A/N: This is sorta important. Well, to me. Would anyone like to see the story "Gifts of the Heart" continued? PM or review and let me know, please!

Title: Sixty-nine
Date: 30 December, 2008
Words: 515
Characters: Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, mentioned Hisagi, Orihime, Ichigo
Pairings: Hitsugaya & Matsumoto
Inspiration: Someone has to explain to the Bleach cast in Soul Society why the 69 tattoo business is funny and perverted. Why not me?
Rating: PG-15'ish. Not quite the M-rating, but if I get too many complaints or anything I'll make this just a stand alone one-shot.

A/N: I don't think this merits more than a 'T' rating, but if anyone feels strongly opposed to reading M-rated fics, you may want to skip this one.

Also, I've started posting Guys & Dolls. Yes, this is a shameless plug for another story of mine. It is M-rated, just because much of the content is a bit more… descriptive than this ficlet. Nothing explicit planned, but if I decide to do that, I will give you fair warning. However, if you're up to it, it's totally filled to overflowing with crack and OOC-ness, but my beta assures me it's hilarious. 8-) And, what could be better than basing a story on the idea of "What if Gin played matchmaker?" Alright, shameless plug over. Lol.

Please read, enjoy, and review!
-Rachel Noelle

"I just don't get it, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya mused as they walked along the path back to their office.

"Don't get what, Taicho?"

"Why does Kurosaki always snicker when he sees Hisagi's tattoo? It's like he thinks it's… I dunno, perverted or something."

Matsumoto was at a loss as to how to answer. She resolved to ask Orihime about it, since Ichigo would likely not tell her.

The next time Matsumoto spoke to Orihime, she blushed more forcefully than Hitsugaya was prone to do. So, that's what the big secret was. In that sense, Shuuhei really was a pervert.

One night, a few days after speaking with Orihime, Matsumoto decided to reveal her findings to Hitsugaya.

"You know what, Taicho?" she asked, looking to the young prodigy buried under paperwork, even if it was dark out. He spared her a glance to show he was listening then returned promptly to his work. "I asked Orihime about Shuuhei's tattoo, and she explained why Ichigo thinks it's so funny."

"Oh, did you? And what did she say?" maybe eventually Hitsugaya would learn to keep to himself, but this wasn't going to be the day.

"Well," Matsumoto began her explanation, unable to help the rising blush on her cheeks.

Hitsugaya noticed her blush and commented on it. "Are you blushing? The great Matsumoto Rangiku does not blush. Is it really that terrible?"

Matsumoto made no move to defend herself, only blushed deeper. She did manage to explain it a bit more thoroughly, though. "It's… a position."

"You mean like a fighting stance? That's nothing to be embarrassed about," Hitsugaya could not grasp what would be so difficult to explain that would make his Matsumoto blush like that.

"Ehehe… not quite, Taicho. You've heard of the Kama Sutra, right?" Matsumoto worried her lower lip, watching a mild blush rise on Hitsugaya's cheeks to compliment her own.

"You mean that book you shoved under my nose last week? With those… poses that no one could manage without pulling something?" Matsumoto nodded, indicating he remembered correctly. "What about it?"

"Well, in the living world, 69 is slang for one of those positions." As Hitsugaya caught on, his blush matched Matsumoto's perfectly then exceeded it.

Casting his eyes downward, trying to focus on the next sheet of paperwork in front of him, he had to ask to satisfy his, admittedly perverted, curiosity. "Just why do they call it '69' then?"

"Ehehe, let's just say that the curly end of the numbers, erm, represents a head… and well, you get the idea…"

After a few stunned minutes of not being able to look one another in the eye, Hitsugaya finally lifted his head from his paperwork, grinning slightly. "Hisagi really is a pervert, isn't he?"

Matsumoto chuckled, sharing the sentiment of humor in the words. Holding her gaze, and his blush going such a deep shade of red Matsumoto wondered if it would ever recede, Hitsugaya made a suggestion.

"We should try that sometime."

Matsumoto wore a permanent blush every time she and Hitsugaya were in the same room for a full month after.