(1) - I know he's only 4'4", but... I swear, I'm going to kick Tite Kubo before I do anything else if I ever meet him. 4'4" for a 13 year old? I don't even know anyone my age that short, seriously (LOL, LIMITED SOCIAL LIFE?). Hitsugaya Toushirou has now GROWN (it might have taken a few decades, but he's grown) to 5'2". Good Job, Toushirou. We're all proud of you. You are now taller than more than like.. 10 of your fangirls. Yay. ^^''
It's finally up, guys. Enjoy.
"It appears that Hitsugaya Tai-cho and Sakurada-san are on good terms..." His pen dipped into an ink cartridge again as he signed a document and handed it to his Lieutenant. Genryuusai cleared his throat and looked at his Fukutaicho thoughtfully.
"It may seem. According to some ... words traveling around, they seem to be... er... bickering," Sasakibe Choujirou pointed out gravely.
At this, Genryuusai's eyesight wrinkled more as he smiled through his squinted eyes. "Bickering? My, I didn't think it would happen so soon."
Choujirou smiled faintly. "Your early prediction of them getting along has yet to come true, Tai-cho."
Genryuusai chuckled and steepled his fingers in deep thought. "Sasakibe, call for a meeting, but don't use the messenger. You're going to have to hold a meeting with the Lieutenants and have them personally tell their captains. It is about Ayumi Sakurada, and in the case that she accepts the role of captain, there are three divisions that need a captain, not just one. I need to discuss this with the rest of the captains."
"Understood."
-X-
Ayumi was not in Toushirou's office, which, despite his reluctance to admit it, nerved him. Toushirou hadn't even kicked her out this morning, yet she hadn't stepped foot in his office. Ayumi had even left his room early that day, he realized. Something was definitely incorrect.
"Tai-cho looks stressed out," Rangiku teased, walking into his office. "Wanna rant?"
"What is it now, Matsumoto?"
"Captain's meeting in two hours. Sasakibe Fukutaicho wanted you to know that from Yamamoto Tai-cho."
Toushirou raised a brow. Why had he received notice from Matsumoto, and not from a butterfly or messenger?
Conveniently, Rangiku answered without him voicing it. "They didn't want it sent from a hell butterfly because it would arouse suspect from Ayumi-chan. The meeting is partially about her."
"Two hours. Got it." It was all too suspicious. She wasn't in his office, and now there's a meeting about her. What was she up to?
Rangiku blinked for a moment before dropping her jaw: How could she have not found the opportunity before? Her grin lengthened and if she could, she would have started purring. "Why so glum, chum? Suspicious of Ayumi?"
"Aren't you, Matsumoto?" Pfft. He didn't even deny it, what a cutie pie my Captain is! He's so obviously falling into the trap. Rangiku leered.
"I don't pay as much attention to her as you do, Tai-cho," Rangiku smirked before she walked out his office. Once she was out, she sprinted down the hall, ready to inform Hinamori of her new discovery and plan.
Toushirou huffed. He wasn't paying attention to her. She was just such a troublemaker. Who knows if she's out there doing mischief on Soul Society. Plus, she's his responsibility now. If she did anything he might be punished!
She's nothing but trouble for me, Toushirou thought, staring at the tip of his pen in disinterest.
"Hitsugaya Tai-cho, I've come to give you some papers to... sign." Her sentence trailed off, but she snapped out of it and finished it. ...Is Hitsugaya Tai-cho... blushing?
"Ah, thanks," he cleared his throat, and the redness left his face as quickly as it had come. The shinigami girl blinked again, laughing nervously as she set the papers down, turning around to hit her head. She was hallucinating. She knew her captain (as did every other member) and never did he blush just randomly in his office.
Toushirou quirked an eyebrow at his member, who was cursing at herself as she closed his office door. What's wrong with everyone today?
-X-
"Thanks, Retsu-chan!" Ayumi chimed as Unohana offered her an icepack. She had woken up this morning with a horrible throbbing on her head. The former 'bump' had turned into a nasty, purple coloured bruise. She was no longer in Toushirou's clothes since she had the decency not to cause such a suspicion. She borrowed a girl named Hinamori Mom's uniform, except it was just a tiny bit small on her. Ayumi stood at a good 5'7", making her taller than Toushirou by a full five inches. (1)
"No problem Ayumi-chan," Retsu smiled her signature motherly-reassuring-everything-will-be-alright smile. Ayumi had always found it scary how Retsu never looked angry. They say you should be more afraid of people who are frequently happy, than people who are always angry. But that didn't change the fact that Ayumi trusted Retsu as one of her oldest colleagues in the Gotei 13.
"I hear you're getting along with Hitsugaya Tai-cho," she commented, pouring some tea for her guest.
"...Where'd you hear that?" Ayumi quibbled.
"So I take it that it's not true?"
"Hmm..." Ayumi mused. "Well, we're not potential best friends. That's all I'm saying." Retsu offered Ayumi a cup of tea, which she took gladly with her free hand. The other was holding the ice pack into her head.
"How'd you get that bruise, Ayumi-chan?" Retsu asked, and Ayumi hummed.
"I don't know. I woke up from-... I woke up and it was there." Ayumi refrained herself from saying 'I woke up from my fever' because Retsu was sharp enough to catch on that Toushirou would have taken care of her, in that case. However, if Ayumi failed to mention the word 'fever', Retsu would not question her. Unohana Tai-cho was not a nosy woman.
"How peculiar," Retsu smiled, and as Ayumi hypothesized, she didn't question her slip up.
"Unohana Tai-cho-..." Retsu's Lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane, halted her words as she noticed Ayumi in the room. The reason she had to give the Captain the message herself was so that Sakurada Ayumi would not know. Isane kept a straight face, ready to fib. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I have a message of extreme importance for my captain. I cannot let anyone else know about."
Ayumi nodded and put her cup of tea down onto a table. "Fifteen minutes are up. I can take the icepack off now, right?" Ayumi took the icepack from her head and handed it back to Retsu gently. Popping up from her chair, she dashed to the door, not even taking the time to acknowledge Isane whether it be of selfishness or awkwardness.
"Off you go," Retsu gave a small wave of farewell.
"Bye Retsu Tai-cho! Thanks again!" Ayumi recognized, turning away to run.
Retsu smiled, knowing that Ayumi had ran in the direction of Hitsugaya Toushirou's Office. If they were not on good terms, as Ayumi had voiced, why would Ayumi go back there? Isane stiffened from her captain's sudden aura. Isane could tell she had that smug feeling you get when you know something you shouldn't. Although motherly and protective, Unohana Retsu was a fastidious woman, without a doubt.
-X-
Toushirou's eyes looked up as he sensed Ayumi's riatsu nearby. He stood up from his chair, going to his door, and slid it open. Ayumi stood there, the back of her hand ready to knock before it slid open itself. She sheepishly looked down at Toushirou. "Uh... Hey, Toushirou."
"Where did you go?" Toushirou didn't even realized that Ayumi hadn't called him by rank. Nor had he realized that the manner in which he opened the door the minute she came back, and asked her where she went showed his side of caring. He didn't realize any of this: All he wanted was the answer to his question.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Ayumi slipped in a slight innuendo edge to her voice and the young captain flushed white, turning around to hide yet another blush. He hated it when the heat rose to his cheeks. He felt childish.
"Aww! You're blushing again?" Ayumi followed him into his office as he pulled out his chair and sat back into it.
"Would you quit that?"
"Quit what?"
"Teasing me."
"Oh, but you're so cute, Toushirou! Your height makes you all the more adorable!" She continued to jest, poking at his sensitive points.
"Tai-cho! 'Two hours' is coming up!" Rangiku knocked on his door before sliding it open. "Ah! Sakurada-chan! You're here!"
"Why, of course, dear Matsumoto-chan. Where else would I possibly be at this time of day, but in the lovely, endearing office of Hitsugaya-sama," Ayumi chirped mechanically, fluttering her eyelashes when she said 'lovely, endearing'.
"Hitsugaya Tai-cho," he corrected, rolling his eyes at Ayumi's display of 'affection'.
Ayumi smirked. "Why're yo being so cold and distant? You even carried me to the bed the other night~"
Rangiku busted out laughing again, unable to stop as Toushirou's mouth went agape and his blood shot up into his face. He stood there unable to move, twitching. "Th-That's obviously not-"
"Oh, save it, Hitsugaya," Ayumi shrugged. "We both know what went down that night. When I woke up, I was still covered in sweat. You took care of me real well, didn't you? Put on some extra layers for me~"
"OKAY, I'M LEAVING NOW," Toushirou gritted, as he hurtled out of the room, flash stepping to get away from the odd, laughing pair as soon as possible.
Ayumi broke down in laughter instantly after Toushirou left the room. Rangiku was literally doubling over her Captain's desk with her fist, tearing up from laughing.
After several minutes, the two started to calm down.
"Ayumi-chan, you're so naughty! Toushirou-kun is still a virgin!" Rangiku bantered playfully.
"What? And you're assuming that I'm not? I've obviously never done it either, geez!"
The corners of Rangiku's mouth twitched in shock and disbelief. "Ayumi-chan, are you serious?"
She blinked. "I became a shinigami at young age, so I never formally learned until a really late age. Even if I had, I'm not that type of girl anyway. Just not interested in that kind of stuff."
"You mean boys? Does that mean you're interested in people like... me?" Matsumoto interrogated, giving a bat of her eyelashes and a jiggle of her bust. Ayumi rolled her eyes.
"I mean sex, Matsumoto. Love, relationships; being emotionally dependent on someone? That stuff. Geez... Besides, it's not like I've got anything going on that could possibly look attractive to any guys. I'm not exactly elegant, gentle and kind... I'm not strawberry blonde like you with impressive curves, either."
"Ayumi-chan, what bra size are you?" Rangiku wiggled her fingers with an evil grin and Ayumi raised a black eyebrow.
"...Uh... I think I'm a C or something.. why? You've got plenty there yourself to feel and look at."
"A C cup, hm? With some fondling, I'm sure we could work your way up. Double Ds might be pushing it, though."
Ayumi turned bright red. "Wh- MATSUMOTO. I told you that I'm not interested in that kind of stuff!"
"But I am! Now come over here so I can give you a good demonstration on how to massage those puppies!"
"MATSU- Wait! Stay away, I'm going to screa- MATSUMOTO!"
-X-
Genryuusai had soon enough locked in the scenario into the captain's heads of Ayumi's proposal to become a Gotei 13 captain again. Nothing was too surprising at her acceptance. However, soon came Genryuusai's dilemma.
"Sakurada Ayumi has left us merely once, on the other hand she left us for nearly decades at a time. Her true intentions have failed to be voiced and suspicions from members of her loyalty are beginning to spread." The Captains all seemed to fall deep into thought. Some snuck glances at each other, such as Shunsui and Jyuushirou. Others, such as Soi Fon, seemed to have their mood even more dampened at the thought of Ayumi going back into Soul Society. "Nevertheless, my trust in Ayumi had not wavered, seeing she left us because of her loyalty: Her loyalty to her friends. If I have enough people to agree with me on this opinion, Sakurada Ayumi shall be appointed the rank of Captain."
"Now," Genryuusai continued, "are they any objections to the sounds of Sakurada Tai-cho?"
Nobody spoke, merely keeping quiet so that Genryuusai would carry on with the meeting.
"Very well, now there is another problem. There is not one, but three divisions in requirement for a Captain, each having their own argument. The questions remains, which Division will Sakurada Ayumi take over? Please advocate. I would like tons of contribution."
"I suggest the 9th Division. Hisagi Shuuhei Fuku-taicho has been working excessively hard. Hinamori Momo and Kira Izuru have too, but Hisagi has been taking over his Captain's duties as well. I feel that he deserves the helping hand," Jyuushirou explained.
"I think the 5th Division," Zaraki Kenpachi voiced, which astounded everyone. "It's Fuku-taicho, Hinamori Momo, isn't stable enough to go on entirely yet due to Aizen's leave. The Fifth Division will be at a standstill and that'd drag all of us down."
"The 3rd Division is in desperate need of a Captain too. Kira Izuru hasn't taken his Captain's duties, however he's tried extremely hard to keep the motivation going on in the 3rd Division, while he himself also misses his Tai-cho," Seventh Division Captain, Komamura Sajin, joined in on the debate.
"If you'd like my input at all, I'd like to take the 9th Division," Ayumi offered from the door way, walking in as soundless as a cat. "I hope you don't mind me barging in, Captains, but this meeting deals with my duty as a commander. I believe I have a right to be here."
Genryuusai exhaled and nodded. "You may stay, Sakurada-san, my apologies for not inviting you. Now as you were saying, you would like to be the captain of the 9th Division?"
Ayumi smirked. "I'm attracted to Hisagi, Hinamori, and Kira all being my Lieutenants. They all sound capable, and they've passed with very high ranks in the Shinigami Academy. I wouldn't mind taking any of the three as my Lieutenants, in fact. However, out of those three, I've only never met Hisagi Shuuhei which singles him out, so I request to be his captain."
Ayumi always had atypical methods in making decisions.
"Seeing as you specially request of it," Genryuusai went on, "Ayumi shall be the captain of the 9th Division. Meeting concluded. Back to your duties, everyone."
It was a short meeting, once done, everyone left.
Toushirou avoided Ayumi's eyes like the plague. She opened her mouth to apologize, when he whizzed past her. Completely offended, and a bit guilty, she sighed. Ayumi could take a hint when she saw one, so she did not speak to Toushirou. He looked exceedingly neurotic and Ayumi deducted that he had received a enough mockery for one day. She twisted on her heel and went to speak with Kuchiki Byakuya, who she knew eyed her frequently, longing to have a chat with her ever since she had arrived in Soul Society. His closed eyes fluttered open when Ayumi hooked arms with him and leaned her head on his arm. Toushirou snuck a peak back and remained expressionaless at the sight of Ayumi's intimacy with Byakuya. He frowned, walking faster, quicker, and farther away.
-X-
"Tai-cho? Back already?" Rangiku yawned as she heard the door slide open, rubbing her eyes as she continued to lie on the couch of Toushirou's office. "Tai-cho?" Rangiku inquired again after there was not response. She looked at him in befuddlement.
"I-... It's nothing.?" Toushirou looked up briefly at his lietenant, not sure what answer he was hopeful for.
"What's going on?" Rangiku rubbed her eyes, stretching. Her concern for her Captain's strange behavior began to rise.
Toushirou stared at the ceiling, zoning out in his reclining chair as he leaned back. He didn't want to think. It seemed the more he contemplated lately, the worse things got. He wasn't even sure what the 'thing' was, until he realized: his relationship with Ayumi.
He rubbed his temples as they began to hurt. Rangiku stared at her Captain's display of stress silently. Was he-... He couldn't-... But then... What if-...?
"Tai-cho," Rangiku smiled. "Is this about... Sakurada-chan?"
He cracked his lips apart to deny, but no sound came out. Clearing his throat, he straightened in his seat.
"Matsumoto, are you trying to say that I like her?" His tone was filled with disgust.
"No. I'm asking you if you do," she opposed skillfully.
Toushirou's mouth closed, only to open after a moment. "No. I don't." There was no hint of wavering in his tone.
Rangiku smiled as her Captain breathed in and out noisily through his nose, touching his lips onto his intertwined fingers. This meant that his mind was much more cleared, Rangiku would know, being his Vice Captain for so many years. She nodded, also caught up in her own thoughts when he suddenly snapped out of it.
"Don't you have work, Matsumoto?" 'Hitsugaya Tai-cho' was back.
Rangiku pouted immaturely. "Can't I have a break, Tai-cho?"
"No."
"But I just-"
"No."
"...But-"
"No," he replied sternly, daring Rangiku to attempt another try.
"...I'll be leaving now, Tai-cho," she gave up, walking to the door, her head hanging.
"Matsumoto?"
"Yes, Tai-cho?" she replied, dead-faced.
"Thank you," he looked at her expectantly as she raised her eyebrows. She nodded, forcing out a smile.
"Anytime!"
Rangiku bit her lip as she closed the door behind her, freeing herself from her fake smile. Crap. Did she just reassure him of his own lie?
Please don't tell me I just-... Ayumi and Toushirou-... now they're-...
Rangiku groaned, sauntering down the hall. Maybe she should brainstorm some better approaches.
-X-
Ayumi hurried to her room that she had to share with Toushirou. Would he be mad that she hadn't gone to his office at all? He was the one avoiding her eyes, so he wouldn't be.
She knocked politely. "Toushirou? I-"
"Come in." Ayumi stood still, gulping, and cautiously pushed open the folding doors.
"You're the Captain of the Ninth Division," Toushirou stated bluntly, but Ayumi took care in noticing there weren't any ill intentions behind his tone. "So this is no longer your room. You don't need to stay here anymore."
Ayumi blinked. "Oh. OKay, I guess I'll... uh... just.. leave, then."
"Right."
"...Right..."
"You don't have any stuff here, so you can step out. Take your time," the casual tone he used to say it made a pain seep into her emotions. Like he didn't care. He could have flipped open a newspaper, sipped his cup of coffee and it would have fit perfectly in with the atmosphere he exuded.
Not that he would care. She's only known him for about 2 days.
"See you around," she muttered, walking out of the room. She stood there for a few seconds, before realizing she had no idea where Kaname Tousen's room was, and just as she turned around, the door shut on her.
...! What a jerk! She huffed, setting off again to explore around the vicinity. She nearly threw a fit when she came in contact with another wall.
Toushirou's spine leaned against his door, as his arms dropped to his sides. He was rid of her, finally. Maybe now he could sort out his strange mood lately. Despite his cheesy agreement to'start over' yesterday, he merely needed to be on good terms with her if they were going to see much of eachother. Now, with her out, he was free. Having such a pest around made it really hard to think. Suddenly, Toushirou had a strange feeling in his chest as he realized...
... Heartburn? What did I eat...? He grunted as he went to find some medicine in his cabinets.
-X-
Toushirou opened his door the next morning, feeling rather contented that he no longer had to deal with her. It was unusual, but Toushirou could still feel her riatsu extremely close by, as if still lingering strongly in the air. He had trouble sleeping, but that was merely due to his heartburn. Unfortunately, the medicine hadn't worked for some odd reason, so he stayed awake with a pounding, burning sensation in his heart for approximately four hours. Occasionally, he even had a lump in his throat, which he found extremely weird. Allergies? Not like he'd ever had any. Perhaps he should go to the Fourth Divisional Office today to get check up on.
As he stepped out of his room, he breathed in a big gulp of air, stretching,
And his body snapped into a dead lock.
The two prodigies stared at each other in horror as Toushirou realized Tousen Kaname's room old room was merely a right angle turn from his, merely a building in separation of them. She was literally about a hundred meters from him or so. She wasn't that close, but she was still... there.
It was then that Ayumi and Toushirou both realized why their rooms were so close.
Ayumi was the Captain of the Ninth Division, Toushirou being the Tenth Division: They were side-by-side, consecutive numbers.
Even their offices were a few panels away.
"You're kidding. What did I do to deserve this?" she muttered, slamming her door shut. Toushirou even realized that they would have to sit beside each other during meetings.
They both opened their eyes from their thoughts, glowering at each other. Ayumi began walking to her office, as Toushirou went at the exact same time, walking. It was purely comic relief, as shinigami opened their doors to a new morning only to see black and white blurs fly past them, speed walking, both refusing to run but rely solely on speed walking.
"Um..." Rangiku blinked as the two Captains bolted past her room, their Captain Garbs with the insignia '九' (9), and '十' (10), fluttering at their rear. Rangiku sucked in her lip. Oh dear.
"Jerk!" Ayumi maligned.
"What's with you?" Toushirou fired.
"Not my fault! I don't know, maybe if you had treated me nicer, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"Nicer? When was I- I can't believe I'm arguing with someone like you."
"Someone 'like me'? What's that supposed to mean? How much of a Jerk can you be?!"
"You weren't the most polite and considerate of House Guests I've ever had, that's for sure." They both stopped walking, putting a hand on the handle of their sliding office doors.
Ayumi went crimson. "Well, I'm sorry! That's something you could have told me, you know? Am I supposed to read your mind? You're not exactly an open-book, and you- You're such a sensitive guy, gosh, do you even know how narrow minded you are?"
"Am I really narrow minded? You're conceited if you think that everyone will get along perfectly with you and adapt to your childish antics," Toushirou didn't know why he was so angry, and it made him even more furious when Ayumi questioned him on it, knowing he couldn't answer.
"Childish antics..." she repeated in utter disbelief. "What are you so mad for, Toushirou? Do you hate me that much?"
Members from the Tenth and Ninth division were beginning to arrive, so Toushirou decided to end it, opened his door. "Hate? You're incapable of being worth my time, Sakurada Ayumi."
She dropped her jaw in shock, opening her door as well, anger overwhelming her emotions. "I guess that only makes one of us, because without a doubt: I hate you, Hitsugaya Toushirou!"
The echo of the doors sliding closed reverberated through the halls, leaving the Shinigami bewildered and at a loss for words.
-X-
They argued, made up, then argue again. DRAMA IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER? NO WAAYYYY.
Oh come on, Ayumi's not the 'blush blush blush *-thump thump thump- OMG, Do I.. Do I like him?' type. Don't get on that train, thanks.
So much hate! Ahh.. wait *looks at title* Hmm, would you look at that? ^^