Messages
Title: Messages
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Fandom: Bleach
Rating: PG
Characters: Hitsugaya & Matsumoto, with mentions of Hitsugaya/Hinamori and Grimmjow/Matsumoto
Warnings: None
Spoiler: None, though it’s set after the end of the Winter War.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. They all belong to Tite Kubo. If they belonged to me…well, things would be quite a bit different.
Author's Notes: For an_ardent_rain, who wanted grumpy!Hitsugaya fic for a meme at my journal. Sequel to both "Late At Night" and "Admission," as it takes place the next day. I am sorry there’s not more grumpy for you.
---
“And if I hear one more word about this, you will have to deal with me personally!” Matsumoto winced as she heard Hitsugaya at the door. She knew exactly what was angering him so much, and she felt sorry for both him and Hinamori. The door opened up quickly and after a moment slammed shut. “Matsumoto!”
“I’m already at work,” she said from her desk.
“Good,” he grumbled, his cane thudding on the ground hard as he made his way to his desk. She watched him for a moment and just as if he felt her eyes on him he turned around. “Did you have something you wanted to say?” he growled.
“I’ve heard the rumors, and I have no doubt that nothing happened between the two of you,” she said.
He looked at her and then relaxed slightly. “I told her if I stayed there would be talk,” he said with a sigh.
“And I will remind you of what you told me: in time, the talk will fade. Besides, everyone knows you two are in a relationship anyway, and have been for months.”
“But she doesn’t deserve it.”
“No, she doesn’t. But Captain, she can take care of herself. She’s strong enough to withstand rumors.” She got up out of her seat and walked around to the front of her desk, sitting on it slightly. “And you can’t go beating up or threatening everyone who talks about it.
“Grimmjow did,” he pointed out.
“Grimmjow does that with everyone anyway. He was just more…well, he was more annoyed over that then he usually is. That 7th seat was lucky all he did was choke him.” She grinned, just a little. “Besides, most of the shinigami hate him. They all like you. The talk will probably fade faster for you and Hinamori than it has for us.”
“Us?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, so no one told you about the raised voices in the office yesterday?” she said, her grin widening slightly. “I had a visitor while you were at the relief center.”
“I didn’t think he even knew where our office was,” he said, surprised.
“Well, he figured it out and paid me a visit. In between the yelling, he admitted he cares about me a little. So…we’re going to see if there’s something there. At this point, the opinions about me don’t matter as much anymore, and I’m doing something that is my choice, with all of the consequences out in the open.”
“I wish you luck, then,” he said.
“I think I’m going to need it,” she said with a nod. “But back to you and Hinamori. Exactly what did happen last night? And you might as well tell me now because if you don’t I’ll just ask Hinamori.”
“I was practicing using shunpo again-“
“That’s good!” she said with a wide grin. “I mean, assuming you didn’t hurt yourself. Then it would be bad.”
“No, I did not hurt myself,” he said with a slight smile. “I ended up visiting Hinamori when I was done and was more tired than I had realized. At first she offered to walk me back to my quarters but I was too sore and too tired, so she offered to let me stay there.”
“And I take it you got the bed and she got one of her chairs?”
“How did you know?” he asked, surprised again.
“That’s just the way she is,” she replied. “She probably cares about your well-being more now that you’ve been hurt. I can’t imagine that she would have you sleep in the chair.”
“She was very sore this morning,” he said. “I feel bad about that.”
“Don’t,” she said. “If you’ll give me some time later I’ll take her to get a massage. Then she won’t feel so stiff and sore.”
“That’s fine,” he said with a nod.
“You know, you should go there as well. It probably wouldn’t hurt your leg any to get it massaged every once in a while.”
“I’ll consider it,” he said. He was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door. “Yes?” he called out.
The door opened and their 3rd seat stepped in. “Captain Hitsugaya, I have a message from Lieutenant Hinamori.”
“Oh no,” Matsumoto said quietly. “This is probably not good news.”
“Well? What’s the message?” Hitsugaya said, glaring at him.
“She wanted to make sure you were feeling better,” he said. “And she asked if you needed her to come by when you were done for the day.”
Hitsugaya relaxed. “Tell her that I am fine, and that I would appreciate it if she would come see me this afternoon.”
“Yes, Captain,” he said before closing the door.
Matsumoto opened her mouth to say something else when there was another knock on the door. “Oh, what now?” she said, rolling her eyes. She got away from her desk and opened the door, finding herself staring at the 11th Division’s 7th seat. “What do you want?” she said, glaring at him.
“Lieutenant Matsumoto,” the man said, not looking at her and instead looking at his feet, his voice almost fearful. “I have been asked by Captain Kenpachi to tell you that you need to have a word with him.”
She sighed. “What did Grimmjow do now?”
“He challenged him to another real fight.”
She shook her head. “Idiot,” she said under her breath. She turned to her Captain, who had an amused look on his face. “This is not funny.”
“On the contrary, I find it amusing,” Hitsugaya said, his grin widening slightly.
She glared at him, and then turned back to the 7th seat. “Tell him to tell Grimmjow that if he doesn’t knock it off I’ll fight him myself, and he won’t like how it’s going to turn out.”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” he said before moving away quickly.
“I’m glad him being an idiot made your day better,” she said as she shut the door again.
“Was that the man Grimmjow choked?” Hitsugaya asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I never did like him,” he replied. “It seems he’s fearful of you now.”
“Good,” she said, going back to her desk and sitting down. “I really should go threaten Grimmjow in person, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes,” Hitsugaya said with a nod. “I believe it will have more effect.”
She sighed and got back up. “I will be back later,” she said, heading towards the door.
“Oh, Matsumoto?” Hitsugaya said, his voice a little more serious.
“Yes?” she asked, turning to look at him.
“If my threats do not work on the members of our division, would you add a few of your own?”
She looked at him for a moment. “I don’t think you’ll need them, but yes, I will add them. I do not want either of you to be hurt by cruel words the way I was.”
“Thank you,” he said with a nod.
“You’re welcome,” she said with a returning nod before leaving. Hitsugaya sat down and looked around. They would be fine, he told himself. All of them would be fine in the end.
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Fandom: Bleach
Rating: PG
Characters: Hitsugaya & Matsumoto, with mentions of Hitsugaya/Hinamori and Grimmjow/Matsumoto
Warnings: None
Spoiler: None, though it’s set after the end of the Winter War.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. They all belong to Tite Kubo. If they belonged to me…well, things would be quite a bit different.
Author's Notes: For an_ardent_rain, who wanted grumpy!Hitsugaya fic for a meme at my journal. Sequel to both "Late At Night" and "Admission," as it takes place the next day. I am sorry there’s not more grumpy for you.
---
“And if I hear one more word about this, you will have to deal with me personally!” Matsumoto winced as she heard Hitsugaya at the door. She knew exactly what was angering him so much, and she felt sorry for both him and Hinamori. The door opened up quickly and after a moment slammed shut. “Matsumoto!”
“I’m already at work,” she said from her desk.
“Good,” he grumbled, his cane thudding on the ground hard as he made his way to his desk. She watched him for a moment and just as if he felt her eyes on him he turned around. “Did you have something you wanted to say?” he growled.
“I’ve heard the rumors, and I have no doubt that nothing happened between the two of you,” she said.
He looked at her and then relaxed slightly. “I told her if I stayed there would be talk,” he said with a sigh.
“And I will remind you of what you told me: in time, the talk will fade. Besides, everyone knows you two are in a relationship anyway, and have been for months.”
“But she doesn’t deserve it.”
“No, she doesn’t. But Captain, she can take care of herself. She’s strong enough to withstand rumors.” She got up out of her seat and walked around to the front of her desk, sitting on it slightly. “And you can’t go beating up or threatening everyone who talks about it.
“Grimmjow did,” he pointed out.
“Grimmjow does that with everyone anyway. He was just more…well, he was more annoyed over that then he usually is. That 7th seat was lucky all he did was choke him.” She grinned, just a little. “Besides, most of the shinigami hate him. They all like you. The talk will probably fade faster for you and Hinamori than it has for us.”
“Us?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, so no one told you about the raised voices in the office yesterday?” she said, her grin widening slightly. “I had a visitor while you were at the relief center.”
“I didn’t think he even knew where our office was,” he said, surprised.
“Well, he figured it out and paid me a visit. In between the yelling, he admitted he cares about me a little. So…we’re going to see if there’s something there. At this point, the opinions about me don’t matter as much anymore, and I’m doing something that is my choice, with all of the consequences out in the open.”
“I wish you luck, then,” he said.
“I think I’m going to need it,” she said with a nod. “But back to you and Hinamori. Exactly what did happen last night? And you might as well tell me now because if you don’t I’ll just ask Hinamori.”
“I was practicing using shunpo again-“
“That’s good!” she said with a wide grin. “I mean, assuming you didn’t hurt yourself. Then it would be bad.”
“No, I did not hurt myself,” he said with a slight smile. “I ended up visiting Hinamori when I was done and was more tired than I had realized. At first she offered to walk me back to my quarters but I was too sore and too tired, so she offered to let me stay there.”
“And I take it you got the bed and she got one of her chairs?”
“How did you know?” he asked, surprised again.
“That’s just the way she is,” she replied. “She probably cares about your well-being more now that you’ve been hurt. I can’t imagine that she would have you sleep in the chair.”
“She was very sore this morning,” he said. “I feel bad about that.”
“Don’t,” she said. “If you’ll give me some time later I’ll take her to get a massage. Then she won’t feel so stiff and sore.”
“That’s fine,” he said with a nod.
“You know, you should go there as well. It probably wouldn’t hurt your leg any to get it massaged every once in a while.”
“I’ll consider it,” he said. He was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door. “Yes?” he called out.
The door opened and their 3rd seat stepped in. “Captain Hitsugaya, I have a message from Lieutenant Hinamori.”
“Oh no,” Matsumoto said quietly. “This is probably not good news.”
“Well? What’s the message?” Hitsugaya said, glaring at him.
“She wanted to make sure you were feeling better,” he said. “And she asked if you needed her to come by when you were done for the day.”
Hitsugaya relaxed. “Tell her that I am fine, and that I would appreciate it if she would come see me this afternoon.”
“Yes, Captain,” he said before closing the door.
Matsumoto opened her mouth to say something else when there was another knock on the door. “Oh, what now?” she said, rolling her eyes. She got away from her desk and opened the door, finding herself staring at the 11th Division’s 7th seat. “What do you want?” she said, glaring at him.
“Lieutenant Matsumoto,” the man said, not looking at her and instead looking at his feet, his voice almost fearful. “I have been asked by Captain Kenpachi to tell you that you need to have a word with him.”
She sighed. “What did Grimmjow do now?”
“He challenged him to another real fight.”
She shook her head. “Idiot,” she said under her breath. She turned to her Captain, who had an amused look on his face. “This is not funny.”
“On the contrary, I find it amusing,” Hitsugaya said, his grin widening slightly.
She glared at him, and then turned back to the 7th seat. “Tell him to tell Grimmjow that if he doesn’t knock it off I’ll fight him myself, and he won’t like how it’s going to turn out.”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” he said before moving away quickly.
“I’m glad him being an idiot made your day better,” she said as she shut the door again.
“Was that the man Grimmjow choked?” Hitsugaya asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I never did like him,” he replied. “It seems he’s fearful of you now.”
“Good,” she said, going back to her desk and sitting down. “I really should go threaten Grimmjow in person, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes,” Hitsugaya said with a nod. “I believe it will have more effect.”
She sighed and got back up. “I will be back later,” she said, heading towards the door.
“Oh, Matsumoto?” Hitsugaya said, his voice a little more serious.
“Yes?” she asked, turning to look at him.
“If my threats do not work on the members of our division, would you add a few of your own?”
She looked at him for a moment. “I don’t think you’ll need them, but yes, I will add them. I do not want either of you to be hurt by cruel words the way I was.”
“Thank you,” he said with a nod.
“You’re welcome,” she said with a returning nod before leaving. Hitsugaya sat down and looked around. They would be fine, he told himself. All of them would be fine in the end.