Hello!

I'm back with chapter 2, so this means there is only one chapter left. Remember that this fic was made specially for the HitsuMatsu Valentine's contests and it would be nice to see some of you participate. You can find all the info here: http : // community(dot)livejournal(dot)com /hitsumatsu/ 93352(dot)html

So here is the second chap, enjoy!

Chapter 2

Jealousy makes you act stupid

Rangiku looked over at the lone bag on the counter. She chose it specially for its soft texture and its dark blue color. She thought it suited her Taichou perfectly, but now she was unsure if her Taichou's Valentine's gift would be well-received or not.

She was unsure if she wanted to give it to him at all.

Laying her arms on the back of her sofa and letting her head rest on them, Rangiku pouted, glaring darkly at the bag. She had spent such a great day with her Taichou the day before. Everything seemed perfect until…until they both ran into Renji and Hinamori.

They claimed they were looking for them to inform them of a celebration that would take place on Valentine's. A party, or dinner, or something like that with all taichou, fukutaichou and some other high ranking officers.

How they convinced Yamamoto-soutaichou was a mystery for Matsumoto. The old man didn't look the type to know what a party or Valentine's Day was.

However, they would have a party and for Rangiku that could only mean free food, free sake and no work. She had been talking about it with Renji until her eyes fell on Toshiro and Momo. In that moment, whatever Renji was telling her was forgotten and her mind and her eyes focused on the pair.

The way Hinamori was smiling at her Taichou, inviting, shyly…almost flirtatiously. Matsumoto's eyes narrowed when she saw the girl softly grab Toshiro's arms and make circles with her finger. And Matsumoto felt something painful stir inside her, something that took her breath away as if she had been hit in the stomach when her Taichou smiled back to Hinamori.

She couldn't help it, but there was something really annoying in the way Momo was grabbing Toshiro's hand and smiling and talking and giggling and being so damn annoying!! Really, didn't she have better things to do than bother her Taichou!!! Didn't she have her own division? Why was she in the Tenth division? Why was her Taichou blushing and smiling at Momo??!

And not his "whatever" smile, no. It was that soft, dazzling and lovely smile of his. The kind of smile he made when pleased and happy. For some reason Rangiku didn't want to understand, she felt miserable. She felt something…as if his smile should be directed to her and not Hinamori.

Matsumoto didn't hate the girl, really…but the day before was the second time she felt an unknown anger that made her want to punch the girl in her face and make her back off and get away from her Taichou.

Really, Matsumoto didn't know why she felt so uneasy and slightly sad. She didn't understand either why her Taichou was sending her and Renji such cold and indifferent glares. There was one moment in which he stared for so long at her and Renji that Matsumoto just had to tease him about it. Which only made the temperature of the office drop drastically and his glare intensify.

The girl always got special treatment; her Taichou always had a soft spot for her. Always complacent with her.

Maybe those feelings and her cloudy thoughts were the main reason as to why she blurted out the insult. Why she verbally attacked a really surprised Hinamori.

She didn't mean to, she liked Hinamori. Sort of. And the insult was…out of line.

It was even worse when Renji and Hinamori were walking away, still rather shocked at Matsumoto's words, and the girl turned around to give Matsumoto a smug smile.

Matsumoto mumbled another…unpleasant comment and it was not until she felt the chilly atmosphere around her that she comprehended that her Taichou had listened to her. And he wasn't happy.

From then everything had gone wrong. Her Taichou was clearly disappointed and rather angry at her. In the end, only because Matsumoto thought she wasn't the one to blame completely, she started talking back until they ended up making different cynical and sarcastic comments to each other until her Taichou left the room, telling her he didn't need her the next day and that he didn't want to see her for the remainder of the week.

Why did she have to talk back to her Taichou? Why did she insult Hinamori?

Because, as I said earlier, you are jealous, Rangiku, said Haineko rather smugly. Rangiku could feel the big smirk adorning the face of her zanpakutou. I could feel it last night…you were so jealous of the closeness of the girl to Toshiro. It was amusing.

'I wasn't jealous!! exclaimed Rangiku indignantly. Why would I be jealous, I don't even like Hinamori in that way.'

Oh, please Rangiku, don't play stupid with me. You know I'm referring to your sexy and cute Taichou. Purred Haineko letting her liking for Toshiro reach Matsumoto. Of course the boy would never be as hot as Hyorinmaru. Now that's a real man.

'Taichou is a man too.' Rangiku diverted her eyes from the bag and lay down on her sofa. Rangiku closed her eyes and sighed, rather irritated at the fact that Haineko may be right.

Maybe Rangiku was jealous, she had to admit she was jealous of the closeness Hinamori shared with her Taichou. But with the years and the time she spent with her Taichou showed her the way her feelings for him were changing.

The sooner you admit you are jealous of this Hinamori girl and the sooner you realize your feelings for your Taichou, the sooner you will stop acting as an idiot.

'Can you be a little more…supportive and less…brutally honest?'

I could but I won't because I'm tired, said Haineko with a growl before cutting her contact with Rangiku.

Her zanpakutou's words only brought to her more confusion and indecision; once again she pouted. Did she really like Toshiro?

It was true he had grown a lot; he was almost as tall as her. It was also true they shared a lot of time and they knew each other pretty well, which may be a great factor in a growing relationship between them. But so far the only interest her Taichou had shown was only that of friendship, not romance.

But lately…their afternoon rituals were something she always looked forward to. Especially since she spent them alone with him, since those were times in which she got to know him and he got to know her well. And she couldn't deny she craved some of his affection. She liked it when he only looked at her or dedicated his time to her. When they would talk for hours or merely enjoy the silence.

Rangiku looked over at the bag she had on the table and sighed. She had made something especially for him, something she wouldn't have done for anyone else on Valentine's or any other day. Not everyone knew (only Hinamori, Ukitake and her), but Toshiro enjoyed, like a kid on Christmas, cookies with chocolate chips.

They were the only kind of 'childish' food he would enjoy in the most cute and adorable way. And it was the only thing he did not share. It had been funny to see how Renji had to go to the Fourth due to frostbite when he tried to steal one of her Taichou's cookies. One that she made for Toshiro.

And it had all began because of Hinamori. And that strange feeling of uneasiness and annoyance….and just a little bit of envy, when Hinamori brought Toshiro something for Valentine's Day that brought a genuine and happy smile to his face.

One of his special smiles, only meant for things he really liked and Hinamori.

It was irksome, to say the least, for Matsumoto not to be able to bring that kind of smile to his face. She was his fukutaichou, she was his friend and she knew him pretty well. So why didn't he smile at her like that?

Well, not being one to be left behind, Matsumoto started trying different things. Until one day she discovered his little obsession with cookies with chocolate chips.

Had she been paying more attention to the situation around her, she would have noticed earlier he smiled at her (the way she wanted him to) every time she babbled about her day or her drinking nights. Or when she would lie down on the couch to sleep and later on complain because there was a lot work to do (she never realized he had already done her share of the work). Or how he would look after her when she was sleeping on the sofa in the office or with her head on his lap.

Brushing off her strange mood, Matsumoto stood up and decided to give her Taichou the Valentine's gift. After all, she didn't lose anything doing it and maybe her taichou would forgive her and invite her for the celebration that night.

With a big grin on her face Matsumoto left her place, ready to make some stops before going directly to the Tenth Division.

Toshiro read the paper in his hand for what seemed to be the fifth time that morning. Defeated, he laid the paper down and sighed, frustrated, at his lack of attention.

It was all Matsumoto's fault; their discussion the day before left him restless and with a feeling of emptiness he didn't like.

It was infuriating.

His eyes diverted from his desk to the clock on the wall. It was past mid-day and Matsumoto hadn't showed up yet.

He knew he had told Matsumoto he didn't want to see her. But the woman never obeyed him! So, why would she obey that order when he obviously did it when mad?

It wasn't his fault!

Matsumoto shouldn't have been so rude to Momo and…well, he had a right to be angry, not only for Matsumoto's behavior towards Momo but also because she had been flirting shamelessly with Renji!

In front of Toshiro!

How could she do that??

Why does it bother you so much? She was only talking with him, commented Hyorinmaru.

'Oh no, it was more than talking….and it bothers me because…because…' Toshiro trailed off for a moment, looking desperately for a logical reason. 'Well, because she was doing it during work hours!!'

Hyorinmaru direct a blank stare at Toshiro before saying in a serious, but obviously amused, tone. 'Okay, let's say you weren't eating dinner after you have already finished your work of the day with Rangiku. What if she did it outside work hours…it wouldn't bother you? For her to flirt with or even date another man?

Toshiro wasn't sure how to answer Hyorinmaru's questions, the mere thought of Matsumoto dating some guy or flirting made his blood boil and his mind work overtime on ways to freeze said men. He wasn't sure why he had been so mad last night, why his anger was directed more so to the little scene between Renji and Matsumoto than Matsumoto's words to Momo.

"Hello!! Shiro-kun!!!" Toshiro's thoughts were interrupted by the loud and overexcited voice of Kusajishi Yachiru who jumped up from behind him and settled herself on his back.

Toshiro had feared that moment all day; now the girl was there, which meant Kenpachi wasn't far behind.

"Good afternoon, Kusajishi-fukutaichou," he mumbled while said girl giggled. "Can you please get off me?"

"Happy Valentine's day!" she chirped, extending her gift and ignoring Toshiro's request.

Toshiro was about to push the girl off of him when the door of his office opened and Zaraki Kenpachi appeared in all his scary glory. Toshiro shivered when the overwhelming presence of the man reached him.

It wasn't as if Toshiro didn't have equal power, or even more so. The thing was Kenpachi always wore it for everyone to notice him and for the idiot ones to challenge him. And Toshiro was just not as used to his presence as Kusajishi seemed to be.

"Shrimp," growled out Kenpachi. Toshiro could feel his right eyebrow twitch at the obviously offensive name.

"Kenpachi." Once again Yachiru giggled; this time, however, she got off Toshiro's back and left her gift on his desk.

"Shiro-kun, are you coming tonight to the dinner? I hear Uki-Uki said there was going to be dancing!!" she said, once again excited and with a curtained blush that always shocked Toshiro to no end.

"I bet the Shrimp has other things to do, Yachiru," said Kenpachi, glaring at Toshiro who didn't know if he rolled his eyes or nodded in agreement with the man.

Yachiru glared at Kenpachi while crossing her arms, "You're just saying that because you don't want me to dance with him!! I know you don't want me to do what I heard Cue-ball say the other day!"

Toshiro lifted a single eyebrow with interest when he saw Kenpachi pale and stutter. It was really a sight because Kenpachi simply didn't stutter or pale. With that said Kusajishi kissed Toshiro on the cheek and left the same way she had come in. The window.

"If ya even try to do what that idiot Ikkaku put in her head, dead is going to be heaven in comparison to what I'll do ta you." And with that said, Kenpachi left.

Now, I'm curious what kind of story the pink-haired menace heard.

'Well, I'm as curious as you. And don't call her a menace…she isn't so bad. Is she?'

Well, if I have to pay attention to what other zanpakutou said, such as Senbonzakura and Houzukimaru, then the girl is even more of a menace than Aizen was. Of course, they are all exaggerating…how bad could a little girl be?

Toshiro contemplated Hyorinmaru's question for a moment, his mind remembering those different fires, explosions, lost data in the Twelfth Division, the fishes Byakuya had in his pound. The (not so) mysterious red and blue handprints in all the Gotei 13 barracks.

'I think…that I don't want to know,' said Toshiro, picking up the gift the girl had dropped earlier. He turned the box but discovered with surprise it lacked the same crafting of the box she had given him a year ago.

Toshiro opened the box and a soft, genuine smile appeared on his face. "Damn Kusajishi, now I have to give her something nice."

Toshiro lifted his eyes to the clock on the wall, sighing in defeat, he decided to finish his paperwork without any lunch. And maybe, just maybe, go that reunion everyone was talking about to see if he could find Matsumoto there.

Matsumoto wasn't expecting her to be there.

Sure, she knew the girl was bound to go to her Taichou any time of the day, but why when Matsumoto decided to go and give him the Valentine's present and maybe get an invitation from him?

The girl certainly had the worst timing ever. Stupid Hinamori.

"They make a beautiful couple, eh?" said a voice behind Rangiku; she turned around to see a smiling Renji behind her.

"Well…if you could call that a couple then…I don't know," she said, trying to mask the annoyance in her voice. Renji's eyes shined with amusement.

"Did you know Hitsugaya-taichou invited Hinamori out tonight? They both are going to the party." Matsumoto clenched her teeth and sent her Taichou and Hinamori a heated glare.

"Well, good luck with that," said Matsumoto bitterly. She then turned again to Renji, "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

For a moment Renji's posture faltered and Rangiku could have sworn she saw nervousness in his eyes. The man merely scratched the back of his head and smiled broadly at Matsumoto.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind going with me tonight," he said loudly enough for Hinamori and Toshiro to stop talking and direct their attention to Renji and Matsumoto.

Toshiro's eyes focused on Matsumoto, the momentary happiness he felt when he saw her there with the usual blue bag in her hands was easily forgotten when Renji's words registered. Now he was looking at them with narrowed eyes.

"Gee, you didn't have to scream at me, you know?" said Rangiku who was looking out of the corner of her eye at her Taichou. Then with her best flirty smile she put a hand on Renji's arm. "But, I guess I wouldn't mind. It sounds like fun."

"Shiro-chan, are you okay?" asked Hinamori beside Toshiro.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Momo had to fight off the smile that wanted to appear on her face.

"Oh, nevermind. It's just…really cold." She said sending him a meaningful stare. Toshiro huffed and took control over his reiatsu.

"Better?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling at him. "They make a beautiful couple, don't they?"

"Uh...who?" asked Toshiro, confused, his eyes always diverting to the place where Renji and Matsumoto were still talking.

"Rangiku-san and Abarai-kun of course!!" said Momo. Toshiro turned his head so fast and forcibly he hurt himself.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he exclaimed through gritted teeth so Renji and Rangiku wouldn't hear them. "Why would you say such…such an idiotic thing?"

Hinamori frowned and crossed her arms, "It's not idiotic. Really, Shiro, that you don't seem interested in a romantic relationship at all, it doesn't mean the rest of us are the same."

Toshiro returned Hinamori's frown and something inside him stirred. He was a fool for thinking that maybe now that Gin was gone Matsumoto didn't seem interested in anyone else like that…

"And Rangiku-san deserves someone who can give her good memories and treat her nice," continued Momo with shiny, dreamy eyes. "And Abarai-kun seems like the right person."

"I disagree. Matsumoto deserves better," said Toshiro in a sulking tone. Momo's eyes gleamed with amusement. Time to push him further.

"Oh, Shiro-chan! You sound jealous," she said, giggling at the obvious blush in his face.

"I'm not jealous! That's ridiculous! Why would I be jealous over Matsumoto!" he replied. Momo's smiled only grew, which made Toshiro gulp slightly.

"Who said anything about Rangiku-san?"

"Aghr, you know what? I'm not going to discuss this with you," said Toshiro, crossing his arms. "Just go…and do whatever you need so when I come for you I don't have to wait an eternity."

"Shiro-chan! That's really mean! You can't say that to a girl, that's why she hasn't paid you any mind."

Hinamori left a blushing Toshiro behind, smirking all the time. She knew Matsumoto was glaring daggers at her and Toshiro was thinking heavily about what she said. Now, the only thing left was for Renji to play his part well and hopefully Momo and Ichigo (and surprisingly enough Ukitake and Yamamoto-soutaichou) would win the last bet by the time Valentine's Day ended. She knew she had said that she wouldn't bet anymore…but, she couldn't say no, overall if Yamamoto-soutaichou wanted to bet himself. He even allowed them to make the so-called party.

Okay, what do you think? was it good,bad? don't forget to review and thanks for reading!!