Thank you to the lovely people who reviewed :D You guys are the best! I hope you enjoy part two xD
…
Chapter Two: Are all girls this crazy?
The youngest captain in the history of the Soul Society stood diligently in his assigned place in the meeting hall, while most of the other captains and lieutenants mingled before the meeting started. In the days of Yamamoto, captains – and lieutenants if they were invited – would arrive at the meeting hall and move straight to their allocated spots, any talking was kept to a whisper until the Head Captain finally made his appearance. With Kyoraku in charge, however, the meetings were much more upbeat and there was often a great deal of socialising before the meeting would be called to order, and even during the meeting Kyoraku ran a relaxed agenda unless something serious had happened.
Beside him stood Rangiku, who had been on her best behaviour over the last few days. He'd never known her to be such a good lieutenant. Rangiku had been a serious suck up over the last few days. He didn't know it was actually possible for her to be on time, but there she was every morning at nine, sitting at her desk and diligently doing her paperwork; properly this time, not just signing forms at random. She had been staying in that office until closing every evening and returned to her quarters straight after dinner. To be honest, as much as he had prayed for her to pull herself into a decent worker one day, he was beginning to miss his troublesome second in command. He thought about dropping her punishment so that she was no longer grounded to the division barracks, but he held strong; she had embarrassed him in front of two captains, a former captain and several lieutenants, and – although no one had said it out loud yet – she had also hurt his feelings in doing so, because she had forced a girl to kiss him who really didn't want to be there.
It was his fault really; he'd had one kiss and developed feelings instantly, but how could he not? Rukia Kuchiki was beautiful, passionate, strong, hard-working… And of course, the spiritual pressure thing, nobody could ignore that. The fact that the SWA ladies in the control room would not have been able to feel their powers mingling was the one redeeming thing about being locked inside that chamber. Not even Rangiku knew what had really happened during that kiss.
Out of the corner of his eye, Toshiro could see the SWA standing in a tight group down the front of the hall in between where Soi Fon and Isane Kotetsu would stand with their respective lieutenants at the commencement of the meeting. Occasionally they'd glance over before turning back and whispering quietly amongst themselves. The prodigy could practically feel Rangiku leaning towards them but he knew she wouldn't have the balls to leave his side right now, especially not to join that particular group of soul reapers.
Toshiro continued to skim over the room; he watched Ukitake and Kyoraku chatting merrily to each other and almost smiled a little. He was still so incredibly sad to be losing Ukitake to retirement, but he could never blame the poor man, his life-long disease had become so debilitating since the last war. At least the older white haired man could retire peacefully while knowing his division was in good hands with Ru- stop it, Toshiro told himself, why did everything turn back to her?
Literally every time he looked around the room, he was reminded of her, and she wasn't even present yet! Toshiro looked to the left and saw the SWA gossiping, about the kiss probably, he then looked to the front and saw Rukia's captain, and at one point, Toshiro was sure he saw Byakuya Kuchiki eyeing him suspiciously. Oh gods, Toshiro blanched, had Rukia told her brother? No, surely not, Toshiro tried to calm himself, pointing out that he would certainly have been cut up by Captain Kuchiki's Senbonzakura by now as well as Rangiku and the SWA if that were the case. Still he glanced over the stoic Squad Six captain and saw that Byakuya was indeed staring at him. Toshiro looked away quickly but he pictured the man's expression in his mind to analyse it. The noble didn't look angry at least; he was mostly impassive as always but Toshiro thought he caught a glimpse of curiosity in those dark eyes. He didn't have time to dwell on it however, because a familiar spiritual pressure entered the hall and caught his attention instantly.
Rukia seemed to make an effort not to look at him as he turned to face her, and Toshiro kept the little pang of hurt off his face as he watched her glide to her brother's side and get pulled into Renji's massive arms. The prodigy understood if Rukia had only kissed him to get out of the room, and he understood if she didn't like it or want to do it again, but Toshiro didn't get why she was avoiding even looking at him. Was she that embarrassed about it? Was he a bad kisser perhaps? Or was she just ashamed she kissed a non-noble?
He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, looking away from the young lieutenant. Rangiku shuffled uncomfortably beside him.
Eventually the last soul reapers arrive – Squad Eleven; surprise, surprise – and the Head Captain called the commencement of the meeting.
"The meeting will begin momentarily," Kyoraku announced, grinning a little.
Neither Toshiro nor Rangiku needed to move as they were already standing in their assigned spots, but many of the other soul reapers flittered across the room to find their place. Given the layout, with odds on one side and evens on the other, while standing in division number order from the front of the room to the back, Toshiro found himself standing almost directly opposite Squad Thirteen, mere meters from the raven haired lieutenant. Luckily he could face Kyoraku at the front for the most of the meeting, however once Ukitake gave his address, he'd have to look her way again.
"This meeting is in session," Kyoraku clapped when everyone had found their spots, "We are here to announce the official retirement of Captain Jushiro Ukitake of Squad Thirteen, who will join me in drinking his way into an early grave."
Rangiku covered up a chuckle with a cough at the comment while Toshiro just pursed his lips together; he didn't think it was necessary to joke about Ukitake dying any earlier than he had to, especially given his illness, but as he looked over at the retiring man, there was a big smile on his face, and Toshiro figured it was probably best for Ukitake to do whatever brought him joy.
"In charge of the division will be Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki, who has decided to keep her position as a lieutenant rather than stepping into the role of captain," Kyoraku announced,piquing Toshiro's interest immediately.
The prodigy frowned; why wouldn't Rukia go for captaincy? He'd heard that she'd reached bankai – and as a fellow ice wielder, he was immensely curious to see what she could do with it – and according to her captain, she had been pretty much running the Squad lately. She was more than capable of becoming a captain; she had the squad's respect, she had intelligence and she had courage. What was stopping her?
"Thus, she will run the division as a lieutenant until another captain is ready to take over," Kyoraku continued, "Any paperwork requiring signatures from the Captain of Squad Thirteen will be signed by Rukia until further notice."
The Head Captain nodded to Ukitake and asked if he would like to say a few words. Ukitake stepped forward, a light smile grazing his pale lips.
Toshiro kept his eyes on Rukia though, still trying to figure out why she didn't want to take up a captain's role. The prodigy remembered when Captain Shiba had vanished, and he had been called on to take over the role. He hadn't wanted to, he hadn't thought he was ready or even worthy, but he had done it anyway. Toshiro had done it for his former captain, who had put so much effort into training him and had almost become a sort of father figure, and for Rangiku, who was even less ready to be burdened by the weight of responsibility over an entire division. Perhaps Rukia had the same fears he had when he was in her position? Perhaps she didn't consider herself capable as well? He looked at the girl opposite him as she made eye contact for half a second before turning away again, biting her lip; he would have thought she would have jumped at the chance to be captain. It would make both Ukitake and her brother extremely proud, which Toshiro knew was important to her. Hell, she'd kissed him just to avoid being late in fear that she might disappoint Byakuya.
"Yes, thank you, Head Captain," Ukitake started, clearing his phlegmy throat quickly, "I have served with many of you for more years than I could possibly count. I have seen some come…"
The white haired man glanced at Toshiro and the prodigy felt himself swelling a little. Ukitake had been an incredible mentor to him, and even a good friend during the rougher times of Toshiro's leadership. He recalled the first time he lost one of his soldiers in battle, and Ukitake had come over with a bag full of candy, coaching him through dealing with his first loss. They'd filled out the necessary paperwork together and arranged a traditional squad funeral; Ukitake had even handed him tissues when the pain had become a little too much.
Ukitake then glanced down the captain's line to the empty positions.
"…and I have seen some go," the sickly man continued, looking a little sad before perking up again with a new thought, "While I am upset to retire from my division, I know it will be in good hands."
The retiree turned his head to glance back at his lieutenant and Toshiro followed the man's line of vision. Rukia stood a little straighter as her captain smiled encouragingly at her. Ukitake turned back to the front and finished off his speech with one final promise of his undying dedication the Gotei Thirteen.
"I wish for you all to know that should you ever need me, I will be here ready to serve until my last breath. That's all."
Noise broke out in the hall once again as everyone murmured their thank you's to the sick captain, and Toshiro had to clench his fists a little to stop his emotion pouring onto his face. It was a very overwhelming experience, more so than he had expected.
"Then that leaves only one other piece of official business," the Head Captain announced, grinning stupidly at Ukitake and tilting his head slightly, "The feast."
Kyoraku went on to explain that the traditional feast to celebrate Captain Ukitake's years of service and send him off to a peaceful retirement would be held that coming Friday in the Oiwai Hall at the First Division. It would be strictly captains and lieutenants only, and Toshiro gritted his teeth a little; great, another event where he could spend the entire time watching Rukia avoid him like he was some sort of terrible disease.
"The meeting is concluded," Kyoraku stood from his chair at the front of the hall, "Your time is your own."
Some soul reapers moved towards Ukitake, presumably to say their thank you's and send him well wishes for the future, but Toshiro turned towards to door and strode out of the meeting hall, Rangiku trailing obediently. He'd talk to Ukitake later, but when they could have a slightly more private moment together; Toshiro wanted to give a sincere thank you, but he didn't feel comfortable showing emotions like that with the other captains – and especially Rukia – surrounding them.
…
"Are you kidding me?" Toshiro clenched his jaw as he stood in the door way of Rangiku's private quarters.
The lieutenant was flying around the incredibly messy room, completely flustered and unorganised. Her hair was done, but only half of her make-up and she wasn't even attempting to put on her complicated kimono yet, fluttering back and forth in nothing but her bra and underwear. It was something he'd seen her do too many times, and something he was certain wasn't appropriate for a lieutenant to do in front of her captain. Each time he would express this, she would giggle and tell him 'it's okay, because we're best friends'. It was certainly not okay; it might have once been semi-okay when he was a kid because she'd been like an older sister to him in the old days, but now that he was an adult himself – and a straight one, as she well knew – it was becoming less and less appropriate.
He never looked at her in that way, of course. She was still like a sister to him and also one of his officers whom he'd never blur that line with. Also, he hated boobs. Correction: he hated Rangiku's boobs; they were weapons and a danger to his breathing and overall health as well as being the common denominator of most of his embarrassing moments. Over the years, the multiple experiences of having his head crushed between them had left life-long trauma, and now the sight of boobs above a C cup always put him on edge. So, to amend his earlier statement, he didn't hate boobs, he was just afraid of the really big ones. They were okay, he supposed, on a smaller girl, but his eyes weren't usually drawn to a girl's chest like other men; he preferred a girl's ass over her breasts any day.
A nice tight butt on a woman was about the sexiest thing he could imagine. In his favourite magazine, there were many pictures of naked girls, but he tended to spend the most time staring at the ones that had their backs to the camera, leaning over one thing or another, and glancing back over their shoulders with a lust-filled expression. Ideally, if he ever got the chance to have a proper make out session with a girl, he figured he'd want something to grab and hold onto when he kissed her. His hands had almost had that idea with Rukia, he remembered and inhaled sharply, recalling finding his hands on the small of her back.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, Captain," Rangiku interrupted his thoughts, picking up a small, odd-looking device before running to the nearest mirror and using it to clamp down over her eye lashes, "But I am a girl, Sir, you really should have expected this!"
"You're also a lieutenant," Toshiro frowned as she removed the device away from her eyelashes on one eye only to do the same with the other, "I expect you to be more punctual."
The woman in question pulled the device away again and swapped it immediately for a thin, bright pink cylinder, unscrewing it and revealing a skinny brush covered in black gunk that he recognised as mascara from all the times she'd asked him to check if she'd smudged it while training or fighting. He never got the whole make-up thing, especially wearing it to work, but Rangiku swore by it, saying that she was getting older, but people weren't allowed to notice it.
Toshiro watched, his face scrunched up in confusion as Rangiku pulled a black pencil from her make-up bag and began drawing inside the water line of her eye. Girls were so weird, he decided then, why would they do this to themselves? It looked painful. Lipstick was next, and while he recognised it immediately, it was another thing he didn't understand. Rangiku's lipstick was on everything; her cups, her soup bowls, her ink brushes, her fingers even, and more than once she'd kissed his cheek only to leave a big colourful mark behind. Why did she need to leave a trail on everything she touched with her mouth? It was a ridiculous concept.
"Okay, my make-up is done," Rangiku smiled at him, "Luckily I got all my foundation and contouring done before you got here, Captain, you could have been waiting a long time."
Foundation? Contouring? She was speaking gibberish now.
"I have been waiting a long time," Toshiro glared a little, "Now put your bloody kimono on so we can go!"
The busty blonde grinned at him before ducking into her bedroom and returning with a beautiful baby pink kimono. He wasn't one for fashion, but at the sight of it, he knew it would suit her perfectly. It highlighted the blue of her eyes and matched the colour of her regular scarf. Her vibrant strawberry blonde hair would look radiant against it too; she'd be a pillar of brightness tonight.
He helped her into it and even tied her obi for her in a beautiful and professional bow, just as she had trained him to do many years ago. A long slit up the side revealed her legs when she walked and in true Rangiku fashion, her boobs practically fell out the top. She was definitely going to get some attention tonight from the young men in the room, and he silently prayed he wouldn't have to beat some horny lieutenant up if they made a serious move on her.
"How do I look, Captain?"
Rangiku twirled in front of him, her kimono hugging her frame tightly and her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders gently.
"You look beautiful, Matsumoto," Toshiro answered, half because it was true, half because he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't say something nice.
She beamed at him happily, and he felt a little guilty that it was the nicest thing he'd said to her in a week. Over the last few days, they'd slowly been returning to their previous relationship, although Rangiku was still behaving perfectly, hoping to be allowed to come to the feast despite her ongoing grounding. He'd granted her permission, although he made it clear that it was not signalling the end of her punishment, but was in fact a one night allowance to celebrate their friend and respected colleague.
"You look sexy, Sir," Rangiku giggled, "The girls are going to swoon!"
Toshiro rolled his eyes and exited her quarters quickly, hearing her yelp a little and scamper after him. 'Sexy' was a wild exaggeration, but he would have accepted 'smart', 'respectable' or even simply 'good'. To be fair, any clothing other than the dull black robes of the soul reaper uniform was going to dramatically alter all of their appearances, but still he was a far cry from 'sexy'. He wore simple white pants, with an icy blue undershirt and a white kimono top. It was a simple outfit really, the only thing that made it look good on him was the fact that the white matched his hair and pronounced his eyes – although he wasn't much of a fan of that reason – as well the design of a stunning dragon on his back, pale blue like his undershirt and a nod to his zanpakuto spirit. As if hearing his thoughts, the great ice dragon rumbled contentedly in the back of his mind.
…
Entering the Oiwai Hall was an assault on the senses; firstly, intense colour – lanterns, streamers, wall and ceiling paintings, table cloths, napkins, and all the captain and lieutenant teams from each division in wildly bright kimonos. Secondly, incredible smells wafting out of the kitchen doors every time a serving attendant walked in or out. Thirdly, elegant music played softly under the loud chatter of his colleagues.
Toshiro was impressed; he'd been in the room once before, for his own promotion feast, but that was years ago, and he was just as blown away as he was back then. He was surprised they didn't use the hall more often, but now that Kyoraku – the self-proclaimed 'party king' – was Head Captain, and the two wars were long behind them, maybe there would be more celebrations in future. The whole set up was almost enough to make him forget he was still annoyed with his constantly late lieutenant. Almost.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned slightly to see Rangiku catching up in quick little steps. He watched as the token awed expression came over her face at the sight of the feast venue. She grinned happily at him, but then something over his shoulder caught his eye and her smile turned to a wicked grin.
"Ruuuuukkkkiiaaaaaa!" Rangiku sung loudly across the room and Toshiro didn't hesitate for a single second as he speedily walked away and pretended to be admiring one of the large marble pillars, oblivious to the beautiful woman meeting Rangiku just meters away.
He spared a quick glance in her direction and his jaw dropped instantly. He was immensely thankful that she and Renji were caught up in their conversation with Rangiku and no one noticed the way he was staring at her. Rukia looked gorgeous, but not even that word was good enough to describe the young noble woman's incredible appearance that evening. She wore a black kimono which was patterned – rather fittingly – with snowflakes and snowdrop flowers. It hugged her body beautifully, coming in tight at the waist and proving she had a very fit and athletic body and a natural curve over her hips. Her hair was swept off her neck and held up by a single chopstick, while numerous loose strands framed her face beautifully; it left her neck exposed and Toshiro tried not to vision himself kissing and sucking her milky throat. Rukia looked mature, and even a bit powerful, like no man in this room could ever be good enough for her. Despite the lack of a haori, Rukia looked like a captain.
"Hello, Captain."
Toshiro tore his eyes away from Rukia to glance up at the woman speaking to him, or women he should say, as the two Kotetsu sisters closed in on him quickly.
"You look really good, Captain Hitsugaya," The smaller one – Kiyone – said, although her voice almost came out as a slight purr.
"I- t-thank you?" Toshiro asked; yes, 'asked', because he was beyond confused as to what was happening. Nobody but Rangiku said stuff like that to him, and she was usually just teasing him.
"Have you been working out, Captain?" Squad Four Captain Isane Kotetsu asked before leaning over to touch his arm, her fingers wrapping around his bicep and giving it a quick squeeze.
Toshiro was dumbstruck. He needed Rangiku to explain this; she tended to know what body language and tone of voice meant because Toshiro certainly had no idea right now. It appeared like they were flirting with him but he couldn't be sure, and there was also the major possibility that this was another stunt by the SWA to publically humiliate him.
"You're due for your full medical examination," Kiyone pointed out, batting her eyelashes a little, "I could give it to you in private?"
She took a step forward but Toshiro found himself moving backwards to put some more space between them.
"Don't be silly, Lieutenant," Isane smirked at her smaller sister, "A medical examination of a captain should be given by another captain. We'll have to take some… measurements."
"Oh, I- um…" Toshiro couldn't form an answer because he had no idea how to handle this situation. He didn't even have an idea what this situation was about.
"What about after the feast tonight?" Isane continued, leaning down and Toshiro realised how ridiculous it must have looked as the tallest woman in the Seireitei loomed over the smallest man, "I could even come to your living quarters if it would make you feel more comfortable…"
Toshiro felt a hard surface against his spine and found himself completely backed up against a wall with the Kotetsu sisters only coming closer and blocking his escape.
"Maybe we could both come?" Kiyone pressed a hand to the wall beside Toshiro's head and her smile twisted into a sultry grin, "You do deserve special attention, after all…"
Isane nodded enthusiastically while Kiyone winked at him suggestively. Words were lost on Toshiro's tongue as he opened his mouth only to make a strangled choking sound. Luckily, he was saved by an angel in a pink floral-patterned kimono.
"Ladies, do you mind if I borrow young Hitsugaya here for a minute?" Kyoraku pushed between them, gently grabbing the prodigy's forearm, "The food is about to come out if you want to take your seats now."
The girls shared a glance of mild disappointment before turning away and moving towards the main table. Toshiro stared after them, still completely bewildered by the recent conversation. Beside him, the Head Captain chuckled under his breath before leading Toshiro over to the other end of table.
"I've got a lot to teach you about women, Kid," Kyoraku muttered playfully as they reached the table and Toshiro sat down between him and Ukitake, who smiled at him, humour shining in those tired eyes.
A glass of wine was placed in front of him and soon after, the first course of food arrived at the table causing the volume of chatter to halve as everyone tucked into the entrée. Toshiro glanced up the table and saw Rukia sitting between Rangiku and Renji, opposite her older brother and the crazy Kotetsu sisters. Toshiro watched Rangiku talking animatedly with the Squad Four leaders and the prodigy prayed that she wasn't giving them advice on how to flirt with him better.
"Rangiku becoming a bit of a handful?" Ukitake nodded towards the group at the other end of the table.
"She's always been a handful," Toshiro muttered before popping a dumpling into his mouth.
The older white haired man chuckled softly next to him and Toshiro recalled how he still hadn't said a proper thank you or goodbye to the kind captain who had been his guide for so many years.
"I didn't want to do this at the meeting, but I owe you a proper thank you," Toshiro murmured in a low voice so that only Ukitake could hear him – and maybe Kyoraku if he strained his ears but Toshiro didn't mind if the Head Captain heard since they were close too, "You've done a lot for me, especially when I became a captain, and I'm not sure what I would have done without you. Thank you for everything, Ukitake, you'll never know how much I appreciate and respect you."
He was immediately engulfed in a tight, warm hug, and heard Kyoraku sniffle a little beside him. Toshiro let Ukitake hug him, although he was hoping beyond hope that no one else was watching this. The emotions he had felt in the meeting hall at the beginning of the week came flooding back and he had to take a shaky breath to calm himself. Ukitake released him slowly, wiping away some of the wetness forming under his own brown eyes.
"You've come a long way, Shiro-Chan," Ukitake smiled, and for the first time ever, the silly nickname didn't bother him, in fact this time he found it endearing because after all, they were both Shiro-Chans and it was an unbreakable connection between them, "Will you do a few things for me please?"
"Anything."
"Call me Jushiro now; I'm a friend, not a fellow captain," Ukitake requested, "And please try to have more fun, Toshiro! You're so young, live a little, and don't let this job drag you down."
"Okay…" Toshiro felt his mouth twitch, "Jushiro."
He wasn't sure when he was going to find the time to have fun between all the stacks of paperwork surrounding his desk, but if that's what the older man wanted from him, he'd do his best to oblige.
"Awww," Kyoraku swooned from Toshiro's other side and effectively ruined the sweet moment, "Can you call me Shunsui? I'm your friend too!"
"You're also my boss," Toshiro pointed out, a grin forming on his face.
"But I'm not a regular Head Captain; I'm a cool Head Captain," Kyoraku pouted into his glass of wine, "Ask anybody."
"Maybe a little too cool," Toshiro retorted, reminded of the last gift Kyoraku had given him – AKA the infamous magazine – and also of all the times he'd gotten Rangiku drunk during the work day.
In all fairness, Kyoraku was a cool Head Captain; he was kind, fair and honest. He did love a party, but when things got serious, so did he, allowing him to handle most situations with grace and integrity. These days, soul reapers didn't have to walk on eggshells, constantly living in fear of execution the moment they broke a law. Kyoraku becoming Head Captain had been the best thing to ever happen to the Soul Society, but Toshiro wasn't about to tell him that. Perhaps he'd wait until his retirement too.
Suddenly Toshiro sensed a pair of eyes looking his way from across the table, and he glanced up to see one very beautiful lieutenant watching him. He was surprised when she didn't look away instantly and even more so when she offered him a small smile. He couldn't help but return the smile shyly, warmth spreading rapidly through his chest. For the second time that evening, the dragon within him rumbled contentedly.
"Rukia is a very beautiful woman," Ukitake whispered in his ear having noticed the exchange, "You two would make a fine couple."
The prodigy's face heated instantly, "I- n-no, that's not what I was-"
"Relax, Kid," Kyoraku leaned over his other side, "Do you still have that magazine I gave you? There are lots of great tips in there."
Toshiro's cheeks flushed even brighter as he recalled the so-called 'tips', and Kyoraku laughed heartily beside him, already knowing the answer to his question. Ukitake swatted his friend's arm playfully and they both continued to grin down at him in amusement. Toshiro groaned and stared at his dumpling soup which was slowly growing cold on him – not that he minded the cold, even in his food.
"If you have feelings for her, you need to let her know," Ukitake continued seriously, "I think you'd be surprised."
What did he mean by that? Did he know something? Toshiro glanced at the sickly man questioningly, but the man only smiled before turning to look fondly at his lieutenant across the table. Toshiro turned too and saw the younger Kuchiki finishing up a rather personal-looking conversation with her friend, Renji Abarai.
The young prodigy sighed, ignoring the knowing glances being exchanged by the two older men either side of him. He was glad that they decided to drop the topic as the entrees were cleared and the second course was place in front of them. They ate and drank, the food was impeccable and even though Toshiro wasn't a fan of wine or alcohol in general, each sip of his drink tasted better than the last, and soon Kyoraku was topping up his glass from a bottle on the table.
He wasn't getting drunk, he was hardly even tipsy, but the wine relaxed him a little and allowed his confidence to grow. He continued to steal glances at Rukia as she ate and ate and ate. He had grinned to himself at one point as he noticed that the young noble was still eating after everyone else, and eventually he noticed her visibly trying to restrain herself from continuing. So, the girl could eat then. Toshiro liked a girl who ate well; it was a refreshing change from when he used to go to lunch with Momo and the girl would only order a salad and spurt nonsense about needing to 'look skinny for Aizen-Sama'. Rangiku was in the middle somewhere; she didn't eat as much as Rukia but she ate a hell of a lot more than Momo, she also tended to only eat junk food, which he promised her was going to go to her thighs once it had stopped going to her boobs.
Eventually, the last course was cleared by the quick and quiet group of waiters, and all of their drinks were topped up for the toast.
Kyoraku tapped a stray spoon against the side of his wine glass, calling everyone's attention and silencing the room. The Head Captain stood in all his glory, the bright pink of his kimono standing out across the table. He raised his glass and everyone mimicked his movement.
"To Ukitake," He announced, grinning down at his friend, "May you have a long and joyous retirement."
He threw back his head and swallowed the contents of his glass, the rest of the room copying the action. Well Toshiro only took a sip, because he didn't want to let his guard down too much with Rangiku around alcohol, especially with the second part of the feast about to start.
"Now, onto the proper part of the feast," Kyoraku continued, his voice rising in excitement, "Bring on the alcohol!"
On his command, the lights dimmed to a more flattering shade, and the music started back up, much more upbeat now than the songs they had heard on arrival. Everyone stood and moved away from the table – most to flood the bar looking for new and stronger drinks. Toshiro straightened his kimono and was hoping to find Rangiku before she could cause too much trouble. Just as he thought of her, his busty lieutenant appeared in front of him holding out a glass of wine.
"Here, Captain," Rangiku pushed the glass into his hand with a smile, "I know you don't like wine very much, but this one is a bit sweeter."
"I don't think I'll drink any more tonight, Matsumoto," Toshiro sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "I think you should slow down too."
"You should have a little fun tonight, Sir," She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Ukitake is always telling you to, and tonight is his night, so humour him."
Her words spoke deep to him; it was one of Ukitake's requests for him to have fun. He supposed there could be no harm in having just one or two more drinks. He nodded at his lieutenant who grinned happily at him before walking away. His eyes followed her back to Rukia's side and noticed how she gave the young lieutenant the other wine in her hand that Toshiro had just automatically assumed to be her own.
And then a bad thought struck the prodigy.
Rangiku had been very keen for him to keep drinking, practically shoving the glass into his hand and using his honour to get him drinking for the Ukitake's sake. She was a smart woman and she knew the prodigy well; her words had been powerful and she would have known it. She might as well have pinned Toshiro down and poured the liquid down his throat.
He sighed; so Rangiku wanted him drunk. Why? Was this another SWA prank? Surely she wouldn't dare knowing her job would be on the line with one more stunt like that. That meant she was probably genuinely trying to help him, and honestly, that thought was even scarier, because Rangiku didn't have a good idea about what things help situations and what things don't. Alcohol usually didn't help, despite her glorifying the substance to be some sort of cure for absolutely everything. Still, the woman couldn't have expected him to get drunk off one glass and it would be hard for her to convince him three or so more times since he was very aware of his limit when it came to alcohol, which meant that she must have-
Oh no…
Suspicious, Toshiro raised the glass to his nose and inhaled the scent of the wine. He couldn't pin point anything other than the sweet aroma of the grapes, so he brought the glass to his lips, took a deep breath and tipped it back. He only allowed the smallest amount to enter his mouth, and when he swallowed he knew instantly that it was not just wine in this glass; it had been spiked. If his glass had been spiked, then it was likely that-
Rukia.
Toshiro flash stepped instantly to the ebony haired woman's side, clutching her arm and pulling it and the drink in her hand away from her mouth, but the glass was already two thirds empty. His eyes found Rangiku's instantly and the woman looked around as if completely ignorant to the happenings in front of her.
"What did you put in them, Matsumoto?" He barked as the devil woman continued to look innocent.
Rukia's brother was there in a second and he pulled the glass out of Rukia's loosening grip before smelling it and turning to glare at Rangiku as well. Toshiro watched through concerned eyes as Rukia's pupils went in out of focus and her cheeks grew red. She swayed a little on the spot and Toshiro kept a steady hold on her; he would not see her fall.
As if noticing the commotion, the Head Captain appeared out of nowhere, casually slinging an arm over her neck and Toshiro was forced to let her go as she stumbled a little into the brunette man's chest. She glanced up at him fondly.
"You're a much better Head Captain than the last Head Captain."
Kyoraku chuckled and Toshiro scowled at the slur in her voice, promptly moving to Rangiku's side, gripping her wrist tightly before she could escape. In the background, he could hear Byakuya trying to get permission to take his little sister home but Kyoraku was in full party mode now, and nobody leaves his party until he says so, which is basically never.
"What the fuck were you thinking?" Toshiro hissed at his lieutenant, fury flowing through his blood.
"I just thought that-"
"No, Matsumoto!" Toshiro growled, his voice growing a little louder, "You didn't think! You never think these things through! You don't know what might have happened to her."
"I would have kept an eye on her," Rangiku defended, but Toshiro had stopped listening.
Rukia had been left unattended, muttering something about her head and pointing vaguely in the direction of the back door. She took a shaky step forward and almost tripped; Toshiro rushed forward to catch her and steadied her once more. He looked around the room and spotted Byakuya still in a heated discussion with the Head Captain, clearly still being denied permission to leave with his sister.
"I'll take her outside until Captain Kuchiki can get permission to leave," Toshiro told Rangiku, his voice stern and unrelenting, "Then we'll be having a talk, Matsumoto."
He ignored the frown Rukia sent his way before leading her outside. They exited the hall and immediately the cold of winter hit them but neither shivered; pure white snow was thick and untouched on the ground below them.
"Don't be too mad with her," Rukia giggled, "She means well."
"Sometimes I wish she'd mean well in other ways," He replied with an exasperated sigh.
He really didn't know what he was going to do with Rangiku; this was the second time in a just over a week that she'd over stepped her bounds. Yes, she did usually mean well, but more often than not, people got hurt, or embarrassed… or drunk.
"Hey now," Rukia called his attention back, poking him hard in the ribs and then giggling when he glared half-heartedly at her, "You need to loosen up."
So he had been told.
Rukia dropped clumsily into a sitting position in the snow with a satisfied sigh. He watched with mild apprehension as she laid back and stretched out, but he suddenly found himself restraining a grin as she began to move her arms and legs in an effort to make a snow angel, although the angel's legs were severely restricted by her tight kimono. He let a smile form on his face a little at Rukia's playful nature, and adored how she could sit in the snow happily and without shivering. An ice wielder and winter lover, just like him; the one thing that usually isolated him from everyone else was the biggest thing that connected Rukia to him, and he loved that. Finally, someone who understood his love for the cold, and appreciated its beauty.
The black haired woman sat up and turned to look down at her angel shape with a mad grin, causing Toshiro to reflect her expression and his spiritual pressure to spike a little, copying hers.
"What's going on with that?" Rukia asked, waving her arms between them like some sort of interpretive dancer.
"With what?"
"The reiatsu thing," Her hand gestures becoming wilder, "The spiritual connection whatever- …How come it never happened to us before? Like when we were in the World of the Living on that mission together?"
"It's likely it was activated by that kiss," He answered, trying to shrug it off like the kiss was just an everyday occurrence, but in his mind, it was one of the greatest experiences of his life – up until she had pulled away and left without a second thought, of course – and when he looked at her, he fought the strong urge to cup her cheek and guide their lips back together for a second round.
"Mmmm," she hummed, her eyes focusing out once again, "That was a good kiss."
Toshiro's jaw dropped immediately at Rukia's surprising words. She had enjoyed the kiss? Was this real? He tried to appear neutral but his mind was going in to overdrive. Why had she run away and avoided him for the following week? Surely she meant he words, because as Rangiku often said, 'drunk words are sober thoughts'. Did it possibly mean that if he tried to kiss her now, she would kiss him back?
"What is that?" Rukia asked quickly, glancing over his shoulder with a mildly panicked expression.
Toshiro whipped around to face whatever it was, mentally preparing to enter battle without his zanpakuto, which was sitting safely in his quarters. He frowned when he saw nothing and suddenly, something cold and wet hit the back of his head. He knew without looking that Rukia had just thrown a snowball at him, and he turned to face her with an amused expression.
She was gathering another snowball in her lap and grinning manically at him. Slowly she got to her feet and he was relieved to see the fresh air had helped her feel better enough to at least stand steady.
"Oh no," her voice drawled teasingly, "The Icy Captain has been challenged. How embarrassing to be beaten in your own element, Captain…"
Toshiro smirked, and decided to play along. He might even satisfy Ukitake's demand that he have more fun, or at the very least, he would get to have a snowball fight with someone of the same element as him and therefore probably a decent opponent. Although the alcohol and dress would certainly restrict her speed, Rukia would still be much more of a challenge than Momo had been as a kid. He recalled the girl not being able to throw more than one snowball because her hands would become too cold.
"You have no idea, Lieutenant Kuchiki…" Toshiro let his smirk grow and his voice lower challengingly, "… With whom you are messing."
Instantly, the both leaped away from each other in a quick flash step. Toshiro knew that Rukia was already armed, so he needed to up his speed and gather his own ammunition quick smart. He landed with a skid that he hoped made him look cool, and used his powers to draw the snow up into his hands, automatically forming perfect white balls. He had three in mere seconds and crouched in fighting stance, ready to show Rukia how the pros do it.
The competitive side of him wanted to destroy her, but the more intelligent and caring side told him to take it a little easier, especially while she was in this state. He threw the first one and it grazed her ear as she moved out of its way. Toshiro had anticipated her speed perfectly, knowing that she'd only just get out of the way in time. He didn't allow her much time before throwing his second one, this time aiming for her ribs but it hit her arm as she moved again behind the thick trunk of a blossom tree. He had her speed spot on but her agility was better than he had expected, and he wanted to make her dance some more as her body twisted gracefully and rather alluringly in the tight kimono.
The third snowball was launched with more strength; Toshiro felt confident that Rukia could get back behind the blossom tree that she was currently sticking her head out the side off. She yelped, jumping back and the ball shattered hard against the thick bark. He quickly made a fourth ball and threw that too, this time having no mercy as she tried to run out from behind the tree. The lieutenant only just managed to cover her face with her arm as the icy ball hit her. Toshiro chuckled, satisfied with the results so far.
"I can't run in this kimono," Rukia hissed quietly causing Toshiro to laugh some more.
"What was it you said, Kuchiki?" Toshiro teased, flash stepping behind her, "That you'd beat me in my own element?"
Rukia flash stepped away from him quickly before he had the chance to form another snowball.
"If your lieutenant had not spiked my drink…" the pretty woman slurred a little, reminding Toshiro that she was still quite drunk, "… I would not be making this so easy for you."
"Are you always prone to excuses?" He continued to try provoke her, but he'd slowed down his movements.
She finally threw her first ball since the official battle had begun, and it was a sloppy and slow ball that he dodged with an easy side-step. In a flash of black and white Rukia disappeared, reappearing much closer to him; Toshiro narrowly escaped the snowball that was launched at his face and he felt a sharp cold brush against his cheek. Well. Maybe he didn't need to slow down for her at all. With that in mind, he flash stepped away again.
Things were getting serious now, and Toshiro loved every minute of it. He couldn't remember having this much fun in a very long time.
He heard Rukia giggle as she moved towards the blossom tree once more, glancing around for him. Toshiro decided to make his presence known and appeared off her left side. He anticipated her next move quickly, catching the snowball hurled at his face. He used his powers again to combine the snow rapidly into a much bigger ball before throwing it back at her. The prodigy smirked as it shattered against her shoulder and her eyes began to darken competitively.
"That's it, it's on now," She practically growled, shuffling a little in her tight kimono.
Toshiro found her determined expression and her somewhat murderous look to be incredibly sexy… like push her up against the tree and ravish her sexy. He managed to retrain himself, of course; he wasn't an animal. However, in the back of his mind, he was reminded vaguely of one of Kyoraku's old tips. The flirty former captain of the Eighth had told him, "Marry a girl who looks sexy when she's mad." This was largely due to him always being in trouble with his lieutenant and other ladies; he needed to find angry sexy otherwise he'd never see them any other way.
Hearing the distinctive sound of fabric ripping apart, Toshiro looked back to see Rukia tearing the side of her dress almost all the way up to her hip bone. The prodigy's face heated up instantly as he saw the outside of her pale thigh.
"R-Rukia!" He exclaimed, taking off towards her.
He skidded a bit in the snow and reached for her hands to stop her ripping her kimono any more, but he'd had too much momentum behind him and accidently knocked Rukia back. In her drunken state as well as being on the icy surface, Rukia had slipped out from under her feet. She had reached out for him and he'd tried to catch her, but in the end, he just tumbled on top of her.
Shit, he panicked, leaning back to look at the woman below him. She was physically fine, which Toshiro was very relieved about, but he also became aware of just how close he was to her and how his hips had fallen between her legs. This was a very similar position to one he seemed to see in his magazine a lot, and the reminder caused his cheeks to flush.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Rukia was staring intently at him and he felt her spiritual pressure begin to wrap gently around his own. Their power mingled like they'd known each other for years – which they had, but not nearly to this extent of closeness – and Toshiro could feel that force building again, the one that had pushed their bodies up against each other in the chamber last week.
"I'm sorry," He apologized after she nodded to his previous question, and tried to get up but he found himself unable to; Rukia's hands were wrapped in his kimono.
He looked into her eyes and saw a strange emotion and then the next thing he knew, she was pulling him down again, their lips crushing together. It felt so good, and even their zanpakutos agreed in an explosion of power. Toshiro wanted to lose control but he remembered how they got into this situation in the first place, and he knew he simply couldn't take advantage of her in this way; it was not who he was and he wasn't about to take something from Rukia that she might not necessary want to give.
"I-I can't," He pulled back and tried to get his breathing under control, "You've had your drink spiked, it would be improper-"
Rukia's arms were on his back and pulling him back down, passion and desire in her intense violet eyes.
"Shut up and kiss me," She growled again, meeting his lips halfway.
Toshiro tried to pull back again, convincing himself that this was not okay for him to do to a beautiful lieutenant, but as her hands stroked up and down his back, his restraints crumbled and he melted into the kiss powerlessly. As he let his lips move against hers hungrily, all his concerns evaporated. She was kissing him again, and this time she was wasn't pulling back or doing it just to get out of a locked room.
Drunk words are sober thoughts. Did that apply to drunk actions too? We're they built on sober desires?
He really hoped so because as Rukia's legs spread wider beneath him as her hands continued to explore his back and Toshiro knew he would want to do this again and again and probably for the rest of his life, but for that, he needed Rukia. If the feel of her spiritual pressure embracing him and caressing his body gently was anything to go by, the lieutenant definitely wanted to be there with him in the moment.
Testing his confidence, Toshiro shyly allowed his tongue to swipe along her bottom lip, desperately asking her to grant him access. She did instantly and the prodigy pushed his tongue inside her mouth, eager to taste everything about her. A throaty moan tore from the lieutenant's lips and Toshiro felt an instant hardness in his pants. That was the most incredible sound he'd ever heard, and he wondered what it would sound like if next time she moaned his name.
Her tongue met his and they stroked each other between mouths in a kind of romantic dance. Rukia broke away for air but her hands kept holding him close so Toshiro took the opportunity he'd spent half the night thinking about and latched his lips onto the side of her neck. The skin there was just as soft and lush as he had been imagining, but better because it was no longer his imagination. He kissed and allowed his tongue to explore her throat. He wanted to suck on the skin a little too, but he knew that if he did that, he'd leave a bruise-like mark and he didn't want people to see it and begin making assumptions about her, especially as she took over a whole division.
His mouth returned to hers but he slowed it down, taking his time to show her how much he cared and how he felt. He wasn't great with words, but actions he could work with. He doubted she was taking in the meaning behind it all now, but he hoped in the morning she would remember this moment and understand what he was trying to tell her.
Her legs spread even further apart and the prodigy shifted, his arousal pressing against her firmly. He wanted to move, to grind against her until they both came undone. It was a primal instinct but he'd also seen pictures of it in his magazine and in movie scenes from his time spent with Rangiku in the World of the Living. He decided to save it though, for a night when Rukia wasn't drunk and when he knew how she really felt about him.
One of his hands cupped her cheeks instinctively and he felt her nip at his bottom lip gently, drawing it into her mouth. Toshiro was about to follow it up with some more tongue work but then-
"Sorry to interrupt."
Toshiro pushed himself up faster than he'd ever moved in his life and he was glad Rukia had let go of him because with his new rush of speed and strength, he would have brought her up with him, still pressed flush against his body.
Byakuya Kuchiki stood dominant and powerful, his expression extremely unimpressed. Toshiro took another timid step back. He noticed Rangiku was also there, but unlike her company, she looked very pleased and almost a little proud, but whether she was proud of his actions or just proud that her drink spiking had been put to good use, he wasn't sure. Maybe she actually thought she was going to be let off the hook for her disobedience?
"Rukia, we now have permission to leave," Byakuya announced, and Toshiro quickly returned to Rukia's side to help her back up onto shaky feet. He decided it was best to keep holding onto her hand for the time being, although Byakuya eyed it before spotting the large tear in the kimono, "What happened to your dress?"
A warning glare was sent his way and Toshiro shook his head and opened his mouth to explain, but Rukia beat him to it.
"I did it myself, Nii-Sama, I am sorry," She explained quickly, and Toshiro realised her hand was still holding his as much as he was holding hers, "We had a snowball fight and I couldn't run in the dress, the Captain here tried to stop me… It's how we ended up in the snow."
"Was that why your reiatsu was flailing all over the place?" Rangiku asked curiously, although her face suggested she was more amused than anything.
Toshiro glared at her and mouthed the word, 'don't'. She shut her mouth, instantly knowing he was getting pushed far with his emotions right now.
"Come Rukia, let me get you home," Byakuya called for his sister.
He sent Toshiro a look; it was almost challenging and Toshiro was confused until he saw the very quick flicker of the nobleman's eyes to their still linked hands and back up. It was clearly a please-let-go-of-my-little-sister-now look, although Toshiro imagined the request was not as politely spoken in Byakuya's mind. Rukia moved towards her brother and Toshiro let their hands separate only when she was literally too far to touch him without him following her. He held back on his desire to do so once again, just appreciating that the Squad Six Captain had let him live another day after ravishing his sister in the snow.
The two Kuchiki's walked away from the hall, but Rukia glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled that same warm little smile that she'd sent him over dinner that eventing. Toshiro followed her with his eyes until they were out of sight, silently praying he'd get another chance to be with her again like that.
He turned to Rangiku who was analysing him with her eyes, and he immediately had to look away. He didn't want her to see his emotions right now because he knew she could read them effortlessly after all their years together.
"Come, Matsumoto," Toshiro murmured, "Let's go home."
…
They arrived back at the division barracks sometime after midnight. The walk had been long and quiet, and Toshiro had been very grateful for Rangiku's silence as he tried to process the events of the evening and the emotions that tagged along with it. The Squad Ten leaders moved in and out of hallways until they reached his living quarters; he'd known Rangiku was planning to follow him in since they had passed her door some time ago and she walked right past it without a second thought.
He unlocked his door and moved into the main living space, leaving Rangiku to close the door behind her. Toshiro collapsed face down onto the nearest couch, and laid there motionlessly. Minutes passed and soon enough he heard Rangiku setting a mug of tea in front of him and then he recognised the familiar feel of her weight settling beside his feet.
"Are you ready to talk about it?" She asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his calf.
Toshiro sighed; not really, but he felt like he needed to get some of this out before he burst. He sat up slowly, reaching forward for the tea and bringing it to his lips to blow on gently. The genius and prodigy stared hard at his mug; the hardest part was the first sentence and he just had to say it.
"I like Rukia," He exhaled shakily.
Rangiku nodded, urging him to continue.
"She's just… she is perfection," Toshiro looked away, feeling the heat in his cheeks, "But we can't be together. She's a noble, I'm not, and I doubt Captain Kuchiki will give her permission to see me again after tonight."
"Don't be so sure," Rangiku scolded him lightly, "You're a great man, Captain, better than most nobles."
"I don't think it's going to matter," he replied, clenching his jaw in an effort to swallow down the feelings rising into his chest, "I'm not even sure she likes me."
The busty strawberry blond scoffed and Toshiro turned to face her, her expression highly amused.
"Um, weren't you just making out in the snow with her?"
"She was drunk, remember."
"And I'm sorry again about that."
"You didn't apologise in the first place."
"The point is," Rangiku clicked her tongue, pushing aside the conversation that would surely have resulted in her receiving punishment for spiking his and Rukia's drinks, "Her hands were all over you and even I could feel the way her spiritual pressure was trying to fuse with yours. That sort of thing doesn't happen unless there is serious attraction involved."
"Well I'll believe it when she kisses me sober," Toshiro frowned, "And not locked in a room with no other escape."
Rangiku had the decency to look guilty before the prodigy looked away from her again. He had a nervous weight in his chest; he liked Rukia and there was a fair chance she felt something for him too. Tomorrow he was going to march right over to Squad Six and talk man to man with Byakuya. He was going to ask permission to ask Rukia on a date – at least, once he was done apologising for shaming their noble family in the snow in front of the prestigious Oiwai Hall – and then, if he survived, he was going to track Rukia down and find out what she really wanted.
…
;)
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