Chapter Three: Step 1
"Aizen-taicho, where are you?" she called to the darkness. "Aizen-taicho, please, answer me".
"I'm right here", a voice spoke from behind her.
"Aizen-taicho", she whirled around smiling at the traitor.
"Why have you called me Momo", he said flatly.
"Well . . . Aizen-taicho, uh . . . Hitsugaya and Matsumoto", she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, "they're engaged".
"That was quite sudden", he said.
"She probably trapped him or tricked him into marrying her", she spat out.
"Did she now? Maybe Hitsugaya is just that in love with her but trust me, you still are a threat to Matsumoto. All you have to do is stay latched to him and surely enough, Matsumoto will crack under suspicion and leave him of her own free will. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Yes sir Aizen-taicho", she saluted.
"Good", he beamed then disappeared.
I'm going to do everything I can to help you Toushiro, even if you don't think you need it or want it, I will save you from her spell.
Hitsugaya was just beaming as he walked hand in hand with his sexy, curvaceous fukutaicho that was now his fiancé.
"Well, you seem really happy taicho", she squeezed his hand teasing.
"And with good reason too" he whirled her around and pressed her up against a wall, planting a big wet kiss on the lips.
"Hey, get a room", they heard someone call from behind them.
When they finally broke, Hitsugaya turned around to see the red haired captain of the fifth division standing there with a big grin on his face, hiding a gift behind his back.
"Oooo! Is that a gift for us?!" Matsumoto squealed stepping around Hitsugaya.
"Uh yeah", he gulped seeing Hitsugaya's icy glare.
"Well, let us see", she chirped reaching for the gift.
Renji handed over the square object wrapped in purple paper and a turquoise ribbon.
"It's beautiful", Matsumoto commented as she took the gift from his hands. "Isn't it taicho?"
Hitsugaya peered around Matsumoto and thought it looked nice, although, he never was one for wrapping paper and especially ribbons.
"Um huh", he mumbled. She just smiled at him then turned to Renji.
"What's in it?"
"Open it and see", he responded.
Matsumoto peeled off the ribbon, handed it to Hitsugaya, then began ripping off the wrapping paper.
In her hands was a cardboard box marked fragile on the top.
She tried ripping the tape off but it was stuck tight on the box. Hitsugaya then grabbed the box and froze the top. Then he chopped the box open.
"Thank you Toushiro!" she squealed giving him a big kiss on the cheek.
Hitsugaya blushed handing the box back to his fiancé.
She placed the box in one hand as she slipped the other inside to pull out a crystal vase with a dragon and flowers wrapped around it.
Hitsugaya had to admit, Renji really did come through on the perfect engagement gift.
"That is just beautiful", he said wrapping his arms around Matsumoto.
"It is", she said as tears began streaming down her eyes.
"Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry", Renji told Matsumoto.
"This is the best gift ever", Hitsugaya said walking over to hug Renji before Matsumoto could say anything.
"Uh . . . thanks", Renji blinked baffled by the white-haired captain's actions.
"It really is", Matsumoto said as she came to hug the fifth division captain after he and Hitsugaya broke apart.
"Uh . . . thanks again", was all Renji could think to say.
After Renji broke from Matsumoto and walked off, Hitsugaya grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.
"That was really a great gift", he beamed at her.
"It was wasn't it?" she smiled back.
Then Hitsugaya kissed her before she could see the tears rolling down his cheeks.
When they broke apart, he just stayed there, holding her and the gift in his arms swaying to the music of his heart.
"Toushiro, are you crying?" she asked.
"Yes", he answered. "But don't worry, they're just tears of joy".
I still have time to break them up before they get married Momo thought to herself pacing up and down her office.
"Hinamori", she heard a man bellow from her open door. She turned and saw Renji. "Get back to work".
"Yes taicho", she bowed then went back to work.
As soon as she felt his reiatsu dissipate, she went back to the space in front of her desk and began pacing.
There must be something I can do to break them up she rubbed her chin.
Then an idea struck her. (her lightbulb went off)
If I get back on both their good sides, I would gain their trust, thus, making it easy to split them apart she clasped her hands.
"Yes!" she said aloud then grabbed her zanpakuto and headed off.
"Hinamori-fukutaicho, where are you—" Renji tried to ask.
"I'm going to buy Toushiro and Matsumoto a gift", she called over her shoulder.
"Okay", she heard him shout.
I really believe this could work she giggled to herself.
"Come in", Hitsugaya said to a knock at his door.
"Hello", he heard a small voice squeak.
Hitsugaya looked up from his stack of paperwork to see Hinamori walk into his office, carrying a pink gift bag in her hands.
"What do you—"
"Before you yell at me to get out", she began closing the door behind her. "I just wanted to say congratulations on your in engagement and that I'm sorry."
Hitsugaya couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was not only congratulating him, but apologizing as well as offering a gift. Maybe Momo had gotten better, maybe.
"Look Momo, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just, the other day", he sighed rubbing his temples remembering how she referred to his fiancé. "you called my fiancé a whore and a slut and said she would ruin my life. Am I suppose to believe that you are now okay with me marrying my fukutaicho?"
"Well, even if I weren't okay with it, you still would marry her and you should. She makes you happy and you deserve to be happy."
Hitsugaya considered this for a moment. He would have married Matsumoto with or without Momo's approval because Matsumoto did make him happy and he did deserve to be happy, but still, it was nice to hear her say she was okay with it all.
So, deciding she was sincere in her words, he got up from his desk and walked over to her and gave her a big hug.
"Thanks Momo. I'm glad you're happy for us", he whispered to her.
"Yeah, really happy", she lied.
"So, what you'd get me?" he asked cheerfully when they broke apart.
"Oh", she slapped her forehead. "that's right, my gift".
She held up the gift in her hand and Hitsugaya pulled out a pink heart shaped picture frame.
This is so Momo he thought.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yes Momo, its great", he answered awkwardly.
Pink wasn't really his color but maybe Matsumoto would like it. Probably not if she knew it came from Momo, but still, Matsumoto was crazy about pink. He didn't think she'd care that much who gave her the gift.
"Well, I've gotta go", she waved then skipped out of his office. "And congratulations again", she called from the hallway.
So, now I'm on his good side, but how to get on hers she thought to herself.
It won't be easy, but it can be done. It has to be. Aizen is counting on me to split them up.
"Ooo! Who gave you this Toushiro?!" she squealed picking up the picture frame. "It is so cute!"
"Oh, Momo gave me that", he said without thinking.
He looked up to see a perplexed look on her face and the picture frame lying on the floor.
"She was here?!" she shrieked.
"Yes she was but—"
"I can't believe that little tramp. What is up to? What is her angle?" Matsumoto began to pace around the room.
"Rangiku . . ."
"I mean, she said I would ruin your life and now all of a sudden—"
"Rangiku"
"She's on board with our marriage. I don't think so. If she thinks—"
"Rangiku!" he shouted grabbing her wrists.
"What?" she looked at him puzzlingly.
"I know, it sounded strange to me at first, but I really think she's okay with our marrying each other. I mean, she did get us a gift", he smiled.
"That's what she wants us to think", she snatched her hands from his grip. "Something about this just doesn't seem right".
"Well, I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt", he kissed her lightly on the cheek before returning to his desk to finish his paperwork.
"Yeah, you would think that", she mumbled underneath her breath.
"What did you say?" he raised his eyebrow at her.
"Nothing", she waved her hand, picked up the picture frame, and set it down on his. Then she walked over to her favorite couch and plopped down, declaring she was taking a nap then all went silent.
"Step one is almost complete" she informed the traitorous captain. "And step two is already underway."
"I see and what is step two by the way?" he asked her.
"Step two is 'Make Toushiro Think She's Crazy'" she beamed at her former taicho.
"Good work. Keep me updated", he said then disappeared into the shadows.
"Yes sir, I will", she saluted to the dark, no one in particular. (crazy)
Matsumoto woke up with warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist and soft breathing in her ear. She smiled to herself and realized she was just having a bad dream and that her fiancé was always going to be right by her side.
Matsumoto turned over and pressed her lips to his face and kissed him softly on the lips.
She saw him smile and then he opened his beautiful sea foam green eyes.
"Hey you", he said his smile growing wider.
"Hey yourself", she smiled back wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Man, I can't wait until we're actually married and we can do this every morning", he pulled her to his chest.
"But we already do 'this' every morning", she giggled lightly.
"Yeah, but think how it will feel waking up as husband and wife, not just fiancés or even captain and lieutenant", he beamed down at her.
Matsumoto had no idea he thought about stuff like that. He just didn't seem the type, but she was beginning to see how much happy he was with the ideal of being her husband.
Deciding no to ruin the moment, she snuggled closer to his warm, lean body and whispered softly, "I love you".
"I love you too", he whispered back kissing her lightly on the forehead then finally falling back to sleep.
"Rangiku, wait up", she heard someone called from behind her.
When she turned around to see who it was, she saw a very flustered Momo running towards her.
"Yes, what is it?" she said a bit more coldly than she meant to sound.
Momo stopped in front of her, placing her hands on her knees, and panting.
"I just . . . wanted . . . to give you . . . this" she said in between breaths holding up a small blue box.
Matsumoto took the box skeptically then smiled when she opened it and saw what was inside.
"Wow Momo, these are beautiful", she chirped pulling out two silver blue snowflake earrings.
"I'm glad you like them", she finally smiled up at the blonde.
"I do, I really do and listen", she said touching the brunette. "I'm sorry if I've been acting like a bitch and not believing you were sincere and all with your gift. That must have hurt your feelings when I didn't believe you were sincere".
"No, that's alright. You had every right to think that after a said all that stuff about you", she rubbed the back of her head.
"Well, I'm glad we've reached an understanding. Can't have the two most important women in Toushiro's life mad at each other right?" she giggled then twirled around and walked off. More like skipped.
I think I'm going to gag Momo thought to herself. Well, at least now, step one is complete and step two is well underway. Don't worry Aizen-taicho, before long, they will broken up instead of together.
Then she turned around and shunpo-ed off.
Well, this is the end. Of the chapter of course, not the fanfic. So, Momo has developed a plan to separate everyone's favorite couple or second favorite. Depending on who you are. That little wench! Well, please review and tell me what you think. Bye.