Game One, Rounds Three, Four, and Five: Neliel Tu Oderschvank
Game One, Rounds Three, Four, and Five: Neliel Tu Oderschvank
The next few days passed in much the same manner, Yachiru calling on Nel each day just after lunch. Matsumoto managed to continue her paperwork, which was, admittedly, a lesser amount than Hitsugaya normally assigned. But Thursday afternoon brought a nearly sulking Matsumoto. She previously didn’t know what it felt like to be sake-free for over four days. And she didn’t much care for it. She grudgingly accepted the fact that, should she bear her own children, she’d not be able to drink again until they were near grown.
Noticing the mixed look of despair and determination on Matsumoto’s face, Hitsugaya asked of her issue.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking,” she replied, cheerily as ever.
Desperate to cheer her up, knowing she usually got what she wanted anyway, Hitsugaya made a suggestion. “Ran, it’s warm out today, even with the snow. We could always go to the park and build snowmen or something…”
Nel jumped up excitedly from where she had been playing on the floor near Matsumoto and launched herself into Hitsugaya’s lap. “I’s wants to make snows mens Shiro-chan!” she squealed excitedly.
Frowning slightly in concentration, Hitsugaya decided, “We will. But I have something for you first, okay?” Nel bounced in excitement.
Focusing as much energy as possible into his task, Hitsugaya called on Hyourinmaru and his reiatsu to create a small hairpiece. He quickly cast the proper kido spells on it to keep it from melting, before handing it to Nel. “Here you go. It will stay cold, but it won’t ever melt. And you’ll have to have Rangiku put it in for you.”
Nel squealed again, throwing her arms around Hitsugaya’s neck. She kissed him sloppily on the cheek before bounding off to Matsumoto to have the ornament placed in her hair.
Smiling all the while and wondering how anyone could think her taicho was cold-hearted, Matsumoto gathered their things and wrapped Nel in a jacket. The trio headed out the door and to the park, leaving behind a note saying ‘Closed. See us tomorrow!’
Matsumoto and Nel were working on their third snowman, this one smaller than either of the other two, which were built to resemble Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, when company found them. Kyoraku, Ukitake, Ise, and Soi Fon walked up to join in the playing.
Soi Fon and Ise easily looked uncomfortable and out of place, but helped Matsumoto and Nel complete their final snowman, at Matsumoto’s beckoning. Hitsugaya sat in the snow, enjoying the cold temperature. Out of what appeared to be nowhere, a snowball sailed across the lawn, hitting Soi Fon, now standing and simply looking on, squarely between her shoulders. Immediately she looked furious, turning to see who the perpetrator was.
Ukitake stood across the way, conversing with Kyoraku, trying to look innocent, but Matsumoto detected a hint of a smile on his face. She told Soi Fon this much. “I think Ukitake-san threw that. I think he’s been looking at you quite a bit lately,” she paused, cocking her head to the side, thinking, “Actually, every time lately I’ve been out with him and Kyoraku-san, he usually has something nice to say about you,” Soi Fon blushed lightly, looking both happy and murderous.
“That is unimportant. What is important is revenge for that snowball,” Soi Fon scooped up a handful of snow, making it into a ball, and lobbed it with excellent precision at the supposed perpetrator. It found it’s mark in the center of Ukitake’s back, and with the exchange of a few more snowballs, a war broke out. A few other squad leaders and seconds joined the fray, leaving Ukitake, Kyoraku, Unohana, Zaraki, Yachiru, and Abarai on one team. They faced off against Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Soi Fon, Nel, Ise, and Isane.
Hundreds of snowball exchanges later and the now large group sat together on a collection of benches, resting. Ukitake sat nervously speaking with Soi Fon, and Matsumoto couldn’t help her curiosity to listen in. She leaned back into Hitsugaya, pulling her legs up on the bench to rest in front of her, straining to listen. What she picked up from the deal were plans for a dinner date that Friday evening, a promise for tea the next afternoon, and an invitation to join him for a drink on Saturday, in the company of Ise and Kyoraku, of course.
Yachiru and Nel played together a few feet away, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto keeping a watchful eye out as the crowd dwindled down. Zaraki parted ways, giving Yachiru directions to be in before dinner, and asking if it would be okay for her to stay with Nel. Hitsugaya agreed; the two girls had yet to be the holy terror he expected. How soon he would regret this, he didn’t want to know.
Suddenly, Matsumoto looked up at him from her position, her head in his lap. “I think we spurred a reformation. Unohana taicho has softened Zaraki taicho up quite a lot, and has Yachiru’s approval, and Ukitake-san has a date tomorrow with Soi Fon. Now if Nanao will ever let Kyoraku-san marry her…” she trailed off, losing herself in her reverie. When she spoke again, it was a little unexpected. “You know, she’s loved him since she was assigned to his squad. And he hasn’t flirted or even feigned any interest at all in other women for quite a while now. He won’t even buy me drinks anymore, since Nanao finally said yes,” she mused, smiling softly.
She leant forward a bit, raising her head, before she grabbed Hitsugaya, taking him by surprise, and kissed him deeply. As the shock wore off and he was settling into the kiss, a loud, gruff voice sounded from behind them, “Oi! Get a room. There are kids present, ya know?”
Both looking up, Hitsugaya blushing furiously, they noticed Madarame and Ayasegawa standing a short distance away. Matsumoto called out, “What are you two doing here?”
“We came to find Yachiru. Zaraki taicho told us to bring her with us when we returned home. Such a beautiful snow, isn’t it?” Ayasegawa explained, checking himself in his compact mirror.
“Yay! Cue ball-head, Peacock-brow!” Yachiru exclaimed as she ran to the two men sent to fetch her.
“I suppose it is close to dinner, isn’t it, Taicho?” Matsumoto asked, standing up to get Nel.
The group gathered and was about to head their separate ways when Nel decided to announce, loud and clear, “Nel and Yachiru-chan saw Peacock-bwow and Baldy-chan kiss yes-tu-day. They was funnies!” she giggled and Yachiru accompanied her.
All four adults looked on, terrified of what the children were babbling about. “I swear, Hitsugaya taicho. We didn’t do it on purpose,” Madarame pleaded his innocence, looking guilty and embarrassed.
“Yes, it was quite an unbeautiful way for such a thing to occur,” Ayasegawa looked nervous, but rather than be embarrassed, his vanity declared that it was ugly, therefore, it should be looked upon with distaste. “He slipped and fell on some remnant of the chocolate cake we missed cleaning, and he grabbed me for support. I struggled, trying to maintain my beautiful balance and not distress my hair with that horrible chocolate, but he pulled me down anyhow. That is how we landed in that most compromising position.”
Hitsugaya hung his head, and Matsumoto laughed. “And we should get a room, huh?” she teased. “I always thought the two of you might have a thing for one another, but you’ve never been open about it. Well, congratulations.”
Caught off guard, Madarame responded before his mouth caught up to his brain, “Thank you-Wait a minute, what did you just say?” he yelled, taking a step toward Matsumoto.
Hitsugaya stepped between them, glaring daggers at the third seat, “I would advise you to step away, Madarame, unless you desire to be frozen to the ground?” Madarame swallowed, then took a step back. He turned to Ayasegawa unhappily.
“Let’s go. I’ll get Matsumoto later. I’ll just have to out-drink her,” he told his friend as they turned to leave.
Matsumoto and Hitsugaya held back a snicker as they watched them leave, certain they saw a clasping of hands.
“Ran-chan, I’s wants to hear a story ‘bout a Arrancar pwincess. Pwease?” Nel begged of Matsumoto before bed that night.
“Well, okay, I suppose I can tell you something. Does Ichigo or Rukia tell you that one?” not that she had ever had trouble making up a story, but just in case there was something specific she knew should be included, she wanted it made known.
Nel shook her head, waiting as patiently as a child can. “Alright then. Let’s see. Once upon a time, there was a little princess who lived in a big castle in a scary land. She played all day, and her brothers took care of her, teaching her all sorts of fun things. One day, an evil man came into the land and tore down the princess’s castle. The princess was forced to move into a little shack with her brothers for several years.”
Hitsugaya lay beside Matsumoto on his bed, listening as she retold the highlights of the war with Aizen, with a faerie-tale twist, from the time Kurosaki met Nel and on. At this rate, he guessed that it would not be long before he was lulled to sleep by her melodic voice.
“Finally, one day a brave, young, handsome warrior came into the land, trying to stop the evil man. The princess came across him, not knowing he was a shinigami. The princess was scared of shinigami. But, after he played eternal tag with the princess, she decided she liked him. The shinigami promised to help the princess and her brothers escape from the land and get away from the evil man that destroyed their castle.
“The shinigami tried to save the princess right away, but he was injured very badly, and barely managed to escape the evil man. He returned to the princess, who took good care of him until he was healed. Suddenly, the princess realized one day, while she was caring for the shinigami, that she loved him. She didn’t tell him yet, afraid that he might be hurt again because he was trying to protect someone who loved him, but she vowed to marry him.
“It took a long time, but eventually the princess and the shinigami made a new plan. They stormed into the castle where the evil man slept one night, and the shinigami cut off the man’s head. The princess cheered, she was happy; she could move back into her castle with her brothers. She wanted to marry the shinigami, so that he would stay with her forever, but the shinigami cried as he told her he loved her very much, but was already married to another princess from his own land. The princess was very sad, and she cried. Finally, the shinigami realized something.
“He told the princess that he was too old for her to marry, anyway. In fact, she was more the age suitable for his children. So, the shinigami asked the princess if she would like to come back to his land and live with him, where she could have a mother and father, a grandfather, two kind aunts, and even a grouchy old uncle. The princess was so happy, and she agreed. They asked her brothers if they would like to come with them as well, but her brothers found loves in their own land that they wished to stay with.
“So, the princess went with the shinigami, and now the princess has a mommy and daddy, and a grumpy old uncle that she gets to see almost everyday. And when she visits her sweet aunts and her grandpa, they always give her lots of candy and sweets, and lots of love. Sometimes, she goes to visit her brothers in her old land, and they always give her lots of gifts as well. And so, the princess lived happily ever after, with a new family to love.”
Matsumoto finished her version of the story and kissed Nel on top of her head. Nel wrapped her arms around Matsumoto and kissed her on the cheek, leaving a wet spot behind. “Good night, Ran-chan. I’s woved da stowy.” She then climbed into Hitsugaya’s arms, bestowing the same goodnight wishes on him.
After Matsumoto had her tucked safely into her covers, she and Hitsugaya retreated to the living room. Nel fell asleep in a few short minutes, and Matsumoto made herself comfortable on the sofa, resting her head in Hitsugaya’s lap.
“I suppose if this is what children are like, I can handle it. I’ve had such fun playing with Nel this week. Don’t you think?” Matsumoto questioned Hitsugaya, thinking about the week. “Thank you for letting us stay here… At least we don’t have to worry about anyone but Nel walking in on us now, and she’s asleep…” she trailed off, winking suggestively.
“Yes, you’re right. We don’t,” Hitsugaya agreed, before meeting her lips with his. Both slept soundly that night, and both simply made room then snuggled up again when Nel climbed into bed with them.