It Takes Time

By: Le tired

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters, blah blah blah, etc.

Rated: T for some language and…stuff?

TideDrop: Thank you!

Neotwiliteglow: Thanks very much! I think keeping everyone in character while writing about emotions they possibly do not experience in canon is the most challenging part about this fic!

kriitiko: Thank you! I'm not entirely sure where this fic is going, so I guess we'll see what Matsumoto does together!

sapphirepheonix97: Sorry for the short chapters, I just write until I hit what I feel is a good ending point. But I'm glad you're enjoying what there is! :)

Etinarg12: Many thanks for another review! Yes, there will be more plot progression as well as learning about Hitsugaya's feelings, but much of the story's semi-theme is represented in the pacing, which I feel mirrors a more real relationship, where there's not much action, but a lot of emotional discoveries occur. Plus, finding out Hitsugaya's feelings eliminates much of the suspense :P.

Kohryu: Thanks, hope you enjoy this chapter too!

kinichi: Thank you, I like to try and sneak a little humor in now and then, since this is a fairly introspective and thought-laden fic. A drunk Hitsugaya would be funny, but seems a little too OOC for me. Plus I'm not sure I could do it without PLOT DEVICE being written all over it (ooh I think I made a pun).

Havenoname: Thank you!

Saint Sky: Thanks a lot!

Esunamoon: Thank you, the realism of the fic is what I spend the most time thinking about as I write so it's very reassuring to hear you review it so positively!

30CK: Hey thanks, this was an extremely flattering review! I like Ichimaru too for no real reason. As much as I would like to write more of him in here, I don't like to mess with the actual storyline, so for now, he is to remain in Matsumoto's memories.



Chapter 4

The conversation with Renji had helped. Despite the little, if any, concrete advice he'd given, he'd lent an open and willing ear, and for Matsumoto, that had given her the energy and confidence to attack the situation. Her first thought had been to try and modify her behavior so as to impress her taichou and mayhaps win his affection. To come in on time (early even?) and to actually do work and not drink and sleep on the job. Actions Hitsugaya had on numerous occasions made clear he wished she performed. The thought, however, had gone as quickly as it had come. She simply wasn't the responsible worker Hitsugaya-taichou wanted her to be, and if he couldn't love her the way she was, they clearly weren't meant to be. Besides, for all the reprimands and lectures, Hitsugaya had never taken real punitive action and they'd continued to function smoothly as a division, so Matsumoto decided her laziness wasn't really a deciding factor in a potential relationship between her and her taichou.

The second thought then was to try and get to know Hitsugaya-taichou on a more personal level, outside of work. Preferably on, oh say, a date. But the Gotei 13 remained in a state of uproar and confusion with the defection of three taichous; Hitsugaya had always come to work earlier than Matsumoto, but there were mornings when she wondered if he had ever left for the evening. There were mornings he greeted her listlessly with many wearied lines on his face and a slight croak in his voice. Matsumoto was not so selfish as not to realize that now was simply not the time for courtship.

In fact, all thoughts of romance quickly dwindled away and pure ordinary concern set in as she watched her taichou push himself to his limits helping to keep Seireitei together. Of course, she knew all the other taichous were doing the same but this was her taichou, damnit! Even as one part of her marveled at his selflessness, another was simultaneously wishing he'd drop the charity act and start taking care of himself before he got ill. "You know, taichou, I think you've gotten thinner these last few days," she couldn't help but comment one morning as Hitsugaya got up from behind his desk to rummage through a bookshelf for who knew what. "You really should take better care of yourself."

Hitsugaya didn't spare her a backwards glance. "If you're really that concerned about my health, do some work, Matsumoto."

"I have! I did some work yesterday, taichou! Didn't you see me? I was at my desk for the whooole afternoon!"

"After your 3-hour nap. You worked a total of two hours before you left for the day, Matsumoto." He'd found the book and was sitting back down at his desk with it.

"It's like I said, taichou! Too much work is bad for you! You have to take breaks now and then. You won't do anyone any good as tightly wound as you are now!"

No answer. Just the quiet flipping of pages and the quick occasional scribbling of a pen. Of course Hitsugaya-taichou would lose interest in their conversation. It was one that was constantly repeated between the two of them just about every day. Matsumoto bit her lip and glanced over at her own desk. 

Oh how she despised paperwork. Could anything be more mind-numbingly tedious? Truly, it felt like it had been created in this world for the sole purpose of making her miserable.

She looked back over at Hitsugaya, completely lost in the task at hand already. Sighing, she plopped down in her chair and downheartedly opened her first file folder.

Fifteen minutes later… "Well, that's enough of that! Ah that took far too much thinking!" Matsumoto stood up and stretched. She was immensely pleased with herself for having finished that case. "I'll really need to reward myself with a few extra drinks tonight! I can't believe I worked that long! Lucky!" she sang; Hitsugaya's end of the room remained in an industrious silence. "This is a great time for a break. Ah, I wonder what I want to eat for lunch! And I think a cute new shop opened in North Rukongai, but I forget which district. I'll have to ask Nanao! Letsee, I think it was district 42…" she mumbled. She had one foot out the door when she turned to call back cheerily at her taichou. "Well, taichou, I'm off! I'll be back later in the afternoon, but don't hesitate to call me if there's anything important!"

"Sure." Hitsugaya looked up and met her gaze evenly. "Thanks for working, Matsumoto." He seemed to be musing over something, and his next words came out slowly. "I guess you really must be concerned about me."

Matsumoto felt herself flush, feeling a little sheepish and undeserving of the thanks she had just received. "Oh, taichou, fifteen minutes…isn't really that much. And I'd have done more except…paperwork…it's just…it's so boring. I really tried, taichou," she stopped, painfully aware of how whiney that sounded. She decided to switch tactics and assumed the affronted air of a long-suffering martyr. "Well, if you know how worried I am, take better care of yourself, taichou! Honestly!"

To her surprise, it almost seemed from her angle that Hitsugaya-taichou had looked a little embarrassed himself. "You're right. I should start sleeping better." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Soul Society, and not even Yamamoto-taichou knows exactly how to manage the reconstruction and preparations for Aizen's imminent return. We really can't afford to make any more mistakes. Do you understand, Matsumoto?"

"Yes, taichou." But do you know, sometimes I think I'd rather there be some mistake if it meant the disappearance of those circles under your eyes. You're too good a person to be giving away your entire life to the preservation of Soul Society with no regards to your own happiness and health. Matsumoto looked sadly at her taichou.

"…But," Hitsugaya continued, still slowly, "it seems I have limits to what I can do by myself, and exhausting myself isn't going to change that." He looked back up at his fukutaichou soberly. "And I hate to make you worry. …So yes, Matsumoto, I'll try and watch myself more."

"Thank you, taichou." Thank you so much.

He waved her out the door. "Have a good lunch, Matsumoto. I'll see you in the afternoon."

Matsumoto stared at him for a moment. It was really rather ridiculous, the notion that had popped into her head; nothing Hitsugaya-taichou had done really warranted such an act. But she simply could not resist. His promise to take better care of himself as well as the generous thanks for working were so strangely sweet, and he was looking damnably cute again in his tired and therefore somewhat relaxed state. She quickly walked over to Hitsugaya-taichou, leaned over, and as he looked up at her in slight puzzlement, planted a quick, gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, taichou."

Hitsugaya continued to look up at her, clearly not getting where her actions were coming from. To tell the truth, Matsumoto herself wasn't entirely sure what she'd meant by it. It had been totally on a whim, but now that it was over and she was standing back up, the gesture seemed strangely intimate, despite the fact that he was already well-acquainted with her cleavage. Almost instantly, she recalled all her less-than-platonic intentions towards her taichou, and any explanation she might have originally given died on the tip of her tongue. Hitsugaya too seemed to have understood her kiss hadn't been meant as a condescending, maternal gesture as he wasn't snapping at her.

The moment seemed to stretch. Matsumoto decided finally that she ought to say something being the instigator and whatnot, when Hitsugaya beat her to it. Her usually stiff and distant taichou shook his head and actually gave a quiet laugh under his breath. When he looked back up at her, his eyes had definitely softened and there was the smallest of smiles curving on his lips as he said to her with audible affection so rare in his voice it almost didn't sound like him. "You're really something, Matsumoto."

Matsumoto felt herself sag with relief, but then had to beam back at her taichou, his mirth sparking a joyous warmth all through her body. "Of course, taichou! Otherwise, I wouldn't be your fukutaichou, now would I?"

"No, I suppose not." He was still smiling. It really was her lucky day! When it seemed to her as if they would just continue smiling at one another (nothing wrong with that, as far as she was considered), Hitsugaya once again took charge of the moment and picked up his pen again. "Go, Matsumoto. If you don't, you won't have your lunch or find Ise-fukutaichou and that shop of yours." Gracing her with one last parting smile, he bent down over a report.

Ah yes, she'd almost forgotten. Matsumoto smiled fondly down at him one last time before turning towards the door. "Yes, taichou."