Don't own Bleach. Boo.
Also, to reviewer AlaeaMori! I'm not offended at all; in fact I do that to a lot of things I read on this site—if someone's posted something really good and hasn't finished it yet, my mind just runs away the story as well. I was actually pondering whether or not to have some sort of rivalry going on while in the process of figuring out what should happen in this story. I won't guarantee the usage of the character you suggested (since I'm blanking on who he is), but let's see if something like your suggestion will actually happen…
Also, to reviewer Kurosu, glad to see you converted. There was just so much Ichigo/Rukia out there that I had gotten bored and stumbled upon this pairing. Ah, serendipity!
And in general to everyone who reviews, thanks! To the new and to you repeat offenders!
Also, 'these are thoughts' "This is speaking" and duh, this is normal narration. Just throwing it out there. P.S. the first part is italicized because it's a dream.
"Love And…"
CH 5: Love and Signs: she loves me, she loves him not
Every single light in Soul Society was out. The moon shone high in the sky, stars winking to the sleepers down below. Stars shining, twinkling, blinking out a message of warning to a world so at ease.
Only one was awake to see it. Only one was awake to ignore it…
A shadow moving among shadows. Darkness shifting like the wind, pure malicious intent flavoring the would-be peaceful night. Movements clumsy and slow yet determined to go unnoticed.
The shadow searches, reaches, hopes it can find exactly what it needs. Exactly what it wants…
A door is broken. The object is found.
Rukia opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. She sat up and looked around her room. Nothing was amiss: no object was moved, no noise that was foreign, no hair out of place…
She looked out the window and saw the sun barely starting to rise.
'Great,' she thought bitterly as she flopped back into her pillows, 'woken up one hour earlier because of some silly dream. It wasn't even interesting…'
Rukia spied a bird preparing itself to sing out side her window. She slammed it open and scolded, "Don't even think about it, pal!"
With a "hmph!" she again fell back into her pillows. 'Of all the nerve…' she turned away from her window and settled in a more comfortable position. 'Bunnies never wake people up…'
-----------------------I needed to set this divider here, but I don't want to destroy the mood with the silly things I tend to write here. Then again, I just kind of did the damage already with Rukia's grumpiness…and with just putting something here in the first place. Oh, what a conundrum indeed----------------------
It had been a few months since Hitsugaya and Rukia had begun working on their mission together. They had just gotten back from a particularly thrilling and successful hougyoku search mission in Hueco Mundo and were now relaxing in his office…well, more like filling out paper work and going through more reports to find the next clue to their next destination. And more like Rukia and Hitsugaya were filling out papers and doing the research on where to look next.
Renji, Matsumoto, Ikakku, and Yumichika, who made up the rest of their little squad, had all wandered off to find some sort of sustenance—meaning booze and munchies, of course—with which to celebrate a job well done. After all, after the huge piece they had collected from this mission, the hougyoku was almost complete! And once it was complete, it could be destroyed in its entire entirety! And then their missions together would be done.
'We wouldn't get to work together any more.' Hitsugaya frowned. He gazed intently at Rukia, who was too occupied with rifling through the new reports to notice anything. Hitsuguya was quite new to the art of wooing women, so he wasn't quite sure if all that he was doing—being extra considerate of her, trying hard to make her laugh and smile, and showing off the extent of his powers—was getting through to her. 'Maybe I'm just really bad at interpreting her signals?' He sighed again and went back to the report he was filling out. 'Or maybe she's not sending me signals at all.'
A hell butterfly flew through an open window in the captain's office.
"Oh, hello there," Rukia greeted.
Instead of being pure black like the normal ones, this particular butterfly had a small spattering of yellow on its wings.
"That isn't the standard hell butterfly is it?" Hitsugaya noted.
Rukia held out her hand for the little messenger to land on and sheepishly smiled at her companion. "It's a special one that's bred by the Kuchikis. Can't go around using official butterflies for non-official business can we?"
Hitsugaya snorted. "You nobles." He teased. It was probably a butterfly from her brother telling her about the next guy she had to fight. Every time the team was back in Soul Society to recoup, report, and reattach the newly found piece of hougyoku to its partners, he found some way to force a fight into her schedule. Not that it mattered much, what with the fights never lasting more than five minutes. The guys may be well-mannered and of good breeding, but none of that did shit to win a fight.
"Geh." Rukia sighed. "Looks like it's another fight for me." She faced Hitsugaya and asked, "Think you'll be able to spare me for a good three minutes, Toushiro?" Her voice was sugary and mocking all at once.
Hitsugaya heaved a dramatic sigh. "I suppose so…" he trailed off. "But be sure to hurry back!" he mockingly pleaded.
Rukia got up and stretched. "Ha ha, if I don't come back, it'll mean I am to be wed." She picked up her zanpakuto on the way to the office door. "If I am to be wed, it'll mean that it will be time to fulfill your promise to me, Toushiro!" she cried, feigning tears.
"You mean the promise we made after that picnic in the meadow?" he asked. Of course, he had never been on a picnic with her in a meadow. Or a forest. Or a beach. Or any sort of geographical location at all. But a guy could dream, couldn't he?
"The very one!" She ran back to him and grasped his hands in hers and whispered. "Should I fail today on the battle field, you must—"
"—have your fiancé killed at the alter." He solemnly nodded. "I understand. I will not allow you to be soiled by another man, Rukia!"
Hitsugaya and Rukia gazed deeply into one another's eyes. They promptly burst out laughing. When their laughter died down, Rukia commented, "I didn't think you were gonna play along with that gag for so long! I'll be back soon, Toushiro!" She shumpoed out the door giggling.
Her companion sighed and responded only when she had left the room. "Only for you, Rukia." He was probably only half joking about killing her fiancé at the alter.
"Hey!" a familiar voice made itself known.
Hitsugaya smacked his forehead.
The rest of their hougyoku search squad wandered back into his office with piles of food and alcohol…and of course juice for the little ones!
"You never joke around with us like that, Hitsugaya!" Yumichika whined.
"Yeah, but that's probably because he doesn't have a crush on anyone except Rukia," Ikakku laughed.
"Why did I let you people join this team?" Hitsugaya muttered.
"Because we were such a successful combination the last time we all worked together?" Matsumoto asked. "We got you and Rukia some juice just in case you guys didn't want to drink!"
The new arrivals set down their purchases at the table in the center of the young captain's office.
"But you're all missing the point!" Yumichika suddenly exclaimed. He had a wide grin on his face. Hitsugaya didn't like it…nope, not one bit.
"He didn't deny it all when Ikakku said that he had cru—oomph!"
Hitsugaya had thrown a book that hit the womanly man square in the face.
"Ah! My face!" the 5th seat squealed.
"Don't," Hitsugaya stopped him before he could continue. "You sound just like that Tokugawa."
"Speaking of the devil," Matsumoto began, "Has he been found yet?"
"Nope, but rest assured he will be severely punished for not reporting for work." Ever since the night of his public defeat by Rukia, Daisuke Tokugawa had locked himself away in the Tokugawa residence. He hasn't been seen since, not even by his own family and servants. No one was even sure he was still in the area.
"Geez, just because someone tries to take your girlfriend away…" Renji teased.
Hitsugaya frowned. 'Be that as it may,' he thought, 'You and Ichigo are possibly my biggest competition for her…'
As if reading his thoughts, Ikakku commented, "You know, I would've expected you or Ichigo to go after Rukia." The bald fighter put his feet up on the table and gulped down some sake. "Not our little captain friend…"
"Hey," Hitsugaya went over and swatted Ikakku's feet away from the table top. "I had a growth spurt recently!"
"Well, it wasn't much," Renji interjected. "As for you, Ikakku, Rukia and I have known each other for so long that it's impossible to see her as anything other than a sister." The tattooed red head cast a furtive glance at their team leader. Maybe he didn't show it, but he really did hope for the best when it came to his friends. "She only sees me as the brother that talks more than her other one."
"So, the thought of romance never crossed your mind?" Hitsugaya made sure he asked this in the most casual manner possible in order to conceal his concern over Rukia's history of love interests. And of course, everyone saw right through it.
"Meh, maybe once or twice, but like I said," Renji responded as he began to stuff his face with dumplings. "I'b known 'er—ubwah! Eh pweh! Krohoho! Excuse me!" the 6th division vice-captain choked and coughed on his food while everyone shied away from the flying bits of chewed dumpling. "I've known her so long that I can't possibly see her in a romantic light. I couldn't even try to put the moves on her."
'Well, that's one load off my mind,' Hitsugaya just barely escaped sighing in relief.
"But I guess Ichigo would be a different story now…" Yumichika chuckled.
"Think our little captain will be able to compete with that substitute?" Renji teased.
Matsumoto elbowed the ivory-haired boy and said, "I don't know…Captain's been doing some training lately and being more open and friendly." She patted him on the head. "And I think he really did have a growth spurt."
Hitsugaya let the jokes get the better of him, which was visible since the poor boy's face had paled considerably. It was easy to forget about Ichigo since he wasn't around, but if Rukia was in love with the brash teenager…
Everyone watched in amusement as Hitsugaya took a deep gulp of air and asked, "Do you think something might have gone on between Rukia and Ichigo? I-I mean, they were together everyday when she was there in the living world, living in the same house, in the same room, fighting side by side—"
"But usually fighting with each other." Rukia trudged into the room and collapsed in the empty seat next to Hitsugaya. "Sorry I'm late, that last fight took longer than usual."
"Oh? Did someone actually give you a run for your money?" Renji queried.
"Nope, I beat him real quick with a lower-level bakudou*. Simple and efficient—the guy gave up after two minutes of trying to break out of it." Rukia laid her head down on the table. "His mother, however, felt the need to come over and yell at me for—and I quote—'use of excessive force.'" She finished sarcastically.
Matsumoto glanced at Renji and the guys and grinned at Hitsugaya. "But hey, you never answered the captain's questions, Rukia!"
"Huh?" Rukia sat up and looked at Hitsugaya.
'God do I want to kill my vice-captain.' He thought. He sheepishly smiled and sputtered out "Uh, well, you know, ehehe…"
"He means, are you and Ichigo dating?" Matsumoto translated. "I guess he kind of figured, like we all did, that something would be going on between you and Ichigo by now."
"Well…don't know why you're so concerned, Toushiro, but we're just friends. Dating Ichigo would be dating a child; you know how much older we are compared to him." She snatched a bottle of juice for herself and drained it dry. "It'd be gross!"
"R-really?" Hitsugaya sounded hopeful. "And I'm not that concerned…I just…was wondering." Curious violet eyes pierced panicking teal. He needed a much better save than that. "You know, your brother sends you all these guys to fight, but if you wanted it to stop, you could have just asked Renji or Ichigo or somebody else that you like well enough to help you fix a fight."
Everyone at the table just stared.
"Fix a fight?" Rukia asked with a slim eyebrow raised.
"You know," the young man in love stumbled over his words. "Just let him win and just not have a wedding...or something. Just have, I don't know, a super long engagement." Everyone was still staring at the poor boy. "You won't be made to fight ridiculous weaklings anymore, " Hitsugaya continued, "and you won't be married—technically—and you won't have to quit being a soul reaper."
"Hmm." Rukia put a hand on her chin in thought.
Hitsugaya nervously held his breath, hoping against all odds that Rukia would just forget that he was ever questioning her relationship with her living world friend like some lovesick fool (which he was, even though he wouldn't openly admit it).
Everyone else just sat back and watched this interesting exchange between ice-wielders. This was better than dinner at the theater!
"I could do that, and I guess the idea has crossed my mind a couple times," Rukia began, staring intently at Hitsugaya with a teasing smile, "but I just have no idea who'd want to pretend to marry little ol' me!" The ebony-haired heiress put a finger on her bottom lip and cutely pouted.
Hitsugaya's face matched his hair. Three guesses as to where all the blood coloring his face went to.
"Excuse me! Bathroom!" and with that, the group's fearless leader dashed out of the room.
Rukia smirked. "That guy is just way too fun to tease!"
-----------------Haha, he has a physical manifestation of his attraction to Rukia. Keehee! I swear I belong in middle school.------------------
"Geez, Ikakku, you actually had to use your bankai for that one?" Ichigo mocked. He had come to watch his Soul Society friends vanquish another arrancar containing a piece of hougyoku.
"Shut the hell up!" the 11th squad third seat yelled. "You wanna go, berry-brain?"
The hougyoku search squad was out in the living world this time around and Ikakku, being the typical 11th division member, was eager to be the one to face off with their latest enemy. And Ichigo. And anyone else who wanted to fight, really.
"Looks like it's just one small piece." Rukia and Hitsugaya called out as they inspected the piece of hougyoku they salvaged from the now dead arrancar.
"You know….we still haven't seen Rukia's bankai." Matsumoto said.
"Really?" Ichigo looked over at his ex-roommate. "After all this time working on the team, you still aren't pulling your own weight, Rukia?" He grinned as she pouted. "But then again maybe you are and we just haven't noticed."
Rukia smacked the orange-haired boy. "Are you implying that because I am small my usefulness is small as well?"
"Meh, if the adjective fits."
Before any fist fights could occur (or any more playful banter that didn't include him), Hitsugaya stepped in the middle of the two and said "Rukia is very useful."
"As a hougyoku detector." Ichigo snorted.
"Shut up!" Rukia crossed her arms. "I'll volunteer to fight and help out with other people's fights, but the G.O.M. here won't let me!" she gestured to Hitsuguya.
"GOM?" Ichigo asked Renji and Matsumoto.
"Don't tell him!" Hitsugaya commanded.
"Oh! Tell me! Tell me!"
Renji and Matsumoto looked from their captain to the substitute. On the one hand, they could face certain doom at the hands of their commanding officer for divulging the meaning of Rukia's new nick name. On the other hand, causing mischief was always more fun than behaving.
"GOM: Grumpy Old Man." Matsumoto informed.
"He has white hair, yells a lot if you misbehave, and needs to nap every once in a while." Renji continued.
"It's perfect right?" Rukia laughed.
"Hell yeah it is!" Ichigo guffawed.
Hitsugaya pouted. Rukia saw this and pinched his cheek. "Calm down, you baby, it's just a joke!"
He swatted her hand away and replied, "I know it's just a joke! Just because I have white hair does not make me old! And I have very good reason for you not to fight!"
"Yeah, you don't want your precious girlfriend to get hurt," Ikakku mumbled to the others. More laughter ensued. Hitsuguya turned bright red.
"What are they laughing about now?" Rukia asked him.
'Thank the heavens she didn't hear!' Hitsugaya mentally rejoiced. He wanted to eventually confess to the girl and didn't want that ruined by being accidentally outed by his rambunctious co-workers.
"Anyways…" Rukia looked to the rest of her companions. "Should we get back to Soul Society?"
"No way! Why don't you guys come say hello to the rest of the guys here before leaving?" Ichigo suggested. "I'm sure Orihime and them would love to say hi, maybe have some snacks or spar...maybe Rukia could show us her bankai at Urahara's underground training room…"
Everyone looked over at Hitsugaya. "Pleeeeeease…" they all whined.
Their captain just smirked. "Do you really think I'd let us take a break after calling me an old man?"
"Rukia!" Renji scolded. "Why do you always make up such horrible names for Captain Hitsuguya?"
"Oh be quiet, Renji!" she fought back. "You were the one who brought up white hair being for old farts!" Rukia turned to Hitsugaya and said, "Please please please, Toushiro…"
The captain crossed his arms and let his smirk grow. "I don't know…"
"You're so smart!" Matsumoto cried.
"You're so fast!" Yumichika added.
"You're so strong!" Ikakku yelled.
"I wanna be just like you!" Renji shouted.
Everyone stared.
"Well…maybe not just like you…" Renji scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Hitsuguya gazed expectantly at Rukia. "Well, do you have anything to add?"
Rukia thought about it and grinned. She walked up to him and said "They forgot that you're devilishly handsome and…" Her smile turned wily. "…I believe Renji and Rangiku once said you were the perfect height for kissing." And with that she pecked him on the cheek.
Hitsugaya was bright red, wide-eyed, and slack-jawed; he was the very picture of a red carp.
"Let's go to visit Karakura!" Rukia cheered. She and the rest of the group started wandering off in the direction of the town, leaving their captain there with his hand over his kissed cheek, gaping at the woman he loved.
It was right then and there he decided to just be direct and tell Rukia he loved her.
"Hey, Toushiro!" Rukia stopped and turned around. She waved and shouted, "Are you coming or not?"
Toushiro Hitsugaya smiled nice and slow like a breezy summer day with nothing to do but sit back and love the world. He took off running after Rukia.
Ichigo elbowed Rukia and commented, "God, Rukia, I think you turned him retarded."
------------------------You know, things don't always turn out the way I plan them to be for this thing…but gosh, do I feel warm and fuzzy right now!------------------------
All the living world gang met the team of reapers at Urahara's shop, intending to catch up and perhaps finally get a glimpse of Rukia's bankai.
When they got there, they found the shop inhabitants spread out around the shop searching for something.
"Hey, what's going?" Rukia asked when they were all in ear-shot of each other.
"Somebody tried to steal something." Yoruichi, currently slinking around as her black cat self, replied.
"What? Do you know why?"
"No, we don't why this person was here or what they wanted," the former 2nd division captain's tail twitched. "And we haven't found them yet either."
"They were probably looking for information." Urahara walked out of the shop to greet them.
"Oi, Hat'n clogs!" Ichigo called out.
Urahara frowned at the old nick name and continued in a somber tone that he almost never used. "Only my office was turned inside out by the culprit. All my papers were scattered all over the place, all my files seem to have been gone through…yet nothing is missing. We can only assume the information they needed was of great value and danger." It wasn't often that the mysterious shop-keeper had a serious look on his face, but when he did, it meant there was something to worry about.
Hitsugaya asked the question on everyone's mind. "Why dangerous?"
"Because," Urahara wryly smiled, "None my important or life-threatening information is kept in that office…and if nothing was taken…"
"…then they couldn't find what they needed." Hitsugaya finished.
"What I want to know is why you let someone break into your office in the first place!" Renji demanded.
"Oh! Well, we were busy!" Urahara's serious demeanor vanished instantly.
"With what?" the group of reapers (and one quincy and two very spiritually capable humans) cried incredulously.
"Welcoming guests from the west!" he grinned a Cheshire cat grin.
The group stayed in confused silence.
Urahara laughed to himself and said, "Come inside and I'll introduce you."
End CH 5: Love and Signs
You know, I think I just like being mean to Hitsugaya.
*Binding/restriction spell.