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: …shit. I can't believe Kubo Tite started a whole other arc (with new super smexy hairdos at that! Goddamnit I'm so torn about Toshirou's new look…it's so effing hot but I also feel like a sucker for falling for the typical bishounen look .) and I'm still not done with this fic. Worst. Writer. Ever. Whatever. I'll blame all my traveling around interviewing for jobs this time.
sagitgirlth: Thanks, I'm always so happy to see a review from you and know you're still interested in reading! I agree, I think Matsumoto's openness is a really good thing for him, they're just good balances for one another! XD
XIce-and-SnowX: Aww, that makes me so happy! I love when my fics make people feel warm and fuzzy! And thank you EVER so much for your patience, I'm the same way for a lot of fics I enjoy (too bad a lot of them do end up on permanent hiatus, which is why I'm so determined for this not to happen)!
Lil'ShiroLover85: Thank you, I'm glad you liked the chappie! Haha yeah pretty sure I'm going to try an M-rated scene, but it's going to be a while since I want it to be sort of meaningful instead of like…PWP SMEX (nothing wrong with that, but I doubt my writing is hot enough to make it good). Haha so keep reading if that doesn't turn you off :P.
Prince of Winter Dragons: Hey, thanks again! I'm also happy I managed to update finally! Yeah, I definitely wanted to show that Hitsu and Matsu are both very responsible people (despite how Matsu likes to pretend she's not) who despite how they feel are probably willing to sacrifice their own feelings and well-being for what they believe is right. It's why I like them and why I think they make a compelling couple :).
ArtisticJen: Thank you! I think Kubo Tite made it pretty easy for me, he draws all these little scenes in the manga with them and then leaves them…and I'm like, 'What happened? ZOMG maybe it was like this…!'
Kohryu: LOL I'm pretty sure we all think that, but Hitsugaya's so serious and reserved, he's never gonna believe it. Otherwise, when Hiyori was all calling him for being a pervert for touching her, he'd have been like, 'Damn straight and you should be grateful bitch!' :P.
Writing bunny: Thanks as always for both the review and the fact you're still reading! I actually put in a nod in this fic to you regarding one of your earlier reviews, if you remember!
dragonick711: Thank you, I know I take forever to update, I don't blame you for almost forgetting this fic -_-. If you are still reading, hope you enjoy the next chapter!
pucflek: Yaaay, I'm glad it was worth it! The day it's not…will be such a sad day haha.
SP777: Hello, it's nice to meet you and thanks for taking the time to review! Haha a Hitsu and Matsu mini series would be freaking awesome. And they made a movie about Hitsu so I see no reason why not either!
bebelurvsbishiess: Aww thanks, I definitely appreciate all the reviews I've gotten. And I'm super glad you like the story enough to keep reading despite the side pairing. Although, it's not a real pairing that I'm advocating, it's more like what I think Hitsu and Matsu would think of the situation, since there's that whole scene with Matsu comforting Orihime. It's pretty much the only time they really get emotionally involved with the main characters, and I thought it had potential to reflect on how they might personally view love, both requited and not. Besides, I'm too scared of some of the fans out there to go for a concrete pairing where Ichigo is concerned haha.
Chapter 23
Ever since freezing his grandmother to near-death, Toshirou had avoided sleeping in the same room with other people. Of course, this wasn't always possible, such as during his early years at the Shinigami Academy where the students often grouped in bunks of four or so, or during missions where he had to share an overnight watchpost with a partner, but nevertheless he always strove to put the greatest amount of distance between himself and others when he knew he would be asleep and unable to realize if his reiatsu was hurting someone. It didn't matter, even when he became a captain and knew he was firmly in control of his powers—the thought of lying down too close to someone continued to make him jumpy.
As such, he'd never gone to sleep with someone pressed up against him, much less the intimate embrace Matsumoto had done. He never would have allowed it, had he been in his usual state of mind, but the evening had been far from usual—all he could think of through the extreme fatigue and sharp aching of his wounds was to get to sleep as quickly as possible. As as a result, he'd let down his guard, and it was just like Matsumoto to immediately take advantage of it.
In retrospect, it hadn't been that bad, he'd thought briefly before falling asleep that night. Matsumoto's presence was always comforting, never more so than now when she was quiet and sleeping, and Toshirou realized belatedly the nervousness that normally plagued him when sleeping with someone nearby wasn't manifesting itself.
Well, if anyone could handle his reiatsu leaking during his slumber, it would be Matsumoto. Perhaps it was from her being the first person to make the discovery of his power, or perhaps it was from the many years of afternoon naps in their shared office he'd taken in attempts to grow. For whatever reason, going to sleep with Matsumoto resting her head against him felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was not entirely an unpleasant discovery.
…waking up the next morning, however, was an entirely different experience.
Bright sunlight nearly blinded Toshirou as he opened his eyes. When he tried to raise an arm to block out the ungodly sunshine, he found himself immobilized. What?
He squinted, again trying to avoid the morning rays, and tried to force comprehension into his still sleep-addled mind. When he finally regained his bearings and realized the reason behind his seeming paralysis, he groaned aloud.
Sometime during the night, Matsumoto had turned around and cuddled up to him backwards so they were now essentially—what was the word he'd heard before, ah yes—spooning. He'd never held a woman like that. It was an awful lot of contact. And Matsumoto's body was so damn soft…
Hell no, he was not thinking about that now. There was the matter of his arm. Which, as it turned out, was pinned rather forcefully under Matsumoto's head. With a fuzzy sense of unreality, Toshirou gave an experimental tug. His arm didn't budge. "Matsumoto!" he hissed, not too loudly in case Inoue was awake nearby and might walk in to find him and his lieutenant in such a compromising position. "Matsumoto, wake up! Move your head!"
No reply. Matsumoto stirred slightly and sighed, then continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of her captain's predicament.
"Matsumoto!" He gritted his teeth and pulled harder. His arm moved half a centimeter. It was starting to really cramp up. "Of all the—"
"Mm, taichou…" Matsumoto murmured softly, before giggling in her sleep. "Do that again…oh yes…"
Toshirou stared at the back of his slumbering lieutenant blankly. "…idiot. She's hopeless." He made another halfhearted attempt to extricate his arm, then sighed and rolled onto his back to stare fatalistically up at the ceiling.
Maybe an hour later, Matsumoto finally shifted and awoke, stretching and yawning like a big cat. "Ohhh, that was refreshing." She scratched absently at some perceived itch on her lower back, then finally turned around to face her captain. "Oh, morning, taichou. How did you sleep?"
"Matsumoto. Get off my arm. Now."
"Eh?" Matsumoto's eyes rolled to the side to fall on the aforementioned limb. "Ohhh, I was lying on it? Sorry, taichou!" She obediently sat up, and Toshirou yanked his arm back to his body. He nursed it briefly before glaring insinuatingly up at her, to which she only smiled and ran a careless hand through her touseled golden hair. "You could have woken me up, taichou."
"I didn't want to wake…Inoue."
"Ohh is that so? That's verrrry considerate of you, taichou." Matsumoto leaned back on her arms and tilted her head back, eyes half-closed, to soak in the sunlight that had been irritating Toshirou all morning. "Mmm, it looks like it'll be a really nice day today. What do you want to do, taichou?"
The top of her shihakusho was loosened from sleep and was falling even more open than usual. Toshirou resisted the urge to reach up and yank it closed. Instead, he turned away and studied his previously trapped arm. There was a suspiciously damp spot on his sleeve. Perfect. She'd not only had him pinned for the last hour or so, but she'd drooled liberally on him as well.
"That does it. I am never sleeping in this apartment again," he growled, climbing to his feet to fold up his sheets. Matsumoto watched him, almost curiously, as if she'd never seen someone make his own bed.
"Well, taichou, what's the plan?"
"I'll have to speak with Kurosaki and make a formal report to Soul Society." He stacked his blankets in one corner of the room. "Then, we'll set up patrol perimeters with the others. After that, we should probably train. I think last night demonstrate how important it is for us to improve our abilities as greatly as possible before the winter." He straightened and eyed Matsumoto's own messy nest of untouched blankets with impatience. "Oi Matsumoto, stop lying there and clean up. Speaking of our plans made me realize how much we have to do today. We need to get going."
"Mouu, what a boring schedule!" Matsumoto complained as she slowly got up. "I was really hoping to explore some more and shop…"
"You shopped yesterday," Toshirou said in a low warning tone.
"That was hardly enough, taichou!" Matsumoto pouted back at him for a moment, before her eyes lit up again. "Ne, taichou, if we're really going to do all this running and sweating around today, let's go have breakfast at a nice café first, okay?"
"No. We've wasted enough time." He turned to leave. "I'm going to get my gigai ready. When I return, I expect you to be ready."
"That'll only be a few minutes!" Matsumoto looked positively taken aback. "Taichou! I still have to brush my hair and paint my nails, and then choose a cute outfit, and put on matching make up and—"
"MATSUMOTO!"
"Eeeeeek!"
"Good morning, Rangiku-san, Hitsugaya-kun! Is everything all right?" Inoue stuck her head into the room. She blinked as she took in the furious white-haired captain with veins popping in all directions from his head and what appeared to be a fire roaring behind him, while his lieutenant was frozen in a comical pose of terror. "Umm…"
"Ohh, Orihime! Nice timing! You saved me!" Matsumoto quickly sprinted behind the confused teenage girl. "Hitsugaya-taichou is such a slavedriver, even so early in the morning! He won't even let me have breakfast first!"
"We're spirits in makeshift physical bodies. We don't need breakfast!"
"Orihime, you understand, don't you?" Matsumoto smiled and gripped Orihime around the shoulders to propel her out of the room. "Heey, you made such a delicious dinner last night, I just have to eat more of your cooking! You'll make something for me now, won't you?"
"Ehh…? Rangiku-san…"
Toshirou watched in disbelief as his lieutenant disappeared cheerfully around the corner with Inoue, presumably to have breakfast, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the living room, still twitching in fury and consternation. "…oi." But it was painfully clear no one was going to answer him.
With a sigh, he began to pick up Matsumoto's bedsheets.
Kurosaki was nowhere to be found at the school, for some reason. And Toshirou couldn't even sense his reiatsu, which was odd, to say the least. Luckily, Abarai had been around and was able to relay what he knew of Kurosaki's confrontation the previous night, and now, he sat atop the school rooftop entering his report moodily.
"Guess whoooo?" A pair of hands fell down to cover his eyes, while an all too familiar bosom pressed against the back of his head, nearly smacking him off balance.
"What the hell are you doing, Matsumoto?" He wrenched his lieutenant's hands away, irritated.
"Oh my! You're incredible, taichou! You got it in one guess!"
Who is she kidding? "I can't imagine anyone getting it wrong." He thought to say more, namely on how late she was in joining him, but decided it wasn't worth the extra oxygen. There were more important matters at hand.
"What are you doing? You know, in this world, it's bad for a kid wearing a school uniform to not be in school."
As if he needed her to tell him that. Especially when she was wearing a school uniform herself. "I'm working on the report!"
Matsumoto punched the air a few times in excitement. "Did you tell them how we kicked their butts after our limiters were removed?"
Toshirou sighed. It'd been a tough battle and Matsumoto had every right to be proud of her victory…but the unfortunate truth of the matter was Aizen was leaps and bounds ahead of them in preparation. There was simply no time to rest on their laurels.
"Those were small fries. They were Vasto Lordes. Probably not even Adjuchas." He ran through his conversation with the arrancar Shawlong again, particularly what the latter had said about their elite fighters, the espada. "If it took all our strength just to defeat a couple of Gillians…their level must be…that high."
Predictably, Matsumoto's face fell, but in an instant, she'd recovered. He loved that about her—that she was always able to bounce back in the face of even the greatest adversity. He didn't have to watch his words and worry about hiding any ugly realities of combat so as not to shatter her psyche. Maybe it said something about his abilities as captain that he couldn't just take care of everything while his subordinates carried on blissfully, like Unohana's mothering of Kotetsu, or Ukitake's gentle sheltering of Kotsubaki and the other Kotetsu (hmm weird, was there something inherent about the Kotetsus that made their captains want to protect them?) . But for Toshirou, he would much rather prefer to discuss all troubles in his mind with Matsumoto as an equal. "Taichou, what can we do?"
"Like I said before, we'll have to do everything in our power to improve our fighting ability before the coming war." He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his head filled with dark grim thoughts. "Matsumoto, even while we're here as a surveillance team, I want you to train every day, just as if we were in Soul Society. I'll be doing the same."
"Yes, sir."
"From what Abarai told me, it sounds like last night may have been an unplanned encounter. That is, there was no particular motive on Aizen's part to send the arrancars out. Indeed, they may have come of their own accord, since Tousen arrived later to have them retreat. That could explain why our enemies knew so little about us and our abilities. We may not be so lucky next time, however, should Aizen decide to send more fighters to test us."
"Yes, sir."
He glanced at Matsumoto, and his lieutenant returned his gaze evenly. No more words were needed regarding their situation. They stood for a moment longer, silently looking at one another.
Then, it was time to get to work. Toshirou shook himself and turned to leave. "Well, that's it for now. I'm going to look into a few more things, then go on watch for hollows. Also, there's a strong likelihood we'll have to establish visual and audio communication with Soul Society, given the seriousness of the situation. Can I entrust you to take care of that, Matsumoto?"
"Of course, sir." Matsumoto nodded. "Leave it to me."
"Thanks." With that, he shunpoed off.
"Aa~ah, things are getting really serious," Matumoto commented to no one in particular once Hitsugaya had left. Maybe tagging along on this mission wasn't the best idea she'd had. If her captain was right about the arrancars' strength—and he was rarely wrong—they were in for a hell of a fight in the winter. And maybe a few fights before then, if Aizen did decide to send more intruders like last night.
Right. Training. Training was good.
But first, there was the task of setting up communication that her taichou had given her. Matsumoto fished out her phone.
"Hello?" Nanao's voice came through clearly on the receiver's end.
"Nanao-chan! This is Rangiku! How are you? I'm in the human world, and I'm doing great!"
"…Rangiku-san? Why are you calling me?"
Matsumoto sighed at the question. Nanao was really too serious for her own good—not unlike a certain captain she loved. "Do I really need a reason to call one of my dearest friends?"
"No…but this isn't something you do on a normal basis. I heard you went to the mortal world and fought some arrancars. Are you all right?"
"Fine, fine! They were a piece of cake after we got our limiters removed, you know! Ah, but about that, there's something I was hoping you could help me with."
"Yes?"
"I think I need to set up a more permanent communication system with Soul Society. Any ideas how I could do that?"
"Oh." Nanao was quiet for a moment. "That's actually a very good idea. Kyoraku-taichou and I have been looking through library records and we think we've come across some important information regarding Aizen's plans. Yamamoto-soutaichou may actually want to speak with your team directly. A communication server from the Bureau of Technological Development would be best. I'll get that taken care of for you today."
"Really? Thank you! You're the best, Nanao!" Now that her job was done, Matsumoto leaned against a wire fence railing to chat. "So, how's everyone doing?"
"The same as usual, really. Nothing in particular to report."
"Did you try letting your hair down and swishing it by Kyoraku-taichou, like I suggested? I'm telling you, men love smelling our hair."
"Rangiku-san, I told you I'm not interested in attracting Kyoraku-taichou. He's an irresponsible drunkard who sleeps all day and almost never takes me seriously—"
"Sure, sure. Remain in denial as long as you like, if that makes you feel better." Matsumoto laughed over her friend's indignant cries. "And what about the other SWA members? How are they doing?"
"I don't know," Nanao replied testily. Matsumoto could hear a faint click as the ninth division fukutaichou adjusted her glasses. "I hope, for their own sake, they're not actually following your ridiculous advice."
"Ridiculous? I'm the great Matsumoto Rangiku, who won the heart of her taichou! My advice is the best there is! You should all be buying me drinks for sharing my wisdom with you!"
"Oh, really? That reminds me…you told Kusajishi-fukutaichou that men were eye candy, didn't you? Do you know how many officers she's bitten in the last few days trying to taste them? Some even had to be sent to the fourth division!"
"Oh…ahahaha, really?" Matsumoto winced a little at the mental image. "Well, maybe my word choice could have been better…"
"Indeed!" Nanao made a righteous snort. Then, with some hesitancy, "So you're really still with Hitsugaya-taichou?"
Matsumoto laughed under her breath. Nanao could feign disinterest in romantic dalliances all she liked; in the end, her friend's curiosity still got the better of her. "Of course! Nanao-chan, don't you have the slightest confidence in us?"
"Well, of course I wish you the best of luck, but the two of you are so…different at times…"
"Opposites attract," Matsumoto responded cheerfully. "We're having a great time! Although the arrancar fight was a little scary…" She remembered Hitsugaya crashing out of the sky, covered in blood, and closed her eyes. She felt her throat stick a little, and she could hear her voice roughen with emotion. "Nanao, those bastards are pretty tough, to tell the truth. Hitsugaya-taichou is concerned…I think even he isn't sure we can beat them."
"It's as bad as that?" Nanao's voice had grown quieter as well. "I'm sorry, Rangiku-san. I know things are pretty dangerous right now in the human world. Promise me you'll take good care of yourself…and Hitsugaya-taichou."
"I'll do my best…but you know how my taichou is." Now that she remembered, it was hard not to keep replaying the image of Hitsugaya's broken body lying in a pool of blood over and over in her head. "He just always has to do the right thing, has to take on everything by himself." A mixed surge of fear and frustration hit Matsumoto. "He cares too much about everyone, Nanao! He's a genius…but he's so…so stupid at times! He's too kind, too honest! He never takes the easy way out! He'll stubbornly do what he believes is right to the end…even if it costs him his life." Nanao wisely remained silent.
Matsumoto sighed and looked heavenward as she ran out of steam. "And…I'm his lieutenant. I…I can't be selfish and tell him not to fight. It's what he does—what he has to do, if Soul Society is to have any future. But now that we're together, it's gotten a thousand times harder to keep any personal emotions out of it. Seeing Hitsugaya-taichou go down like that…that hurt and scared me so much more than any arrancar threat."
"I know the feeling," Nanao murmured back over the receiver. "It's funny, isn't it, that we're lieutenants, but the captains are are still so many levels above us. Sometimes, it's hard to believe we can really do anything to help them. At least you're always there for your taichou, Rangiku-san. If Kyoraku-taichou fell in battle, chances are I wouldn't even know for some time. I know he keeps me from combat to protect me, but it's a little painful to think that there might be a time when he needs help and I…I can't give it to him."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Nanao!" Matsumoto wanted to hit herself with the phone. Nanao was already plenty sensitive about the topic of her and Kyoraku-taichou, the last thing she needed was more insecurities to brood over. "I didn't mean to be so negative! I'm just being silly like always, you know! Must be because I didn't get to have any sake yet this morning…anyway," she insisted, "you're plenty of help to Kyoraku-taichou! You're always helping him with his research and figuring out Aizen, like you mentioned just a few minutes ago! That's far better than trying to help him in combat. Me, swordfighting is the only thing I'm good at, so Hitsugaya-taichou's got no choice but to drag me around, but it's like you said, I'm probably more of a hindrance than anything else." She tried to laugh. It came out pretty weak, but Nanao seemed to understand and gave a small laugh of her own.
"Thank you, Rangiku-san. And you know… it sounds like you've given yourself the solution to your own problem. You can't keep Hitsugaya-taichou from being injured in battle, but you can save him a different way, away from the field. Really. I've seen how Hitsugaya-taichou always turns to you. Your presence, your trust gives him strength. He is only able to do the things he does because he has you. You're always there to listen to his doubts and fears, to cheer him up in his darkest moments, to lend support in all forms when he needs it—certainly by your sword and kido if warranted, but that is only one limited aspect. You guard his back, his mind, and his heart." There was a pause. "That is how you can be both a lieutenant and a…um…a lover, Rangiku-san. And you're great at both, so you needn't worry."
Damn Nanao and her super eloquence. Matsumoto almost had to blink back tears, she was so touched. At the same time, another thought occurred to her. "Heeeh, so that's how you really feel about your relationship with Kyoraku-taichou, hmm, Nanao-chan? Such a profound understanding…that's so deep, so caring, Nanao-chan…"
"OHHH, you-!"
Laughing, Matsumoto hung up, feeling more energetic. Nanao was right. Long ago, when Matsumoto had first met a snow-haired young boy gifted and mature beyond his years grimly ready to take on the dangerous responsibility of a Gotei 13 captain and defender of the countless millions of lives in Soul Society, she'd secretly sworn she'd do everything in her power to share his heavy burden—to be his strength and support, so that despite all the killing and cutthroat politics, he might yet still laugh and love.
Much time had passed since then, and the manner of care and devotion she felt towards this promise had transformed into that of a much deeper and passionate vein, her vow had in essence remained the same. It was her job as both a fukutaichou and now a lover (she snickered as she recalled how Nanao had stammered that part) to look after Hitsugaya. How silly of her to have forgotten for even a moment.
"Well, I guess I'd best train for a bit," Matsumoto said aloud with a decided smile. "And after that, I'll see what I can do to look after my Hitsugaya-taichou!"
Toshirou arrived, exhausted, back at Inoue's apartment in the afternoon. He'd made a few more calls and reports back to Soul Society, some regarding Aizen and the arrancars, and others just to check up on his squad. He'd touched base with Abarai, Madarame, Ayasegawa, and Kuchiki, and done a thorough survey of Karakura Town to ensure he'd know his way around in a crisis. Then, he'd spent the rest of the late morning communicating with Hyourinmaru and training rigorously. It'd be nice if Matsumoto were also back, so he could get an update, but he wasn't surprised when she was nowhere to be seen. Just as well. If she wasn't around, he could take an afternoon nap in peace—
"Taichou! Hitsugaya-taichou!"
-or not.
"What is it, Matsumoto?" He tried not to glare at her from where he was lying on the floor. It wasn't her fault she seemed to have the most diabolic timing (or was it?). He noticed she was wearing a new outfit he hadn't seen before—a loose white dolman top with a short denim miniskirt. For crying out loud, she went shopping again!
"Taichou, you know how I wasn't all that great at fixing up your wounds and ended up wrapping you up in way too many bandages?"
"You…shouldn't you be a little more embarrassed when admitting something like that?"
"Anyways," Matsumoto continued as if she hadn't heard him, "I came across something really neat while I was shopping—ah, scouting—that I think I can do to help you with your injuries!"
"…you said 'shopping' just now," Toshirou pointed out crossly, but his attempts to direct the conversation were completely disregarded. Instead, Matsumoto brought out a small brown paper bag from behind her back. She reached in and with a flourish, produced a clear glass bottle with a shiny gold top. Toshirou thought he caught the slightest whiff of lavender. "It's massage oil! Taichou, it's just the thing for you! You're still so sore from the fight, right? I'll give you a nice rubdown to loosen up all those tense muscles!"
"…what?" Toshirou stared uncomprehendingly at his lieutenant, then at the bottle, then back at his lieutenant.
"It's a massage, taichou! Haven't you heard of them?" She waved the bottle in the air as she talked. "I've had several at the spas and they feel soooo good! I can't believe I didn't think of this before, sorry taichou!" Blue eyes aglow with excitement, Matsumoto got down on the floor next to him, and started to scoot closer. "O-kay! Now, taichou, take your top off and lie down!"
"Absolutely not. I don't want a massage." He backed away a little from his lieutenant and the harmless yet strangely threatening bottle she was still brandishing. The thought of someone laying their bare hands all over his body was horribly invasive and left him practically bristling. Even the knowledge that it would be Matsumoto, who had seen him in all states of undress, didn't change the cornered feeling he was experiencing. If anything, the fact that it would be Matsumoto, made things worse somehow.
"You don't want one only because you haven't had one," Matsumoto insisted brightly. "Just try it for five minutes, taichou! If you really don't like it, I'll stop, I promise."
"I don't like people touching me."
"But it's just me, taichou!" Matsumoto continued to crawl towards him. "You can trust me, can't you?"
"You ask me this…when I send you off on a mission, and you return with more shopping bags." Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the official Gotei 13 credit card issued to them since last night. Toshirou was almost dead certain it'd been on his person when he'd gone to sleep, but ever since he woke up with Matsumoto all curled up against him, it'd gone missing. "And you wouldn't happen to know where our official mission only credit card might be, would you—"
"Not a clue taichou, nope, not the slightest idea what you're talking about," Matsumoto said a little too sweetly. "And your insinuation that I haven't done any work is plain hurtful, Hitsugaya-taichou. I did exactly as you asked! We should have communication with Seireitei very soon now! So! You'd best apologize, be a good boy, and let me massage you already!" Matsumoto paused briefly in her slow but steady advance across the room towards him. "Now, are you going to take your clothes off…or could it be you want me to do it for you~?" She practically sang this last part, and a strange predatory glint came into her eyes.
Toshirou had never disrobed so fast in his life. God, she was an unholy terror, this woman. That crazy bastard Ichimaru liked her. That should have been enough of a warning.
"…fine! Do what you like!" He exhaled explosively as the rush of cool air in the apartment that hit his skin set the cuts and gashes on his torso stinging all over again. "Let's get this over with."
"Don't be so grouchy, taichou," the she-demon disguised as his lieutenant cooed sweetly from behind him. "Now, come lie down on your stomach over here."
He stiffly lay down as directed, one side of his face pressed into the white sheet she had laid down. "This is ridiculous. Do you even know how to give massages?"
"Not exactly," Matsumoto admitted, as she unscrewed the bottle cap. "But like I said, I've had a few, and it's just pressing and squeezing with your hands, right? Surely it can't be that hard!"
"…"
"Okay, let's see…first I'll pour some onto my hands and rub so it's nice and warm for you."
"I dislike warm things," Toshirou reminded her, but he knew it would do no good.
"You'll like this warm thing," Matsumoto said confidently. "And now, I'll go like this…"
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a pair of soft warm hands descended gently right below his neck, sinking into his shoulder blades. "Relax, taichou," came Matsumoto's voice from where she was positioned above him. "You're so jumpy." She was trying to sound peaceful and relaxing, but he could hear the amusement in her voice. She must have felt him twitch. Damn.
Matsumoto began to knead his back, her palms pressing not unpleasantly into his spine. There was a slight crack in his joints that he felt more than heard, and some tension in the middle of his back faded away. The oil was warm, but not greasy, as he'd originally anticipated. The heat spread like a caress along his shoulders and seeped deep into his muscles. Despite himself, Toshirou felt himself relaxing just the slightest bit.
"Did that feel good, taichou?" Matsumoto asked eagerly.
"It wasn't bad," he mumbled reluctantly.
"I told you!" With renewed zeal, Matsumoto continued for a few minutes. "All right, now I'll use my fingertips!"
Her fingers pressed down delicately but precisely into his back, rhythmically stretching and loosening the bundles of muscles beneath. Slowly, she made her way down his spine, leaving a tingling and pleasant sensation. Toshirou was tempted to ask Matsumoto why she couldn't be this naturally good at other things that pertained to their jobs, but decided against it. Maybe the massage really was mellowing him out, although the self-consciousness from lying on the floor while his lieutenant pressed on him like a piece of dough didn't abate.
"Did I ever tell you, taichou, that you have a very nice upper body," Matsumoto said in a cheerful teasing tone from somewhere above him. "You should walk around topless more often."
"Can you please refrain from saying every idiot thing that comes into your brain?"
"C'mon taichou, I'll go topless too, if you do it."
"Don't you dare."
There was a lessening of pressure on his back as Matsumoto threw her head back and laughed. It was such a rich, full-bodied, and uninhibited laugh, filled with pure joy and mirth, that Toshirou smiled just a little despite himself. He had to admit, this massage and time with his fukutaichou was nicer than he'd expected. Not that he was about to tell her.
Matsumoto resumed her massaging after another moment. "You'll have to excuse my hands, taichou, they're rougher than a masseuse's." She actually sounded a little embarrassed.
"I hadn't noticed," Toshirou said truthfully. After all, he'd never had another person rub her hands all over his back. He supposed, after taking more careful note, that yes, perhaps Matsumoto's hands were a little rougher. "It's not that I mind, but don't you have some lotion or other cosmetics you can use for that?" It was a little odd, Toshirou thought, since Matsumoto was always obsessing over makeup and whatnot, that she hadn't taken care of her hands as well.
"Well, of course I do, but when you're wielding a zanpakuto 24/7, all the lotion in the world isn't going to save your hands, you know." Matsumoto sighed dramatically. "Honestly! They should warn women about these things when they try to recruit us! It's such a harsh price to pay, living the rest of your existence with these ugly worn out hands…"
Toshirou sat up and caught her wrists. As relaxing as the massage had been, it felt better to be able to talk to Matsumoto face to face. His lieutenant was clearly surprised at his sudden action. "Taichou…?"
He ignored her and proceeded to flip her hands over, palms facing up, and studied them. A light white scar along her left palm caught his eye. "…I remember this one." Solemnly, he traced the old wound with his fingers. "We were on a mission and a second Menos surprised us. It managed to smack Haineko out of your hand and while dodging ceros, you managed to grab Haineko in mid-air by the blade and dispatch it."
Matsumoto looked blankly at him for a moment, then as remembrance dawned in her eyes, laughed loudly. "Taichou, I remember that too! Oh, that hurt so much!"
"Yes, I know. You reminded me every day for the next week and a half," he couldn't help responding dryly.
"Ahh, so that's why you remember!"
"Yes, I doubt I could forget even if I wanted to. …but honestly, Matsumoto, I probably wouldn't know you if it weren't for these hands that hold a zanpakuto. They're the evidence of how hard you've trained, of what you do every day, and of the lives you protect. You shouldn't be ashamed of them." He continued to stroke her palms, feeling almost mesmerized. It was such a strange sensation. He just didn't…touch people. He'd never really wanted to, either. But holding Matsumoto's hands in his own, studying them…he didn't want to stop. They were so warm, so familiar, as he realized how much those hands had done for him over the years. How often he'd see them in battle preparing a kido spell or releasing Haineko to his aid. Or even better, how often they'd carried over a tray with a steaming cup of his favorite green tea when he was working.
Not like Hinamori's hands.
And just like that, his whole body went cold. It was just a flash, lasting a fraction of a second, but it was all that was needed for him to see it all over again. Hinamori's trembling hands clutching her zanpakutou so tightly they bled, dark crimson trails dripping between her fingers.
Hinamori…will probably bear scars after this too.
Dark rage seethed and bubbled within him again at the memory, at the whole situation they were now in. All thanks to Aizen, that lying traitorous bastard…
"…taichou…." From somewhere within his fog of anger came the pained voice of his lieutenant. "…taichou, you're hurting me!"
"What?" Toshirou looked down, disoriented, to find Matsumoto's hands still in his, white from how tightly he was clenching them. Quickly, he released his grip. "Sorry, Matsumoto, I was lost in thought."
"…hmm? Oh, that's all right, taichou, it happens to me all the time." Matsumoto laughed. On the other hand, she was rubbing her wrists rather vigorously as she tried to coax the bloodflow back into them.
"…are you really all right?" Feeling incredibly awkward, Toshirou made the slightest of shuffles closer to his lieutenant, trying to assess for injuries without getting in her personal space. She looked rather pale, and she wasn't making eye contact with him. "I'm sorry," he repeated, truly aghast. "I can't believe I did something so irresponsible." Damn his temper and straying mind! Here, Matsumoto was trying her best to do something for him, he owed her his full attention. But it seemed no matter how hard he tried to relax and enjoy what little peace he'd found, all he had to do was recall Aizen's name and he was instantly lost in a miasma of rage and hatred.
"What are you talking about, taichou? You just grabbed me a little hard, that's all." Matsumoto held up her arms and wriggled her fingers at him. "Seeeee? I'm not hurt. I've told you before, you shouldn't beat yourself up over every little thing, or your hair will go all white. …oh! But your hair is already all white…well, then you'll go bald next, like Ikkaku, and that's even worse! Soooo, unless you want that, stop worrying!"
"…very well, if you're sure…" He watched Matsumoto climb to her feet. "I…are you going somewhere?"
"Hm? Oh, well, yeah, actually, I thought…ummm, I need to follow up on a call to Soul Society just now. To make sure…that the…thing…is ready…" And without another word, Matsmoto left the room.