Some people have no limits
Earlier that evening, before Matsumoto witnessed the strange shadow play on the terrace, Hitsugaya Toushiro was beginning to fell like a rat in a trap. Sure, he knew that the assignment had to be filled out sooner or later, but he had wanted to make it later rather than sooner. Given the huge amount of personal problems he was having, it was not surprise that the 10th division captain pushed that idea at the back of his head, where it lay undisturbed until he finally realized what Momo was doing.
As much as he was pleased with his new height, he found it a great disadvantage while walking down the street in the company of his vice captain. With his posture and severe look he looked like some nobleman that went out on a shopping with his concubine, and even thought it was a change from a kid walking around with his mom, it wasn't a welcome one. And now with Momo, there was no doubt that they were on a date. Good Lord, he was standing a good foot taller than her.
They sat in a nice restaurant with a great view of the busiest shopping street in Seiretei, so that when awkward silence fell (and that was very often), he would seek refuge in the site. Momo, on the other hand, obviously had a lot to talk about, or better said-to monologue about. Subject for tonight: Matsumoto and Kira.
"I mean, she obviously knew where he is, but she wouldn't tell me. I swear, Shiro-kun, I went to the 3rd to see how he is, but they told me he wasn't there! Something's going on between those two!"
"Huh?" Hitsugaya snapped into reality, while revising on his table manners. Open the door, bring out the chair, stand up when she goes to wash her hands…darn it, those gentleman rules were obviously created for a place with a more…Western decoration. How the hell was supposed to hold open a shoji door for her, or pull out a cushion and adjust it for her? "What do you mean something? What's happening to whom?"
"Oh, Shiro-kun, how can you be so dense?" she scolded him sweetly and smiled "I mean, didn't you notice she called him 'Izuru' and not 'Kira'? I'm telling you, there's something fishy going on? Do you think they're having a…you know….affair?" she whispered the last word so low he hardly heard her.
"What?" Matsumoto and Kira? No way! "How can you know?"
"Well, they're always going out together, and they usually end up drunk like a pair of puppies. You said it yourself that you caught them in a compromising position once."
"They were drowning their sorrow. People do that a lot recently." Hitsugaya frowned
"You don't, Shiro-kun."
"That doesn't make them lovers, Momo."
"Yeah, but she was the ex-mistress of his captain. Given the fact that Ichimaru-taicho was such a sick man, I won't blame Matsumoto if she sought refuge at a more decent man." She sighed dramatically "I actually feel sorry for her."
Hitsugaya felt hot under his collar, and it wasn't with discomfort. His hands began to tremble with rage and he clenched his fists in the safety of his captain's robes, hoping that Momo wouldn't see it from across the table.
Was this really possible? Kira? And Matsumoto? He was smart enough not to believe the stories bout her and Ichimaru Gin, but could it be possible that there was some truth in them? And now moving on his lieutenant? Ok, so Matsumoto wasn't an example of the perfectly humble Japanese lady, but she had principles. She had honor. And with Kira? He just couldn't make the picture.
"Of course you can't." Hyorinmaru snorted "Rangiku and peach girl aren't that close to have such insides on their love lives. Haven't you noticed already that she's playing a game here? Of course you have! Now stop making excuses for her and let's get out of here, I'm getting a bad feeling."
"Why? Because Momo's not as endowed as Matsumoto?"
"That's just one of the reasons, but not the main one. I can't speak to Toubime."
"I'm not leaving my friend behind just because you don't have someone to talk to."
"No, you don't understand. She doesn't answer anything I ask her?"
"Have you per chance asked her "Wanna find out if zanpakutos can have babies?"?"
"As if! Haineko is more suited for that question. At least SHE has some sense of humor."
"Is it a rule for zanpakutos to be funny or I'm just the only serious person in the office?"
"The second." Hyorinmaru answered honestly "And to tell you the truth, Shiro, you need to do something about that attitude of yours. Acting like a grumpy baby doesn't suit your height any more."
"What the…Anyway, what's so scary in the fact that you can't talk to Toubime? Aside from the fact that you're bored to tears."
"Hey, if I cry, it'd be a lot colder here." If the dragon had arms, Hitsugaya thought, he'd be crossing them in front of his chest just like Matsumoto. "But it is serious, for real. Zanpakuto can't remain silent…"
"Something you've proven quite clearly…"
"Let me finish. The only reason we are silent is because our link with out wielders is crushed. Something's wrong with Momo."
"Are you sure she's just reluctant to hear some of your lousy jokes."
"No way! I keep my lousy jokes only for Haineko." Hyorinmaru purred contentedly "Listen, Toubime would've answered, but I bet she can't even reach Momo right now. Something is keeping her back."
"That's ridiculous. A zanpakuto not speaking to its wielder after reaching shikai? I've never heard of such a thing."
"Oh really? Did you know that Senbonzakura stopped talking to Byakuya aftr Hisana died? Do you know she spoke to him only after he almost lost his life while trying to save Rukia's life from Aizen? Yeah, as if Kuchiki will go that far as to embarrass himself in front of all you guys. Just like a man won't admit he can't get it up at the right time a warrior won't say he can't speak to his zanpakuto. Usually, what causes this is a severe psychological trauma, and if I'm not mistaken, Momo there suffered from one."
Hitsugaya glanced at his friend, who was munching on the snacks happily, while smiling. Sure enough, she looked ok, but...was it possible that she still thought of Aizen? They all thought she'd be fine after she first got out of the coma (heartbroken, yes, but not violent at least), but she was still protecting him like crazy. Was it possible that she was still suffering?
Impossible, he shook his head. She wouldn't be trying so hard to achieve captain's position if she was still fond of Aizen. The captain's rank! He had completely forgotten about that! What if she brought up that subject now? What could he say? What excuses to make up? A part of him, a big one, wanted to tell her to sod off and deal with it the way everyone else did-by working hard and putting her selfishness aside. But whenever he thought he had the guts to tell her that, the face of the old lady that brought them up came out and he heard her say:
"You're your only family. Look after each-other, rather than fight all along, because here nobody else will give a damn about you."
Of course, this was not Rukongai and they didn't just die from malnutrition or beaten up in a corner by stronger kids, but it still felt as if he was betraying her.
Suddenly, his senses registered an interference with his personal space and he turned around to see Momo standing so close to him their knees were almost touching.
"Shiro-kun, you're too tense." She whispered, leaning closer. What was she doing? Why was she so close? Before he knew it, her lips were on his.
The shock drove all sanity out of his head, but he managed to pull away when she tried to separate his lips with her tongue.
Toushiro was panting for breath, but his survival instincts were screaming that if he didn't say anything smart, he'd lose something more important than his life.
"Momo…what are you doing?" ok, maybe not that smart.
"I just…" the hurt look in her eyes was just begging him to go there and hug her and kiss her a dozen times to make up for that foolish outburst, but behind the tears here was a look of anger that he really didn't like. "Shiro-kun, why did you step away?"
"Momo, Momo, it's ok, just don't cry." No nothing was ok, but still "Listen, you can't just kiss me in the middle of a restaurant."
"But we're in a private room. There's not even a servant at the door." Pointing out the obvious Momo tried again to get closer to him, but Hitsugaya quickly stepped back.
"I know there isn't…" his mind was racing "But…somebody can see us from the street. You remember what the general said, right? We may be in danger, and showing off in a public place like that can be dangerous."
Hinamori paused, her face becoming extremely blank. "Please let it work. Please let it work, please, please!" Hitsugaya prayed, and sent a prayer of thanks when a smile blossomed once again on Hinamori's lips.
"Yes…you're right…some other place…some other time…" she went back to eating as if nothing had happened. For the sake of his sanity, Hitsugaya hoped that this other place and time didn't come around until he figured a way out of this mess…or, better yet, didn't come at all.
Matsumoto popped her elbows on the table and stared flatly at the empty office. So it was true-places get their charm from the people that occupy them. Sure, she could fill ballrooms with charm, but without her taicho, staring severely at her and pushing her to do paperwork, it was just not the same. Everything was too….dark, too gloomy. Without having someone to tease, Matsumoto was feeling incomplete.
And perhaps she would stay incomplete. Before she came to Seiretei, nobody dared hire her. The called her a harlot, a fallen woman, nobody cared, nobody helped out. They just saw….big boobs and blond hair. How ridiculous! Of course she was a good person, a trustworthy person, her life as a shinigami proved it. Back then she found it irritating, but recently she had stopped paying attention-she didn't care, right? She had friends who loved her for what she really was and that was all that mattered.
But was this enough? Many people wanted to be friends with her, but who'd really want to be in love with her. Some friendship evolves into love at some point, or at least that's how she thought and HOPED things were. But the scene she witnessed was making her re-think her entire concept of the future. Up to that point, she had always thought that she'd get the man she wanted with little patience and a good dose of humor. But now her taicho, her Toushiro, whom she thought to be so tolerate and so good, was actually making out with Hinamori, even though she was a little manipulator and he knew it!
"Ok, first of all, he wasn't making out with her. All you saw was shadows and anything might have happened…" Haineko, concerned about Rangiku's sanity, tried to comfort her
"Like what? He got some wasabi on his face and she tried to lick it off?"
"Well, given the little dog she is that won't be a surprise, but maybe you didn't see it right. Shadows can be deceptive. And anyway, the guy may not like her at all. He may just be doing her a favor as an old friend, taking her out and stuff. "
"It doesn't help much."
"Do you really think you did the right thing, running away like that? Maybe it was all a misunderstanding."
"Right now, all I want to do is erase that image from my head." She sighed and looked around, then got on the first thing that could help her-paperwork.
Hitsugaya never remembered a day when he had showered so much. Growing up in Rukongai, where even having pluming was a luxury, he had grown used tio quick trips to the bathroom in between paperwork and…well, more paperwork. But, now it felt different. It took him an entire morning before he felt completely free of Hinamor's influence on him.
Gods, he had heard some men became obsessed with the smell of some women, but he never supposed it would happen to him. And now…on the pillow, on his clothes, his skin, everything felt like her and he did definitely not like the whole thing. It was…creepy and he felt a bit ashamed…perhaps all he had to do was avoid her for several days and keep to his office…and get clean bed sheets.
He found his fukutaicho fallen fast asleep on her desk, with different forms lying around her like fallen doves. Her hair was disheveled, her shikahuso had almost fallen off her shoulders and one of her hands was still trying to write a report.
"MATSUMOTO!"
He ran to her and tried to wake her up, but in vain-she was like a Snow White high on poisonous apples. A happy-go smile appeared on her face while he was shaking some life into her.
"Form A3 goes to pile 3, x2a2+b2, yes, I want some more ice cream, Mr. Chappy the bunny…."
Toushiro's hair stood on its edge as he ran to the door.
"Fukada! Quickly, get Unohana-taicho here, now!"
"Paperwork overload?" he stared at the 4th division captain as she was examining his fukutaicho. "I've never heard of such a thing!"
"It's normal, Hitsugaya taicho. Think of it as an…allergy."
"So…she wasn't kidding when she told me that paperwork was making her sick?"
Unohana's face turned mockingly-scolding.
"Hitsugaya taicho, paperwork overload is no laughing matter. You should've believed her." She smiled and got up "Anyway, I'll bring her over to the 4th division where she can rest and you can have her back by noon. Is that ok with you?"
"Perfect." He sweat dropped and sat down on his chair. Paperwork overload…who'd think that the woman who could out-drink Kyoraku Shunsui could be beaten by just a few piles of forms. But then again….he looked at the finished reports…so much…she must've been doing the all night. Why would she spend all this time here when she could do much better things?
His train of thought was stopped when a member of his division walked in, announcing a visitor. "Don't let it be Hinamori, PLEASE don't let it be Hinamori!" he was relieved when the young woman that wlaked in the office wasn't the 5th division fukutaicho, but he was nevertheless surprised. Her black hair was arranged in an expensive style, with small, but fine jewels tucked in it, and she wore and elaborate silk furisode-not exactly a garment any shinigami could afford to have. And definitely not something one would wear for any meeting. He tried to identify her, but failed to.
"Hitsugaya Toushiro Taicho, I'm thankful for your receiving me…" she began, but tripped in her skirts and almost tumbled to the ground. A chicken popped out from under her skirt and started running around the office.
"Oh, no!" She squeaked "Leila-chan, come back here!"
The poor hen was quacking and circling the small room, leaving a trail of feathers and dropping whenever it went. The young woman chased after it, begging "Leila-chan, please come back in the sleeve, please, cluck-cluck…" She looked pretty freaked out, but Hitsugaya thought the poor chicken looked more frightened than both of them together.
He couldn't help but laugh when she finally caught it and scolded it ("Leila-chan, you naughty girl you should've stayed where you were supposed to.")
"Is there anything wrong with you, Hitsugaya taicho?"
"No." he wiped a tear "But may you please tell me why have to brought a chicken in my office?"
"Leila-chan is my pet." The girl stated "I couldn't leave her in the mansion, but I was not sure if it's appropriate to present her to you."
"Either way, what is it that you want?" he went into business mood again
"Oh, yes…I come in behalf of Kuchiki-sama. He's holding an Autumn party and he wants your presence. I bring a present for you." She pushed a small box filled with watermelon sweets in front of him. He picked it up, ready to ask her what the hell did that mean, but then he noticed some writing on the lid.
"May we talk in private?"
He eyed her. She seemed suspicious enough, but could a girl holding a chicken really hurt him?
"Please, step into my study and tell me more about the party." He said with a smile and opened the door to the terrace. She walked in, still holding Leila-chan, and waited for him to close the door and teak ea seat.
"May I speak?" she asked politely
"Go ahead. This room is completely sound-proof."
She sat down, adjusting her kimono, and looked at him. He noticed her eyes were grey, just like Byakuya's. Interesting.
"Where do I being?'
"You may tell me who you are…and what do you want…for starters." He eyed her "I know from personal experience nobles aren't interested in commoners, be them captains or not."
"Some nobles don't." she nodded "I am Kuchiki Midori, and I have come here on a special missing, concerning, I believe, both the Gotei 13 and our beloved leader-sama." He encouraged her to continue "Before I say anything, be assured that Kira-fukutaicho-san is alright. He just overheard a conversation that he shouldn't have, and put himself in great danger. My brother Shinji and I are protecting him, just for a while until this sheme is dissolved."
She tucked in a strand of hair behind her ear.
"As you know, there is a…sort of war going on in the Kuchiki clan concerning our next leader. Byakuya-sama's refusal to remarry has caused great distress to all of us. The family is split in two-there are those who wish an heir more than anything and there are those who wish a marionette. Sadly, the second are more ruthless, more cruel, and worst of all, our elders."
"And yourself?"
"I am a distant cousin and work for a small group that can count as the first type." She took a breath "The elders have been recently informed that a fukutaicho of the Gotei 13 is planning to seduce Byakuya-sama."
"And what does that have to do with me?" he eyed her suspiciously
"Be assured that I wouldn't be bothering you if it wasn't serious. Of course, all we want is for our leader to be happy, so we must find that woman immediately. Your fukutaicho is the first on the elder's suspicion list, and if she's not the lady in question, let me know now."
"Matsumoto isn't stupid enough to try and seduce Kuchiki-taicho. I'm sure she's not the one you're looking for."
"I don't plan to hurt her…" Midori began "But if you are acquainted with the lady, tell me who she is so that I can explain to her all the aspects of a potential relationship with out leader-sama. She'll be expected to give him a child."
Hitsugaya was trying to focus, but all of the time, Hinamori's face and that evaluation of potential captains involved in her plan came up in his head. Could it be that she had really set her sights on Byakuya? Did she really plan to bear him a child? No way! But still…
He looked at the girl and asked himself if he could trust her again. She looked decent enough, but was this problem that grave?
"Whomever that lady is, I'm sure she'll deal with it." He said.
"You're not telling me the whole truth." Midori stood up, and picked up Leila-chan. "But let me tell you this, Hitsugaya-taicho-whoever she is, she's in great danger. Even if she may consider this as an innocent flirt, many see it otherwise. And the elders wouldn't just want her out of sight-they'd want her dead."