'Hitsugaya taichou voted the best catch!', cried the definitely upset female voice.
'When did they even make it? Who the hell is responsible for this piece of trash?!', Matsumoto Rangiku continued to express her opinions about the front page of 'Seiretei News' as her voice became higher with every minute. She was appalled by the nerve of whoever stood behind this, and her friendship with Hisagi was questioned at the moment.
'Aren't you the one regularly delivering them the worst gossip to work with?', came the calm reply from the taichou in question. His slim form hunched over the desk, busy with paperwork. He supposed staying an additional hour tonight was inevitable, since Matsumoto's mind was far away from any thoughts of filling forms.
'Taichou! That's totally different. I always check my info, and people just deserve to know what's going on in Seiretei. Besides, I never wrote about you, I know how much you hate the attention and meddling in your private life.'
'Really now? What was it I heard about you trying to sell my pictures from the living world?', he lifted his head to watch her face flush and her eyes growing wide with surprise. He smirked inwardly, thinking that Hisagi deserved a favor for this piece of information.
Matsumoto was stunned into silence, for at least a full minute. Not only did her taichou know about that, which might result in paperwork punishment, but it also meant there was no trusting your friends. She has been betrayed, double-crossed and by none other than one of her closest friends. They got drunk together, and you only did that with people you could trust. Well, one thing became clear in this mess, at least. Hisagi Shuuhei was a dead man.
Engrossed in her vicious thoughts, Rangiku all but run from the office, leaving a slightly startled Hitsugaya behind. He couldn't understand why she was so upset.
*****
At the 8th division office the peaceful and quiet morning was about to be brutally interrupted, though Kyouraku Shunsui was blissfully unaware of this as he watched his fukutaichou organize the work for the day. Sweet Nanao-chan was always so meticulous and concentrated on every task she undertook, and he just loved to observe her creased brows and sometimes, when he was lucky and she let her guard down, her tongue peeking out at the corner of her mouth, a sign she was immensely engrossed in her work. Ah, it seemed like another nice day of work and responsibilities was ahead of them.
It was then that he felt a strong burst of reiatsu and the door to the room slammed open with enough force to hit the wall and make a crack in it. There stood Matsumoto fukutaichou, obviously furious and strangely teary-eyed. It was hard to tell, at this point, whether she was more angry or sad, but years of experience told Shunsui to not ask until she starts talking. He stood up swiftly and jovially offered her a bottle of sake.
'Ran-chan, what a nice surprise! Please join us, I was just about to drink my breakfast.'
Nanao would normally roll her eyes and hit his head, then take away his sake breakfast. It was a ritual more than anything else, but in these circumstances, she decided to leave it for later. Rangiku looked really upset and that was the main concern at hand. So she just let her taichou pour the distressed woman a cup of sake and went to make some tea. She could agree to a cup, but tea was what they needed, not two inebriated fools in the morning.
*****
Down in the 4th division barracks, two of its members patched up a bruised Hisagi Shuuhei, chief editor of 'Seiretei News', while he swore to himself to avoid the 10th division officers for the rest of his life. It just wasn't worth it. His situation really was a tough one, as he tried explaining to enraged Matsumoto who raided his office, her anger the reason he was now in the infirmary, hurting all over.
As much as he loved his friends and valued loyalty, one cannot just print Hitsugaya taichou's photos (in which he is asleep and smiling, no less) without being called suicidal. And Shuuhei was anything but. So while his instincts told him to just take the pictures from Rangiku, at least to avoid her glare at the moment, he was smart enough to not put them in the paper. Informing Hitsugaya about them was maybe a little too much, but he wanted to be on good terms with the ice captain and erase all doubts to his participation if said pictures were ever to leak out.
It's not like he wouldn't know who took them, have they ever been printed! Matsumoto was just pissed because of today's main article.
*****
Matsumoto was indeed pissed off. She thought she was downright furious. The only problem, thought Kyouraku Shunsui, was that she didn't understand what she was so angry about. Both him and Nanao tried to explain that Hisagi's actions, while not the most loyal and certainly deserving a few punches of punishment, were not such a betrayal. She was very sensitive on the subject, and no one could blame her. Maybe she really felt that way and all their efforts were in vain, maybe if given a few weeks time, she would reconsider and calm down.
'Rangiku-chan', pleaded Shunsui again 'How come you even know about this? It's hard to believe Hitsugaya would just babble about such things for no reason'.
'Oh, he didn't just babble. There was this article in today's paper, that is, as you know, all under Shuuhei's care, and then he told me I was a major gossip myself and after that he shared that interesting information with me', Matsumoto grumbled, frowning at the article again. She wished it would just be yesterday, or that she'd never had the idea to read the blasted paper exactly this morning. What was it with bad luck that when it started, it became like an avalanche of disaster. She understood that Shuuhei might not be as guilty as she first believed, but what was worse, her anger was still as vivid as an hour ago.
'You must realize it's no small thing if Hitsugaya finds his pictures in your paper. I'd say he's a very patient man, what with the years of practice spent with you, but even so, he values his privacy very much and I can't say I am surprised at Hisagi's decision. Most people would do the same, it's called common sense', tried Nanao, with her own patience wearing thin. It was a wasted day already, there was no way taichou would focus on work now. She was truly concerned for Rangiku though, it was rare to see her this upset for long.
'Nanao-chan, Shunsui-kun, I understand what you're trying to say. I get it, I might've already forgiven Hisagi too. I'm so sorry for disturbing your morning', she tried to smile apologetically, which only resulted in Nanao's worry increasing.
'Are you feeling better then? It's never a bother when a friend needs help!', boomed Kyouraku's deep voice. Nanao's fan swished the air stopping at the back of his head.
'Aw, Nanao-chan, don't be embarrassed.'
'Embarrassed? I've had enough of your attitude, taichou!'
'Let me kiss you better, my sweet Nanao!'
A strangled laugh interrupted their bickering and possibly prevented bloodshed. Rangiku was giggling with tears in her widened eyes. She finally understood why she was upset.
'Nanao, how would you react if you saw your taichou elected the best catch?' she asked. Before Nanao could say anything though, Shunsui shouted loudly 'But that would be impossible! I'm not out to be caught, you know!'.
Ignoring Nanao's self-conscious blush, she only whispered 'Maybe that's the problem'.