A/N: Yes, short time between chapters, but the bad part is you have to put up with the fact that it's short. BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Lol. Jokes aside, thank you kindly to all of you who reviewed the first chapter, it warms my heart greatly to see people like it ^-^ Thank you, thank you, thank you, your words all help make it that much easier to put fingers to the keyboard ;D
Disclaimer: This is a mockery of my inability to harass Tite Kubo into letting me be his apprentice! D8
Mon Cœur S'ouvre à Ta Voix
(My heart opens itself to your voice)
II
For a while afterwards, he didn't see the small shinigami again (the young genius still secretly savored the fact she was smaller than him), and she barely came to mention even by his vice captain--mostly from lack of memory of that specific night.
Nonetheless, about two weeks or so later found them pretty much in the same position, except this time she greeted him hastily (as last time), dragged Matsumoto past him after shyly asking permission, and immediately broke out the tea.
This time there was no rain.
And once again, the stacks were high.
That didn't stop her from offering her help, which he accepted readily, seeing as his other seated officers were out on missions and thus no one could be yanked as victim to the loads but him.
"You can serve yourself as well if you would like." Toushiro said as Rukia set the tea down in front of him.
"Thank you sir, I appreciate the gesture but I'm fine." Raising an eyebrow, the captain turned his full attention on her, which made her stiffen.
Looking at him this way, Rukia marveled at how his lack in the height department didn't alter his intimidation techniques at all—maybe if she tweaked them a bit, they might work on Ichigo . . .
"Would you prefer something else?" Slowly, he watched as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
Thinking back, he didn't believe anyone had stocked the kitchenette lately . . . He wouldn't doubt it.
"I usually prefer just milk."
Silence filled the night air as he contemplated this.
Sighing, the white-haired captain turned back to his work. "I apologize for not being able to accommodate you, but tea is all we have at the moment."
"It's no problem whatsoever sir. I don't need anything at all." Her eyes glittered with something different -insult- he noted with surprise, but said nothing as the shyness fell off her proud shoulders like snow and she bowed. "It is my duty to help, not hinder you further, Hitsugaya-taichou."
He observed silently how Rukia avoided his gaze when she stood straight, her eyes instead falling to the desk. "Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do."
Her fingers curled around the stack he set in front of her, the swish of her robes and the light breeze outside their only companions.
For the rest of the night, she didn't talk.
When the clock nearly struck two and she had finally set down her work before him, Rukia bowed and silently headed out.
He didn't know why, but it irked him beyond belief at how she had avoided his eyes. Hyourinmaru, snapping to the rescue, quipped that this was what guilt felt like, and that women usually had that effect so that he better get used to it. Of course that comment went ignored as he finished his work (a little more sloppily than before) and he headed off to his room, where once again he felt her fading presence stopping him at his door.
She had used his tea set this time.
Scowling, he forced himself to enter, finding his extra uniform perfectly folded on the foot of his bed with a note pinned to it.
Hitsugaya-taichou,
Thank you for your generosity and I hope my work in your company is to your standards.
-Rukia Kuchiki of the 13th Division
Swearing under his breath, he made a mental note to put milk in the refrigerator of his quarters before the end of the week.
