A/N: Finally able to update.
The next morning Rangiku actually made it to work on time. This of course scared her Captain a little, but made him proud at the same time. Toshiro could see that Rangiku wanted to do better for herself, but he knew it wouldn't be an easy process. For starters, she looked miserable sitting at her desk doing paperwork. He could tell that she would rather be on the couch taking a nap. After the incident the day before with Captain Kuchiki he expected her to have been late with a hangover. He was glad he was wrong. "Lieutenant Nanao must have helped calm her down last night." He thought to himself.
He was right. When Rangiku left the evaluations she was mad and upset. Captain Kuchiki had embarrassed her and then made it look like she was in the wrong. He had bumped into her. Not the other way around. He should have helped her up and apologized.
She rushed backed to her room in the Squad Ten barracks. Her first thought was to look for some sake to calm her nerves, but then remembered that after her heart to heart with Toshiro she had thrown it all out. She knew that she would have to stop drinking altogether, because she knew that just cutting back wouldn't be enough. She had to quit cold turkey if she wanted to accomplish anything. She shakily made her way over to her bed and sat down feeling a little defeated. "It's hasn't even been a full day and I'm already craving the stuff," She said to herself then sighed. As she sighed Lieutenant Ise Nanao knocked on her door and then went in without waiting for a reply. "Are you alright Rangiku?" She asked quietly, knowing that Rangiku was probably a little out of it. "Yeah I'm fine, but damn. Just who the hell does that jerk think he is?" She replied raising her voice a little. Nanao just sighed and then moved to sit next to Rangiku on her bed. "It doesn't really matter who he thinks he is. He is a Captain and we have to respect that. Of course that doesn't give him the right to be so rude to you." Nanao said and put her arms around Rangiku to give her a hug. Then said, "I am very proud of you Rangiku. I came in half expecting you to be drunk and am very glad I was wrong." At hearing this Rangiku laughed and said, "You would have been right if I hadn't thrown out my stash last night." "Well I am glad you did or I might have had to knock some sense into you," Nanao said jokingly moving to make Rangiku some tea in the kitchen area of the room.
"I can only imagine what everyone is saying right now about what happened." Rangiku wondered out loud. "Nanao just chuckled and said, "Well, just about everyone was jealous of either you or Captain Kuchiki." "Oh really, how so?" Rangiku asked with a smirk. "Well, just about every man wished that he was in Captain Kuchikis shoes while almost every woman wished they were you. It's actually very ironic." Just then Nemu Kurotsuchi walked right in without knocking and sat down at the small table in Rangiku's kitchen area and said, "I saw what happened on one of my father's monitors. Are you okay Rangiku?" "Yes, I am fine. You know I really wasn't that embarrassed. I was mostly mad that he was being such a jerk." Rangiku laughed then continued, "It's not like I've never had a man in between my breasts, but it just happened so quickly. It took me by surprise that's all. And then he had the nerve to be an ass about it like it was my fault." Then Nemu replied, "It was his fault. I saw it on the monitor. You were walking over to speak with Renji I presume and he quickly turned around to leave and knocked you both down. The fault was his." "See Ise! I told you!" Rangiku said triumphantly. "I know Rangiku. I was there." Ise said.
After another hour of silliness Ise and Nemu left for their own barracks leaving Rangiku alone to get ready for bed. She was very grateful that she had friends who cared about her enough to check on her. If they hadn't of showed up she probably would have left to find herself some sake and then she would probably have been of no use come morning when it was time for work. She was being honest when she said she wasn't that embarrassed. She was mostly just mad. Byakuya was supposed to be a Captain and a noble. He should have had better manners and admitted it was his fault. "Eh, but he has always been that way," She said to herself right before she went to sleep. Then for the first time in a long time she didn't dream of Gin Ichimaru.
Most people didn't know it but Rangiku and Byakuya were roughly the same age. They had even went to the academy together and graduated in the same year. Of course, being from two different social classes meant that they didn't share very many classes together, but she still remembered him when he was an impulsive brat. She knew that Byakuya was very jealous of Gin when they were young because Gin was a child prodigy. Byakuya couldn't stand that a nobody from Rukongai was better than him. As a matter of fact it only took Gin a year to finish his studies at the Academy before going on and joining the Thirteen Court Guard Squads under Captain Aizen at the time. This was unheard of before that, and Byakuya couldn't stand someone out shining him. Thus Byakuya was always rude to Gin and Rangiku whom was guilty by association when he would see them. When Gin graduated the academy early Byakuya was mad for a while but left Rangiku alone for the most part. Of course they still saw each other every now and then and they even went to some of the same parties as teens because Rangiku's fun bubbly personality got her into just about all the parties, while Byakuya being the rich kid was their just because. But they mostly kept a good distance from each other.
The next day at work went well for Rangiku. She was tired but she was proud of herself for getting up and getting to work on time for once in her life. She finished all of her paper work early which pleased Captain Hitsugaya enough to let her leave a couple of minutes early for lunch. He did remind her that when lunch was over that she had a Lieutenants meeting to attended to and that she needed to be sure she was on time.
She then met with a group of friends for lunch at a small café. The group included Rangiku, Ise, Nemu, and Rukia who brought Renji along as well. Rangiku was the first to arrive because she was released early for lunch. The next to arrive was Nemu followed closely by Ise. Then Renji and Rukia came in together holding hands grinning like the cute little couple they were. After they all greeted each other and discussed their mornings Rukia said, "Rangiku. I am sorry for my brother's actions yesterday. He can be a bit rude sometimes." Rangiku just played it off laughing an saying, "It's okay Rukia. He probably just wanted a sneak peek," This made Rukia frown a little and Renji laugh. "I didn't know what had happened until Renji came over last night and filled me in. My brother went to bed early last night. He said he needed some rest. I think he felt bad about the way he acted, but you will probably never hear that from him." "Ha-ha. Well, apology accepted." Rangiku laughed. She was already over it. She didn't like to hold grudges.
The little lunch gathering went well. Nothing crazy happened, and Rangiku was congratulated for her decision to quit drinking. It wasn't mentioned to Renji and Rukia that she was going to start dating. She didn't want the general population knowing just yet, and Nemu and Ise would never speak the information to anyone without Rangiku's permission. Except for Shunsui, Ise's Captain/lover, whom she was plotting with to find Rangiku the perfect date. Shunsui said he had the perfect idea but hadn't told Ise just who he had in mind. Last night he had told her he already had a plan in motion, he just needed a couple of other people on board the operation and told her not to breathe a word of it to anybody.
After the group lunch, the lieutenants headed over to the Squad One barracks for the Lieutenants meeting headed by Chojiro Sasakibe. They discussed the possibility of low level hallows in the outer districts of Rukongai, but other than that things had been relatively quiet lately. The Soul Society was experiencing a rare time of peace. So, things we're pretty lax. More people were able to take off and go on vacation. Festivals and events were being planned for the year and everyone was excited. Things were looking very good for the Soul Society.
After the boring Lieutenants meeting, everyone was given the rest of the day off. The gals then headed over to the Women's Association meeting that was scheduled for today after the Vice Captains meeting. Just about everyone was in attendance, even Yoruichi Shihoin. The only person who wasn't there was Retsu Unohana who sent a message with Isane stating that she had some business to take care of, and said she would a little late. The meeting started as they always did with the Chairwoman, Yachiru Kusajishi, going over the topics for discussion. "Hey everybody!" The bubbly pink haired little girl began while standing on a stool at the front of the room. "Today we are gonna talk about fundraisers! And start planning the annual beach trip! And most importantly, did anyone bring snacks?" When nobody said they did she then sent Rukia to go get them because the secret meeting room was under the Kuchiki mansion and Rukia was the best person for retrieving snacks from above.
Once she returned they began the heated discussion of what fundraisers would be taking place this year. Yachiru suggested that they do another bake sale, but Nanao turned that idea down when she reminded her of the previous bake sales that had transpired. Yachiru always ended up helping herself to the baked goods and no profit was ever made. Rukia then suggested that they do a dunk tank booth at the Cherry Blossom Festival that was coming up in a couple of weeks, which everyone loved. Then Rangiku suggested they do another kissing booth, because they made a huge profit on it the year before. They then had two fundraisers that everyone agreed on. Then Yoruichi suggested that they have some sort of auction at the Women's Association annual banquet which then led to the discussion of what would be auctioned.
At this point Captain Unohana of Squad Four entered the secret meeting room. As always she was calm and collected with a pleasant homey smile on her face. "Hello girls," She greeted sweetly. "What have I missed Lieutenant Ise?" She asked the Vice Chairwoman. Nanao then pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and replied, "So far we have agreed upon a dunk tank and a kissing booth for the Cherry Blossom Festival and are now trying to decide what to auction for the Banquet this coming fall. What is your opinion on the matter?" Unohana thought about it for a moment and then spoke saying, "How about we auction dates? We could have a couple of us ladies go up and be auctioned up as dates. Now there would be very strict rules and regulations for these dates but I think it could be very fun. Any objections?" She finished the objection part with her infamous smile and nobody in the room even thought about objecting the idea. She then continued, "Well then it is decided we will be auctioning dates for the banquet. Yachiru. Is there anything else on the agenda for today?" Unohana then proceeded to pull a small bar of chocolate from her sleeve and handed it to Yachiru who ate it whole before saying, "Nope. That's all I got for today! Meeting adjourned! See you guys next week!"
Afterwards, some of the ladies went to Rangiku's room in the Squad Ten barracks to hang out since they all had the afternoon off. The only ones who didn't go we're Captain Unohana who said that she had an important patient waiting for her in the Squad Four barracks and Yoruichi and Sui-Feng who said that they had plans to go to the world of the living and visit Urahara. Everyone else made their way over to Squad Ten to goof around for a little bit.
Meanwhile Byakuya was at home sipping tea at the desk in his study looking over some family accounts when he happened to glance out the window and saw a large group of women coming out of the "secret tunnels" beneath his house again. He really wished that they would just find a different place to hold the meetings but figured that at least they didn't have them inside his house anymore. From where he was sitting he could see the group of women split. Captain Unohana left in the direction of her barracks in squad four. Yoruichi and Sui-Feng headed what looked to be towards the Shihoin residence and everyone else including his sister being led by none other than Rangiku Matsumoto to the squad ten barracks. He was still embarrassed about the incident from the previous day. News must have traveled fast because every time he walked into a room everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at him. And he could have sworn he overheard at least a dozen of his men burst into laughter as he exited the mess hall at lunch. He just sighed as he watched them leave. As they were leaving his eyes were drawn to the strawberry blonde leading the pack.
Her hair looked like copper shining in the sun. It was bright and refreshing. He remembered her in school, and thought to himself, "She hasn't changed much." From what he heard and observed himself, he could tell that she was just as obnoxious and lazy as she was when they were kids. He could also see that she was just as beautiful as before. Anyone with eyes could see that she was beautiful. She had beautiful strawberry blonde hair, baby blue eyes, full pink lips, and a beauty mark on the right side of her mouth. She always dressed provocatively, leaving her robes to hang loose showing off her enormous breasts. He would be lying if he said he had never glanced her way and admired her beauty. He was a man after all, and even though he didn't mean to dive in between her breasts like a hormonal school boy, he didn't mind the experience as much as he let on. He was more embarrassed about it being done so unexpectedly and in public no less. Not to mention all the rumors it was bound to start.
When Byakuya finished looking over his accounts it was already nearing sunset, so he called for a servant to bring his dinner into his study. Rukia had sent a messenger a few hours back stating she wouldn't be home for dinner which meant he would be eating alone. After his dinner and some tea he decided to take a walk like he always did after dinner with the exception of the night before when he decided to lock himself in his room with a bottle of sake. His evening walk had been a part of his routine for as long as he could remember. It was also his favorite time of the day, because it was the only time in which he was able to think freely and relax without any pressure. He looked forward to it every day.
At this time everyone was in the midst of saying their goodbyes at the Squad Ten barracks. They had all had a blast goofing around and gossiping like a group of silly school girls. They even ordered takeout and watched a movie. It was a good evening that they all had shared but now it was time for everyone to go home. Nanao and Nemu both stayed behind to help clean up the massive mess that was mostly left by Yachiru and a bag of cookies. So while Nemu swept the floor, Nanao washed the dishes, and Rangiku straightened her bed and the couch. When finished Rangiku thanked her friends for coming over and helping her clean up. Then the two of them left for their own barracks.
Ise Nanao reached her quarters and was completely embarrassed to find her boyfriend/Captain naked sprawled out on the couch waiting for her to come home. She had moved in with him a couple of months back and was still getting use to his crazy shenanigans. Upon seeing the sight she blushed scarlet as he said, "There's my gorgeous gal! Why don't you come over here and sit on my lap?" She then walked over to him and proceeded to whack him upside the head with the book she always carried. Shunsui then held his head with both hands and said, "Aww! That wasn't very nice Ise! I really thought you were really gonna sit on my lap this time." "Put some clothes on you hairy old pervert!" she told him annoyed. It wasn't like she had never seen him naked before but she preferred when he took the time to romance her. The only time Shunsui ever really worked was when he was trying to get into her pants. So naturally she always made him work for it and never gave it freely. Shunsui then chuckled saying, "Fine. I'll put my clothes on but when I come back I fully expect you to sit on my lap." She then swatted him laughing lightly and said, "Fine." She then began cleaning up the living room while Shunsui went to put some boxers on.
When he returned he sat back down on the couch then looked at his lieutenant expectantly and patted his lap. Ise then sighed and took a seat where he wanted her. He wrapped his arms around her and he sighed happily as she adjusted herself and got comfortable. "So how was my little Nanao's day today?" he said huskily while using his hands to reach down and massage Ise's thighs. By now Ise was blushing furiously and could tell exactly where this was going. "I had a great day. I finished all the reports for the morning and ate lunch with Nemu, Rangiku, Rukia, and Renji. It was pleasant enough. Afterwards, we headed to the Lieutenants meeting, and then us girls headed over to the Women's Association meeting and actually got some fundraisers planned for this year. It was very productive." "I bet it was," he replied as he used one hand to reach up and caress Ise's right breast through her robe while the other kept kneading her thigh slowly inching its way towards her core.
"Shunsui. I hope you finished your paperwork today." She whispered as she slowly got up and turned around to straddle his hips, which took him by surprise. "I promise it's all finished and filed away." Was his response, but they both knew he didn't do it. When she wasn't in the office he usually got the Third Seat to do it for him. "So you had a productive day too then." She said as she leaned in to kiss his lips. He broke away from the kiss to say, "I did. I even figured out who we can hook Rangiku up with." As he said it he used one hand to reach around and gently squeeze her butt. "Oh. Who?" she said between kisses. "That my dear is going to be a surprise. The plan will be set into motion in about a week. As for now, I know what I want as compensation for my valiant efforts." He said reaching to open up Ise robes to expose her chest, but she stopped him to say, "Fine, but let me take a shower first and get comfortable." She then proceeded to get up and walk out of the room with a smirk, leaving Shunsui all worked up on the couch. He then gave a low chuckle before getting up and making his way to the bedroom in preparation for what was sure to be a very pleasurable evening.
On two separate ends of the Seireitei Byakuya and Rangiku were both lying awake in their beds. Both wishing for someone to be their next to them. They were both lonely and sad, but things would change soon.
A/N: Okay guys. what do you think of chapter 3? Have any suggestions? Drop me a review or a PM or both. Remember if you review I may be inclined to update faster.