Crazy trouble with love part 9
Rangiku and Toshiro V3
Series: Bleach
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"Mmmm, nothing….nothing….and more nothing." Rangiku sighed, hopping across the fields faster than the eye could see. "And once again, nothing, just like always."
The big breasted shinigami had been on patrol for hours for any hollows, with none in sight.
"Why do they keep sending me out here, nothings been here for years." She grumbled with a sigh as she landed on a random building with it night out. "It's so empty I don't even think bugs would wanna stick around."
She looked around in boredom before spotting a white blur disappear behind a building. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. 'Wait, am I seeing things, or was that actually something?' She grinned as she quietly jumped towards the building. 'All right, maybe this won't be a completely boring night.'
She landed on the side and slowly peeked around, with a hand on the handle of her weapon. Her eyes widened as she saw a small hollow digging through a large trash can. She saw that instead of a black body this one seemed to be white, and it looked a lot like a small humanoid. 'That's new, but I can't let my guard down. Just have to strike fast before it looks and sees me.'
She gently landed down behind the hollow, pulling out her sword as she stealthily approached the hollow. She held her zanpakuto at the ready and bent her knees before lunging from the other side. 'This is almost too eas-' She thought before the Hollow stiffened and quickly jumped aside before she could hit it. 'Huh?'
"You won't get me!" Cried out the hollow as it turned to face her.
"We'll see about that." she spoke as she lunged again, swinging at it's face before it crouched and darted away from her. "You can run all you want, but I'll get you!"
"I'd like to see you tr-" The hollow started, only to freeze as her sword nicked it's mask. It cried out and held the spot, glancing at her to see her smirking.
"You were saying?" She smirked. "Now then, let;s finish this."
'Crap, she's good, too good!' He thought, backing up, his mask starting to repair itself.
"Look, I don't know how many souls you've chomped, but if you just relax I can give you a better chance without having to do that."
"I haven't eaten any souls!" He called, backing up again before realizing he backed himself into a corner. "I've been trying to keep myself from succumbing to the urges."
"Well, good for you I suppose, but now it's time for you to pass on." She said, raising her Zanpakuto.
"No! Please!" he cried out, dropping to his knees. "I can't die now, not yet! I have a mission!"
"A mission?" She asked, finally getting a good look at the hollows face. Their mask seemed to be that of a husky with large, Turquoise eyes and long white hair at the back of the mask. "What mission?"
"I need to find someone. I need to find them, and kill them."
"Aaaand there goes my sympathy." She sighed.
"W-wait! Please! I need to get the shinigami who killed me and my friends!"
"Wait….what?" she looked at him confused. "What do you mean a shinigami killed you?"
"When we were alive, my friend and I were killed by him. We were just normal people, nothing about us really stood out. But then, one day, we were cut down out of nowhere. It happened so fast and out of nowhere, we never saw it coming."
"...and you're sure this was a shinigami?"
"Yes, he even told us his name and everything as he killed us!" He frowned. "He was smug, which means he did it just because he could."
"But you can live a better life when you're purified. The longer you stay a hollow, the bigger risk you are to those living."
"And take the chance at losing what little power I have left? At least like this I can fight, but if you do that, then what? I'm supposed to forget what happened? Forget the fact that a psycho bastard is out there? I can't go on living with that in my mind."
"I promise I'll take care of this matter, but you need to pass on, it's my job!"
"Forget it! I'll do it with my own hands!" He called, trying to move away only for Rangiku to move forward and block him. "If you try to stop me, I WILL treat you like an enemy."
Rangiku paused, looking at him nervously. 'What do I do? He's clearly not strong enough to fight off a shinigami, and I need to purify him...but I also can't ignore the fact that he has info on a rogue shinigami.'
The hollow kept an eye on the woman, ready to strike if she tried to stop him. 'What am I going to do, she's good, I...I can't beat her as I am now.'
"...say I did let you do that, how do I know you won't get out of hand?" Rangiku asked slowly, making the hollow freeze in surprise.
"I….I promise, I will not hurt anyone except that shinigami.'
She looked him in the eyes before slowly lowering her blade. "Alright."
"Wait, what? What do you mean by alright?" He asked in shock.
"I mean I'll let you go and help, but only with me coming." she replied with a sigh. "Even if it means extra work."
"So…. you'll let me get my revenge?"
"No, I am going to make sure there isn't a rogue shinigami on the loose killing the living."
"Then why bother letting me go?" He frowned.
"Who said I was letting you go?" She raised an eyebrow. "If I'm gonna find out the truth, I'm gonna need to know just who it is, which means you can give me the name and I'll find his record in Soul Society."
"Oh no you don't! The second I give you the name you have no reason to keep me around and not kill me!" He pointed out with a snarl. "I'm not saying a thing unless you bring me with."
"What?! I can't just bring a hollow with me to the center of soul society! Are you nuts?!"
"You can take it, or don't bother and go about your day." He said as he crossed his arms, making her groan.
"Uuuuugh, why are you being so annoying?" She groaned. "Am I really going to have to smuggle you in past thousands of shinigami?"
"If that's what it takes, then yes." He said smugly. "You're stuck with me now."
"Ugh….. great, just great, I'm stuck with some random hollo-"
"Toshiro."
"Huh?"
"Toshiro, that's my name. If we're going to work together, then the least you can do is call me by my name and not just hollow."
"Ok, fine, my names Rangiku Matsumoto, and if you're really going to sneak into soul society, you can't do it looking like that."
"And just what do you expect me to do? Suddenly snap my fingers and look human?" He huffed in annoyance.
"Not quite...out of curiosity, does the mask come off?" She said, reaching out to it.
"Hey!" he grabbed her wrist and narrowed his eyes. "What are you playing at?"
"Look, you're pure white, you have a mask, we have to do something to hide the hollow part! And….well, I think the mask can come off? Not sure exactly."
"You suggest something ridiculous, and then say you're not sure. You're really great at trying to get someone on board." he remarked sarcastically.
"Hey, we need some way of helping you blend in, and clothes only go so far! The second someone looks at your face and sees a white hollow mask, you're toast!" She said with a frown. "Just try to take a chance and let me see if it'll come off." She said as she reached forward.
"No way!" He said, grasping his mask and backing up.
"Stop being a baby and give me the mask!"
"Forget it!" He said as he began to run away, making her groan.
"Stop being difficult, either you lose the mask or just tell me the information we need so you don't have to go to soul society!"
"I doubt you could remove it if you tried."
"Well then hold still and let me try!" she yelled before lunging, tackling and knocking him down as she grabbed onto the edges and started tugging.
"Gah, stop it, you'll break i-"
CRACK
The sudden crack made both of them freeze, looking at the other, right before a sudden wave of reitsu exploded around them, sending Rangiku flying backward.
"What the heck was that?!" Rangiku groaned, landing on the ground as the reistu began to dissipate.
"W-What the hell, my mask, it's gone!" Cried Toshiro from the dust cloud as he groaned. "My whole body feels different!"
"Really?" Rangiku said as she got up and slowly made her way to him as the dust dissipated, only to gasp. "You're so…..short!"
"Short?" Toshiro blinked, looking down to see he was stark naked, with a muscular physique, but was in shorter stature compared to Rangiku with short white hair, and what looked like the remains of his mask, the upper right part that covered his eye, still attached to him. "This….feels weird, why do I feel stronger yet weaker at the same time? Where's my armor?!"
"It's gone, but you look good." She said as she looked him over before turning away. "Maybe we should get you something to wear though."
"Why?"
"Because you're naked!"
(Later)
"Ugh, is this really necessary?"
"Yes, now shut up and follow my lead." She spoke, the two of them a bit aways from the actual gate to the Soul Society, Toshiro draped in a white cloak beside her. "Just don't let anyone see your mask and stay up close and we should be in the clear."
"Ugh, fine, let's just get this over with, these clothes feel weird." He muttered as she began to walk forward, with him following behind her. As soon as they got within walking distance, a huge giant of a man was seen in front of the gate, which put him on guard, but kept quiet.
The man stood still, watching over the area before spotting Rangiku and Toshiro. "Captain Rangiku, welcome back."
"Hey Jidanbo, just coming on back to file some reports." she greeted casually with a smile. "Mind opening up the gate?"
"Of course, but first I have to ask, who is your companion?" He asked, pointing to Toshiro. "I need to know who they are before I can let them in, it's protocol."
"Oh! Him? Oh you know, just another new resident who died recently. I figured I could personally show him around since I wasn't too busy."
"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were coming to do paperwork?"
"I uh…." Rangiku started, racking her brain for an answer. 'Crap crap crap, what do I tell hi-' she started before pausing, a wild and crazy idea forming in her mind.
'Are we really going to be found out without getting inside?'
"Ok, you got me, I'm trying to sneak him in, he's well, you know...my date~" Rangiku said, pulling Toshiro close to her. "Could you please keep it quiet? I don't want rumors to spread."
"A date?" the giant blinked in surprise with Toshiro turning to Rangiku in surprise.
"A date?" Toshiro echoed quietly.
"Yes, so could you just let us in, please?"
"Well...I suppose since you are a captain I can look the other way." He admitted before turning to the gate, grabbing the bottom and lifting it open with a grunt.
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." She smiled, pulling Toshiro along as they made their way through.
"No problem, always glad to help."
"Are you serious?" Toshiro whispered as they entered the Soul Society. "THAT was your quick and sudden plan?"
"Hey, you didn't say anything, and besides, I'd think a guy like you would be lucky to date someone like me."
"Wha- that's not the point!" he let out in annoyance.
"Well it got us in, so quit whining." She muttered, shaking her head. 'Geez, you'd think he'd be more grateful.'
"Fine fine, fair enough." He sighed as they kept walking. He looked around in amazement as he took in the size of everything. "So this is soul society… amazing."
"Yes, it's also home to every shinigami, so be careful." She advised as the two walked down the road of the inner part of the society, neither one sticking out compared to the numerous residents. 'Ok, we should be ok, just so long as nobody spots us.'
"Rangiku? Is that you?"
'Damn it!' she thought before turning and saw a red haired male walking over, giving a smile. "Morning Renji, what brings you here?"
"Just heading to the training grounds, you? And who's your friend?"
"Oh you know, just a normal soul I brought here while out on patrol, nothing to worry about."
"Really? Well hey there, I'm Renji." he said as he held out his hand, only for Toshiro to duck behind Rangiku to keep the shinigami from seeing his hollow mask mark.
"Sorry, he's...shy, had a bad accident before I found him." Rangiku said quickly. "He's new to all of this."
"Ah, no problem, sorry to startle you little guy."
"It's fine, it's fine." spoke Toshiro, making sure his hood covered his face all the way.
"Yeah, so now we gotta get going, see you later Renji!" Rangiku said, starting to walk away.
'Huh, never pegged Rangiku for someone to bring a soul here personally.' Renji thought, watching them leave before he began to walk away. 'Is she trying to recruit new souls herself?'
"That was way too close." Toshiro whispered.
"Yeah, but we got lucky it was just Renji, who knows who we might run into next." She said as she looked around frantically as they moved. "If you see some guy with weird spiky hair and a chipped sword, do NOT challenge him to a fight or make it seem like you're tough, he's a psycho for fighting."
"Ok, are there any other weirdo's I have to look out for?" He asked sarcastically.
"Yes."
"Anyone around here who is actually normal?"
"Are you implying I'm not one of them?" She mock pouted.
"No, you're definitely crazy, you tore off my mask, remember?!" He said with a frown.
"Rude." she huffed crossing her arms under her breasts, making them stand out more. "At least you can blend in better than before."
"Really? Blend in?" He asked as he rolled his eyes.
"Like you're one to talk Mr. White hair."
"I at least look average compared to someone." He muttered to himself looking away, glancing briefly up at her chest.
Unfortunately for him, she noticed and grinned. "Oh? For someone complaining so much something tells me you aren't upset that I'm not average~"
"S-Shut up! Just focus on the mission!" He growled looking away with a light blush making her chuckle.
"Ok little guy, now stick close to me Toshi, we still have a bit to go.' She said with a smirk as she pulled him closer.
"That's not my name!" he growled at her while trying not to stumble from the close proximity.
"Well I like it, so you'll have to deal with it.' She said with a smirk before frowning as she looked ahead of them. "Someone's coming…. Crap, it's a captain!"
"Where are they?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he looked around for anyone that stood out.
"Byakuya, and we're in trouble, he's smart, well trained, and if we get too close he'll either notice your mask fragment and we're screwed!" Gulped Rangiku. "We have to dart into an alleyway."
"Right." Toshiro said, right as she grabbed him and yanked him into said alley. "Hey, watch it, I can walk on my own!"
"No reason to take a chance, you might drag your feet." She said as she looked around. "Ok, we need a way to hide your face in case he spots us, something he won't think twice about."
"Another mask would be redundant, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah." She said as she rubbed her chin before grinning. "I have an idea!"
"What?" He asked before she grabbed him. "What are y-MPH!" He let out before his face was smothered by Rangiku's two assets.
"Perfect, I can't even see your face now!"
"MMMMPPPPHHH!"
"Quiet, do you want the captain to hear you?" She whispered before looking down the alley, holding her breath as the serious captain made his way past the entrance. She sighed as she saw him continue to walk away, not moving as Toshiro thrashed in her grasp. "Phew, we're ok."
"MMMMPPPHHHH!"
"Oh come on, it's not that bad to touch my breasts, is it?" She asked as she rolled her eyes. "Most guys would kill just to get a close look of these girls."
"MMMPHHH!" He cried as he tried to push them away, making Rangiku blush.
"Hey easy there! Moving around too much is just gonna make this more awkward." She said as she looked around. 'I don't think the Captain is coming back.'
"Moving is the only way to keep from suffocating here!" He muffled as he kept pushing before managing to get free. "AIR!"
"Don't give me that excuse, you're a hollow, you don't need to breathe!"
"It sucks to not be able to, though, no one likes to suffocate!" he glared at her with her looking insulted. "Next time, warn a guy!"
"Hey, I had to think fast, if I hadn't you would have been caught!" She looked away with her arms crossed and cheeks puffed out. "A little thanks would be appreciated."
"Fine, thank you, but don't do it again!" He huffed as he looked away. "How far until we get to this record place you're taking me?"
"If we don't run into anyone else, not too far." She said as he sighed in relief.
"Good, the sooner we get this done the better." He said, making her frown.
"What? Don't you enjoy my company?"
"This isn't exactly a place to casually walk around in. The longer I stay, the higher chance I take at being cut down."
"...fair enough, but I still think I'm good company, and I'm having fun on our 'date' Toshi~"
"It's not a date." he remarked with a deadpan expression.
"Spoilsport." She fake pouted as they began to make their way through the streets once more.
"Do you take anything serious?"
"Some things, but life is boring if you take everything so seriously, you need to lighten up Toshi." She said with a sigh. "Everything about my life is strict, rigid, and so booooring! I just want to have some fun and enjoy life, or afterlife I suppose."
"Even though if we're caught we BOTH end up facing consequences?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Key word there is if, if we get caught, the simple solution is to not get caught." She winked with a smile making him drop his head down.
'I'm doomed.'
(Later)
"Finally, we're here." Rangiku said as she and Toshiro looked out from behind an alleyway towards a large, plain looking building.
"You're SURE that's the place? It's not another bathhouse you 'forgot' about?"
"Please, that was one time, and it was fine you big baby." She said as she rolled her eyes.
"Fine, then if that's the right building, why are we in this alley?" Toshiro asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Because walking right into the front door in broad view is risky."
"Not like we haven't already been taking risks. I say we just run right inside so I can get the record."
"No Toshi, what makes this difference is the desk attendant, they record everyone who enters the building, once we get past them we should be safe, but we can't get past them unless we think of a good plan." She said with a sigh.
"Hmmm, wait, what if you distracted them? Then I could get in without them noticing and find a way out on my own." he said as he rubbed his chin.
"Maybe, but I wouldn't recommend it, the building may look small but it's massive inside, you'd get lost, and there is a large empty lobby in the entrance. It's nearly impossible to just sneak past." She said, frowning. "Plus those guys are so dull, it's like they're robots."
"Well, what do you suggest then? It's not like you can just smother me with your boobs again." He said with a frown.
"Hmmm, no….but I might know something that could do the trick, and you wouldn't suffocate." she smirked, making him shiver.
"Why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling?" He asked as her smirk just grew.
"This time, I'll sneak you in without needing my breasts, you just need to trust me and make sure to not make a sound."
"...Fine, I trust you." He said with a sigh. 'It can't be worse than the breasts idea, right?'
(A few minutes later)
'I was wrong!' thought Toshiro, on his knees and hands, in the darkness, with two legs on both sides of his head as he followed them, trying to keep from making a sound as it showed Rangiku entering the building, but with a noticeable shape under the bottom of her uniform. 'This will never work!'
"Captain Rangiku." A dull, monotone voice called out as the captain stopped mid-walk, causing Toshiro to bump himself against her legs as he tried to rapidly stop.
"Ah, hello uh…."
"Recorder Number 12." The voice called out, sounding drier than a desert.
"Oh yeah! Now I remember, hard to forget." She smiled as best as possible.
"Indeed. Purpose for visiting the archives?" The figure called as she turned to what looked like a middle aged man, or at least the husk of one as the figure slowly pulled out a quill.
"I'm just looking up old attacks on hollows, I'm trying to settle an old bet I have with captain SoiFon." She said with a grin, trying to sound casual.
"I see, section 47, basement level 47, that's where the attack logs are stored."
'Is this working?!' thought Toshiro in shock.
"Thanks." Rangiku made her way off with Toshiro quickly making sure to follow.
"Captain." Recorder Number 12 called, making the two freeze in fear. "Are you alright? Something about you seems...off."
"O-Oh! It must be my hair, I'm using a new conditioner."
"I see, I assumed it was something to do with your leg, you're walking weird." he said, his voice like sandpaper as Rangiku gulped nervously.
"O-Oh, yeah, My legs were sore after a training spar, so I wrapped them up to prevent breaking anything, so now I'm walking weird and my uniform looks all bulky now." she fibbed with her smile straining. 'Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it!'
'We're dead, we're dead, we're so dead!' Toshiro thought with fear.
The man looked at her before sighing. "Fine, I see. Would you like me to lend you a wheelchair to make travel through the archives easier?"
"No no, I'll just power through it."
"Alright, let the record show I offered at least, you may go."
'This is really working… I can't believe it!' Toshiro thought in shock.
Rangiku resumed making her way inside, both holding their breath as she reached the entryway leading down into the basement and looked around. "Coast is clear."
"Finally." Toshiro muttered as he crawled out from under her, his face as red as a tomato. He stood up and dusted himself off without turning to her. "Alright, let's find the record quickly."
"Alright, but first, say it." She said, a giant grin on her face.
"Absolutely not." He said as he shook his head.
"C'mon, you promised to say it if this worked~"
"That was BEFORE I knew what your idea was."
"Still counts, now say it~" She said, leaning down and poking him in the cheek. "Say it~"
"Ugh, FINE! Matsumoto Rangiku is the smartest and most beautiful shinigami I've ever met, and I was a fool for doubting her, and I will never doubt her genius again. Happy?"
"Oh you have no idea." She smiled, making him sigh and cross his arms while inwardly noting how her face DID look pretty when she smiled.
Not that he was gonna admit it out loud that's for sure.
"Let's just hurry up and find the file."
"Don't worry, with the two of us here we'll find it in no time. Ok, so he said level 47, so I hope you did your stretches."
"Please, I'm a capable and powerful hollow, I'm not going to be beaten by a set of stairs, and he said the basement level, remember?"
"Then let's get walking."
With that the two of them started down the large sets of stairs going down, with the lights illuminating the way dim enough to see, but not bright enough compared to regular sunlight. This led to them almost tripping a few times as they went down more and more stairs one after the other. After what felt like hours of walking and more than a few jokes from Rangiku about Toshiro taking her on a romantic midnight stroll, they finally made it to level 47.
"Finally….made it." Toshiro let out in a pant.
"Yeah, finally...Toshi, let me rest...in your lap…" Rangiku groaned.
"Not….gonna happen." He said as he trudged forward, entering a massive room full of rows upon rows of shelves. "Oh you've GOT to be kidding me!"
"You didn't think it would be easy, did you?"
He gave her an unamused look that spoke volumes.
"Well, no sense in complaining about it." She said, moving past him. "We better get started."
(Later)
"Find anything yet?!"
"NO! Now stop asking!"
"Ugh!" Toshiro groaned, kicking one of the shelves out of frustration. "This is taking forever!"
"I'm sorry, but it gets difficult to find one exact case when the information you have is as vague as it can be!" Rangiku rolled her eyes while shifting through another drawer of files. "How they keep this stuff organized makes me glad for normal paperwork."
"Ugh, I'm almost wishing you'd just sent me to the other side at this point." Toshiro groaned.
"Please, I couldn't get rid of someone as cute as you Toshi~"
He blushed, but shook his head with a grumble. "Not my name…"
"It's close en-" Rangiku started as she looked at a new file, only to pause. "Um, Toshi?"
"What is it?"
"That Shinigami who you said killed you as a human…. Did he by any chance look kind of...off?"
"Off? I don't know, it's kinda blurry, why? Did you find something?"
"Yeah, might wanna come over here." She said, sweating nervously as she read the file. "I think I found your Shinigami….kinda."
That got Toshiro quickly running right over to her. "You found him?! Where is he, where is the bastard?!"
"He uh…. He's dead…." She said slowly, making him freeze. "That's not all...um, Toshi? I have some bad news."
"What? W-What else is there?" He asked, feeling like he just got punched in the gut.
"He wasn't a shinigami, he was…. a hollow." She said slowly as Toshiro's face became as pale as his hair. "In the report, he was a hollow who had deluded himself into thinking he was a shinigami, and was killing living souls to send them to soul society."
"But….But that's not possible! If he was a hollow he would have eaten me!"
"Apparently he was so deluded that he didn't think to eat the souls of those he killed, and instead he ate any other hollow he could find. Apparently he died a few years ago when he spotted a real soul reaper and tried to approach them as 'a fellow Shinigami' and was quickly dispatched." she read to him, seeing his expression shift from disbelief to anger and shook his head.
"It can't be! I know he's a shinigami! He has to still be alive!" Toshiro stouted, shaking his head in denial. "He has to be! I've been doing nothing except strive to get stronger since he killed me so I could get revenge! He can't be gone now!"
"Toshiro-"
"It has to be a lie. Some sort of false report they messed up on!" He growled, clenching his hands as he started pacing. "Maybe it's hidden somewhere else, we'll tear the walls down until we find the one! It HAS to be here!"
"Toshiro-" Rangiku started as she tried to put a hand on his shoulder, only for him to tear himself away from her grasp.
"NO! We need to look again, we have to find the real file!"
"Toshiro! This IS the real file!" She raised her voice. "I've seen forgeries before and I can confidently say that this isn't one of them!"
"It has to be!" He yelled at her before moving over to one of the cabinets and yanked it out, looking through other files and tossing them on the floor. "I'll find it even if I have to tear this whole place apart."
"Toshiro!" Rangiku snapped, grabbing him and turning him to face her. "You may not want to hear it but this is the truth, you were killed by a crazy hollow who was then killed by shinigami before we ever met, that's it! There is nothing more to this!"
"No! It can't be!" he yelled as he tried to push her back, but she grabbed his hand and made him face her.
"It is." She said as his struggles began to weaken. "I'm sorry, but this is it. There is nothing for you to get revenge on, your killer was disposed of years ago."
"B-But he can't be gone….I had to get revenge...I had to beat him!" He let out before looking down at the floor, not bothering Rangiku as she slowly pulled him into a hug. "That...that was all I had….now I'm nothing…" He said as his eyes began to water.
Rangiku said nothing as she held him, feeling him shake as the reality of the situation set in. She slowly rubbed his head and felt him lean his head against her before tears started to wet the top of her shoulder.
They stood there, a strange sight for anyone who may have stumbled across them, a Shinigami comforting an arrancar in the heart of soul society. After what felt like hours Toshiro began to grow still, the tears ceasing to flow from his eyes.
"It'll be ok." Whispered Rangiku while letting him stay there the whole time.
"No….. it won't be." He sniffed. "My entire afterlife has been a joke. I was killed by a joke of a hollow, and I spent my entire afterlife training to kill someone who was already dead. What's the point of anything I've ever done?"
"Well, think of it like this. If you hadn't run into me, we wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to find the truth, and now that we know, maybe it's a sign that you can change."
"Change? I'm a hollow, my purpose in life is to be killed by shinigami, and now that I have no purpose left, I can only let you do your job." He let out sadly, making her freeze. "Go ahead and do it, strike me down so I can move on."
"What?! No! I can't do that now!" She cried out, looking down at him in horror.
"You must! It's your job." He said frowning as she shook her head. "Just do it, kill me, make me pass on! Send me to hell or to the slums of soul society, do it!"
"I'm not going to do that! You can't expect me to do something like that after coming this far!" She cried out as she pulled him close into a hug. "I can't kill you, we're friends! How can you just expect me to kill you like that?!"
"Just do your job Rangiku and end me." He spoke, only to find himself deced in the face,making him touch the spot and glare. "Hey!"
"No way! The fact you could change like this, hell the fact you have your senses unlike most hollow is a sign that you don't have to be killed like them! You don't have to be cut down like some mindless animal."
"Then what do you expect me to do? Go off and wander like some stray dog? I have no purpose anymore."
"Then….I…" Rangiku stuttered, trying to find an answer, before getting an idea. "I'll keep you! I'll rehabilitate you!"
"...if you want I could just do it myself." He remarked dryly.
"No! This is perfect, I'll keep you in my office, and I'll rehabilitate you to not hurt people!" She said, a large grin on her face. "Mayuri gets to keep all kinds of crazy and weird hollows in his labs, why can't I keep you?"
"Because I'm not a stray." He remarked with a deadpan look.
"Exactly, you're not a stray because you have a new home in my division!" She said, beaming at him.
"...could I borrow your sword for a moment?"
"No way! Come on, we'll sneak you out of here and get back to my barracks." She said as she grabbed his hand.
"I'd prefer not to, I'll just go and announce myself to that old guy at the front and get this over with." Toshiro said as he tried to walk away, only for Rangiku to grab him out of annoyance.
"Forget it, you're gonna keep on living with me, and we'll help you find a new purpose in life."
"Pass." he said as she groaned.
"Ugh, don't make this difficult Toshi." She pouted.
"Well I doubt you could get me through the front to begin with, that guy looked like he had suspicion written all over his face.
"Please, I can get past him easily, we just have to repeat what we did the first time…." She started before trailing off. "You…. aren't going to cooperate, are you?"
"What do you think?" He said, a hint of a smile on his face. "You can't get me between your legs again, so what's your 'brilliant' idea to get me out against my will?"
"Oh you'll see~" She said, smirking at him as he lost his smile.
(Later)
'Damn it, how did she pull this off?!' Toshiro thought, his mouth gagged as he was tied up, shoved in a large cardboard box currently being carried by Rangiku. 'I didn't even see her grab a box!'
'You should have cooperated Toshi~' Rangiku thought to herself, feeling smug as she walked into the lobby, heading to the exit of the building. She felt him struggle inside, making her grip and hold on tighter. 'Come on, you are not going to get yourself killed, I won't let you!'
"Did you find everything you needed?"
"AH!" she jumped, nearly dropping the box as the emotionless drone stood there, making her smile nervously. "Oh yeah, found it all, no problem."
"I see, you found enough to fill one of the file boxes." He droned, looking at the large box.
"Yup, and I was just on my way out, thanks by the way, bye." She said, trying to maneuver around him as fast as she could, feeling Toshiro thrashing around more.
'Hey, watch it out there!' He thought, inwardly fuming as he struggled to get any amount of freedom he could in his cardboard prison.
"Would you like to log in the files you'll be borrowing, Captain?"
"Uh, yeah! I'll do that later on, gotta get them back home or else I'll forget."
"I would prefer if you did it here." He said emotionlessly.
"I'll send you a list later!" She insisted before darting right at the exit.
The man just stared at her as she left, sighing as she left the building, but making no attempt to follow her. "They always say that, but they never do…"
Rangiku smiled and cheered as soon as she was outside, not slowing down as she ran down the road, jostling the inside of the box around. "Yes, we made it! Just a bit more until we get to my district Toshi~"
"Mmmmmph!" He let out, kicking at the box and hitting the sides with any part of his body. 'Let me out, let me out, let me out! I'm ending this here and now!'
"Careful! I don't wanna drop you or else you'll get hurt." She scolded, readjusting her grip on the box as she tried to keep running. "As soon as we get there I'll get you out and help you get cozy."
'Never! My time is up, I need to face what comes next head on!' he thought, throwing the rest of his weight against the box, making her lose her balance.
"Woah!" she fell on the side, dropping the box as a result and leading to Toshiro bursting his head out from the side. "No! Damn it Toshi!" She groaned as she quickly scrambled over to the box.
He glared at her as she grabbed the box and tried to pick him back up, but he shook his head while thrashing harder than before.
"Damn it, come on, I can't carry you like this, just calm down and let me get you to my office!"
"MMMMMPPPHHH!"
"You're making this more difficult than it needs to." she groaned as she shook her head. 'How am I going to get him to safety, it's not like I can just cover his head with a piece of cloth…' she thought, before suddenly getting an idea. 'Then again….' She thought as she grinned down at Toshiro. "Well, I suppose I have no choice, you brought this upon yourself Toshi~"
Toshiro frowned as she picked up the box, moving it around until his head was facing her chest as he suddenly began to realize what she was planning. He shook his head quickly, before finding his face pressed right between the mounds.
"For someone who claims not to like this, you sure do enjoy getting yourself in situations that make it necessary~"
"MMMMPPPPHHHH!"
"Oh hush, we don't have much longer to go, just hold on and don't move too much in there."
'I'm starting to think you WANT to suffocate me!' He thought, his face as red as her hair. 'Just let this be a short trip.'
(Later)
"So, Toshi, what do you think? This is your new home." She said with a smile as he just glared at her.
"Do you expect me to say thank you after what just happened?"
"Hey, you're the one who broke the bo-"
"Not that, I mean not ending me!" he said, his face reddening as he remembered the other incident. "I keep telling you that it's better to just end me so I can move on!"
"Well I think this is a better alternative, much better than living in the slums of the Soul Society!" She said with a pout. "At least here you have a chance at a better life."
"By living around shinigami, who would do the job instead?"
"Well, we'll find a way around that. Speaking of which, I have a surprise for you, you get a new uniform!" She said with a grin as she retrieved a box from behind her desk. "This will help you blend in until we can cement your place in soul socie-"
"Pass." He cut her off quickly with his hand up. "This idea won't work."
"Yes, it will, now put it on." She said, pushing the box towards him. "You'd be surprised what can be accomplished if you file the right pape-"
"I said pass."
"Quit saying that and try it on!" She said, pushing the box towards him once more. "Besides, you need a new change of clothes from your rags, it'll look great on you!"
"You never even thought about what will happen have you! As soon as I try to go around, everyone else will try to cut me down anyway!"
"Well, yes and no, we just have to hide you away until I can find a safe way for you to stay, so for now you kinda have to stay hidden." Rangiku chuckled nervously. "I mean, this wouldn't be the WEIRDEST thing to happen in soul society."
"That idea is full of more holes than the hollows I've fought combined." He said blankly. "Just end me and end this charade."
"No! Now stop complaining and just change already!"
"Forget it! I'm not going along with this plan!" He snapped, making her narrow her eyes.
"That's not up to you, now put on the uniform or I'll put it on for you."
"We both know that won't work out for you." He said as she opened the box with a frown, grabbing the contents.
"We can either do this the easy way or the hard way Toshi, the choice is yours."
"Hard it is." he remarked before lunging, tackling her to the ground and grabbing the uniform before she could react, and started to use it to tie her up.
"Wha- stop that!" she shouted, struggling as she tried to get him off of her. She found her hands wrapped up together, with the uniform being used to wrap up her ankles together. "Toshi, you're going to stretch your uniform!"
"Won't matter because I'm not gonna wear it!" He said, stopping as he managed to finish tying her up. "There we go, try stopping me now Rangiku."
She huffed, finding her hands and legs both tied up, close to a hogtied position. "Geez, why did you have to do this? You could have asked me first, Toshi." She pouted.
"Look, just stop it." He glared at her while standing up. "Why is it so hard to do this? You take your sword and stab me in the chest, that's it. All of this hiding and running around is just putting off what we both know is going to happen one way or the other. Why go through all this over a hollow? I'll bet you've cut down hundreds of them without batting an eye."
"You're different Toshiro!" She protested, struggling to get free.
"How? Because I look human? Is that it?"
"No! That's not it Toshi!"
"My name is Toshiro!" he frowned. "Why do you keep using a nickname? For kicks? Because it amuses you?"
"No! It's because I see you as my friend, now untie me!"
"Friend? You just met me!"
"Does that matter?!" She snapped. "Now untie me or else!"
"Yes it matters! How can you look at me and consider me a friend? We did one job together and that was it. I don't even know what you do when you're not reaping souls."
"Then stick around long enough to learn! And who says you have to spend months with someone to become their friend?! I can be friends with whoever the hell I want, and now for the last time untie me!"
He shook his head and turned away from her. "I swear, it's hard to understand what goes through your head."
RIIIIIP
"Well, stick around long enough and you'll learn Toshi." She called from behind him before he felt two arms wrap around him from behind, restraining him.
His eyes widened before finding himself pinned down onto the floor with Rangiku on top of his back. "Wha- How?! I tied you up!"
"Please, I'm a captain, I could tear free anytime I wanted." She smirked while pinning his hands. "Don't underestimate me."
"If you could do that from the beginning why didn't you?!"
"I didn't want to tear your new uniform, duh." She rolled her eyes making him give a deadpan.
"That's what you were more concerned with?"
"Well yeah, now I have to get you a new one." She pouted. "What else would I be worried about? It's not like I couldn't stop you from leaving."
"I stand by what I said. As soon as everyone sees my mask fragments, I'm done with."
"Then we just need to cover them up, maybe some bandages or gauze?" She mused, poking at the mask fragment.
"You really think a city full of experienced shinigami will fall for that?"
"Well, we have one captain who's a dog, a vice captain who I'm 90% sure is a machine, another that's a kid… yeah, I'm pretty sure we can get away with it."
"...say I played along with this, won't they ask where I came from?"
"I'll just tell them I recruited you from the slums, it sometimes happens so no one will notice." She said with a grin. "Trust me, it'll be fiiiiine."
'I doubt that, but it's clear she won't do her job… I suppose I'll have to take matters into my own hands.' He thought, narrowing his eyes before letting out a grunt and hit the ground, the force behind it, pushing both of them backwards into the air, giving him a chance to dart out of the room when he hit the ground.
"Damn it Toshi! Get back here!"
Toshiro headed out of the barracks as fast as possible, ignoring Rangiku's footsteps behind him as he managed to reach the main hall and inhaled. "HOLLOW IN THE MAIN HALL! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
Immediately the shinigami lazing around sprung up, ready for action right as Rangiku tackled Toshiro to the ground, covering him up the best she could.
"Sorry, sorry, false alarm, ignore that!"
"Captain Rangiku? What's going on?"
"Sorry, sorry, I'm looking after a potential recruit, but he's a bit of a delinquent, so he enjoys playing pranks like this."
"You've got a hollow right here!" Toshiro let out from under Rangiku.
"Geez Toshi, playing that same prank again? Even after I exposed you? And you glued prosthetics to your face?! Are you trying to get hurt?!" Rangiku called out loudly, faking shock.\
"They're real!"
"Geez Toshi, must you be so loud? Such a naughty young soul reaper." She sighed, putting a hand over his mouth. "I'm trying to get him to knock it off."
"MMMPH!"
The lower shinigami lowered their blades as Rangiku got up without removing her hand as Toshiro squirmed.
"Back to work everyone, I'll be in my off- no, my personal quarters, I'm not to be disturbed."
"MPH?!" Toshiro let out as Rangiku practically dragged him off with him trying to bite her hand.
"Oh you are so getting it when we get back to my quarters." She hissed, her eyes twitching in annoyance.
'That's my line!' He thought as the other Shinigami just watched them leave.
"...who wants to bet that they're hooking up together?"
Everyone there raised a hand.
"Cool, glad I wasn't the only one."
(Later)
"Has anyone ever told you that you're rotten?" Questioned Toshiro to Rangiku, with said hollow staring at the woman who was seated in front of him, and the door.
"No, I haven't, but I have been called other things." She said, glancing at the box between them. "Wear it."
"For the last time, n-"
"Wear it or I'll dress you myself, you know I'll do it."
He groaned and grabbed the box while giving her the stink eye. "Fine, but if you stare, I'll tear yours off and lock you outside where everyone can see."
"I won't stare too much, but you know I can't take my eyes off of you."
"Well at least you can admit you're a pervert." he rolled his eyes before grabbing the uniform and stood up.
"No, we both know that the second I take my eyes off of you, you'll bolt."
"Just saying it as I see it. Explains why you're obsessed with me and your chest." He muttered, making her puff out her cheeks as he started to get changed. "Just don't stare too long, pervert."
"I'm no perv! You're acting like I'm a dirty old man."
"You're staring at me while I change."
"You'd run if I looked away!"
"You're making this weird!"
"Just change already!"
"I am!" He called, taking off the rags he had originally been wearing as he began to change into the strange new uniform. After a minute or two he tied the belt and turned to Rangiku. "There, happy?"
"Yes, you look great!" She said with a grin. "You make quite the handsome shinigami~"
"Perv."
"I am not a perv!"
"If I'm going to stay here, where do I sleep?"
"You'll sleep next to me." She said as he narrowed his eyes.
"What's the catch?"
"No catch." She said as he stared at her. "...ok, one catch, we have to make sure you don't leave the room so…"
"If you say you are going to tie me down, I swear-"
"Not exactly tie down, more like… secured?" She said nervously. "I have the strongest cloth threads available for shinigami, we just have to tie one end to each other and you won't be able to leave without me."
"You just want an excuse to do something weird." He said with a groan.
"No! Look, the thread is five feet long, we tie one end to my arm, one to yours, and you can safely sleep far away from me, ok?" She reassured, holding up a long white ribbon that had what seemed like cuffs on each end of it. "See?"
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Fine, but if anything weird happens, you know what'll happen."
"Yes yes, you'll pout, but I can assure you I won't do anything, I'm a very still sleeper."
"...Fine." He sighed. "But if this somehow goes wrong I'm blaming you."
"It's sleep, how could it possibly go wrong?"
(Later that night)
"Zzzzzz…."
'How did this go wrong?!' thought Rangiku, wide awake and trying not to make a sound as she was in bed, with Toshiro, who was sleeping, but at the same time right up against her back with his hands rubbing her hips and chest. 'Why did he raise such a stink about this when he was going to be the one causing problems?!'
"Zzzzzz…" Toshiro grumbled to himself as his hands squeezed the spots, making Rangiku bite her finger.
'Is he a natural born cuddler, or is it just because he's never slept next to a girl before?!' She thought, trying her best to ignore him. 'Do I say something? If I do, is he just going to try and blame me for this?!'
"Mmmm….no….that's my cantaloupe…"
'Cantaloupe?!' She thought, her face red. 'Just what is he dreaming about?!' She gulped and reached down, trying to carefully remove his hand from her breast, only for it to suddenly lash out and squeeze it, making her jump and gasp.
"Got you now….wild watermelon…"
'Watermelon?!' She thought, shaking her head. 'I should stop him….in a few more minutes.'
"Mine….my watermelons….all….Toshiro's…."
'I just hope he doesn't try to taste them.' She thought, shaking her head. 'Maybe I should try getting him off of me so I can actually get some sleep.' She reached back and tried nudging him. "Hey, wake up Toshi."
"Mmmm…. No, no…" He groaned, keeping his eyes closed. "They're mine…."
"Toshi, wake up, it's just a dream."
"You won't get my watermelons….devil woman…."
"Hey, if anything they're my 'watermelons', now wake up!" She yelled louder, only to jump and gasp when the other hand rubbed her thigh. "H-Hey, wake up! What do you think you're doing?!"
Toshiro let out a snort in his sleep as he stopped talking, but kept a firm grip on her body.
'What is up with him, he's like a completely different person! What happened to the shy and stubborn Toshi?!'
(Next day)
"Toshi? We're getting you your own bed." Rangiku's eye twitched while looking exhausted and her hair all messed up as she was grabbing some breakfast. "In fact, let's get you a sleeping bag, one so tight you won't be able to get out."
"Why? You were the one who came up with sharing a bed in the first place, and I didn't run off." He raised an eyebrow. "Besides, why downgrade? I actually slept pretty good, although I did have an odd dream."
"One about watermelons and cantaloupes?" She asked, a twitch in one of her eyes.
"Yeah, but for some reason these were smaller than normal." He remarked before looking at her in surprise. "Wait, how did you-"
"You talked in your sleep, and for the record I doubt they were anything but the biggest kind." She huffed as she looked away. 'Smaller than normal my ass!'
"...were you staying awake just to watch me?" He asked, looking at her in confusion.
"Not exactly, let's just say something kept me from falling asleep." She remarked before grabbing a bottle of sake. "That's why it's better if we sleep separately, but that doesn't mean I still won't have something to keep you here, that's why a tight sleeping bag makes sense."
"That won't be necessary, I won't be around long enough for that to be an issue." he said, making her sigh. "Tell me, where is the nearest Captain's residence? Besides yours I mean."
"If you say what I think you're gonna say, I'll get you so drunk you'll pass out right here, right now." She warned.
"Just give up on me, I've had a good rest, now I'm ready to pass on, let's not dra-ow!" He cried as she smacked him on the head with her sheathed sword.
"For the last time no! I'm not gonna give up on you!" she glared. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you here!"
"Well it won't last, I doubt I'll be around long." He said, rubbing his head as she gritted her teeth.
"You-" She started before there was a knock on the door. "Oooh, wait right here, I'll answer it."
He just stared at her as she left, shaking his head. 'Why does she think I'll listen to her?' He looked around the room, tip-toeing into another area as Rangiku slid open the front door.
"How can I help you?' She asked before pausing as she saw Soifon looking at her with a frown. "Captain? Well, I have to say I'm surprised to see you here, you usually keep to yourself."
"I've come here regarding an odd rumor." She narrowed her eyes. "It says that apparently you're harboring a hollow."
"A hollow? Why would I do that?" She asked, rolling her eyes, trying to appear casual. "That would be stupid, why would I ever do something like that?"
"You tell me, do you mind if I inspect your quarters?"
"Why? I mean, if a hollow was around, it'd be impossible to hide. It'd never fit inside here." She said, shaking her head as she began to sweat. "Not to mention they'd be loud, messy, how would I ever keep one hidden?"
"I doubt it's a true rumor, but I still have to check." She walked past Rangiku and looked around with the taller woman gulping. "If you're positive, then this won't take long."
"Y-Yeah, of course, just let me clean up a bi-"
"Don't bother, I already know how much you drink." The smaller captain cut her off and narrowed her eyes as she checked in each room and area near her.
'Crap crap crap crap! What do I do if she finds Toshi?! I need to hide him!' thought Rangiku trying to discreetly head to her own room. 'Please don't do anything stupid!'
"Hmmm, so far nothing out of the ordinary." She said as she rubbed her chin. "So…. how exactly did this rumor get started?"
"Oh, who knows, it is rather crazy, isn't it?" Chuckled Rangiku. "They get started and it gets out of hand before you know it."
"Indeed." Muttered Soifon. 'Ugh, I can't believe I have to waste my time like this.' she thought as Rangiku began to feel relieved.
'Ok, so far so good, now hurry up and leave!' She thought before glancing behind Soifon only to freeze as she saw Toshiro slowly walking to her, his eyes closed in acceptance with his hollow parts exposed. 'NO!'
'Yes, finally, a real captain, it can finally end.' he thought before finding himself tackled to the wall by Rangiku, face to breasts, right as Soifon turned her head with a frown.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, you know, saw a spider and had to squash it." she smiled nervously while using her body to hide Toshiro.
"With your body?"
"Oh yeah, you know, I'm just trying to find a real use for my breasts, you should try it some time, it works well." She said with a strained smile.
Soifon narrowed her eyes, feeling one twitch and turned away before entering another room and leaving the two alone.
Rangiku sighed in relief as she felt Toshiro squirming and struggling.
"Would you stop that already?!" hissed Toshiro with a glare.
"No you idiot, I'm not! Will you stop trying to die?!"
"It's called getting it over with!" He hissed back.
"Just shut up, and hold still, I have to hide you somehow…" She muttered, looking around frantically. 'How do I hide him from Soifon?!'
"You forced my hand." he closed his eyes before straight up biting down on her breast.
"GAH!" She yelped before covering her mouth. "You little shit!"
"What was that?" called Soifon.
"Nothing!" She called out quickly while glaring at Toshiro. "Are you trying to-"
"Yes!" He snapped, trying to push her off of him.
Rangiku growled before noticing Soifon come back in.
"I heard something that time, what was it?"
"N-Nothing, nothing at all." Rangiku said, shaking her head. "So, find anything in there?"
"No, but I did find a second cot next to your own for some reason."
"Oh, yeah….kept it around in case I bring someone over, ya know?" She said nervously as the smaller captain narrowed her eyes.
"I see…." She said, not sounding convinced.
"H-Hey! Why don't….you and I hang out later? You know, get to know each other?" Rangiku said quickly, trying to change the subject.
"I don't think so..." She said as she turned to keep searching.
'Crap! Uh...oh! I got it!' She thought before holding Toshiro tightly, and promptly gave him a hard headbutt to the noggin, which made her hiss in pain, but did the trick as said male was knocked out. She sighed in relief before quietly opening up the door to the bathroom and shoving him in before closing the door. 'Ok, that takes care of him, now I just need to get rid of Soifon.'
'Something's up with her.' thought Soifon with suspicion. 'Something is off, I just know it, and I will get to the bottom of this.'
"Ok Soifon, I have to come clean. The rumor? It's not true." Rangiku sighed as she approached the smaller captain.
"Is it now? Then do you mind explaining what's going on?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Something IS going on, you've been acting weird ever since I arrived."
"I know, the truth is...I started the rumor, so that you could come by." She said, letting a small grin show on her face.
"You what?" She asked, a frown appearing on her face. "You wasted my time just to get me here? Why?"
"I guess I just wanted to see you." smiled Rangiku moving closer, leaning down a little to show her cleavage and making Soifon wide eyed and stepped back. "We don't really spend that much time together~"
"F-For good reason, our divisions don't work together a-and we're not that similar!"
"Well, I personally would like to change that, I'd love the change to get to know you more intimately~" She winked, making Soifon's face turn bright red and turn away.
"D-D-Don't spread rumors like that!" she got out before marching out the front door.
"Is that a no then? Feel free to come back any time if you change your mind~" She called, a large grin on her face. As soon as the door was shut and she waited a few seconds, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Finally, that was too close." She sighed, right as she heard a groan coming from the bathroom. "YOU!"
"Ugh, what the hell…"
"That was way too close for comfort!" She snapped, marching towards him as he staggered towards her. "You nearly got yourself killed! I told you, you don't have to die! What part of that was unclear!?"
"Yes I do! What part of THAT was unclear?!" He snapped back, shaking off the last of his grogginess. "I want it to end, you refuse to do it, so I found someone who could and would do it!"
"Ugh! You are impossible!"
"And you're stubborn! I get you want me to stay, but let's face facts, it wouldn't work out. As soon as they discovered you were helping me, what do you think they would do? They would execute you! I have a chance at a fresh chance if they end me, but you? I don't know, and that's why it's better if you just let it happen." he frowned looking away, with her perking up.
"Wait...are you...worried about what happens to me?"
"Yes damn it! Why wouldn't I be?!" He snapped in anger. "I'm not worth you losing everything!"
She looked at him in surprise, not expecting an answer like that, while touched. "So...it's not just you sounding like some angsty teenager?"
"Of course not. I'm going with the choice that works out for both of us and can be less stressful. Trying to hide me from literally everyone here would be a disaster waiting to happen." He said as he shook his head. "Your plan is doomed to fail, and the second it does you and I are both doomed. You helped me when you had every right to kill me, so I won't let you get yourself killed over me."
Rangiku looked at him in surprise, feeling her face heat hearing that and touched.
"You shouldn't have to lose everything you have here over one hollow. I may not have known you for long, but what I DO know, is….that you're a good person, and I don't want you to get hurt, so please, just let me do this." He said as he looked away. "Let me help you the only way I can, please… it's the least I can do."
"Oh Toshi…" Rangiku said, walking towards him and pulling him into a hug. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard."
He looked up at her, blushing with his head position, but not pulling back. "I….thank you." he said, relaxing into the hug, and slowly raising his arms up to hug back. 'This….actually feels really nice.'
They stayed like that for a bit, just taking comfort in each other's presence before Rangiku cleared her throat. "So… Toshi. This isn't going to work, is it?"
"No, it isn't, I can't just stay here and risk you getting killed."
"That doesn't mean I want you to get killed either. There's gotta be some way…" Rangiku mused, refusing to let him go.
"There is no other way, it's only natural that hollows die, it's the only way we can pass on." he said with a sigh, making her perk up.
"Natural… what if we did something UNnatural then?"
"What are you getting at?"
"Well, there is an option for your condition we haven't considered yet… we could find an artificial way of making you pass on, one that wouldn't kill you and send you to the slums." She said, perking up as he looked at her in confusion.
"And what makes you think there's a way to do that?" He asked her skeptically. "And if we could do that why haven't we yet?"
"Weeeeell…. It kinda has to do with the fact that I've heard something similar happen in the past to shinigami...and the only place we can find a way to do it is in...the 12th district, specifically in Mayuri's private labs."
"...oh you've got to be kidding me." He groaned. "So this mystery cure that may or may not work on me, that may not even exist is in one of the most dangerous places for a hollow in soul society besides the first captain's house?!"
"Well….yes?" She said sheepishly.
"Fuck it, why not?" He groaned. "What's the worst that could happen, we end up vivisected?" He asked sarcastically.
"Given how he tends to be? Probably worse." She said as he just groaned.
(Later)
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"It's better than no idea." She said as they stared at the massive building. "We just need to get in without setting off any alarms and find a way to fix you, then we can leave."
"Do you even know what we need to look for?" he whispered.
"Not quite, so I guess it will be a bit of trial and error."
"We're doomed." He groaned.
"Hey, I told you no more being a buzzkill, this will work, I promise."
"Ok, but how are we going to get in, and for the last time, there's no way me crawling in your dress is going to work again." He spoke firmly. "First time was a fluke, the second time I doubt it would work even if you're desperate for it."
"It might work again." She pouted. "What's your big plan then?"
"You could use your position as captain. If you find one of the lower ranked members, you might be let right inside without any suspicion if you make it look good."
"Yeah, but then he would know we're here, which is exactly what we want to avoid, and even then how do we get YOU in? Everyone in this division is just as nuts as Mayuri, and they'd probably do something gross like see your 'scars' and then boom, we're found out." She groaned.
"There has to be someone you know who can get us in without being detected, or some plan that will work, right?" He raised an eyebrow as she looked away to the side before her eyes trailed down at her uniform, making him facepalm. "You're thinking about the same plan, aren't you?"
"It worked last time, didn't it?!"
"...if we go with it, try not to get excited." he remarked flatly, making her blush. "This is a serious mission, not a fantasy of yours."
"W-Why would you say something like that?! I'll have you know I'm taking this very seriously!" She protested. "Besides, you aren't giving any good ideas!"
"Fine, we'll go with it." He muttered. "It's not like I could just bundle up and say I'm a robot, right?"
"..."
"Right? It couldn't be that easy, could it?"
"Hmmm…." She said rubbing her chin. "Maybe not a robot...but a servant… Byakuya has a servant following him around since he's a noble..."
(Later)
"This is humiliating."
"Quiet, it's working servant boy~"
Toshiro grumbled, wearing a servant uniform as he walked beside Rangiku. 'If this works I'm losing all faith in soul society.'
'He's pulling off that look better than I thought.' Rangiku thought, stealing a glance at him. 'Maybe I'll convince him to wear it again when we get him cured.'
They made their way up to the building, trying to look natural as they entered while getting chills. The building looked normal yet at the same time oh so wrong, for every door had a disturbing name, there were stains that looked eerily like blood and scratch marks that seemed to have been made by a creature being dragged off somewhere.
Both of them gulped, Rangiku having to urge herself to keep on walking and not go running back out. "Just keep walking, act like you belong here, and we'll be fine, just follow my lead no matter what happens."
"Is that why your knees are shaking?" He asked, causing her to shoot him a quick glare.
"Quiet, you should be scared too."
"I am, I'm just better at hiding it." He bragged as they stopped in front of a door that was marked 'hollow projects'. "Do you think this is it?"
"No doubt about it." She said as they steeled themselves. "Just… prepare yourself Toshi."
"I can handle it." He said as he walked ahead of her and started to open the door.
"No, wait, it might be boobytrapped!"
"Good call, you better do it." he remarked quickly, stepping aside and looking at her expectantly.
"W-HEY! I didn't say make me do it!"
"Got you." he smirked.
"Ugh, you're so mean!" She pouted. "Scaring me like that, how could you?"
"You were the one who suggested it was rigged, I figured I could use that to get back at you for this." he pointed to his uniform.
"Hey, this is necessary, and thank you for reminding me that you should stick to your role, so stop being stubborn and carefully open the door 'Servant'."
He glowered at her before turning to the door, slowly opening it. They braced themselves as… nothing happened.
"See, it's fine, now come on, let's go!"
With that they entered the extremely dark room, looking around as the only sound was their footsteps. They looked around, trying to see in the dark when suddenly the lights began to turn on. They shielded their eyes, wincing at the sudden brightness, then slowly opened them, and wished they hadn't. The room was a disaster, it seemed as if it was organized by a madman, shelves and filing cabinets and massive drawers were strewn about at random while operating tables littered the area, some encased in glass as others were suspended from the ceiling, all containing hollows that seemed to be dead.
"I think I'm gonna be sick." Rangiku groaned as Toshiro just stared, frozen in horror. "I just hope Mayuri isn't around…"
"Then I guess we better hurry, we should start looking…" Toshiro said, steeling himself.
"Yeah… I'll tell you if I think I've found it." She said before pausing. "I guess tell me if you figure out what 'it' is I guess?"
"Hopefully it stands out." He said, moving forward. "Just to be safe, avoid anything that has a corpse attached to it."
"Don't gotta tell me twice." She said as they split up. 'Ok, I just have to find one thing that will help him in a sea of things that will horribly mutilate him if we're lucky…'
"I think I found it!"
"Already?!" She called out in shock. "How?!"
"Call it a hunch." He said as she bolted towards him.
"Well? Let me see it, what did you find?"
Toshiro held up what looked like a helmet with some writing on the sides, which to someone not familiar in their realm couldn't read, but it was clear as day to them. 'Hollow metamorphosis'.
"Wow…. so this will make you pass over instantly?" Rangiku asked excitedly. "You'll retain your memories, you won't be sent away?"
"Maybe?" he shrugged. "It's the thing that doesn't look like it might kill me that's for sure."
"So…. what now, do you put it on?"
"It's a helmet, what else would I do with it?" he asked with a deadpan look.
"Ok…" She said as he raised the helmet. "Wait!"
"For what?" He asked as she sighed.
"I just want to do two things first, just in case this backfires and you...well...die."
"And those would be?" He asked, expecting her to tease him again.
"I love you Toshi." she let out with a serious tone, making him stare at her with wide eyes.
"...come again?"
"I said I love you Toshiro Hitsugaya, so please don't die."
His face turned bright red hearing that, NOT expecting that in the slightest.
"Now, the second thing~" She said, grinning ear to ear as she quickly grabbed him. Before Toshiro could react, she slammed her lips against his with a moan.
If Toshiro was speechless and red before then now he felt like he'd never learned how to speak before, he felt broken, he had no idea how to respond. He felt like his whole body lost feeling as Rangiku pulled back with a smile with his mouth dropping open.
"There, now let's make you a proper soul Toshi~"
"I...uh...but...I…." He babbled, Rangiku looking over the helmet and spotted a switch on the back.
"Ok, let's do this." She said as she took the helmet and plopped it onto his head and threw the switch.
Toshiro jumped, his body glowing as his eyes rolled into his head as Rangiku stepped back with worry. She looked at him with worry as he began to smoke, specifically his clothes right where they covered his hollow hole.
'Please work, please work, please work.' She thought as Toshiro began to grow still, twitching every few seconds. "T-Toshi?"
He let out a groan, then promptly fell face down onto the floor.
"Toshi!" Rangiku cried out, rushing to his side and ripping off the helmet. "Come on Toshi, say something, anything!"
"Did….it….work?" he groaned out, feeling like his head was pounding.
"You tell me." She said with a smile as she plucked something off his face and showed it to him. It was a piece of white bone that was quickly disintegrating.
He rubbed his face, slowly sitting up with Rangiku helping while his other hand rubbed where his hole was, or lack thereof. "It worked… it actually worked…"
"See? I told you it would." she smiled before hugging him tight, feeling immensely relieved.
"I-It worked!" he said, letting out a small laugh, as if he couldn't believe it himself.
"Yes, it worked...what exactly worked?"
Both of them immediately froze up, slowly turning their heads. Standing behind them like the grim reaper was the clown-faced captain of the 12th division, the mad scientist himself, Mayuri.
"Uh…" Toshiro said, feeling as if he was speaking to the devil himself.
"Matsumoto, what are you doing here?" The captain asked, turning to her.
"I…. was giving a tour to my newest member, who was suffering from a horrible toothache that was caused by uh...a miniature hollow, so we decided to see if one of your inventions could get rid of it, which it did." she quickly made up, hoping it worked, with Toshiro inwardly groaning.
'A toothache? That was her best lie?' Toshiro though, inwardly groaning. 'I'm finally cured only to die because of a lie about a toothache!'
"A toothache? Really Matsumoto, my inventions are some of the finest around, and you think they're just useless gizmos to fix teeth? If I was a two bit inventor perhaps, but I'm far far beyond that."
"I know, but your methods are...dangerous, so I thought it would be better not to bother you and instead see if I could use one of your past experiments to fix the problem, which worked." She smiled while helping Toshiro back on his feet. "Another good job, better jot that one down with the other successes."
"Hmmm, well there is only one way for sure to verify if the process worked, do you mind if I take him to run some tests?" Mayuri asked, making them both pale. "Actually, how attached to him are you? I've been thinking I could use a new assistant, and Nemu could use a new sibling."
"No way! He's….gotten very used to my division, so just giving him off like that wouldn't do well in the long run." She said quickly. "In fact, we need to get going, NOW!"
Before Mayuri could speak, the two darted right past him, which irked him.
"Ugh, pathetic emotions, they always impede the march of progress! Them and the silly idea of ethics." He rolled his eyes as the two ran straight to the division, not stopping for anything until they were inside.
"W-We made it, we got in and it actually worked, you're safe now Toshi!" Cheered Rangiku panting with Toshiro holding his knees, nodding, panting much more than her as he tried to catch his breath.
"Y-Yes, w-we did...ha….ha….why am I so exhausted?"
"The change must have a hand in it." She said with a smile. "You just went from hollow to a regular soul in under a minute, I'm amazed you didn't pass out."
"Yeah…." he panted before pausing. He looked at Rangiku smiling, his face turning red and gulped. "Uh...Rangiku?"
"Yes Toshi?" She asked, confused, why he was suddenly quiet. "What is it?"
"So…. do you remember what happened before the machine turned on?"
"You mean before I turned it on? Yes."
"And...you were serious, right?"
"Dead serious." She said, getting down on one knee to look him in the eyes. "So, now that we know it worked, I have to ask…. Would you be willing to give it a chance?"
"Well….going through all that, risking it all, and nearly getting caught was a lot already, but given what the end result was? I suppose it'd be stupid to say no." He said sheepishly, looking up to see a look he could only describe as pure joy on her face. "So yes, I'll give it a shot."
"TOSHI!" She cried out, quickly pulling him into a hug. "This is the best day ever!"
"Gah!" he let out, his face buried in her breasts like before as she rubbed her head against his own. 'I guess I have to either get used to this or convince her to stop….who am I kidding, she won't.'
"We'll get you sent to the academy in no time flat! That way you can learn how to fight, get your own zanpakuto, and I'll make you my lieutenant!"
"G-Great!" He choked out. "But I can't go….if I suffocate!"
"OH!" she let up on her hug, but didn't let go as he gasped with relief. "Sorry, got excited."
"I know." He groaned. 'At least all of our problems are gone now that I'm a regular soul.'
Unknown to both of them however, was the nervous captain trying to get the courage to knock on the door.
'Come on, just knock and see if she's there, you are no coward.' Thought Soifon holding flowers in hand. 'It's time you moved on from Yoruichi-sama, you can do this!'