Decision (Bleach Oneshots)

Trust III - Protecting

Matsumoto lay on her bed, her body slowly recovering from her injuries. Her energy level was actually coming back. She hadn't had many thoughts that crossed her mind. However, her mind was still trying to wrap around why Gin had betrayed her trust. Everything in truth hurt, bad, both physically, and mentally. Truthfully, it was mostly mental, as her injuries in truth were healed.

Isane came into the room, rather nervous. "I am glad that you are feeling better, Ran-chan."

"Do you have any information for me. How's taicho?" Rangiku stated firmly.

"He's mostly healed..." Isane stated. "Ichimaru Gin is bothering him though, and has refused to leave his side."

"What!" Rangiku sat up straight. "They are letting Gin have his freedom?"

She quickly pushed her bed clothing away. Isane tried holding her down. "Rangiku! You need to rest!"

"Not if he's near taicho," Matsumoto muttered, pushing hard.

M

Toshiro sat propped up in his bed, watching the man that was sitting there. He would have been nervous, except for the fact that he knew why Gin had been spared. At the end, he had turned on Aizen, and made it so they could win the battle... something, that Gin had planned. Unfortunately, he was being bugged by this man.

Suddenly, Gin reached up, and pulled on the sides of his mouth with his fingers, and stuck out his tongue Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "You really aren't funny."

"Come on, chibi taicho. You need a good laugh," Gin stated firmly.

"The one who needs a good laugh is Matsumoto," Toshiro stated, a grin spreading on his face. "Hmm... wait, you've been avoiding her. Why?"

"You're mean." Gin frowned.

"Go away."

"She's going to want to punch me, because I hurt her," Ichimaru stated.

"She'll get over it," Hitsugaya stated. "She's gotten over the other times you've run off."

"Shiro-chan, you don't get it, I physicallyhurt her this time," Ichimaru stated.

There was a fluctuation in the child's reiatsu, and the small taicho's mood grew dark. "Ichimaru... if I wasn't stuck in bed like I am, I would be throttling you right now. Why the hell would you do that, when you were going to turn?"

"Because Rangiku was in the way," Ichimaru stated, watching as the child's face twisted in confusion. "See, little one, it was better to hurt her, and make it so that she wouldn't go near Aizen, wasn't it?"

"What kind of logic is that?" Toshiro crossed his right arm across his chest, holding onto his left arm.

"Sometimes, to protect what you care for, you have to hurt it, to keep it safe," Ichimaru stated firmly. "I've even done that to you... hurt you to protect you."

"What is..." However, before the small taicho could ask what that meant, there was an interruption from the doorway.

"Ichimaru Gin!" Matsumoto muttered, glaring at the man.