CH 7: Afternoon Sake

We arrived at the captain's office and heard peels of raucous laughter from the other side of the door. Apparently this division knows how to party. I smiled hopefully. Maybe division ten was going to be my kind of division.

I didn't wait for Hanatarou, I knocked briskly on the door. I heard a shushing sound and the laughter burbled to a stop. A few whispers and then a silky female voice called out "come in". Intrigued by the sounds, I slid open the doors.

Va Va Voom! Barely contained by her regulation spec shinigami robes sat a super curvaceous red head and an equally attractive male companion partially out of his top. I took a moment to pick my jaw up off the floor.

"Welcome!" The curvaceous woman smiled. "You all look like you need a drink!" She trust out a large bottle of alcohol and sloshed it about. Then frowned. "Looks like this one is almost empty." Her frown quickly disappeared as she looked at her companion. "Hisagi-san be a dear and grab the other bottle from under my desk."

The well-built male stood and unsteadily walked to a large desk at the side of the room. A new bottle appeared and drinks were poured for all.

"kanpai!" the red head sang as she downed her cup in one gulp.

"Is it okay for them to be drinking.?" Hisagi asked giving Hanatarou and I a skeptical look.

"You!" Our busty host called out, "less talk and more stripping." She used her free hand to tug on the sleeve Hisagi still had on and it slipped down to his elbow exposing more of his tan well-muscled chest. I felt my cheeks burning and I had not even taken a single sip of alcohol.

Hanatarou just looked confused and was staring quizzically at his drink.

"You look like you really need that Hanatarou. Go on drink up!" She coaxed. Hanatarou waivered but finally sipped the drink. He made a sour face but managed to swallow. Wonder what will happen and who is this awesome captain?

"Excuse me, but are you the captain of this division?" I asked hopefully. If all the people in this division were this good looking and fun I was ready to eat my soul candy and join up now.

The red head laughed so hard she snorted. "Heavens no! If the captain were here he would have a fit. He is such a straight-edge." She moaned as she refilled her cup. Then she looked at me and as if for the first time was actually seeing me.

"You're a new face!" She said narrowing her catty grey eyes thoughtfully. "What squad are you in?"

"err…I am not in a squad. I am just visiting." I said smiling. She smiled back and clinked her glass against mine.

"Welcome, visitor! My name is Matsumoto Rangiku the beautiful buxom vice captain of squad ten!" She downed her glass and hiccupped. Then looked at me expectantly. I took a sip and smiled. Was there a drinking age limit in this world?

"So what brings you to seireitei?" The handsome male asked. I felt my cheeks growing warm again. I turned to look at him. Dark hair framed his lean face graced with tattooed bands that made his look a little bad boy but his dark eyes were so kind and inviting. I felt myself leaning forward but caught it and quickly pulled away. Does alcohol act that fast?

"Umm…just meeting the captains and seeing what life is like." I said averting my eyes to his shoulder which being exposed was a bit distracting.

"How do you like it so far?" He asked leaning a bit closer.

All memories of creepy sphinx scientists , fat ninjas, and homicidal foxes fled. My mind was filled with the handsome man before me. "I love it!" I said a bit too enthusiastically. He nodded and finished his glass. Matsumoto was urging a pink faced Hanatarou to finish his glass as she brandished the bottle.

"Not all squads are as much fun as ten." He said to me conspiratorially. "Usually we are very respectable and hard working."

"What was that Hisagi-san?" Matsumoto called. "Stop filling our visitors head with silly ideas and come finish the game!" Matsumoto was holding a deck of cards and Hanatarou now held the alcohol bottle.

"What are you playing?" I asked curiously.

"strip poker" Hisagi sighed pulling his arm the rest of the way out of his top allowing it to fall from his waist exposing one of the most perfect specimens of male I had ever seen. I quickly wiped a bit of drool from the corner of my mouth.

"You wanna play?" Matsumoto asked. "You will right, Hana-chan!" She smiled at Hanatarou who nodded dumbly as he held the sake bottle. Poor guy must have really low tolerance. "Alright then let's start!"

I could not believe this alcohol and strip poker in the middle of the afternoon and with a guy this hot? I was about to pinch myself to make sure it was not a dream when the door slammed opened.

"Matsumoto!" An irritated voice rumbled. I tore my eyes away from Hisagi to see a petite boy with spiky white hair. He was wearing a familiar flowing white robe. So this must be the "straight-edge" captain. His youthful face was crumpled in irritation and disgust. "What are you drinking and why is your paper work still piled on that desk?" He asked a vein throbbing in his forehead as he observed the general discord in the room.

"Oh Taicho!" Matsumoto gushed then paused to try and think of an excuse through the fog of alcohol. "We have some distinguished guests. From…from.." She looked desperately over at Hanatarou who was tossing cards like ninja stars across the table.

"Urahara!" he hiccupped.

"Yes, from Urahara!" Matsumoto finished as if that settled it all. Hisagi was fumbling with his robe and edging toward the door.

"You will remember that Urahara was exiled from soul society so I don't see how he can have guests here." Hitsugaya snapped as he snatched up the bottle of sake with a frown.

Hanatarou sobered up a bit and clumsily stood up beside me. "Apologies Captain Hitsu-hiccup-gaya" Hanatarou lowered his head in shame. "We will leave you alone now." Bowing he made a wobbly path to the door.

"Aww…" Matsumoto pouted from her chair. Hisagi had shrugged on his top and had almost made good his escaped when he was called upon by the captain.

"Hisagi!" Hitsugaya barked stopping the older man in his tracks. "Take this with you and don't let me catch you drinking in this office again." He jammed the sake bottle into Hisagi's hand and glared the group out the door.

I could hear his angry voice and Matsumoto's sad mewls of discontent all the way to the division gates.

Still, it was not all bad. I ended up with the sake and the hot guy all to myself. Well, Hanatarou was there too looking a bit down and confused. "I have embarrassed myself in front of a captain." He moaned and pulled out a hanky to blow his nose. As he did a piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

Curious, Hisagi picked it up. "What's this?" He said unfolding the small slightly crumpled paper. "A list of divisions?" He said as a confused expression drifted across his handsome features.

"Places I was supposed to take her." Hanatarou burbled through his hanky. "Where can I take her in this state?" he blew his nose even harder.

"With a bottle of sake in hand and a nice buzz going, there is only one division to go to." Hisagi said crumpling up the list and sliding it into his pocket. "Division eight!" Hisagi grabbed Hanatarou by his collar and started pulling him down the street.

It took me a moment to realize I should probably follow them. I had to jog to catch up. Blushing a bit I grabbed a hold of Hisagi's sleeve. I could always blame the sake but he did not seem to mind. The three of us wove down the street towards what I hoped as a very forgiving captain.

A/N: I love writing about Division 10. The dynamic between Hitsugaya and Rangiku is so fun. I also had a request to do division 10 first so here it is. No worries Kyoraku fans, he is next. As always, thanks for reading and feel free to give input. I am always happy to incorporate other people's ideas. (^_^)/