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?
Author's Notes: Wow I'm the slowest writer ever. For anyone who is actually somehow still following this fic, I apologize over and over again. I've always meant to continue this story but it just wasn't coming to me. I somehow had this crazy idea I was going to incorporate all the anime-only stories too so my fanfic would be SUPER EPIC. Yeah…nope. By the time I picked this back up, we'd gone through another two filler arcs, and I was like WHAAT? The Zanpakutos are people now? So, I'm going to try and stick to the manga and hopefully finish this story before 2020. Also, many thanks yet again to everyone who reviewed. I didn't really understood why authors cared so much about reviews until I started writing my own stuff. It's really encouraging to hear from other fans who love this stuff as much as you do, and actually it was after reading the reviews this past week that got my mind all clicking again. So thanks again!
FrozenChaos: Thank you! I'm always super nervous about dialogue sounding OOC. I literally sit at my computer and pretend to be Matsumoto and Hitsugaya. It's easier with Matsumoto because she strikes me as someone you might actually meet, and Hitsugaya is like this super precocious kid with more discipline than me.
Kohryu: Haha yup it's a win-win situation…I think. :P
heidi-mayer87: Thanks! Your enthusiasm is really contagious! Haha…and then I see the review date and it's been practically two years. So sorry .. Good thing Bleach is such a long series.
kyokoaurora: Thank you! Insanity is always good in my book!
30CK: Yay thanks! Hope this chapter meets your expectations!
Rachel Noelle: Haha yeah Matsumoto can be pretty kooky, and that's why we love her. :)
Jane Doe 616: Thanks! That's exactly what I was thinking when I first started writing! I mean, sweeping romance is great, but there's something sweet about slowly growing closer too and I don't think it's explored as much.
Lizapalooza: Thank you and thank you! Finding my characterization believable and my writing clear are two huge compliments to me!
Anki-Shai: Thanks! I'm glad if it brought something new to the table.
Phoenix628: Wow I'm personally amazed that you are able to read and write so well in a second language. I minored in French and have forgotten just about everything. Thanks for taking the time and effort to write a review.
happypocky: Thank you! I get antsy writing serious stuff, so I try to break it up with a little humor now and then.
Chapter 6
Abarai Renji sighed appreciatively as he swallowed back a mouthful of sake. The sky in Seireitei was darkening and giving way to dusk, and the early evening air was still. "Nothing like a peaceful night with a bottle of sake," he declared happily to no one in particular. And soon, usually Izuru, Hisagi, Matsumoto, and others would be dropping by and joining him. With all the serious problems looming ahead of them, these loud carefree nights were a much needed reprieve.
A knock on his door brought Renji out of his thoughts. "Hey, come on in!" he shouted even as he got to his feet and headed towards the entrance.
It was Hisagi and another probably low-seated Shinigami he didn't recognize. Well, the more the merrier. "Hisagi! Glad you could make it, yer always so busy nowadays with those taichou duties! Sit down and make yerselves comfortable!" Renji clapped his friend heartily on the back.
Hisagi grinned back. "This'll be great, but first, this guy," he motioned to the other Shinigami, "has a message for you."
"Huh?" Renji turned to really look at the Shinigami. "…you look…are you from the 10th division?"
"Hai, Renji-fukutaichou!" The Shinigami bowed. "Sorry to disrupt your evening, but Matsumoto-fukutaichou has requested that you see her at her quarters immediately! It's some sort of emergency!"
Renji frowned. "Emergency? At her quarters? Why would she ask for me when her captain and division are closer?"
"I'm sorry sir, I don't know anything more than that!"
"Whatever it is, it sounds serious. You'd better go see her." Hisagi looked concerned. "Should I come along, in case you need help?"
"Yeah, why not?" Renji grunted, a little put off about having to make the sake wait. "Let's go."
Matsumoto greeted Renji and Hisagi at the door, hair mussed and her sky-blue eyes wide with panic. "Ohgreatcomein," she said in one breath, and pulled the both of them in.
Her room was a mess, clothes strewn haphazardly on her floor and spread all across her bed, and one of her chairs was overturned. Renji surveyed the chaos with some horror. "Damn, Matsumoto, what's gotten into you? Did someone try to rob you or somethin'?"
"What? No, don't be silly." Matsumoto was still looking around frantically. "I just, um, I need to figure out what to wear." A blouse suddenly caught her eye, and she picked it up, looked up and down, then tossed it aside with a frustrated huff.
"…Say what?" Renji wasn't sure he heard right. "Clothes? You…sent someone to get me…for
clothes?"
"Yes!" Matsumoto snapped, pacing around her bed and studying the outfits laid out on it. She sighed and rubbed her forehead wearily. "I know it's really short-notice, I didn't plan this, but this is sort of important and you were the only I could trust since we talked-." She suddenly looked up, apparently actually seeing Hisagi for the first time. "What's he doing here?"
Renji shrugged, although he was starting to get an idea of what had Matsumoto so distraught. "Uhm, we were gettin' ready to drink some sake and party the night away. Y'know, like we usually do. Thought you might join us."
"No, not tonight." In spite of her obviously harassed state, Matsumoto suddenly seemed to remember something and smiled brilliantly up at him. "I've got other plans tonight."
That was all Renji needed as he grinned widely back. "Ha! So things happened on their own, eh? I told you if you just waited, it'd be fine."
Matsumoto was back to rummaging through some shopping bags. "Well…not quite. It's not really…we're just going out to dinner. He has no idea."
"Oh." Personally, Renji thought that was friggin' amazing. Taichous and their fukutaichous spent so much time working together in their headquarters nowadays, he didn't know any pair that would spend even one more voluntary minute in each other's company. The very thought of him and his stoic (yet paradoxically easy to offend) taichou sitting down for a proper dinner gave him goosebumps.
"…but I want to look good, of course! Maybe if things go well…well, who knows? But I don't have much time, I said I needed to change but he wants to meet in another 15 minutes, so I need your opinion!"
"Huh?" Renji shook his head, forcefully clearing his mind of a rather disconcerting image of Byakuya-taichou coolly yet snidely (seriously, how does he do that?) lecturing him on how to properly use his utensils and where to put his napkin as they awkwardly munched across a table at one another. "Uh ok…sure, if that's what you want, Rangiku. …I mean, I'll do my best…but…I gotta warn you, I don't know what the hell you chicks consider fashionable these days."
"Uhh…excuse me?" Matsumoto and Renji both turned to look at Hisagi, who was still standing awkwardly by the door and looking increasingly baffled. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Matsumoto, it sounds like you two don't need my help. Renji, I'll go back to your place and wait."
There was a pause. Matsumoto bit her lower lip and looked over at Renji. "Think he can keep it a secret?"
Renji thought for a moment. "Yeah, this is Hisagi. It should be fine."
"Keep what a secret?" Hisagi looked very confused and maybe just the slightest bit miffed.
Renji grinned. "Matsumoto has a crush on Hitsugaya-taichou."
Hisagi's eyes widened. "No way."
"And," Renji added with an even wider grin, "they're goin' out to dinner or somethin' tonight."
"Whoa," Hisagi breathed. He looked over at Matsumoto. "Hitsugaya-taichou, really? That's pretty impressive."
"Not really, I can't figure out how to tell him," Matsumoto muttered, her worried look returning. "And I doubt he feels the same way. The only reason he's buying me dinner is so I wouldn't undress on his desk."
"WHAT?"
Ignoring the twin cries of confusion and shock from her friends, Matsumoto resumed her prowl for a suitable outfit. "I need something cute and sexy but not too much, otherwise Hitsugaya-taichou will think I'm being weird. Alright!" She grabbed a few pieces of clothing and dashed behind a screen. A few moments later, she emerged in a white long-sleeved shirt and florally patterned skirt. "How does this look?"
"Fine," Renji replied happily. "Go with that."
"Well wait, here's another one." Matsumoto changed into a rather low-necked pink camisole and jeans.
"That looks fine too," Renji decided. Hisagi nodded.
"And how about this one?" This time Matsumoto was wearing a light blouse over a summery yellow dress.
"Fine," was Renji's final verdict. Hisagi nodded again.
"NO! You two are no help at all!" Matsumoto cried, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "'This is fine, that is fine'… what does that even mean? I want, I need something that really blows him away!"
"Well, you know," Hisagi offered thoughtfully, "I don't really think Hitsugaya-taichou's the type to notice these things. I don't think appearances like that matter to him."
"Yeah," Renji piped in. "It's Hitsugaya-taichou. You could probably go in a ratty T-shirt and jeans and he wouldn't blink."
"It still can't hurt to try and look nice," Matsumoto grumbled. "I know guys like that."
There was a moment of subdued silence.
Renji looked around helplessly. His eyes finally spotted a bright red piece of cloth underneath one of the multiple piles on the floor. "How about that?"
Matsumoto followed his gaze, went over, and picked up a red cocktail dress. "Oh, I'd forgotten about this…hmm…maybe..." She quickly dashed behind the screen. She came out with the dress and matching red high heels and a necklace. The dress was a deep red satin that clung to and accentuated her every curve and ended just above her knees, showing off her smooth creamy calves.
Renji and Hisagi looked at each other, then nodded approvingly. "That should work."
Matsumoto turned back and forth in front of a mirror, examining her reflection. A smile slowly crept over her face. "Yeah…I think so too." She quickly reached over to her desk and fumbled around, finally pulling out a pair of red jeweled earrings. "These should go quite nicely. They're the exact shade of red to match the dress."
"What are you gonna do about the necklace then?" Renji pointed at the sky blue stone. "That's all blue, not gonna match yer dress, right?"
"Oh, no." Matsumoto smiled fondly down at the stone as she stroked it gently with her fingertips, recalling a most memorable conversation. "No matter what, I'm wearing this one."
A/N: Not sure if it's obvious enough (or too obvious?) that the necklace she's wearing is the one Hitsugaya complimented.