The Work of Paper

"Ok. Enough. Matsumoto go. You're not concentrating with him outside. Go."

"Oh! Thank you, Captain. I'll be sure to buy you those watermelon sweets you like."

Hitsugaya's frown deepened. "Just go."

Gin waited outside of the Tenth Division, his smile deepening as Matsumoto ran up to him.

After two delightful hours sneaking around Twelve Division, and an hour of shopping in the human world for those elusive sweets, they sat back in his office and discussed what they'd do in the evening. Which bar would they go to this time? And whom would they drag along?

"Nah, he's no fun," Matsumoto argued at Gin's suggestion of bringing Kira. "Too serious like Captain Hitsugaya. Tell you what, I'll swap you. Kira and Hitsugaya would make a perfect team – they're both so good at paperwork."

"And they're both so good at not smiling too. I have an idea of how to bring them together."

A light tap at his door. Who could it be this time?

"Yes," his voice coloured with irritation.

"Forgive me, Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro," said Kira stepping inside and bowing low. As low as he could bow with the large stack of paperwork he held, mirroring the one on Hitsugaya's desk, "but Captain Ichimaru Gin sent me. He and Lieutenant Matsumoto are, erm currently redecorating the Third Division offices."

"And?" An eyebrow rose.

Kira's cheeks coloured. "Captain Ichimaru Gin ordered me to complete the paperwork here."

"Fine. Take Matsumoto's desk."

"Thank you."

The hours ticked by with only the sounds of papers shuffling, the soft swish of brush strokes and a few creaks of the furniture as Hitsugaya and Kira worked alone and in silence; the paperwork steadily disappearing.

"Well this is boring," Gin declared.

"This is no fun at all," Matsumoto agreed.

They perched on a nearby roof, across from the Tenth Division offices, sharing the binoculars they had earlier pilfered from Mayuri.

"It's just no fun with no stationery to throw at him. Watching as he pretends it's not happening."

"It's just no fun, fanning myself and talking about shopping as his cute face gets angrier and angrier."

Gin and Matsumoto looked at one another.

"It's just no fun at all,' they cried in unison.

"It's no fun without my captain."

"It's no fun without my lieutenant."

"No fun at all with no one to wind up," they chorused.

Matsumoto looked at Gin, and he looked at her.

"I'm glad you're not my captain."

"I'm glad you're not my lieutenant."