Not Mine Valentine (Bleach Fanfic)

Escalation

The few days later the sun shown through the windows of the tenth division. Rangiku was busy working on her paper work when her small taicho piped up. "What are you getting Ichimaru for Valentine's Day?"

"Excuse me?" Rangiku looked up at the boy, who gave her a rather innocent look as if he hadn't asked a strange question of her. "I'm not sure if I'm going to do anything for that man this year. He's not exactly on my good side."

"Oh..."

"Has the taicho of the fifth division had a chance to talk to you?" The woman pushed her lips together.

"The last time I saw him was the day before yesterday when I was..." The boy paused, frowning as he looked at her. "The last time I saw him was when he found me playing with the fukutaicho of the eleventh division."

"You weren't bothering Gin again?" Rangiku frowned at the boy as she kept her tone calm.

"That's none of your business." Toshiro stood up and stacked his papers. "Your business is to take care of the division while I am at a captain's meeting."

"I see..." The woman's tone of voice indicated that she was irritated with him.

The small taicho slipped out of the office, the door closing behind him with a resounding click. He then walked to the first division without his feet making any sound. He arrived at the meeting hall and slipped in. Shinji came in. "After this meeting I need to talk to you about something. I meant to come by and talk to you yesterday, but I had my hands full."

The boy frowned, his arms crossed into his sleeves. He fidgeted from one foot to another, but settled down as he choose to ignore the fact Shinji needed to talk to him and that it felt like he was in for a lecture. The other captains finally arrived and the head taicho began to go over the business. The small taicho choose to drown out most of the conversation and picked out the information he felt he would need to retain for later.

"So that is the agenda for this meeting." Yamamoto spoke.

Soifon on the other hand felt the need to suddenly speak up. "No, it isn't the end of the agenda. I have something I wish to discuss."

Toshiro found himself glancing up. "Please tell me that this isn't about Lady Yourichi again."

The female took a deep breath. "It came to my attention that a certain taicho was trying to dye his hair."

The child taicho almost fell over backward as his face suddenly lost all the color. He also felt his throat chocking as he tried to speak, his hands coming loose. "Wait a second! I had already forgotten about that! Why did you have to bring that up of all things!"

"You've already forgotten about it?" Kyoraku suddenly titled his hat at the boy, the corners of his mouth twisting up in worry. He and Ukitake exchanged looks of worry.

"I've been busy with paperwork." Toshiro grumbled. He then turned to glare at Soifon. "And what business is it of yours to bring this up?"

"You like the rest of us are a representative of the Gotei Thirteen, so you need to act accordingly." The female spoke up.

The boy felt his cheeks try to puff up, only to desperately try to fight back the urge to lose his temper. Yamamoto though spoke up. "May I ask what brought this on?"

The boy flinched, his teal eyes suddenly looking away as he settled back into position. "It was a whim. It won't happen again."

"Wait a second." Kensei suddenly spoke up, a bit of irritation in his voice. "Just a whim? Are you going to back down simply because someone else has told you that they don't like the idea of expressing yourself."

"There is no need to yell at Hitsugaya," Rose waved his hand.

Shinji let out a deep sigh. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to express yourself. But from what I've heard it wasn't simply you wanting to express yourself, so it is no wonder you say it is just a whim."

Kensei continued to glare at the boy and he fidgeted under the man's gaze. He opened his mouth to say something but instead snapped it shut and looked away. The twelfth division rolled his eyes. "So we're just going to over look this matter? There is no telling what kind of whim he'll go on next."

Toshiro felt his hands clutching together as well as his teeth as he fought back saying something. He was however saved by the taicho of the ninth division. "Oh, just shut up. Both you and Soifon."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know why you had to bring this up even, but there is nothing wrong with the kid wanting to express himself. A good deal of us older captains do in fact express ourselves through various means. So stop bullying him."

"I'm not being bullied." The boy piped up to look at the man, only to find himself flinching at the look Kensei gave him.

"And you! Backing down like you are on this issue! Don't you want to express who you are, or have you still not discovered who you are!"

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Toshiro finally glanced up and glared back at the man.

"Oh boy." Kyoraku tugged on his hat. "I think perhaps it might not be a bad idea to talk to the small taicho about certain things he should have already learned. Any volunteers."

"Don't worry. I'll do it." Kensei muttered.

Yamamoto opened one eye to look at them. "Then the meeting is adjourned. What ever is going on, don't let it interfere with your work."

The ninth division captain walked over to the boy and grabbed him around the neck. "You are coming with me."

"I need to talk to Hirako about something."

Shinji however shook his head. "Don't worry... he's pretty much going to talk to you about what I was going to talk to you about. He's probably better for this one anyways."