Chapter 12:

"Oh, my… So that's what's been happening? I thought something was wrong with them…" Unohana put a hand to her cheek, deeply concerned. "That explains what's been happening around here. And Hitsugaya?"

"He still has no idea and I'd like to keep it that way. You know what kind of temper he has. If he finds out what happened to him…" Rangiku shuttered at the thought.

Unohana seemed to understand perfectly. "I understand. Don't worry, I'll make sure that the woman is treated as a proper guest and not an intruder. Trust me."

"Oh, I knew I could count on you!" Rangiku clapped her hands together and jumped for joy. This was fantastic! It seemed like all the loose ends were tied up. "Oh!" Rangiku stopped jumping and gave the captain a serious look. "You won't tell Hitsugaya, will you?"

"Of course not. You want to keep it a secret from him, don't you?"

"Yes, but that goes for everyone else, as well. You won't tell anyone, will you? Please don't let anyone else know, please?"

She smiled her ever soft, patient smile and nodded. "What we discussed in this room stays in this room. Don't worry."

Rangiku let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..! Thank you so much!"

"It's no trouble, really…" Unohana said, still smiling. "By the way, have you seen Hanataro lately? He hasn't shown up for his duties in a couple of days now. He's under the spell, too, isn't he? Where has he gone?"

"Drunk, I expect…" she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Uh… Nothing, nothing… But if you do happen to see him, please go easy on him. He has no idea what he's doing anymore."

"I understand that."

"He's not himself at all."

"I understand that."

Rangiku shut her eyes and grimaced at the thought of what Hanataro was doing now. He might have been in a bar somewhere getting wasted. He may have been hitting on women twice his own age and drinking himself stupid. What an idea! Why did he ever agree to change himself with Kira anyway? He was so much better before compared to this.

~*~*~

"Tell us what she's doing in there and we'll give you the candy."

"I- I…" Hitsugaya was torn. Candy or Rangiku? Which should he choose? Both were so important to him. Yumichika dangled the candy over Hitsugaya's head and pulled it out of his reach as he made another grab for it. He was teasing him! "Please give me the candy?"

"Tell us what's going on."

"But-"

"Tell us and you'll get it."

Hitsugaya gulped, staring intensely at the candy. It was too tempting. "I don't know what they're doing in there. Rangiku just told me to guard the door. Now can I please have it?"

Yumichika pulled the candy further away. "That's not good enough. Tell us!"

"But I don't know! Please gimme the candy! Please!" He started to jump up and down for it. But Yumichika kept the candy out of his reach. Hitsugaya felt so helpless. "Please?" He tried the puppy eyes. "Pretty please? May I please have it? Please?"

That look had no effect on Ikkaku whatsoever. Yumichika, on the other hand, could feel his heart melting. He had no idea that Hitsugaya could be so cute. Those big sparkling aqua eyes of his were pulling on his heartstrings. That sweet, innocent look… he was being pulled into those big aqua pools of cuteness. It was working.

"Please?" Hitsugaya stuck his lip out for effect and made his eyes a little bigger and more sparkly.

Yumichika bit his lip but a small whine escaped him anyway. He was going to give in, he knew it. It was just too much cuteness. He couldn't handle it! "Well…" He fiddled with the candy in his fingers.

"Hey!" Ikkaku snapped. "Don't give in! That's not how a bribe works!"

"I know, but…" Yumichika looked from Hitsugaya back to Ikkaku with big eyes. "He's just so cute!"

Ikkaku's eye twitched. He knew how much Yumichika was obsessed with looks and anything 'pretty'… But this was ridiculous! He was being won over by Hitsugaya's cuteness?! Ikkaku had never found Hitsugaya to be cute in any way. How could Yumichika let Hitsugaya break him like this. It was almost too easy.

"You have got to be joking… How could you let him have his way?!"

"He's being cute!" Yumichika chirped, face aglow. He was being won over way too easily.

Hitsugaya was aware of this and decided to put the icing on the cake. He tugged on Yumichika's sleeve gently. When he turned, Hitsugaya stuck his fist under his chin and gave Yumichika the cutest upward-glance he could muster. You could practically see the little flowers and hearts dancing around his face.

That was all it took. "Oh, that is the cutest look I've ever seen!" Yumichika squealed and wriggled and bounced in place, unable to stand the cuteness any longer. "He's so cute! So cute! Ohh!" In one swift momevent, he had grabbed Hitsugaya in a great big bear hug and nuzzled him with his face. "You're adorable! I can't stand it! I can't! I just can't! I don't know how you did it, but you've mastered the ultimate cuteness! I love it!"

Hitsugaya was being smothered in Yumichika's chest. He somehow managed to claw his way up so he could look into his eyes. "May I pwease have the candy now?"

Yumichika had to give in now. He was completely helpless against that amount of cuteness the little captain just displayed. "Of course you can! Here you go!" He handed over the candy.

As Hitsugaya reached out for it, another hand reached out and snatched it away. It was Ikkaku and he didn't look too happy. "What's gotten into you?! Snap out of it! He can have this when he tells us what we want to know!"

Yumichiak and Hitsugaya gave him identical glares.

"You can't do that! He said I could have it! Besides, I already told you what I knew!"

"Yeah, Ikkaku! Besides, look how cute he is!"

Ikkaku remained tough and held the candy out of reach. "No! He gets it when I say so!"

Hitsugaya tried the cute look again on Ikkaku. "Pwease? Pweddy pwease?"

Ikkaku lowered his face to his level and snorted in his face. "No."

He looked shocked. "Please?"

"That cute crap won't work on me so you might as well forget it."

Hitsugaya's cute face vanished and was replaced by a look of rage. "Give me the candy now!" he demanded.

Ikkaku held the candy over his head. "No!"

Hitsugaya stromed over to him and began to jump up and down trying to reach the candy.

"Now, Yumichika, open the door!"

Hitsugaya gasped. He was so fixed on getting the candy that he had forgotten to block the door. He stuck out his leg to block the doorway while keeping a solid hold on Ikkaku's arms and balancing on his other leg on the ground. "No! You can't go in there!"

"Oh, yeah? Try and stop us!" Ikkaku challenged.

And Hitsugaya was going to take him up on that offer…

~*~*~

"Do you need anything else?"

"No, just what you gave me is fine. Thank you." Rangiku bowed to Unohana in thanks.

"I hope things work out alright. After all, we can't have them acting like this for the rest of their lives. Hitsugaya isn't doing any work, Hanataro has disappeared, and Kira keeps challenging people."

"Has he gotten hurt yet?"

Unohana shook her head. "Not really. A few bumps on the head from people hitting him to try and get him off their bodies. Nothing serious. No one really wants to fight him, actually. They think of him more as a nusance than anything. It's best to reverse this spell they're under before their reputations are further damaged."

"I know what you mean…" Rangiku moaned.

"Ow! That hurts!"

"Gimme it!"

"Get off me!"

"Ahh! He's in my hair! My beautiful hair!"

"Don't go in there!"

"OW! Let go! Ouch! That hurts!"

"Don't go in! I told you no!"

"Stop it!"

"You first!"

"Jeez! What's with this guy?!"

"Get him off me!"

"You?! Get him off me!"

"I said stop! Don't go in there! And gimme my candy!"

"OW! Ow! It hurts! Make him stop!"

Unohana stared at the door, smile finally gone. "What is going on out there?"

Rangiku hurried over to the door and slid it open. Now this was a sight to be seen. All three Soul Reapers were tangled up in each other, half on the floor and half standing. Yumichika was on his knees trying to pry Hitsugaya's fists from his hair. Hitsugaya had both hands grabbing fistfuls of Yumichika's hair, one leg draped around Ikkaku's neck and the other leg dangling off the floor. Whenever he thrashed or if anyone moved, that leg of his would kick Ikkaku in the gut, which seemed to be happening about every two seconds. Ikkaku was the only one partially standing. He was hunched over by Hitsugaya's weight and the pain in his gut, trying to throw the little captain off both him and Yumichika. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

"What is going on here?!" Rangiku shouted over all the confusion.

They all stopped and looked up.

"Rangiku!" Hitsugaya chirped and jumped off Ikkaku's shoulders and bounced over to her. "I tried to keep them out, but they were-"

"I know, it's ok. I'm finished and they never made it inside. You did perfectly." She patted his head. He giggled and hugged her around the middle. He felt so proud of himself.

Yumichika got to his feet and tried to fix his messed up hair, flattening it with his hands as best he could. Ikkaku straightened up and shot Rangiku a look.

"Ok, what the hell is going on?!"

"What do you mean?"

"What were you doing in there that you had to have that ancklebitter guard the door like that?!"

"Uh… It's private."

"Like hell it is! Now tell us-"

"It was private woman business," Unohana explained. "That's why she had him guard the door. We needed a private girl moment. You wouldn't understand."

Both men shut up immediately and their faces turned slightly pink. At the term 'woman business' they knew it was time to shut up. They didn't want to know anymore.

Unohana's smile had returned and she patted Rangiku's back. "It's alright. I can handle the rest. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you."

Still smiling, Unohana nodded.

"Come on, Captain. Let's go get some dinner."

"Coming!" he jumped and followed her. But not before stopping and snatching the piece of candy from Ikkaku on his way pass them. He snickered triumphantly and tucked it away in his kimono.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hitsugaya's cuteness has effected Yumichika! XD

Ikkaku, you suck for not seeing it… but I still love you anyway!

Please review! That way I can tell if his cuteness has effected you too so I can keep writing more! ^-^