[017] Action

[likeafirework]

[Monday finds Hitsugaya in several places across town. People seem to be back to normal -- or what passes for normal in this place -- and those messages that are all apologies he sees sprinkled in the journals throughout the day yesterday point in that direction

Comments

[ashesandpearls]

[Embarrassing and awkward? Maaa.

Worse than waking up on the floor with two of your fellow lieutenants in their underwear and not remembering a thing. Not that this happened often, of course.

All the same... he's been avoiding her long enough, and vice-versa. Time to hunt down her captain.]

[likeafirework]

[Oh so very awkward. Hitsugaya hadn't been avoiding her at all. Why would anyone think that?

He's sitting at the fountain, idly running his fingers through the water every once in awhile, and watching whomever might be going by. He senses her reiatsu approaching and sighs when it's the familiar presence he's used to. Well, at least there's that; he wonders if she really remembers what happened last week. He turns his head, watching her approach out of the corner of his eye.

Hello, Matsumoto. Are you normal now, too?]

[ashesandpearls]

Captain. [She approaches, but does not sit, standing to the side slightly in front of him.]

[likeafirework]

[One corner of his mouth lifts up, almost imperceptibly. Yeah, she's back. He can't say how relieved he is that he wasn't changed in any way. He doesn't have to stand on Matsumoto's side of any conversation.]

Lieutenant. [He glances at her.] You back? [Do you remember?]

[ashesandpearls]

Yes. [And there are a tense few moments, imperceptible, perhaps, to anyone but them, where she still does not sit down.

Lieutenant, he called her.

Rangiku lets out a dramatic - but heartfelt - sigh. Like hell she's letting this take any ground between them without a fight. And then she sits, ungracefully, beside him.]

[likeafirework]

[He finally turns to actually face her when she just flops down beside him. Maybe later, when she's not looking so damned miserable (and when he can't feel the tension rolling off her), he'll poke her about all this.]

Quite a week.

1/2

[ashesandpearls]

Hmph.

[He needs to quit being so damned cautious. That's not who they are. The fact that he's attempting to be sensitive only emphasizes that something went wrong - she'd think it was sweet if it was anyone else, adorable even, and even if it had to do with herself for something else, something less important... not for this.]

[ashesandpearls]

Who would ever want to be a captain? It's so much work. I thought Haineko was demanding now, but maaaa, she was so loud. And all that paperwork and responsibility! [Not that her other self had actually done any of that paperwork...] What a drag! You'd have to be crazy to want that job.

[Poke. Poke.]

[likeafirework]

[He's attempting to ignore all that.

... Wait a second.

Twitch.]

I am not crazy.

[ashesandpearls]

[A twitch. Success!]

Of course not, Captain.

[Doesn't she sound convinced?]

[likeafirework]

[You got him. Now he's turning to stare at her, unimpressed look firmly in place.]

I don't know what was worse: the thought of you as a captain or the fact I'd have to train a new lieutenant if you ever left.

[Pause.] That'd be more trouble than it's worth.

[ashesandpearls]

[That's more like it.]

Aww, that's so sweet! Thank you, Captain.

[likeafirework]

[He snorts at her.]

Don't ever do that again.

[ashesandpearls]

[Do what, become a captain? ...leave?

She won't make promises for something she can't keep.]

Maaa, Captain. Like I said - too much work.

[likeafirework]

[He gives her A Look.]

You don't do any work anyway.

[ashesandpearls]

[Ah well. That she can swear to. She beams at him.]

And I have no plans to change that.