Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Oh Captain! My Captain!	By : BlueDragon Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 38885 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own nor make any profit off of Bleach and its characters. That all goes to Tite Kubo and affiliates.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
A/N:
- Movies quoted or manipulated*: Pirates of the Caribbean, Ghostbusters, The Princess Bride, Cold Turkey
- Lemonade warning: Adult+

**~*~****~*~**

Chapter Two

**~*~****~*~**
Toshiro groaned and opened his eyes. Gasping for air, he jerked his head to look down into twinkling, pale lilac orbs. She was biting her glossy lip in a wicked grin and his cock was sandwiched between her breasts.
He growled ferally at the view. How the hell did she expect him to last that long when she was doing this?
She'd used her hands to squish the soft, warm globes around him and had just begun bouncing them gently back and forth. Switching the rhythm up between slow rolling and fast jiggles soon had his legs trembling beneath him.
A hot, wet tongue swiped at the bead of moisture at his tip and his eyes almost rolled into the back of his head. Grinning wickedly himself, he growled, “You're a bad girl.”
A soft, sensual chuckle escaped her parted lips before she swirled her pink tongue around his head, making sure to rub the sensitive underside before she teasingly pulled her mouth away. She smiled up impishly at him and released his painful erection.
Toshiro groaned in frustration, “Don't stop, woman!”
Just as he decided to flip her over onto her hands and knees, she took his head into her mouth, swirling her tongue around him wetly. Not wasting any time, she swallowed his shaft and worked him for a few moments before sucking off with an audible pop. Licking her lips and flicking her long blonde locks over her shoulder, she shimmied her knees closer to his feet and sat up engulfing his pulsing length within the valley of her feverishly warm breasts yet again.
Toshiro's eyes did roll back when she began lifting her body to pump his cock between the firmly pressed mounds of flesh. Losing his tightly held control was so easy around her and he began pistoning his hips into her. He moaned roughly as he watched his weeping head appear over and over again as he fucked her breasts. She must have known how close he was to exploding because she lowered her mouth to suck at his head as it repeatedly pushed out of her flushed cleavage.
His balls tightened. Shit, he was so close.
You Are My Sunshine cheerfully screeched into his face. Toshiro's eyes popped open as his alarm clock screamed the chorus over and over again. Panting and feverish, he looked disbelievingly around his bedroom. No... No! Slamming his hand down on the alarm clock, he rolled back onto his back and willed himself back to sleep. His heart beat thunderously in his ears as he tried to control his breathing, but he knew his efforts were futile; he wouldn't be able to get anymore from that dream. Damn it! He wasn't done with it yet!
He yelled into the room and rolled to punch his mattress. He'd been so close! Jerking his sheets up, he looked down at his dark blue boxer briefs and at the throbbing erection held within; it looked like someone had stuffed a lead pipe in there. He flopped his head back down onto his pillow and groaned loudly.
Son-of-a-bitch!
Turning his head to glare at the alarm clock, Toshiro tried to make it blow up with his mind. Rangiku had given it to him. It was bright yellow and shaped like half of a sun with giant rays of sunshine pointing out every which way. The damn thing had a big, stupid grin on its face and the time was displayed through its eyes. It didn't have a radio or even the standard alarm noise. It only sang the cheesiest version of You Are My freaking Sunshine ever created. It was pretty durable considering it had survived multiple savage throws across the bedroom. He would've thrown it away had it not been so effective in waking him up. The annoying thing might put him in an instant bad mood but, by the time he took a shower or did his morning rituals, he'd get over it.
Huffing, he hauled himself to sit up and stumbled towards the restroom. Rubbing his eye with the palm of one hand, he used the other to flip the light on. Walking toward the shower, he opened the door and turned the hot water on. Blinking blearily as the water started to steam, he adjusted the cold to his preference. After bending to remove his underwear, he tossed them in the hamper and walked into the spray of hot water, shutting the door behind him. As he watched the water sluice down his chest and belly, he frowned at his bobbing hard-on. He was still painfully aroused and hard enough to break concrete.
Lathering his hands with soap, he turned his back to the spray of hot water and gripped his erection in one hand. He'd been seconds away from making the dream an officially wet one, so this wouldn't take long. Pumping his dick firmly, he closed his eyes remembering her breasts wrapped around him. She'd been so warm and so damn naughty. Pumping faster, his breath hitched when he thought about her wet tongue swirling around his head; sucking his entire length into her mouth and throat. Putting his other hand up against the tiled wall, Toshiro squeezed harder and started thrusting roughly into his slippery hand. Gritting his teeth when the image of Rangiku's teasing eyes smiled at him as he'd fucked her breasts, he cursed when the pressure became too much. Gasping for air as he came, he slowly pumped his hand a few more times, watching his cum hit the shower wall in pulses that mimicked his pounding heart. Breathing hard, he turned and let the hot water wash the evidence away.
He was in the restroom for about ten more minutes before he walked out with a towel loosely wrapped around his hips. He glanced at the clock and glared. The rest of his shower hadn't taken too long, but somehow he was still running behind. Damn, he hated Mondays. Throwing on a clean uniform, he grumbled when he realized he wouldn't have time for breakfast. As he whirled his Captain's robe around his shoulders and stuck his arms through the sleeves, he prayed that Rangiku would have coffee ready.
*~****~*
Toshiro stormed through the Senkaimon with Ikkaku and Yumichika hot on his heels. He was hungry, filthy, and mad as hell. Those that were there to take his status report gasped in surprise; it looked like he was covered in blood. He’d returned in only his hakama and sandals and a dark red, viscous slime coated his entire upper body. The crimson substance was even smeared all over his face and made his white hair a revoltingly matted and sticky, red mess.
His reiatsu, normally controlled to non-existence, fluctuated and whipped around him angrily; making everyone, besides the two from Squad Eleven, shift around nervously.
Ukitake had asked him to go to the World of the Living to take care of a lower level Hollow with some newbies from his squad. He’d been feeling a bit under the weather this morning and had asked him, as a personal favor, to supervise the young officers. It was their first official mission to Karakura and Jushiro felt better knowing he was tagging along. Plus, he had nothing better to do.
The initial report was rather vague and had only indicated that the Hollow was elusive and smelled like that of rotting flesh. That being said, Rangiku had immediately asked if her two buddies would like to go in her place and at the time he hadn't really cared. He knew she would never neglect her duty by not being by his side but, considering it was supposed to be an easy Hollow and he knew she was avoiding it due to the smell, he'd let it slide.
Theoretically, she wasn't needed. Hell, he shouldn't have been needed. He had only been there to make sure everything went smoothly.
Did it? Of course not.
Long story short, he and Ikkaku had needed to step in and the Hollow turned out to be a royal pain in the ass. Not difficult, just completely annoying. It had been prone to monologuing on and on about how inferior soul reapers were and how they were no match for his blah, blah, blah.
Doing his part as a Captain, he’d allowed Ukitake's men some time with the annoying creature. However, after about 30 minutes of numerous failed attempts, it’d become clear that the Hollow was just a little too advanced for them. So, he'd called them off to observe and let Ikkaku have a crack at the bothersome beast. While he and Yumichika held back waiting for the whole thing to be done with, he'd honestly been a bit bored.
Apparently that was the calm before the shit storm.
The octopus-like beast had started to panic when it realized the substantial power difference between the fierce Third Seat and the young officers. As a last desperate attempt to survive, the Hollow had shot a ball of blood red slime at Toshiro and the officers behind him.
Several tactical options zoomed through his head at the time, but his primary concern had been the safety of Ukitake's squad members. The bloody glob had lurched toward them with an impressive velocity; so fast, in fact, that he hadn't had time to get the officers out of the way or utilize bakudo to block it. Not knowing if the substance was harmful or not, at the last microsecond he’d summoned up a forceful gust of icy air with a diagonal jerk of his arm, causing the ooze to spray and elastically spew around them in a great arc.
He remembered wiping a bit of the putrid, red fluid from his face and not feeling any immediate adverse effects. Glaring coldly at the Hollow, he’d ordered Yumichika to guard the officers and allowed his reiatsu to billow out around him; noting how the clouds circled angrily in the sky above. Although his reiatsu was severely restricted due to the limiter, he was satisfied to see the Hollow freeze in fear; it had just attacked the strongest member in the group. The irritated look in his teal dragon eyes must have let Ikkaku know that he was joining the fight because he didn't whine when Toshiro wiped his eyes and growled menacingly at the Hollow, “That was a bad idea.”
It only took the two a few minutes after that to set the Hollow up for a kill blow. However, when Toshiro was delivering the strike, the Hollow screeched in horror and inked him. Ikkaku had been sprayed along his side but Toshiro had gotten the full, repulsive effect. It had been like someone had thrown a 50 gallon drum of slimy, foul smelling red paint on him.
As the Hollow dissipated before their eyes, he’d stood like a statue. The bastard had inked him! Looking down at himself, his eye had twitched angrily. His uniform was ruined and the slime itself had smelled so strongly of carrion that it'd overwhelmed his sensitive nose. He'd had to fight to control the urge to gag and growled as a result. Hearing Ikkaku curse at his own state, Toshiro had started jerking off the upper layers of his uniform in a fit of temper. Wiping as much as he could out of his hair and off his face, neck, and shoulders, he proceeded to throw the wad of clothes on the ground, surprising the others.
As Ukitake's officers followed behind and the gate closed behind them, Jushiro and Captain Kurotsuchi walked towards them with surprised expressions. He didn't want to take his frustration out on his friend, but when he asked what happened, he couldn't help but growl pensively, “Complications arose; ensued; were overcome.”*
Jerking his head towards the two from Squad Eleven, he barked an order, “Madarame. Fill them in on the details.” Everyone's eyebrows rose at his unusual curtness.
Toshiro grit his teeth and clenched his fists. His skin was crawling from the fetid liquid combining with his sweat; his head was reeling from the cloying smell and his empty stomach lurched. He could feel the resulting frustration building up inside him like an anxious, seething thundercloud. He needed to get out of there.
As he was clearly dismissing himself to walk away, Kurotsuchi scraped a device across the skin of his back. Toshiro shivered in disgust, stopped, and glared at the strange Captain and his beeping piece of equipment. He was about to give him a riled up piece of his mind when cold, calculating eyes stopped him as they studied him and the device curiously.
“Interesting. Your testosterone level is skyrocketing and your dopamine and serotonin levels are quite unstable.”
Toshiro eyed him uncertainly, “And that means?”
Aloof gold eyes bore into him, “It means it’s imperative that you cleanse yourself of this substance immediately. We don't want one of our Combat Captains having an impulsive, violently aggressive psychotic episode, now do we?”
It was more of a statement than a question, but Toshiro hid his surprise, “A shower was going to be my first stop, Captain.”
As he turned away, promising to visit Squad Twelve later for further analysis, he felt a wave of dizziness hit him and blinked rapidly. Skipping breakfast had been a very bad idea. He hadn't been that hungry this morning and they'd been in the World of the Living for some time. It was probably after 1:00 pm and he was so beyond hungry that he had a headache and a sour stomach. The nauseating smell wasn't helping in the least. He thought the situation was what was making him angry, but Kurotsuchi's words made him hesitate; his assessment felt like a bad omen.
There was a horribly unreasonable irritation heating his blood and all he wanted to do was take a bath and eat. Everything would be better after that...
As he arrived at the front door of his quarters, he sighed in relief and slid the door open. He jerked to a stop in the doorway, disbelief and shock slapping him in the face. It looked like he'd been robbed. Drawers were open, his things were everywhere; even his sofa cushions were removed and lying haphazardly on the living room floor.
No one could get into his home without knowing the correct incantation and the digital passcode to the door. The only other person who knew that was his Lieutenant.
Everything that had happened that day closed in on him and, like someone had flipped a switch, a furious, boiling rage washed over Toshiro and he snapped.
Rangiku blinked blearily and cursed when she saw what time it was. It'd been a slow day --well... morning-- and she'd found herself a nice little bottle of sake behind a book that she’d been looking for in the office. She'd been happily buzzed enough to think that breaking and entering Toshiro's apartment to search for her birthday present was a safe bet to take; she'd have plenty of time to tidy up after herself. Rangiku had searched high and low and still couldn't find it after two hours and had given up to take an early lunch break and short nap. She'd really only wanted to take a 45 minute power nap, but that had apparently turned into two hours.
She sighed. She needed to think of a backup plan in case he got back early.
A sudden incredible blast of very familiar reiatsu had her falling out of her chair, pink paperclips flying everywhere, and a following roar had her scrambling for the main window behind Toshiro's desk.
Shit, shit, shit!
Rangiku ran to the window, threw the shutters open and looked left at the two story building that was the Squad Ten Captain and Lieutenant Living Quarters. She gaped as his immense reiatsu blew a strong blast of cold air and dust outwards in a 300 foot wide sphere and then compressed rapidly towards the balcony of the second story where it shot skywards, violently disrupting the surrounding climate. Rangiku watched in rising horror as the wind picked up speed and the sky darkened with gathering clouds. The temperature seemed to drop about thirty degrees after that and the clouds started rotating ominously.
Oh man, was she in trouble!
A ferocious bellow sounded, “Matsumoto!”
The flash of a muscular body yanked her attention to the rooftop to her left. There he was standing shirtless, beautiful chest and abdomen clenching in angry pants, in all his commanding glory and covered in blood. The sight of her gore-smeared, enraged Captain more than alarmed Rangiku. She could never fear him, but he had an odd look of mayhem in his eyes that she could clearly see from all the way over here.
Before she even knew she was moving, she'd already cleared the window and was flashstepping across rooftops. Glancing behind her, Rangiku gasped in panic when she saw him tearing after her. Her heart slammed erratically inside her chest fueling some baser need to flee. Her flight instincts told her a predator was closing in and all she could process was to run faster.
Toshiro growled when he saw her take off from the window. Something savage took over and when she fled like a spooked rabbit, he was flashstepping faster than ever before to hunt her down.
Rangiku was running blindly in an erratic serpentine pattern and could practically feel his fingers reaching for her when she landed in a dead run in the Squad Six courtyard. Startling its training occupants; she saw Renji and Captain Kuchiki and, not daring to look back, aimed for them. Renji's alarmed expression had her wondering what they must look like bearing down on them but she hadn't gotten past that thought before she was forcibly yanked into a hard chest, tripping, and tackled to the ground with a squeal.
Gasping, she struggled to get out from under his hot, heavy body but, before she could even groan from the impact, Toshiro had flipped her onto her back. The air whooshed from her lungs and she got her first good look at him. He was at his most dragonish with burning teal eyes displaying almost no visible pupil. If he'd had fangs, he would have been displaying them threateningly. His face was the epitome of ire and before she could utter a word, he barked out a low level bakudo.
“Hainawa!” The simple binding name had the desired effect. He watched as the lightning rope wrapped around her torso, arms, and chest and, directing the last bit, slapped the end over her mouth.
Rangiku's eyes rounded when she realized he'd essentially taped her mouth shut.
He practically trembled with anger and grabbed the entangled energy rope in front of her bound arms and jerked her towards him. Growling lowly, mere inches from her face, “Running was a bad idea.”
Renji, shocked by Toshiro's unusual aggression, exclaimed, “Captain Hitsugaya--!”
At the same time Captain Kuchiki put his hand on Renji's shoulder to stop him, Toshiro snarled viciously, “Stay out of this, Lieutenant!” The icy wind blew their hair back at his vehement roar and left Renji blinking in stunned, reprimanded silence.
Rangiku's eyes widened; in dazed fascination, she gazed beyond his angry visage up into the sky. The dark, charcoal gray clouds were rotating violently and forming an angry funnel cloud that danced precariously above him. Glittering specks of ice crystals whipped around them and Rangiku marveled at the dangerous beauty of it all.
The man hadn't even removed his sword from its sheath.
Rangiku rolled her head to the left; she saw some of the Squad Six officers either paralyzed on the ground from Toshiro's reiatsu or staring up at the sky in fear of the slate gray funnel heaving about 300 feet above their location. Her gaze traveled over his strong neck and muscular chest. Blood-smeared muscles bulged fantastically as he crouched over her panting like a wild animal guarding its kill. Teal reptilian eyes connected with hers, setting a static charge to the air, and that something that she'd seen in his eyes on the rooftop finally clicked.
A dragon.... He was acting like a dragon...
His sharp eyes saw hers widen. He grit his teeth before growling in her face, “You! I can't believe you did this to me again!” Shaking her in aggravation, he bellowed, “What, are you five years old!? You can't just--! It looks like a bomb went off in there!”
Her pale blue eyes narrowed sheepishly and just as he was about to holler some more he was interrupted.
A substantial, familiar reiatsu brushed up against his and a deep voice followed, “Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya.”
Toshiro jerked his eyes up to connect with Kuchiki's.
His stoic eyebrow was raised and steel grey eyes showed surprised interest, “Your reiatsu.”
Toshiro blinked and frowned for a second. He'd been so focused on chasing Rangiku down that he hadn't really taken stock of where he was besides the fact that Renji and Byakuya were there. Breathing deeply, trying to calm down, he glanced around what was the Squad Six courtyard. Seeing some of Kuchiki's squad members laying on the ground groaning, he grit his teeth and pinched his eyes closed. Focusing on controlling his breathing, a moment later the profound weight was significantly lifted and all around him he heard deep gasps of breath; as if they'd been held under water or released from choke holds. He reined it in to where it whipped testily around him and opened his eyes to mutter gruffly, “Sorry.”
Turning his attention to glare broodingly down at his Lieutenant, Toshiro released her. Watching as she flopped back onto the stone ground in surprise, he looked down and realized he was straddling her hips. His weight was mainly on his left knee bent underneath him and his right leg was bent over her with his foot planted firmly on the ground next to her left hip.
He glared down for a moment and made a decision. Toshiro grabbed the energy rope binding her arms and pulled. In the blink of an eye, he hoisted Rangiku up onto his right shoulder like a sack of potatoes and stood. Hearing her grunt, he cracked his neck left and right. A bark of laughter back to his left made him turn to glare at Zaraki standing on a rooftop with his Lieutenant perched on his shoulder. Feeling several other captains watching from a distance on other roofs, he growled and frowned darkly.
Damn. He hadn't intended to cause a scene, but that's exactly what happened. He could only imagine what everyone thought. Covered in what looked like blood, chasing down and tying his Lieutenant up, and losing it in front of everyone kind of went against his nature.
Deciding he was done being a spectacle, he turned to leave. Remembering his manners, he turned his head to acknowledge Kuchiki, “I apologize for disturbing you and your squad.”
Byakuya's gunmetal eyes held a small sparkle of amusement and he nodded slowly, “Apology accepted.”
Toshiro nodded and gripped Rangiku's knees, securing her thighs against his chest, with his right arm before taking off to flashstep towards his office.
She didn't dare move. He was beyond pissed off. He wasn't limping and wasn't favoring any limbs or body parts; she didn't see any wounds. Despite all the red, she didn't think he was hurt. So, why was he so angry? She knew the obvious reason, but he completely lost it back there. His behavior was absolutely uncharacteristic. He might lose his temper on a regular basis with only her around, but to do so publicly and so aggressively... She'd never seen him do that before. In fact, she was willing to bet the initial reason the other captains showed up was to see if anything was wrong.
She was dumbfounded by his rough treatment. He'd manhandled her! In public! He'd chased her down and forced her to the ground like some wild beast and then trussed her up and tossed her over his shoulder like a caught prize that weighed nothing. She didn't know what to think. All that daunting power, enough to force weaker officers to the ground with the heavy weight of it, and so many magnificent muscles clenching and bunching on display. He'd been so fierce and she knew that she was in a great deal of trouble, but she was so turned on.
She blushed hotly; greatly relieved he couldn't see her face at the moment or read her mind. It wasn't exactly comfortable having a big, male shoulder jamming into her gut and uterus as he ran, but she got a nice view of his firm backside. A hot ache settled in her core as her smashed breasts rubbed against his broad back with every movement and she tried desperately not to wiggle or clench her thighs together.
As he landed in the backyard and started walking towards the covered back porch, she felt herself being lifted and gently plopped on the grass. She watched as he walked a few more steps and sat down cross-legged on the stone floor next to some of the potted flowers. He closed his eyes and sat there for several minutes not speaking; just breathing slowly and deeply. Rangiku studied him the entire time. His reiatsu settled down considerably and his features relaxed a bit. He was still frowning with his eyes closed, but his jaw wasn't so tight that he risked cracking his teeth. His fists, once so white knuckled, were now laying palm down across his well muscled thighs.
It was a good ten minutes before his eyes opened again and gazed at her thoughtfully. He was surprised that she was watching him so carefully. He couldn't blame her. He was still fighting the urge to shake her some more, but the small meditative break helped clear his head quite a bit. He was glad to see she wasn't scared.
She was lying on her side, almost looking comfortable despite the circumstances. The sun made her exposed skin appear golden and peachy and her pale, misty eyes held a lilac hue. Her beautiful blonde locks were spread out over the grass and the warm sun and bright green made her natural strawberry blonde highlights and darker honey-toned lowlights stand out. She made quite the fetching lawn ornament.
He would never dispute her beauty. She was considered to be one of the most attractive women in the entire Soul Society and he was in complete agreement. She was the source of most of his fantasies and frustrated mornings and he'd accepted it a very long time ago. However, she was just as aggravating as she was gorgeous.
Toshiro's eyes collided with her steady gaze. Maintaining eye contact, he finally spoke; quiet but clear, “You will never do this again.” She immediately shook her head negatively, agreeing with him. Not blinking, he continued crisply, “I refuse to go through these lengths to hide your presents any longer. If you want any more gifts from me, grow the hell up and get some self-control.” By the slight jerk in her features he knew that had stung, but he was no longer going to tolerate this. His brow furrowed more and he spoke slowly, “I'm going to let you go and take off for the rest of the day. When I get back tonight, I expect all of your paperwork to be done and everything in the office to be organized. If it isn't, I swear I'll tie you to the tree out back and make you sleep out there tonight.”
Her eyes turned into saucers and a quick intake of breath hissed through her nostrils.
His eye twitched in annoyance, “Also, you obviously have too much time on your hands. You'll now have weekly homework assignments.”
Rangiku's eyes nearly popped out of her head and a whine made its way out of her throat.
Toshiro's glare shut her up before he carried on, “If that's not enough I'll give you more.” His eyes sparkled, “And if you don't do it?” He paused to smirk, as if daring her to rebel, “Cleaning toilets comes to mind, but I think you know how creative I can be.”
She shuddered at the suggestion.
His face cleared and he sighed deeply. Raising a knee, he leaned an elbow against it and rubbed his face tiredly. Slowly getting up, he walked over and lowered onto one knee next to her. Allowing his eyes to roam over her curvy figure on up to her expectant eyes, a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth, “You're much more agreeable this way. Maybe I should tie you up more often.” She looked shocked and a blush fanned across her cheeks making him chuckle.
Releasing the binding spell, Rangiku let a dramatic, deep sigh expel from her lungs and flopped onto her back. Toshiro waited patiently, watching her breasts bounce as she rubbed her arms and face.
She slowly wiggled her way up into a sitting position and looked at him and sighed, “Homework? Really?”
He didn't get mad this time. She knew damn well it was her own fault. An amused small smile crossed his face, “Yup.”
Rangiku sighed dejectedly and looked him over. Still shirtless and so hot. Still covered in blood. It was even streaked and smeared in his beautiful hair. She reached over and touched his collarbone, noticing with pleasure how his skin jumped under her touch. Running her fingertips across the hot, moist skin, she frowned and rubbed her fingers together, feeling the red liquid's texture. Rangiku looked into his eyes, “Are you okay?”
Toshiro blinked, taken aback. It never occurred to him that she might think he was hurt; that it was his own blood. Looking down at himself, his shoulders and chest were still smeared in that blasted ink. “Yeah.” Looking back up at her he shrugged, “Damn Hollow inked me when I killed him.” At her disgusted expression, he laughed, “Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”
Rangiku rubbed off the tiny bit of red on her fingertips onto his pant-covered knee and daintily sniffed in his direction, “I was wondering what the heck that smell was. You stink!”
He replied dryly, “You should've been there when it happened. If my stomach hadn't been empty, I probably would've puked my guts out on the spot.”
Rangiku's expression morphed into shock, “You still haven't eaten?”
A pleasant voice sounded from the back door, “Excuse me, Captain Hitsugaya.”
He twisted his body around to look at Nemu waiting at the door. Unaware that Rangiku's expression softened in exquisite pleasure at the sight of his fabulously formed stomach and obliques, he acknowledged, “Yes, Lieutenant?”
“My Captain insists that you come right away to Squad Twelve. The red liquid that you and Third Seat Madarame were exposed to is a psycho-reactive plasm that responds to emotional states.”*
Toshiro's eyes narrowed skeptically, “Mood slime?”*
Nemu nodded, “After you left, Third Seat Madarame started behaving violently. We were forced to sedate him even though the substance covered nowhere near the amount of surface area that you were inundated with, Captain. The report of your episode in the Squad Six courtyard confirmed my Captain's conclusions.”
Rangiku blinked rapidly, “You mean this stuff actually feeds on bad vibes?”*
Nemu looked at both of them and answered, “Yes. It was suggested that the plasm expelled from the Hollow as a defense mechanism. It chemically reacts with whoever it touches and emotionally compromises them, allowing the Hollow to either escape or kill its opposition.”
Rangiku looked at Toshiro dryly and mumbled, “Well, that explains a lot.”
Before he could respond with a snappy comeback, Nemu continued politely, “It will continue to react with your body's chemistry until it is removed. Analysis shows that the substance is also water insoluble and won't come off easily. My Captain has already produced an elixir that should counteract all of your symptoms and the lab is making a solution to safely remove the plasm from your skin and hair as we speak.”
Toshiro sighed, dreading what was to come, “Very well, then.” Slowly standing up, he held out his hand for his Lieutenant.
Rangiku smiled, fluttered her lashes prettily, and slipped her soft hand into his.
Firmly pulling her up, he smirked, “Soul Society Codex: Chapter one. I want an outline and synopsis of important sections turned in by Friday.” He snorted at her outrage and nodded at Nemu, “I need to run by my quarters for a new uniform and then I'll be right over there, Lieutenant.”
Nemu nodded demurely, “Yes, Sir. I'll let Captain Kurotsuchi know that you're on your way.”
Rangiku pouted as Nemu left.
Toshiro eyed her soiled clothes, “You should probably trash that uniform. Looks like some of this crap got on it when I carried you.”
She looked down over herself. She was pretty surprised it hadn’t rubbed off onto her exposed chest, but the cloth covering her stomach and lower belly was definitely moist with the nasty stuff.
He turned towards their two-story building and called over his shoulder, “Go to Squad Twelve if any of it got on your skin. I don’t want you having a reaction.”
Rangiku smiled at his concern. Gasping, she startled him by calling out suddenly, “Wait!”
Toshiro huffed impatiently and watched as she made a mad dash for the back door. Listening to her slam the office door open and run in, he heard her banging a few things around before she hopped out the window. He was going to have to remind her that that wasn’t a damn door.
Briskly walking up to him she held out a humongous wrapped rice ball for him. “Take it.”
He blinked and looked at her stubbornly; as if to argue that he wasn’t a child. She huffed, “Go on and take it. It's chicken-vegetable curry filled. You know you want it. I've already had lunch and you haven't eaten at all. It's no wonder you turned into Mr. Big-and-Bad Nasty-Dragon-Man!”
Toshiro glared sarcastically and gingerly took the large rice ball from her. He looked at it for a second and his heart warmed at her thoughtfulness. He'd gone crazy-dragon on her and she hadn't gotten past the fact that he hadn't eaten yet.
The corner of his mouth quirked, “Are you feeding me to make it all better?”
An inelegant snort left her lips and she smirked, “Guys are all the same. You feed them and that makes them happy. You’re easy like that.”
He rolled his eyes and held up the rice ball, “Thanks.” He paused thoughtfully, “This doesn't get you out of the homework or paperwork.”
She shrugged, “I know, but I can't have you passing out from hunger after all this.”
He frowned in warning, “Get it done, Rangiku.”
A corner of her mouth quirked, “I will.”
*~****~*
It took a few hours to fully remove the pyscho-reactive plasm. He'd already been sedated once with multiple threats of a second if he didn't stop acting out. He couldn't help it! They'd demanded that he strip down to his underwear --thankfully that hadn't come in contact with liquid-- and then made him sit on the coldest, most uncomfortable stool in existence and expected him to sit still as a team of six to ten lab techs and medical researchers poked, prodded, and cleaned him. Of course they couldn't just let him soak a rag in the colorless, oily solution they'd made and scrub away. No, they had to use this tiny vacuum with little clear, plastic tubes to suck everything they could off of him followed by an army of individual cotton balls to slowly and meticulously remove whatever was left of the foul substance. Only after they were done with those two steps would they follow with the oily cleaner to fully take off any leftover residue from the slime. Apparently, they were trying to keep as much of the stuff as they could to study and possibly synthesize it.
Go figure that he'd get slimed by something Kurotsuchi thought was cool.
He'd been kind of twitchy with the stool alone, but what really set him off were all the invasive questions they relentlessly asked him while vacuuming on him with the sucker tubes. Seriously. Why was it necessary to know the amount of times he ejaculated on any given day? They'd explained that the questions were merely to find out if anything besides the substance may have triggered his aggression, but he'd lost his cool by that point. Telling them he knew what was 'triggering his aggression' at that moment, he'd proceeded to stand up and throw the stool suggesting a colorful place where they could shove the rest of their questions. He'd had himself a good ole fashioned violent temper tantrum that only Kurotsuchi had been able to stop. And by stop, he'd had to stab Toshiro in the neck with a syringe full of a terrifying, neon green liquid that had him seeing pink polka-dotted elephants dancing with giant live sunflowers and everything else in a rainbow of blurry, psychedelic colors. He didn't want to go through that again.
The hallucinogenic, acid-tripping sedative had thankfully worn off after a couple hours. Most of his skin had been cleaned by that point and it helped a great deal with his attitude. With most of the slime gone and not screwing with his body's chemistry, he'd been pretty level-headed and only moderately irritated that everyone was hovering over him squishing on his face and scalp with the cotton balls. They didn't ask him any more questions, though. Guess they didn't want a Combat Captain going berserk again.
It was only after all that amazing fun, when he was getting dressed to leave, that Kurotsuchi tossed him a vial of the elixir that Nemu had promised him. The urge to punch him in the face made his eye twitch. Did he have this the whole time? Couldn’t he have given this sooner?
He gritted his teeth and headed for the door. Two psychotic breaks were enough for one day.
Feeling like a greased up cat, Toshiro exited the Squad Twelve Laboratory and glared at the sun nearing the horizon. Retsu Unohana was waiting for him outside the entrance and he couldn’t hide his surprise. Why on Earth was she here?
She smiled in that mysterious way that was all her own, “Having a bad day?” When his expressive face deadpanned, a rare moment of true amusement lit her features. “I myself have been examined by Captain Kurotsuchi. I thought you might benefit from the Healing Spa after something like that.”
Toshiro's face lit up, “I will absolutely take you up on that offer, Captain.”
Squad Four's healing baths were notorious for being fantastic. The naturally mineral-enriched hot spring had a healthy, tingling dose of Squad Four pizzazz laced in the water and was known to speed up the process or heal completely that of any bruise or wound. He'd definitely take advantage of that with no shame.
However, instead of going directly there, they’d had to make a pit stop. Along the way they had to pass her squad's food hall and the amazing aromas oozing from its doors. His stomach had protested loud enough to wake the dead and Unohana had insisted he join her. The giant rice ball that he'd inhaled hours ago hadn't lasted very long and when that particular woman insists, you do as you're insisted.
An hour later, Toshiro found himself in the deserted, steaming bathing room. He approached the navy blue edge of the tiled pool and looked around.
Squad Four had ingeniously utilized the natural hot spring to feed into the different bathing rooms they’d build around it. The room he was in was considered a private bath and they were accessible by reservation only; Unohana wouldn’t let just anyone use them.
Interestingly enough, the private baths had been designed to follow the colors of the visible light spectrum. They were available in almost every color and everything within each one was part of their color scheme; from the walls and floors to the towels and sparse furniture. They’d even matched up different scents to each bath and gotten the torches to burn the colors that they wanted.
Squad Four boasted that each color had certain healing properties and you chose your color room depending on how you were feeling or wanted to feel.
The Red Room was the most popular. It was supposed to bring warmth, energy, and strength, but most chose it because it was the color of passion and sex. He'd heard that one needed to be cleaned more often. Toshiro, snorted. No telling how many lovers snuck in there.
He always went with the Blue Room. He’d used it before and would continue to choose it because not only did he find the blue hues soothing but it was also the furthest one away from the community baths and anyone who might bother him.
The sign on the changing room wall said that blue was supposed to help with relieving things like high blood pressure and headaches, or calm strong emotions like anger and aggression.
He could definitely go for a healthy dose of that.
The scent of eucalyptus wafted around him and Toshiro breathed it in hungrily. A few strategically placed torches that burned peacock blue flames gave the room and water a mystical glow yet still left it with a serene and calming energy.
The hot water from the spring entered through jets on one side and made the water swirl calmly. He'd already removed his clothes in the changing room and had a towel wrapped loosely around his hips. Undoing the towel, he folded and placed it on a rack by the water and took the steps down into the pool.
Walking over to the deep end, the electric blue, sparkling water rippled just below his hips. Sinking to his knees, he hunched over to fully submerge his body and roughly scrubbed his fingers through his hair and rubbed his face before rising to take a breath of air. The water was perfectly hot and steam rose off it in little smoky wisps. Breathing deeply, he stood and shook his head. Locating one of the underwater navy blue tile seats in the deeper region, Toshiro sat down, stretched out, and sighed in pleasure as the gleaming water rose almost to his chin. The water felt great. Its heat was slowly releasing the tension in his back and neck and the healing properties were making his skin tingle agreeably.
After casually rubbing his hands over his arms and chest, he leaned the back of his head against the rounded tile edge. His eyes roamed the room. The torches were reflecting light onto the water and it bounced off and moved across the walls and ceiling in intriguing little electric blue flecks and ribbons.
Though this room was the pure essence of relaxation, the day's events caught up with him and a troubled frown creased his brow. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his dragon-like tendencies, but he didn't usually advertise them so openly. The last thing he wanted was to be seen as some bloodthirsty animal that would fit right in with Squad Eleven...
What bothered him the most was that when he'd been chasing Rangiku, it felt good. Really good. Seeing her run and get spooked had set his blood on fire. The thrill of hunting her down... All he'd wanted to do was catch her, rip her clothes off, and show her who was boss in the best of ways.
It worried him how, with each passing day, he craved her more and more. At first, he'd just accepted it. His Lieutenant was an incredible beauty and it was perfectly normal for any hot-blooded man to desire her. But they spent almost every waking hour by each others’ sides and, whether he wanted to admit it or not, things had definitely changed between them over the last few years. He wanted her more than any other woman he'd been with, including Maria, and the urge to stake a claim was becoming harder to resist.
However, he refused to lose his Lieutenant on account of his hormones. He did not want to jeopardize their relationship as Captain and Lieutenant, or their friendship for that matter, just because she called to his baser instincts like a siren does to men at sea.
Hell, one of the reasons he had his rule of not getting involved with anyone in the Seireitei was because of her. He couldn't afford to get any more emotionally invested in Rangiku than he already was.
Assuming she even wanted him, which was a bounding leap in and of itself, he was already overprotective now. If he started sleeping with her, he'd only get worse.
What if things didn’t work out between them? Would they be able to get past it, or would she transfer to another division?
He just couldn't risk it. He’d rather die of sexual frustration than lose her. And that was a horrible way to die, if you really thought about it.
Pushing past his disquieting thoughts, he tried meditating and taking in all the tranquil vibes of the room. He didn't know how long he soaked but when he left the Squad Four bath house, feeling remarkably refreshed, it was way past dark.
It only took him moments to arrive in his backyard.
The office was dark and Toshiro walked to the porch to slide the back door open. Sliding open the office door and turning the light on, he looked around and didn't see his Lieutenant. Walking over to her desk, an amused smirk appeared when he saw how neat and tidy everything was. It looked like she'd done what she was told. Glancing around the room and sniffing, he deduced that she'd also dusted, utilized some oil on the wooden furniture, and cleaned up the place. It was all bright and shiny. She had apparently taken him seriously, which both pleased and troubled him. He was satisfied that she knew he meant business, but not if he'd scared her today. She hadn't acted scared... Then again she obviously hadn't stuck around either.
Maybe he should apologize... She was at fault, but the last thing he wanted was to frighten her.
Closing up the office and walking out the back door to the yard, Toshiro hopped over to the second story balcony that led to his front door. He stared at it for a full minute, dreading seeing the chaos he'd left his apartment in. A yawn broke through his brooding and he spoke the incantation, punched in the code to his door, and quietly slid it open.
Immediately noticing the light on inside and how the entryway led into a much less destroyed living room, Toshiro blinked in surprise. Silently walking in, he realized she'd tried to clean his place back up. Walking down the hall and into his bedroom, a room he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd ransacked, he was delighted to see it was almost the way he'd left it this morning. Walking back out towards the kitchen, he stopped when he saw her form sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. Silently moving closer, it looked like she'd been organizing some of his vinyls when she'd fallen asleep, leaning against the sofa using the armrest as a pillow.
His eyes softened. She'd been busy this afternoon. He hadn't asked her to do this, but he was beyond grateful that she had.
It almost made up for the fact that she was the one that destroyed it.
Crouching down in front of her folded legs, he couldn't stop his hand from tenderly swiping a blonde wave of hair behind her ear.
What to do with her... He didn't want to wake her and he wasn't going to carry her down to her floor. Sighing softly, Toshiro gently hooked his arm under her knees and slid the other behind her back and lifted. Laying her out on the sofa, Rangiku moaned softly and stretched. Her even breathing indicated she was dead to the world and he walked over to the hall that led to his bedroom. Opening the linen closet, he pulled out a blanket, shut the door, and walked back into the living room. Unfolding the blanket, he quietly settled it around her. It wasn't the most appropriate thing in the world, but he was too tired to care. Watching her peaceful expression and the gentle rise and fall of her chest for several minutes, he sighed and walked away.
Turning off the lights, Toshiro stripped down to his underwear and fell into bed. It didn't take long before he too was out like a light.
*~****~*
Rangiku's eyes slowly opened. Blinking blearily, she looked around the dark room confused. Where the hell was she? Looking to the side, she recognized the familiar navy blue couch cushions. Rolling onto her side and leaning up on her elbows, she focused on the long, ornate wooden clock on the wall. Listening to the telltale click clock of the swinging pendulum, she squinted her eyes to see what time it was in the darkness. It looked like the short hand was near the number four.
Settling onto her stomach, she groaned and buried her face into the hollow of her folded arms. Feeling the warm blanket fall onto her shoulders, Rangiku unfolded her arms and rolled onto her side again. Running her fingers over the soft, squishy comforter, she smiled.
Aww, he'd tucked her in. Her optimistic mind hoped that if one was angry they wouldn't do that. He also hadn't kicked her out when he came home. That had to be a good sign.
She'd really wanted to get everything back to the way it was before he got here, but it was obvious where 'resting her eyes for a minute' had gotten her. A few minor issues had kept her in the office until about 5:00 pm, instead of the normal early Monday time of 3:00 pm. Maybe if she'd gotten out of there on time, she would have finished...
Oh well. She was pretty satisfied with how far she'd gotten.
Snuggling into the blanket, she breathed in its scent. It smelled like him: crisp, clean, and somehow male; infused with his pheromones just to get her attention.
The clock softly chimed its secondary clangs twice to indicate that it was half an hour past what she assumed was 4:00 am. Normally, she wouldn't be up until she barely had enough time to get dressed and make breakfast, but these were obviously different circumstances. She had a few things she wanted to get done this morning, including a hot shower, and she might as well start now.
Feeling she had procrastinated long enough in the soft blanket, she swung her legs out in front and sat up. Stretching her arms and legs out, she stood, folded the blanket with a yawn, and padded over to the clock to get a better look. Yep, 4:38 am. Trying not to make any noise, she found her socks and sandals in the darkness and made her way out the front door without putting them on. Quietly shutting the door and locking up, she walked down the moonlit staircase, and then made a u-turn towards her own door directly beneath his.
Opening up, she walked in, turned on the hall light, and breathed in deeply. Unlike Toshiro's aggravatingly immaculate suite upstairs, hers was decently clean with only clutter in areas here and there. He stuck to a blue color scheme and furnished his place with dark, rich wooden pieces and exotic paintings. It was very him and very male. Rangiku, on the other hand, was all about comfort and had mismatched squishy chairs and sofas and liked to decorate with anything that had bright and beautiful colors. Toshiro teased her frequently, saying something along the lines of a rainbow vomiting or being murdered in her home, but she loved it. She'd admit some of her things were ridiculous, but that was all part of the fun.
Dropping her shoes near the door, she turned on a few more lights on her way to the restroom. Her shower was calling her name. After selecting and lighting a large candle that smelled of coconut and lemongrass, Rangiku turned on the shower and undressed while the water heated up. Running a brush through her hair, she paused and looked at herself in the mirror. As steam began filling the room and fogging the mirror up, Rangiku stood, staring unseeing through her reflection, and contemplated.
How to get out of this homework assignment... Hmmm...
She stepped into the large tub and swished the pink striped shower curtain closed. She wasn't worried about the party. He wouldn't do anything that drastic, but this homework deal could be an annoying wrench in her daily or even weekly plans. Sighing deeply as the near scalding water beat into the muscles between her shoulder blades, Rangiku came to one conclusion: ass kissing. And lots of it. She was going to make sure he had tea, snacks, and meals before he even knew he wanted it. She would give him no excuse to be grumpy.
Yes, in hindsight, she could admit that what she'd done to his home was a bad idea. Maybe, had he not come in contact with that weird mood slime, his reaction wouldn't have been quite as explosive, but regardless she would have been in deep trouble. She had no desire to relive yesterday's events ever again and wouldn't be breaking in to anyone's anything unless it was absolutely necessary. She mainly did it during the holidays as a prank, just to drive Toshiro bonkers, but nuh-uh. Never again.
She took her time bathing. Showers were one of her ultimate favorite things and she never rushed them, especially if she didn't need to be at work for another three hours or so. As she went about her normal routine, she tried to think of all the little things he liked. He wasn't high maintenance and, in this regard, he was a typical guy. If he got cranky, it was usually because he was hungry. So, she'd have to keep interesting snacks and meals handy. She'd also, unfortunately, have to be on her A-game with paperwork. Her strength was outside with the squad members and she hated office work, but it was a necessary evil in this case. Normally, she would disagree with the necessity of it, but she was on a mission.
In all honesty, she didn't expect to get off the hook with the rule book homework assignments. Her real goal was to butter him up so that she wouldn't have any following assignments.
Exiting the bathroom, Rangiku towel dried her hair and padded over to her closet to grab a clean uniform. Laying it on the bed with her Lieutenant's badge, she proceeded into the kitchen to make some tea. Leaning her naked behind against the counter, she folded her arms beneath her bare breasts and waited for her tea kettle to heat. Toshiro's alarm clock went off precisely at 7:30 am and she wanted to be in and out of his kitchen before he got out of bed.
Glancing at the black cat clock on her wall, momentarily distracted by the eyes and tail moving left and right with each tick tock, she noted that it was close to 6:00 am. The kettle's whistle began to sound and Rangiku pulled it off the burner to pour over her tea.
Today was going to be a long day.
*~****~*
“You are my sunshine! My only sunshine! You make me hap--!” Toshiro slapped his palm down on the off button and opened his eyes grumpily. Glaring at the alarm clock for several moments, he almost missed the quiet sounds coming from the kitchen. He lifted his head and froze, allowing his finely tuned senses to detect anything, until he felt the warm, breeze-like touch of Rangiku's reiatsu.
That's right. She stayed the night...
That was a rather appealing thought.
Hearing his front door open and close, he groaned and climbed his way out of bed. Making a quick restroom run before throwing on some hakamas, he headed out towards the living room to see if she'd really left. Seeing the folded up blanket and empty room, he glanced around when a certain aroma made his stomach gurgle with glee.
On his kitchen counter was a familiar serving tray that had a rectangular container, several covered bowls, and a thermos of what he was hoping was fresh coffee. Picking up a small note card with a pink daisy printed on the front, he read the familiar, feminine scrawl: “Take your time”. Smiley face.
The oven clock told him he had 15 minutes before he had to be down at the office, but popping off the lid of the rectangular container revealed a generous grilled fillet of salted salmon and he quickly decided to follow her suggestion. Taking the tray to his table, he sat down on a soft cushion and opened the thermos to reveal piping hot coffee. Oh yes. It wasn't very traditional of him, but coffee was one of his vices. Noting it already had cream, he tasted it to confirm that she'd already made it the way he liked.
Well, she went all out this morning. Probably part of some grand plan, no doubt, but he'd roll with it. Taking the lids off the remaining bowls revealed a hefty portion of steamy, fragrant rice; a medium sized bowl of miso soup; a golden, already sliced tamagoyaki; and all the little traditional sides of nori, various pickled items, and natto.
He smiled at the traditional breakfast that he loved so much. So often he only had time for a bowl of rice or an onigiri, but he was sure she knew that.
Sneaky woman; appealing to his weakness for food... What a tactical advantage she had over him.
Picking up a pair of chopsticks that she'd placed on the tray, he picked up a slice of the tamagoyaki. He sighed and savored the warm, salty-sweet rolled omelette. Leisurely meandering his way through the dishes, he finished off the meal in high spirits and feeling pleasantly full.
Rangiku definitely scored points in style with that move.
Stacking the dishes and lids on the tray, Toshiro stood and took it all to the kitchen. Finishing off his coffee, he went and continued with his morning routine. Not needing to take a shower, he was dressed and heading out the door into the cool morning in good time.
Hopping over to the back door, Toshiro entered and walked through the open office. Rangiku was reading a form and about to sign it when he quipped, “Look at you being productive.”
She looked up as he walked unhurriedly towards her desk and she lightly snorted, “I am only establishing visual proof that I --at one point-- have --in fact-- worked. Now you can't accuse me of never doing it.”
He stopped in front of her desk, shaking his head with a small amused smile, “No shame.”
Her pale blue eyes glittered and she smiled, “How was breakfast?”
A snowy, white brow rose, “Great. I'm assuming it's all part of your epic plan to slowly drive me insane, of course.”
Chuckling lightly, she smiled and nodded, “Of course. Would you like some tea? I just made some.”
“Sure.” He watched as she quickly signed the document, placed it in her horrible outgoing box, and stood. Appreciating how her breasts bounced as she did so, he absently wondered how the hell she kept those things inside her uniform. So much was on display, but not once could anybody claim to actually seeing a flash of a nipple or even a bra.
The morning went by rather smoothly. Rangiku had already split up the squad into three sections and allowed the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Seats to take charge and rotate their training for a few hours. She seemed to be hell-bent on getting her paperwork done early and worked on that until she decided to make matcha for the both of them. She'd done it in the kitchen this time and surprised him with a bowl and a plate with a few left over sweets.
Later on, he'd been so busy researching something on the War Games that he didn't realize it was lunchtime until Rangiku abruptly stole and closed the book he'd been reading. “Hey! I was reading that!”
“Uh huh.” Rangiku placed a large bowl of unadon in front of him and smiled knowingly when his stomach grumbled in delight. Holding out a pair of chopsticks for him, “It's lunchtime, in case you weren't paying attention, and I won't have you turning into a scary lizard today.”
Toshiro huffed indignantly and snatched the chopsticks. He was about to defend himself when a whiff of the steaming bowl completely distracted him. Looking into it, he breathed in deeply. It smelled and looked amazing. The grilled eel was still sizzling a bit and whoever prepared the bowl had drizzled a generous amount of the sauce all over the fish and rice.
Grabbing the bowl and tearing off a piece of the eel with the chopsticks, Toshiro groaned in pleasure, “Holy crap, that's awesome.”
She chuckled while placing a fresh cup of tea on his desk.
Nodding his head in thanks, he watched as she went over to the sofa with her own unadon and plopped down, stretching her legs out along the length of the couch. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before he came up for air. Deciding to join her, he stuck his chopsticks in his bowl and grabbed it and his tea. Walking over to the other sofa, he sat down and placed his cup on the coffee table. “Not that I'm complaining about our food hall, but where did you get this? They don't make an eel bowl this good.”
Her eyes sparkled with laughter as she finished chewing, “The Shrieking Eel.”* She chuckled at his stupefied expression, “It's this little food shack that I found by accident. The guy who owns it only serves unadon and that's it. It's his specialty and he makes the best bowl in the Soul Society, as far as I'm concerned. Been going there for years.”
He sighed petulantly, “You mean you've been keeping this to yourself all this time?”
She smiled like a cat that’d already eaten the canary, “Yup.”
He half laughed, half huffed, “Why you stingy little--!”
She interrupted him and held her pointer finger up, “The important thing is that I'm sharing it with you now. So, if you ever want this again, shush.”
She was looking at him like she meant it and he slumped back into the couch. Laying his bowl on his stomach, he sulked, “So, you're threatening me with food now, huh?”
Her lip quirked, “Not another word.” She paused and glanced sideways at him, “Is it working?”
He answered her by shoveling some sauce covered rice into his mouth grumpily.
It was a couple hours after lunch when Rangiku found herself wandering around the rooftops trying to find a suitable place to sit and read. She couldn't do her homework in the office this time of day because it was her usual nap time and she knew she'd be nodding off in there in no time. She couldn't go to any of her hiding spots because she either associated sleep or the consumption of alcohol with them. She needed some place new that wasn't cozy enough to get sleepy but still quiet so she could read and not get distracted.
Spotting the irregularly shaped pond in part of Shunsui's vast personal training facility, Rangiku turned on the tiled roof's edge and prepared to jump.
A brief flash of a familiar fiery reiatsu was her only warning, “So, ya get laid last night?”
Rangiku nearly toppled over the side at Ikkaku's boorish question. She whorled around and saw Yumichika smack him upside his shiny head.
Ikkaku growled rubbing his head, “Hey!”
Yumichika nodded primly in her direction, “He can be so vulgar.”
Renji landed near Ikkaku and smirked, “He being an ass?”
Ikkaku grinned, “What? I was just coming to see for myself if she was walking straight.”
Rangiku stared at him, “Heh?”
Yumichika sighed, “The rumor mill has been abuzz since yesterday's incident.”
Rangiku blinked. Not looking forward to the answer, she asked, “Incident?”
Ikkaku grinned wickedly, “Hell yeah, incident! Everyone thinks Hitsugaya banged your brains out after he jumped your ass in Squad Six!”
She sighed in exasperation, “Crap.”
Yumichika nodded, “Dear, he body slammed you down, tied you up, tossed you over his shoulder, and neither one of you were seen until this morning.”
She huffed and placed her hands on her hips, “Well when you say it like that, it sounds kinda bad.”
Renji chuckled, “Well it looked kinda bad. I was about ready to run for my life after I saw you two heading my way.”
Ikkaku snorted, “Pussy.”
Renji glared at his friend, “You weren't there! You were on your way over the rainbow bridge to Candyland while I was being charged by a pissed off Dragon Captain!” He glanced at Rangiku and added dryly, “Yeah. Don't ever do that to me again, please. It's a good thing his element is ice and not fire 'cus otherwise I wouldn't have any hair left.”
She was about to object, but stopped. He was probably right about that. Instead, she asked, “Candyland?”
Renji laughed, “Yeah, apparently he had to be drugged in Squad Twelve for bad behavior.”
Rangiku smirked and looked at Ikkaku dryly, “Bad behavior? No, not you...”
Ikkaku frowned, “Nope."
Yumichika shook his head slowly, “Never.”
Wicked intent sparkled in Ikkaku's eyes, “So? Did ya?” He illustrated his question by grabbing an invisible pair of hips and thrusting aggressively into them a few times.
Yumichika sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation; Renji hid his laugh behind a few coughs; and Rangiku stared at Ikkaku wryly.
Schooling her features, Rangiku tossed Ikkaku a small smile, “First of all...” She pointed at his hips, “Seriously?” Hearing Renji and Yumichika chuckle, she continued, “Second of all, I don't know how many times I have to repeat myself to get it through that thick skull of yours that my Captain and I don't have that type of relationship. Plus, he was probably in Squad Twelve the same time you were, only longer!”
Ikkaku scoffed, “Yeah, but there was still some daylight when he got out. There was plenty of time to do the dirty.”
Rangiku folded her arms beneath her breasts, “Okay, I'll give you that. However, this is my last point.” She held up three fingers and slowly walked towards him, “Thirdly, if I had been ravaged by my Captain after that violent display of power... I can assure you”--a wicked grin lit her features as she traced an invisible pattern onto his chest--“that not only would I not have showed up to work today, but I'd still be in bed... Having dirty... rotten... nasty sex.”
Shock was written all over Ikkaku's heated face and Rangiku bit her lower lip seductively right before she smacked his forehead with her palm. He stumbled backwards in surprise and nearly fell off the roof.
She smirked, “Sucker.”
Renji didn't bother to cover up his laughter and clapped him roughly on the back in mirth.
Ikkaku huffed, “So, nothing juicy happened? Man, you're just no fun anymore!”
Rangiku laughed lightly, “I'm so sorry to disappoint you, Ku-chan.” She pat him on his shiny head a few times before he grouchily jerked away.
Dropping the topic, they discussed some details of the party for a few minutes before Ikkaku and Yumichika took off for their own squad grounds. The remaining two watched them hop off across the rooftops for a moment before Renji noticed the small, floppy floral-printed backpack hanging off one of her shoulders.
He nodded to her pack, “Where you headed off to?”
Rangiku glanced over her shoulder, “Some place quiet to do a little reading.”
Renji looked at her understatedly, “Isn't it a little too early in the day to be reading those trashy romance novels?”
Rangiku laughed, “Contrary to popular male belief, it's never too early or late to read a hot-n-sweaty sex scene. Cheesy romance is what gets us poor women through the rough times when men are being morons.”
Renji's chest puffed out, “Which is never.”
Rangiku snorted, “Which is always.” He half-heartedly glared at her and she laughed, “But! I am actually not sneaking away to do that. I have”--she frowned--“homework.”
Renji stared at her for a moment and when she looked away sheepishly, it clicked. He burst out laughing, “Holy shit, he knows you well! What do you hafta do?”
Rangiku pouted in mild annoyance and muttered, “Read the rule book--”
His loud laughter interrupted her, but she carried on, “--and do a report on each chapter...”
He threw his head back and Rangiku huffed when the great guffaws echoed all around them.
Trying to control himself, he chuckled heartily, “I'm sorry, but that's priceless! What better way to ensure you behave yourself than to make you read one of the most boring books in the damn Soul Society! Oh, man! That's awesome!”
Fed up with being the source of his humor, Rangiku turned and moodily walked off in the direction of Shunsui's squad grounds. She didn't have to stand around and take this crap. Hearing him laughingly call out that he'd see her later, she kept walking and waved a hand, “Yeah, yeah.”
A few flashstepped hops later and she landed next to Shunsui's beautiful koi pond. Throughout the open area were dozens of large cherry trees whose foliage was already starting the transition to the warm colors of fall. Everywhere she looked she saw ochre yellows, burnt oranges, and bright reds. Sitting on a comfy bench that was near the pond, Rangiku took in the beauty all around her. The koi gliding lazily through the clear water showed off their own dazzling array of colors and she caught herself staring at them dreamily.
Unzipping her small pack, she pulled out the hefty book from hell, a clipboard that was already equipped with paper, and a pen. Getting comfortable, Rangiku opened the book and stared through it.
Thinking back to what the others had said, she wondered if the rumor mill really was going crazy because of yesterday. False rumors of them sleeping together had been floating around for a long time and she was sure this incident would be juicy gossip for weeks.
Well, she certainly wasn't going to tell them that she actually did spend the night... That would go over real well. She supposed her plan to butter up Toshiro wouldn't look too innocent to spectators, but she was never one to take rumors very seriously. She thought gossip was fun to listen to and usually very entertaining, but she was the Rangiku Matsumoto. Saying that she was accustomed to being one of the top topics was an understatement. There was always something being rumored about her even when she was being good.
Rangiku huffed and tapped her fingers across the book's spine in an irritated rhythm. She wouldn't let rumors stop her from accomplishing her goal of no homework. Grasping the sides, she firmly opened the heavy rule book and flipped to the first page of chapter one.
*~****~*
It had been a few hours since he'd last seen her. She'd been diligently working on something at her desk --something he was rather impressed with at the time-- then abruptly shoved some things into her bag and took off. Where the hell could she have run off to? She hadn't acted like anything was wrong and even told him she'd be back after a while. Logic reminded him that her sneaking off somewhere was very normal behavior, but a small part of him worried that she was avoiding him.
A light knock sounded at the door, interrupting his thoughts, and Toshiro turned his head to see Kyoraku lounging in the doorway. Turning away from his open window, he nodded his head, “Hey. What brings you to this neck of the woods?”
Shunsui smiled and casually walked in, “Oh, not much.” He looked conspiratorially at Toshiro when he reached his desk, “Word on the street is you had one crazy night last night.”
Toshiro frowned and quickly made a mental list of things that occurred. After all of the crap that he went through in Squad Twelve, not much else happened.
Shunsui read his stupefied frown and chuckled, “The gossip ranges from hearing passionate cries coming from your office to you actually having sex with her in the Squad Six courtyard.”
Toshiro gaped at Shunsui for a whole second before he exclaimed, “What!?”
The corner of Shunsui's mouth quirked, “Indeed. Imaginations are really running wild with this one.”
An exasperated sigh escaped Toshiro's mouth and he rolled his eyes, “Yeah, I bet.” Yesterday hadn't exactly been one of his best days.
He glanced at the older Captain and gave him a hard look, “I never took you for one to engage in idle gossip.”
Shunsui's eyes sparkled with amusement and he tried not to laugh, “I did nothing of the sort. I literally heard this on the sidewalk as I made my way over to Jushiro's office. Everyone's talking about it.”
Toshiro muttered sarcastically, “Fantastic.”
Shunsui laughed lightly, “Don't worry about it. These kinds of rumors burn out as quickly as they get started. Believe me, I know.”
Toshiro nodded slightly.
Shunsui cleared his throat lightly and his expression turned oddly neutral, “That actually brings me to the reason of why I'm here.”
One of Toshiro's snowy eyebrows rose in question, “Oh, really?”
The dark-haired Captain shifted his feet and rubbed the back of his neck, “A certain audacious person we both know, broke into my home Friday morning...”
Toshiro closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Ah. That.” He sighed and willed himself to remain calm and professional despite his Lieutenant's best attempts to do the opposite.
Shunsui looked slightly uncomfortable but went on when Toshiro opened his eyes again, “Yes... It took me a few days, but I just figured out what she took and hoped to get it back.”
Toshiro stood there and contemplated, “Sometimes I sit and wonder how it is that I haven't strangled her by now.”
Stepping around his desk, the two men smirked at each other as Toshiro passed him to walk towards the kitchenette, “Give me a sec'. I'm pretty sure I know where it is.”
“Thank you.” As Toshiro walked in to the kitchen, Shunsui added, “I never would have predicted that she'd borrow matcha powder. Didn't even know she drank it.”
Toshiro opened the spice cabinet by the stove and spotted the can of powder. Pausing to consider what Rangiku revealed that day, he didn't feel comfortable divulging much.
Censoring himself, he called out, “Just got a craving for it, I suppose.”
If she had broken into his apartment while he was in that kind of compromising situation, just because of a craving, he would've run out there naked and beat her with a switch. He snorted at the thought. Maybe he should go out and find one just to have on hand...
Spotting the matcha green tea powder can, he reached up and plucked it out of the mass of other spice bottles and tea boxes. Immediately noticing the lightness of the container, he popped the lid off, “Great,” he grumbled.
Pushing the lid back on, he walked out into his office and frowned at the can, “Hey, Shunsui?”
The older Captain turned his way in question and Toshiro rattled the can a bit, “I don't know if it's worth giving back. There isn't much left.”
He handed the can to him and as Shunsui popped the lid off to peer inside, Toshiro muttered, “Might be enough for a small cup.”
Kyoraku popped the lid back on and shrugged in mild defeat, “Oh well. It was worth a shot. I'll just get some more later.”
Toshiro frowned, “No, I'll replace it for you.”
Shunsui's brows lifted in surprise, “It's really not that big of a deal.”
“I insist.” He paused and his frown deepened, “Rangiku is a piece of work... It's really the least I can do.”
A saucy voice interjected, “A work of art, you mean?”
Without skipping a beat as Rangiku sauntered in, Toshiro quipped, “I've never wanted to strangle artwork within an inch of its life. So, no.”
Rangiku tossed him a sultry pout, “I never knew you were so kinky, Captain.”
Toshiro glared dryly, “We are having a Captain to Captain meeting. Go. Away.”
She squawked in outrage as he promptly ignored her and nodded to Kyoraku, “I insist.”
Shunsui smiled, enjoying the moment, “Well, if you insist.”
Toshiro smirked, “I do.”
Rangiku huffed and went to her desk as Toshiro walked him to the door, “If you don't mind the wait, I figured we'd pick some up tomorrow.”
Shunsui walked out into the hall and smiled, “Hey, free matcha is free matcha. I won't complain. Oh...” He lowered his voice so that just the two would hear, “I wanted to thank you two... for being discreet... about the other day.”
A small, teasing smile graced Toshiro's features, “Hey... What another Captain does before or after hours is none of my business. Right?”
Kyoraku snorted softly, “Well, the sentiment is appreciated. If you ever need an alibi for nocturnal activities or just need woman advice, you let me know.”
Toshiro laughed lightly, “Duly noted.”
They both smirked at each other before parting ways. Toshiro turned around and eyeballed the woman staring peevishly at him from her desk.
With an annoyed but attractive pout firmly in place, she announced, “I am so unappreciated around here.”
He quirked an eyebrow, “Well, you have to actually do something to be appreciated.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically and huffed, “I was doing something.”
Unhurriedly crossing the room, he snorted, “Sneaking off to take your afternoon nap hardly counts as doing anything remotely worthwhile.”
She squealed in exasperation, “I'll have you know that I was reading and doing my stupid homework! Like a good girl! And on my way back--” She paused to rummage around her bag, “I got you this!”
He didn't see what it was before she hurled it with gusto directly at his head. Barely managing to catch it before it beaned him in the face; he stopped several feet from her desk and didn't dare look down to inspect it in case she had anything else to throw.
Rangiku glowered and increased her volume, “Because today's Tuesday I thought you might want a snack before dinner!” Taking a breath, she all out screamed at him as she threw a pen, “And! Because I'M A NICE PERSON!”
Dodging the glittery missile, he blinked at her several times before he glanced down at the warm item wrapped up in a small, square paper bag. Cautiously keeping an eye on her, he carefully tore the brown paper open to reveal a four inch, steaming hot pork bun. His gaze lifted back up to his Lieutenant.
She was blushing and panting a bit from losing her temper and her breasts were heaving from the effort. Hot damn, she was sexy when she was mad!
Blinking hard, he called out in a commanding voice, “Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto.”
She held her breath when he said her name and rank. Crap. She was in deep now. She wouldn't have been so quick to fight had that damn book not been boring enough to make her eyes cross. What the hell was wrong with her? She was trying to get out of homework, not be sentenced with it for life!
The corners of his mouth quirked and his dragony eyes danced with amusement. She saw them give her a sneaky once over and shivered in response.
Before she had too much time to contemplate that reaction, Toshiro growled, “You obviously fought the urge to give in to your typical pattern of behavior today and, for assuming otherwise, I apologize.”
Rangiku frowned. That wasn't the greatest apology in the world, but she'd take it. Warily, she spoke her reply slowly, “Thanks...”
He was obviously trying not to laugh at her and asked calmly, “That first chapter giving you problems?”
She dryly glared at him and sighed dramatically, “Yes. It's written like one of those stupid, overly complicated instruction manuals and a law book combined! I wish there was an 'Introduction to--' or a 'Soul Society Codex for Dummies' handbook thing that I could use to help me read it! This thing is ridiculous!”
Laughing softly, “It'll get easier. The first chapter is rough because it goes over the history of Central 46 and their influence as the judiciary, legislative, and operative authorities over the Soul Society, but after that it's just rules and regulations.”
She grumbled about how exciting that sounded and he stared at her, “How the hell did you pass the rule book test and graduate from the Academy if you didn't read the damn thing? It's required!”
She placed her hands on her ample hips, “Because I'm amazing like that?” She laughed at her own response and when he shook his head lightly in exasperation, she smirked and shrugged, “Multiple choice was due to my awesome common sense and the short answer questions I flat out BS'd my way through. Add to that a giant dose of luck and ta-da! Here I am!”
Toshiro's expression turned into one of mild curiosity, “Uh-huh. So what part of this righteously 'awesome common sense' told you to break in to the home that got you this homework?”
Rangiku's mouth snapped shut. Well, crap. He got her on that one. Thinking fast, her features turned sheepish, “Well... Ya see... I have this medical condition...”
Toshiro frowned, “A medical condition?”
She nodded, “Yeah... I have this thing... called a booze bone...”* Toshiro's face deadpanned and she tried to keep her innocent facade going, “...And it's connected to my funny bone... and whenever they get used at the same time, they sort of toss my common sense organ right out the window.”
He stood aghast at her explanation, “Oh, for crying out loud!” She laughed and he growled in annoyance, “I can't believe I was concerned for even a second!”
Remembering the warm nikuman in his hand, Toshiro brought it up to his face and sniffed it. Viciously taking a bite, his frustration turned momentarily into bliss when the charbroiled pork and carmelized onions made contact with his tongue. Chewing slowly, he relished the taste of the meat and squishy bread, “Holy crap, that's good.”
He opened his eyes to see hers sparkling with amusement. As he chewed quietly, watching her watch him, something in her light eyes changed. They shifted from laughter to what looked like awareness. Like she liked what she saw. With her staring at his mouth like that, he found his sharp senses kicking into overdrive. Focusing on her lips, they reminded him of the color of soft pink roses and he almost groaned when they parted slightly on a small intake of air. He was so tuned in to her that he somehow made it across the remaining distance to end up bumping into the front of her desk.
They both blinked in surprise and he backed up a step and fought to control the heat rushing up his neck to his ears. What had he been about to do? Kiss her?
Like that was ever going to happen. He was such a fool.
Frowning, he abruptly turned his back to her and made his way toward his desk to compose himself. As Toshiro made the short trip, he couldn't help but wonder why the urges to make a move on her were so strong lately. Their frequency was increasing and he was starting to get concerned that he wouldn't be able to stop himself the next time.
If her desk hadn't been in the way, he would've gone for it before his logical side could catch up and say otherwise.
He needed to get control over these damn instincts!
Rangiku's cheeks heated as she watched him turn away. There'd been that predatory gleam in his teal reptilian eyes again. Only this time he hadn't been angry. The way he'd slowly walked toward her, almost stalking, had sent shivers up her spine. Her heart had been slamming in her chest and when the desk legs squeaked against the floor she'd nearly jumped out of her skin.
What had he been coming over for? He'd been so focused on her that he'd run into her desk. He didn't do things like that. This was Toshiro she was talking about. He was not a clumsy person.
Period.
The only other thing that she could think of just wasn't probable. Had he been on his way to kiss her? There'd been a few other times in which she thought he might... Or was that her feminine pride putting silly suggestions into her head?
She'd admit that she'd had fun in her day. She'd been in a few relationships and had quite a few play things and dalliances. Due to that, for the most part she thought that she'd figured out men. They were, after all, simple creatures. With a little feminine charm she could turn almost any man into putty in her hands, but her Captain was far from simple.
Truth be told, she hadn't had a romp in the sheets in a while. It was possible that her man-judgement was off because of it, but all of her womanly senses were screaming that this big, strong dragon man wanted more. And by the way he jerked away from her just now, it was possible that maybe he didn't want that to be the case.
Or... Was she losing her ever loving mind? She had been getting tired of “the game” in the last few years. Rangiku hadn't been with a man in... Thinking of her last encounter, she counted off the time. Geez... It'd been eleven months.
She wasn't even sure she should count the last one as an encounter. The guy had been pretty but didn't have much in the brains department. Never realized she hadn't had her own little orgasm. How do you even miss that? A woman's vagina either clenches a man's dick or it doesn't. It'd been so disappointing and utterly frustrating that she'd been avoiding the sex scene this whole time.
So, was it simply a case of sexual frustration? Sure she had her oh-so-handy bedside table drawer full of various sex toys, but was not having an orgasm with a real man in over a year finally catching up to her? After all, nothing beats the real thing.
No... Sexual frustration might be making her feel like an in-heat cat, but he was definitely showing signs. There was this animalistic energy that came off of him in waves at certain times and she was definitely responding to it; whether she wanted to or not.
That was an intriguing line of thought. Did she want more then friendship and what they had at work?
He leaned against the window frame and she took in his profile as he frowned at the flowers outside and quietly ate his meat bun. Her heart jumped inside her chest. Just the thought of getting physically involved with him set her pulse racing.
She didn't know if it was in the way he carried himself or the energy that surrounded him, but she had the distinct impression that he was most definitely not a virgin.
There was just something about Toshiro that made her think he'd be dynamite in bed.
She'd never seen him with a woman or even any evidence that he'd been with a woman. No hickies or scratch marks. No little white haired children running around that looked strangely similar to him...
She had noticed, in the last few years, a pattern of him going from aggression-mode to easygoing that cycled every few months. It was like PMS. One day he'd be about ready to blow up on an unsuspecting squad member and the next he'd be really relaxed and non-confrontational. Now that she thought about it, it seemed obvious that he was getting some sort of relief somewhere.
Looking the way he did, it didn't surprise her. He shouldn't have any problems finding someone suitable to his needs.
Allowing her eyes to roam, she zeroed in on his nice butt and narrow hips and traveled on up the expanse of his broad back and shoulders. Did she want more? It was probably a bad idea to get involved with him if all she wanted to do was scratch an itch. She could technically get that taken care of anywhere, but lately... no man could hold up to her standards. She'd altogether stopped going to bars and tea houses because none of the men even remotely enticed her.
So she shouldn't have him, but what if she couldn't get past this craving? She had the feeling that even if she found some random guy to help her out, she'd still want Toshiro afterward.
The simple fact was that she was outright attracted to him and she'd bet money on Old Man's beard that the sizzling hot chemistry she felt with him wasn't just in her head.
She wanted to find out if it'd be as hot as she was thinking it would be. So, she guessed that answered her question...
Rangiku blinked and felt her face getting hot.
She wanted to have hot, sweaty, ridiculous sex with Toshiro Hitsugaya. The man she'd known most of their lives. The man she'd met as a boy, before he'd become a soul reaper and even before he'd met Hyorinmaru. And now she wanted him to fuck her brains out.
Was that wrong? A flashback of when he'd been angrily breathing hard over her yesterday popped into her head. All those clenching, slick muscles... No, it wasn't wrong. Or even if it was, she didn't care and immediately excused herself for thinking it. Any heterosexual female in their right mind would have appreciated the view.
Toshiro sighed and pushed away from the window. Walking toward his chair, he tossed the crumpled up brown paper into the bin beside his desk and sat down.
Rangiku realized that she was still standing behind her own desk and followed his example. She hoped he hadn't noticed that she'd been standing there gawking at him the whole time.
She looked down at her hands on her desk. Now that she had acknowledged that she did indeed want him, she needed to formulate a plan of action.
She briefly speculated over how much experience he had again, but again came to the same conclusion. Although the thought of taking someone's virginity sounded empowering, a part of her was glad she wouldn't have to take his. The naughty little slut part of her liked it because that meant she wouldn't have to teach him anything. They could get down to the nitty gritty and have some fun.
That was if he gave in. A really big if.
He was probably going to fight it, but she had to remain confident in her skills of persuasion. Rangiku peeked at him for a second. She needed to see how he'd respond to a few of her old tricks.
Deciding a little test was in order, Rangiku gathered the papers from her bin labeled “El Capitán” and stood. Walking around her desk and making sure to gently sway her hips, she made her way toward him with the papers in hand. Noting how she'd gotten his attention, she pretended to distractedly read the top page before tripping slightly. Catching herself, she gasped when the papers went flying out in front of her.
Frowning and placing her hands on her hips, she muttered, “Well, that figures.”
Toshiro stood and started moving to help, but she walked around the scattered papers, “No, no. It's alright.” Sinking to her knees with her back facing him, she leaned down and started picking them up again, “I got this.” A few were just out of range and inwardly she smirked. Here we go...
Toshiro gulped and stood frozen when he saw her lean forward onto her hands and knees. He might be her Captain, but he was still a man, damn it! And her nice ass was on display at the moment.
His eyes dragged over the lovely curves of her hips and back as she stretched to reach for another page. He almost growled in approval. All he wanted to do was slide his hands over those cheeks and squeeze. Maybe grasp those hips and mount her from behind. Nip her along her back and neck...
He frowned in disappointment when she moved to stand back up. She turned around and his eyes raced up to hers to see if she'd noticed him ogling her, but she seemed distracted as she leaned forward and dusted her knees off. Now he was assaulted with a perfect view of her large breasts gently bouncing as she moved. Dragging his eyes away from her chest, he watched her as she casually strolled toward him and set the papers on his desk.
He was still frozen in place when she pouted in irritation, “Man, I just organized these stupid things...”
She leaned forward again to reshuffle the pages and Toshiro gulped as discreetly as he could. What the hell? Was she doing this on purpose? Did she have any idea what those things could do to a man? What he'd give to just bury his face between them! The irony wasn't lost on him, but he didn't have too much time to think about it when she finished what she was doing and stood up straight.
He thought she might give him a break but she paused, took a deep breath, and her eyes widened. Taking a step towards him, she baffled him even further when she began sniffing close to his chest, “Oh wow, you smell nice!”
She liked the way he smelled? Speechless, he blinked in surprise when she got even closer and started smelling her way closer to the exposed skin of his throat. A faint hint of coconut and something citrusy drifted past his sensitive nose. She smelled pretty damn good herself and he had to quell the urge to breathe her in hungrily. She was so close he could feel her body heat and it would only take a deep breath to press his chest into hers.
Leaning back, she asked, “Cologne?”
His poor brain tried to switch gears and work properly. Trying to answer as nonchalantly as possible, he cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow, “Uh... General hygiene?”
She chuckled and took a step back, “You change soap? 'Cus, that's...” She paused to sigh, “Mm. Good stuff.”
Now that she'd backed up a bit, he breathed deeply. The impulse to roughly bring her flush against his body eased and he sighed in relief. Desperately trying to catch up, the mention of soap reminded him of his bath last night. “Oh. I got to use the Healing Spa after being in Squad Twelve yesterday.”
Rangiku's eyes twinkled and she smiled, “That's gotta be it.”
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when she leaned forward again to take a final sniff at the column of his neck. Her face was mere inches from his as she savored the smell. It felt like an eternity had passed before her lashes fluttered and in an instant she was turning away.
Sighing with obvious pleasure and a small smile, Rangiku headed back to her desk. As she walked around his, she murmured loud enough for him to hear, “It's too bad they don't bottle that...”
He stared after her as she walked away. He didn't really know what he was displaying on the outside, but inside he was a mess. His heart was racing and all of his senses were in overdrive. He felt like he'd just been assaulted. Not only had she given him a glimpse of some rather spectacular female scenery, she'd also appealed to some of his baser needs.
The fact she liked his scent pleased him more then he cared to admit. If he got that kind of reaction, maybe he should ask Unohana if he could use the baths more often. Maybe she could bottle it for him...
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was trying not to have sex with his Lieutenant. So, that was probably a bad idea. He'd kind of lost sight of that in the last few minutes...
“You alright?”
Toshiro blinked and looked over at Rangiku. One of her golden eyebrows was lifted curiously. He realized he was still standing there, probably glaring into space, and clenching his fists. Lightly clearing his throat and visibly relaxing, he ran a hand through his snowy hair, “Uh... Yeah. Just thinking...”
Sitting in his plush chair; Toshiro leaned back, folded his arms across his chest, and frowned in thought. Well, the idea of her being scared of him now seemed stupid. He snorted. Yeah right...
“Laughing to yourself can't be good. Well, not good for me most likely...”
Toshiro glanced up. She was resting her chin in the palm of her hand and watching him with interest. A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth, “Just thinking you weren't acting like a woman who was scared of her Captain.”
Rangiku's head bobbed in surprise and a small furrow graced her brow, “Scared? Why on Earth would I be scared of you?”
He looked at her dryly, “Nothing comes to mind?”
She looked at him for less than a second before it clicked and she blurted, “Oh! That? I still wasn't scared of you.”
She dismissed it so easily. He couldn't decide if he should be offended or glad that she wasn't the least bit fearful of him.
Rangiku saw him sulk and smirked inwardly. Men's egos were such fragile things. She figured she'd give him a break, “Well, I mean... You definitely spooked me, but I never felt in harm's way. It’s kind of like when you're playing tag and someone you know is chasing you down to tag you and they're 'it'. You look over your shoulder and see them barreling towards you gaining ground and you're like--” She paused to illustrate her point by looking over her shoulder, getting a panicky face, and mock yelling, “Wahhh!” Comically flailing her hands in momentary terror as she screamed, she then started swinging her arms and upper body in imitation of running away.
Toshiro had his chin resting in his palm as he watched her ramble in amusement. And this was his Lieutenant.
Rangiku stopped swinging her arms, “You don't wanna get caught, but you know you're not gunna die.”
He looked at her dryly, “Yeah, because dying in a game of tag would be bad.”
She laughed, “You know what I mean!”
Toshiro snorted, “Not particularly. I wasn't very good at hiding unless it was winter.”
She chuckled lightly, “I can totally see it: you hiding in a bush with your neon white, powder puff hair sticking out of the leaves.”
He sighed forlornly, “Pretty much.”
She laughed at his expression but after a moment she quieted down, “You thought I was scared of you?”
Rubbing a hand over his face in frustration, Toshiro muttered, “Well, it wasn't exactly one of my finer moments, Rangiku.”
She smiled, “Don't beat yourself up over it. Besides,”--She steepled her fingers and her voice took on an authoritative tone--“you were under the influence of a viscous, psycho-reactive plasm.”
He snorted, “You almost sound like you know what you're talking about.”
She pouted, “Oh hush! Anyways, I knew something was off but even then I knew I was safe.”
He frowned, “I could have seriously hurt you...”
She immediately started shaking her head, “But you didn't... You're the one person I know never would.”
Taken slightly aback, he stared at her. She was that confident in him...
Rangiku looked him sincerely in the eye from over at her desk, “I'll never betray you. So, you won't ever have a reason to.”
They stared at each other for a few heart beats before Toshiro's teal eyes softened. It felt good that she trusted him like that; had complete faith in him. The fact that he'd chased her down the way he had made him frown, “I still feel pretty guilty about it.”
She began to protest, but his features morphed into mild irritation, “Don't get me wrong. I'm not forgetting that you destroyed my quarters and you absolutely deserve your damn homework! However...” His expression softened, “I still feel bad about it and I think I have the perfect way to make it up to you.”
Rangiku's curiosity was peaked and she leaned forward in anticipation, “Oh?”
Toshiro schooled his features and looked away, “Before I get to that... How much of my conversation with Kyoraku did you hear?”
The change in subjects made her look at him comically in surprise before she glanced at the ceiling in thought, “Uh... I think I remember something about replacing something and...” Her crystal blue eyes whipped back to his in irritation, “Oh! And to go away!”
He did chuckle at that. “Well. He came by to reclaim ownership of the powder you stole.” Toshiro stared at her wryly, “Guess what I found to be almost gone?”
Rangiku wouldn't meet his eyes and found her nails suddenly fascinating, “The powder?”
Toshiro raised a sarcastic eyebrow and smirked, “And guess what you're going to replace?”
She raised her eyes sheepishly, “The powder?”
The corners of his mouth quirked, “That's right. So, I figured tomorrow I'd ask HQ for access to go to the World of the Living. Maybe tomorrow or Thursday we can go and get some good matcha to replace Kyoraku's and get some of our own.”
Her eyes lit up in excitement and he allowed his expression to turn neutral, “And I thought we could stay a little longer so you could do some shopping.”
Rangiku smiled largely and clapped her hands lightly together in enthusiasm, “Yes!”
A small smile curved his lips and he shook his head in mild exasperation, “So, that's me saying ‘sorry’ for yesterday, but I won't be your storage device while you shop!”
She outright giggled at him and smiled, “Thank you.”
Their eyes collided and a comfortable tension settled in the air. His eyes softened, “You're welcome.”

**~*~****~*~**
A/N: Thanks again for reading! Please Rate & Review!
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Oh Captain! My Captain!