This is a request for my Ao3 commenter and real life bestie, LethanWolf! She LOVES Rukia and loved chapter 16.
Request: Toshiro asking Rangiku for help with his friendship with Rukia.
Btw, Isshin is taking the day off. He's earned it xD
…
Friendship
"Lieutenant?"
"Yeah?"
"How do… How do you make friends so easily?"
Rangiku snorted from her reclined position on the office couch.
"Everyone is friends after a couple of shared sakes, Toshiro," the lieutenant chuckled, even though she knew the boy probably wouldn't understand the concept of drunken socialising.
It was another cold and boring late-winter afternoon in the Seireitei but the office was kept warm with a fire lit by their captain's Engetsu. Isshin was out for the afternoon, allowing Rangiku to laze on the couch in front of the toasty fire undisturbed (since she could hardly go enjoy the sun right now) while Toshiro sat by his desk at the window completing paperwork. She heard him sigh every so often, and without even opening her eyes Rangiku knew the young third seat was gazing out the window over the snowy training grounds. She would have believed he wanted to be out there playing in the snow, but Toshiro had just had two days off work and had spent the whole time trying to come back into the office.
"But," the boy sounded confused, "but what about when you're not drinking?"
Rangiku made to laugh again - she was rarely not drinking in social situations.
"I don't know," she smirked. "I guess I am beautiful and funny, so Souls are naturally drawn to me."
She smirked wider, feeling Toshiro's eye roll and hearing the huff that followed.
Something was bothering the kid, but apparently he wasn't going to just spit it out on his own.
"What's up, Toshiro?" Rangiku sighed then and lifted her head, opening her eyes.
Over the back of the couch, she could just see the top of his white spikes that were far softer than they looked.
Toshiro said nothing, and Rangiku heard the shuffling of some papers.
Sighing again, the lieutenant sat up properly to see the boy. Toshiro stared down at his papers, flicking through them aimlessly, his eyes unfocused as he thought to himself.
"Well you know how I had to take those two days off?" Toshiro started and Rangiku nodded.
"Yes, you tried to sneak out paperwork," Rangiku shot him a pointed and disapproving look.
Last week, Isshin had realised that Toshiro had never taken his compulsory holiday days last year and decided the boy needed a break from constant working. He had sentenced Toshiro to two whole days off work.
The way Toshiro had reacted, one might have thought he'd been punished.
Rangiku would have killed for those days off, but alas she had used her all holidays up and they weren't allowed to trade days between them.
While Isshin and Rangiku had worked, Toshiro had milled around the barracks, spending some time in the snow, but it was clear the kid had wanted to return to work, hence trying to sneak in some paperwork time.
"Well I was bored," Toshiro huffed, defensive already as he looked up to glare at her.
Touchy subject, apparently.
Rangiku threw her hands up in surrender, chuckling at how easily wound up the boy was.
"I just-" Toshiro swallowed, eyes cast back down on the paperwork and flicking the edges gently. "I think I was bored because I don't have any…"
Toshiro trailed off, mumbling the rest too quiet for Rangiku to hear.
"You don't have any what?"
Toshiro's eyes flickered up to her and away again, and Rangiku noticed the light blush on his cheeks.
"I don't have any friends," Toshiro repeated, clearer but not much louder. Still Rangiku heard it and the lieutenant frowned.
"You have friends," Rangiku argued. "You have… um... "
No friends. The kid had no friends.
He had family in Isshin and Rangiku, and the rest of the Shiba clan. He had his colleagues, who again more or less came under the family banner. He didn't have friends, certainly none in his age bracket.
Rangiku hummed in realisation, understanding now.
Toshiro didn't have any friends his age, or close enough to it.
He had been given two days off but had nothing to do and no one to hang out with. If it had been Rangiku, she would have run off to another division to corrupt her lieutenant friends into skipping work too, or she would have gone day drinking, or at the very least lounged around her quarters.
Toshiro didn't have quarters; he had a bunk in a shared dormitory. He didn't have friends either and he was too young to drink. It was no wonder he got bored, and now obvious why he hadn't wanted to take those days off in the first place.
"Well what about Yachiru?" Rangiku suggested then. "I've seen you talk to her many times."
Rangiku had often spied them outside when she had been in the training grounds. Toshiro and the pink haired lieutenant next door would climb up on the shared fence between the Squad Ten and Squad Eleven barracks and sit up there eating sweets together. It had been so sweet the first time Rangiku had spotted them, she had snapped a picture on her Soul Phone and rushed back to show Isshin.
Toshiro rolled his eyes.
"I just give her the candy Captain Ukitake gives me so she won't let her men destroy our fence anymore," Toshiro explained.
Rangiku frowned at that, realising then that it had been years since that shared fence had come down. Before then, the brutes at the Eleventh were knocking it down or blowing it apart every other week.
"Lieutenant Kusajishi decides who she will spend her time with and when," Toshiro sighed, "and right now her obsession is with Captain Kuchiki."
Rangiku chuckled at that, having heard many stories of the Gotei Thirteen's youngest lieutenant running amuck at one of the noblest captain's family manor. Of course, that's where they now held their SWA meetings thanks to the pink haired girl.
"Well what about Rukia?" Rangiku suggested then, reminded of the other Kuchiki she had heard of, "Captain says you two had a wonderful afternoon together at the Thirteenth last month?"
Oh Isshin had said much more than that. Rangiku had just about died and reincarnated when she returned from her own holiday to find out her little third seat had a crush on the young noblewoman. She had teased Toshiro relentlessly about it, always driving him to a heavy shade of red and a childish tantrum as he stormed away, but now Rangiku was being serious.
It seemed Toshiro was too, the boy not going the typical scarlet shade when Rangiku brought up the girl's name.
"I haven't seen her since then," he shrugged. "I don't think she would call us friends."
"Well why don't you go see her?"
"What?" Toshiro looked suddenly alarmed. "Just go ask her to be friends?"
"Well not like that," Rangiku rolled her eyes, though she supposed kids could ask other kids to be friends and it wasn't strange – it wasn't socially awkward like it was for adults. "Why don't you go visit her after work today and see if she wants to hang out?"
Toshiro looked even more alarmed at that and Rangiku couldn't help but chuckle. She knew Toshiro was a shy kid; he always had been, especially around strangers or Souls he wasn't yet comfortable around. It did not surprise her in the slightest that he would be nervous about going to see Rukia.
"Come on, Toshiro," Rangiku drawled playfully. "I will come with you, if you like."
"Really?" Toshiro asked timidly, his eyes on Rangiku and filled with uncertainty.
"Of course," Rangiku smiled at the boy. "I was going to have to go see Kaien about a Lieutenants' meeting item anyway."
Well that was a lie, but if Kaien was there she would say hello and catch up with him to give the kids some space.
"Well, if you're going over anyway," Toshiro seemed to relent as Rangiku bit back a smirk. "I guess there is no harm in seeing if Rukia is around."
Rangiku nodded quickly, not wanting to discourage the boy in any way.
Toshiro seemed to agree with a casual shrug before he turned back to his paperwork, seemingly more focused now.
Rangiku laid back on the couch, letting her grin come back in full now that the boy couldn't see her.
Oh yes, her day had just gotten way more interesting.
…
The last few hours of the working day flew by as Rangiku napped on and off in front of the fire. Her cat naps were only disrupted when Toshiro spoke, which hadn't been often but each time it was him trying to back out of going to the Thirteenth later.
"She's probably going to be busy," Toshiro had argued.
"Not at that time of the day," Rangiku waved him off.
"What about her noble responsibilities?"
Rangiku had snorted at that. She was pretty sure Rukia's only responsibilities as a noblewoman was to walk two steps behind her brother and bow to the other noble men. It couldn't have been much fun – the girl could probably use the break.
"We're just going to go say hello," Rangiku reminded Toshiro. "If she's busy we can reschedule."
"What if she doesn't want to reschedule?" Toshiro asked, his voice sounding sulky over the couch.
"Well then she's not worth your friendship, okay?" Rangiku sighed.
Honestly, it was like trying to hook her girl friends up with guys.
Finally the end of the day rolled around, and Isshin hadn't returned from his afternoon meeting yet.
As soon as the clocked ticked over, Rangiku was jumping up from the couch and stretching out her back.
"Let's go!"
Toshiro had to be dragged away from his desk but once she got him out of the office, he became much more cooperative, albeit slow in his pace.
"Should I bring her something?" Toshiro asked as they walked out of the division gates, the path icy but thankfully not slippery.
"Like what?"
"I don't know," Toshiro shrugged. "Like a gift?" What do girls like?"
"Flowers, jewellery," Rangiku sighed, before she shrugged, "money."
Toshiro's little frown was too much and Rangiku giggled to herself.
"Relax, Toshiro," she nudged him. "You don't need to bring her anything."
Toshiro didn't seem settled however, and appeared to mull over it quietly as they continued their journey to the Thirteen in the north of the Seireitei.
Eventually they reached the gates and a helpful soldier pointed them in the direction of the training grounds when Rangiku had asked for Kaien.
They navigated to the back of the barracks where Squad Thirteen's training grounds stretched up to the Northern wall and wrapped around a large pond.
They spotted Kaien easily, his tall and lean stature with Shiba black hair was familiar. A young girl was with him, her hair just as dark but her frame much more petite. They were finishing up training and appeared to be heading back towards the division buildings. By the way Toshiro paused nervously in his steps, Rangiku didn't have to guess who the girl was.
"Is that her?" Rangiku asked quietly, her eyes going wide with excitement. "She's so pretty!"
Toshiro shushed her in record speed, just as Kaien and Rukia got close enough to hear them.
"Rangiku and Toshiro," Kaien greeted with a friendly smile. "This is a pleasant surprise."
Kaien reached over to ruffle Toshiro's hair as the boy tried not to look too embarrassed by it.
"What brings you both here?" Kaien asked, chuckling as Toshiro seemed to slip out of his grasp.
Rangiku looked at Toshiro to answer but the boy had gone bright red and shy. If he had been any younger, Rangiku was sure she would have had him hiding behind her legs and peeking an eye out.
"Well I needed to come see you about some important lieutenant's business," Rangiku told Kaien, "and Toshiro thought he might come say hello to Rukia."
Kaien and Rukia's eyes turned to Toshiro, who squeaked out a timid and high pitched 'hello'.
What a dork.
"Why don't you two go play while Kaien and I talk business?" Rangiku suggested, her hand on Toshiro's back and pushing him gently towards the girl.
"We're too old to 'play', Lieutenant!" Toshiro hissed in embarrassment but Rangiku ignored that, giving the boy a hasher shove. If he hadn't been the ice wielder he was, Rangiku was sure he would have slipped over.
"Go along," Kaien encouraged the two younger soldiers then. "You might as well make the most of the fresh snow and daylight for today. I know you both enjoy it."
Well now that seemed to be the most convincing argument the two had heard, as Rukia and Toshiro exchanged glances for a moment, the hint of a grin on each of their faces. After a moment, Rukia nodded her head towards the training grounds and the two of them set off.
"Shall we head inside?" Kaien asked Rangiku then.
"Please," Rangiku shivered.
She hated the cold. She loved Toshiro and his powers, of course, and she loved a cold drink at the end of the day, but gods did she hate the cold weather.
She followed her fellow lieutenant inside to his office which was thankfully as warm as the Tenth captain's office had been. Captain Ukitake and Miyako weren't around so the office was quiet. Rangiku sat herself in a chair beside the window as Kaien made them a pot of tea and returned a moment later with two cups.
Rangiku could see Toshiro and Rukia out the window – it seemed they had taken to building a snowman together. It appeared awkward but after a moment Rukia seemed to laugh while Toshiro rolled his eyes. Despite the surroundings and their inner spirits, the two kids seemed to be warming up to each other again.
"They seem to be getting on well?" Kaien grinned as he sat down in the seat opposite Rangiku.
"It's adorable," Rangiku cooed.
Kaien hummed in agreement.
"So what lieutenant items did you need to discuss?" Kaien asked.
"Oh no, nothing," Rangiku waved him off with a giggle. "Toshiro just wanted to come see Rukia but needed some encouragement so I told him I needed to come see you anyway."
Kaien's lips made an understanding 'oh' before he grinned.
"He's very shy, isn't he?" Kaien chuckled as Rangiku nodded. "Rukia too actually, but I think she's slowly gaining some confidence."
"I think we need to encourage them to spend more time together until they will do it on their own," Rangiku murmured. "Toshiro is very shy and I've realised today how lonely it has been for him being the only kid around the Tenth."
To be fair, Toshiro was a mature kid and was usually happy to spend all his time with adults, but it would take its toll eventually. He needed social interactions with someone close to his age, he needed to be able to run around outside for some fun instead of only when swinging a sword around.
Weekends in particular must have been hard on him. Rangiku was always out drinking and Isshin usually spent weekends at Shiba Manor. Though Rangiku was sure Toshiro was always welcome there, she would guess that Toshiro might have felt like he was intruding if he went there all the time.
Outside in the Thirteenth training grounds, Toshiro was smiling widely now and Rukia had a cheeky grin about her. It was clear why a second later when she threw a snowball at him and it broke apart in the boy's hair. Toshiro looked offended at first, but there was a glint in his eyes Rangiku had seen so many times before. In an instant the two kids were off, flash stepping in opposite directions and diving behind leafless trees, quickly forming snowballs and throwing them at each other.
This was the type of interaction Toshiro needed, and as much as Rangiku and Isshin could do their best to encourage this more playful behaviour from him, they were more parental figures (well Isshin was – Rangiku proudly maintained her status as annoying older sister).
What Toshiro needed was a friend.
So Rangiku and Kaien sat at the window and watched the all-out snowball fight that was going on, giggling when one kid particularly hammered the other.
Eventually the sky started growing dark and the images of the two young Soul Reapers started to blend in with the dark, Toshiro's hair becoming the only visible thing and even then if he stayed still, Rangiku would mistake it for snow.
Rangiku left Kaien in the office and trudged back out to the training grounds, where she stumbled on the tail end of a conversation.
"Is it for me?" Rukia asked and Rangiku rounded the corner just in time to see her take a small flower made from glass- no, it was made from ice - from Toshiro's hand.
The boy nodded.
Oh gods, he really did listen to Rangiku when she said girls like flowers. Next time, Rangiku was going to have to tell him how much lieutenants liked foot rubs and having their quarters cleaned.
"I was wondering if you, um…" Toshiro shifted his weight and brought his hand up to rub his arm nervously, "if you wanted to be my f-friend?"
Rangiku's heart exploded and she almost tripped over.
Oh gosh, how precious! Toshiro was actually asking Rukia to be his friend.
Rukia blinked in confusion.
"I thought we already were," she murmured.
"Oh," Toshiro looked just as confused. Clearly he had no idea what he was doing. "Okay, cool."
Rangiku chuckled and Toshiro had heard, turning to her in alarm, as though he had just been caught doing something he shouldn't have.
Well it was probably best to save him now.
"Come on," Rangiku grinned at him. "We better go get some dinner. Captain will send out a search party if you're not home soon."
"I should be getting home to my brother too," Rukia added then, and she bowed to them both in farewell before she turned and disappeared into the dark.
"B-bye!" Toshiro called after her, reaching out in what was somewhere between a wave and a thumbs up.
Rangiku burst out in laughter, of course.
"You are such a dork," the lieutenant laughed before she started imitating him. "'B-bye'"
Toshiro flushed red.
"You are so annoying, Matsumoto!" he hissed.
"Hey, that's Lieutenant Matsumoto to you!"
Toshiro pouted.
"I'm telling Da-Captain," he threatened her, trying to look fierce despite the clear slip up that only made Rangiku laugh more.
"Yeah you go tell 'Da-Captain'," Rangiku wheezed, as Toshiro huffed and brushed passed as he stormed off.
"To think I made a snow-woman of you," he muttered as he passed.
A snow-woman of her? Rangiku spun back quickly to where she had seen the kids making a snowman and gasped excitedly seeing the two figures. Both snowmen were tall, and one had short dark hair and a big happy smile – clearly Rukia's of Kaien. The other had red-yellow leaves for long hair and it's expression was almost drunk. When Rangiku squinted, it had blue-grey stones for eyes and a mole next to its lip.
That was her snow-woman.
"You left off my boobs!" Rangiku called after the boy, turning sharply and flash stepping to keep up.
Toshiro stumbled on his steps.
"I'm not touching those things," he hissed. "Snow or otherwise."
Rangiku rolled her eyes, tempted to mutter something far too adult for him but thankfully the comment was caught on the tip of her tongue.
"Such a dork," she muttered instead.
"Whatever," Toshiro rolled his eyes.
"Wow he makes one friend and now he's full of sass," Rangiku chortled. "Don't tell me your angsty teenage years are upon us so soon."
"You are so annoying," Toshiro groaned.
Rangiku smirked – yeah, she was annoying, that's what big sisters were for. Big sisters were also protective, so Rukia had better be a good friend to her little brother.
…
Welp there you have it.
Remember to drop a review to let me know if you're liking this story so far and if you want to see anything in particular!