Chapter Nine: Gone
Toushiro looked around his apartment and sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today.
He really missed Rangiku and felt the apartment lacked a certain warmth and fullness without her.
Now, his apartment seemed cold, empty and pathetic.
He needed to get Rangiku back, but how? She was even speaking to him or trying to hear anything he had to say.
He tried sending her roses, but she sent them back with the heads cut off and the stems torched. No doubt the work of Haineko.
Then he sent her candy but she sent it back all melted. Again, probably the work of Haineko.
He tried showing up at her place and surprising her but he was surprise when he saw another man sitting in her living room, on the couch all hugged up beside her.
He knew he deserved it but it still hurt like hell.
Toushiro was running out of ideas. Everything he tried had failed and even if he were to try again, he knew she would just reject it, which in turn meant she was in no way interested in getting back together.
Hyourinmaru, I need advice he said to his old friend and companion of a zanpakuto.
Yes master?
How do I get Rangiku?
The best advice I can give is to keep trying until she comes around.
That's the best advice you can give me? 'Keep trying until she comes around'? Well, what if she never comes around? What if she decides to leave me and I never see her again and we never get married and I lose the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life forever?!
I'm sorry master. I really don't know what to say, but if you truly want her, then you have to keep trying. Or . . . you could just give right now and you can lose her that way.
Now is not the time for your sarcasm.
My apologies master. I was only trying to help. I'll go now.
Hyourinmaru wait.
Nothing.
Hyourinmaru . . .
Still silence.
Hyourinmaru?
Nothing again.
Toushiro sighed again but this time for Hyourinmaru and not Rangiku. Although, he still felt empty without her.
Toushiro needed to get out of his apartment and get some fresh air or some real advice from someone who has been in his shoes before. And he knew exactly who to go to.
"Ichigo", he banged on the door to Ichigo's apartment.
Sidebar . . .
Ichigo is not a captain nor is he in any particular squad but he does live in Soul Society or rather he has a place there for when he visits Rukia or trains with Kenpachi and Jushiro. Just in case you wanted to know.
Sidebar ended.
"Hold a moment", he heard the teenage substitute shinigami called from the other side of the door.
"Look, some of us have a job to do and don't have all day unlike you", Toushiro yelled.
"He'll be there in a minute!" he heard a voice that didn't sound like Ichigo's.
"Damit, where are my pants?!" he shouted.
"How the hell should I know?!" the unfamiliar-but-now-starting-to-sound-familiar-voice shouted back.
"Well you were the one who took them off me. Where the hell did you throw them?" he shouted a little more calmly.
"Maybe this isn't a good time?" Toushiro slowly backed away from the door.
"Uh no", Ichigo smiled at him. "Come on in", he pulled the door all the way opened so Toushiro could get in.
"Hi Hitsugaya-taicho", Rukia waved at him nervously.
"Rukia, you idiot!" Ichigo slapped his forehead. "He already knows what you were doing here. Stupid", he mumbled that last part.
"And if you don't want Kuchiki-taicho finding out, the two of you will help me", he glared at them both.
"Sure", Ichigo gulped nervously. "Right Rukia?" he looked at her.
"Depends on what it is", Rukia folded her arms and returned his glare.
"Come Rukia", Ichigo whined. "If your brother finds out you were here, with me, he's gonna kick me out of Soul Society and we'll never get to see each other again", he kneeled before Rukia and hugged her legs.
"Okay, okay", she patted his head. "We'll help", she sighed.
"Thank you Rukia", he hopped to his feet and spun Rukia around in his arms. "I love you", he shouted.
"I love you too but if you don't put me down, I'm gonna throw up on you", Rukia screamed.
"Oh sorry", Ichigo blushed as he sat Rukia on the ground. "You okay?" he said as she wobbled back and forth.
"I will be", she grabbed hold of Ichigo's shihakusho to steady herself. "Just get me some tea".
"Okay", Ichigo said as he sat Rukia down on the couch then he turned to Toushiro. "You want anything?" he asked.
"Tea will be fine", Toushiro responded.
"Alright then", Ichigo said and disappeared into the kitchen.
Toushiro missed Rangiku even more as he watched Ichigo and Rukia interact with each other. They were exactly the way he and Rangiku used to be.
Always there for one another, always willing to do for the other, just loving one another the only way they knew how.
He envied Rukia and Ichigo and wished with all his heart that one of them might have some advice on how to get Rangiku back.
"Here you go", Ichigo came back from the kitchen handing Rukia a cup of tea with a dumb chappy bunny on it.
"Here", he handed Toushiro a cup with a small blue dragon on it.
"How did you know—"
"Rukia saw it and said you'd like it so I bought it. Just in case you were to ever visit you'd always have a cup that's all yours to drink from. We bought one for all the captains. Although Byakuya always brings his own. Says it's a family heirloom or some shit like that", he chuckled.
"Omph", he grunted as Rukia elbowed him in the stomach.
"Ichigo, that was rude", she scolded him.
"No, that's okay. I think Byakuya is full of shit as well", Toushiro laughed dryly.
"Hey!" Rukia screamed at him.
"Sorry", he and Ichigo looked down in unison.
"Anyway", Toushiro began. "I need some advice on how to win Rangiku back".
"What, you two break up or something?" Ichigo scratched his head.
"Ichigo", Rukia swatted his chest. "I told you about it the other day", she scowled at him.
"Oh", Ichigo blushed. "I kinda wasn't listening", he looked away from Rukia.
"And why weren't you listening?" Rukia grabbed hold of his ear. Toushiro just sighed.
"Uh . . . because . . . ya know . . . we were . . . ya know", he stuttered.
"Oh!" Rukia let go of his ear and turned bright red.
"Okay! We get it!" Toushiro screamed. "You two were having sex and that's why Ichigo doesn't know anything about me and Rangiku getting married or breaking up!"
"Dude! You two were getting married?!" Ichigo exclaimed.
"Ichigo!" Rukia slapped him on the back of his head.
"Well, it's hard to listen to you when you're naked lying on top of me!" he shouted at her.
"Alright!" Toushiro yelled as his reiatsu raised and the temperature in the room dropped. "He doesn't know and it's your fault", he shouted to Rukia and to Ichigo he shouted, "And you should pay better attention whether she's naked or not". Although he knew it was hard for any man to pay attention when there's a naked woman lying on top of you. Heck, just a woman being naked in the room was enough to make a man lose focus.
Toushiro sighed at the thought of Rangiku and how she felt lying on top of him naked.
"Dude, you okay?" Ichigo came over and sat down beside Toushiro.
"No", he said curtly. "I'm not okay. I miss Rangiku and I wanna die", he cried.
"Hey, it's okay", Rukia came over and sat on Toushiro's other side. "We'll help in way we can, right Ichigo?" she rubbed Toushiro's back.
"Right", Ichigo nodded.
"I just want Rangiku back but nothing I do seems to work", Toushiro complained.
"Well, have you tried flowers?" Ichigo asked.
"Yep".
"Have you tried candy?" asked Rukia.
"Yep again".
"Have tried giving her an ultimatum?" Ichigo cocked his eyebrow.
"What?" both Toushiro and Rukia looked at Ichigo shocked.
"Yeah. Just tell her you won't leave her alone until she hears you out and if she still decides she won't take you back after you pour out your heart and soul, then just tell her you're gone", he smiled. "She'll be dying to take you back in no time", he laughed.
"And if she doesn't?" Toushiro asked worriedly.
"Then she wasn't the one for you and you two were never meant to be" Ichigo chuckled.
"How can you laugh?!" Toushiro leaped from the couch.
"Because you're worrying about something that need not to be worried", Ichigo replied. "Rangiku is in love with you and wants to be with you and only you".
"Then why is she not speaking to me?" he fumed.
"Because she probably feels hurt and wants you to prove you really do love her and if you do, you'll take my advice", Ichigo stood up towering over him.
Even though Toushiro had grown taller, he hadn't grown quite tall enough to tower over Ichigo the way he was towering over him right now.
"Fine", Toushiro slumped back down on the couch. "How do you know this will work?" he asked Ichigo suspiciously raising one eyebrow.
"How do you think I got Rukia back after that kiss between me and Orihime?" he smiled back.
"You kissed Orihime?" he said to Ichigo then to Rukia he said, "And you took him back?"
"Well, yeah", Rukia blushed. "I mean, he did confess his undying love to me and Orihime explained to me that it was her fault and not his. So, I took him back", she laced her fingers through Ichigo's.
"But what if Momo doesn't tell Rangiku what really happened and I lose her for good?" he panicked.
"Again, Rangiku may not be the woman for you", Ichigo sat next to Rukia. "But, you'll never know just standing around here", Ichigo smirked.
So, Toushiro put back on his shoes and shunpo-ed off.
Toushiro knew now what he had to do and he knew he had to hurry before it was too late.
When Toushiro arrived at his office, he saw that nearly everything ever belonging to Rangiku was gone. Including the couch she always slept on.
Toushiro couldn't believe it. She was gone, really gone for good.
No. he couldn't accept this. It had to be some kind of mistake. This couldn't be the end, she couldn't really be leaving him. She just couldn't.
Toushiro was just about to shunpo-ed off and question the rest of his squad when a pink piece of paper on her desk caught his eye.
He ran over to her desk, picked up the piece of paper and read:
Dear Captain Hitsugaya,
Here is my letter of resignation. I'm sorry to say but
as of recent, I can no longer be your lieutenant. I hope
you and Momo will be very happy together. I wish you well
in your new life.
Signed,
Rangiku Matsumoto
Ex-lieutenant of Squad Ten
Toushiro was really starting to lose it.
She was really gone. This time it was official.
She had taken all her stuff from their apartment, from their office, and now . . . she was transferring to another division.
Toushiro had really lost her for good.
Seeing that all hope was now lost, he sank to the floor and cried.
Well, here is chapter nine. Sorry HitsuMatsu fans but they don't get back together. At least, not now anyway, but I promise they will. Please review and tell me what you think. Bye!