The Week of Snow and Ice

Chapter 3

It was the first day of the week that Kuraime would be staying with Toushiro in oder to get a better observation of how a division runs. Even when he knew this, he wanted to take a nap. Yesterday was the day Kuraime was introduced as the new Captain of the 5th Division, and it was also the day the old man worked him like a dog. Not only was Hitsugaya buried to his neck in paper work, he also had to go to the Shinigami Academy and help instruct students, make documents for all the new shinigami, and do a night watch with Renji Abarai, Captian Soifon, and Nanao. Now, he had just awoken, and was on his way to finish the paper work that had gone down from his neck to his hips. He finally reached his office and opened the door; it was then that he thought he was dreaming.

The paper work that was on his desk had gone down considerably, and there was even a nice, cup of hot tea waitng for him near the short stack of papers. His sea-green eyes glanced in the corner of the room, where he saw Rangiku...working! Her ink brush was in her hand and she was filing papers like an android. The young Captain was truly dumbfounded, a feeling he thought he'd never have.

"R-Rangiku?" Hitsugaya asked, walking over to her. "I must be dreaming if you're doing your work."

Matsumoto looked up at her Captain with a smile. "Yup! I actually thought it'd be a good day to start some work, and besides, Captain Shihouin told me that I should help you since you were up so late with your duties."

"Captain Shihouin?" Toushiro asked with a raised brow. "Where is he now?"

"Ummmm...I think he's in the 10th Division's Kitchen," Rangiku said. "He planned on..."

At that moment, Rangiku's head whirled around towards the window, and a sparkle went off in her eyes. Toushiro recognized that look; he saw the same look in her eyes when she purchased the new sake that was said to make all your troubles go away. The sake actually worked for her, but it made Toushiro's problems worse, for she was making a racket the entire night.

"Captain!" Rangiku screamed with joy, grabbing poor Toushiro's head and ramming it right into her large breasts in a tight hug. As he tried to turn his head to the window from his akward position, his eyes widened as well. Small, white orbs were descending from the grey clouds above the Seireitei and all of Soul Society. The crystaline snowflakes seemed to make the Seireitei look even more pure than what it already was. After Toushiro pulled himself away from Matsumoto, he open the window and was hit with a comforting, freezing sensation that washed over his skin and whisked through his hair. This feeling he was getting, it was so relaxing, and it some how reminded him of Kuraime Shihouin.

"The snow, in a deep sleep it lies, covering the earth with white ranquility,and surrounding me in a blanket of Purity. Yet the life on this planet that comes before it dies."

Both Toushiro and Rangiku turned towards the voice, amazed at how well the words flowed together. Kuraime was seen in the door frame, a tray of tea and rice cakes in his hands. Also on the tray was a piece of watermelon; it existence seemed to catch his attention imediately. He wondered how Captain Shihouin knew he liked watermelons. Rangiku's eyes gave off a small as she stared at the new Captain of Division 5. He was really handsome; his white hair gave off a healthy glow similiar to a moon surrounded by stars, and his caramel skin looked smoothed and creamy, going well with his purple cat eyes. The way his modified uniform showed lean arms would make any women fall to his feet.

"That was...quite good," Toushiro said. He couldn't believe he was giving a compliment so easily, he even saw Rangiku flinch at his action. "Did you make that?"

"Yes," Kuraime said as he placed the snacks on the coffee table. He let out a long sigh and gracefully walked to the window. "The cold, which makes my breathe like frost.Never ceases to chill my frigid fingers. And in the empty sky it forever lingers. For its mercy and pity have been lost."

Rangiku smiled; it seemed that the new Captain was quite the poet. Toushiro didn't smile, it wasn't his style, but he did like the poem. He had a liking to anything that dealt with the winter, and you could probably guess why. Still, he wondered why it would snow of all times, not he had a problem with it. Rangiku slowly found herself inching towards the doorway, wanting to leave the two Captains alone. Besides, she her Women's Society meeting.

"Oh, Captain Hitsugaya," Kuraime said as he picked up the watermelon and placed it in Toushiro's hands. Toushirro was about to protest, he wasn't a little boy anymore, but he didn't want to be rude to a newcomer. "I was growing them when Hinamori-chan told me how much you love them."

"Oh really," Toushiro scowled as he looked at the fruit, thinking of his childhood friend. "Well, thank you for thinking of me Captain Shihouin. Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to attend to..."

"Oh, I already finished the paperwork for Division 5 and more than half the work for your Division," Kuraime said, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, and please, call me Kuraime, Captain Shihouin is too formal."

That was one thing Kuraime picked up from his sister- the dislike of honorable formalities.

"Okay, Kuraime," Toushiro said, a bit surprised at what the Captain had done. "Thank you very much, but you didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. You worked hard last night, and I think Captain-Commander Yamamoto was too harsh."

Toushiro couldn't disagree with him on that one; it seemed that he was starting to like this new Captain even more. Kuraime walked closer to him, causing Toushiro to blush a bit. Kuraime was only about two inches taller than the young prodigy, and he looked like an angel.

"Captain Hitsugaya," Kuraime said as he grabbed Toushiro's hands. "Will you make hot love to me?"

Toushiro couldn't believe what he was hearing. His eyes wanted to pop out of their sockets at the words he just heard. His face started to turn beat red as his mouth got drier.

"Captain?" Kuraime asked.

"Y-Yes."

"I said...will you go to the hotsprings with me?" Kuraime clarified.

Toushiro was now completely embarressed at the thoughts that were running throung his mind. He couldn't belive how stupid he must've just looked. He let out a sigh and stared into Kuraime's eyes.

"I-I...I don't think I could," Toushiro began to protest. He didn't really have a love for hotsprings, and he preferred to bathe alone. He was also very shy about certain parts of his body. He wasn't thinking that his size was small, in fact, Toushiro believed he was moderately large. "I don't really like hot springs."

"Please?" Kuraime asked. "Your the only one I feel comfortable around now that I'm a Captain."

Toushiro heart jumped a at the sentance. Did Kuraime like him that much? Wait, why should he care how much this new Captain likes him. Still, the afct that Kuraime appeared to have feelings for him made the red in his face brighten. Also, the way the other boy was looking at him made it hard to say no.

"Fine...I'll go." Toushiro said, defeated.