Author's note: I... I have no excuse for these, other than this pairing is a guilt pleasure ship of mine...
When pestered by his former vice captain about why he took deliberate measures to ensure that she hadn't a clue as to what or why they were planning to take over Soul Society, he had lied to the silverette and told Gin that he was convinced that she was too weak, too fragile to handle the truth, as well as to blinded by the dogma to hear the truth of the matter.
In truth, the 'kind' captain could not bear to see the innocent sweetness fade from her eyes… To see her harden and sharpen into what he would need her to be, if she were brought in on the plan… His sweet, gentle vice-captain… Hinamori-kun would be shielded from such machinations. Which was the reason why, when he smiled at her, it was easy to, and the offers of help and assistance were genuine as well.
The younger was a warm, bright ray of sunshine… And he disliked the way that a couple of her peers looked at her. They may think that they loved, or had crushes on her, but his sweet Hinamori needed, deserved better than the wretches that thought that they had a chance with her.
These thoughts could be dangerous, which was why he had ensured that those who could potentially break her heart to get far from her, at least enough so that she did not have daily contact with them anymore.
Today, if he remembered correctly, was her birthday. He had noticed that she was running low on calligraphy materials. Additionally when the two had been walking in a wealthier district of Rukongai, on some meaningless but 'essential' mission for a powerful and spoilt noble, that she had eyes several items with a great deal of wish, but when she had 'surreptitiously' gone into the store, was dismayed at the price, and had left without the items.
She would find those, as well as the calligraphy set on her desk, in a neat pile, wrapped up in plain but neat packaging, with no note attached to it. He cared for her more than he should, but did not want to fluster or worry his dear vice-captain.