The tiny lieutenant of the Eleventh the leapt past Hisagi Shuhei squealing, "Goldilocks!"
He spun around to find a stunning strawberry-blond only a step behind him. She was laughing as Yachiru's arms wrapped around her waist. Her wide gray eyes were sparkling with delight and her mouth was wide and expressive, open in an enormous grin.
And was she ever built-Hisagi's eyes widened as he took in cleavage that couldn't possibly be allowed. She left every other female shinigami he'd ever seen in the dust. He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed her before. He wasn't sure what she was even doing here, at a lieutenants meeting. He hadn't heard there was a new lieutenant.
That's when he finally noticed her badge. His eyes hadn't wanted to leave her cleavage but the swaying hips did deserve a closer look, and the badge of the Tenth hung from her obi. The Tenth Division-they'd lost their captain over a year ago, and their lieutenant had been excused from the meetings since even before he'd made lieutenant. She'd been too busy holding her squad together to do general Gotei duties.
It took him a second to realize she was actually speaking to him. "You must be Shuhei-kun," she said. Her tone was warm and friendly, a complete contrast to the other lieutenants. "Please, call me Rangiku."
"It's very nice to meet you, Rangiku-san," Hisagi answered, bowing formally.
She laughed at that. "You too, Shuhei-kun."
He spent basically the entire meeting staring at her chest. He really did try not to, but the way the woman moved! And it wasn't like he was the only one. He was sure that was the reason for Iba's dark glasses, and poor Sasakebi kept clearing his throat and looking at his notes.
Kaien was the only man whose eyes didn't keep slipping down when he spoke to the Tenth Lieutenant, but they obviously knew each other well, so he'd probably had a lot of practice. Kaien was also married, which Hisagi imagined would also be helpful. The curvaceous Tenth would be a lot less tempting if he had a woman of his own to go home to.
After the meeting, Hisagi found himself following after her. She was so friendly to everyone. He was sure she would be happy to talk to him a little longer. She was leaving the room arm in arm with Kurotsuchi Nemu, and he knew sustaining a conversation with Nemu required real determination.
Hisagi got up and started after her, his eyes on her back as he dodged around the table and fellow lieutenants. He was just through the door when a small hand on his arm brought him to a halt.
"You're going to want to stop staring at Rangiku-san's chest," Lieutenant Ise said coolly, as she stepped beside him.
"What are you talking about?" Hisagi asked, trying to sound confused but, unfortunately, turning bright red.
"Just watch," she said, nodding to the corner of the walkway just as Captain Ichimaru came into view.
The captain was holding a small bundle that squirmed in his arms as he walked toward the lieutenants. It took an instant for Hisagi to realize what it was, the sight was so unexpected in the Gotei. The captain was carrying a small, beautiful, golden-haired baby. Hisagi had heard Ichimaru had children, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time, other than to wonder what kind of woman would have married the very definitely creepy captain.
The baby laughed and babbled happily at the lieutenants, and was greeted by smiling faces and happy comments on how much he'd grown. Everyone's mood was lifted by the too rare sight of a baby in Seireitei. It was amazing to Hisagi how friendly everyone was, even to the unpopular captain, because of the baby.
He watched Rangiku walk straight up to Ichimaru, smiling even more broadly than before. She held out her arms to the baby, and the little boy reached toward her, declaring, "Mama!"
Hisagi suddenly felt sick to his stomach.
"It could be very bad for your health if Captain Ichimaru was to catch you checking out his wife," Nanao said very softly.
"Why didn't anyone say she who she was?" Hisagi demanded, just as quietly. He still couldn't believe it, even watching Rangiku snuggle the baby against her chest, and look up at Ichimaru with undeniable, and completely inexplicable, adoration. How could that warm and open woman belong to one of the least friendly and most uncaring men in the Gotei?
"It never occurred to anyone you wouldn't know Rangiku-chan. Everyone knows her. It's easy to forget how new you are, and she hasn't been herself for this last year. She always used to go around introducing herself to everyone new, but she lost a close friend and then her captain right afterwards. I think this is the most I've seen her smile since Lady Kuchiki's death."
Hisagi watched the captain speak to Rangiku, and he thought there might be a subtle difference to the way Ichimaru spoke to her. Maybe the fox-smile was a little less fake, but, still, it just didn't make sense. "What's she see in him?"
"We all wonder, but we're all too polite to ask," Nanao said. "It's one of the great mysteries of the Gotei 13, right up there with what is Captain Kurotsuchi hiding under all that makeup?"
"I think I need a drink," Hisagi said, looking once more at the stunning woman who belonged to Ichimaru. A perfect baby and a perfect wife for one of the worst men in the Gotei, fate was clearly evil. "What about you?" he added, noticing Lieutenant Ise was looking at the family with a similar expression.
"Please," Nanao said, turning her back on the sometimes a little too nauseatingly happy Rangiku.