Crack The Shutters | Chapter 2: Gentleman

'This place doesn't sell ice cream!'

Glancing around, Tōshirō realised Rangiku had managed to drag him into a clothes shop without him being aware. How could he be so stupid? Was he honestly that engrossed in what she was saying to not actually notice where they were headed? A little ashamed of himself, Hitsugaya shoved his hands into his pockets and eyed his Lieutenant grudgingly. Although Rangiku tended to appear like a complete air-head, she was smart. Infuriatingly so. She knew exactly how to distract him.

The World of the Living was very similar to Soul Society in many aspects. However, Tōshirō preferred The World of the Living. Maybe it was because of the swift change in seasons. Back at Soul Society, the process for a transformation in temperature was much more gradual. There were also places in The World of the Living which snowed constantly, no matter what time of year it was. Tōshirō liked those places; a chill was always good for him.

As his birthday was only five days away from Christmas, the towns were covered in snow, Christmas Trees standing at every corner, assorted with other decorations. This was Tōshirō's favourite period of the year, and, even though he could be a bit of a Scrooge, seeing everyone so happy was a nice feeling. Everyone –– or the majority of people –– loved Christmas. He and Rangiku had come at the right time.

'The ice cream won't be going anywhere,' Matsumoto said, voice almost sing-song, she was that joyful. Did being around him make her that much happier? Or maybe it was just the impact of being inside a shop which filled her with glee. Tōshirō wasn't so sure, but it was good to see her smiling, especially after everything that had happened.

So he decided to let her off (again!). Tōshirō inhaled sharply, eyeing the clothes for sale, then realised they were all for men. Looking over at Rangiku, he watched her pick out a couple of jeans and jumpers, judging them from a distance, before returning them. Hitsugaya realised she was looking at clothes for him. Rangiku was so generous sometimes.

Their Shinigami clothing was inappropriate when in The World of the Living, so they had dressed themselves in more proper attire. Rangiku was sorted for that–– she seemed quite fond of shirts, even if she revealed the majority of her cleavage. The coat she wore he had seen her wear many times: red, a white sort of fabric adorned across the front. Tōshirō also noticed the skirt she was wearing. It wasn't as short as the one they wore at Ichigo's school, but it certainly showed off her legs.

And, daymn, she had fine legs.

He, on the other hand, had still clung onto the attire he wore when he was younger. Footballs shirts and jeans too small for him they ended above his ankles. Even though he should probably be inspecting the clothes with her, Tōshirō preferred to stay away. If he dared come nearer, she would probably grab him and use him as some sort of model to compare the clothes against. Tōshirō didn't want that humiliation, especially in such a public area.

Anyway, from here, he quite liked the view. The Captain rarely spent much time eyeing women. In many aspects, he was uninterested. Rumour spread that he was probably asexual, seeing as he had never been with a woman or hit on one. It was true that Hitsugaya had never had sex, never kissed a girl, but that didn't bother him. Sure, he was maybe missing out, but there were far more important things for him to be doing. Sex was the least of his worries.

Yet he couldn't help but appreciate Rangiku then and there. Surprisingly, it wasn't her heavy chest which he was fond of the most. Actually, Tōshirō was almost oblivious to that feature. His eyes were more focussed on her hips and legs. They weren't too skinny, they were good, healthy, had just the right amount of meat on them. She was curvaceous, and there weren't that many curvaceous female Shinigami as far as he knew. Tōshirō liked curves.

If he was going to be completely frank, though, it was Matsumoto's face which appealed to him the most. Tōshirō always noticed the face first. Matsumoto's was bright, very easy for the eyes, and expressive. Her skin was pearly white, soft. Then there were her eyes: a fierce blue, but somehow gentle, kind, a reflection of her warm self. It was no surprise he was utterly devastated to see her heartbroken when Gin Ichimaru passed away. Back then, even now, he would never admit to that. He would never admit to the fact her pain was only doubled for him.

Hitsugaya would never like Ichimaru, he would always loathe the despicable being, but he would never voice his snide in front of Rangiku, because he knew. He knew she loved him, and probably still did, and while such a matter wasn't any of his business, the Captain felt a sharp sting. The temptation to tell her he wasn't worth it, wasn't worth the tears was unbearable. He does not deserve you.

Sometimes, Tōshirō believed no one deserved Rangiku. Because even though she could be a pain in the ass, she was still wonderful. That was probably one of the reasons he still had her as his Vice-Captain. How she used to dote him when he was younger, pretend he was some little kid she had to take care of, and, even today, she still doted him slightly. However, such affection was now limited, probably because he looked older. It wouldn't look right to see a woman like her pulling his cheeks. They looked the same age. He had caught up with her–– too fast, some might say.

'Captain! Come quick, I found the perfect thing for you!'

Groaning, Tōshirō reluctantly approached. He was that focussed on his thoughts, he didn't realise she had a pile of clothes slung over her arm. Before he could scold her for going way overboard, Rangiku grabbed his arm and literally had to drag him towards the men's changing rooms.

'If you don't try these on then we won't know if they fit you. Look at you, you're like a baby.' Then she laughed. 'It's cute.'

'Matsumoto, I can't try on all of these. We only have so much time, before we...' He lowered his voice so no one would hear, '... Head back.'

'You're ridiculously tense, Captain. There isn't any rush. If we spend the majority of the day here, that's fine. At least you'll get to do what you want.'

'I did not agree to be trying on clothes!' God dammit, he just wanted his ice cream.

'Oh, look, there's a room free for you. Now, all you have to do is show these clothes to that nice lady over there and she'll give you a slip of paper.'

Nice lady...? Tōshirō threw her a blunt look. Is she patronising me? Rangiku only went so far, before stopping at the entrance. Tōshirō had never done this before, not on his own anyway. In fact, he had other people buy him clothes while he was busying working. He wasn't going to run back to Rangiku though and ask for help. She would enjoy that too much.

Chin in the air, Tōshirō approached the "nice lady" who did not look like a nice lady in the slightest and handed her the clothes slung over his arm. The "nice lady" looked at him, then sighed, counting the clothes he had piled. 'That's thirty.' What?! 'Here you go, Sir. There should be a room available for you at the back somewhere.'

Tōshirō was fuming. Rangiku had picked him out thirty pieces of clothing? Was she mad? Well, that was obvious, but still. He darted a glare at her, and it was a miracle steam didn't burst out of his ears when she waved and smiled sweetly at him. How embarrassing! The last thing he wanted to do was try on clothes, for crying out loud. She was going to pay dearly for this.

Finding his room, Tōshirō closed the curtain and inspected the clothes Rangiku had chosen. The majority were jeans of different textures and colours. Two were atrocious! Tōshirō ran his hand over the large holes created in these jeans, and he wondered why would anyone wear jeans with holes in them? The other looked ridiculous, some sort of thick thread dangling from the waist all around. Scowling, Hitsugaya decided to try on the most "normal" looking.

There was also a combination of shirts, t-shirts and jumpers. The v-neck for some of the t-shirts was too low, and some jumpers were very graphic with their design. One of them actually had a skull, its mouth seemingly dripping with blood. Hold on–– did Rangiku honestly imagine to see him wearing that? Idiot. There was also a t-shirt he quickly hid from view, reading: Remember my name. Because you'll be screaming it tonight.

He wasn't sure how long he spent in the changing room. When he heard Rangiku's voice from behind the curtain, however, he imagined he had been a while. Jumping in surprise, he jarred his teeth and pulled open the curtain. 'What are you doing here? This is the men's changing room. If anyone sees you, you'll be kicked out.' Then he realised, he actually needed her to help him. 'Wait, scratch that. Come here.'

Rangiku yelped a little when he forced her into the changing room with him, before closing the curtain. 'Captain, I don't think this is the best place to––'

'Will you please stop talking?' Tōshirō exhaled slowly, and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'I need you to tell me what looks good and what doesn't.

'All right,' Rangiku said, finding a seat in the corner. It was very crowded in here, and quite awkward. As long as no one would discover them, it would be fine. She had to admit it was funny Tōshirō was asking for her opinion. He valued what she said that much? 'The t-shirt you're wearing right now doesn't look good.'

'You idiot, this is the t-shirt I wore coming here!'

'Oh... That explains it then.'

Sighing heavily, Hitsugaya pulled the t-shirt off over his head and leaned over to grab a shirt. While he did so, Rangiku allowed her eyes to quickly trail over his well-toned chest. With that tan of his, Tōshirō looked as if he had come out of a model magazine or something. It was ridiculous how muscular he was. Not too much, though. Just... a good figure. She must have missed his physical appearance from below the neck. When Tōshirō looked at her, she quickly averted her gaze to the floor.

It was obvious where she had been looking, however. And that made him pull a crooked smile for a moment.

Once the shirt was on, he inspected himself in the mirror before turning to her.

'A tie is supposed to go with that,' she said, standing to her feet and grabbing one of the ties from the pile. 'Here.' At first, Tōshirō thought he was going to do it, but instead Rangiku came closer to him and did the job herself. Lifting his collar, she slid the tie around the back of his neck, before tying it at the front. Tōshirō lowered his gaze to watch her, not surprised to see she was happy to do this. Rangiku loved to make a fuss over people, especially him.

When she was done, Rangiku grabbed a pair of black jeans and handed them over. Tōshirō realised he would have to remove the trousers he was currently wearing, which meant she would be seeing more of him. Quite insecure about that, he made a face and she instantly understood.

'Oh, I'm not looking I swear...' Turning around, Rangiku heard her Captain unzip his trousers and let them fall to the ground. For a second, she dared herself to peer over her shoulder and inspect the view. Those legs had grown since she saw them when he was younger, far more matured and––

'Matsumoto!'

'Aiyyee!'






Even though Tōshirō only intended to buy the shirt, tie and trousers another pair of the same outfit was fitted in, alongside a blazer and a very fancy coat. When the Captain was about to pay, Matsumoto stopped him, getting out her own purse. Tōshirō couldn't believe it! He couldn't let her buy all of this when it was only meant for him. 'No,' he whispered harshly, but she ignored him, offering the correct amount of money to the man behind the cashier.

After she had paid and they had parted from the queue, Rangiku turned to him, beaming. 'You know what I think? I think you should get rid of that dumb football shirt and wear what I just bought you.'

'I can't–– anyway, I don't want to ruin––' Tōshirō scowled when she made a mock-sad expression. Damn it. 'Fine, fine. Let's fine a public lavatory somewhere so I can change. You happy now?'

'Very. Now you'll actually look like your age.'

'... That's not funny, Matsumoto,' he muttered, refusing to laugh with her. 'That's not funny.'

They discovered a public loo very nearby. With his bag of clothes, Tōshirō entered, locked the door behind him and started to change. To be honest, he did prefer the clothes Rangiku had got him. The shirt felt nice, and the tie wasn't so bad. The blazer would have to wait. Tōshirō would rather wear his new coat. He loved how it fitted around his body perfectly, loved the grey colour and fancy style of buttons attached to the front. Another thing he liked was how the collar flicked upwards at the back. That looked cool.

Exiting the public lavatory, Tōshirō saw Rangiku waiting for him. She came over, eyes trailing up and down his form, before nodding approvingly. 'It looks good. Well, of course it does. I did pick these clothes out for you after all. You can't complain now, can you? If you didn't have me around, Captain, you'd still be wearing that God awful football shirt.'

'Matsumoto, I don't think I appreciate you criticising me like this.' Tōshirō raised a brow when she linked her arm with his, but he didn't push her away. He quite liked it, actually, even if it was slightly inappropriate between a Captain and Lieutenant.

'So, you wanted some ice cream, Sir?'

'Yes. I didn't realise they wouldn't be selling any when it's snowing.'

'I'm sure a place somewhere is selling ice cream. Don't be too upset.'

'I'm not upset!'

True enough, the ground was blanketed with white powder. Children rolled around in it, playing and laughing, and snowmen were being created in the park nearby. Tōshirō watched from afar while he and Rangiku searched for a shop which sold ice cream. In all honesty, he had never played like a child before, never actually involved himself in fun and games. Not like these children. One could even say that Tōshirō never had a childhood.

Looking over at Rangiku, he wondered about her past, wondered if she had ever been a child
... wondered if there was a time she was happy in the purest sense.

'Ah, here we are! Come on.'

Like children themselves, they hurried over towards a little stand which was currently selling ice creams and hot drinks. Rangiku beamed up towards the man who was behind the stand. 'We'd like two ice creams, please. I'll have the––' Then she realised the variety. Whoa! Toffee and chocolate? Strawberry and... wait, was that marshmallow?

Tōshirō sighed heavily and decided to order first. 'I'll have a mint choco chip. Matsumoto, what are you having?'

'Do you make a mix?' She asked.

The seller nodded. 'Yes. Only three flavours though.'

Rangiku was almost jumping in the air by this point. 'Captain, you have to have a mix! Mint is boring.'

'I've just ordered!'

'You can order again! Look at how much there is: you can have bubblegum and toffee and mint.' Then she cringed. 'That sounds disgusting actually...'

Tōshirō was relieved the man selling the ice cream was so patient. Grabbing Rangiku's arm, he almost wanted to shake her. 'We've got to order. If you don't decide, I'll decide for you.'

'All right, keep your wig on.'

'Keep my–– wig on? Matsumoto!'

'I'll be having the marshmallow, chocolate and mint.'

Her Captain stared at her. 'Absolutely. Give me a moment.'

'Bet you're jealous now, aren't you? Don't worry. You can try some of mine, I'm not bothered.'

When the two were handed their ice creams, and paid, they searched for a place to sit. Tōshirō eyed Rangiku's crazy ice cream. He was certain if she didn't eat it all soon, it would fall off the cone. Unfortunately, Rangiku got the wrong impression when her Captain started watching her ice cream with a hungry look in his eyes.

'Should have got some yourself,' she said, smug, taking a first lick.

'I didn't want any,' Tōshirō retorted. 'And you said we would share.'

'When I've had some. Don't be so greedy.'

Some of the benches in the park were not covered in snow, and they both rushed over to one before anyone else. The snow was still falling, melting on their coats and in their hair. Tōshirō realised they looked very out of place with their ice creams. It wasn't exactly the type of weather for that. But what did it matter? Rangiku didn't seem to notice, and she was enjoying that ice cream too much.

Tōshirō raised his brows when she moaned slightly in approval.

'This is so nice! Here, have some.'

The Shinigami almost screamed when she literally shoved the ice cream into his face. 'Just a minute, Matsumoto. I have to finish mine first. Leave some for me, though.'

'Gotta be quick, Captain, because I'm not waiting around.'

Was that a challenge? Tōshirō glared at her and then quickly shoved his mint ice cream into his mouth. He really wanted to try out her ice cream, it looked so good. Damn it, I should have ordered one myself! When he was nearly finished, a sudden pang of pain hit him in the head and he growled in frustration. 'Shit, got brain freeze...'

Rangiku laughed at his pain. 'Serves you right for scoffing that down. If ice cream makes you ill, Captain, then it would be completely irresponsible of me to hand you my own.'

'I'm not ill,' Tōshirō groaned, rubbing his temple. That was stupid. 'Urgh...'

Although it was very amusing, Matsumoto stopped laughing when she realised her Captain was actually in a great deal of pain. Rolling her eyes, she rubbed his back. 'Just stop eating for a moment. I'll leave you some, all right? Jeez. I do find it funny that you, of all people, have brain freeze.'

Tōshirō turned to glare at her, but instead he found himself watching her lick and suck at her ice cream. Clenching a fist, the pain in his head seemed to vanish, loving how she looked, enjoying that ice cream–– Damn it! Stop fantasising over your Vice-Captain, moron! Scowling, he looked away, eyes on the ground. He understood that Rangiku was enjoying her treat, but the moans? Were they really necessary?

'Stop making noises, Lieutenant.'

'Why? It tastes good. Jealous you're missing out?'

The only reason he wanted her to stop was because he actually liked the noises; they were too pleasing for his fragile ears. Rolling his eyes, Tōshirō ignored her question and sat there for a couple more minutes, until the headaches ceased. When he had recovered, he met her gaze again, amazed she still wasn't even half way through eating her ice cream yet. How slow can you be?

Rangiku handed over the cone. 'Don't have too much. That is mine, remember.'

Taking the treat from her, he licked some of the ice cream, and–– Oh God, that tasted good! The sweetness was perfect, and he could taste the marshmallow and its texture. The chocolate and mint was divine. 'Next time, I'm having one of these.'

Returning the ice cream back to her, Tōshirō leaned back and placed his arms at either side of the bench, watching people walk past. It was peaceful, even if there were a couple of children yelling from somewhere due to the fun they were having. Hitsugaya raised his gaze to the sky, a gorgeous, clear blue, snow landing on his nose and lips. Licking away the flakes, he studied the landscape, so white and lovely. It was good they came here.

A smile reached his lips. 'When is your birthday, Matsumoto?' It was embarrassing he didn't know. After all this time, he still hadn't found reason to ask Rangiku such questions. 'I feel I owe you for bringing me here and buying all of these clothes. When it's your birthday, I'll let you do what you like, even if that involves drinking alcohol. There will be restrictions, of course.'

'You don't need to do that, Captain,' Rangiku said, eyes dropping to the ground.

'Sure I do,' Tōshirō grinned slightly, turning to her. 'Unless, of course, you're not the type to celebrate your own birthday with others. I understand if you'd rather spend it alone, or with those close to you.'

'You are close to me, Captain.' It was then he realised she hadn't touched her ice cream since he started speaking. 'I–– I'm sorry,' she shook her head, and smiled at him. He noticed a hint of sadness, though, like she was hiding something. 'I don't know when my birthday is; it never mattered to me. A long time ago, I did decide when my birthday should be, but––' A pause. 'It doesn't matter.'

Tōshirō softened his expression. The last time Rangiku had behaved this way was when–– When Ichimaru passed away. Frozen in place, he tried to think of what to say, but he was useless when it came to comfort. 'It does to me.' He wished he had thought before saying that. What was he trying to imply? He didn't want to force Rangiku to speak. That wasn't why he brought her with him, to force her into anything. But he was silent, waiting.

'My birthday was the day I met Gin for the first time.'

And there it was: a horrible, terrible darkness which clouded over her. Tōshirō had seen it before, witnessed Rangiku in a state of depression, and he hated every second. Hated it, and was desperate to have her smile again, even once. Before Gin's death, Hitsugaya didn't realise how much Rangiku's presence had an affect on him. Her cheery, optimistic attitude, dumb jokes and laziness. Even though she managed to make him pull at his hair, scream at her, he still loved everything about her.

Whatever this "love" was, Tōshirō tried to ignore it. Only now, mature and older, was he able to understand his feelings properly. 'I don't like seeing you upset, Matsumoto.'

'I'm not,' she said. 'I'm not anymore.'

A lie? How much he wanted to know. Tōshirō frowned. 'We can still celebrate. Even for a moment. I think you deserve to celebrate living another year.'

Then she laughed. 'I'm going to be living for many more years, Captain. I just... I just don't really enjoy my birthday. I much prefer celebrating others, doing things for them, offering gifts. Like now, I am enjoying this.'

'I apologise for bringing your birthday up.'

'Don't say "sorry", Captain! You were being kind, and, no offence, but that's very unusual of you. Has that mint ice cream had some sort of weird affect on you?' If so, then she noted to buy some more when her Captain was in a rotten mood again.

Unlike Rangiku, Hitsugaya was a serious man. He wasn't able to smile and think the world beautiful so quickly. In fact, Tōshirō tended to think a lot, wondering, pondering. Right now, he was wondering what he could do. Gin's death still hurt her, she was still hurting. Maybe she knew her pain mattered to Tōshirō, so she wasn't expressing it as much.

Gin's death had been a while ago, but it still happened. And she loved him. She loved him, and when one loved another, the thought of leaving them was awful. Gin had died, abandoned her, and Tōshirō was aware he had abandoned her before. It was one of the reasons he detested him so much. One of the reasons he would think about Gin and feel this hot anger.

'If you don't mind, I'd like you to tell me when your birthday is.' It sounded like a command, but Rangiku knew he was giving her a choice. She hadn't celebrated her birthday for so long, she was surprised she could still remember.

'The twenty-ninth of September, Captain.'

Tōshirō knew he had opened up old wounds. Even though this was highly unprofessional, he shuffled closer to her, and placed an arm around her shoulders. 'Thank you.'

Sitting there, she wondered why her Captain was being so kind and generous. Never had he asked when her birthday was, never had he been so gentle and careful with his words. Never had he shown her the slightest bit of affection. She had to admit, the arm around the shoulders was very him. Of course Tōshirō wouldn't go as far as hugging her.

Which was exactly what she did. Tōshirō slumped his shoulders when she brought her arms around him and pulled him close. 'I can't hug you like I used to! You're so big now... It's terrible.'

'Oi! I'm not big.'

She was smiling again, and if he could keep her smiling, then he didn't care how he did it. Just Rangiku being happy helped so much. 'You're still grumpy, though.'

'Matsumoto! You're dripping ice cream over me!'

'Oh no, your new coat!'

'Damn you!' Tōshirō exclaimed, seething at her while she doubled over laughing. 'Nothing gets that out! This is brand new!'

'Stop shrieking. We can wash that out, no problem, and it's barely noticeable.'

Shrieking...? I wasn't shrieking. Folding his arms, he fell back onto the bench and pouted. Well, that was a touching moment ruined, thanks to her. Rangiku kept her eyes on him, and he was aware she still had that infuriating smile. That wonderful smile. A smile he hoped would never vanish from her face again. Snuggling up close to him, she said: 'Thank you, Captain.'

'What for...?'

'Caring, I suppose. No one asks about my birthday or anything like that. Actually, come to think of it, no one is that interested in me, as a person.' Most tended to just know her for her appearance. This was something Tōshirō was aware of, and it admittedly angered him. He hated how people subjected Rangiku for her looks. It was a reason why people claimed he was so lucky. So lucky to have an attractive woman in his command. That was wrong. It wasn't right.

However, if he was willing to hear, and if this helped her get through the day, then it was worth it. Together, they sat in silence for a while, watching the scenery embrace the wonders of winter. It was nice, not having to do anything, just be themselves, no one looking over their shoulder, no Hollow within their midst. Just them.

When she leaned her head against his shoulder, Tōshirō remained motionless. A long time ago, this would have looked odd. Now, it worked. They worked. 'Matsumoto?'

'Yes, Captain?'

Silence. And then: 'Do you remember meeting a little boy in a shop once? He was buying some food for his Granny, and you both bumped into each other. The seller refused to hand him money, and instead dropped it onto the counter, telling him to leave.' Tōshirō raised his head a little. 'You scolded the little boy for acting weak, but later advised him to become a Shinigami.'

'I do remember,' she said, 'I'm with him right now.'

... she remembered. Tōshirō chuckled. 'I owe you a thank you.'

'No, you don't.' Pause. 'But you're welcome.'

Tōshirō hesitated over what he next wanted to say, to ask her something personal. Swallowing, he placed a hand at her waist, in an attempt to hold her there, not have her run away. He didn't want her to flee from his next question. 'Can you tell me about your past? I've always wanted to know.'

When Rangiku straightened herself to look at him, Tōshirō was worried she would stand up and leave. Well, she had every right to do that. Her past was valuable to her. He didn't know anyone who knew about her childhood. If she had one. 'I was very lonely back then. Nothing of great interest occurred.' Tōshirō didn't acknowledge this. Instead he continued to watch her, and she decided she'd let him in on a bit of detail, with some reluctance. 'All I remember mostly was Gin. Him being there for me, finding me when I didn't have anyone. He was... an angel, Captain. My very own angel. No one had meant more to me than him.'

'I understand.'

'I didn't take it lightly when he left me.'

Tōshirō said nothing, nor did his expression change, but inside, he was screaming. The Captain was protective over those he cared about, and he was especially protective over Rangiku, although she probably wouldn't appreciate that. Gin had left her, left her all alone. It was so obvious why she was utterly broken internally.

'There's not much else.' Not much else I want to say to you. 'Sorry, Captain.'

'You've told me enough,' Tōshirō said. 'I know that he's still on your mind.'

Matsumoto shrugged. 'Maybe. It doesn't matter. He's gone now.'

'Physically, yes.'

That was a mistake. Her eyes revealed her swift change in emotion first. The brightness had left, in replacement with pain and confusion. 'Captain,' she said sternly.

He glanced away from her, regretting his words. They were both soldiers, both warriors, and if they distracted themselves over the dead and gone, what use were they? Exhaling softly, he was about to apologise, but decided against it. It wasn't an apology which she required. That wouldn't fix the hole in her heart.

Tōshirō faced forwards. How would she feel if he told her how he thought about her happiness? That, after Gin's death, her depression was torture for him. Back then, he was young, but he still understood. That was why he asked her if she still had his back. He needed to know she was still Rangiku Matsumoto. Not a heartbroken, destroyed cause. He would never, ever allow that to become of her. He couldn't.

'Sir, it's your birthday,' Rangiku complained, standing to her feet. 'What are you doing asking about me? We should be doing something else. Are you hungry?'

'We just had an ice cream,' Tōshirō murmured, but then his stomach grumbled.

'Pfft, an ice cream isn't enough! Let me show you a fancy restaurant. I've been there loads of times. The prices are a bit expensive, but I'm sure we can afford a meal for two.'

Fine. If that was what she thought was best, then Tōshirō wouldn't refuse. He stood up, and made a loop with his arm for her to interlink hers.

'Ah, you're leaning quick. Now you look like a real gentleman.'

Tōshirō rolled his eyes and picked up the bag of clothes. 'Okay then, Matsumoto. Take me to this fancy restaurant of yours.'

'Oh hold on, you'll have to bear with me, Captain. I really need the loo. I'm bursting here––'

'Look, I don't need the details. Just go.'

Tōshirō folded his arms and waited until Rangiku had been. While he did so, he scanned his eyes over the market. Many stalls were open, selling fruits and vegetables, some clothes and treats. Tōshirō spotted a stall selling flowers, and he had half a mind to go over there and buy a few. Just to cheer up his Lieutenant. An awkward sort of apology for his rash behaviour before.

Ah, to Hell with it. Cringing slightly, he proceeded over towards the stall, and quickly scanned his eyes over the different flowers. They were full of vibrant colours, gorgeous to look at. Hitsugaya placed a finger to his bottom lip, struggling over which ones to choose. He had to be fast! Rangiku wouldn't be very long. To his relief, the seller noticed his trouble and decided to create a bouquet for him.

By the time Rangiku appeared, Tōshirō was sorted. The bouquet was lovely, but simple: red and white roses. At first, she laughed, about to ask if he had spotted a nice-looking lady, then realised they were for her. This was very odd of her Captain! Looking both amused and puzzled, she took the flowers from him, aware he was smiling.

'They're gorgeous. Thank you.'

'I thought you might like them.'

An illegible smile stretched over her lips, and she placed a hand at the back of his head, before kissing his cheek. Tōshirō's heart stopped completely. Her touch was gentle, and he closed his eyes when she kissed his cheek, aware of her warmth. 'I love them,' she said, pulling away.

'Good. You ready?'

Linking her arm with his, they both made their way for the desired restaurant. Even though it had only been a couple of hours, Tōshirō was actually enjoying himself, but he knew Matsumoto was the only reason why. Her company was nice, and he wished he had realised sooner. The Captain noticeably walked close to her, happy, hoping that she might be too.