AN and FYI : writer's block SUCKS!
Chapter 25
Ichigo slid the window to his second story room in the barracks, open. The slight rasp the latch made caused his roommate, one of the other new squad members, to blink open sleepy eyes.
"What are you doing?" he asked Ichigo suspiciously.
Ichigo tossed an annoyed look over his shoulder before sliding onto the edge of the window. "What does it look like I'm doing?" His eyes quickly scanned the dark yard below, noting the distance to the next building.
"It looks like you are climbing out of the window."
"Well then if you already knew, why did you ask?" With that he slipped out the window. His feet touched the ground below for only a second before he flash stepped towards the next building's roof.
He building hopped a few more times until the familiar tenth division office came into view. Ever since the conversation with Byakuya, he had been thinking and planning. His first objective was to make sure Nanao was safe.
Even though it was late, Ichigo was sure Toshiro would be in the office finishing up paperwork and Rangiku would be on the couch, annoying him. However, when he walked through the door, he had not expected Rangiku to squeal and jump at him.
Trying his best to breathe past her strangling, he sent Toshiro a 'Help me' look. Toshiro sighed and placed his brush back on the stand.
"Matsumoto, I believe you are strangling him."
Rangiku released her hold and took a few steps back, a very knowing look on her face. "I'm just excited that's all."
Ichigo looked from her to Toshiro, but Toshiro had already returned to his lists and wasn't inclined to be helpful. "Rangiku, what are you talking about?"
She playfully punched him on the arm. "Che, you think I wouldn't find out that you and Nanao worked things out? I find out everything."
Ichigo eyed her for a moment. "Uh huh. Can I talk to you for a moment?" he was well aware of Toshiro eyeing him over his papers but he was purposely looking nowhere but at Rangiku.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure." She threaded her arm through his to lead him out the door.
"Matsumoto."
Rangiku waved Toshiro off with her unoccupied hand. "Don't worry, Captain. I'll do the paperwork when I get back." She pushed Ichigo through the door before her captain could respond and led him a short distance to a secluded bench set between two of the division buildings.
"So, what do you need?" She plopped gracefully on the stone bench.
"I need a favor." Ichigo sat on the bench next to her, staring into the darkness in front of them.
"Yeah, I kinda figured, you want to elaborate?"
"I need you to keep an eye on Nanao for me." He glanced towards her. She stared at him for a second, seemingly trying to read his mind.
Finally she asked, "Why?"
He chewed his lower lip in thought before turning to face Rangiku fully. "I need someone to make sure she is safe. There is someone that may try and hurt her and I can't be there all the time. I trust Kyoraku to watch over her while she is at the office, it's just…"
"Who wants to hurt her?" There was an edge rarely heard in the normally bubbly woman's voice.
Ichigo shook his head. "No, I'm not dragging more people into this. Look, it all should be figured out soon enough…just…" Rangiku could see the desperation in his eyes. "Just please watch over her for a couple of days."
She raised an eyebrow. "You know, she's not going to like getting babysat…"
Ichigo snorted. "I can think of worse things."
She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. "Alright. Just give me a few minutes to tell Captain that I've got something more important to do and then I got to grab some stuff from my house…"
"Thanks Rangiku." He smiled his appreciation before disappearing into the darkness.
Rangiku watched the spot he just vacated for a few moments before shaking herself out of her speculations. She breezed through the office door; not fazed in the slightest by the glare being sent in her direction.
"So what did he want?"
Rangiku ignored the question. "Captain, haven't you always said that loyalty is one of my better traits?"
Toshiro watched suspiciously as she stacked all the undone paperwork to the corner of her desk. "Yes, but…"
"So, if I do something un-loyal then you would be ashamed to call yourself my captain correct?"
"Matsumoto I really don't see…"
"So in order to preserve your honor, I must help out a friend in need, right?" She smiled in triumph as he tried to follow that bit of logic. Not giving him a moment to come up with an adequate reply she headed out the door. "I'll see you in the morning, Captain!"
Toshiro sat dumbfounded. He vaguely wondered why he was labeled a child prodigy and genius if his vice captain could pull stunts like this and he seemed unable to stop her; even slowing her down would be nice at this point. Giving it up as a lost cause, he stood up from his desk to grab the remainder of her undone paperwork.
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Nanao was pulled from her reading by a tap at her window. She stood up from her comfy chair and hesitantly drew the curtain back to be met with the sight of Ichigo hunched outside.
She slid the window open and tried not to laugh as he tumbled through and landed in a heap on the floor. "Not that I mind the company, but why did you feel the need to come through the window?"
Ichigo scowled as he tried to get to his feet. "As I recall, a couple days ago you came through my window."
She shrugged and closed the window. "Yes, well I wasn't sure how you were going to react and I thought somewhere private would be crucial."
Finding his feet, he wrapped her in a hug. "How are you feeling?"
She snorted softly. "I'm fine. I will not be treated like glass, is that understood?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, there was a knock at her door. Her face screwed up in confused when she caught a decidedly guilty look flash across Ichigo's face.
"What's going on? Who is that?"
"Umm…" While Ichigo was trying to find the words, the person at the door answered one of Nanao's questions.
"Nanao! Open up, it's me Rangiku! I know you're still awake, I can see the lights!"
"Ichigo why is Rangiku at my door?"
Deciding that he couldn't think of an answer that wouldn't end in bodily harm, he opted for a quick kiss to the forehead and a dash out the window. "Sleep well." He tossed the words over his shoulder at the irate woman.
Nanao crossed the distance to her front door and swung it open. She ignored the bubbly smile her friend gave her and asked, "Okay, you have three seconds to explain what's going on."