Age, a bleach fanfic

Title: Age.

By: Goth-Punk88 [Kanae]

Genre: General – Romance - Humor

Pairing: HitsuMatsu

A/N's: Alright.. This is my first time writing them, so I expect you all to find some OCCness, or little details like that. Still, I hope the fic will be enjoyable, and at least slightly believable as well.

I'm also aware of the fact that HitsuMatsu it's not what someone would call a 'Popular Pairing' (at least in the western fandom), but still, if you don't like them together, then please just leave, and do not leave flames.

I'm really interested in knowing my mistakes and what things can I improve in the characterization of both, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, so please don't hesitate to leave me a review.

Anything but flames will be highly appreciated, thank you.

Disclaimer: Bleach doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the awesome Kubo Tite.

A/N [2010]: First of all, I want to thank everyone who read and dropped me a review! When I first wrote this, I never expected to receive such support, so I'm deeply thankful for it. It's also precisely because of that I decided to come back to this story and revise it. There were no changes in the happenings of the story itself, but, since English is not my native language there were quite a few odd-sounding sentences and mistakes of the sort, so I did what I could to (hopefully) fix most of them. I also changed the alignment of the story (it used to be centered the first time I uploaded it) so hopefully it should be easier to read now.

Summary: Age, had always been an issue between them. [HitsuMatsu]

Age

- -

"—Y-you…!"

She stammers, mouth agape, hand semi-stretched out in front of her and bluntly pointing towards the source of her bafflement.

"Hn, I what?"

The other person asked, his eyes narrowing at the incredulous finger pointed at him, his arms folding across his chest as he knew all too well what was coming.

"You're… Just a kid!"

The boisterous woman finally exclaimed while blinking with perplexity, causing the boy to scowl, an almost invisible blush of embarrassment and indignation covering his cheeks.

"I'm no such thing"

He claimed, stubbornly, but she pressed on.

"Yes you are! How old are you?! By your size you can't be more than a newborn baby! You haven't even reached puberty yet!"

Now the blush was back full force and he lost any composure he had been able to maintain so far, his arms uncrossing out of their own volition to fall limply at his sides, his hands fisted, his voice raising.

"S-Shut up! That doesn't matter! I'm your captain now! You have to work under my orders now, no matter how old I am!"

She blinked some more before heaving in a sigh and changing her weight from one foot to the other, rearranging a misplaced golden lock behind her ear with one of her long fingers. In front of her, by the side of his new desk, stood the youngest Taichou ever and new captain of the Tenth division, who was still fuming as he readied himself with the possible comebacks he could throw her way depending of what she'd come up with now.

But to his surprise, she merely grinned.

"Alright then, I guess you being a kiddo won't be too bad, after all. Welcome to the tenth division, Hitsu-chan-Taicho! It's going to be a pleasure to work under your command!"

A soft and delicate hand was extended towards him, accompanied by a bright grin; and the sight somehow only added to Hitsugaya's stupor, as he found himself at a loss of words.

"A-aa—"

He finally said, clearing his throat and shaking the woman's hand with his own.

It was only then that her words finally registered into his head.

"Oi! I'm not a kiddo! And it's Hitsugaya-Taicho for you!"

He thought that day that matters had been settled. He thought he had been clear enough, and he had been naïve enough to allow himself to forget everything about the incident.

Everything but the hand-shake the two had shared, that's it. After all, that was the moment where it had truly felt like the first meeting between a captain and his vice captain.

But he didn't really know Rangiku Matsumoto right then, and he surely didn't know the way her mind worked.

So when she brought up the subject again, after two full weeks, he choked on his tea.

"Just how young are you, Taichou?"

Cursing inwardly and clearing his throat to avoid any tea going through the wrong channel, Hitsugaya raised his eyes from the paperwork he had been reading in order giving her a disapproving glance that was slowly starting to become a glare.

"Didn't I tell you to drop that subject, Fukutaicho?"

He still didn't have the enough confidence to call her by not even her last name on normal basis, but he figured he'd be able to, eventually.

"Yeah, but I'm still curious, Taichou" She explained, airily, while she made herself more comfortable on the division's new coach.

He merely stared at her for a moment longer before lowering his eyes, his attention going fully back to his papers once again.

"The curiosity killed the cat, you know?"

He sipped his tea and didn't say anything else after that.

The next time she asked they had been walking quietly through the corridors, a new meeting minutes away from occurring.

She had given him a curious glance from the corner of her eye, before speaking.

"Ne, Taichou?"

"What, Matsumoto?" He inquired, somewhat grumpily. These meetings always got him in a bad mood; he was still pretty new to them, and there were still way too many people waiting for him to screw up, which was something that he just couldn't allow himself to do.

And maybe it was exactly that, being so worried about such petite things, that hadn't allowed him to see the glint in his vice captain's eyes.

"How young are you?"

His steps halted for the smallest part of a second before he forcefully restarted them, walking at a faster pace.

"Why the hell do you keep asking that?!" He turned towards her, glaring heatedly; why did she always chose the worst moments to bring up that damn obsession of hers?!

Damn that woman!

Matsumoto merely shrugged, blinking innocently and deliberately ignoring the glare she could felt rotting her skin. "Why won't you answer me?" she shots back, before adding, "It's a harmless question, you know? You won't die if you answer me, Taichou"

"I sure as hell might!" He replies under his breath, his brow furrowed, "If you're so damn curious you might as well look it up in the reports"

He didn't want her to do that; he didn't want anyone to do that, for that matter. But if it meant she'd leave him the hell alone and would drop those annoying questions for a while, then he guessed it'd be more than worth it.

But Rangiku merely shakes her head, before turning towards him, grinning brightly, "Ne, Taichou, where'd be the fun in that? There'd be no point if you aren't the one who tells me!"

He looks at her grinning form for less than a second from the corner of his eye and still has to berate himself for it, as he feels his cheeks heating up without his consent.

"Do as you wish, then"

Swords clash against each other and ice covers everything around them.

Everything but her.

She leaps in the air, managing to look delicate and elegant while doing so, and lands cleanly on a clear side of the field they were sparing in.

They exchange knowing smirks, before lashing out at each other again.

It's right in the moment their eyes meet that she asks,

"How young are you, Taicho?"

And this time, as he grips Hyorinmaru tighter, smirk never fading, eyes glistening, Hitsugaya answers—

"Not as young as I look"

Before they continue to spar, each avoiding the attacks of the other and moving together in perfect synchrony, almost as if they were dancing, as the ice around them slowly started to melt with each exchanged smirk and glance that passed between them.

She doesn't bring the subject again for a long time.

So long, that Hitsugaya loses count of how many months have passed since the last time, though some part of him is aware that at least two years had to have gone by already.

So when Matsumoto—who was looking as stunningly beautiful as always despite the years—turns towards him with that odd smile, the young taichou doesn't get the hint.

As such, it's only when her question reaches his ears that he stops signing reports.

"What's your age, Taichou?"

There's ink splattered all over the paper now, and cursing out loud Hitsugaya raises his head, glaring daggers at his vice captain.

"Goddamn it, Matsumoto! You're still with that?!"

The woman only whines, biting her lower lip and placing her best puppy-eyes on in an attempt to soften her captain's heart, "And I'll be until you tell me, Taichou!"

But her attempts are futile as the boy merely increases the strength of his glare, turning around and huffing as he did so, "Stop asking useless questions and get to work already!"

She didn't get anything out of him that day, either.

Since then Matsumoto had taken the annoying habit of blurting out that same question at the oddest of times, just when Hitsugaya was least expecting it, probably to see if she was able to get something out of him while catching him off guard.

Of course, that never happened.

But still, she kept trying; though honestly, that was only one of the very annoying habits she had been picking as of lately, as if the only thing on her mind was irritating her taichou, something that he doesn't doubt was probably true.

But his thoughts are stopped harshly, as her brand new and most annoying habit of all catches him off guard, for the umpteenth time that week.

"TAICHOU~!"

She sing-songs loudly in his ear as her body presses fully against his back, her slim arms circling his neck, her chin resting above his whitish-locks, a soft giggle freeing itself from her lips at feeling him stiffening under her touch.

"MATSUMOTO!!"

He would always shout as he tried to free himself from her grip, and she would laugh, joyfully, before asking,

"What's your age?" With a big grin on her lips, which only enlarged further at seeing the petite blush that would always color the boy's cheeks, his brow furrowing with embarrassment.

"Damnit, Matsumoto! STOP doing that!" He would order, only increasing her mirth.

"Oh, Taichou! You look sooo cute flustered like that!" She would sing with glee, sometimes even going as far as to pinch his cheeks.

Sometimes, Hitsugaya would merely shout, telling her to shut up; but other times, depending on how embarrassed he was, or how annoyed her question had made him, he wouldn't say anything and would merely give her twice the paper-work she was supposed to do instead.

She would get the message after that, but that didn't mean that she would stop trying.

Hitsugaya had been wrong when he thought that she would give up, sooner or later. He had been wrong, because back then he simply didn't know the woman he was dealing with.

He didn't know how stubborn and strong-willed Matsumoto could be; and he didn't know that when something got in that pretty-head of hers, she wouldn't stop until she fulfilled her goal.

It was just rotten luck that her goal had been settled on annoying him.

But as he saw her now, quietly leaning against the division's wall, her arms loosely hugging her form, her always bright eyes now dull and lost somewhere on the corridor, Hitsugaya couldn't help but wish she were aggravating him instead.

She always seemed to smile a lot more when she did that.

"Matsumoto"

He says softly, but clearly; that tone of authority still present in his voice, and he's unexplainably pleased at seeing her blink and turn towards him, that dull look slowly vanishing from her blue eyes.

"Taichou" She looks surprised of seeing him there, and the fact that she didn't feel his presence coming closer makes them both realize just how deep into her thoughts and sorrows she had been.

He represses a sigh, before continuing, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the office already?"

She stares at him for an instant, before lowering her eyes, "I know… It's just… I…—"

He sees the hard time she's having to express herself, so he cuts her short as he turns around and begins to walk away, "It doesn't matter. Let's go, Matsumoto"

"Wait!"

She calls out, hand stretched forward towards her captain's back. He stops at her call but she doesn't seize his arm and draws her hand back instead, her features contorting with hesitation and doubt.

"…What?"

He asks after a moment of silence, his back still turned to her.

She takes a minute before answering, her mind working as fast as it could trying to sort out her thoughts, her feelings; but at the end, she pushes away the image of a Gin who has been acting quite odd lately, and focuses on her captain instead.

"What's your age, Taichou?"

She asks for what feels like the hundred time for both of them, and neither of them says a word for seconds that seemed to last an eternity.

And then, he sighs—

"I'm older than you think"

And starts walking.

Some years go by again between her last question and the next, and just when he's starting to think she had finally forgotten all about it—for real this time—she asks again.

In this occasion though, her words are different than all the previous times.

"How old are you, Taichou?"

Both of them notice the change.

Hitsugaya's eyes enlarge slightly with unsettled surprise, and Matsumoto's shoulders stiffen with uneasiness.

But neither of them says anything about it.

"I thought you had finally gotten over it" he comments, lightly, after some minutes of silence, "Get back to work, Matsumoto; there are still plenty of things that need to be done"

For one reason or another—maybe because of the wild beating of her heart; or perhaps for the heat warming her cheeks; or maybe due to the sinking feeling downing upon her at that exact moment—she doesn't argue, instead sending a small nod in his direction.

"Aa, Taichou"

And even though he doesn't say anything, he knows that she's just as aware as he is of the fact that something had just changed.

One day, as she sees the look in his eyes as he stares down upon Hinamori Momo's broken form, she narrows her eyes and turns away.

"Just how old are you, Taichou?"

Her question gets a tired sigh as response, and his speaks; his voice low, drained, exhausted.

"This is not the moment, Matsumoto"

"I know" She says, adjusting her position against the bedroom's wall with obvious discomfort, her stare focused on the window by the bed, "It's just…" her voice lowers, and her eyes narrow further.

Her next words are only a whisper amidst the crushing silence of the room.

"…Right now, you look way too old for they age you should have"

It's all she says. And once again, her words are met with silence.

She's berating herself for even trying, when he surprises her by speaking.

"…Maybe I am getting older, after all"

Neither of them stops to think the consequences and true meanings of his words right then, but they would, later.

She feels her heart beat a little faster, her mind getting a little dizzier as she turns towards him.

"How old are you, Taichou?"

Hitsugaya, who had been seating quietly besides her, comfortably resting his back against the cold wall, turns towards her with arched eyebrows.

"You're back to that again?"

"How could I not be? You never answer any of my questions!" She tries to sound aggravated and whiny, but she can't help the grin that curves her lips.

The boy looks at her intently and somewhat deadpan for a moment before sighing, averting his eyes towards the setting sun before them. "Why are you so interested in knowing, anyway?"

He's attempting to mask the curiosity behind his words, but it's in vain, as she knows him only too well.

"I dunno" she replies with honesty, shrugging carelessly, "I guess I just want to know how much older than you I am, that's all"

His eye twitches for a second, but he sighs inwardly; that woman and her oddities—why on earth would she want to know that?

He doesn't even realize it, but he voiced his last question aloud.

As such, since he isn't expecting any answer for it, he doesn't realize just how much time Matsumoto spend analyzing her answer.

"… To see if I'm way too old for you"

She answers at last, startling both of them.

A faint blush is covering Hitsugaya's cheeks as he violently turns towards her, his eyes enlarged and his mouth agape; but the woman merely gives him a small grin, probably trying to lessen the seriousness that the situation had suddenly acquired, but her tries are futile as Hitsugaya notices not even a single traces of humor in her eyes.

His blush only intensifies on his otherwise pale cheeks. But he hides it, stubbornly turning to the side.

Neither of them says another word after that, and the sun is almost out of view when he unexpectedly breaks the silence—

"… You aren't that old, Matsumoto"

And she blinks with surprise, turning towards him, but he's not looking at her, instead, his green eyes are intently focused on the view; but she doesn't need to see his expression, because she can feel the waves of embarrassment radiating off his form, and that alone causes her to smile.

"… And you aren't that young, either"

"How old are you?"

She asks one final time, as their eyes meet.

Her cheeks are painted pink with a soft blush, and her heart is beating madly inside her chest; but still—still she cannot help but to ask him.

He stares at her for a long moment, the glint never leaving his eyes, before the corners of his mouth turn upwards into the barest traces of a husky smile, his head lowering towards hers again.

And her eyes close in anticipation, as he whispers—

"… Old enough"

Before kissing her again.

End

The general idea of the fic was to show Hitsugaya's and Matsumoto's relationship through the years, and to show how Hitsugaya matured until they reached a point where they could act on their feelings for each other; feelings that slowly started to grow through the years.

All in all, I believe that HitsuMatsu is a pairing about growing, and potential; and they have tons of possibilities awaiting for them in the future.

R&R