Pairing: Hitsugaya Toshiro x Matsumoto Rangiku

Genre: AU/Romance

Status: Complete

Warnings: This is AU, meaning, the characters won't be in the original setting of the anime/manga. There will be a lemon. English isn't my first language so excuse any typos and grammar mistakes. It's probably OOC as well.

A/N: Well, I've spent the day writing on this on and off in between studying. The idea just wouldn't leave my mind and I needed a de-stresser. For anyone who is following my WIP stories I apologize; I have little time for writing a few strikes of inspiration to write like this one when under stress. Hopefully this oneshot will satisfy someone, at least.

Again, excuse typos and grammar mistakes. Ive been too tired/distracted to check it thorugh and well...I'm a lazy butt.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy! :D

Edit: I read it through and corrected a few typos as well as a miss I did in timeline concerning their age differences. Note that there're probably quite a few typos and grammatical errors left, but I hope I got rid of most of it. Thanks for all who have reviewed so far! :D

o-oOo-o

Fate's Assistant

oOo

o-oOo-o

It had been during the beginning of summer, and he'd been in middle school, only months shy of high school. He was younger than his classmates by three years, his intellect having pushed him forward in the education system faster than the normal child and it had earned him the title of prodigy, which lay heavy on his small shoulders. Its weight had not only forced him to reach levels of maturity one so young should not possess, but the grim, serious lines on his face indicated he was not used to kind treatment by peers or seniors alike.

While he was more or less used to praise for his intelligence, he knew few who met him with pride instead of jealousy or unease – a student should not be able to outsmart their own teacher. In fact, the only people who had ever seemed genuine in their compliments had been his old granny and his childhood friend Momo. Having no other family or friends to speak of, he had treasured them above else for their support when the stupidity of the world had gotten to him. There had just been so much he could've taken from the school's bullies before he snapped back then, and having naturally white hair and teal eyes did had not helped (he still insisted that his hair was but a natural, very pale blonde, yet no matter how many times he said this, no one seemed to believe it).

He remembered that the graduation ceremony had finally ended and that he'd lingered behind as students of all grades ran out and plugged the gates. He had decided to wait until the rush was over, before making his way home alone. Momo had been over by the seniors, soon-to-be-University-students, trying to get that second button of Aizen's uniform, so he hadn't worried about her. She wouldn't have given up until she had it, and who knows how long that would've taken? He frowned at the thought, recalling the unhealthy obsession his friend had had over that disgustingly smooth upperclassman. She had hardly concentrated in school, and he had lost count on how many essays he'd helped her write to keep her grades from failing. While he'd had it easy, not having to struggle at all, he had sourly missed something to challenge his mind and never did understand why she hadn't taken advantage of it when she had the opportunity herself.

When the commotions of graduation had calmed down, he remembered crossing the schoolyard when someone ran straight into him, causing him to lose balance immediately. It was a memory that remained clear despite the years that had passed and he had given up trying to figure out why. Leaning back in a squeaky, but sinfully comfortable leather chair, he closed his eyes and continued his revere. The vague image of his old school cleared as he closed out the distraction of his surroundings and he sighed, resisting a wince at the memory of the piercing sound that followed his fall.

oOo

A loud squeal of surprise deafened his ears as the weight of a person followed, causing him to get crushed between a body and the hard ground of the schoolyard. Gasping for air, he could hardly move as the person lying sprawled along his front groaned in pain. Blinking, he forced himself to look down and was met with vivid colors of gold and cream. Although it was heavy, the body was cotton compared to the ground and when he titled his head down his nose bumped into something even softer. His eyes slowly focused and his startled brain finally made the connection. Blushing, he realized a girl had just run him to the ground and had her cleavage pressed way too close to his face. Mimicking her earlier squeal, he started to struggle.

"Oh! Oh I'm so sorry kiddo!" the girl gasped, scrambling to her feet and helping him stand by a firm grasp of his hand. The surprise of her strength made his struggling cease, and he momentarily forgot to scold her. She was eying him curiously as she started straightening his rumpled uniform, checking him for injuries.

"What do you think you're doing?! Running around like that! Watch where you're going!" he snapped, taking a step back when he realized she was touching him. No one touched him, unless they were looking for a fight. The girl grinned, shrugging as she dusted herself off and straightened her own clothes. He realized too many buttons of her white shirt were undone and quickly looked away, embarrassed beyond words by the black lace he had spotted.

"I told you I was sorry kiddo, no need to get your panties in a twist!" she retorted, any offense or arrogance in her voice killed by the twinkling of her startlingly blue eyes and the wide grin of her lips. He was about to snap at her again, but she beat him to it and cut him off even before he opened his mouth. "But hey, aren't you that smart kid? Hitsugaya-something? Oh yes you are, aren't you! Wow! I've seen you a few times but never met you! How cool! You've made Gin so jealous you know, he's the smartest in our year, but when he was your age, he was dumb in comparison!"

Her giggles only served to make him blush even harder at her words, and he wondered who the hell she was and what she wanted with him. He told her as much, through offended stuttering and violent gesturing. Her cheery attitude made him nervous.

"Oh, again, I apologize! Introductions first, huh? Well, I'm former upperclassman Matsumoto Rangiku, pleased to meet you!" she chirped, bowing politely in greeting. He blinked, taking a closer look and realizing she looked to be even older than the regular senior. Her name tickled a memory but it took him a few moments before it clicked – he was talking to the Matsumoto Rangiku! All year the guys in his class had not stopped bemoaning their back luck of starting high school just when she had graduated for good, and frankly, he had grown so tired of hearing about her and her – assets – that he was glad she was graduating and leaving, whoever she was. And now, she was standing before him, waiting for a return of the greeting.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, pleased to meet you," he said, quickly bowing before straightening himself to glare. The situation was bizarre, and it made him uncomfortable when he couldn't figure out the correct way of handling it. "What are you doing here, Matsumoto-senpai? Aren't you supposed to be with the other seniors?"

She grinned, shrugging casually before answering. "I left as soon as the ceremony was over and went into hiding. Some people are a bit overzealous in their goodbyes so I decided to ditch."

"Oh," was all he managed to say, mentally banging his head against a wall for his behavior. Conversation had never been his thing, especially not casual. She didn't seem to mind though, but continued in her cheery voice that seemed to soothe his annoyance even as his discomfort grew.

"Ah but I really need to go now. It was nice finally meeting you, Toshiro-kun! I'm looking forward to your graduation in a few years; I bet it'll be awesome!" He blinked at her words, bewildered. His voice came out genuinely confused, because he could not find the logic in her statement. "Why would my graduation interest you?"

"Well," she began, looking as if she expected it to be obvious. "You're a genius, aren't you? With that brain of yours you'll be able to do great things, I'm sure! I'll be keeping an eye on the news and cheer you on kiddo! Until we meet again!"

She left with a mock salute, running towards the gates with long, blonde hair flying wildly in the wind before he could manage anything other than a weak "bye" in response. The trail of sakura flowers that followed in her wake made the scene even more bewildering and he frowned, willing himself to start walking again instead of standing gaping like a fool at an empty gate. He wondered if she was right, and found he had not spared the future much thought. There must be some kind of challenge out there that would satisfy his mind, and suddenly, he felt quite eager to discover just what that might be. In an act of politeness, he silently wished the bubbly girl well in her own future, and absently wondered if he would ever meet her again. A quick calculation in his mind proved that the possibility was too low, thus dismissing the thought immediately.

oOo

Opening his eyes, he stared down at the folder before him. He had never believed in fate, but it would seem as if he was too quick in dismissing the possibility he had considered back then. The years that followed that day he had learned the hard way that sometimes, you can't always rely on numbers to foresee an outcome. Although it has been tough, he'd learned a lot since then and ten years later, Hitsugaya Toshiro was sitting rather comfortably behind an impressive desk filled with neatly stacked piles of paper and books, a phone, one steaming white cup of tea and an expensive looking laptop which had previously occupied his attention.

The room – which was a comfortably spacious office – was lined with bookshelves and furnished with a sleek designer couch, a coffee table out of crystal glass, several comfortable chairs and a few green, leafy plants. The desk he was seated at faced the entrance's door, which currently kept the noises of a busy corridor out, and behind him were floor-to-ceiling windows showing off a city from several stories above ground. He briefly looked up from the folder he had been flipping through back and forth for an indefinable amount of time to turn in his seat and spare the view a glance, absently looking up at a clear, blue summer sky and wondering if the Gods were laughing at him right now. Not that he held any belief of a higher, divine power, but that wasn't the point. He was sure someone out there must find his situation amusing.

He was, after all, employing the Matsumoto Rangiku as his personal assistant.

He wasn't sure what had made him choose her out of the many applications; he wasn't even sure what she was doing applying for the job in the first place. There were a lot of things he weren't sure about concerning Matsumoto Rangiku, but he did know that he could not be accused for being biased. She hadn't written her name until the end of the application, and he had been intrigued after the first few paragraphs. And now, she was coming over for an interview that he didn't really deem necessary. He had taken a surprisingly strong interest in her previous employments and knew she would not disappoint; he even knew one of her employers – Urahara Kisuke – and had spoken to the man personally. He was strangely relieved to find that her future had indeed gone well.

A knock on his door brought him out of his silent musings, making him hastily glance at his wristwatch even as he straightened and removed invisible wrinkles by dusting off his stiff suit. Running a hand through his messy hair – it'll never obey and just lie flat, will it? – he stopped midway and frowned. He was nervous, why?

Shaking his head, he called out. "Come in!"

"I've brought Matsumoto-san for you, chief!" a cheery voice drawled, the slightly condescending tone ever-present. Through the increasing gap of the door Yumichika peered, only opening it fully and moving aside at Toshiro's curt nod.

He found himself quite eager to see the woman, although he'd had his share of staring at crisp, passport-like pictures stuffed in her folder. He thought it would've prepared him for the meeting, but the sight that greeted him as sleek, elegant feet cradled in expensive shoes with vicious heels carried her smooth legs, round, generous hips, narrow waist, impressive bust and beautiful face over the doorstep made him realize it had been a huge mistake to assume he would not be rendered speechless, when her mere photos had caused him to stare a few moments too long.

Mentally berating himself for checking her out so openly, he fought down a blush and tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, instead of her sinful curves. Although she was dressed properly – in a pinstriped skirt ending just by her knees and a matching jacket over a white, bottomed-up shirt and golden hair up in a tight bun – it did nothing to hide her appeal. The pink scarf tied around her neck made her look chic, he supposed, and that was probably why Yumichika was eying her with apparent approval. Her deep, smooth voice snapped him out of whatever daze he had been in and he couldn't help but compare it to that of his memory. None of her cheerfulness had gone, but it had grown more mature and fit her perfectly.

"I am Matsumoto Rangiku, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," she greeted with a bow, a smile tugging at her full lips that shone slightly in the light, making an appealing sight. Toshiro stood, fighting a strange urge to grin back, and gestured for the seat opposite of him.

"Please, take a seat Matsumoto-san. Yumichika, you're dismissed. Tell your boss he'll have to fix his own papers for the meeting, I don't have time for any favors," he said, impatient to get rid of the annoying man hovering by the door. Sending him back to Kenpachi would not only rid him from this room, but this floor as well. Sitting back down, he turned his gaze towards the woman he had not spoken to in ten years, silently amused by how things have turned out.

"Well, Matsumoto-san, it has been a while. I see here," he began, pausing to gesture at her open folder in front of him, "that you've done quite well. Your working experience is impressive, as well as the list of your qualities. Is there something you would like to add, that might not be included in your application or folder?"

The woman seemed startled, and he briefly wondered why before he realized she might not remember him. The possibility had never occurred to him before and he swore mentally at his stupidity. Wasn't he supposed to be intelligent? Just because he had been slightly famous – or infamous, depending on how you looked at it – during their school years did not mean she would still remember running into a kid ten years ago. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of muffled giggling and he focused his stare, seeing her hide her mouth behind a delicate hand with finely manicured nails.

"Oh so you remembered!" she exclaimed, her voice stained with the cheery giggles even as she lowered her hand. Her blue eyes twinkled, meeting his surprised gaze. "I'm glad you do, Toshiro-kun! Now I may express my well wishes for your impressive work – congratulations! Youngest board member of the most famous company in Japan, huh? I knew you would succeed!"

Momentarily in shock, he failed to remember Urahara mention this particular feat of hers but as his head stopped spinning, he did recall the praise given for her outspoken nature. He just hadn't anticipated it to be so, well, true. And although Urahara had praised it, it was still a quality he deemed rude; she should not be interacting with him so casually, even if it did put him at ease.

"It's Hitsugaya-san for you, Matsumoto-san," he corrected with little amount of annoyance, deciding to let it slide for now and move on. "I thank you for your kind words; it is a pleasant surprise that you remember me. But, you haven't answered my question…"

He trailed off at her bright grin and titled his head, listening as she immediately answered. "Oh! Right, your question! Well, no, I don't have anything to add other than I really hope that I'll get this job! I'll do everything to be the best assistant you've ever had!"

Smirking, he leaned back in his chair and eyed her genuine excitement. "Well, I'll hold you to your word then, Matsumoto-san. Welcome to Seireitei Co., you're now my personal assistance. I'll look forward to working with you."

Her squeal was as high-pitched as he remembered.

o-oOo-o

Working with Matsumoto Rangiku had proved to be a pleasant if slightly nerve-racking experience. The first few days had been awkward to say the least; it took him a few weeks to get used to the many quirks her personality provided. She never did stop adding –kun to him name, be it his first or last, and no matter how many times he snapped at her, her good mood never faltered. At first he had been careful not to rely on her too much, making sure she didn't have to handle everything about his appointments and needs. There were secretaries and such to divide the work between, although this proved to become quite messy since he often forgot in his rush who he had ordered to do what. After barely a month, Matsumoto had taken it into her own hands to sort out the mess he had unknowingly made and now three months into her employment things worked incredibly smooth.

If only he found a way to kill the budding attraction and the resulting tension between them, it would be perfect.

While he admitted he had been attracted to her from the beginning, he had never really believed she would feel the same. It was a complication he hadn't foreseen, and now, he was paying for it by painfully trying to quench any feelings not related to work whenever she was around (which was a lot, he realized when he started to try and avoid her). This woman, however, could not seem to take hints or accept "no" as an answer. It took him another two months before he realized he was fighting a losing battle, and surprisingly, the revelation was not provoked by anything unusual.

Exciting a meeting with the chairman and the other 10 board members, Toshiro had been greeted instantly by his assistant and a freshly made cup of streaming tea with added caffeine and Advil. Walking briskly through the corridors and absently greeting a handful of people as he passed by, he listened to the soothing voice of Matsumoto as she listed off the number of phone calls she had done in his place and what messages he had been left in his four hours of absence. He waved these off impatiently and had his suspicion confirmed about there being something of more relevance left when she mentioned the annual charity function held by the company. He bit back a groan of disgust as they entered the elevator, Matsumoto still talking and adding a few of her own comments to the general planning already done. He took a sip of tea that only Matsumoto seemed to get just right as she further explained the costs the rental of the whole Tokyo Tower would be. Being the head of the economical department of the company, he needed to pay attention and preferably with a full stomach. The doors to the elevator closed just as she inquired how much the sponsors would help pay, and Toshiro sighed.

"Let's take this after lunch, Matsumoto," he suggested, titling his head backwards to stare at the glowing number indicating which floor they were passing by. Her hum of agreement made him steal a glance her way where her blue eyes captured his immediately.

"So, where to?" she asked innocently, clicking her pen three times by habit (he refused to acknowledge he had taken notice of this) before fastening it on her ever-present notebook. Folding it underneath her arm, she waited for his reply. His lips turned down in a frown and he took another sip of tea, fearing another headache might come creeping up on him sometime soon. "Please don't inform me that you have yet to take lunch, Matsumoto, because that would be an insult to your supposed intellect."

Shrugging, she seemed unconcerned about the annoyance lacing his words. Knowing her, she probably was totally unmoved. "I always have my lunch with you, Toshiro-kun. You'd think after five months you might've picked up on this. Tsk, whose intelligence is really in need of doubt, hm?"

Another sip of tea, and he was ready to snap back. He needed the caffeine, for she was an energy-sucking piece of woman, this one. "Matsumoto, it's almost 3 in the afternoon. You are scheduled to have your lunch between 12 and 1 o'clock."

"Mou, Toshiro-kun," she pouted, the playful shine of her eyes betraying her offended expression. "If I don't eat with you you'll eat alone, and you really need some nice company and discuss something other than work you know! That's what lunches are for, silly." Pausing, she blew an annoying strand of hair from her eyes and continued with a wink. "Besides, I had to fetch your suit from the dry cleaners and I've already told you countless times how long they make you wait!"

Glaring at the strand of hair that had stubbornly landed by her cheek and stuck to her glossy lips, Toshiro reached over and quickly tucked it behind her ear. There. Returning to his cup, he realized he was out of tea. The familiar ding of the elevator told him they had reached their floor and he sighed.

"Fine. We're having sushi, but no sake."

He tried to ignore her triumphant grin, but with little success. He really was losing, and not very gracefully, when she hugged his arm close to her intimidating (and extremely distracting) bust and he turned three different shades of red.

o-oOo-o

Once the time for the charity function came one month later, Toshiro was having a mini-breakdown. He didn't have many of those, for he was a composed businessman in his best years of youth with intelligence and energy to battle most things, but as it were, he was less skilled in handling last second disasters simply because they didn't happen. At least, not without a Plan B, C, D, E, F and G already prepared long before any contracts were signed. Now he only had a Plan B to fall back on, and from the looks of it, even that one might be screwed.

"Come on, Matsumoto, pick up!" he growled at his overly fancy cell phone. He didn't quite understand why he had been equipped with a piece of technology he barely understood, when all he really needed was a way of contact. The ten different ways of making or receiving a call were totally unnecessary.

The beeping tone continued for another few moments before it was finally picked up, and he nearly choked on the groan of relief as a familiar voice sounded from the receiver. "Mmm'ello? Whossit?"

"Matsumoto! It's me," he exclaimed, pacing back and forth on the soft carpet of his bedroom floor. "I have a problem. The cat ate my dress suit."

Silence followed his statement before she replied in a slightly confused voice. "Shiro-chan ate your suit? How much have Jushiro-san been feeding the poor thing for it to be able to swallow a whole suit?"

Growling, he tried to remind himself she was probably half-asleep. "He didn't eat the whole suit, Matsumoto. But he did enough damage for it to be ruined. I can't wear it tomorrow. I have nothing to match the dress code."

A groan was heard, followed by a rustle of sheets, and the combination made him blush. Shaking his head, he blamed it on the slightly panicked state of his mind and decided to sit down on his king-sized bed before he paced a hole in the carpet. It had been rather expensive, that you very much.

"I know I said the cat was cute, but damn Toshi, he has bad timing," she mumbled, voice still husky from sleep. "I'll go and buy you a new suit and bring it with me when I come to pick you up. I'll just arrive an hour earlier, alright?"

"But, they were tailored! How are you going to find a dress suit with our company's logo on it?"

"Geez, first off, your size is easy to find," she sighed. "And besides, it's just to remove the logo from the old suit and sew it on the new one. I'll bring thread and needle, no worries."

Feeling quite stupid, he only managed a lame "Oh, right" before she continued. "Now, go to sleep Toshiro. You've had a long week and it's 5 in the morning. You have to be up by 8 you idiot. No, make that 10. I'm cancelling the first meeting. G'night."

He didn't have time to argue and spent a minute or two glaring at the phone before throwing it behind him to land on the other side of the bed where no one had slept for a considerable amount of time. His last relationship had ended quite violently two years ago and since then, he had tried to avoid bringing any girls home after a night out. He preferred their place, from which he could escape early in the morning with ease.

Feeling the exhaustion of the week crashing down on him now that the crisis had been solved, he fell back into the soft cushions and sheets of the bed. He had been awoken by the sound of ripping fabric and panicked at what he'd found – the white, fat furball of fellow board member Ukitake Jushiro happily sharpening his claws and teeth on his dress suit. He never should've agreed to watch what was obviously one of the many millions spawns of Satan, even if it did earn him points with the cat-loving assistant of his. Not that it mattered, really. Right?

oOo

The charity function had started out bad and ended worse. It was the only way to describe it. The incident with his dress suit was merely the beginning of a chain of misfortunes. Not only had Matsumoto cleared most of his schedule for the day so he could sleep in and wake up fearing he had missed something, but she happily invaded his large apartment and jumped and bounced happily in his large bed before helping him get ready for the party when his stylist had run late due to traffic. Had she not chosen to change and get ready at his place as well, he might've coped, even with the inviting site of her bouncing off his mattress. But now, showering had turned out to be the single most torturous experience in his life when he knew she had stood naked on the very same floor he stood on, under the very same stream of water he was, while he had been only a room away.

After having his suit fixed and his hair tamed into a more stylish mess than it was naturally, he had thought it might be over. But when she needed help with zipping her tight, pink dress (revealing she had no bra) and a pair of extra hands for her hair, he started to believe Murphy's law might hold more truth than he previously thought. She was sinfully beautiful and sensual it wasn't even funny, and her hair was the softest he had ever felt. The occasional brush of strands as he's tucked them behind her ear, or removed them from the corner of her lips, or even picked a few from his suit, had been nothing compared to the feel of running his fingers through the length of it as he had done today. His hands were easily buried in the silky mass, and it was with reluctance he had removed them from the mass of gold.

The result of their combined efforts, however, was breathtaking. She had proved to be quite skilled in styling when she had fixed him up, but with a few touches of make-up and her simple arrangement of smooth locks she had turned herself into someone more likely to be a model than a personal assistant. Gone was the strict and modest dress code of office, replaced with something more befitting her beauty. Had he been any less of a man he would've spent the evening showing her off on his arm but when they had arrived, a strange urge to keep her out of sight and gorge the eyes out of the old men eyeing her had hit him like a ton of bricks.

From there, he had tried to avoid conversation with fellow businessmen as much as possible and for once, he hadn't minded the closeness of his assistant mainly because it allowed him to keep an eye on the bubbly woman and prevent her from getting into trouble. He had, however, been unable to stop her from consuming the free drinks offered and so his bad luck continued.

Several dances and interruptions followed, until he had decided it was enough and brought her to sit with him in a corner. He had allowed her drunken chatter to calm his nerves and settled with observing her as he usually did. She had managed to make him drink more than a few glasses of champagne and wine than he was used to, and the buzz of alcohol was slightly worrying. But he decided to ignore it for the time being, because the birthmark underneath her lower lip was fascinating.

He allowed his eyes to roam the rest of her exposed skin, taking in many more dark spots gracing her skin like freckles. A few dotted her narrow wrist, continuing up on her arms in a scant number. It was oddly attractive, he realized. The few dots visible in her cleavage made him groan as they disappeared beneath silky, pink fabric that would be so easy to remove. He wondered where else she had those freckle-like spots and had his eyes dropping down to the slit in her dress where an elegant leg peeked through. She had them crossed, one feet dangling lazy in the air. Her shoes were of a simple design that complimented her slim feet, and the pink polish on her toenails made him grin. A few dark-brown dots were visible on her ankle, but other than that, only two or three graced what was visible of her leg. He licked his lips, entertaining the thought of kissing each mark and discovering each and every one of them on her curvy body. The knot in his stomach he had assumed were a side effect of too much wine tightened and he was forced to admit he was aroused.

"-iro? Toshiro?" she'd called, making him snap out of his daze. He didn't care if something was visible in his eyes when he met hers, but the teasing grin on her lush lips made him frown even as his lower stomach twisted in pleased agreement at the coy look she was giving him.

"Do you enjoy what you see, Toshiro-kun?" she inquired, her voice suspiciously innocent but betrayed by the look of her slightly flushed face. He growled, contemplating to drag her home and wipe that smug smirk off her face. Dismissing the thought a bit slower than he was comfortable with, he tried to remind himself there was a reason as to why he hadn't given in to the temptation that was Matsumoto Rangiku yet. She was his personal assistant, and mixing work with private life was a big no-no. Right?

"I'll take that as a yes, boss," she purred, leaning in to brush her lips against his before pulling away. He blushed and stared at her in shock, causing her to giggle. His lips tingled with the contact she had provided, no matter how brief it had been. Regarding him for a few moments, she sighed. "Well, I guess I should call a cab. I promised to get you home by 2, didn't I? Man, the party will be a drag without you, Toshi."

She was standing as she spoke; pulling out her cell from the small purse she kept hanging off her shoulder. Letting the use of a rather hated nickname slide, he reached for her arm and clumsily grabbed it to stop her from dialing the last few numbers.

"I'm not going home without you," he stated firmly, frowning. She seemed startled, but quickly recovered to giggle.

"Wow, I wouldn't have pegged you as the straightforward type, boss. Not after trying to avoid me for so long, you silly man," she said, obviously amused. He blushed when he realized what his words had sounded like, and hurried to explain, not really taking notice of the fact that his attempts at keeping a distance between them had been less subtle than he had thought.

"Oh hush you," she interrupted his stuttering, pressing a finger against his lips and causing his eyes to cross as he tried to follow it. "I know what you meant. I'll go home with you and drop you off, and then I'll return to my flat like a good little girl. C'mon now, I'll call the cab on our way down."

Feeling disappointment at her words, he let himself get dragged across the room towards the elevator. It took him a while to remember he had no right to feel disappointed when he was continuously rejecting her. He should be glad she was backing off on her own this time, but instead, it filled him with unease. He suspected she was acting out of consideration to his drunken state, and had to smile at the loyal friendship she offered. Or, well, maybe she was just following her job description. He had a vague memory of the chairman adding a few requirements after Shunsui-san's many incidents.

"You know," Matsumoto said, interrupting his thoughts. "It's quite sad."

Confused by her statement and the dazed look in her eyes, Toshiro shifted to face her. The alcohol was making it hard to focus. "What is?"

"Well," she began, swaying a bit where she stood in her high heels that he never quite understood how she managed to walk in. "I'm 28 years old and have a long list of men behind me. I know my heart like the back of my hand, and therefore, I know it's sad."

Tracing her hand with a finger, she looked up to meet his confused stare. "Okay, but…what is sad? You're not old Matsumoto, if you think that, then hell—" he was interrupted by a giggle and a light poke in his ribs that made him squirm.

"It's not that, silly," she said, lips smiling but eyes were void of her usual cheerful twinkle. "It's just that the list behind me is so long, but the list in front of me? It's so short it's only one name on it."

Dazed, he tried to make sense of her explanation with his mind working as slow as it was. Unsure, he eyed her smile. "The list of men?" Her nod confirmed his question and he titled his head, suspicious. His heart was beating faster but he chose not to acknowledge the reason. Hope was a terrible thing. "Who is on your list, I mean, the one in front of you?"

Her eyes closed but he didn't have to see them to know they would shine in the light of the elevator. He held his breath as she breathed in deeply, making his eyes glance down at her inviting cleavage for less than a second before returning to her half-smiling face. "You," she replied, forcing the breath out of his lungs with ease.

It was indeed the worst ending of a charity function supporting the HIV/AIDS research, because he knew he didn't have any protection just as well as he knew he would bring her home tonight. He wouldn't even scold her for bouncing on his bed, because he knew it wouldn't be her fault this time around.

oOo

Making his way inside the fancy apartment had never been so frustrating before tonight. With Rangiku – as she had asked him to call her after a rather breathtaking session of making-out in the backseat of the cab – clinging to his frame and her one leg wrapped around his to keep him close, it was very difficult to search for the lock. Her hot, delicious kisses made it hard to think and he had to break away for a few moments or else he would've been forced to just take her in the hallway. A very tempting thought, but he had a feeling it would not be appreciated by his neighbors. Free to breathe, he panted heavily and fumbled with the key, groaning in frustration when her lips and tongue attacked his ear, jaw and throat instead. He enjoyed it immensely, but how did she think he would be able to get them inside if she kept this up? The beautiful sound of a lock clicking open reached his ears and he quickly twisted the doorknob and brought them inside with a blur of stumbling limbs. Moaning against him, Rangiku pressed close and as he shut the door behind them with a flick of his foot she immediately pushed him against the hard surface, slipping eager hands up his already muffed shirt. Nails scraped his skin and brushed past hardening nipples, sending jolts of pleasure down his spine. Noises of approval left his throat and he leaned down to capture her mouth again, letting his hands roam her back in search for the zipper he had wanted to unzip as soon as he had zipped it up hours ago.

It opened easily and he reached for the thin straps holding it up, slipping his thumbs underneath them and dragging them down her shoulders. She quickly caught on, sucking on his lower lip as she shrugged out of the straps before returning her hands to his shirt. Unbuttoning, she moved her moist lips away from his teasing tongue to trail down his throat once again, letting him pull her dress further down her body until it slid effortlessly down her hips and legs, leaving her in only lacy, black panties and dangerously sharp heels. Impatiently, she ripped the rest of his shirt open before pressing her naked chest against his. He choked on his chuckle as a moan escaped him, feeling her hard nipples press deliciously against his naked skin. He removed his hands form her naked back in favor of ridding himself of his jacket and shirt, even as her fingers worked on his belts and pants.

"Eager, are we?" he panted, a crooked grin gracing his bruised lips as she tugged at his pants. Slipping out of his shoes and kicking them off into the corner, he licked his lips at the husky giggle that made her breasts rub wonderfully against him. "You have no fucking idea," she growled, giving a final tug before his pants were on the floor. Stepping out of them, he urged her backwards, causing her to stumble. He panted, dropping kisses at the corners of her lips before slipping his tongue inside as they parted. "Oh, I have a fucking idea, alright," he mumbled, breathless as he led her into the bedroom. She stumbled along, squeaking in delight when he roughly pushed her onto the bed where she bounced, the movement doing interesting things to her heavy bust. It didn't take long before he joined her, pinning her down and letting his hands explore freely.

Thumbs rubbed against her nipples as his free fingers squeezed the flesh available, causing her to moan into his kisses and draw her nails down his back in response. Soothing his skin, her fingers caressed in little circles up and down before her hands dipped down to squeeze his ass. Growling, he pushed his hips roughly down on hers, causing a friction that made them both pause. Taking a shuddering breath, he left her lips against to mimic the trail she had left down his own throat. Continuing down to her breasts, he nuzzled the mound lovingly as his tongue flicked out the taste the soft skin. She moaned his name, one hand coming up to bury deep in his spiky mess of hair while the other returned to caress his back. Nibbling, he let his teeth brush against the skin around her nipple, teasing, before he sucked it into his mouth completely. He had to stop himself from biting down too hard when she arched against him in response, breathing heavily thought his nose. He took his time as he changed breast, dropping kisses and nibbling on his way over.

"Aaah, stop teasing me Toshiro," she moaned, tossing her head to the side and gazing down at him through thick lashes. He drew back a few inches, letting his tongue visibly play with her nipple and suppressing a grin at the strangled noise escaping her prated lips. She made an effort to try again, licking her lips and wrapping her legs around his waist. "I think six months is enough foreplay, don't you?"

He moaned at the new position they were in, the heat of her arousal now directly pressed against his own stiffness. It caused him to briefly stop his treatment of her dark, rather pinkish nipple to consider her rather obvious request, but firmly killed any thought of complying.

"Six months of imagining what I could do to you will not be wasted by impatience now that I can freely explore such fantasies," he mumbled against her skin, nuzzling her breast and stubbornly meeting her pleading gaze with hooded, teal eyes. Grinding against him, she caused him to hiss and bite down on her soft skin in warning.

"Toshiro," she whined, but he had already broken their eye contact and moved further down her body. Lips, tongue and teeth marked his journey over her stomach and towards her aching sex. He was pleased to note the cute freckle-like marks adorned her skin here as well.

Covered by nothing but lace, he could easily smell the heavy scent of her arousal as he breathed in deeply. Slipping his thumbs under the hem, he slowly dragged them down her legs, which she swiftly unwound from his waist. Settling her feet on the mattress, she lifted her hips higher and helped him rid her of the last piece of fabric on her body.

As she lowered her hips, the panties thrown somewhere in the room, he gladly followed and used his shoulders to nudge her legs further apart. One hand gripped her inner thigh, thumb moving in slow circles and his other brushed gently against her tender sex. Moaning loudly, she bucked her hips in impatience and he grinned. Opening her up with his free hand, he took his first taste of her arousal, provoked by none other than him. Growling in pleasure at the thought, he let the tip of his tongue move teasingly around her hardened nub of nerves, alerting in pressure.

Looking up to observe her reactions, he repeated a certain circular motion that had her head trashing from side to side in an attempt for find relief. He moved further down, applying his whole tongue and he took a long, harsh lick from button to top, ending it with a hard suck applied to her nub. The delicate arch of her back and strangled noise of his name moaned in a husky, breathless voice told him she had come and he wasted no time in moving up her body to capture her lips in a searing kiss. He tugged roughly at his boxers, pushing them down his hips before kicking them off.

Her legs were bent on either side of his waist, rubbing against his sides as her hands gripped his hair and scratched his back. She seemed to caress him with her whole body, moving in a lazy pace that contrasted harshly with his rough kisses. She had hardly recovered from the blissful daze of completion before he entered her in a swift thrust that had her toes curling in her shoes. The intense pleasure of her hot, throbbing walls clenching around him caused him to throw his head back and hiss her name through clenched teeth. If he wasn't careful, this would end before he showed her just how much he enjoyed being on her list of future men that currently – and, he added absently, permanently – only held his name.

He moved then, biting his lip at the wonderful friction caused as he increased speed and strength at her delighted commands; letting go of any kind of thought in favor of absorbing the intense feelings she provoked with her breathy moans, loud screams, burning warmth and soft curves. His name echoed in his ears as she came a second time, his hands and fingers finding sensitive skin and exploring it ruthlessly. He had to concentrate as her muscles clenched painfully hard around him, slowing his thrusts until he was completely still he bit his lip to distract himself from the urge to let go. His thumb on her sensitive bundle of nerves tried to prolong her bliss without the stroke of his thrust, the expression on her face so appealing the gesture came naturally. When her eyes finally opened and locked with his, he leaned down to capture her lips again and barely contained a yelp of surprise when she flipped them over. Straddling him, she looked down with a crooked smirk gracing lips bruised by kisses.

"My turn," she breathed, and he happily lay back for, as she whispered in his ear, the ride of his life.

o-oOo-o

To say that life had become more interesting after he finally gave into his tempting assistant would be an understatement. He had tried to keep their intimate relationship for after-work only, but then she had blankly pointed out that her job was a full-time one, and work and private life went hand-in-hand for a personal assistant – they simply didn't exist as two different things. Agreeing to her argument had proved to be his downfall since she constantly reminded him that because of it, it didn't matter when or where they were. So for her to catch him alone in the office, elevator or occasional empty hallway was no longer a surprise.

At first, he had protested violently at her brazen advances but found that as soon as she stopped to randomly shower him with the rather special attention, it drove him even madder. Little things like rolling up her sleeves to show off those freckle-like spots that he knew spread across her body in the most interesting of places had him growling, as well as when she nibbled her bottom lip in thought whenever she scribbled down something in her notebook. He found that the occasional grope or passionate kiss was very much preferable to the temptation she presented otherwise.

But besides their relationship, not much had changed. He was revealed when she remained as easy to work with as before, and that their age gap of 8 years didn't bother her at all. He was slightly miffed to discover so many new things about her that he hadn't known in the 6 months they had worked together. It turned out that she, too, had no family to speak of although her network of friends was wide and well spread compared to his. He found that when allowed to cook her own food, she made the strangest combinations that should never cross a sane person's mind and that she looked extremely attractive in casual clothing. While her suit made her erotically sexy, and the evening gowns flattered her beauty, he admitted that her own quirky taste of clothing reflected her perfectly. He also quite liked her dressed in nothing but his shirt during those mornings when her hair was mussed and her smile giddily satisfied. He concluded she was quite a blessing, and the decision to accept her application had been one of his more genius moves.

And although he still didn't believe in fate, he had found a new positive outlook on the possibilities that sometimes seemed so impossible in their mathematical numbers of odds and probability.

oOo

o-oOo-o

oOo

THE END

oOo

o-oOo-o

oOo

A/N: LOL. I had too much fun with the oOo and o-oOo-o haha XD ANYWAY, it's been a while since I wrote something this long with HitsuMatsu, same goes for writing a lemon. I'm rusty.

BUT, I hope someone liked it anyway. Thanks for reading and please leave a review to brighten up my days and nights of studying! XD

Peace out ;)