the 27th of December. Hope you like it! Review please!