Summary: Matsumoto gets some advice from an unexpected source. MatsumotoxHitsugaya.

Author’s Note: This is really just a birthday present to myself. I’m a big fan of HitsuMatsu
(they’re so cute together), and I don’t think our “mystery character” gets enough airtime.
Disclaimer: Bleach (the anime, manga, and cleaning product) do not belong to me.

Sage Advice Beneath the Full Moon

Author: Viashino wizard (FF)

Chapter 1
Matsumoto sipped her tea silently, gazing upwards at the full moon hanging low in the sky. It was
a silvery white color, which reminded her of her captain… a lot of things reminded her of him
lately. Like the man sitting next to her. Rangiku glanced sideways at his large profile, just in time
to see him drink some tea from his own saucer. Just by looking at the two, you wouldn’t think
they had much in common; Hitsugaya-taicho was barely more than half the other man’s height,
for one. But the man had a determined look in his eyes, one that said he would take all the
world’s problems onto his shoulder without being asked and without complaint. It was the same
look she saw in her own taicho’s eyes, and that was the only real reason she could come up with
as to why she’d chosen to confide in the older man.
It was cold out, and that reminded her of Hitsugaya too. It must have been well past midnight,
but her host hadn’t show any annoyance at being awoken so late to listen to her personal
problems. He’d merely asked her to have a seat on the porch at the back of the division
compound while he made some tea. She turned her attention to the moon again.
“…I think what really tears me up,” she said, “is the expression he has on his face whenever he
thinks about Hinamori. I can’t believe he still cared for her after what she did.”
“Hinamori-fukutaicho had a deep devotion to Aizen, which he used to his own ends. As he said to
Hitsugaya-taicho, he had made it so that she couldn’t live without him.” Matsumoto’s companion
was unperturbed by the angry look she gave him. “I am not saying that Hinamori-fukutaicho’s
actions are excusable, but you must understand why she did what she did.”
Matsumoto hung her head. He was right, of course. That bastard had forced Hinamori to choose
between her idol and her childhood friend. But Rangiku still couldn’t forgive her for actually
believing Hitsugaya-taicho would actually betray Soul Society.
“I know it’s stupid,” she said, quietly, “but I can’t help feeling jealous whenever I see how
protective he is of her. Sometimes I wish he would feel that way about me.” She placed her empty
cup on the porch, muttering a thanks when her companion refilled it from the small teapot.
“I believe Hitsugaya-taicho does not feel protective of you because he knows you can take care of
yourself,” he said seriously. “You should feel proud that he thinks so highly of your abilities. It is
apparent that he is not nearly as confident in Hinamori-fukutaicho’s.” Matsumoto rose her gaze to
meet his, smiling weakly.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said, standing. Her companion did likewise, picking up the teapot
in the hand that wasn’t holding his saucer. He turned towards the door to his division’s compound,
and spoke.
“If you truly love Hitsugaya-taicho, I suggest telling him your feelings. You might be surprised by
his response.”
Matsumoto nodded mutely as the man stepped through the open door.
“Thank you, Komamura-taicho.”
Well, that’s it. I have to go now- my mom bought me cheesecake. Hang in there!

Chapter 2
Summary: Matsumoto takes Komamura’s advice.
Author’s Note: So yeah, I wrote a second chapter for my so-called “oneshot.” This is,
incidentally, the same thing that happened with the other oneshot I tried to write (The Spirit of
Christmas). I guess I’m not that great at writing those, which is good news for the reviewers
asking for another chapter.
This chapter is more humorous than the first (because humor is my strong suit, damnit!).
Disclaimer: Bleach (the anime, manga, and cleaning product) do not belong to me, nor have I
acquired them since I wrote the first chapter.

“…and furthermore, in regard to the subject of…”

Matsumoto was only half-listening to what Sasakibe Chojiro was saying. She should be paying
attention, but she had other things on her mind, which in her opinion were much more important.
Her gaze traveled lazily over the rest of the assembled vice-captains, not taking them in (which
was a shame, since she could have warned Izuru about the spider climbing up the back of his
head). She knew Komamura-taicho was right. She couldn’t just keep her feelings for her captain
bottled up and hope things would just work out, but the problem was this:
Matsumoto had no clue how she was going to tell Hitsugaya she loved him. It wasn’t something
she could do casually, and it would have to be in private, just the two of them. Not that she was
afraid of embarrassing him- Hitsugaya looked even cuter when he was embarrassed- but if there
were other people watching, he might feel pressured to say he returned her feelings, even if he
didn’t, and what was the point in that? Maybe she should ask Komamura-taicho for advice again,
but he was pretty busy, and anyhow, he was in a captains’ meeting right now-
Matsumoto blinked.
The Captains’ meeting…
Toshiro would be there too. She could ask to have a private word with him, and then, when they
were alone… Rangiku leapt to her feet in excitement.
“Matsumoto-fukutaicho? Did you want to say something?”
The busty vice-captain suddenly remembered where she was, and blushed slightly. She reluctantly
met Sasakibe’s quizzical gaze.
“Oh, um, I just needed to use the bathroom,” she stammered, seizing on the first idea that
popped into her head. The 1st Division vice-captain raised a thin eyebrow.
“If you could wait a bit longer, the meeting will be over in five minutes.”
“Uh, sure, ok!” Rangiku slumped back into her chair, breathing a sigh of relief. As soon as she did,
Izuru let out a piercing scream, which caused the other vice-captains to jump. Apparently, the
spider had taken offense to his scalp.

Sasakibe had barely finished stating that the vice-captains’ meeting was over when Matsumoto
darted out of the room at full speed, leaving a small dust-devil in her wake. She shunpo-ed her
way to the 1st Division, arriving as the last of the captains poured out of the large doorway to
their meeting room. She managed to halt just before crashing into her diminutive captain.
“Matsumoto!” he cried, throwing his arms in front of him reflexively.
“Oh, taicho! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to almost…” the vice-captain wrang her hands worriedly.
Hitsugaya frowned. This wasn’t like her
“Matsumoto, are you feeling alright?” asked the prodigy, a concerned expression crossing his
young features.
“Oh, it’s nothing taicho, I was just in a bit of a hurry that’s all. Um, I wanted to…” Matsumoto
nervously glanced over Hitsugaya’s head. The other captains had left by now with the exception of
Komamura, who gave her an encouraging nod. “I need to talk you in private.” Hitsugaya cocked
an eyebrow, then shrugged.
“Alright Matsumoto, but make it brief. My annual check-up with Unohana-taicho is in twenty
minutes.” The young captain grimaced at the thought, which made his vice-captain giggle.
“Matsumoto…” he growled in warning. The woman stuck her tongue out at him. Hitsugaya rolled
his eyes. “Well, there’s no one here, so what was it you wanted to say?” Matsumoto swallowed.
This was it.
“Well…” she began, wishing she’d taken the time to work out what she would say ahead of time,
“…have I ever told you how cute you are taicho?” The boy’s scowl deepened.
“Yes, though I wish you wouldn’t.” Matsumoto waved her hand as though to brush the accusation
away.
“You know you like it, taicho. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure that was out there before I
went on. Now, we’ve been working together for a long time, right, and during that time, I, um…”
Rangiku didn’t think she’d ever felt so nervous in her life. She was just rambling now, stalling for
time while she tried to figure out what to say. This was ridiculous! She was Matsumoto Rangiku,
sex goddess! She never had any trouble coming on to her taicho before! But then, she’d never
been serious before either. What could she say? What could she… something Komamura had said
last night drifted through her mind.
“I believe Hitsugaya-taicho does not feel protective of you because he knows you can take care of
yourself. You should feel proud that he thinks so highly of your abilities.”
That was right. For all his complaints of her laziness, Hitsugaya had never shown the slightest
doubt in her abilities, which meant she could do no less. She stopped talking, took a deep breath,
and steeled herself.
“Matsumoto?” asked her captain, confused as to why she’d just stopped mid sentence. Rangiku
uncrossed her arms, smiling.
“Oh, hi, taicho. I was just thinking. Actions speak louder than words, right?” Hitsugaya nodded,
unsure where this was going. “Well then, let me speak loudly.”
And, without a second thought, she grabbed her captain’s arms and, dragging him forward,
mashed her lips against his.
It took a good five seconds before Toushiro’s mind could comprehend what was happening.
Matsumoto, his lazy, flirtatious, perpetually-drunk vice-captain, was kissing him. And he was
enjoying it. Hitsugaya tried to think rationally, but Matsumoto’s lips were so soft… he could almost
hear them calling out ‘Give in, Shiro. Give in to the softness…’ He tried to say something, but
since Rangiku still had her lips pressed to his, he merely made an ‘mmph’ noise into her mouth.
After what seemed like an eternity, Matsumoto drew her head back from her captain, who was
blushing furiously. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Rangiku was blushing slightly too.
“Well, that’s all I wanted to say. Don’t be late for your appointment, taicho!” she said in her
normal happy-go-lucky voice.
“Matsu-!” began the boy, but she was already gone. Hitsugaya stood rooted to the spot, blinking
dazedly, before remembering he had a check-up to attend. And as much as he disliked the
procedure, Hitsugaya Toushiro was never late for anything.
As he turned his feet towards the 4th Division headquarters, he couldn’t help putting a hand to his
lips.
They felt tingly.

Ooh, cliffhanger-y! What will happen?

Eh, you can probably guess.

Chapter 3
Summary: Hitsugaya gets some advice of his own and confronts his vice-captain.
Author’s Note: I know, I’m so mean. I took a good two weeks to bring this to you. Hopefully, it
was worth the wait.
By the way, the average human body temperature is 98.6 degrees. You’ll need to know that.
Disclaimer: Not mine.

Hitsugaya walked out of the 4th Division compound with no real idea where he was going. The
check up had passed in a blur, with Unohana telling him he was perfectly healthy with the
exception of slightly higher temperature than normal (87.2 degrees), and now he wasn’t sure
what to do with himself. He needed to go somewhere to think, but where? Usually, he sat on the
roof of his own division, but that was obviously out of the question as Matsumoto would be there.
Where else could he go…?
He glanced up. Not paying attention, Hitsugaya had let his feet take him in a random direction,
and they had carried the young captain to the large hot-springs Yamamoto-sotaicho was fond of
using. The venerable shinigami claimed the hot water and steam helped him relax and clear his
head, though some said the real reason he enjoyed it so much was the spectacle of his vice-
captain turning into a human lobster.
Hitsugaya thought about it. The springs were reserved for use by higher-ranking seated officers
and it was the middle of the day, so they would probably be empty. Perhaps it would be a good
idea to see if Yamamoto’s theory was true.

With a last furtive glance around the room to make sure he was truly alone, Hitsugaya dropped
the towel wrapped around his waist and sank into the hot water. As the springs had been built
with adults in mind, the captain found he had to tread water to keep his head from going under.
He paddled along the side of the spring, deep in thought. This, coupled with the thick, fog-like
steam, meant he didn’t notice the large shape ahead of him until he bumped into it. Hitsugaya
backpedaled quickly, staring at the thing he’d swam into. Komamura opened his eyes, surprised
by the collision, and turned his head, made shaggy by the water in his fur, to look at his fellow
captain.
“Oh, Hitsugaya-taicho. I didn’t hear you come in,” rumbled the canine, shifting to better face his
peer. He’d been lying, half-asleep, against one of the large clumps of rock and plant that dotted
the rim of the hot springs at irregular intervals, and hadn’t expected to see anyone else for the
same reasons Hitsugaya had come here. With his fur darkened by excess water and the thick
steam, the large shinigami had looked like a part of the rocks he leaned on from a distance, and
Hitsugaya supposed this was why he hadn’t noticed him before.
“I’m sorry, Komamura-taicho. I didn’t think there would be anyone here. Speaking of which… not
to be rude, but why are you here?” Komamura shrugged.
“Tetsuzaemon decided that I’ve been working too hard of late, so he locked me out of the office
and told me to go relax. I decided it would be better than breaking down the door.” Hitsugaya
hoped to whatever gods were listening that the 7th Division vice-captain didn’t compare notes
with Matsumoto… the thought of his own subordinate reminded the captain why he was here in
the first place. As far as he could tell, the hot water, while soothing, was not making the situation
any clearer to him. “Is something wrong?” asked Komamura, tilting his head. “You seem
distracted.” Hitsugaya shook his head.
“Er, it’s nothing. Um…” he pursed his lips, regarding the larger captain. He seemed genuinely
concerned. “Komamura-taicho, could I ask your advice about something?” Komamura’s lips
twitched slightly. He had a pretty good idea what Hitsugaya might need advice about.
“Certainly.” Hitsugaya scratched the back of his neck, wondering how to phrase his question.
Komamura wasn’t exactly known as a gossip, but the white-haired shinigami was reluctant to tell
anyone about his encounter with Matsumoto.
“Well… I, um, recently found myself in an...” Hitsugaya struggled for a good word, “…intimate
situation with another person unexpectedly.” He gulped, waiting to see if Komamura would laugh.
The other captain merely nodded in an understanding fashion.
“I see. And you are not sure what to do about it?” Hitsugaya nodded his head, grateful the man
had perceived his dilemma.
“It’s just… she’s older than I am by a good measure, and she’s also a colleague…” he wondered
how easy it would be to determine who he was referring to. “I’m not sure what I should do when I
see her again.” Komamura scratched his muzzle thoughtfully.
“Hmm… well, what do you think of this woman?” Hitsugaya was taken aback by the question. He
thought for a moment before answering.
“Well, despite certain drawbacks, I think she is a skilled and competent shinigami.” Komamura
shook his head.
“Beyond that. What do you think of her as a person?”
“Oh. Um. She can be a little… flaky at times, but she’s always dependable for truly important
things. She’s actually very caring, and a loyal friend.” Hitsugaya was on a roll now. “She’s also
very strong, and she always seems to be able to look on the bright side, even in the darkest
times. Sometimes, just being near her can make things seem less bleak. She’s smart, and funny,
and beautiful…” he stopped when he realized what he’d said, blushing furiously. Komamura
nodded again.
“Do you believe you might be in love with her?” he asked with the utmost seriousness. Hitsugaya
thought about this for a long time. Finally, he spoke, quietly.
“…yes. I think I might.”
“In that case,” stated Komamura, crossing his burly arms, “I think you should let her know that. I
can assure you she will appreciate it.” The other captain inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, then
nodded.
“I... shall do that.” He looked up at his fellow. “Thank you for your advice, Komamura-taicho.”
Komamura waved his hand dismissively.
“Think nothing of it.” The two remained silent for awhile, quietly soaking in the hot water. Finally,
Hitsugaya broke the silence.
“Er, could you…”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Of course,” Komamura replied hastily, turning his eyes away from the boy. He
listened as Hitsugaya climbed out of the spring, grabbed his towel, and left. The canine sank
deeper into the water and hummed contentedly.
“I must remember to thank Tetsuzaemon the next chance I get,” he mused to himself.

“Er… Matsumoto?”
Matsumoto inhaled sharply, looking up from the paperwork she’d been doing (for once). Her
captain stood in the door to their joint office, looking extremely apprehensive.
“Yes, taicho?” she asked, trying to keep the nervousness from her voice. Hitsugaya swallowed.
“I’ve been… thinking. About what happened earlier.” The young shinigami walked hesitantly to
stand in front of his vice-captain’s desk. “And… I…”
“It’s okay, taicho. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. It was entirely inappropriate, and it was
wrong for me to put you in that situation. I…” Rangiku felt like crying, but she refused to distress
her captain any more than she already had. “I’ll apply to transfer to another division, if my staying
here would make you feel uncomfortable. Just please…” Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry… “Please
don’t hate me.” The woman gulped, desperately fighting tears. Hitsugaya lifted his gaze to meet
hers, and reached out a tentative hand to grip one of hers. Matsumoto blinked in surprise.
“Why… why would you think I hate you? That I could hate you? I… I love you,” mumbled the
captain, his cheeks reddening. Matsumoto was sure she must have misheard.
“Wh… what?” she stammered. But before she could say another word, Hitsugaya had walked
around her desk, leaned his face in close to hers, and brought his their lips together.
The two of them stayed like that for what seemed an eternity. Hitsugaya was shocked at his own
daring, and Matsumoto still had trouble believing this was actually happening. Then, slowly, she
wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. She felt his
own arms encircle her torso.
Finally, they pulled apart, Hitsugaya’s face bright shade of crimson. Matsumoto tried to think of
what to say, but the emotions she felt were too intense and incomprehensible to put into words.
Eventually, she said the only thing she could think of.
“Um… we have a lot of… paperwork to do…” Hitsugaya blushed deeper, but a shy smile crossed his
lips.
“Maybe we could… forget the paperwork. Just for today…” he mumbled, scuffing his foot slightly.

Ukitake Jyushiro whistled as he walked, stopping in front of the door to the 10th Division captain’s
office. He held a box of snowman-shaped white chocolates in his hand, something he’d seen in a
shop that he knew would be just perfect for Toushiro-kun. He reached out with a thin hand,
pushing the door open slightly and poked his head inside.
“Ah, Toushiro-kun! I saw this in the market today I instantly thought of…” Ukitake’s voice trailed
off as what he saw in the office made its way into his brain. Hitsugaya and his vice-captain lay
under a woven blanket on the plush green couch she loved so much, wrapped in each other’s
arms, sleeping peacefully. Jyushiro grinned slowly.
“Ah, I see you’re busy,” he whispered, pulling his head back and shutting the door quietly behind
him. “I’ll give these to you tomorrow, perhaps.”

Komamura turned the page of his book, adjusting his reading glasses. He looked up as the sound
of something crashing against a door made its way to his ears. The captain stood, leaving his
book on the chair he’d been using, and made his way from his room to the back of the division’s
compound. He slid the door to the porch open, looking down where a vaguely familiar shinigami
lay, clutching his head. Komamura frowned, trying to remember the man’s name.
“…Yamada Hanataro, isn’t it?” asked the captain, finally. Hanataro looked up, gulping. Komamura
looked quite intimidating from ground level, even with the small glasses perched on the end of his
nose. The smaller shinigami scrambled to his feet, bowing and wringing his hands.
“Ah, h-hai, K-Komamura-taicho,” he stuttered, shaking nervously, though it might also have had
to do with the cold. It was rather late at night, after all.
“I see. What brings you to the 7th Division at such an hour?” inquired Komamura, not sounding at
all annoyed. Hanataro’s face turned bright crimson.
“O-oh, w-well, I overh-heard M-Matsumoto-f-fukutaicho t-talking to I-Isane-fukut-taicho today,
and sh-she said th-that you’d g-given h-her some… s-some…” the tiny death god became frantic.
“I-I’m so s-sorry K-Komamura-taicho! I-I’ll leave immediately! I, I-” Hanataro turned to run, but
stopped when the larger man put a hand on his shoulder. Komamura sighed, but smiled lightly.
“I quite understand. Please, have a seat. I’ll make some tea.”

I stayed up till 12:40 to finish this, which is probably a bad idea since I have school tomorrow. Oh
well. HitsuMatsu FOREVER!!