PUSH
A Bleach Fanfic
1/22/10
Chapter 8
Summary: Rangiku Matsumoto returns after ten years to find things have changed.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the plot. The song lyrics belong to Sarah McLachlan.

***

The harder Rangiku pushed, the more Toushiro tried to fix things with Hinamori. Momo wasn't happy with being removed from duty. She was still adamant that while Aizen had been her captain he had been perfect so his name should not have been removed from the plaques. It was a pointless argument and Toushiro didn't push for a resolution. He merely tried to remind her that he still cared about her and sometimes he would get through to her, but her eyes never stopped accusing him.

It cut right into his soul.

And his damned lieutenant was ruthlessly determined.

He'd been tossing in his sleep, trying to push his thoughts aside so he could get some rest. It was exam day at the academy. He had lessons to prepare and recruits to test. He couldn't afford to be caught between the two most important women in his life.

He'd almost drifted when Hyorinmaru's warning came. Eyes snapping open, he sat up in bed, tossing the covers off his upper body.

In the slanting light of the moon, he sat still, his hand wrapped around the hilt of his Zanpaktou. Waiting.

Then the familiar scent of her perfume drifted in through his window as did the slight signs of her carefully concealed spiritual pressure.

Furious at the intrusion and lack of sleep fueling his irrationality, Toushiro kicked off his blanket. "Hell with this!" Bare feet padding across the wooden floor, he didn't bother with throwing on his shirt. He stalked straight to his open window.

He didn't have to reach far, she was about to climb inside when he caught her wrist and dragged her inside unceremoniously.

Rangiku squealed like a monkey, the force of his pull propelling her off the branch she'd been perch on and she tumbled into his room in a heap. "OOF!"

"Explain yourself this instant!" He demanded.

Even with the thick strawberry blonde hair obstructing her view, Rangiku caught the full girth of the view that presented itself to her.

Standing in just a pair of drawstring pajamas as white as the tousled hair on his head, stood a shirtless, shoeless Captain Hitsugaya.

Sweet mother! Rangiku stared. When the hell did he get so fine?

A snow white eyebrow arched. "Will you kindly stop ogling me and tell me just what the hell you're doing in my room?"

Struggling for words and suddenly feeling hotter even as fine mist wafted from her nose; Rangiku knew he was angry. She swallowed thickly and slid her arm up, taking the curtain of thick hair with it as she took her first unrestricted look at the man. Finely sculpted muscle molded over the lean bone. Arms crossed in his trademark impatient stance, Toushiro Hitsugaya was white marble in the moonlight.

Suddenly Rangiku contemplated the wisdom of her decision to come bother him at night.

Teeth grinding together, Toushiro growled. "Matsumoto…"

"Talk!" The woman squeaked, her head falling back she finally dragged her eyes up to his and held. "I came to talk, but my god Captain! Who'd have thought you'd turn out to be such a stud!"

Incensed beyond comprehension, Toushiro resisted even while his furious indignation melted into exasperation. What was it about Rangiku Matsumoto that wouldn't allow him to remain angry with her? Hell and damnation, he lamented inwardly. It was a nuisance! "Matsumoto, this is too inappropriate, even for you."

Now that his innate hotness had begun to assimilate itself into her brain, Rangiku rolled to her feet and dusted herself off. "Yeah well, you didn't exactly give me a choice."

"Why couldn't you wait until morning?"

"You would have rushed out with some new inane little excuse and I would have had to chase you all over the Seireitei." Her ice blue eyes danced with good humor. "I swear Captain, people are beginning to talk."

Contagiously, his own mouth twitched, but thankfully he took it back into control and glared at her for good measure. "You should be concerned about what they're saying about you."

"What can they say that they haven't already?" She shrugged and then took a careful sweep of his room, taking in the simple painting on the wall, the neat desk and the carefully folded clothes.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

Blinking at his question, she strolled around him and dropped onto the edge of his bed. "Nope. Doesn't bother me."

"Matsumoto, they could very well assume you're trying to seduce me."

Leaning her hands on the bed behind her she gave him a bland little smile. "But I am trying to seduce you Captain."

Lax jawed Toushiro took a moment to let the news sink in before he hardened his jaw and hissed. "Get out of my room, right now!"

Snickering at the color in his cheeks, Rangiku fell back on her elbows and winked at him. "Oh come on Captain. Anyone who talks is only spitting sour grapes. I might be a fun girl at parties, but everyone knows I'm a one guy type of gal and right now, that guy is you."

Swallowing hard, Toushiro dragged his eyes away from the suddenly gorgeous picture she presented from her position on his bed and gazed out of his window. He was caught between embarrassed greed and horrified pride. He knew what the woman was offering. He knew what it would mean to take her enticing invitation, but he couldn't. Hinamori was still sleeping in the room next to his.

His eyes widened. "Oh hell! Rangiku!" He hissed and reached out for her arm. "Get out of my room; Momo's sleeping next door."

Giggling at the panicked fear in those teal eyes, she let him haul her back to her feet. In fact, she stumbled for good measure and fell against the solid heat of his chest. The alarm clock toppled off his night stand when her sleeve caught it and landed with a soft thud against his wooden floor.

Instinctively his arms came up around her to hold her steady. Rangiku delighted in his sudden intake of breath as her body slid against his, her arms slipping up around his shoulders and wrapping around his neck. "I've changed my mind," she whispered huskily.

The beautiful woman draped over him, his body betraying him, his heart hammering in his chest, Toushiro could only stare down into those flickering blue eyes. "About what?" His words scratched against his throat, heavy and thick. Damn, but the woman was fine. Every curvy inch of her was soft and firm and terribly inviting. It took herculean effort to keep from clutching her closer.

She was right, Rangiku mused inwardly. Toushiro Hitsugaya was hard as ice, but in a completely masculine and entirely appealing way. Fingers teasing through the longer snow-white strands at the base of his neck, Rangiku sighed softly, her breath wafting over his mouth deliberately. "I like it better when you call me 'Rangiku'."

Toushiro felt the tremble in his bones escalate into an earthquake. "Son of a__"

"Shiro-chan?"

Both people in the moonlit room went deathly still.

As Toushiro's eyes widened in horror, Rangiku's glimmered with growing mirth.

Terror licking at his heels, Toushiro Hitsugaya moved faster than he ever had in his entire life. In one calculated pirouette that could have shamed the most trained of dancers, he had Matsumoto before his window. "Go," he hissed, his hands sliding down to her waist, fingers digging into her traitorous hips for a moment as if memorizing the feel of her. He would have to freezer-burn his fingers off later to forget how soft she was against him. "Go now."

But the woman was a persistent little witch. Her arms tightened around him, her mouth just about pressed against his and Toushiro felt his resolve nearly crumble. "Not until you promise to meet me tomorrow night."

"Shiro-chan, are you okay? I heard something fall."

"No Rangiku!" He tore his hands away from her hips and grabbed her arms, trying to pry them away from his shoulders.

"Promise me," the alluring, crazy woman demanded. "We'll just talk."

If he licked his lips he could taste her.

The groan caught in his chest.

"Toushiro? Are you okay?" The sliding door let out warning squeak as Momo reached to pull it open.

"Yes," he hissed with panicked urgency. "Yes, I'll come. For god's sake, go now!"

Mouth widening into a smile that might have shamed the sun, Rangiku reached up and kissed his nose, then in a flurry of black and pink, she was gone.

Momo stepped into the room to find Toushiro standing before his window, one hand braced on the frame, the other on his knee as he tried to catch his breath. "Um…Toushiro?" She called out to him, hugging her robe tightly around her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" He rasped, gritting his teeth to get a control of his wild heart before he lifted his eyes and gazed out into the night. "Yes, I'm fine. It was a dream." Straightening, he turned to see concern in his fiancée's eyes and his heart sank. "Just a dream."

***

Renji Abarai watched the strawberry blond head disappear around the corner before turning to his lieutenant. "You know Rangiku can instill the fear of god in every man with a healthy libido but Captain Hitsugaya's never had that problem. So what's the big deal now?"

Rukia Kuchki was still standing in the doorway from where Rangiku had departed, her eyes following her friend. "Renji you idiot," she glanced at her Captain over her shoulder and rolled her eyes, "it's different now."

The red headed, usually oblivious man scratched his head. "Why?"

Sighing, Rukia bit back a smile as she shook her head. "If I have to tell you, you're as bad as he is."

Sitting cross legged in his captain quarters he'd been discussing strategy with his Lieutenant when Rangiku had come to them with a request. They were two of Rangiku's closest friends. On more than one occasion they'd put their lives on the same line, served together, and been drunk together. But today Rangiku had a special request from Rukia Kuchki. The woman who had fast become the most powerful Shinigami to perfect her Kidou.

Crossing his arms grumpily, Renji grunted. "No one tells me anything." Then he lifted a tattooed eyebrow and smirked at his tiny lieutenant. "Wait, by bad do you mean like badass?"

Rukia wanted to throw her head back at laugh. But watching Rangiku's determination had given her courage. She looked back into the eyes of her childhood friend unflinchingly. "No Renji, I'd say your ass is rather fine."

Mouth agape, by the time Renji realized what she'd said, Rukia had disappeared.

***

To be Continued…