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…
Chapter Three: Not at all nervous
Toshiro tilted his head to the side, confused by the sight he was seeing.
Thick snow covered the entire ground as well as the tall alpine mountains surrounding the valley, and a frozen lake twisted around hundreds of flowerless cherry blossom trees. A cold breeze filtered through from the north, and he felt Hyorinmaru hum in satisfaction; the great dragon recognised his home.
Toshiro was in his inner world, he was sure of it, but there were a couple of notable differences. For one, he had never seen so many cherry blossom trees in his personal sanctuary before. Secondly, there was a house that definitely had not been there the last time he checked.
The lone cottage sat in the centre of the valley, facing towards the widest part of the lake. It should have looked out of place in the otherwise uninhabited and completely natural landscape, but for some reason, it looked like it had been there for years and the land had somehow moulded around it accordingly. The lights were on inside and smoke wafted peacefully out of the chimney. Toshiro frowned; this was his world, nobody else should be here, but as he walked uncertainly towards the traditional style home, the sound of a child squealing playfully rung in his ears.
The young prodigy quickened his pace and rounded the back of the house. He stopped dead in his tracks. People. There were actually people in his inner world. That was impossible!
He saw the child; a young girl, no older than perhaps five or six human years, skating effortlessly over his lake, completing perfect jumps and pirouettes that ought to be well above her skill. She had long wavy snow white hair and flawless pale skin. Toshiro felt his heart skip a beat; she looked like him. He couldn't see her eyes but if they were teal he was going to freak out, because she could very well be a younger sister that he never knew he had.
"Mum!" the girl called back to the house, "Watch this!"
The girl picked up her speed before digging the toe of her skate into the ice and launching herself into the air while spinning. She impressively landed back on the ice without falling over and Toshiro almost clapped.
But then some clapped for him. Toshiro whipped around to face the front porch of the cottage and identify the perpetrator. His jaw dropped. It was Rukia – but perhaps ten human years older than she was now; her hair was much longer, her face more mature and her eyes held a sort of wisdom that only came from age. She was wearing her standard black soul reaper uniform, but now with a long sleeved Captain's haori over the top, the Japanese symbol for '13' visible on her back between long strands of ebony hair.
She looked powerful and stunning.
"Well done, Sweetie," Rukia called out to the girl who continued glide across the ice gracefully.
Toshiro blanched; was Rukia the little girl's mother? If she was, then who was the-
"I can't believe she's still out there," a deep voice chuckled, and Toshiro's eyes almost burst from their sockets.
It was himself that had talked, but not from the body he was currently watching the scene in. There was another Toshiro, and he was standing under the threshold of the front door, smirking as he also watched the young girl skate.
Toshiro stared – from a third person perspective – as the other him stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Rukia's waist from behind, pressing a gentle kiss against her neck. This new version of Toshiro was older just as Rukia was, looking exactly as he did in his matured bankai form, but without the all the ice armour. He stood tall and proud, still wearing the Squad Ten haori – although it was finally in an adult size.
"She's your daughter, Toshiro," Rukia grinned, tilting her head a little to let the older Toshiro continue to kiss her neck, "She gets it from you."
"Excuse me, I am not the only ice wielding parent here," Older Toshiro chuckled, straightening up and propping his chin on to the raven haired woman's crown, "Like mother, like daughter, I believe."
Toshiro – the real one – felt his heart beat dangerously fast and his lungs struggled to keep up with his body's oxygen demand. He was a father. Well not him him, but older him; future him? And Rukia was the mother of his child. The young prodigy squinted his eyes at the couple and spotted matching white gold rings on their left hands. They were married too?!
Toshiro thought he might faint.
How was all of this possible? How was he even seeing this? It couldn't be real. Surely not. This was his inner world for a start, nobody but he could visit this place.
"Who are you?"
The little captain turned sharply to face the voice and saw the young girl from the lake – his daughter, apparently – staring at him curiously. Her white hair was even brighter up close, but her eyes weren't teal, they were an amazing shade of violet.
Toshiro took a step towards the young girl, his hand reaching out to her tentatively. His foot slipped in the snow and he clenched his eyes instinctively as he fell. Opening them up again, Toshiro found that he wasn't in his inner world at all; he wasn't even in the snow.
He was in bed.
The whole thing had been a dream; a very vivid, very memorable dream.
…
"Are you going to see Captain Kuchiki today?"
"Yes."
"To ask permission to take Rukia on a date?"
"Yes."
"And if he agrees, you're going straight to Rukia to ask her out?"
"Yes."
"Are you nervous?"
"No."
"Why have you been standing in front of the door like a statute for the past ten minutes then?"
"…"
"…"
"… Get back to work, Matsumoto."
The Captain of Squad Ten heard his lieutenant giggle from her desk as he stood with his back to her in front of the closed office door, his hand frozen on the handle.
Open it. Nothing bad could happen just by opening the door.
Toshiro coaxed his fingers back to life and slowly he slid the door to the left, revealing the empty corridor outside. Now all he had to do was take a big step out of the office followed by another and another and several more until he arrived at the Sixth Division.
Move legs. Nothing bad could happen just by moving his legs.
Rangiku was laughing harder now, and Toshiro scowled. He felt his foot rise off the ground and step forward, planting firmly back on the wooden floorboards, and then the other followed suit. It was weird; he could see his legs walking but they didn't feel like his own. He walked out of his division barracks, trying to smile at his soldiers as he passed them but his face hurt and they looked at him strangely before dropping into their respectful bows.
Was he nervous about going to see Byakuya? No. No, no, no. Of course not. That would be silly. He'd only made out with his little sister… while she was drunk… in the snow… while she was wearing a ripped dress… at a very important Gotei Thirteen event. Well… perhaps he was a little, tiny, itty bitty bit – he wouldn't say nervous, more… mildly apprehensive.
Hyorinmaru's sheath grew ice cold against his clothed spine as the legendary dragon zanpakuto spirit tried to ease his mind.
'Relax, Master,' the dragon rumbled in the back of his mind, 'Senbonzakura's wielder is a fair man; he will give a chance to prove yourself a worthy partner for his sister.'
'I am not a noble,' Toshiro thought back bitterly; he'd never cared about the Soul Society's class system until now.
'Neither was Captain Kuchiki's wife,' the dragon replied, amusement in his deep, resonating voice, 'and neither was Rukia once upon a time.'
Sometimes Toshiro forgot that Rukia had once been every bit the poor street kid he'd been. She'd found Renji, and he'd found Granny and Momo; all of them had managed to survive through the poverty fortunately, and had all gone on to become successful Soul Reapers, with the exception of Granny, of course. He didn't see how Rukia's past made a difference to his situation though; she was a Kuchiki now and the noble rules applied, it was as simple as that.
'Be brave, young Master,' Hyorinmaru murmured, 'Think of her, think of how much you want to be with her and her brother will see that.'
'Yes, okay,' Toshiro breathed, nodding his head in silent self-encouragement; he could do this.
'Yes, you can, Master,' Hyorinmaru chuckled deeply, 'and then the next step is to simply ask Shirayuki out.'
Toshiro paused mid step.
'… Shirayuki?'
'Rukia,' the great dragon corrected quickly, 'I meant Rukia – Sode no Shirayuki's wielder.'
The Captain frowned, mentally opening his mouth to retort but then snapping it shut again with a shake of his head. He took a slow step forward before gradually building up speed towards Squad Six.
'We're coming back to that,' Toshiro stated, trying to hide the smile in his voice; it seemed he wasn't the only one with a crush on a beautiful ice princess.
The dragon didn't reply after that, retreating into the recesses of Toshiro's mind once more.
He walked steadily through the Seireitei, passing a couple of the other squads. Squad Ten and Squad Six were actually situated next to each other but Toshiro had decided to take the scenic/longest possible route to get there. Most of the division barracks looked the same, with the exception of the hospital style Squad Four and the industrial laboratory style Squad Twelve, but were easily identified by their gates and their flags. The gates always had the squad number painted on them in black, and the flagpoles in the front courtyard always displayed the squad flower emblem, usually on the background of the division's colour. For example, Squad Ten's flagpole proudly displayed their yellow daffodil on a background of forest green. So, when the Squad Six insignia – a white camellia on a cobalt blue background – came into view, Toshiro's hands became clammy with nerves, but it wasn't until he was standing at the wide wooden gates – an intimidatingly big Japanese '6' painted on the doors – that his nerves really kicked in.
Breathe. Nothing bad could happen just by breathing.
Taking a deep breath, the prodigy entered the division of Byakuya Kuchiki. The inside of the squad barracks was almost identical to his own, especially in regards to how the soldiers behaved. They were well disciplined, hard-working, and trained to recognise the captain's haori and bow immediately, even if it wasn't their own captain walking by. They were the values that both he and Byakuya had drilled into their officers, the only two exceptions being their lieutenants, although Renji was definitely better controlled than Rangiku was.
Toshiro followed the path he'd take to his office if it was his own squad, since most division barracks had similar layouts. He had no trouble in finding the door that read:
Squad Six
Captain: Byakuya Kuchiki
Lieutenant: Renji Abarai
Administrative Office
Toshiro breathed again. He could just feel Byakuya's spiritual pressure on the other side of the door and the noble man seemed to be calm at present.
Knock. Nothing bad could happen just by knocking.
He raised his fist to the door and clenched his eyes shut, inhaling sharply. He knocked in three quick beats and opened his eyes, taking a step back from the door.
"Enter," Byakuya's smooth voice drawled.
Enter. Nothing bad could happen just by entering the office.
Toshiro started to feel like his self-encouraging words were getting less and less believable.
With another deep breath, Toshiro raised a shaky hand to the door and slid it to the right. He stepped inside the office and Byakuya eyed him from the desk, gently placing his ink brush down and sitting back in his seat.
"Captain Hitsugaya," Byakuya greeted him evenly with a respectful nod of his head.
Toshiro copied the move, "Captain Kuchiki."
"Please sit," the noble said, gesturing to couches in the centre of the room; they were exactly the same as the ones Toshiro had in his office, but he doubted Renji ever napped on them in front of his boss.
The young prodigy entertained the request, closing the office door behind him and moving promptly to sit on one of the couches. Byakuya joined him on the opposite couch after a few minutes and placed an elegant tea cup on a matching saucer in front of him. The black haired man swept his sleeve out of the way and began to pour them both some steaming green tea out of a very fancy tea pot. Toshiro's office didn't have those; he had only chipped mugs – all of which had been presents from Rangiku over the years – and a disturbing about of sake cups. He quietly thanked the other captain for the tea and tried to not let the tremor in his hands show as he lifted the tea cup and it's saucer up off the table.
"May I ask what brings you here today, Hitsugaya?" Byakuya asked, his face expressionless as always.
Like he didn't know, Toshiro scoffed internally, but kept his face impassive to match his company.
Speak. Nothing bad could happen just by speaking his mind.
Now his thoughts of self-encouragement were getting downright ridiculous.
"Firstly, I wanted to apologise for my actions last night," Toshiro bowed his head to show his remorse, "I should not have taken advantage of your sister like that, I… I respect her very much, and it was not my intention to bring shame to her or your family."
There was a brief pause of silence, but Toshiro kept his head down; he'd been taught to do so until his apology had been accepted. Granny had been very strict about it.
"Rukia tells me it was her who made the first move," Byakuya said at last, "Is this correct?"
"It is true," the smaller captain admitted rather reluctantly; he hoped Rukia was not in too much trouble with her brother, "However, I should not have given in so easily. She was under my care and I let things get out of hand. For that, I am sorry."
"Why did you then?" Byakuya asked.
Toshiro frowned; why did he what?
"I'm sorry?"
"Look at me."
Byakuya's request was firm and Toshiro raised his head to meet the noble's dark and mysterious eyes. His expression was less neutral now; he didn't look angry like Toshiro had suspected but instead his gaze swept over him curiously, as if he was trying to work out what kind of man he really was. The prodigy felt his spine straighten automatically under the analysing eye scan.
"Why did you give in so easily?" the Squad Six leader repeated more specifically, "I want the truth."
Tell him. Nothing bad could happen just by- STOP IT!
Toshiro nodded and took a deep breath; if the truth was what Byakuya wanted, than the truth he would get.
"I like Rukia," Toshiro spoke clearly, gathering up every shred of courage he had and pouring it into his voice; honestly, he'd faced Aizen's Espadas and they had scared him less, "I really like her. I think she's an incredible woman, and if you give me a chance, I'd like to get to know her better."
"Are you asking my permission to date my sister?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow at him.
"I am asking your permission to ask your sister if she would date me," Toshiro said slowly, making it clear what the difference was; in the end, it was Rukia's decision, "Or if she would at least go on one date with me…"
He added that last bit after a second thought; perhaps she'd like to go on a sort of trial date first before she committed herself to anything. Wasn't that how it worked? One takes the other out and they decide afterwards if it was worth seeing each other more regularly? Toshiro didn't really know, to be honest; the magazine didn't provide many non-sexual tips on relationship development.
Admiration flickered briefly in the stoic Sixth Division Captain's eyes, and the raven haired man leant back against the couch, his expression thoughtful.
Several beats of silence passed as the older man regarded Toshiro, and the little captain sat still, hoping to appear very patient while awaiting a response, despite the fact his fingernails were digging dangerously into his skin through his hakama pants.
"You are a good man, Captain Hitsugaya," Byakuya finally broke the silence, his tone of voice much more final and decisive, "You have shown respect, and I hope you will always show Rukia that."
The message was clear; it wasn't 'I hope you respect my sister', but actually 'you will respect my sister'. There was to be no debate, no challenge and no room for error. Toshiro didn't need to consider it; he knew he'd always treat Rukia with the upmost respect- Wait!
Did he… Did he just…
Toshiro blinked several times uncomprehendingly; did Byakuya just grant him permission to pursue Rukia?
Yes, he did. It wasn't explicitly said but the implication was there.
"Oh I, um-" the famed genius suddenly found his tongue tied, "Th-thank you, Sir."
He bowed low, and suddenly realised how stupid he'd just looked; they were the same rank – equals in the eyes of all Soul Reapers and here Toshiro was bowing like an unseated officer and calling him 'Sir.' He sat up quickly and ignored the rare flash of amusement in the older captain's eyes, his expression otherwise perfectly impassive.
Thankfully Toshiro was saved from further embarrassment as a loud knock rung from the other side of the door.
"Enter," Byakuya called, turning his attention to the Squad Four Soul Reaper suddenly bowing in front of him.
"Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hitsugaya," the young officer greeted them both before turning to face the taller captain, "Sir, I have been sent by Captain Kotetsu to inform you that your lieutenant, Renji Abarai, has been admitted to Squad Four for treatment."
"Treatment for what?" Byakuya questioned the messenger, frowning deeply.
"Frost bite and hypothermia, Sir," the officer answered promptly, "He was found encased in a block of ice."
A beat of surprised silence passed as both of the captains processed the words. After a short moment, Byakuya turned his gaze on Toshiro once again, his eyes clearly asking if he'd done it, which would make sense given the prodigy's powers. The white haired captain shook his head slowly; he didn't know anything about it… he hadn't even seen the tall tattooed lieutenant on his way in.
Another beat of silence passed as Toshiro and Byakuya both came to the same conclusion. The older captain sighed, slightly exasperated, and the small Squad Ten Captain had to purse his lips together to keep from chuckling.
"Rukia," they murmured together.
…
Toshiro entered the large open gates of Squad Thirteen and was pleased to see every single one of the division's soldiers working hard on Rukia's first official day of taking over the squad; he knew how hard it could be, even if only one subordinate spoke out. Many had when he'd taken over from Captain Shiba, believing he was too young and inexperienced to lead their squad – some had even transferred out of the Tenth – and it had made his first day so much harder. Fortunately, Rukia was more approachable, liked by everyone and a strong leader; it had him feel proud to see her doing so well, although he was definitely going to have to ask her why she wasn't taking on a captain's role.
The prodigy found himself at the office in no time at all, and although the nerves were tingling back up his spine, he was more of an excited type of anxious than anything. He could feel the familiar cold of her spiritual pressure and he almost considered reaching out to her with his own before knocking. He really hoped that Rukia's enthusiasm last night was built upon real – and sober – feelings she might have held for him. He took a steading breath, and knocked on the door.
A couple of muffled banging noises sounded from the other side of the door and then Rukia's familiar voice called out to him to enter, although it almost an octave higher than normal. Frowning a little and sliding back the door, Toshiro saw Rukia hastily mopping up a fallen ink pot on her desk, her cheeks dusted in a deep shade of red. Behind her, the desk chair was lying on its back on the office floor.
He raised an inquisitive eye brow at the young lieutenant; when Rangiku got that ruffled it was usually because she was trying to hide something from him – usually a sake bottle or her own 'special' magazine.
"Rukia," He tilted his head questioningly, secretly enjoying the sight and also the new freedom of using her first name, "Are you alright?"
It was his favourite line to use with Rangiku, as it usually only made her more flustered.
He watched, still extremely amused, as she continued to wipe her desk with the dirty rag, although he could see quite clearly that the ink was all gone. She had glanced up at him, her gorgeous eyes skimming over him briefly.
"Oh, um yes, I-" She said, her cheeks only reddening, "I'm fine… How are you?"
Her response had been almost classic Rangiku – although she wasn't nearly as loud or dramatic – it had broken and lacked any real answer to his question, and then she'd tried to distract him with her own question. 'I'm fine' was a lie; it was always a lie. He knew it like the back of his own hand, seeing it used every day; hell, he used it himself about once a week.
Before the Squad Ten captain could answer, Rukia took a step back from her desk and – apparently forgetting about her fallen chair – stumbled over it, throwing a hand out to catch herself quickly. It had happened so fast; he'd stepped forward and reached a hand out for her automatically, despite the distance still between them, but was relieved to see her save herself from the fall, and even more thankful that she hadn't noticed the sudden flash of worry in his eyes as she bent low to pick up the chair.
As she bent over, Toshiro had a decent view of her. The way her back curved, the way her hair slid off her neck to reveal that beautiful throat that he'd ravished not twenty-four hours earlier, and the way her ass- Nope, he didn't need that thought right now; erections were extremely visible in hakama pants.
"I'm good," he drawled in response; really good actually, given the view, "I actually just came from your brother's division."
Rukia corrected the chair and slid it under the desk before meeting his eyes again, her expression surprised.
"You went to see my brother?" She asked, blinking at him owlishly, "If it was about last night, it was completely my fault. I told him that."
Her fault? Well, Toshiro knew that was extremely debatable; Rangiku had spiked her drink, and he'd knocked them over in the first place before caving very quickly to her demanding lips… He didn't like the way she frowned; 'her fault'. Had it been a 'fault' though? Was it just a drunk mistake to her? Did she regret it already? He was overthinking things, he knew, but it was his instinctive reflex.
His confidence had just taken a serious hit – not that it ever took much to bring it down. He glanced at his feet and shuffled, trying to give his best impersonation of a casual shrug.
"I know you told him it was your fault, but I should have taken better care of you," He murmured softly, "…I'm sorry for taking advantage of you."
He looked back up at her, his eyes desperately trying to seek answers. Just what did she feel about the kiss? What did she feel for him?
Rukia shook her head quickly, "You didn't take advantage of me. I kissed you… And I'm glad I did."
Rukia's tone had surprised, but her words? No, not possible. Surely he was dreaming again? He remembered seeing them – a possible future them – happy together, complete with wedding rings and a daughter.
So she had enjoyed the kiss? He watched her shuffle things on her desk as if it was the most interesting desk she'd ever seen. The words were still processing and eventually he came to the conclusion that she had just spoken the truth. Her tone had been honest, no-nonsense and to the point, and now she wasn't looking at him as she waited a response, biting her lip softly. Why were feelings so hard to discuss? Why couldn't they have included a 'how-to' type of guide about expressing romantic emotions in his magazine? To be fair, he probably wouldn't have read it – not with those distracting images.
"I'm glad you did too," He spoke up, his voice slowly picking up on his returning confidence, and he offered her a shy smile.
"So, um…" Rukia moved around the desk and sat on the corner, the distance closing between the gradually, "Did you just come here to tell me you went over to see my brother?"
He could tell she was trying to get to the original point of his visit, and he getting close to it, honestly he was, but his confidence had finally rebuilt and the way she had fiddled with the objects on her desk had reminded him of the scene he'd walked in upon entry into the office. Maybe he could stretch his visit out a little longer – why would he want to leave now anyway? She had just admitted to liking last night's snowy make out session. Perhaps there was time for a little more fun.
"Well I did see your brother to apologise first," He began, relaxing his stance a little and allowing his smile to grown visibly. "But we got a little distracted when a member from Squad Four arrived. Apparently Lieutenant Abarai had been frozen into block of ice… You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
"Oh, well yes, of course," Rukia admitted to it straight off the bat, but there was something in her eyes that told him she was nervous and reluctant to share the whole story, "Renji likes to over step his boundaries. Sometimes I have to remind him of his place. I understand that a library is not the most appropriate place to do so, but he was... but he just... pissed me off.'
A tiny groan and an embarrassed chuckle had escaped her lips, confirming to Toshiro that there was certainly much more to this story. Perhaps Renji had seen her doing something she wasn't supposed to do? But at the library? Nobody had mentioned it happening at the library and now Toshiro was very interested in what might have happened. There wasn't much trouble to be had at the library, so just what had she been up to? Rukia was a respectable soul reaper; he couldn't imagine her doing anything other than checking out some books or somethi-
Hmmmm... Interesting.
"Were you checking out a suspicious book?" Toshiro asked bluntly, "You know they have an adult section there, and Yamamoto once banned Kyoraku from checking out any of those books…"
It was a lie. Probably. Could have been true, actually, but Toshiro didn't know for sure, he was just trying to get a feel for one of the possible scenarios Rukia might have found herself in when Renji arrived.
Panic flashed through Rukia's eyes and she stammered out a broken denial, causing Toshiro to grin more.
"I was looking at a book on women's health," She mumbled at last, "D-did you just come by to- wait a minute… How do you know about the adult section? I thought they didn't let kids into those sections?"
A smirk grew on her face and her teasing voice floated around the room. Toshiro leant back on his heels, impressed by her sudden come back. He didn't believe the women's health book story for a second; it took her way too long to come up with, but he was certain it must have been similar, probably a sexual health book or something. The thought made him grin; just why now, would she be investigating that?
Intrigued but also needing to come back from her final retort, the prodigy decided to drop his questioning and defend himself. He loved the banter and it reminded him of the snowball fight; first he was winning, and then she had surprised him with a smart move, just as she had done now.
He let the snowball graze his cheek again, "Of course I know about the adult section; I have Matsumoto for a lieutenant and Kyoraku for a boss."
He was planning to win this battle too, just like he had the snowball fight – and he had won, or he would have, had the raven haired girl not begun to rip her dress off. Just as he had with the snow; he caught her ball and threw it back at her.
"And if I remember correctly, Rukia," Her name rolled off his tongue beautifully, "You kissed me even though I'm a kid to you. Are you a cradle robber, Rukia?"
He was kind of hoping this new banter-version of the snowball fight would also end in a make out session; but he'd probably have to actually ask her out first.
"All little boys should grow up eventually," She retorted, her smile only growing, "But I get it, it must be so hard for you with a lieutenant like Matsumoto mothering you all the time, some people just don't want to grow up. If I hurt your feelings I'm sure she'll cradle you back to sleep."
There was a casual little shrug at the end of her reply.
Toshiro raised his eyebrow; fuck, she was good. He fought back a laugh, but it only made the temptation to burst out in a loud, uncontrollable laughter just that more appealing. He held it back though, but his diaphragm still trembled a little, tiny shockwaves of ridiculous humour surging through his body and desperate to get free. He couldn't pull back his grin either; his cheeks were beginning to hurt but he didn't care – he hadn't found something this funny in a long time.
He ignored the Matsumoto rocking him to sleep comment; although it had actually happened before, but he didn't think Rukia needed to know that right now – it wasn't exactly a sexy image. Instead he circled back to the 'little' comment, obviously intending to dig at his possible size. He hoped she soon get to discover if it was really 'little' or not for herself.
Suddenly, he stepped forward to bridge the gap between them. He leant over her, putting his hands on the desk either side of her hips and effectively trapping her. He glanced down at her lips and back to her eyes, forcing himself to stay back, although it was hard with the heat of her body radiating against him and her sweet breath ghosted his skin.
"I think you'll find I'm very grown up," He murmured, voice low and almost purring, eyes boring into her; he saw no better time than now, "Come on a date with me and I'll show you."
She was close enough for him to simply lean forward and kiss her… but he wouldn't. He was feeling confident now but not that confident. He was still a newbie to kissing, after all; to date, he'd only had two – one with a desperate to get away Rukia, and one with a drunk Rukia. Yes, he was going to have to wait until she kissed him properly, for no other possible reason but the fact that she wanted to.
"A date?" Rukia repeated, blinking uncomprehendingly. She stared at him for a long time, and Toshiro almost backed off, the fear of rejection tasting like bile in the back of his throat, but then: "I-… I'd love that."
Toshiro felt his brain melt uselessly inside his skull; it had been a fifty/fifty chance that she'd say yes, maybe even more likely since she had admitted to liking the kiss, but still, he was speechless. A beautiful woman – Rukia of all beautiful women – had just agreed to go on a date with him. A date. What was a date? He suddenly didn't know. What did he do now? What was the next step?
She asked about the whether the SWA knew or not, and Toshiro frowned a little but he could see why it was a serious concern to her.
"Rangiku knows but I know she will keep it quiet until we're ready for people to know," he told her honestly; Rangiku could be serious sometimes, usually when his feelings were on the line, because at the end of the day, he was more important to her then gossiping with the SWA.
"Alright," she smiled at him, "When did you plan for this date to happen?"
His mind went over his mental calendar, immediately blacking out his work days. There was a free day coming up next week.
"Next Saturday?" He suggested, clearing his throat a little and finally leaning away from her. He took a small step back, just to put a safe distance between them.
"Of course next- oh," Rukia frowned, seemingly remembering something, and turning to glance at her calendar, "Any chance we could do an afternoon date? I have a demonstration to show bankai at the Spiritual Arts Academy in the evening."
A demonstration to show bankai at the Spiritual Arts Academy… Well that certainly rang a few bells in Toshiro's head, remembering that he had agreed to the same thing.
"You're doing that too?" Toshiro asked, unable to stop the grin spreading over his face, "I forgot that I signed off on it last week…"
The thought of seeing Rukia's bankai sent a shiver of excitement down his spine and even Hyorinmaru seemed to vibrate softly against his back. The alleged 'most beautiful zanpakuto in the soul society' and an ice type at that; Toshiro had been curious about it for a long time, but now, with his newly developing relationship with the young Kuchiki, the prodigy was almost desperate to see what she could do in her final release.
He recalled the invitation he had agreed to; it had specified the demonstration being about how bankai can change a Soul Reaper's physical appearance, and that was why he was going to perform his for the students, revealing his matured form. He wondered, with a slight tilt of his head and a curious sweeping gaze over the pretty lieutenant, just what her bankai form would look like.
"We could go together after our date?" Toshiro asked, the excitement clear in his voice.
"Yes, I suppose we could go together," She murmured, violet meeting teal once more, "That would make sense."
Toshiro nodded firmly, liking the plan.
Rukia's agreement was like music to his ears. The demonstration wasn't until the evening, which meant they got to spend the whole afternoon together up until the sun had long gone down. Maybe he could extend it further by planning an all-day date? The way the banter had been effortless between them gave him enough confidence that he and Rukia could spend a whole day and evening in each other's presence and she wouldn't get sick of him.
What could they do that would keep them entertained for hours and could also be romantic? They'd have to eat, certainly, so he'd have to pick a good restaurant or something. He wanted the date to be fun, he knew that, and maybe something to do with winter or snow; something that connected them.
He wondered how she'd feel about going to the World of the Living for the day? He knew she loved the place after spending so much time there with Ichigo. There were certainly many more options there, and they were also a lot less likely to be spotted. He didn't want to spend their date looking over their shoulder. For a social trip to the human world Toshiro would have to get permission from Kyoraku, which meant he'd have to tell him why… The prodigy shrugged internally; it would be worth it just to see Rukia smile.
"I-um, I'll do some planning," Toshiro murmured, his mind already searching through his mental database of Karakura restaurants that he'd eaten at before, "And I'll let you know of the details in a few days' time?"
"A-alright," She agreed, offering him another cute smile, "I look forward to hearing from you and to the date as well."
Her smile was forever beautiful; Toshiro doubted he's ever get tired of seeing it – he doubted he'd ever stop pausing his thoughts at the sight of it just to marvel in her beauty.
The prodigy turned and walked back towards the office door; he knew when to quit while he was ahead. The last thing he needed was to over stay his time or accidently say or do something to upset the happy and exciting terms they were currently on.
His hand reached the door, slowing pushing it open and he glanced over his shoulder to look at her one more time.
"I'll see you soon, Rukia,"
Her name still felt like heaven on his tongue and he let the 'R' roll a little. He offered her another smile; genuine, to show how pleased he was with their meeting, before slipping out the door.
He took a deep breath once he was outside the office; that had been much more successful than he could have imagined.
…
It wasn't even midday yet on a Tuesday morning and Kyoraku was drinking, and had been drinking for some time it seemed.
"Where's Lieutenant Ise?" Toshiro frowned; normally the dark haired lieutenant managed to keep him in line, at least before lunch time.
"Little Nanaonao is running a training drill," Kyoraku nodded to himself; grinning merrily, "She wants all the new recruits to have a shikai by the end of spring…"
The prodigy raised a white eyebrow; learning shikai in a few short months? That was a big goal. Why couldn't Rangiku be this proactive as a lieutenant? What did she even do for the squad?
"I require your permission for something, Head Captain," Toshiro said, giving a short respectful bow.
"Call me Shunsui, Tosh," Kyoraku winked at him, "We're practically family around here."
Toshiro opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it, hastily snapping his jaw shut once more. He really couldn't believe this man was in charge of the whole Gotei Thirteen. The brunette captain chuckled at his expression.
"What do you need approved?" Kyoraku asked, taking another sip of his sake and eyeing Toshiro curiously.
"I would like to go to the World of the Living next Saturday with Lieutenant Kuchiki of Squad Thirteen," Toshiro said evenly, preparing for the teasing that would surely follow, "It's a social trip."
The older captain's eyes flashed in delight and amusement, and suddenly he was whipping a second cup out of this kimono-covered haori sleeve, pouring sake into it and pushing it under the young genius' nose.
"My littlest captain is all grown up!" He exclaimed, beaming excitedly, "Come, have a drink with me."
"N-no, thank you," Toshiro unconsciously leant back from the cup; that liquid smelled too much like his lieutenant, "I'm good."
"Nonsense," Kyoraku chuckled, "You're a grown man now, Toshiro, drink with me."
The prodigy eyed the cup with suspicion; he knew exactly what it could do. Sure, he didn't mind the odd glass of wine at a formal dinner, such as Ukitake's retirement feast last week, but sake was a different story – it was Rangiku's favourite and what turned her into a useless second seat. The amount of times he'd been called to come pick her stumbling, slurring ass up from various divisions or bars – mid week – was uncountable. He'd carried her home, he'd held her hair over the toilet, and he'd rolled her passed out form into the recovery position… He knew what sake could do.
"Come on, Kid," Kyoraku sung, topping his own sake cup up, "It's only a little bit and we're celebrating!"
"What are celebrating?" Toshiro frowned a little, and the older man winked suggestively.
"The big date!" the taller man said excitedly, "You and Rukia; come on, let's make a toast!"
"I really don't think that will be necessary," the white haired man crossed his arms over his chest and tried to quell the heat rising in his cheeks.
"Okay, well you give me no choice then," Kyoraku drawled, leaning back with a smug grin, "If you want permission to go to the human world with Rukia, I need to see you drink."
"… You can't be serious."
"Oh, but I am."
Toshiro clenched his jaw; seriously, how did this man become Head Captain? He rubbed his temple with his index and middle finger in a slow, soothing, circular fashion. It was eleven on a Tuesday morning; what he needed to be doing right now was scheduling training drills and rostering shifts for next week, not drinking disgusting liquid from pink floral cups that were identical to Kyoraku's kimono.
He took a deep calming breath. This was for Rukia – for their date that he needed to go well so he could continue to see her. Slowly, he reached a hand out to take the small cup, ignoring Kyoraku's 'That's my boy!' comment.
"Okay, a toast!" Kyoraku seemed rather pleased with himself, picking up his own cup and holding it out in front of him like he'd done at the feast, "To first dates!"
"To first dates," Toshiro murmured in return, allowing the brunette to clink their classes together before they both tipped the cups back into their open mouths and swallowed the liquid.
Toshiro's body involuntarily twitched at the foul taste, causing his boss to chuckle at him and fill up a second cup each – or whatever number Kyoraku was up to now – and they started the process all over again, this time toasting 'to Rukia'.
To Rukia, indeed, Toshiro thought, swallowing back the second cup. He hoped there weren't too many toasts left to go through, but he was thankful that it was only a small amount of liquid in each glass.
What was the worst that could happen?
TWO HOURS LATER
"To hot lieutenants!" Kyoraku and Toshiro sung together and swallowed back their next cup.
The prodigy was unsure of how long he'd been at the Eighth – wait no, Kyoraku was at the First now – he wasn't sure how long he'd been at the First, or why he was even there in the first place, but his body was a nice sort of warm and his worries had been all calmed. At some point, both he and Kyoraku had shrugged off their haoris because they were getting a little too warm.
Sake; what a magical liquid! He was honestly surprised more people didn't drink it. He was even more surprised it had taken him so long to get on board with it. Sake was goooood. More than that, it was great. Superb. Fantastic. He'd long lost count of just how many things they had toasted to, or how many cups had followed, but he vaguely recalled shouts of 'to Hustler magazine', 'to sake' and 'to women-kind'.
Suddenly, Nanao slid open the door looking very unimpressed.
"To Nanao," Kyoraku sung, raising his cup towards her before drinking that too, Toshiro following his lead, although he'd managed to remember his place, saying 'to Ise'.
"Captain!" Nanao shouted, storming into the room and confiscating their cups and the bottle of sake, "You promised you'd finish the paperwork; it was due last week!"
Kyoraku chuckled softly, leaning over the table to Toshiro and murmuring in his ear, "She's so sexy when she's mad!"
Toshiro couldn't help but chuckle; remembering the tip the Head Captain had once given him long ago.
"I heard that," Nanao spat, her jaw clenched and nostrils flaring a little.
The young genius felt a shiver run down his spine; that wasn't sexy, it was scary! He must have let some of the fear show on his face because the spectacle wearing lieutenant looked at him, her eyes flickering over him briefly before she turned back on her captain, smacking his arm with a rolled up stack of paperwork.
"You got him drunk!" She hissed, "He's only a boy!"
"M not a kid, Isssse," the smaller captain slurred, getting to his feet a little wobbly, "I have a magazine!"
"You see! He's fine," Kyoraku stood up as well and slung an arm around his lieutenant's shoulders, only to be shrugged off instantly, "Toshiro, I grant you permission to go to the World of the Living with little Rukia."
"To go to the…with Rukia" Toshiro frowned trying to remember, but then recognition dawned on his face and he began to grin manically, "The date!"
Kyoraku smirked at him and even Nanao offered a small smile. Toshiro beamed at them happily; the date with Rukia! In the World of the Living! How exciting, he thought, maybe he should go tell Rukia now?
"Thanks, Shunsui," Toshiro blinked – because he'd somehow lost his ability to wink in the last few hours – and moved towards the office door, picking up his discarded zanpakuto on the way, "See you later, alligatorrr."
Kyoraku's booming laughter followed him out the door and he heard Nanao chastising her boss, saying "You can't let him walk through the Seireitei like that!"
Feeling light and relaxed, Toshiro decided to take the rooftop route to Rukia's division. He'd almost fallen a few times, catching himself last minute and chuckling about how close that had been. Eventually, the bordering fence between divisions arrived and he hopped over it effortlessly. He wasn't even using much flash step, just enjoying the cool winter air surrounding him. He landed on the office building and was surprised to feel both Rukia and Rangiku's spiritual pressures inside. My two girls, Toshiro hummed, smiling a little at the idea of seeing the woman he liked and the woman who was his best friend. He didn't even care that Rangiku was slacking off from her duties once again.
Walking over to the edge of the roof, Toshiro glanced down at the ground with a frown; was it always so high up? How had he gotten up here in the first place? The window was right below him, so perhaps he could slide in that way?
The prodigy shrugged; it seemed like the best way to go. He laid on the roof on his stomach and slowly pushed himself over the edge, until his legs were the only part of him still up there; from the waist up, he was bent over the gutter and hanging upside down, facing the window. His hands were preventing him from sliding completely off the roof as they clutched onto the edge.
Inside the office, he could see Rangiku and Rukia talking, but the window was closed and he couldn't make out any words. Suddenly Rangiku seemed to notice him hanging upside down over the window and screamed in surprise. Rukia whipped around to face him instantly, and Toshiro let go of the roof so he could wave at them. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that his hands were holding him up, so when he removed them, he slipped forward over the roof edge.
He landed on his back in a soft pile of snow, just under the office window. Air left his body in a sudden and involuntary exhale, and it took a few beats for him to be able to inhale again. The glass slid across and both of his girls were staring at him with wide eyes.
"Captain!" Rangiku yelped, "Are you okay?"
Toshiro grinned up at them and waved cheerily, the two women exchanging confused glances. Rukia extended her hand out to him, and Toshiro caught it. Such beautiful hands, he thought, so soft. He pressed a light kiss to her knuckles, watching inquisitively as her cheeks turned a gorgeous shade of pink. Rangiku was giggling, eventually extending her own hand out to him, and together they helped him back onto his feet.
"The door is open, you know," Rukia blinked at him as Toshiro put his hands on the window sill and hoisted himself up and over, stumbling a little and falling again, only this time it was inside the office.
"Why would I use the door when the window is right here, Rrrrukia?" Toshiro flashed her a grin.
"Oh, Captain," Rangiku was still giggling, "Did Captain Kyoraku get you drunk?"
"We toasted," Toshiro nodded enthusiastically, "'To Rukia'!"
He mimicked toasting and drinking as Kyoraku had taught him today, causing Rangiku to burst out in tears of laughter and Rukia chuckled softly, although her cheeks were still a little pink. The white haired boy tilted his head and stared at her curiously.
"Well that explains the kimono," the raven haired girl smirked once Rangiku had calmed down a little, glancing down Toshiro's body.
What kimono? Toshiro frowned, before glancing down at himself and noticing that where his haori should have been hung an all too familiar pink kimono. It was way too big for him, creating a long train around his feet – which was now dirty and wet from the journey and the fall – and the sleeves had been rolled up several times so that he could use his hands. He saw flashes of Kyoraku placing it on his shoulders, and Toshiro calling himself 'Head Captain Junior."
"Oh dear," Rangiku sighed between giggles, "I'll give that a wash tonight. I'll return it tomorrow and get back your haori, Captain."
"Whatever you say, Ran," Toshiro yawned, leaning back against the desk, suddenly very tired.
"You should take him home, Rangiku," Rukia was muttering and Toshiro glanced through blurry eyes to see her staring at him, concern flashing through her beautiful violet iries.
Rangiku hummed her agreement, and the prodigy felt her hooking an arm around his waist and helping him back up into a proper standing position. The girls were talking to each other – probably about clothes or the SWA – but Toshiro wasn't really listening as he leant against Rangiku's side, her boobs coming in handy for once as they made an excellent pillow.
"Come on," Rangiku was tugging him towards the door, "Let's get you into bed, Captain."
"Wait," Toshiro halted in his spot, turning to look back at Rukia with as serious an expression as he could muster, "Saturday, nine a.m., I'll pick you up from here."
"Where are we going?" Rukia's mouth twitched in amusement.
"To the World of the Living," Toshiro smiled back, "That's all you get to know."
The young Kuchiki raised an eyebrow at him but her mouth was forming into a proper smile as Toshiro grinned cheekily at her. He knew she'd like the human world for a date location, but he was still going to surprise her with the rest of his date plan.
…
:D
I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review as it really does mean so much to me!
Again, please go read and review the counter chapter at 'Mind of an Ice Princess' by LethanWolf! She loves reviews too and trust me, we went to a lot of effort role-playing scenes in this story. There were several late nights and early mornings because we live on opposite sides of the world :(
Until next week, my loves xx