Been a while. I had thought it would just be a one shot but the ideas flowed. Admittedly, this doc was mostly done for almost a year but I couldn't think of how to finish it. Looks like it'll be a three parter. And if any of you are wondering about 'Unexpected Visit' don't worry it's not abandoned or anything of the sort. I've already started on it so please bear with me. Anyways, that's something for another day. Enjoy.
The following two weeks ended up being some of the most hectic he'd had in a while. Not in the same gratuitous sense as the blood war or the battle against Aizen and his arrancar, but still hectic nonetheless. His exams had been a bit more difficult than he'd expected but it was nothing he couldn't handle. They were business and language courses so there were a few hiccups here and there but overall he was certain he scored no less than 80% on all his exams. That was better than could be said for a majority of his classmates though.
Some left the class minutes into the exam and either they knew everything, or they didn't know anything. If he were a betting man he'd say it was the latter. He could only shake his head at the lack of discipline his classmates showed. It was a wonder how they made it this far with the procrastination they had likely done.
Once the final exam had been taken and submitted, the students were allowed to stay on campus if they planned to return for the next semester and could pay for continued use of their dorms. That was no problem for Ichigo as he had more than enough to cover the expenses and seeing as he still had more classes that needed to be taken, he kept the room.
While the academic semester might have ended, however, his relationship with Rangiku certainly had not. Every night after their first night together, the busty lieutenant had returned to his dorm room for repeat performances. The days would play out much the same. She would either show up in the morning or the middle of the day, they would go out and have lunch while he showed her a new part of Tokyo, and for the first three days, they watched the remaining three films at her request. Dinner would follow at a restaurant of their choosing and after a brief walk around whatever area they were in, they would return to his room where the action would begin the moment the door closed behind them.
He wasn't quite sure what they were in terms of labels as it had never been brought up. They were somewhere in between friends and lovers. At first, Ichigo believed they were in a friends-with-benefits type of relationship but that didn't quite seem right. If that were the case neither would go out of their way to spend time together, hold hands, or even insist on taking photos together at different landmarks. Since Rangiku hadn't brought it up, however, he figured they were still in the process of figuring it out.
While he couldn't quite place a finger on that issue, he had definitely figured out a few other things, however. In just two weeks the substitute shinigami had found out what kinds of things the woman liked in bed, what she didn't like, what she was apprehensive about trying, and what she wanted to explore. Their meetings had become so frequent that even some of the people who knew him around campus knew Rangiku already.
Much to his embarrassment, even the RA knew, and not because they'd met her. One night after a particularly good date, Rangiku had been more turned on than ever and had vehemently expressed how much she enjoyed what he was doing to her. He'd been so lost in wanting to hear more of her melodic voice, he hadn't realized that her screams and grunts could actually be heard a few rooms over. There had been an awkward talk the next morning where he'd promised it wouldn't happen again.
Rangiku hadn't been as embarrassed about it as he was, but then again, she wasn't quite like him. What was worse was that she had been present in the room that morning when he had to talk to the RA. When he closed the door and looked back at her, she had been laying on her side watching him with a large grin on her face.
Her reasoning had been that now people would really know he was a stud. That hadn't made the embarrassment diminish any less but it did swell his ego quite a bit. She really had a talent for that. Nevertheless that morning he'd made the decision to leave the dorm as soon as exams were over and that was exactly what had happened. Ichigo had packed a few things he'd need such as his laptop and any perishable goods and made his way back to Karakura for the next few weeks.
The thought of seeing his family had put him in a great mood but that had all changed once he'd actually made it home. The driveway was clear and the clinic was empty. There had been a note on the dining table with his dad's handwriting explaining that they would be gone for the weekend and would be back sometime late monday or early tuesday. It wasn't that surprising, he knew his dad liked to take his sisters anywhere they wanted, it had been that way ever since their mother died.
His disappointment however only lasted for a few minutes as he realized he would have the house completely to himself. Whatever they were doing was likely fun for the family and he hoped they enjoyed themselves because he would be using his time at home to do just that.
"What are you thinking about? I know the ceiling can't be more interesting than me." Rangiku's soft muffled voice broke him free of his thoughts. The two were as nude as the day they were born cuddling underneath Ichigo's soft blue blanket. Her body laid on top of his with her head resting peacefully on his chest. All he could see when he looked down was a mop of short strawberry blond hair. Her hands were wrapped around his body as well in a possessive manner with their legs intertwined together.
Once she had made her way to the clinic, the two had wasted no time in getting familiar with each other's bodies once again. They weren't sure why, but the sex had been much more amazing now that they were doing it in his own bed. Perhaps it was because after the first night, she had returned with a small bag containing clothes so that she could stay over for the next few days.
Ichigo had never been one to care about how manly he was perceived or anything of the sort, but having a woman as attractive as Rangiku declare that she would be staying at his house to be with and sleep with him, well, that did it for him.
"Not much. Just thinking how much better it is here than at the dorm." He said, wrapping his own arms around her bare back. She squirmed in his embrace and moved her head so that her chin rested on his chest and she could look at him directly.
"Is it because we won't get a noise complaint here?" She teased, trying to hold back a laugh.
He narrowed his eyes at her comment before he smirked to himself. Removing one hand from around her, he quickly let it travel down and gave her a hard smack on the ass, much to her secret delight. Even from under the covers, the sound was loud enough to echo through the room.
"That was your fault by the way." He teased back, placing his hand back over her body.
Her blush stained cheeks did nothing to take away from the affronted look that crossed her face at the accusation. "My fault?!" She asked in an over-exaggerated tone of voice. "How? I told you to slow down because I wouldn't be able to keep my voice down and what did you do?"
Rather than let him answer she began quickly thrusting her hips as fast as she could in a way that mimicked his movements that night. Ichigo could feel the embarrassment rising to his cheeks because he knew she was right. No one could blame him if they knew, Rangiku was hot and continuously begged him for more, who would be able to hold back?
"With all the encouraging comments you were giving me, how would I be able to stop?" He questioned. "Besides, I do remember there being a pillow you could have used to muffle your voice but instead you laid on it so that you could be angled better." He accused.
Rather than retort with another valid point to take the heat away from herself, Rangiku stared at the man beneath her and glanced down at his chest. Looking back up at him, she grinned quickly and bit down on his chest. It was hard enough to leave her teeth marks but not hard enough that she was actually trying to pierce his skin, though she doubted she would be able to if he didn't want that.
The moment she let go, Rangiku grew wide eyed as the world around her seemed to spin and she found herself looking up at the ceiling. Never one to back down from a challenge, she grasped his forearms and brought one leg up the bed in order to get some leverage before trying to flip them over again.
"Ichigo!" She yelped in delight halfway through her motion. Her lover had clearly seen what she was up to and brought his own leg up to stop the motion and quickly latched one of his hands onto an exposed breast. Her chest was a highly sensitive area, especially the moments after their fun. All of her muscles seemed to weaken as pleasure shot through her body and her back fell back onto the bed.
"Behave." He muttered into her ear.
Her arms wrapped around his upper body and using all the force she could muster, pulled him down to her so that their chests were pressed up against each other. Her legs were pinned down otherwise she would have also taken the chance to wrap them around him and get the upper hand.
She let out a melodic chuckle, clearly finding his words humorous. "Ichigo…" She began as though she were speaking to a child, "If my Captain can't make me completely listen to him, what makes you think I'll listen to you?" She finished in a challenging tone.
Her words held no arrogance nor condescendance, in fact, her body told him the opposite. She knew what effect her words had on him and was pushing his buttons to get a certain reaction. To add to her strategy, her lower body raised itself high enough for their pelvises to rub against each other. There was no way Ichigo didn't know she was ready for the next round with how her womanhood seemed to begin lathering him.
His brown eyes seemed to dull as his body responded to the woman's motions and Rangiku mentally patted herself on the back.
"I have an idea that might work." He muttered loud enough for her to hear.
Her head cocked to the side in slight curiosity as she had yet to feel him try to press up into her. She found out why a moment later. Her vision spun again and Rangiku found her face pressed into the pillow he'd previously been occupying with her hands bound by his behind her back. The weight of his body pressed down on her as he seemingly took a moment to enjoy the position she was in.
Like Ichigo, she had also learned a few things about the young man currently enjoying himself. The main thing was his appreciation of her body. In his words the lines of her curves, her perfect proportions, the beauty mark next to her lips, and so on. Whenever she laid on her side even while clothed, he would stare at her like she was an art piece at a museum. In more intimate situations his appreciation truly showed whenever she would look back at him over her shoulder and do a slow flip of her hair to one side.
She maneuvered herself so that she could turn her head and look back at him with what people called bedroom eyes and spoke. "So what are you going to do? Or are you all talk?" She taunted.
"I'll show you."
That was exactly what she wanted to hear.
xxxxx
Stretching his arms high over his head, Ichigo groaned in delight feeling his muscles stretching. Had he been alone he was sure one of his legs would have started shaking. It felt that good. He covered his mouth and let out a yawn as he pulled one of the chairs out at the dining room table and took a seat.
He shivered slightly at the feeling of the cold wooden chair touching his bare back. This early in the morning the blinds were still closed and they were alone so he saw no problem walking around in only a pair of shorts. The state of attire wasn't the issue as much as the markings that now covered his body. Dark purple marks were littered across his body, most converging around his collarbone but also his neck. The rest were almost like a trail that led down his chest, abs, and clearly disappeared into his shorts. They started out darkest near the top and got progressively lighter the lower they went.
The love bites had become something of a signature for Rangiku that she had grown accustomed to doing.
"It's a power move, Ichigo. That's all there is to it." She had said when he asked her about it.
"Good morning." Rangiku seemed to sing as she walked over to him and placed a dish in front of him and one in the open spot next to him. "It's the first time I've made this for someone else so be brutally honest with me. I think it's good but let me know if it's missing something."
After their last round the night before, Rangiku had promised him that she would wake up early and make breakfast for them so they could save a bit of money. He had agreed and when he woke up alone in bed, he knew she had stayed true to her word. Taking a deep breath he allowed the fragrance of the dish to enter his nose and felt his mouth water in anticipation.
Before he began, he took a moment to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close to him with a twinkling smile. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled so much but this definitely called for it. Rangiku enjoyed the display of affection greatly and wrapped an arm around his head, running a hand through his orange hair lovingly.
"You've gotten a lot bolder in the last few weeks. Yoruichi had once said you were a prude, if only she knew your true nature." The buxom woman said, placing her free hand up to her cheek and sighing dramatically.
"What's my true nature?" He asked flatly, his eyes looking up as far as they could to get a look at her.
"A sexual deviant who only pretends to be uninterested." She replied without wasting a second. "I remember the first day I showed up to your dorm, it seemed like you didn't want me around. Now look at you…" She teased. Ichigo didn't have to look at her to know she had a wide grin at his expense.
Rather than respond, he began slowly leaving pecks on her exposed stomach knowing it was one of the most ticklish spots for her. His actions had the desired effect of having the woman burst into laughter and attempt to free herself of his hold. Unfortunately for them, Rangiku's laughter had drowned out the unmistakable sound of the front door opening.
An over-exaggerated cough brought the pair's actions to an abrupt halt. Their heads swiveled up to see Ichigo's two little sisters staring back at them both with looks of disbelief on their faces. Their eyes landed on their brother for just a moment before their attention was completely focused on the woman in his embrace.
The first thing they noticed was that she was ridiculously good looking, but more than that was her attire, or lack thereof. She wore a very small loose fitting peach colored tank top that barely held back her massive chest. Her shorts didn't offer that much in terms of modesty either. She had a pair of very small white shorts that seemed designed to just barely cover a woman's ass. She was just as blessed in that department as well and the shorts showed the bottom bit of her cheeks.
"Yuzu, Karin, good morning." Ichigo replied in a stunned tone. What were they doing here? The note had said Monday night or Tuesday.
The two young ladies realized they had been staring at the woman and turned their attention back to their brother only to blush when they noticed both of them had various marks leading to…places.
"Morning." Yuzu muttered trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Not as good as yours it seems." Came Karin's dry retort.
Had she not been feeling so awkward meeting Ichigo's sisters under these circumstances she would have laughed at how similarly the black haired Kurosaki spoke like her brother. In an attempt to preserve some of her modesty and make something of a good impression, she detached herself from Ichigo's hold and pulled the tanktop down to cover as much as she could and took a seat.
"Karin." Ichigo warned with a shake of his head. "This is Rangiku, she's a friend of mine."
The woman in question gave a small wave and shot the two an apologetic smile while trying to make her hair look presentable. "I would have liked to meet you when I looked a little better but it can't be helped. It's a pleasure to meet you two, Ichigo has told me a lot about you." He hadn't but they needed to break the tension in the room.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you as well." Ichigo was proud of Yuzu. Ever the polite one, she quickly introduced herself and tried to keep her eyes locked on the older woman's. Karin, taking more after Ichigo than he'd like at the moment, nodded her head and muttered a quick greeting.
"I made breakfast, there's more than enough for everyone if you two are hungry." Rangiku told them, breaking the silence that had begun to stifle the room. Yuzu perked up and glanced toward the kitchen before taking a few experimental sniffs.
"It smells great, thank you. That saves me from having to cook." She replied happily.
Karin made her way to the kitchen and nodded appreciatively at the food she saw prepared. It smelled good and there was more than enough for even their dad when he got home later. "You're really lucky dad had an emergency call and didn't step inside, Ichigo." She called out.
He was, he couldn't imagine what kind of theatrics his father would display if he saw them the way his sisters had. The awkwardness slowly fizzled out throughout breakfast. Yuzu was very impressed with the meal and had taken to asking Rangiku where she learned to cook as well as basic questions regarding her hobbies and occupation.
Even Karin had been pulled into the conversation once she learned about the store she was creating and her business plan. It had been tweaked a bit to exclude the stuff about Soul Society but the rest of it had been the truth. Once they were done, they excused themselves from the table and quickly made their way upstairs to get dressed.
"Your sisters are nice." Rangiku commented once they entered his room. "I thought they didn't like me when they saw me but both of them are sweethearts. Karin really takes after you, scowl and all." She teased.
Ichigo scowled at her words but quickly realized he'd be proving her point and instead stared at her with his usual dry look.
"She has that look too." She said happily, pointing a finger at him.
"Whatever." He muttered. "So, what's the plan for today?"
Rangiku pulled the tank top over her body revealing her bare breasts but quickly covered them up with a lacy red bra. "I wanted to talk to you about that actually. Do you think you can come to Soul Society today? I'd like your opinion on something for the store." She requested as she latched the hooks around her back.
"He nodded only to pause a moment later. "Wait, you got the store already?"
The woman nodded proudly and took out a set of keys from one of her pockets and let them jingle in front of her. "Yup. My talk with Kukaku went over really well."
"I'm proud of you. Do you need me to bring anything?" He asked, reaching into his closet to get a change of clothes.
"No, it's mostly about product placement and other things like that. You're surrounded by stores so I figured you might have better insight than me. Plus, you're studying business too right? That means your help is invaluable." She praised.
Ichigo couldn't help the slight upward curving of his lips at her words. He'd only mentioned what he was studying and what courses he was taking once and she seemed to still remember. It was a small detail on her part but to him, it showed she had been paying attention.
"Well, when you put it like that I can't say no. I will be there no matter what."
Rangiku quickly threw on her new jeans and clapped her hands together in delight. "Great! Can you come by in like two hours? I should be in the shop by then."
"Of course."
She nodded to herself and stepped forward, cupping his cheek with one hand as she did so. Slowly, she pulled his face to hers and gently captured his lips. As much as she would have liked to deepen their liplock, she was short on time and soon had to pull away.
"Wait, Rangiku." Ichigo whispered, still holding her by the waist. "Does anyone in Soul Society know about this?" He asked, referring to their newfound arrangement.
She shook her head. "No one. I figured it would be nice to have this to ourselves for a little while so we don't have to deal with gossip."
Ichigo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and nodded. "Perfect. The last thing I need is Renji and the others finding out. I can only imagine what kind of things they'd ask me."
Rangiku knew his friend group well enough and could definitely imagine the personal questions that would be thrown his way. Part of her thought it would be hilarious to see Ichigo stammer and try to talk his way out of answering but knew it was better to avoid that situation. As long as they played their cards right, they would be able to continue their arrangement without much issues.
"Walk me out?"
She didn't need to ask. Heading down the stairs, Rangiku made a point to say goodbye to his sisters individually and once again apologize for their state of dress from the morning. Once she was gone he returned upstairs ignoring the looks from his sisters and began preparing for the rest of the day.
xxxx
Despite still being on vacation Rangiku didn't really feel like she was off work if she wasn't in the world of the living with Ichigo. Ever since she'd gotten the idea to open up the shop it had been research for hours upon hours and countless trips to buy supplies. The idea to get investors had added another layer of work to her load but it had paid off as she now had more than enough money to get the lease on the building and even have custom displays made for her items.
She smiled as she stood in front of the unassuming empty building and unlocked the large white doors. With a gentle shove, the doors opened revealing a room that was almost two times the size of a standard training room within the squad ten barracks. The ground had been replaced from the wooden slabs it had originally had to white marble tiles with flecks of black sprinkled in. The walls of the room were white which didn't do much in terms of aesthetics but that would be remedied in time.
The aesthetic of the store brought a problem to the forefront of her mind. She had the displays mostly all ready with the exception of a few that would go against the walls, but the problem she faced now was regarding product placement.
"I could put those there and maybe the three shelves over there." She muttered, pointing a finger in the general direction she was looking. There was no one else present but it still helped her concentrate.
She shook her head and scrapped the plan. "No that wouldn't work, then I wouldn't have a good place for the smaller stuff."
After an hour and a half of scrapping plan after plan, Rangiku felt her aggravation slowly climbing. She brought a finger up to her mouth and with little pressure began scraping her tooth on her fingernail. It was a bad habit she had recently picked up that usually led to her having to get the nail redone but she couldn't help it.
"Ok…" She took a deep breath. "Let's try this again. If I place the foundations over here I can make space for the brushes and blenders over there, but that doesn't work well either since I'd have to place the sponges nearby to go with them but they work better over there."
This still wasn't working. Pacing around the empty building her eyes slowly darted left to right as images of different layouts raced through her mind. Some were cute and some were scrapped right away but in the end she was no closer to figuring out how she would do it.
"Yo. Rangiku?" She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of Ichigo's voice echoing through the room.
"Ichigo! You made it!" She cheered. "So what do you think?" She asked, extending her arms out in reference to the building.
Stuffing his hands into his pockets he stepped deeper into the building and slowly looked around. "I think it would've been nice to know exactly where this was. I had to ask Toshiro."
Rangiku's cheerful smile fell by an inch and she could feel a vein pulsing in her head. "You know I meant about the store." She clarified while also trying to steer away from the fact that she had forgotten to tell him exactly where it was located. Thinking back, she had only told him a general area but nothing more.
Ichigo smirked, it felt nice getting a reaction from her instead of the other way around. "It's spacious. I like the floor, did you pick it or did it come like this?"
"Picked it. It was a wooden floor but it's going to be a cosmetics shop not a training ground. I needed to make it feel right." She explained.
"Good move on your part. So what goes where? And where does that door lead to?" He asked, looking at a closed door on the far side of the room.
"That's where I have some of my remaining products, shelves, stands, and some documents stored. That's where I'll probably keep the excess when their designated stand gets full. As for what goes where…" She trailed off before sighing.
Placing a hand on her hip she waved at the empty space and shook her head. "I don't know. Every layout I think of usually has some kind of issue that I find once I think it's the one. But…" She said with enthusiasm. Turning to him, she stepped into a Shunpo to appear next to him with an arm around his shoulder.
"That's why you're here now. So what do you have for me?"
Her question was met with a blank stare which did nothing to diminish her enthusiasm. In her mind, there was no one better for this than him. He'd grown up around stores and had two little sisters who had already dragged him to multiple stores in the past. If anyone knew the best way to organize things, it would be him.
Seeing her smile remain in place, Ichigo sighed to himself and looked back at the empty room. There was a lot of space, more so than most makeup stores had except for the really large ones in the biggest cities.
Thinking about the stores he'd been to before, he mentally pictured everything and where it could go. Some of the general courses he'd taken had gone over product placement and while he hadn't cared too much at the time considering his chosen profession, he was glad it would now come in handy.
"What you can do is organize everything in rows. It's simple but also the most effective." He began, pointing to the left. "Things like brushes, liners, and smaller items in large quantities can be placed on the rows, then you can line the walls with the other things. Nail polishes, if you have a lot, can be organized pretty well by color and even the larger more expensive pallets can be on display. If you have hair care products, those can also be there, maybe even creams as well though you could probably leave those in the rows too." He explained before taking a look at the walls. "You might also want to add a couple of images on the walls displaying your products both by themselves or even using models."
Rangiku thought it over and mentally pictured what the rows could look like. She had ideas for a few more products she would need to get her hands on but it could work. The smaller items could be placed leading to checkout in case people wanted to buy something at the last minute.
The walls would surely get covered with images but she had only thought of different ways to display the products. Using actual models was a much more interesting idea however and a Cheshire grin formed on her face at the thought of roping some of the women from the association to help her.
"That…actually works out pretty well." She admitted, ignoring his smug look. That was one of the things he'd picked up from her and she loved it.
"It's a pretty basic layout, you can alway change it up depending on what your customers want. Also, you might want to talk to Urahara about helping you get your stuff wholesale. You're buying in bulk so it'll end up cheaper in the long run."
The only thing that stopped her from kissing him right then and there was the fact that the door was still open and she could see her fellow shinigami walking by, some trying to get a look inside.
"Excuse me?" Hisagi's head peeked into the room, sending Ichigo a curious glance once he saw him. Luckily, Rangiku was quick enough to remove her hand from around the substitute's shoulders.
"Oh! Hisagi, you're here. Do you have it?" She asked. Ichigo briefly wondered what she meant only to recall she had mentioned something about using their communications magazine for advertisements. He was proven correct a moment later when the ninth division lieutenant stepped inside, holding a magazine in one hand. He quickly began flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for and held it out for her to take.
With his curiosity getting the better of him, Ichigo looked over her shoulder and whistled. Hisagi was definitely good at his job. There was an entire page dedicated to the advert. The top read 'Matsumoto's Cosmetics' in pink letters with a few descriptive paragraphs regarding who Rangiku was, what the shop would sell, what products would be available at launch, as well as a launch date which was about two months from the date of publication.
At the bottom was a picture of Rangiku holding up a few different products as well as a coupon for a day one discount.
"This is amazing!" She beamed in delight. "Give me one second to get the rest of the money I owe you guys. Can I keep this one?" She asked.
Hisagi nodded and soon, she disappeared into the back room leaving the two men alone.
"Ichigo, it's nice to see you again. We haven't seen you around here since the end of the battle with the quincies, how are you doing?" Hisagi asked politely.
The substitute shrugged nonchalantly. "Pretty well all things considered. I'm going to school now so I can get a good job. How about you? You were pretty badly hurt if I remember correctly, how are you holding up?"
The memories of the injuries he sustained against the masked Quincy were still fresh in his mind but those feelings of defeat had been slowly replaced.
"I'm doing good now, great even." He said with noticeable delight. "Between us, I've even begun making progress for my bankai."
"No kidding?" Ichigo asked with genuine curiosity. "That's good, master it quickly enough and you might even be able to take over your division."
Hisagi smiled at the kind words but shook his head humbly. "I'm nowhere near close enough for that, but I'm glad you think I'm capable. What I do believe however, is that this will be the final puzzle piece I need to make Rangiku finally notice me." He said with confidence.
Ichigo bit the inside of his lip at the man's words. It was a badly kept secret that the man had a thing for the busty lieutenant. Still, he and Rangiku had agreed to keep things between them low key for the moment so he couldn't break it to the black haired man that they were kind of a thing, even if they hadn't officially said it.
He would be lying if he didn't feel the slightest bit of annoyance however at the dreamy look the man sported as he thought about the still missing woman. Had he been a much more petty person he would have likely dropped a vague hint as to what they were up to on a nightly basis but that was below him. As he opened his mouth the reply, Rangiku finally stepped out of the room with a few bills in hand.
"This should be it. Thank you guys again Hisagi, you did an excellent job."
The man beamed at the praise and stammered out a heartfelt reply before excusing himself and shooting Ichigo a sly thumbs up before he left.
"So what did you guys talk about while I was gone?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
"Hm? Oh, just how he's been since the war and stuff like that." He replied.
Rangiku stared at him, knowing there was more to the conversation than that but luckily she let it go. "Alright, keep your secrets. Come on, I need your help determining which products would look better on which shelves. After that we can stop by for a drink." She said happily.
There was the Rangiku he remembered. He offered no struggle as she took him by the hand and led him to the back room all the while talking about the plans she had come up with.
It took them about another hour and a half to go over the many different arrangements for her products but in the end Rangiku finally decided on one that worked well. Ichigo couldn't imagine how much longer it would have taken if she didn't have any products on hand to set up and examine in person.
To celebrate, Rangiku had offered to show him a good time at a local bar most of the Shinigami frequented when they had some down time. In the past few months, it had seen an influx of activity due to the events of the blood war. Friends and family were lost and in honor of their memory, a number of drinks had been named after deceased shinigami. One of the most popular among them being the 'Sasakibe' named after the first casualty of the war.
"This isn't really my scene." Ichigo murmured as he took a seat at the bar.
"It'll be fine, we're just here to share a drink together to celebrate the soon to be new store." Rangiku reasoned. "Besides, it's the middle of the day, most people are still doing work for their divisions so it's not as bad as a weekend. Ryo, can you set us up with two Sasakibe's?" She requested.
The bartender was an older looking gentleman who wore clothing similar to Giriko only he didn't look sketchy in it. He had the look of a man in his late fifties although being a soul, it was likely he was somewhere in the hundreds. The man gave Rangiku a nod and then finally noticed him and his eyes widened slightly. He of course knew who Ichigo was despite having never spoken to him. His exploits were somewhat common knowledge now.
"Two Sasakibe's coming right up." He spoke politely as he placed two glasses on the countertop.
Ichigo watched the man work with a great appreciation for the craft. The bottles spun around his hands as with ease and poured their contents into the glasses. The glasses slowly began to fill up with a dark liquid and were then topped off with a drink of a much lighter density which caused it to float above the bottom layer. Ichigo could see why the drink had been named after the deceased first division lieutenant. From what Ichigo could remember, he had white hair with a black mustache. Fitting.
"So if this isn't your scene, what's your idea for some R ?" Rangiku asked, placing her elbow on the countertop and resting her head on her palm.
She waited for him to respond only to realize his eyes were focused on her lips. In spite of making the decision to keep their fooling around private, the woman couldn't help but slowly lick her bottom lip from left to right knowing it would get a reaction. She had been right. Ichigo realized he'd been caught staring and quickly looked away toward the other patrons of the bar.
"Usually I like to stay home." He replied. "Watch something on tv and just lay down. Either that or if my friends are available go hang out or something."
Their conversation was momentarily interrupted as the bartender placed their drinks in front of them and with a bow, he stepped aside to continue cleaning the freshly washed cups.
Rangiku grabbed her glass and raised it up to him. Clinking together, Ichigo took an experimental sip and let the cool drink slide down his throat only to have to hold in a cough that threatened to escape him. Swallowing the liquid, he coughed into his arm, ignoring the laugh that escaped his drinking partner as well as the chuckle the bartender let out.
"Don't drink much?" The older man asked.
"A sip here and there." Ichigo replied, glaring at the drink.
The bartender smiled to himself, pleased that the drink had garnered such a reaction. "That drink was made to be strong. It would be disrespectful to Sasakibe for something named after him to be weak."
Ichigo could understand that. The man was well respected and if what he'd heard about him was true, he had a bankai that was definitely powerful. It was unfortunate that he was caught off guard by the bankai stealing medallions the Quincy used.
Unlike him, Rangiku had clearly had the drink before and was able to take larger sips without so much as flinching as the liquid burned down her throat. "That hits the spot and it has a kick to it. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
Glancing at his drink, Ichigo takes another sip and while he managed to not cough up a lung, he was still unable to keep his face from scrunching up. How did people enjoy this?
"So what do you usually do here besides just drink?" He asked.
"The bar is a great place to hang out and unwind with friends after work, or most recently, celebrations." She explained. "Plus…it's also one of the best places to get the latest gossip." She said with a certain glint in her eyes.
"Gossip?"
Rangiku nodded once in affirmation. "That's right. For example…" She said, leaning closer to him with a sly grin on her face. "I have it on good authority that Rukia and Renji are a thing right now."
Ichigo was never one to engage in gossip as usually the stories changed from one person to the next but this caught his attention. Being careful not to look too interested, he leaned just a bit closer.
"They started dating in 'secret'..." She began, making sure to use hand quotations for the word secret. "Not too long after the whole Quincy debacle. Pretty much everyone who knows them is aware of it, the only one who either doesn't know or care is Captain Kuchiki."
Ichigo snorted in mirth. "So much for being observant. How are you so sure though? Maybe you just misunderstood something."
She shook her head. "Nope. I've seen them a lot. They stand a bit too close to each other, at lieutenants meetings they're always sending glances at one another, and I even caught them holding hands once. It was the cutest thing I've seen."
"Good for them. After everything they've been through they deserve something good happening." Ichigo replied honestly. Rukia played one of the biggest parts in his life, without her who knew where he'd be at the moment. By lending him her power she had allowed him to save his sisters lives and that had kick started everything. Renji had gone out of his way for her as well, even when he had been tasked to help with her execution. It was pretty fitting that the two would eventually end up together.
Taking a larger swig of his drink, he emptied the contents of the glass and slid it back toward the bartender who quickly took it.
"Would you like another? No charge for you today. Think of it as a thank you for everything you've done." The man told him, much to his surprise.
"I'm alright, thank you. Besides, it wasn't just me who helped. Everyone able took part in the war."
His humbleness earned him a nod of respect from the aged man who placed the glass into the sink behind the counter.
Rangiku pouted and gripped one of her hands with the other making sure to push out her bottom lip for maximum effect. "You're going to make me drink alone? That's no fun." She whined.
"Once your business really starts you know you're going to have to cut back a little right?" Ichigo asked rhetorically. She was smart enough to understand what he meant.
Her mood however remained as chipper as ever. She raised her glass higher into the air and smiled at him. "All the more reason to enjoy myself now. The only way this could be better though, is if you get another drink with me."
Ichigo wasn't given the chance to decline and frowned at the bartender once he placed another Sasakibe in front of him. "You didn't have to listen to her." He said flatly.
The bartender smiled apologetically but shook his head. "This drink wasn't made on lieutenant Matsumoto's request." He informed them.
The glass was touching her lips just as Ryo finished his statement, prompting her to pause and frown. The liquid had been forgotten in an instant in favor of figuring out who had bought Ichigo a drink. Her eyebrows furrowed at the thought. Someone buying him a drink wouldn't be much to think about, but the lack of information regarding who bought it was definitely something to think about. If someone had bought him a drink out of gratitude for helping defeat Yhwach, they would have likely come up to him and done it.
The only time someone bought someone else a drink and they weren't present was when they were waiting to see if their advances would be welcomed. She knew that rather well after all, the number of guys who'd sent her drinks over the years in hopes of getting lucky were astronomical. The drinks would always be accepted but never their advancements, none of them caught her attention like that.
"If it's not from Rangiku then who's it from?" Ichigo asked, confused.
Ichigo was easily able to see a figure dash through the bar with a quick Shunpo and his face fell. A sudden weight then pressed against his side and the visage of the new Captain of the eighth division made itself known to the others.
Lisa Yadomaru smirked at him and threw an arm around his shoulders. From his position he was able to see that her old blue and white sailor style uniform was long gone, in its place was a very modified version of shinigami robes. The top was short enough that it showed her toned abs, though oddly enough it kept the long sleeves, and the hakama had been replaced with a very short black skirt. White socks came up just below her knees and the Captain's haori was styled like the one Kenpachi wore, that being sleeveless.
"Ichigo, what a surprise seeing you here of all places." She greeted. "Didn't take you as the drinking type."
"I'm not, you can drink the one you had him make by the way." He replied dryly.
Lisa sighed as though she were disappointed in a child but didn't move off of him. "And here I thought you were starting to have a little more fun." She said, using one hand to pinch both of his cheeks.
Ichigo felt his eyes twitch at the treatment he was receiving and with a quick wave of his hand, his face was freed from its confines. The imprint of her fingers on his face remained for about five seconds before the spots she'd touched once again matched the rest of his face.
Rangiku watched on as the new Captain of the eighth teased Ichigo and tried to get him to drink the beverage she'd bought for him with barely concealed annoyance. She had told Ichigo it was better to keep this to themselves but the way Lisa kept pressing her chest into the man was making her reconsider.
"Alright fine, be that way." Lisa finally conceded before her eyes met Rangiku's. "Oh hey, are you the one that brought him here?"
More than anything Rangiku wanted to retort with a witty comment about finally being noticed but kept it to herself and smiled as politely as she could. "Yup. Ichigo's been helping me with my business so I decided to bring him here to enjoy himself a little. He only had one drink with me though." She admitted with a fake pout. Although subtle, she felt the need to let the Captain know the man had actually drank with her. Let it be known she wasn't above being petty.
"Is that right?" Lisa asked, giving Ichigo an annoyed stare, one that he readily returned. "And after all I did for you when you trained with us."
"You guys kept making me fight and you just watched me exercise while reading your pervy magazines." He shot back.
"But it worked out in the end didn't it?" Lisa replied with a proud smile. "Exactly. Anyway, I'd love to chat some more but I need to get back to the office. I'll see you around."
With another Shunpo, the black haired woman disappeared, leaving Ichigo and Rangiku to themselves once again.
"So what's the plan from here?" Ichigo asked, breaking the woman out of her stupor.
Rangiku placed her now empty glass on the counter. "I managed to get a meeting with Captain Kuchiki. I was sure he was gonna blow me off when he heard it was me requesting it but I guess he humored me. It was between him and the head of the Tsunayashiro family but that guy gives me the creeps." She said before leaning closer and speaking in a more hushed tone. "Part of why I wanted you here today was because I was kind of nervous and you make me feel at ease."
"I'm glad you think so. As for Byakuya, as long as you're reasonable and show him why it's a good investment on his part, you should be fine. He's definitely an ass but not an unfair one."
Rangiku nodded. "Perfect. Also…" She said with a sly look. "You know where the squad 10 barracks are right?"
He nodded, he'd been there once looking for Toshiro. "Yeah."
"If you don't have somewhere to stay, feel free to come by tonight. 10pm, we can have some fun." She purred in his ear.
Ichigo felt his hakama begin to shift as images of what the night would entail played through his mind. Making sure no one was eavesdropping he nodded. He wanted that, he needed that.
Having sorted that out, the two stood up and left the bar both looking forward to the rest of the day. While Rangiku prepared for her next meeting, Ichigo figured he would take the time to visit some friends before having the time of his life. Rangiku's room wouldn't be too hard to find. He was faster than most so he knew he wouldn't be seen, and how many other rooms had the lieutenant insignia on the door?
xxxx
Ichigo wasn't quite sure how the two of them ended up in the squad ten training grounds the following day. After having visited Rukia and Renji for a few hours, he'd snuck his way to Rangiku's room and had the night of his life. Her meeting with Byakuya had gone better than she expected and while she hadn't gotten a straight answer yet, he did tell her he would be in touch after discussing with some of the clan advisors. That had been enough for her to want to celebrate and that took the form of their bodies joining for hours on end, putting her bed to the test.
Once they had finished up a couple of hours later, Rangiku had asked him if he would help her train since she felt like she was the only lieutenant that wasn't actively trying to unlock her bankai. He'd of course said yes but he hadn't thought that she would actually want him to fight her with serious intent. In his mind, he thought she'd ask him some questions as to how he unlocked his and what happened during his meditation sessions. Instead, he was now face to face with a determined Rangiku who was coming at him with the intention to strike him down.
He easily ducked under the first swing and parried the second, leaving her defenseless. Had this been a real battle he would have taken the chance and sliced her diagonally.
"You're leaving too many openings." Ichigo lectured as he took a step back. "When the time comes you're going to have to beat Haineko into submission and you'll have to be ready for anything. Can you manifest her into the real world yet?"
She nodded, she hadn't done it in a while since the cat-woman usually got on her nerves pretty quick but she could do it.
"Then you're already more than halfway there. The good news is that you have time to try again if you don't get it on the first go. I wasn't that fortunate but I'm sure with a little more training you'll be able to do it."
Rangiku smiled at his words of encouragement and gripped her Zanpakuto with both hands and took a deep breath. She stared at Ichigo with fierce determination and used Shunpo to launch her first attack. Beating him was out of the question, he was far beyond her, anyone in Soul Society really, but if she trained with him long enough Haineko wouldn't pose that much of a problem.
Ichigo was quick to notice the change in her demeanor and smirked. It always amazed him how quickly she could go from fun loving shopaholic to serious worker. If Toshiro could see this side of her he was certain even the Captain would be impressed.
Rangiku's slashes were more ferocious but also precise. Whenever Zangetsu would stop her attack, she would be in position to either follow up or defend if he countered. Her eyes were much sharper than before and he could tell that she was observing every motion of his body, trying to deduce what he would do next.
Sparks from their clashes erupted for the next two hours or so with no breaks on her orders. With every spar she lost she improved and her defenses became tighter. Sword strikes became faster and her technique and strategy improved at an incredible rate. While he wasn't sweating and definitely didn't see the need to actually use his full abilities, he was definitely trying much harder than when they started.
"You doing alright?" He asked, watching her take in deep breaths. A layer of sweat had formed on her skin and a few cuts and bruises could be seen on her skin due to said cuts.
She nodded. "I'm fine, I just haven't trained this hard in a long time." She replied, wincing as some sweat found its way into one of the cuts on her arm. "I think that's enough for today, would you mind if we did it again tomorrow? I really feel like I improved more today than I have in the past few months."
"Yeah, that's fine with me," Ichigo replied, placing Zangetsu on his back. "So you got plans for the rest of the day? Or do you want to do something?"
Rangiku smiled but shook her head with a light wince. "Nothing planned, if you want we can get some dinner later and spend the rest of the day in my room." She replied. She had to withhold a smirk at the eager face that momentarily passed through Ichigo's face. "Don't get too excited now. Right now though, I'm going to head over to the fourth division to see Captain Isane to get patched up. Try to keep yourself busy for a little while."
"You don't want me to come with you?" He offered. "It's my fault you're like this."
"Yeah but I asked for it, remember?" She shot back. "Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long. Meet me at the store in about an hour. Sound good?"
He nodded and watched her Shunpo away, leaving him as the only person residing in the training ground. Glancing around, he noticed quite a bit of damage to the ground he stood on. Deep slashes were cut deep into the ground with a few bits having been completely eradicated. Toshiro would definitely not be happy to see it in such a state.
Rather than face the short Captain's ire, he simply followed Rangiku's lead and disappeared. It would be someone else's problem.
While Ichigo made himself scarce and looked for a way to keep himself busy, Rangiku had quickly made her way to the fourth division barracks. Even though Captain Unohana was dead, it still had the same atmosphere as it did when the woman was alive. Isane had done a good job keeping it together.
"Good afternoon, Matsumoto." She turned her head and saw the third seat of the division, Hanataro Yamada staring up at her with a nervous look on his face. Whether he was nervous because of her or because it was his natural disposition, she wasn't sure.
"Hey, is the Captain in?" She asked. "I went a little overboard on the training today and ended up like this." She said, motioning to the tatters and cuts on her body.
Hanataro's eyes widened at the amount of skin he now realized he could see and quickly averted his eyes. "Right, the Captain isn't busy at the moment. Follow me, I'll take you to her."
Hanataro led her down the long corridors of the barracks, passing by a few people who were much more banged up than she was. Some were being rolled around in wheelchairs while others were still confined to their beds. While she had been fortunate enough to not end up too badly injured during their battle with the Quincy, not all of her colleagues were that lucky.
"Captain. There's someone who needs your assistance." Hanataro called out as he knocked on Isane's office door.
They were allowed entry but only she entered per the Captain's request.
"Rangiku." Isane greeted her warmly once they were alone. "What happened?" She asked seeing the state she was in.
Knowing the procedure, Rangiku sat on the examination bed and crossed her arms. "I was training, I'm trying to achieve bankai but I might have bitten off more than I could chew."
Isane blinked. "Haineko did this?" She found it a bit odd. She'd seen the woman's Zanpakuto in action before and not once had it done as much damage as she saw now. It was ash based so that should have been present but from a quick visual inspection, she saw none of that.
Rangiku shook her head. "No, I asked Ichigo if he could help me train. I bumped into him earlier and remembered that he managed to unlock it in 3 days. If anyone could help me do it, it's him."
Subconsciously, the Captain of the fourth grabbed her midsection, remembering the single palm thrust the young man had needed to incapacitate her when he first invaded Soul Society. He'd definitely come a long way from being considered an invader to now being one of their protectors.
"I suppose that's true. Wouldn't it have been easier to just ask Captain Hitsugaya though?" She wondered. "I'm sure he'd be elated to know you're taking your training seriously even on vacation. Now that I think about it, other than meetings with the Captains in his room, have you ever really spoken to him? Wouldn't it be kind of rude to ask for something from someone you hardly know?"
Rangiku almost let it slip that she knew him very well but managed to bite her tongue. "Yes, but to make it up to him I offered to buy him a drink if he helped me. He seemed surprised that I wanted to train but he agreed anyway. He's just like Rukia said he was, ready to help at a moment's notice."
Isane nodded but kept her eye on the busty woman. It actually unnerved Rangiku as such a look was strange from the usually timid woman. "I see. Well, it's nice that he's helping and that you're taking your bankai training seriously. Now stand still while I begin healing your injuries."
"You're a lifesaver." Rangiku complimented with a smile.
"Don't mention it," Isane replied humbly. "So…Ichigo didn't hold back did he?" She added, trying to keep a conversation going. It felt slightly awkward letting the soft ticks of the clock in the room be the only sound she could hear.
Rangiku hummed in delight, feeling her muscles relax and her skin heal itself back into its flawless state. "He never does." She replied without thinking. Ever since that first night, he'd become so bold in what he wanted from her and what they did together, and she loved that. She even knew of a little piece he wanted to see her in, even if he didn't say it outright.
"Hm? I thought this was your first interaction?"
The lieutenant's eyes widened at her slip up but she quickly composed herself. Coughing once to clear her throat, she replied. "It is, I meant it more in the sense that nothing he's ever done has been half-assed. From his rescue of Rukia to our most recent training session. Though he definitely held back, I'd be dead otherwise."
"Ah, that makes sense I suppose."
Rangiku exhaled in relief that her quick thinking had worked. Knowing that another slip-up was likely if she didn't focus, she pushed all the lewd thoughts out of her mind and kept the conversation strictly about matters pertaining to the Gotei 13 or the women's association. That included her store.
It didn't take long before the last of her cuts had healed and she was fully ready to leave. Much to Isane's surprise, Rangiku all but bolted out of the room.
"That was weird, usually she sticks around to antagonize anyone she knows here," Kiyone commented, sticking her head into the office.
"Yeah, it looked like she was in a hurry. Did she seem strange to you?" Isane asked her sister.
"The only thing strange about her is how those tits of hers are natural." She grumbled, looking down at her own chest.
Isane sweatdropped and shook her head. She didn't know why she asked. There was something different about Rangiku, Isane just couldn't put her finger on it. Perhaps it was because of the new store she had been talking about opening, maybe she would ask the next time she saw her.
As it turned out, Isane wasn't the only one to notice a distinct change in the busty lieutenant. The following day, the women of the Shinigami Women's Association had gathered for their bi-weekly meeting held in one of the unoccupied spaces of the Squad 8 barracks. Isane, Nanao, Soifon, Kiyone, Lisa, multiple seated and unseated officers, and even Yoruichi were present. Most spoke softly among themselves as they waited for the clock to strike noon to begin.
"Lieutenant Matsumoto still isn't here?" Nanao asked, pushing her glasses an inch up her face. She looked at the clock and frowned, there were only a few minutes left before they would begin.
Kiyone shook her head and leaned back into her chair. "Apparently not. She's usually one of the first one's here. Wonder what's keeping her."
Isane noticed how her younger sister's chair was leaned backwards, balancing on the rear legs. Before she could chastise the young woman, one of the seated officers from the tenth division spoke.
"She has been unusually busy these past few days. She's supposed to be on vacation but every time she returns from the world of the living she's carrying bags of products and makes her way to her store."
The mention of the soon to be cosmetics store kicked off multiple different conversations between themselves. Most of the women present had gotten used to looking for Rangiku and asking if she could get something for them. Knowing that they would have a store to browse, an easily accessible one at that, was definitely something they were looking forward to.
"She's also begun training to achieve Bankai."
All eyes turned to the white haired Captain of the fourth division. The mental image of her late Captain flashed through Isane's head and that kept her from looking away. She had never been one for public speaking but since Unohana's passing, she had made it a point to change.
"She showed up yesterday in rough shape and explained how she had asked Kurosaki Ichigo for help."
"I saw them at the bar two days ago too. Just the two of them." Lisa commented, straightening out her skirt.
"Ichigo was at the bar?" Yoruichi asked in barely concealed intrigue. "That doesn't sound like him at all."
Lisa nodded. "He was drinking a Sasakibe but refused the one I bought him." She said with a pout.
Isane frowned, Rangiku had made it seem like they weren't the least bit close but that couldn't be right. They had been at a bar two days ago but she had asked him to help her yesterday? That meant there had to be prior meetings.
"Whatever the reason, she still has a few minutes before the meeting starts. I'm sure if she's late she'll let us know why." Nanao commented, trying to steer the conversation away from the current topic. She could see where this was going, the women were starting to take an interest in how the two were connected.
Fortunately, the woman of the hour arrived just a minute before they were due to begin. Rangiku looked around and found an open seat next to Isane and smiled politely as she made her way through the crowd of people. The woman was very much aware of the eyes on her as she walked and couldn't help but feel a bit off put. She wasn't late or anything, why were they staring so hard?
"Now that the lieutenant is present, we can begin." Nanao began in a professional tone. "First, let me start by congratulating Lieutenant Matsumoto on her upcoming grand opening of her cosmetics store." She said with a smile, holding up a copy of the editorial which Hisagi had prepared.
Rangiku smiled politely and nodded at the women who were all excited both for her and for themselves.
"I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we will be there no matter what. Now onto the first order of business…"
The busty Lieutenant unashamedly tuned the first division Lieutenant out as she began talking about potential fundraisers in order to rent a larger room as well as for the food they served. The meeting ran for fifty minutes and Rangiku couldn't help but glance at the clock. Ichigo was waiting for her at the training grounds for another session. The thought of the man brought a small smile to the woman's face, one that didn't go unnoticed by some of the other women, namely Yoruichi and Isane.
Nanao noticed that their time was about to run out and sighed to herself. "That's all for today, thank you all for coming and I'll see you all here in two weeks." The women began to stand and make their way out, all except for a handful, Rangiku not being one of them.
"So we all noticed that our squad ten Lieutenant was smiling like a woman in love right?" Yoruichi asked.
Isane nodded. "She did seem distracted."
Soifon scoffed and crossed her arms. "That woman could be distracted by a drop of alcohol. I don't see why you're all so invested. What she does outside of work is her business."
"Come now, Soifon, you're not the least bit curious as to what's going on?"
"Even when she was the one who told everyone that you were interested in trying out a little makeup a few years ago?"
Soifon's eyes narrowed in recollection. She had heard some of the women in the division comment that her skin was amazing and that just a small touch of makeup would elevate her even more. It was a frivolous comment at the time but she had looked into it. Unfortunately, word had gotten back to the gossiping Lieutenant and within the day, the entire Women's Society had been giving her tips.
"On second thought, maybe we should look into it."
Nanao pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head before exiting the room. She wanted no part in playing detective for something that had nothing to do with her. Isane stared at the current and former Captain of the second division with an apprehensive stare before she too retreated. She would be lying if she said she wasn't interested, but she had a division to run.
Yoruichi merely grinned. Whatever Rangiku and Ichigo were up to, she would find out.