Toushiro's POV
I didn't recall how long it was that we stayed in that alley until Richards calmed down. I had to check on her wounds and make sure that it was nothing serious, she didn't faint from blood loss, which was good, but the scarf was soaked in blood, it wasn't from her neck, also good, but it was from her hand. We argued back and forth about how she needed to get check with Kurosaki, but even with the situation she was as stubborn as always and denied to go to see them.
I let the argument pass, just because neither of us knew exactly what happened and we need it to talk it through, to try and explain everything early tomorrow to the Kurosakis. She agreed upon that and with that I took her to my house, pretty confident that whatever that attack her wasn't going to dare do it again, especially because I'm sure the person behind all notice I was a Shinigami, probably noticed that I was also a Captain. But who were they?
Now in the little apartment, Matsumoto was nowhere to be found, so we were alone. I made an inspection of the wound in her hand and make some work of first aid to stop the bleeding, which was kind of frustrating because even if I was good in first aid, the wound could be completely healed with kaido, but to keep the façade was first, the last thing Richards need it was a some kind of revelation about everyone she knew and broke her trust.
Richards after checking on her wound asked for taking a bath.
"It will help me calm down and I want to get the blood off" She said almost numb. It was strange to look a person as lively as her acting so emotionless. I didn't reply at all, hoping that it would work and would help her process things. Sighing for nth time that night, I leaved her clothes close the radiator so it could dry, most of it ended bloodied with the fight so I offered to clean them off with my coat and gloves, saying that she could use something from Matsumoto for the night, after a little set of protests she agreed and when she went to the bathroom she left the pile of clothes near the almost closed door.
"Do you need anything?" I said while passing to get Matsumoto's clothes, the light inside the bathroom filtering outside.
"No, thanks" She replied in a quiet tone. I almost thought that I imagine her reply. I went back to look for the clothes only to find Matsumoto's room locked. Great moment for wishing privacy. And thinking about her, where the hell was she? I looked at the clock to see that it was almost 10, if she wasn't doing patrol, she was probably drinking with Madarame and Ayasegawa.
When I needed her the most she always disappears. I only checked Richards's hand because was the most severe wound, I still needed to check if she had something else apart of the cut in the neck and her twisted foot, she yelped when I touched around her waist to pick her up back in the alley, so there was something around and need to look up without clothes.
I paused for a moment at the thought, feeling how everything in my face felt hotter. I pitched the bridge of my nose trying to calm down, frowning more about the idea. I was a Captain of the Gotei 13, I shouldn't have this childish thoughts and besides is not like is the first time seeing a woman naked. It was for helping and it wasn't going to be completely naked. Soul King, why.
I went back to the task of looking for clothes, something in my wardrobe should fit her. A black t-shirt and pair of pajama pants would work, I took them and went back to the hallway.
"Matsumoto's room is locked, so you'll have to use something mine" I said in the hallway, letting the pile of clothes over the most reachable surface I could make without peeking inside.
"… Are you sure is not problem?" I heard from inside. I dared to look at the space that showed the mirror, from the angle I was looking I was able to see Richards reflection in the tub, she looked embarrassed, her cheeks getting a red tone.
"Is not" I said back, looking the other way embarrassed "I'll be in the kitchen, if you need anything" I continued saying, getting off the image in my head.
"Sure…" She said back.
I went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, I wasn't that hungry, but I was sure that Richards had nothing for dinner because it was the day she worked until really late and always ate when she was home. While preparing the food to make some ramen, I wondered about what happened tonight.
Just before Richards called I felt a strange reiatsu close, I was getting ready to set off and look around when she called. I knew something was off just by it, but when she said the thing about the ice cream shop I went off as fast as the gigai let me. With her reiatsu spiking up it wasn't difficult to find her, but with how fast she was under control of the man made me sure of don't underestimate his capabilities. After whatever was inside the man leaved him, it was surely a pity view and Richards's state wasn't helping at the situation, it was completely understandable, but that way we weren't going to get any answers.
'What is the last thing you remember?' I questioned back there at the terrified man.
'I w-was in the bus stop, w-waiting for going h-home, but t-t-then something cut my arm and then… then I-I-I was here, oh God w-what I h-have done?" He answered freaking out more, that's when I notice the cut in his arm, for someone to pass the many layers of clothes and fast that he didn't notice any face, the person had to be precise and knew exactly what he was doing.
Everything was getting more complicated than I anticipated and it wasn't even for the mission per se. In some way, someone had managed to control completely a human civilian in the street without notice, the person was a human with the powers of a Fullbringer? Or an exiled shinigami? An Arancar? The last wasn't really an option, their reiatsu would be specific. But most importantly why Richards? Why she was centered in the attacks? Why would someone attack her? She hasn't told me anything about what happened, maybe she could clarify something. However, the idea of someone with powers of mind control was something I didn't wanted to fight again in my life, but seemed that we all needed to be careful about it. Every day passing in Karakura was getting more off and not finding the zampakuto was leaving us frustrated. I was missing something and I couldn't get the connection.
"Uhm… Hitsu-kun!" Richards call from the bathroom dispersed my thoughts, making sure that nothing would set on fire, I went to the hallway letting pass the nickname, just for this time.
"What?" I asked back at the door.
"Uhm…" There was a pause that only made me concern about what Richards need it help "I thought it was going to be easy to get out of the tub as I got in… But I was seriously mistaken"
A moment passed while trying to get what Richards was asking me.
"You couldn't say that you need help to get out of the tub like a normal person" I said sighing.
"Ha, joke's on you, for understand it!" She said in a voice almost as lively as what she use to "Seriously tho, I can't get out, I got the towel so you won't see anything"
That should make the task easier. It was something simple to do. I shouldn't be this embarrassed.
"Toushiro, are you alive?" Richards's voice sounded quite amused. Well she was getting back to be herself.
"It's Hitsugaya, Richards! And yes, I'm coming in" I said as I opened the door and walked inside, I was welcome by the steam of the heat inside, what's the deal with women of bathing at this highly insane temperatures? As she said she was in the now empty tub covered with the towel around her body. Her wet hair stick to the skin, but was off of her face as always, showing some little cuts she got from early, the cut in the neck was still open but with no bleeding, the bandage in her right hand seemed right while her left ankle still looked swollen. Her brown eyes looked bright again and all the remains of tears were gone. She looked better.
"You look like a tomato, Hitsugaya" She said and smirked about it. I didn't notice that but now I could felt the itching in my face.
"Shut up, Richards" I replied while getting in position to pick her up, sliding on arm under her knees and other under her waist. She yelped at the touch and made a pained grin "Hold up a second" With a fast movement I picked her up and she shriek in pain, however in no time I let her over the sink, that way she was seated and could managed to put on the clothes "Put your underwear, I need to check that wound in your waist and attend everything else"
"Sir yes, sir" She did the same salute mocking me when I use my tone for an order, I rolled back my eyes as a reply. I went back to the hallway to give her privacy, the kit of first aid was already inside and the food could wait until I attended all her wounds. "I'm ready"
I sighed, yet again, before going inside. I thanked the Soul King that her underwear was sport styled and didn't show more. Her hair was now up in the towel, only a few golden locks escaping from it, I focused back in the wounds, there was a big bruise around her ribs, getting a painful purple tone.
"Are you sure you don't want me to call Kurosaki?" I asked while inspecting the wound.
"Tomorrow" She just replied "Nothing is broken I'm sure"
While squatting and getting the bruise at my level, I touched lightly the bruise, making her jump and get far from the touch. Proving my point.
"Your hand is also cold! Weren't you cooking?" She said annoyed.
"I was, but still, you are terrible injured" I looked up at her brown eyes, which were with a frown.
"It's not the worse I had" She said as an excuse.
"Still, Richards" I said, staring to attend the wound the best I could. She hold with her good hand the corner of the hand-washer to bare the pain, it was obvious in all her face. She was like an open book in that sense.
She didn't answered and seemed like didn't want continue talking, something really strange from her. Probably focused in hold the pain. It really seemed like nothing was broken, but in this way I couldn't be so sure. The scold from Kurosaki in the morning was going to be monumental.
"What happened?" I asked, I had the idea that if I delayed more the question, she wouldn't answer later. I looked up to see her expression, she wasn't with a frown anymore, but was kind of a numb reaction. She sighed and started talking about it.
Between some whined and yelps from Richards, she went telling me everything. Starting with how she felt that something was wrong while going home and decided to change the way. As open book as she was, it was easy to notice that it was a big lie, but I didn't make any suspicion about it and just went on listening and treating the bruises. When going to the call she used another tone that confirmed that in the beginning she was lying, she had some patterns of it, what she wasn't telling me, I didn't know, but it was necessary in the puzzle.
By the time she finished talking, the bruise in her ribs was covered and also her ankle. A bruise in her tattooed arm only needed anti-inflammatory, some cuts covered. Now I was focused in her neck, noticing that something was left of it and recalled that it was the first time seeing her without the shocker with the sun jewel.
"What?" Probably my expression give it away, but make me startled a little.
"Uhm… Your necklace?" I just asked without giving a thought.
"I put it around there" She pointed the surface next to us and there it was "That reminds me, my headphones wasn't around there when you find me?"
I tried to recall the also iconic headphones she was always wearing and remarked that when I found her, she wasn't wearing them but also there was nothing in the alley apart of her backpack.
"No, I thought you had them in your backpack" I said while shaking my head.
"Fuck, they were great" She lament the loss and sighed.
"I apologize for this wound, I just reacted when I found you and for my recklessness you got cut, I didn't payed the necessary attention so you wouldn't get hurt" I said as I covered the cut in her neck, now disinfected.
She moved her head to stare directly at me, getting our faces extremely close, she looked puzzled about what I said.
"You are apologizing…? Are you mad? You saved my life Hitsugaya!" She said quite exasperated "I should be apologizing for being a burden right now! And thank you more for just saving me!"
"You are not being a burden and that cut could've kill you" I stood up and went back for another cotton with alcohol.
"It didn't and again, you saved of that man from actually killing me, I mean I own you a great debt!" She started hissing when the cotton touched the little cuts in her face "It hurts!"
"You don't own me anything" I simply said. I felt the same as if I was helping a comrade or a member of my division, it was nothing, it was the minimum a captain should do.
"You crazy! I buy you dinner sometime!" I couldn't hold the chuckle with her insistence.
"Is not necessary, so please don't" I just said. She made a pout.
"Please! I need to give you something!" She continued trying.
"There's nothing you have to do, I'm going to help you no matter what" With that I put some Band-Aids with the deepest cuts. And she was finished.
"You are not getting off of this one" She pointed at me and I only chuckled more.
"Get ready that way I can finish the food and you can eat" I cut the conversation and passed my clothes, she wanted to keep protesting, but she understood that she wasn't going to win that argument. She put on my clothes that fit her well and help her to get out of the bathroom and to the table, that way she wouldn't move too much.
In short time I finished preparing the ramen and we both ate. She was chatting again while eating, acting more like herself making me quite relieved. By the time we finished eating, it was close to midnight. Richards asked about the whereabouts from Matsumoto and I just replied that was probably with Madarame and Ayasegawa, there was nothing to worry about her, or she would've called.
We both decided to finish for the day, as we were exhausted. After cleaning the dishes, I picked Richards up again and took her to my room. Again, if Matsumoto was here or let her room open, I would took Richards to her room for privacy and she probably would be more comfortable, but no, I had to share bed with her. What I was more worried about this was that while I controlled my reiatsu perfectly, while sleeping sometimes it run out getting colder the room and it was winter. Richards was someone who didn't tolerated the cold, I just hoped that it wouldn't be troublesome.
"You don't have a futon or something else?" She said while I put her in my bed. That I was glad it was a queen size. Her face turned a red color, probably mine was the same way.
"Sadly no, if Matsumoto's room were open, I would leave you there but…" I shrugged.
"… Are you sure I'm not being a burden?" She asked and I only denied with my head.
She sighed and leaned in the bed, only to repeat 'it hurts!' several times, until she was completely down. Also repeated 'I hate this' while getting a position in the bed.
"The painkillers should work soon, however you know I can call Kurosaki if…"
"I said no!" She cut my words in quite excited, only to whine more about the pain "We agree already on this!"
"I know, I was hoping you'll change your opinion" I said giving up finally on the idea, then went to my wardrobe to put my night clothes "Why are you so against it?"
"I'm not mentally prepare for the look of Ichigo-san when I arrive" She simply said and I looked at her expecting some explanation, she seemed to understand because she looked at me with some mix between disappointment and worry "This look" She pointed at her face while saying it.
"I thought he only was annoyed all the time" I turned back my attention to change.
"I mean yes, but that look it's more common than you think, you on the other hand have more grumpy looks than him" She chuckled about it and I only felt annoyed by the comment.
"I'm helping you, don't make fun of me…!" I looked back at her only to find her hiding her face under arms "What are you doing?"
"T-trying to give you privacy!" That's when I recalled that I was changing in front of her, I felt once again my face turning red "I me-mean you have an n-nice body bu- Oh shit!" She covered her mouth from saying anything else, muttering still things to herself while moaned in pain putting herself in a ball in her less wounded side, closing her eyes "I didn't say anything! Don't listen to me!"
She wasn't making any of this any easier for us. I changed quickly so we could pass that between us. When I looked back at her she was still hiding her face.
"You can look now" I said at her. She peeked between the fingers to confirm that and then relaxed.
"Oh thank god, I don't think I can handle moving like crazy again"
"Nobody told you to move like crazy" She only shushed at me, making me smirk a little. Glad that she was back at being herself. I looked for a quilt and give it to her for the night. I turned off the lights and lie down in my bed, sighing for finally calming down.
I was almost drifting out when I heard Richards calling me in a whisper. I turned my head to her, the moonlight letting me see her brown eyes staring back at me, with certain determination, but the rest of her head covered under the quilt.
"Hitsugaya, thanks… For saving my life" She said gently, I felt a soft smile making it in my lips.
"Is not problem, Richards. Get to sleep" She nodded a few times and then closed up her eyes. In short time feeling her breathing went even, knowing that she was asleep in short time I fell back too.
Heeeellouuu my deaaaries! Update Sunday tiiime! How have you been?!
Uniooon chapter, I loved writing this one, was so much fuuun. Silly kids you know?
I want to thanks a lot to my new 4 people that started following my story this week! Really thaaaaaaaaank you so much! Really appreciated!
I don't have anything else to say, hope you enjoyed the chapter :D See you next week!