Chapter 6:
Rangiku dragged herself to her front door, body aching, eyes near sealed with exhaustion.
"I swear it takes longer to get around on these short little legs." She muttered, slipping off her shoes and into the house.
A light nasal sound floated on the air out from the living room. Rangiku knew that snore. A certain red headed lieutenant was sleeping over once again. She cursed the terrible luck and hoped to the gods he had gotten in by the hide-a-key in the front.
Creeping down the hall, she crossed her fingers that he had drank enough to be out for the night. She did not want to try and explain this little snafu.
Making it to the bathroom door, she put a hand on the knob only to find it wouldn't turn. She tried again with a little more gusto, still unable to get in, but this time she heard something stir on the other side.
"Renji, either go to sleep out there or go home." A voice, her voice called from inside.
'Is that what I sound like?' She made a small grimace. It was weird as hell to hear her own voice as others heard it.
"Captain, let me in." She whispered back.
"Matsumoto?" Was his reply.
"No, it's the Head Captain." She said in a snarky tone. "Yes, it's me. Let me in before we wake up Renji."
There were a few seconds of rustling, then the door popped open and a strong hand yanked her inside.
"What in the seven hells did you do this time?" He didn't yell per say but he didn't need to.
"I didn't do anything!" She bit out, hands on slim hips. She offhandedly thought it didn't quite have the right force without her curves.
"Well I know damned well I didn't do anything." He loomed over his smaller body, eyes narrowed.
"Look, I don't know how this happened, but we need to fix it." She paced across the tile, chewing the already short nails. He slapped the hand away.
"Stop that! That's disgusting." He chastised.
"I do it when I'm thinking!" She retorted.
"Those are my nails you are biting, lieutenant." He growled.
"Don't you think we have a little more pressing matters than my bad habits right now?" She asked as she plopped down on the lid of the toilet.
"You're right. But please try to refrain from abusing my body while you're inhabiting it."
"I could say the same. What exactly is Renji doing here?" A snowy brow arched over suspicious green pools.
"He came in when I was in your bedroom. I must have accidentally left the door unlocked." He had perched on the edge of the tub, long legs crossed.
"What were you doing in there?" She asked, voice tense.
"It's where I woke up. You can imagine my surprise when I woke up in that pastel nightmare you call a bedroom. Seriously, Rangiku. It looks like the Easter Bunny threw up in there." He looked at her side long.
"I'm sorry I don't share the same Spartan taste in décor as you do, captain. I have more imagination than that." She quipped back.
"I have one. I just don't let mine run away with me." He sniped, voice increasing.
"Come on. We both know you're a total stick in the mud. You have no sense of adventure." She retorted with an undignified snort.
"I do so!" He was near yelling now, and before she could form her next sentence, there was a knock at the door.
Rangiku quickly hid under the sink. She stifled a giggle as she thought that finally his small size was actually useful.
"Ran? You okay in there? Who are you talking to?" Renji's groggy voice floated through the door.
'Crap, what do I say?' He thought furiously as he turned the knob.
"I was just, um, practicing." He replied meekly, peeking through the crack in the door.
"Practicing what? It's three in the morning." The arched brow and down tilted corner of mouth showed Renji wasn't buying.
"I know. And that's why you should be getting some rest." Toshiro added Rangiku's sugar sweet smile hoping to convince.
"Umm-" He could hear the confusion in Renji's voice.
Toshiro flung open the door, stepping out into the hall to shoo the nosy red head back to the living room, but was stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes made it to the other man's lower body. There was not much left to the imagination as the black boxer briefs clung tightly to him. After a few moments, Toshiro cleared his throat, turning his head away.
"Ran, you were staring again." Renji teased lightly, voice lilting. He came closer, successfully backing Toshiro into the hall wall.
"It's hard not to since you insist on parading around half naked all the time like you do." Toshiro weakly stated, trying hard to rationalize his actions.
The tatted man merely moved further in, planting large hands on either side of the blonde head, quirked lips dipping towards "hers". Toshiro quickly ducked below the locked arms and dashed down the hall. The red head followed close behind, semblance akin to a stalking leopard.
"I admit, it took a bit for me to see it, but now I do. It's painfully obvious you're attracted to me. And, I won't deny that I feel the same." His long, taut body leaned lazily against the door frame. Even in being casual the man emitted an undeniable sensuality.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Toshiro busied himself with making the massive Peptobismal bed, avoiding the large man at the door.
"Stop playing games, Ran." His voice tickled across the back of the long, pale neck. Toshiro jumped at how quick the other had crossed the room. And more so, how close he had gotten unnoticed.
Massive hands gripped hard at full hips pressing the rest of his hardened body tight against the soft form in front of him. Pushing long blonde strands aside, Renji trailed open mouthed kisses across the newly exposed flesh at the nape of her neck.
Toshiro couldn't help but let summer blue eyes roll back, pink nailed fingers twisted the piece of blanket forgotten in his hands. Once back to his own body, Toshiro planned to employ some of these techniques. Though he would never admit it aloud, especially not to the lieutenant's face, the man had skills.
There was a resounding crash at the open door, more effective than a bucket of ice water, reclaiming all the hard won ground from Renji. He reluctantly let go as "Rangiku" turned around to see what caused the interruption.
Toshiro could feel the pale skin he was sporting heat and turn crimson as his lieutenant, in his body of course, stood there dumbfounded, sword forgotten on the hall floor. He could see the confusion in his eyes looking back at him and felt just a little guilty. He grasped for the words as she straightened, gaining composure. He watched unhappily as she pulled herself together and put on the blank face that hid it all, the one he knew all too well, since it was his own.
"Lieutenant, if you're quite finished, I'd like to speak with you." She fought hard to hold back the tears threatening to ruin her vision.
Listening to her use his voice controlled and tight, he could have kicked himself.
Renji bowed low to the squad ten captain, excusing himself with an apologetic glance in "Rangiku's" direction. Both listened, not speaking, until the outer door could be heard closing behind Renji's retreating form.
"What in the hell was that?" Rangiku had turned his own small body toward Toshiro, eyes a green fire.
He watched in fear as frost crept across the walls and floors, carpeting becoming brittle, busting under foot as Rangiku stalked towards him.
"Rangiku, you need to calm down." He tried his best to calm her, words placating.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" Even compacted into his shortened stature, her anger crested high above his head. "How can I calm down? This has been some of the worst few days I have suffered in my life!" Her floor length mirror splintered before falling to the cushioned floor with a thud.
"If you don't, you will turn this room of yours into a meat locker." Toshiro explained, eyes darting about the room, cringing as icicles the size of a grown man's arm descended from the ceiling.
"Why did you do that? Do you like guys or something?" Her question went from sounding confused to incriminating.
"Of course not!" Toshiro stood tall in the leggy blonde's form. "It's merely a side-effect of being inside your body." He tugged harshly at the front of his robes, trying desperately to cover more of the cleavage that seemed to spill out.
"So, your mind was saying no, while your-my body was saying yes?" She formed her question carefully, slowly, to make sure she understood.
"Quite." He agreed, folding his arms under the large breasts he had failed to cover.
Rangiku couldn't help it, she laughed. Hard. So hard she could barely breath, cheeks red and sore, short body doubled over, arms clutching around the slim middle.
"I don't find it amusing at all, Matsumoto." He retorted, pretty face screwed up into an indignant glare.
"Oh but it is. My all powerful captain isn't as infallible as he pretends to be." She continued to snicker as she moved toward the bedroom door.
"You need to show some respect to your superior." He snapped back, glaring at his mouthy lieutenant.
"Give it up. You were seduced by Renji Abarai. Need I say more? And stop all that frowning. You're gonna' give me wrinkles." She continued out the door, a sullen Toshiro trudging behind.
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"Man, I'm tellin' ya'. This sobriety thing ain't healthy for her." Renji muttered before slamming back his sake.
"She's always been a bit eccentric. I'm sure she's fine. If anything she's trying to make you feel bad so you slip her a little sake." Izuru explained.
Renji gave a lopsided grin, eyebrow in a slight arc.
"You really think that's what she's up to?" He asked, humor coloring his words.
"You two are good friends. What better target?" Izuru replied logically.
Renji reached for the near empty bottle, pausing a moment in thought before pouring another cup.
"I can think of someone else that would be much more pliable." He raised his filled cup to grinning lips.
"That is very true." Izuru replied, pointing an extended pinkie finger at the red head, cup held tightly by the remaining appendages. "That idiot Shuuhei is more than a little smitten. What power she has over him, I'll never know." The blonde threw back his head sending the strong liquor cascading down this throat, burning a trail as it went.
"She has her good points." Renji interjected, finger circling a knot in the table.
"What? Like the ends of the claws that she hooks into unsuspecting men?" Izuru inquired, tone incredulous.
"She's really not like that. You just don't know her that well." Renji's voice had become defensive without thought.
"Easy, man. No offense meant." Izuru replied, voice aiming to placate the other man.
Renji visibly settled, clearing his throat and reaching for the last of the sake.
Izuru eyed him a brief moment before his pale hand shot across the table connecting solidly with Renji's unsuspecting shoulder.
"You?" He sat back, eyes wide, mouth slack with disbelief. "No." Izuru shook his head, disgust curling his lip.
Renji glanced upward, shame creeping across blush covered features.
"You can't be serious. Rangiku?" Izuru turned green at the prospect of losing yet another comrade to the wicked wiles of the self serving blonde.
Renji rubbed the back of his bowed head letting a small choked laugh escape.
"I don't know, man." He shifted restlessly across the table from his scrutinizing friend.
"Why in the gods' names her?" His distaste had all but disappeared, leaving ample room for the sheer curiosity he felt.
"I don't think it's like all serious and whatever." He poked one large finger at the empty bottle's cork sending it skidding across the flat surface before dropping over the opposite edge.
Izuru's long fingers snatched it from its fall. He squeezed it between thumb and forefinger watching the spongy material collapse and regain its shape over and over at his will. A few moments later found the cork soaring across the space between the two men abruptly stopping after solidly connecting with Renji's wrinkled forehead.
Izuru coughed out a laugh before the projectile was in return volley from the then grinning tatted man. The new sport replaced the old topic, Renji thank the gods to have the distraction. He thought hard about what he felt as the cork was lobbed to and fro. At this moment, he didn't have an answer.