Don't own Bleach. Boo.
Oi…Thanks to reviewer Stelra Etnae, I have realized that I've been spelling Hitsugaya's name all wrong…Seven installments and this just comes out now. I'm so embarrassed. I want to cry every time I face my computer. Slowly but surely I fixed his name wherever it came up; if I missed a few, oopsie. I feel completely indebted to you now, Stelra.
I'm too embarrassed to say anything else but the standard: To the new and repeat offenders, thanks for the reviews. Beware some original characters coming through. I hear they're tough cookies, so watch out.
'These are thoughts' "This is speaking" and duh, this is normal narration. Just throwing it out there.
Did I mention that every time I go to write this I want to cry out of embarrassment?
"Love And…"
CH 6: Love and Revelations: the discovery of new reapers and feelings.
Inside Urahara's shop sat four strangers: three males and one female.
"All right! Introductions are in order!" Urahara cheered. "Everyone meet representative soul reapers of the 13 Court Guard Squad Western Division*!"
"Soul reapers of the 13 Court Guard Squad Western Division?" Ichigo echoed. "They look like extras from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies."
All four new comers were wearing black clothes with minimal gold trimming, and all outfits were better suited for the men of the 1700s**. Coats, vests, breeches, and crisp button up shirts in various states of frilliness were accompanied by swords.
"Don't be rude Ichigo! You can't expect the Gotei 13 to take care of the ghosts and spiritual problems of the entire world, can you?" Rukia replied. "Though there has never been a chance for direct contact, both our organization and theirs were instituted by the King himself to take care of the souls of the living and the dead through out the world." Rukia, who always had a pad of paper and sketching materials handy for any moment of explanation, held out a poorly-drawn up map of the world and pointed. "We take care of Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and islands in the Pacific, where as they—"
"Take care of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and anything in the Atlantic Ocean." One of the strangers completed. He was a teenager (or at least seemed to be; you never could be too sure when it came to the ages and appearances of soul reapers) with artfully disheveled blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a quite charming smile. "Although the North and South Poles are fair game for all." He stood up and made his way to Rukia and held out a hand to shake. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss…"
"Kuchiki," Hitsugaya answered for her. "She's Vice-captain Kuchiki of the 13th division." He inserted himself between the two and shook the strange young man's hand before it could make any sort of unwanted (for him at least) contact with Rukia. "I'm 10th division Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya, nice to meet you." He added some pressure into the handshake that the stranger did not hesitate to return.
Rukia looked from her friend to the new comer. 'Why do I get a bad feeling about this?' In an effort to prevent any rising tension, she continued with the rest of the introductions: "A-and this is Toushiro's Vice-captain, Rangiku Matsumoto, 11th division seats 3 and 5, Ikakku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, and 6th division Vice-captain Renji Abarai." She gestured to Ichigo and his friends. "These are our friends and allies Ichigo Kurosaki, a substitute soul reaper, and Orihime Inoe, Chad Sado, Uryu Ishida, all very spiritually aware and very capable fighters." She smiled with pride.
The spokesperson for the western reapers side-stepped Hitsugaya and asked, "I never got the chance to find out your first name, Vice-captain Kuchiki." Hitsugaya didn't like this guy's smile. It was wide, pearly white, polite, suave and perfect for seducing the hearts out of women.
Nope, Hitsugaya didn't like it. Not one bit.
"Oh, it's Rukia." She answered her voice a little on edge. Rukia slid a little closer to Hitsugaya. She wasn't so sure why she felt uncomfortable with the blonde paying particular attention to her. She could handle charming men and strangers, especially when the two were combined, but now… 'Is it because...? But why would I…? Toushiro?' Rukia glanced at her friend. Suddenly she was painfully aware of her heart and its strange beating. 'He's standing so close. Usually I'm the one who tries to make him uncomfortable, but he's not even trying…' Rukia tried to shake off the thought. She looked back to the foreign reaper.
Rukia cleared her throat. "Ahem, excuse me…We haven't heard any of your names yet." She looked over at the blonde teen's companions.
"Leave it to Jack to forget all manners in the presence of pretty girls." One of the foreigners shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry, Vice-captain Kuchiki, he won't bite, he's just...extra polite to girls." The speaker had floppy brown hair, (only physically)looked to be at least 20 years old, and generally seemed more business-like than his associate. "This guy here," he bonked the blonde boy on the head, "is Jack Ripper, my Vice-captain." The man took a thoughtful pause. "He really isn't as big of a Casanova as he seems… I am Captain Fredrick Marks—just Marks is fine—of our organization's 11th squad."
Marks pointed to the largest and the oldest of their quartet. "He's George Kingsley, the fifth seat of our healing division." George Kingsley had long grey hair pulled back in a low pony tail and rivaled Urahara's assistant, Tessai, in both height and muscle mass. He smiled and said a quiet "hello."
"And finally," Marks gestured to the last of their group, a girl who was identical to Jack in both facial features and slim body type (she shared the flatness of her brother's chest, yet had much more empty space between her legs) , "this is Anna Ripper, Jack's twin sister and my squad's third-seat." The only characteristic that distinguished her from her brother was her blonde curly hair, which was pulled into pigtails.
Anna, who Rukia had observed to be sizing each of her friends up, merely snorted and jutted her chin out.
'She seems friendly enough.' Rukia thought sarcastically. She noticed Anna's gaze linger on Hitsugaya. She felt her face heat up. 'Why is my face warming up?' Anna turned her blue eyes to Rukia and smirked. 'I'm getting a really bad feeling.' Rukia mentally scowled.
"I've been keeping up a correspondence with Marks here over the years," Urahara began after introductions were over and done with. "And I bet Rukia here knows exactly why we're all meeting here today!"
"Well, besides your little problems with breaking and entering," Rukia replied, "there's another piece of the hougyoku here, right?" It wasn't really a question. She knew the moment she set foot inside the shop that a rather large piece was located there. However, Rukia trusted Urahara, Yoruichi, and Tessai to be more than capable of keeping the piece safe, so instead of asking about it immediately, she waited to know more about the four unfamiliar faces.
"Wow, it's just as you said, Kisuke!" Marks exclaimed, seeming genuinely impressed. "She really can sense it!"
Rukia sheepishly smiled. "Have you been telling bad stories about me, Urahara?" she joked.
"Nothing too terrible," Marks grinned.
Hitsugaya noticed and the irritation he felt at Jack for being acutely attentive to Rukia came back and directed itself towards Marks.
"From what Kisuke says you always seem to be at the center of giant catastrophes." Anna interjected. She had quite the sneer on her face that Rukia and her friends could not overlook.
'Why that little…' Rukia seethed within her mind. She knew what Anna had really meant; the blonde's words were more of an accusation than a passing comment. A list of every disaster and her connection to them began running through her mind and she almost felt sick. She felt someone touch her hand. It was Hitsugaya. Rukia looked into his eyes and found reassurance that he, along with all the other people she cared about, would never share the views of this uppity girl. This calmed her.
"Well," Rukia responded, cool as an iceberg, "That is pretty true…my friends and I always seem to get involved in quite the problems." Her smile turned cold and calculating and her voice held subtle threats. "I guess you could say that I'm bad luck incarnate."
Rukia's friends realized that the serene smile plastered on her face was a very bad sign. It was a smile that called for blood and retribution. Underneath the calm yet biting conversation, Rukia was screaming 'Cross me once more and I will kill you!'
Hitsugaya glanced from Rukia to the western reapers and sighed. 'Rukia, why must I always have to worry about you?'
After a moment of awkward silence, Hitsugaya cleared his throat and asked, "So what brings you four to our part of the world?"
"Ah, yes!" Marks exclaimed. He brought out a small box from the pocket of his coat. "Here you are, as Miss Kuchiki sensed," he said as he passed it to Hitsugaya. "It's a piece of the hougyoku! You guys must have done a number on that Aizen fellow for a piece to be shot all the way into our territory."
"This is great!" Matsumoto clapped her hands. "Double success on today's mission! Let's see how big it is!"
Hitsugaya opened up the box. Rukia gasped. "Wow! Add this piece to the one we just retrieved today and we might actually have a complete sphere!"
"Yup!" Urahara agreed. "And in a day or two I will have a device ready that will completely strip that blasted thing of its powers and render it absolutely useless."
"No more accidental arrancars and crazy hollows?" Ichigo asked.
"No more!" the salesman cried. "I wasn't sure when you guys would have the hougyoku completed, that's why there's a wait. But thank god for these four showing up!"
"What did you think we were here for? A social call?" Anna drawled before her companions could stop her.
"Sorry about her—" Marks and Jack were going to apologize for her rudeness but Rukia cut them off.
"Well it was certainly nice for you to play delivery girl then," the Kuchiki commented with false sincerity. It was a malicious version of the act she would put on for the boys and girls of Ichigo's school. "I'm sure you can't do anything else."
"What did you say?" the blonde girl had to be restrained by her brother and captain.
"Oh, excuse me!" Rukia daintily placed a hand over her mouth. "I meant to say 'I'm sure you had better things to do.'" Her grin was positively toothy.
Everyone seemed to be suppressing giggles. Anna's companions just sighed and shook their heads.
Anna's face was becoming flushed with anger. "Now wait just one second, you little—"
"Anna, stop," Marks scolded. Marks smiled apologetically to the group before him. Ikakku and Yumichika looked eager for a fight to break out; Ishida, Chad, Orihime, Ichigo, Renji and Matsumoto were glaring and shooting dirty looks at the blonde girl; and Hitsugaya? Well, he certainly seemed calm enough…until Marks looked into his eyes and realized that the guy was ready to maim. Rukia wasn't the only one Anna was pissing off.
"We are guests here and yet you continually make snide remarks, especially to Vice-captain Kuchiki, and you actually expect her to keep quiet about them? I expect you to apologize." Marks commanded firmly.
"Indeed," Rukia smirked. Anna merely fumed at the smug look on her face.
-----------------------For those of you uncomfortable with strangers, I promise I won't let these outside character schmucks take over…No! Back! Back I say! Stay away from me, Jack Ripper! You and you're artfully disheveled hair! (I'm actually pretty excited about the new guys' names. Jack and Anna Ripper, Fredrick Marks, George Kingsley…3 out of the 4 of them were inspired by some research on the actual Jack the Ripper. I…am nerd. Hear. Me. ROAR!)----------------------
After a little more discussion, it was decided that the four western soul reapers would join the hougyoku search squad on their return to Soul Society to pay their respects to Head-captain Yamamoto. Urahara would follow them with Yoruichi, Ichigo and the rest with the "Hougyoku Power Zapper Destroyer" ("Orihime, what kind of name is that?" Ichigo whined) in a couple of days.
"We'll see you later, Rukia!" Marks waved to Rukia and Hitsugaya, who escorted the guests to the 1st division while the rest of their team dropped off the newly acquired hougyoku shards at a special holding cell. "It was great meeting you!" he shook hands with her.
"Thank you for escorting us," Kingsley said. He leaned down and whispered, "Even though Jack and Marks kind of roped you into it." The older man gave a grandfatherly chuckle. "I think they made your captain friend quite irritated."
"It's fine!" Rukia whispered back. "I didn't mind at all. It was pretty funny to see you and Marks gang up on Jack for being…" Rukia didn't know how to continue.
"A stupid flirt?" Kingsley offered.
"Well," Rukia giggled. "I was going to say 'unnecessarily friendly,' but that works too. Besides," she fondly looked over at Hitsugaya who was talking to Marks. "Toushiro wouldn't be as fun as he is if he never got good and riled every once in a while."
Kingsley laughed and patted Rukia on the back. "Ah, youth…"
"George Kingsley! Don't hog Rukia!" Jack came up and kissed Rukia's hand before she could do anything about it. "It was wonderful to meet you, Rukia!"
Out of nowhere, Anna smacked Jack on the head. "Quit trying to be such a ladies man!" She shot Rukia a look of disdain before sauntering off to where Hitsugaya and Marks were standing. Jack went after her, whining about everyone being against him today.
"Sorry about her." Kingsley apologized. "She really isn't as bad as she seems…"
Rukia reflected on their meeting at Urahara's shop. Every time that wench decided to open her mouth, unpleasantness spewed forth. "No offense, but I won't take your word for it."
Kingsley laughed good-naturedly. "None taken."
The raven-haired heiress looked on as Kingsley joined his companions. She saw Anna gazing intermittently at her and Hitsugaya. 'What is that jerk thinking?' Rukia asked herself. Anna saw Rukia watching her with a confused and apprehensive face and sent the girl a wicked grin. Rukia's right hand itched for Shirayuki.
"Hey, Rukia," Hitsugaya called, interrupting day dreams of blood and violence. "I'll see you back at my office with the others?"
Rukia smiled. "Of course!" she waved. She watched as Hitsugaya ushered the four guests into Yamamoto's office.
As Rukia walked to Hitsugaya's office, she ran into Matsumoto.
"Hey! It's little Ru-ru!" the busty woman cried as she skipped over to join the short young woman.
"Ran-ran!" Rukia grinned at their childish nicknames for each other. "Got us some good snacks for today?"
"Oh yeah!" Matsumoto lifted up a bag of groceries. "I got us nothing but the best drinks and food!"
"Really now? The best?"
Matsumoto nodded. "Yup. Know why?"
"We have more pieces?"
"We have all of the pieces!"
"Really?" Rukia exclaimed. "That's great—" Rukia abruptly stopped walking and talking altogether.
"Hey? What's with the quiet all of a sudden?" Matsumoto asked her friend. She looked at Rukia with concern.
The girl was staring up at the roof of the building next to them. Rukia could have sworn she felt a slight reiatsu there…'Eavesdroppers?' she thought. She was just about to go investigate when she heard Matsumoto clear her throat.
"Rukia?"
She turned to Matsumoto. "Sorry, I thought I felt something."
"Like that stray cat?" Matsumoto pointed out. Rukia looked to the roof again and saw a grey cat lounging sunbathing.
"Oops, sorry," Rukia sheepishly laughed and started walking again. "Let's get back to Toushiro's office."
"Hmm…" Matsumoto gave Rukia a knowing look. "Speaking of the Captain…what was up with you today?"
"What do you mean?" Rukia asked.
"You know…that whole 'you're devastatingly handsome' kiss bit."
"I believe I used the phrase 'devilishly handsome,' Rangiku."
"Whatever, Rukia." Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "Way to try to dodge the subject." She nudged the girl. "Come on! I know it wasn't a full-on lip lock tonsil hockey tournament, but give me something juicy!"
Rukia placed an innocent expression on her face. "Whatever do you mean, Rangiku?"
"You know exactly what I mean, you wicked girl! Do you like our little Toushiro?"
"Well we are friends…."
Matsumoto pouted. "I'll tell Byakuya about that little peck on the cheek."
Rukia stopped dead in her tracks once again. "You wouldn't stoop so low!" she gasped incredulously.
Matsumoto put a hand on her chin and looked thoughtful. "You know, it's kind of flattering that you actually think that highly of me, Rukia." She looked her companion straight in the eyes and said "Sadly, I really would stoop that low."
"And get Toushiro killed by my brother?" Rukia's eyebrows were quizzically raised.
Matsumoto nodded.
Rukia sighed. "Well…maybe I do like him…a little." Rukia ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "Maybe! I don't know!" She looked up at the sky as if to search for answers.
"So what do you know?" Matsumoto quietly asked. She could tell she was pushing Rukia into finding out something important.
"I…I know I don't really hate it as much as I let on when he tries to keep me from fighting, because it's sweet of him in a kind of old-fashioned way." Rukia put her arms behind her head. "I-I know that I only like seeing him bothered when it's something that I do, because I like knowing that I have an affect on him…"
"Go on," Matsumoto encouraged.
"I know that he's really kind and considerate with everyone despite his strict and gruff demeanor. He's funny when he wants to be, whether I tease him into it or not." Rukia closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "I know I didn't like that other girl, Anna, looking at him the way she did, like she was plotting something…Because I know that anyone could notice how bright his smile is, or how his eyes are that perfect mix of green and blue, or how wonderful his laugh is, or his big heart…and every time I remember this I feel a little hurt inside somehow…" Rukia became quiet.
'Oh my,' Matsumoto inwardly swooned. 'This is so romantic! Rukia! You need to get together with the Captain right away!'
"Matsumoto?" Rukia looked up at the older woman. "If-if I…"
"It's ok, come on," her friend coaxed. "Talk to me about anything you want, Rukia."
"Is it wrong?"
"Is what wrong?"
"Is it wrong for me to want to keep those things—his smile and eyes and laughter and everything else, good and bad—all to myself?"
Matsumoto put her free hand on Rukia's shoulder.
"Ruki, baby," She laughed, "I don't think you like little Toushiro."
"I don't?" Rukia looked thoroughly perplexed. Matsumoto just laughed even more.
"Honey, I think you love him."
End CH 6: Love and Revelations
excuse and errors, i rely on myself to edit. sorry if you hate this chapter, it felt necessary for what i want to do with the story.
* I figured it'd be fine to use the English translation for the Gotei 13 for out western soul reapers. When it came to having the Gotei 13 co-exist with this English translation of themselves, I wanted them to be different but clearly the same…just, you know, not Japanese…I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I figure it's like different branches of law enforcement, you know, one cop station in China equals a cop station in the U.S. Laws and countries and cultures are different, but they're all still cops that have to protect the peace.
**I wanted them to have uniforms like the Bleach soul reapers do, but I didn't know what to do. Eventually I decided to settle on 18th century garb in an effort to match the vibe I got from Tite Kubo's soul reapers and the way Rukongai was represented. (I actually googled Rukongai and it brought me to some wiki entertainment thing that compared certain districts to periods of Japanese history. Am I a dork or what?)