A/N: Thanks to all that reviewed and placed this story in their alert list. I had fun writing this chapter. Enjoy reading and do tell me what you think afterwards, okay? ^^
Disclaimer: I want to own Bleach but I don't have enough moolah to buy the copyrights from Kubo Tite so please don't sue me.
Chapter 2: Perfect Day
One popping vein.
Two popping veins.
Three Popping Veins!
SNAP!
"Where is she?" Nanao complained through gritted teeth. She's familiar with Matsumoto's habitual tardiness but she also knows that her lateness manifests only when it comes to office duties and anything remotely close to paperwork or actual work for that matter. But not when it comes to outings, drinking sessions, parties, and SWA meetings.
And for the first time, she's late and they can't start this particular meeting without her. Thank heavens Soi Fon-Taicho has been summoned by Yamamoto Soutaicho or else…Nanao shuddered. She doesn't want to think about it.
"Ta-daa! And the goddess arrives." the shoji opened and in walked the exuberant redhead.
"You finally showed up!"
"Hey, where are the rest?" Apparently the fuming Ise Nanao and the silent Kuchiki Rukia were the only ones in the room.
"Oh, they went home. They were just waiting for you for two hours!"
Rangiku grinned sheepishly and stuck out her tongue in apology. "Sorry. I had to work overtime. Taicho was practically breathing down my neck and he watched over me until I finished all of the paperwork."
Nanao's jaw fell open and Rukia's eyes widened. That was news; headline-worthy. Matsumoto always always finds a way to escape Toushiro-taicho's slave-driving tendencies. Talk about surprised. "Y-you mean you actually…HUH?" came Nanao, confused.
Matsumoto's grin became wicked. "Didn't I say that I'd give you a gold mine for our SWA funds?"
Neither Rukia nor Nanao spoke. They still can't connect how Matsumoto's overtime correlates to the increase of their funds. Unless she's willing to donate her pay for the extra two hours she worked, which they doubt she would, (for it would most probably be donated to the local bar instead) and if she did, it wouldn't make much of a difference.
Matsumoto took out some gadgets from the bag she was carrying and removed something very tiny from her uniform. It was so tiny and inconspicuous that they didn't even notice it was there. When everything was ready, Matsumoto stepped back and proudly showed her work to the other two shinigamis.
"Ooh!" They exclaimed with understanding…but for different reasons. Nanao had the Yen sign dancing in front of her eyes while Rukia on the other hand smelled trouble.
-HxM-
Next Day…
Toushiro looked out of his office window to relax his neck muscles from all that writing.
It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining brightly. The birds were chirping and there was not a cloud in the deep blue sky. It was perfect. The kind of perfect day that seems nothing would go wrong.
Even Matsumoto came to work on time. And she was neither drunk nor hung-over. And she went straight to her desk. AND was actually doing the paperwork!
Yes it was indeed perfect. Too perfect.
A frown that was forever etched on his smooth forehead deepened. Something was nagging at his gut but he couldn't determine what. Toushiro shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Naa...," Maybe his lieutenant finally learned to follow what he had been drilling into her thick skull for the past decades.
It will be a perfect day.
And there was the nagging feeling again.
-oOo-
A few hours later…
Hitsugaya was on his way to the captain's meeting. The distance from the Tenth Division Headquarters to the First Division Headquarters was a long one but he chose to walk instead of using shunpo. As expected from a silent person like him, Toushiro enjoys solitude. But between babysitting a loud and irresponsible fukutaicho and the stresses of being a Taicho, it is difficult to come by.
Walking affords him his much needed peace and quiet.
"There seems to be a lot of people on the streets today. Didn't they know it's still office hours?" he thought. Ever since he stepped out of his office, he noticed that people seemed to be popping out of nowhere.
Everywhere he passed he could feel eyes boring into him, following him, raking over his form. If he had not been too pre-occupied with being annoyed, he would have noted that most of them were women and some men who weren't very manly, and some even blushed as he walked by.
"Oh there he is!" someone giggled from the crowd.
"He's so dreamy…" another sighed lovingly.
Hitsugaya started to feel uneasy. He usually doesn't care about being ogled but do they have to follow him as well? They carefully kept their distance but not enough for him not to notice that they were indeed following him.
"Oh, I'd give anything to have a piece of that work!" an effeminate male voice exclaimed not too quietly from the background.
"Alright, that's it!" Hitsugaya muttered angrily, and shunpo-ed to the First Division in the blink of an eye.
The flustered white-haired captain slammed the doors of the meeting hall shut and pressed his back against the opening and stayed there as if to make sure that no one would pass through. He would have continued staying there if Yamamoto-soutaicho did not clear his throat indicating that he should take his place for the meeting.
All of the captain's eyes were on him as he walked. Kuchiki-taicho was stoic as usual but there was a mark of displeasure on his grim mouth. Unohana-taicho was smiling her trademark creepy smile which was creepier than customary. Ukitake-taicho was clearly amused; Zaraki-taicho and Kyoraku-taicho miserably failed to hide their wolfish grins. The rest of them tried to look bored.
Kyoraku inserted a pinkie into his ear, "Ne, old man," he said, referring to the captain-commander. His teasing eyes never left Hitsugaya, "are you sure we can hold the meeting with this noise?" The buzzing of the Hitsugaya Fan Club, err, crowd outside the first division buildings reached into the meeting hall, to think that its immediate surrounding area was restricted to during captain's meetings. It was that loud.
"I can clear out the crowd for ya if ya want," Zaraki answered, his maniacal grin growing by the second. "But…" from his robe, he fished out a red autograph pen and a big poster. Hitsugaya felt all of his blood rush to his head. In Zaraki's hand was a blow up photo of Hitsugaya, who was very cutely biting on a pizza.
Zaraki continued, "…but ya have to sign this for me first!"
Kyoraku burst out laughing.
"Mine too if you please," Unohana chuckled and held out another. On it, Hitsugaya was leaning back on his couch, his arms spread on the back rest and his head thrown back to reveal creamy skin over toned muscles of his exposed neck.
The temperature in the entire meeting room dropped instantly and then a deafening roar resounded throughout Seiretei. "MAAATSUUMOOOTTOOOOO!"
A/N: I might not be updating for a while. One word: Exams, eeeep!Review people! It will inspire me to make the next chapter faster XD. What do you think Matsumoto's punishment should be? XD