Anger Management
Anger Management
The wedding party, including their officiant (on the grounds that Ise could not be left to have fun in the living world alone), met at the temporary living quarters of Matsumoto and Hitsugaya bright and early on the morning of June 6. Much to Hitsugaya’s dismay, Ise let herself, Kyoraku and Ukitake inside (Ukitake just had to have spare keys) to find the couple still sleeping. Ukitake and Kyoraku had enough fodder to tease Hitsugaya for the next millennium thanks to this. Apparently rumors of them in Soul Society did not include sharing a bed. How anyone could have missed that neither Matsumoto nor Hitsugaya knew, considering they shared a home for ninety-eight per cent of their time now.
Of course, it probably did not help matters that Hitsugaya wore no shirt to sleep in, because of the heat, and Matsumoto’s night gown could not be seen because of the light blanket when the newly arrived trio burst through their bedroom door declaring breakfast time at seven-thirty. With the events of the day before, both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto were looking forward to sleeping in a bit. The most surprising factor was that Kyoraku had willingly been the eager one to go to the living world at the ungodly hour.
Most likely, Hitsugaya fumed to Hyourinmaru some time later, just for that reason. He must have known we’d still be asleep.
‘Is that so terrible, Master?’ Hyourinmaru laughed, clearly finding the situation hilarious, ‘At least now no one will know the truth. And for a boy your age, that should be considered a good thing, right?’
The truth about what? Hitsugaya asked, wishing glaring at the dragon for calling him a boy would do some good, and half afraid of the answer he would surely receive.
‘Oh… you know…’ the dragon returned, intent on making him realize for himself.
I was right. Why are we talking about my sex life? Hitsugaya sighed. Just the answer he expected. This is good why?
‘Or lack of sex life, more like. And, well, maybe now people will quit talking about the prude little virgin taicho. The one people just can’t believe ended up with the babe. Even the other zanpakuto speculate that you’re short in more ways than one, and that’s why you’re still a virgin,’ Hyourinmaru informed his master, a hint of amusement in his voice.
As if on cue, Matsumoto burst into a fit of giggles. If Hitsugaya had not known better, he’d have guessed that she had been listening in. Regardless, Hitsugaya blushed a bright red to rival Abarai’s hair when Matsumoto gave him the once-over, looking him up and down as if seeing him for the first time.
“You think so, Haineko?” she asked aloud, a look of mischief in her eyes, clearly discussing the same thing he and the dragon had been. “There’s always one way to find out.”
Hitsugaya looked fearfully to his fiancé before berating the dragon. You and that stupid cat planned this, didn’t you? It’s a bloody conspiracy!
‘Now, now, Toshiro,’ Hyourinmaru snickered. ‘Purely coincidence, I swear. We were discussing the rumor just this morning as your guests arrived. Apparently she finds the topic quite amusing as well. I did try to reassure her that, being under your control, I could safely say that you were not, indeed, short in any way other than vertically.’
Hitsugaya fell back on the sofa he sat on in exasperation, and accidentally lay his head on Ise’s lap. She looked curiously and amusedly at him, unable to resist a quick brush of her fingers through his white hair, as he stammered an apology, blushing darker still, and sat up. “Your hair really is as soft as Rangiku says,” she smiled. Cursing the dragon, he growled out a final few questions for Hyourinmaru.
And just what about you? You’re too old to still be a virgin, or whatever you want to call it, I’m sure, but what have you done with Haineko? Rangiku told me about that ‘spirit dance’ or whatever it is. What about that? And how do you know? I mean, have you ever seen me naked?
If zanpakuto could blush, Hyourinmaru would have done so. Hitsugaya sensed his embarrassment and hesitation, and smirked. ‘Well, Toshiro, to start, I see you naked every time I’m around and you step into the bath or change your clothes. Second, I made a deal with her. It seems our wielders always come together, no matter the distance between them, and we’ve done that before… but, technically, we are both considered the zanpakuto equivalent of virgins, as each cycle begins anew, and we lose our former bodies, so to say.’
There’s still something you’re not telling me, Hitsugaya quirked an eyebrow in question, garnering a funny look from both the other taichos present. Ukitake muttered “Zanpakuto discussion” to Kyoraku before they resumed their conversation with Ise and Matsumoto, the last of whom was still grinning devilishly. Hitsugaya feared for his life.
Again, Hyourinmaru seemed embarrassed. ‘Well, since when we begin a new cycle, we are given the chance to claim our innocence, as you might call it, I’ve made her wait. I told her that when you break your vow of abstinence, I will break mine. She’s almost as terrible as Rangiku. Especially since she wouldn’t even give Shinso the time of day, much less pretend to like him. Not that I’m complaining, it would be foolish of me to complain that she waited for me. As always.’
The mention of Ichimaru’s zanpakuto set a fowl taste in Hitsugaya’s mouth, and the idea that Matsumoto had inevitably taken part in decidedly marital activities, and likely with more than one male, made his already low self esteem in that area drop a few notches more. If his nerves about their wedding day, and having no excuse to get out of sex, weren’t high enough previously, they certainly became so now. Thanks for that, he threw at his zanpakuto bitterly.
‘If I had known that was the problem! My goodness, Haineko will be relieved. Just wait until she tells Rangiku. The poor woman’s been worrying it was something she’d done. I didn’t know it was just your nerves about living up to the rest of her experiences,’ Hyourinmaru sighed in relief, and before Hitsugaya could protest, left the incredibly embarrassed young taicho’s head and undoubtedly headed straight for Haineko.
“Ah, fuck,” Hitsugaya mumbled to himself. Ise and Matsumoto looked curiously at him. He excused himself to the washroom to try using cold water from the sink to ease the blush. After a few minutes, it seemed to finally help and he braved the small crowd, now expanded to include the Kurosakis and Inoue. When he rejoined the crowd, only Matsumoto showed any indication that she knew what had transpired. She still wore her look that spelled certain doom for Hitsugaya.
After turning down twelve different materials without a glance, eight after some consideration, and four more after deciding she didn’t like the hand, Matsumoto finally came across one that she loved and Haineko absolutely adored as well. “Ishida-kun, what about this one?” she asked, presenting the material to him.
“Ah, pure silk, a lovely shade of pink, and the softest hand I’ve seen in silk in ages. I’d say it’s a wonderful choice, Rangiku-san,” Ishida commented. After his literature professor held class late, he spent twenty minutes apologizing for missing his own deadline to meet with the remainder of the group. Mostly they picked on him for entertainment. Only Matsumoto seemed to be the slightest put out, and he chalked that up to eagerness.
“What do you think, Toshiro?” Matsumoto draped a length of the fabric around Hitsugaya’s neck, forcing him to feel the texture. If she’d not forcefully dragged him into the store, he’d have stayed put outside in the food court of the mall. With the rest of the males. Being his still unhappy self, thanks be to his zanpakuto. Granted, he’d cheered up some as the morning wore on, but being stuck with an indecisive woman and her ‘helpful’ bridesmaids in the middle of a fabric store wasn’t exactly his idea of fun.
He forced himself to look at the material she was attempting to choke him with and consider it. It did feel soft, and it was shiny, and pink. It suited her well, he thought. “It suits you,” he offered, trying to force himself to smile a small bit. She excitedly threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and kissing his lips. He finally eased his scowling and decided to not let some stupid rumor, and some uneasy feelings, from the zanpakutos get to him. Not today.
Matsumoto, Ishida, Inoue, Rukia, and Ise proceeded, a bit unwillingly on Ise’s part, to pick out the fabric for the bridesmaid dresses. “Rukia-san, your little girl will have been born by then, won’t she?” Ise inquired.
Rukia nodded, smiling happily, “Yes. She’s due on the 22 of September. So, she’ll be a little over a month old, and I can leave her with Isshin or Nii-sama for the wedding. I can’t be fitted for the dress until then, though.” Rukia sighed, frowning slightly.
“Oh well. We can wait ‘til then. Right Ishida-kun?” Matsumoto declared. Ishida consented with a nod. Hitsugaya, growing impatient and not caring if it was his wedding or not, crossed his arms and tapped a foot on the floor. “Ishida-kun, can you decide how much of everything we need? I’ll be back in just a few moments to pay,” Matsumoto stated as she grabbed Hitsugaya by the arm, forcing him out the door of the shop behind her.
Not knowing what she could be planning, but knowing it wasn’t good, Hitsugaya immediately tried to explain himself, hoping to stay in her good graces. “We didn’t have to come out here. I wasn’t trying to rush you, that place just makes me nervous.”
Matsumoto rolled her eyes amusedly and hugged him from behind. “I know,” she spoke softly in his ear, “thank you for sticking with us this long. I don’t know why Ishida-kun is the only one who seems to be unperturbed by this kind of shop, but you’re not alone. Ichigo almost shunpoed away. In fact, he may have left Kon here with his body, I’m not sure. I think Ukitake-san and Shun-kun don’t mind much, but they’ve got a couple millennia on the rest of you lot. But, we get to make our gift registries next!” Hitsugaya winced as she increased the level of her voice, still talking in his ear.
Ise was sent to fetch them a few minutes later, only to find them lip-locked outside the shop, a few boys and young men in their teens or so wolf-whistling and cheering ‘the shrimp with the babe’ on, whilst the girls of about the same age ‘oohed’ and ‘ahed’ over the scene. Ise rolled her eyes as she pried Matsumoto away from her entertainment. “Rangiku-san, you’re needed inside. You’ll have plenty of time for that later,” she scolded playfully. Contrary to popular belief, Ise, too, believed in ‘no time like the present,’ but in good consciousness could rarely allow it. She swore her duty to Soul Society before she’d sworn her love to her taicho, and first come, first serve.
Matsumoto unwillingly removed herself from Hitsugaya’s grip, leaving him flushed and considerably happier. As she and Ise retreated into the shop, he found the other men and took a seat at a table with them. Kyoraku and Ukitake congratulated him on a job well-done, and Abarai and Ichigo jokingly patted his back. He blushed a little more, but grinned nonetheless.
Kyoraku leaned to whisper to Ukitake, nearly losing his balance and falling from his chair in the process, giving the others a good laugh. “I think she’s finally gotten him to loosen up some. Just a month ago he’d have probably thrown a fit, eh, Juu-kun?” Ukitake nodded and added his own two-yen.
“She truly is a miracle worker. Soifon says Matsumoto was her, ehem, instructor of sorts for everything she knows,” Ukitake’s ears turned pink, but no one aside form Kyoraku seemed to know.
Kyoraku wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulders, pulling out a sake bottle from a pocket in the jeans he wore. “Here’s to Juu-kun and his love, and their joining the Honestly-Dishonest club!” he cheered, taking a swig of the sake and passing it to Ukitake, who did the same. “Want a shot, Hitsugaya-kun?”
Apparently, he hadn’t loosened up that much, as Hitsugaya immediately refused the sake. Abarai and Ichigo, when offered, happily accepted.
oOoOo
After trying not to let the gift registries get too out of hand (how many of the shinigami were going to be shopping in the Living World, anyway?), the group ate lunch at a small restaurant in the food court of the mall. Hitsugaya treated Ishida (and Matsumoto, of course) for his help with the wedding arrangements. To think that just a couple of years prior Ishida would have had absolutely nothing to do with such a large group of shinigami, much less this sort of near-intimate contact with them.
Rukia, Ichigo, Inoue, and Ishida went their own ways after the meal, as the time neared four of the afternoon. Having two of her drinking buddies nearby, and intent on staying for the evening, Matsumoto declared that they should all go out and sample the human liquors. They had a larger variety of drinks in the living world than Soul Society could imagine. Ise glared half-heartedly at her friend’s mention of alcohol as Kyoraku nearly leapt from his seat with joy.
“Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about alcohol?” Hitsugaya asked, quirking an eyebrow at the woman and her companions.
“Of course!” she replied, chipper as ever. “We can’t go out until around seven; we need to have dinner, and I have to get dressed, and get you ready. And I’m sure everyone else needs to get ready, as well. Even you, Nanao. No wiggling out this time for you, either.”
“Get me ready? Who said I was going?” Hitsugaya fumed.
“You did, remember? You told me last month that the next time I went out you were going with me. And since Ikkaku isn’t here to beat off all the men for your sake, you have to go. And you can’t use work as an excuse, as you don’t have any.”
Hitsugaya immediately dropped his protests and consented to go. His jealousy would finally have an outlet, and would those bastards be surprised who was with her tonight. “Too bad I can’t freeze them here,” he mumbled under his breath. Matsumoto just smiled and kissed him on the nose.
“But, Rangiku, can he get into th’ bars here? I mean, they let ‘im in every time he comes to walk you home in Seireitei, but he looks kinda young to be going out here, don’ he?” Abarai asked, seeing a problem arise.
“Sure he can. See?” Matsumoto pulled something small from the purse she carried and presented it to the group. It was a square card, bearing a picture of Hitsugaya with information about him listed. Including a false birth date. Hitsugaya felt a small hint of satisfaction at this. “I had Urahara-san make it for me. He even made the rest of us one. Here.” She presented the others with their IDs as well, and even Ise admired the attention to detail her friend had exhibited.
“What about Orihime-san and Ishida-san?” Ukitake spoke up.
Matsumoto again had an answer. “They already have their own. They’re not quite of legal age, but Urahara made them one anyway. I don’t think they’ll be going with us tonight, regardless. Orihime wanted to spend some ‘quality time’ with her beau before he heads home for the week, and Ishida-kun had a study session or something to attend.”
At six-thirty, Hitsugaya stood in front of a mirror, fixing his tie. It seemed a lot of work to prepare for an excursion to a bar in the living world, but Matsumoto swore time and again that things worked differently here than in Seireitei. Apparently, normal street clothes could get you kicked out of a bar, assuming you managed to get in wearing them. And since going in his taicho’s clothes would be pointless, he was stuck in black slacks, nice shoes included, and a crisp, white shirt. With a blasted tie that he just couldn’t seem to get right.
He decided to forsake the tie and opted for the necklace Matsumoto gifted him for Valentine’s. He normally did wear it, but the transition from his shinigami form to his gigai made things a bit difficult. He fastened the clasp just as Matsumoto stepped in the door of their room, dressed in one of her many dresses, cut to show off all the right details of her figure, looking for her shoes. She crouched down, skirt riding up her thighs a bit as she tossed a few pairs of shoes to the side. Hitsugaya stood rooted to his spot, looking lecherously at Matsumoto. He felt his face flush with embarrassment when she turned to him and flashed him a knowing, cat-like grin.
Without speaking to him, she retrieved the desired shoes and headed out to the living room, where Ise waited for her. ‘Well, that was smooth,’ Hyourinmaru commented dryly, snickering. Hitsugaya ignored the dragon and started to grab his own shoes and head for the door. As he turned, however, he ran right into Ukitake and Kyoraku.
“Looks like tonight might be your lucky night, eh, Hitsugaya-kun?” Kyoraku asked, elbowing Hitsugaya in a friendly manner.
“Wha-? I don’t kno-,” Hitsugaya stuttered, as understanding hit. He turned cross, his good mood from the day earlier all but disappeared. “And this is your business why?” he spat.
“Ah, come now, Hitsugaya-kun. We’re just a couple of old hats trying to help our young protégé out. Can’t be held responsible for the one we’ve taken under our wing not being satisfactory to his lover. Especially when she placed you so trustingly in our care,” Ukitake teased, grinning and enjoying the torture he and his friend were so obviously putting the younger man through. As predicted, the comment served to anger Hitsugaya more.
“She left me to be humiliated by the two of you again?” he fumed, glaring coldly at both the older men. Kyoraku grinned foolishly, nodding just as eagerly as his friend. The temperature of the entire flat dropped some fifteen degrees centigrade as a cry (that Ichigo and Rukia, on the other side of town, could hear) rang out.
“MATSUMOTO!!”
Matsumoto turned a fearful look to Ise, who returned it, albeit looking suspiciously at the other woman. “I swear, Nanao, I didn’t do anything this time.” Abarai took up a defensive stance in front of the women, preparing for the inevitable.
oOoOo
The small group, which now included Soifon, stopped at a quaint little restaurant before heading to the bar itself. When seated, Hitsugaya made certain to place himself between Matsumoto and Ise. He wanted as much distance as possible from the other men. He’d have sat between Soifon and Matsumoto, since Soifon offered more protection, being on roughly the same level as the other taichos, but she made sure to place herself between the men in question.
Kyoraku and Ukitake kept smirking, finally earning a smack from Ise’s fan for them both as well as a cold shoulder from Soifon. Abarai laughed and Hitsugaya smirked inwardly. It was nice to have so many women on your side like this.
Matsumoto and Kyoraku refrained from any alcohol intake at the restaurant, as did the others. The others of their group refusing alcohol just wasn’t significant.
oOoOo
Matsumoto was thrilled when she and Hitsugaya stepped through the doors of the bar. She could see the different types of alcohol in the bottles lined up along the wall. Taking charge, she and Kyoraku drug their respective significant others to the bar almost immediately.
“What’ll it be for the misses?” the barkeep asked, looking to Matsumoto and Ise in turn.
“What would you recommend?” Matsumoto asked flirtatiously. A sure way to get the best drink of the house and the best price.
The barkeep nodded, explaining his recommended drink, then proceeded to mix two at Matsumoto’s request. Ise looked warily to her friend, wondering if the alcohol could be trusted. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and Kyoraku laughed at the situation. Ukitake and Soifon approached; Soifon took a sip from Ise’s drink and tried her best to charm the barkeep as she requested one as well. Her efforts paid off. She received a better response than Matsumoto. Matsumoto looked the tiniest bit miffed and indignant about it all.
The group retreated to a table in the corner, all but Hitsugaya, including a still unsure Ise, equipped with a drink.
“Come on, Toshiro. You have to try one. Anything. Maybe something fruity? I’m sure we can find something watermelon flavored. I can ask the bartender for a recommendation,” Matsumoto pleaded her cause with Hitsugaya.
After another half hour of her pleading and begging, and that pout that could melt Hitsugaya’s heart, not to mention the coaxing from Hyourinmaru because of, Hitsugaya finally gave up and told her, “Just bring me the damn thing already.” She, of course, complied and returned only moments later with a watermelon flavored daiquiri.
After the first few cautious sips, Hitsugaya decided it wouldn’t kill him and allowed himself to enjoy the taste of the daiquiri. The alcohol wasn’t too strong, and he barely felt the aftertaste of it. Two drinks later and he let Matsumoto drag him to the dance floor.
“Come on, Toshiro, let’s dance,” she demanded. “Nanao and Shun-kun are already out there. Can’t let them have all the attention.”
Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and refused. Then she kissed him, reminding him that she’d be forced to find someone else to dance with, and since her normal rowdy bunch wasn’t around… That’s when he agreed. “No one, I tell you, no one,” he muttered to Hyourinmaru, “is going to lay their filthy hands on my woman.”
After a few dances, luckily slower paced and not the new ‘bump and grind’ that was so popular, the effects of the alcohol began to wear off a bit, and Hitsugaya demanded to sit. Some few minutes later, he excuse himself to the washroom.
A table of young men across the room from Matsumoto noticed the absence of the young taicho. Two of their group braved the odds (which they didn’t know were so obviously stacked against them) and approached her as Soifon returned, leaving the others on the dance floor or at the bar.
“Why, hello gorgeous,” the first of the men declared. He was dressed nicely, in slacks and a blue shirt, and was clean-shaven with the typical dark hair for the area. And obviously intoxicated enough to act stupidly. “Did it hurt when you fell out of Heaven?”
‘At least Toshiro isn’t this horribly tacky. And, yes, dammit, we did fall from Heaven. Not that it’s any of your business,’ Haineko growled to Matsumoto. ‘Tell him to go away.’
Matsumoto responded with a kind smile, refusing, “I thank you for the compliment, but Toshiro should be coming back soon, and he’ll be unhappy to find you here.”
“Ah, come on, Babe. We can show you and her both a hell of a better time than that shrimp and that old man. Whadya say? How ‘bout a dance?” the second male, dressed similar to the first and with the same features, begged. Matsumoto thought they must have been related.
“That ‘Old Man’ could kick your ass before you could name the next song, and the ‘Shrimp’ can do it even quicker,” Soifon warned, offended by the comment made toward Ukitake.
“We’re not scared,” the first fellow stated, puffing himself up confidently. “Let us take you ladies home and show you how a real man pleases a woman.”
Deciding that only harshly turning the fools down would get them to leave, Matsumoto fixed the men with a hard glare, Soifon doing the same. “We’re really not interested,” the ladies declared in unison.
“I think our men have a few years experience on you, anyway,” Soifon continued.
“Come on. Seriously, we just want to buy you two lovely ladies a drink,” the second man pled.
A sudden chill filled the air, and Hitsugaya and Ukitake walked up to their table. “I believe the ladies said they weren’t interested,” Hitsugaya stated, glaring fiercely at the two intruders.
“And in saying so, you should be respectful of their wishes,” Ukitake agreed.
“Oh, the old geezer and the shrimp finally showed, huh?” one of the men asked.
Matsumoto knew the look in Hitsugaya’s eyes well. It meant that, had he been in his shinigami form, there was about to be a set of lawn ornaments looking curiously like ice sculptures of men. Ukitake’s look matched Hitsugaya’s. And in their current forms, even without the aide of their zanpakuto, their right and left hooks bore quite the amount of pent up force.
“I’ve got twenty-five hundred yen that says Hitsugaya takes his out first,” Kyoraku declared, Ise and Abarai decided to have some fun and take bets.
“I’ll put the twenty-five hundred yen on Ukitake. Experience, man,” Abarai decided.
Ise just smiled. Matsumoto called across the room, “I’ll wager Toshiro gets his and finishes Ukitake-san’s.”
“I’m with Rangiku,” Ise agreed.
oOoOo
Matsumoto, Soifon, and Ise walked from the bar counting out their money, dividing it evenly between them. Since Soifon was picked on as well, they decided to split it three ways. Kyoraku would have won, as Hitsugaya did take out his target first, but Ukitake was caught with a coughing fit from the physical exertion and Hitsugaya finished his, as well, leaving Ise and Matsumoto victorious.
“At least it was entertaining,” the women agreed. Kyoraku and Abarai nodded in agreement.
“Maybe for you. God, I’m sore all over now,” Hitsugaya complained.
“I’d be happy to ease some of that tension,” Matsumoto spoke softly in his ear, making his ears pink up. “I can think of something... A good shoulder rub would do you nicely.”
When their company bade them goodnight, Hitsugaya sunk into a hot bath and enjoyed Matsumoto’s fingers dancing over his back as he fell asleep.
“So, Haineko, you wanted to tell me something?” Matsumoto grinned.
Haineko relayed the story from Hyourinmaru just as he told it, and Matsumoto exhaled a deep sigh of relief. You don’t know how glad I am to hear that. I was beginning to think he’d hold out on me even after we’re married, Matsumoto told her ash cat.
‘Hyourinmaru was quite relieved himself. And he assures me, every time I even approach the subject, that he is developed.’
The rumors amongst the zanpakuto are worse than those circulating Seireitei. What’s the deal with the harshness?
‘Simple, Hyourinmaru’s master has never been younger than mine,’ the ash cat smirked, causing Matsumoto a moment of concern.
Well, that does explain a lot, Matsumoto mused just before drifting off and joining Hitsugaya in sleep.