So two long chapters in a week! Thank the storms! I couldn't do anything when the power went out except write on my laptop. I hope y'all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Chapter 13
It had been two days since Rukia's date with Iba. She was minding her own business as she happily walked back to her office from her afternoon, verbal sparring match with Hitsugaya when she was tackled from behind. "What the hell!" She exclaimed as the large, solid body crushed her small frame to the ground.
Groaning, Rukia opened her eyes to see a red faced Renji was staring back at her. His face almost matched the color of his hair. His eyes held the key to his problem. The damn man was drunk judging my the glassiness of his eyes.
"Renji, get off of me!" She quietly stated in a deadly voice, but Renji didn't budge until Shinji appeared from thin air. He tried pulling the red haired man off of her, but Renji was determined to stay. He kept grabbing Rukia around the waist and holding on for dear life. Shinji sighed and gave up trying to remove him for the time being.
"Are you responsible for this?" Rukia asked hostilely as she kept trying to shove Renji off of her while Shinji just laughed at them.
"Me?" He asked in shock. "I wouldn't do anything like that!"
If Rukia could have laughed in his face, she would have, but there still was the issue of the solid body that wouldn't budge or let her go.
"I found him wondering the streets like this! I decided to take it upon myself to escort him back to the barracks." Shinji stated with one of his silly smiles.
"Well, you're doing a great job, Shinji. Why don't you just bakado him? I'm sure he'll be much easier to handle." She said sarcastically. Rukia was still a little sore from Shinji preforming that abnormal kido on her on during their date. Now, this fiasco wasn't helping his case in her book. He should keep a better eye on Renji. Goodness knows she could keep track of him with her eyes closed, especially when he's drunk.
Rukia shoved harder at the inebriated Renji while Shinji watched the petite soul reaper move her big, red-headed friend until she finally managed to detangle herself from him.
"See he's harmless, Rukia. Renji just wants to cuddle with you." Shinji said laughing from the side lines. The man picked his moments carefully to say things like that.
"He tried to crush me to death, and you let him! So how the hell is he harmless?" Rukia ignored Shinji's last remark. Rukia knew this definitely wasn't Renji wanting to cuddle. Trust her, she has seen it, and she escaped his cuddling before. But his actions were something else today even if he was drunk.
Just when Rukia was busy defending Renji in her head, Renji reached up and grabbed Rukia's face. "Ru-Ru…" He whispered. For a moment, Rukia thought the stupid baboon was going to try to kiss her, but he brought his face close to her ear. "Ichigo… Shinji… Set up...Match..." Then he passed out on the floor next to her.
Shinji's eyes widened as snow started to fall. Shinji scooped up Renji before he could cause any more trouble, and he made their way to Squad 6's living quarters. "Toodaloo, little Kuchiki!"
Now, she understood why he kept trying to stay close to her. Renji knew that Shinji followed him, and he would try to keep Renji from talking to her. Then the gravity of his words hit her like a brick wall. Rangiku set everything up!
Rukia stalked her prey silently. Any moment now a blonde should emerge from the tavern right across the street. Rangiku, Izuru, and Shuuhei had been drinking since dinner.
But she was shocked to see Shuuhei and Izuru emerge without Rangiku. Rukia's blood boiled after her little run in with Renji and Shinji. "Rangiku, where the hell are you? I can sense you! It's useless trying to hide from me. I will find you!" Rukia yelled.
"Quit yelling, Rukia! I have a massive headache!" Rangiku said as she emerged from a close, darkened alleyway.
"Oh, you're going to have more than a headache by the time I get through with you!" Rukia shouted with venom in her voice. "Bakado 63: Sajo Sabaku!*"
Rangiku fell to the round as gold chains wrapped around her. "Huh, Rukia! Why?" Her victim whined.
"You'll found out soon enough." Rukia replied as she grabbed Rangiku and flash steeped all the way back to Kuchiki Manor.
Rukia felt a little sorry for Rangiku so she sat her on a bench in the garden behind the manor before they had their little talk.
"What did I do now, frosty queen of darkness?" Rangiku drunkenly asked from her perch as she tried to stayed centered but she unsuccessfully kept leaning side to side.
Rukia raised her eyebrow at Rangiku's nickname for her. She drunker than I thought for her to refer to me as that name, especially since I haven't done anything to her yet!
With a deep breath Rukia found her calm before interrogating the woman in front of her. "Rangiku..." Rukia righted her as Rangiku was about to fall off the bench. "Hey, wake up and pay attention! The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner you can go home or crash at the manor. Wouldn't you like that Rangiku? A nice expensive fluffy bed?" Rukia changed her tactics. A scared Rangiku was not going to be easy to handle; although, a happily bribed one would cooperate.
"A fluffy bed?" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes. I'll even throw in the best bottle of sake at the manor. All you have to do is answer me just one simple questions. Can you do that for me?" Rukia asked sweetly. Rangiku was nodding her head up and down like a little kid. "Okay then, why did you lie to me about the matchmaker setting up Shinji and I?"
Rukia's question quickly sobered Rangiku up. The drunken beauty was on full alert now. "No, I didn't! You know as well as I did that the old bat chose him! She wanted you to expand your horizons with dating older men." Rangiku exclaimed feverishly as she endured on of Rukia's best iciest stares. Even her brother would be impressed. A lesser individual would crack in an instant, but Rangiku lasted for a full three minutes.
"What's the big deal, Rukia? Shinji is fun just like Shuuhei or Iba." Rangiku slurred.
"Really? You're thinking a date with Shinji Hirako went well?" Rukia countered. "I'll give you this, you did wonderful with choosing Shuuhei, but Iba asked me out himself. Now explain to me why you set me up with Shinji? The quicker you answer, the sooner you can leave."
"You needed to reel in more men!" Rangiku finally shouted. "You're never going to be happy with a noble so I had to do something! If it means bringing in outside help so be it!"
"You called my best friend, who's mad at me - thank you! I haven't spoken to him since I've been back cause Shinji prevented me from explaining everything at the café! And don't get me started on Captain Hitsugaya! He almost left me, but he didn't. The only good outcome of that date has been my friendship with your captain."
"You two are so cute together!" Rangiku squealed. "Besides, you make him less frosty. Who knew ice and snow made warmth?" Rangiku said with a straight face as Rukia restrained herself from strangling the woman.
"Rangiku! We are just friends!" Rukia yelled. She was reaching her limit with her drunken friend.
"What, Rukia? I thought you liked your men with a little spirit. You have a type! Ichigo, my captain, Shuuhei... even your best red headed friend is full of attitude." She asked with an evil grin.
"Damn you, Rangiku! By the way your acting, I take it you planned on Captain Hitsugaya rescuing too me didn't you?"
"What? Would I do that?" Rangiku asked innocently.
"Yes…" Rukia stated with an evil glare.
"Well, we had a mission, and I wanted coffee. You just so happened to be at the coffee shop I went to. So the captain followed me there and saw you. So you see, rescuing you was his choice. No one expect for the head captain can make Captain Hitsugaya do something he doesn't want to do. Honestly, my plan was for you to leave with Ichigo. But who knew he was going to be a dumbass and leave you with Shinji?"
Dammit! She's not telling me everything, but whatever! I got the general idea. She has her ships, and she's trying to make them sail.
"What did you hope to achieve with me leaving with Ichigo?" Rukia asked as she rubbed her face. This was getting more complicated by the minute.
"We were hoping you'd tell him about your matchmaking troubles. Then he would say to hell with it and date you. But then I saw you with my captain the other day, and I kept seeing little white butterflies and dragons dancing in a wonderland full of snow. I was happy with either outcome!"
Rukia shook her head. "Does my brother know about any of this?" She asked suspiciously.
"Unfortunately, he found out due to Ichigo so yes he knows. I thought I was a dead woman when he approached me."
"Good." Rukia concluded.
"Good? What do you mean good?"
"It means he's going to be watching every step you make now so something like the Shinji incident doesn't happen again." Her eyes glared ice daggers at Rangiku.
"You know, you're scary when you get like this." A nervous Rangiku stated.
"I've had practice." Rukia stated. "Now, tell me who you're next victim is before I regret asking?" Rukia asked semi-defeated because she knew she had to continue with the matchmaking no matter what.
Rangiku was thrilled that Rukia didn't freeze her or ask Byakuya do harm her in anyway. "Can you undo the bakudo cause I cant reach my list."
With a scrunched up face, Rukia asked, "Where is your list then?" Rangiku's eyes met Rukia's and then Rangiku glance down to her ample bosom and raised an eyebrow at her. "Ran! Huh, fine." The bakudo spell was released.
Rukia watched as Rangiku pulled the list hidden somewhere from bosom. "Izuru Kira."
"Well at least he will be polite; although, I don't see why he's interested in me. Shuuhei was a surprise, but I though Izuru had a thing for Momo?"
"Who knows. Maybe Shuuhei told him what great date you are! I mean come on! You're noble, beautiful, and powerful. What more do men want?"
"A taller partner and bigger boobs?" Rukia replied with a smirk. At least the small soul reaper was in a better mood now that she knew Rangiku's motives.
"So blunt, Rukia!" Rangiku gasped in mock horror. "Guys do love me, but you are the prize here. So we're focusing on you. So what if I just so happen to grab a date from this process. We all know who you are going to chose anyway."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rukia asked shocked. How could they know who she was going to pick when she didn't.
"Well, he still hasn't applied to date you so maybe I'm wrong, but I foresee him having a say in who you date though."
Rukia's right hand pinched the breach of her nose. She was half temped to kido Rangiku again. Only two people were close enough to possibly date her and/or influence her final choice. "Please tell me you are not talking about Ichigo or Renji."
"In fear for my life – because I do know what that Kuchiki stare, Rukia – I will say no more." Rukia's glared turned icier because Rangiku confirmed her fear. She loved Renji like a brother, and Ichigo, well, Ichigo was human - enough said. Even if he is of a noble clan and part soul reaper.
"Rangiku..." Rukia growled.
"Besides, we have a little friendly bet going! Of course, I betted Ichigo or my captain! Now say if you had to choose right now, who would you pick?"
"You started a freaking betting pool on my love life!" Rukia was shaking slightly trying not to freeze the woman in front of her.
"Me? No that wouldn't be fair, Rukia!" Rangiku concluded.
A sigh of relief escaped Rukia's lips until she really thought about Rangiku's answer. "You're splitting the winnings 50-50 with whoever started it then, correct?" She asked coldly.
"Oh look, I have to go do paperwork! Bye, Rukia!" Rangiku flash stepped as if her life depended on it.
"Damn. Now, I have to figure who's in the betting pool?" Rukia asked out loud.
"Please watch you language, Rukia. Young ladies do not swear." Her blood turned to ice as she turned to face Byakuya.
"Hello, brother." Rukia watched him with veiled eyes for a minute. "What bring you out here?"
"I felt your spiritual pressure rising. I was curious to see if the substitute was here, but apparently Rangiku was subject to your wrath."
Why does everyone expect Ichigo to be here?
"Yes, she was. You should know why."
"You found out about the set up?"
"From Renji, but why didn't you tell me?"
"It was more important that she find you other dates. I already threatened her bodily harm if she pulled a stunt like that again."
Rukia nodded at her brother. She was tempted not to tell him about the other, but he would find out the truth eventually. "Did you know some of the other soul reapers have started a pool about who the winner of my hand will be. I asked Rangiku did she start it. She denied it, but she didn't deny the fact of helping someone winning the bet and splitting the money."
"You can ignore it." Byakuya cautiously suggested.
"Brother, how am I going to do that when my love life is now the source of at least half of the Soul Society's entertainment! Isn't it bad enough I have to go through all these dates?" She raised her voice at him. Whatever else she was prepared to say died on her lips as another figured appeared before them. Now, it was Byakuya's turn for his spiritual pressure to spike.
"Ichigo…"
* Bakado 61 Winding Binding Chains
Duh.. Duh... Duh... Enter Ichigo! So I thought the betting pool would be interesting to include. Anyone have any comments/theories on what's going to happen?
As always thanks for reading and reviewing y'all!