Bleach: The Captain Part Two & Three, Toshiro Hitsugaya x OC

Chapter 10: Hatching a Plan

"Not seriously? God, you're such a horrible person, Kisuke!" I admonished him with a slap on the shoulder. "Honestly who does that?"

He grabbed our plates and took them over to the sink, laughing at himself. "Me, sadly. I told you I usually don't have a lot going on around here. I have to make my entertainment."

"She must have been mad at you though," I adjusted the fit of the oversized robes Kisuke had leant me for the morning.

"Mad as a wet hen!" he chuckled.

"How long were you cleaning up the mess?"

"The catnip? I think I'm still finding it around the house. Sometimes I find her spaced out and then I know she found more of it."

"I wouldn't have dreamed you had such a devious streak, but here you are, telling me the horrible things you do!"

Disappointment coloured his face. He quickly turned around and continued washing our dishes.

I mentally punched myself for my lack of tact. 

"So whats on your plate for today?" I scrambled, picking up the pieces of our conversation.

"Errands. I have some important things to sort out." Keisuke smiled, acting like I hadn't just hurt his feelings.

I balked. "When will you be back?"

He simply shrugged. "A day or a week? Who knows? I'll be back before you leave though, I promise."

I cleared the lump in my throat. "You'd better; it's my turn to ask the questions."

"I'll make time for that, I promise." He wiped his hands on a dish cloth and tossed it on the counter. Kisuke looked up, and seeing Toshiro waiting in the doorway, he winked at me, leaving the two of us alone.

Toshiro handed me a warm thermos and took a seat beside me.

"How's the head?"

"Still attached thank you. Who knew my brother was such a seamstress?" I popped the lid on my drink and inhaled deeply. Coffee was better than any medicine. "How're the men doing?" 

"All doing just fine. I think you got the worst of it," he replied.

I let out a puff of air and smiled, genuinely happy things turned out okay.

"Have you talked with any of them?"

Toshiro shook his head. "I thought I'd leave that up to you; it would boost their morale to see their captain doing well."

"Yeah, I think you're probably right about that." With my soul phone in hand, I sent out a message to the fireteam, setting up a meeting at my quarters in twenty minutes.

Toshiro clicked his fingers on the table restlessly. "So. . . You and Kensei." He tried to sound disinterested, but he wasn't fooling me.

"There isn't anything between us. He kissed me and then I gave him a well-deserved slap."

"Why? He's not a bad person." I could tell he was trying to rationalize it, but his tone was deliberate.

"No, he's not." I agreed.

He looked crushed.

"But he's not my person," I added, pointedly.

His shoulders relaxed and then he looked at me. Really looked at me. Something happened to me in the space of two seconds. My skin pebbled and my breath caught. Wondering how far I could take this moment, I ran a finger along the curve of my neck and delighted in his reaction. He let out an appreciative groan, keeping his eyes fixed on my lips, leaning in, closer and closer. . .