"Did you just... did you just call me shorty...?" Toshiro manages to choke out angrily.

"What? No, I just, uh... really like that word," you say with a smile on your face. He looks suspicious and relieved at the same time.

Alright, I'm gonna say it, guys... hopefully I can get away in time. Wish me luck.

"Shorty, such an interesting word. Don't you think so? It describes you perfectly!"

Before Toshiro could shout at you, you turned on your heel and fled down the hallway, and soon you heard his footsteps following. Your bare socks squeaked on the clean wooden floor loudly as you ran, so instead you flash-stepped as fast as you could, and ended up outside. You searched nervously for a hiding place, and a group of bushes caught your eye. You dove into them just as Toshiro stepped outside. The bushes had given you several scratches, and you winced in pain but stayed silent and masked your reiatsu.

"(L/N)? Come out." he demanded, his voice wavering slightly as he searched for your now undetectable reiatsu. He wasn't aware that you had been taught by Renji to mask it- in fact, he didn't even realise that you knew how to use shunpo. You held back a snicker and stared at him through a tiny hole, watching as he stupidly circled around.

"(L/N)! Where are you...?" he breathed angrily. "Come out, right now! That's an order! Whoever's watching!"

Even though he would never admit it, he was worried sick about you. Thus, he came to a realisation- there was something seriously wrong with him.

You grinned like a madwoman. A boy with green eyes and brown hair stepped towards the division, catching Toshiro's eye.

"What did you do with my third seat?" he questioned darkly.

"W-What?!"

"I can't sense her reiatsu! Answer me!"

"Uh, I've come to deliver paperwork..."

Toshiro's gaze drifted to the stack of papers in the boy's hand, and, to your delight, he looked embarrassed. Tears rushed down your face in a bout of silent laughter.

"Oh. Just drop them off outside my door..." he muttered. You silently thanked Renji for teaching you how to mask your reiatsu.

A few seconds later, Toshiro was out of sight, and you climbed out of the bush and stared down at all the cuts you had earned. You decided they were all worth it, and burst out laughing as you walked at a normal pace back into your Captain's office. You opened the door, and you feel your jaw practically dropping to the floor.

Papers were stacked until they reached the ceiling. Some were falling down as the air conditioner blew, others looked like they were about to topple over. Chunky files were dabbled around the room haphazardly, and you almost tripped over pens and stepped into a spilled ink well. Books were all over the ground. You stood there in surprised silence, then realise that nobody is in the room. You step over to Toshiro's desk, warily searching around, then sit on his chair. You breathe in deeply, the smell of your Captain filling your nose. You feel strangely embarrassed sitting in his seat.

"C-Comfy..." you mutter.

"(Y/N)-chan?" a tired voice asks.

"Wh- No! What?! I-It's not what it looks like!" you splutter, falling off the chair. You scramble over to the couch quickly, then you notice Rangiku's head pop up from behind it. Her hair was very messy, and she looked like she'd just crawled out of a furnace.

"What's not what it looks like?" she asked you, sounding suspicious. "Oh! Were you and Taichou-"

"No!"

"Then wha-"

"Nothing!"

You rub the redness away from your cheeks quickly, then raise an eyebrow.

"What happened in here? I've only been training for a week, so why is all this paperwork here?"

"Don't dodge the question! What's not what it looks like?" she repeated, looking completely sober as she stood up quickly. She stared into your eyes as if trying to read your mind.

"F-Forget about it! It just slipped out."

"Aww, come on! I won't tell. Cross my heart and hope to die." she swore, making a cross with her two pointer fingers over her humongous chest.

You just sighed.

"I was just sitting at Taichou's desk. Happy?"

She looked at you with a blank look on her face.

"That's all? Fine, I'll do the full phrase! Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

You stared at her quizzically, then bit your tongue.

"I-I was just seeing what his desk smelled like." you muttered ruefully.

"Oh? Oh? Oh?"

"It smelled like... Ah, watermelon! It smelled like wa-watermelon!"

She looked like she had just hit the jackpot. Her face brightened and her curious smile stretched into a wide grin. She began to laugh her ass off, and you didn't even try to stop yourself looking cross and embarrassed.

"(Y-Y/N)-chan...!" she managed to burst out in the middle of her hysterical laughter.

"What?!" you snapped crossly, mortified.

"Do you loooooove Taichou?"

You whacked her head with a fat file that was laying at your feet, and she sat the ground, rubbing her head.

"Hey! What was that for?" she whined, in between giggles.

"For your stupid question!" you huffed, crossing your arms and plopping onto the couch.She walked around from behind you, then sat next to you.

"Do you~?" she sung playfully, poking your chest. You immediately pulled away from her, embarrassed by her intimate touch. You stared at the ground, looking for comfort that didn't come. Rangiku waited patiently, her smile softening.

Do I?

"I-I don't know. I mean, maybe I like him... but love?"

She looked excited, and began rambling about things you paid no attention as you silently regretted saying anything. She brushed the side of your arm, then came to a realisation.

"Hey, what're all these scratches?" she murmured softly.

"I called Taichou shorty, then ran away and jumped in some bushes. I hid my reiatsu, and he started panicking," you explained, smiling at the memory.

You both talked for a while about random things, when she suddenly burst out laughing again.

"What?"

"I-It's just funny imagining Taichou i-in a relation ship," she confessed. Your mouth twisted into a grin, too, and before you knew it, you were both in tears.

"Y-You're right! Imagine!" you splutter. "Insanely small, white-haired, blue-eyed kids running around the place!"

Rangiku doubled over in laughter, not able to speak.

"Ran-ran, Imagine how grumpy they would be! Oh my god, and when he goes to give his partner a kiss--"

"(L/N)."

Both you and Rangiku whipped your heads around to your Captain.

"W-Wait, I-"

"Save it. I heard it all. Do you know how long I was searching for you?! I thought you had been taken by someone! I already have one unreliable lieutenant, but at least she's not useless. Please deliver these transfer papers to the 12th division. You are excused."

Tears threatened to fall from your eyes at his icy tone, and you looked to Rangiku for support. She looked surprised, angry, and hurt at the indirect insult he flung at her. Toshiro also looked quite guilty- the absolute hurt in your eyes made him feel a sharp twinge in his own chest. He stared at you defiantly, though, not sure how to take it back.

"So... so you mean you know I... l-love you? You mean you don't return the feeling?" you managed to whisper hoarsely as you desperately wrapped your arms around your midsection.

He seemed to pale.

"L-Love? You n-never mentioned that while I was... was... here..."

You were too busy slamming the door to hear anything.

~