if you get bored halfway, just please be patient for a short while or go read the A/N that waits in the end of the chapter. please.
6
"So, I will take her to the shop, you'll go report to Soutaichou and we'll be meeting at your office. Am I right?"
"Yeah."
"Alrightie! We're off then! Come, Seiko!"
"Bu..t..."
"It's OK, Seiko. You should go with her."
"Un..."
Hitsugaya watched Matsumoto and Seiko go down the road. Matsumoto was chirping happily and Seiko was following her, clinging to her pink scarf. Halfway through she turned her head and looked at Hitsugaya with a little worry on her face, then she turned back. He watched them until they turned the corner then he headed for soutaichou's meeting room. He wasn't sure what soutaichou would ask; but he was pretty much sure Seiko had done nothing wrong and didn't pose a threat to them. At least, they'd know for sure after Mayuri examined her and it would be the best to keep her somewhere their eyes could reach until then, in case she went berserk or something like that. And about her burns, Captain Unohana probably knew far more than him and possibly have already reported to soutaichou. The possible problem would be if the issue went to Central 46. He was mostly sure that the issue wasn't that big that needed to be taken to the Central 46 though. He had to make sure that was how it seemed to soutaichou too. Central 46 was harsh, cruel and rigid. Something he knew very well. Something he wanted no one to experience.
He sighed softly. He had walked pretty fast, so he was already in front of the meeting room. He glared at the giant doors for a while. He could clearly feel soutaichou's reiatsu from inside. He probably also knew that Hitsugaya was there. Hoping that the matter would be settled before it was made too big of an issue, he pushed the doors open and entered the room to give his report.
...
"Soooo, which one would you like, Seiko-chan?" Matsumoto chirped. They were already at the store and she was choosing clothes for Seiko. All the clothes she showed her were flashy and girly, though. And Seiko was rejecting all of them. She shook her head to the clothes Matsumoto showed again. Matsumoto sighed.
"Why don't you like any of them, Seiko-chan? Aren't they cute?"
Seiko blushed very slightly and averted her eyes, nodding softly. Matsumoto sighed.
"So you're shy, I guess? I'd never think you would be that way. More boyish things?" Matsumoto talked to Seiko as she searched for new clothes in the cloth pile. Then she pulled out simple grey jeans. They weren't tight so they wouldn't disturb her burns either. The second thing she pulled out was pale blue denim shorts. Both were a little tomboyish and large so she hoped Seiko wouldn't reject them... even though Matsumoto didn't like them so much.
"What about these two?" she asked, showing Seiko the clothes. Seiko looked at them a little, then nodded. Matsumoto smiled at her cheerfully. "Now that I know what you like i can pick out cute clothes for you!" she chirped. Tomboy clothes could be cute too, right? She wanted to make this little girl cute. She didn't look it; but she had a lot of potential. She could be made into a cute little princess, she could be loved by everyone. Firstly, her eyes were big and almond shaped with long, dark lashes and her irises had a beaming, beautiful purple color. Her lips were chipped and dry but had a beautiful shape. Her face had soft, cute curves and she had a cute little nose. Her body was skinny, but still had the childish cuteness. Matsumoto saw lots of potential in her, though Seiko didn't let her do what she wanted at all. And Matsumoto was forbidden of making Seiko do or buy anything she didn't want. A strict and absolute order from her captain. Jeez, he was so stern about things sometimes.
She picked out a few more clothes she thought that would suit Seiko's taste and showed them to her. Seiko nodded to all of them. When she thougt she had picked enough clothes, she brought Seiko to the dressing rooms, helped her try all of those clothes. Only a few of them didn't look good on her, but the others were bought directly. Matsumoto had an eye for such things, after all. When they had left the shop, Matsumoto's hands were already full with more than ten bags. They had already bought the daily needs of Seiko – like a toothbrush, a hairbrush, shoes and things like that – so their shopping was mostly over. Matsumoto wanted to visit a few more stores too; but she knew they didn't have time for that. Seiko had a busy day today. That would have to be done later.
"Now, we're going to the office, Seiko-chan!" Matsumoto informed the little girl clinging to her scarf, just to say something. Seiko didn't make any noise and just nodded again. Seiko was unbelievably quiet around Matsumoto and she didn't like the silence. Not at all. She wondered what her problem was. She remembered that Seiko was pretty energetic and willing to talk when she was with captain. Well, maybe she simply was attached to captain. He was the first to actually try and talk to her after all(Matsumoto had given up after two sentences so it probably wouldn't count) and the first to discover her gender. Matsumoto still didn't know how he just noticed it like that while she looked so much like a boy.
"Won't you talk to me a bit more, please?" Matsumoto sighed.
"Um... so...rry..." Seiko said quietly. Matsumoto sighed again.
"Well, whatever. Let's just go and wait for captain's arrival, then."
...
"I was starting to think you'd never come." Hitsugaya sighed when the two came in. He was already at the office with a big box of sweets, waiting for the girls to arrive. Seiko brightened up in an instant when she saw him and hurried to cuddle him, burying her face in his haori.
"Ah- hey- easy, Seiko!" Hitsugaya stammered from the surprise, pushing her away very gently not to hurt her – both her body and her pride. Don't openly reject her while she's so dependent on you. Seiko stopped cuddling instantly and backed away just enough so he would have his space while she could still hold onto his haori. There was a ghost of a smile on her face, a pale and small smile; but her eyes were already far brighter and more lively.
"Geez, she's so cheerful with you!" Matsumoto complained, putting the bags in her hand on the couch, "She sulked the whole day when we were shopping for her. She even pushed me away when I wanted to hug her! Isn't it unfair?"
"Maybe she can sense how far you'd go if she ever lets you do something to her." Hitsugaya said, ruffling Seiko's hair to relax her a bit more so that she'd let go of his haori. He knew that she'd stop tugging on it immediately if he told her to do so; but he didn't want to say that, especially when he was the only person she seemed to like and depend on. He didn't want to risk breaking her down, after all he didn't know anything about her past and how much she had been hurt before, how much trauma she carried in her heart. That sounded a little protective, but still.
"So cruel! I'm not a monster, I wouldn't do anything bad!" Matsumoto whined like a puppy.
"Yeah, I know, nothing bad. Right." Hitsugaya mumbled to himself; but still turned to Seiko and squated in front of her to be on her eye level. "I know you feel insecure; but Matsumoto is also your ally. You can be more open with her. Alright?"
"Un..." Seiko nodded softly and sadly looked down, "Sorry..."
"Don't apologize," Hitsugaya ruffled her hair again and stood back up, "You don't need to apologize for this. It's just that you can depend on her when I'm not around."
"Yep, I'm a dependable person! You can depend on me, Seiko-chan!" Matsumoto chirped.
"Umm... Ran... chan?" Seiko asked, tilting her head to the side a little and blushing. She was being all shy.
"Yes?" Matsumoto gave her a big smile.
"Tha..nks.." Seiko smiled back as much as she could manage.
"Now, enough with the chit-chat." Hitsugaya interfered their sweet-talk, remembering that they still had much to do and that they were already behind the shedule because of Matsumoto's shopping, "Now we need to visit the fourth division, then we will go to Captain Mayuri's laboratory. The sweets may be needed so I bought them before you came. Matsumoto, you can come or stay if you wish."
"Of course I will be coming!" Matsumoto chirped. She was trying hard to get along with Seiko. Hitsugaya appreciated that; it would be easier for her to simply ignore Seiko just like Seiko seemed to want and go to drink with her sake-buddies. "But why fourth division first? Isn't Captain Mayuri closer to us?"
"I have no idea what he might do and how long it would take; so i'm assuming that having her go to fourth division first might be better." Hitsugaya explained.
"Yeah, I didn't think about that." Matsumoto mused, "Oh well, maybe I'll say hi to Captain Kyouraku on the way."
"Don't make it into a sake-visit." Hitsugaya grumbled.
"Geez! Don't make me look like a drunkard, Captain!" Matsumoto complained.
"Fine, fine; let's go." Hitsugaya sighed and started walking, feeling Seiko tugging on his haori, following him. Matsumoto sighed too and followed him out of the office.
A/N: oops! a day late! sorry 'bout that. anyways, hope you liked it. i personally am bored in this chapter and in the next chapter's start. i mean, nothing at all happens because that's how the story's plot was. Seiko is checked up, taken care of and the same talk over and over. maybe the Mayuri part might have been more enjoying to write; but i had already started a much more fun part seperately and wanted to continue on from that. in the end, i linked those together, i don't regret it. if you get bored as i do, just please be patient for one more chapter and the fun starts. anyways. i look forward to reviews if you take your time to write one(please do). take care, y'all!