Rangiku's Mad Scheme Part 2 (Let's Dance)

"This is ridiculous. Though, if nothing else Matsumoto will be shocked that I go to this stupid venue of hers without her even needing to pester me about it."

"You're going?" Karin looked at Hitsugaya incredulously.

"Of course, if we were going to do this stupid dance number or whatever."

"I'm not going this time. Neither of us is ready, we'd just make fools of ourselves. I won't go until I can floor her with one dance."

"You're… what?! How many 'dance parties' do you think we hold in this place?"

"Don't worry, unless this one's a total flop there will be another one. She hasn't even invited you yet, this time… has she?"

"No. Why is that important?"

"Well, I think your dear fukutaichou is trying to lull you into a false sense of security before she acts. She was way too interested in doing one for your division; she clearly had something in mind for you. Just take a breather and we'll get there."

* * * * * * * *

"No, Hinamori. I'm not going."

"But Shiro-chan, it'll be fun! It's even Rangiku-san's party. You simply can't not go!"

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou already and I've told you a thousand times. I'm not going."

"But if you're not there, then who would I ask to dance?" He stood silent for a moment, just staring at her as if she was talking complete nonsense. Then…

"Hinamori, do you consider me the type who would dance?" That question was very important right now. If rumor was going around about him trying to learn, then there would be no point in learning. The core of this plot was that nobody must know.

"I know you don't dance, Hitsugaya-kun, but then I could at least sit by you until someone asks."

"Gee, thanks. I'm not going." Hm. Time for that stupid dance practice.

"Aw, well. It was worth a try. I need to practice my steps, in case someone should be interested."

"You do that," he muttered. This whole dance party was a stupid thing to put such an effort into. He wanted Karin to have been wrong about Matsumoto, but unfortunately it was frighteningly likely that thinking outside the box was the only rational way of getting a moment's peace. At least the woman had stopped shoving their sixth seat in his face twice a day.

"Goodbye, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Goodbye, Hinamori." She probably didn't hear, already rushing away to something new that could keep her mind off the past. Oh well, he had a task of his own to tend to.

* * * * * * * *

"This is a lovely party, Rangiku-san. I'm glad you youngsters thought of us."

"Since it was Kyoraku-taichou's idea to begin with, it only seemed natural." The fukutaichou was in a surprisingly sombre mood, still.

"He does seem to enjoy himself, doesn't he?" The famous pink robe with flower patterns was swirling around on the field. Ise Nanao had been forced to give up her supervising rather quickly when her taichou wouldn't be deterred from dancing the first two with her. Actually, that meant the whole party had been waiting for her, since he was to lead the first dance. Ukitake had excused himself due to his weak disposition, something that no one had questioned.

"I think Ise-fukutaichou is rather happy, too." She was keeping it under wraps, but she was definitely as beaming as someone trying their best to look severe and displeased could be.

"The rest of them are simply following his lead. I believe a little bird whispered in my ear that this might be a recurring event if it were successful?"

"The idea had crossed my mind," Matsumoto said carefully.

"It's a brilliant idea, truly." This was an area to be tread carefully. She probably suspected that he knew about their game, but he was absolutely sure that Unohana wouldn't have allowed any knowledge of Hitsugaya's retaliation to leak. It would be beneficial to all if the next party included Tenth division.

"Two divisions seem to be a good amount," she mused.

"Yes, yes, but I imagine it might be best to take divisions who have already had some positive contact before. Have you thought of what divisions might make good choices for the next one?"

"Well, we have been thinking ahead, but nothing is quite finished yet." She was definitely dodgy about this question. "Some divisions aren't exactly the most party-friendly. We'd like to have another good party before we start making it difficult for ourselves." Ukitake found himself smiling.

"Ah, naturally. Then wouldn't it be best to invite those that have helped with arrangements, you think?" It sounded so innocent, but it was so close to her sensors that he almost thought she'd notice where he was heading.

"It does sound like a reasonable plan." If she'd noticed his meddling, she didn't mind. "That would mean Tenth and Sixth, maybe Ninth or Third."

"Pleasing Kuchiki-taichou will be a harsh test, I'm sure, but as long as you accommodate for the more formal preferences of his division it might be an even greater success than tonight."

"You have a knack for these things, Ukitake-taichou," Rangiku mumbled cheerfully.

"Ah, thank you my dear. You might want to consider pairing that up with another traditional division. Which would be most suitable, in that case?" The woman actually had the sense to pretend to consider it for a while before answering.

"My own division? We usually have good relations toward Sixth, too."

"I'm sure Hitsugaya-taichou would feel honoured." He paused while she looked incredulously at him. "As long as you assure him there will be nothing frivolous or childish about it." She laughed at that. Hopefully, his little scheme here would keep the game from spreading any more than it already had.

* * * * * * * *

"Owah! Matsumoto, have you been sleeping on my paperwork?" Her taichou was being terribly loud. It was still dark and the effects of the alcohol hadn't quite dissipated yet.

"Yes, taichou," she mumbled. There was a vague memory somewhere in her head of stumbling into the office after the rather wild party ended. Complete silence reigned for a moment; then she felt his arm snake under hers and behind her back to help her stagger to her feet.

"Come on, Matsumoto, I can't carry you." Taichou was such a sweet guy. He really deserved someone good in his life.

"You don't need to…" She stumbled, but with Hitsugaya's help she managed to steady herself in the doorway.

"It's just a little further, Matsumoto. I take it you had a good evening?"

"Oh taichou!" It was easy to become caught up in the memory. When she hadn't taken care of things with the tents and arrangement she had been dancing every dance. They staggered the few steps to her chambers.

"Steady now, while I open the door."

"There were so many cute men who wanted to dance. And Ukitake-taichou was so encouraging!"

"Mm."

"You really should have been there, taichou, there were many pretty girls too!"

"I'm sure you think so, now lie down."

"But taichou…"

"Matsumoto…"

"Yes, taichou?" She'd feel really silly about this when the last of her dizziness wore off.

"Be silent. Lie down. Go to sleep… don't worry."

"All right, taichou." He helped her settle. Then he watched over her while she mumbled incoherently for a while, until she finally fell asleep. He needed a pretty girlfriend? She needed someone to steady her… though, after Gin's betrayal, that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon.

* * * * * * * *

"Hey Karin, it's been a while!"

"Renji! Yeah, a few days I suppose," she grinned. He was a good friend, but he had no concept of time. "The party went well, I heard?"

"Oh yeah, we were rockin'. You should have been there!"

"I heard on the grapevine there might be more, though?" He nodded, his eyes gleaming. Renji really was cute when he got like this.

"Rangiku-san, Kira-kun, Hisagi-kun and I have already started planning the next one. It'll be sixth and tenth divisions." Well that was no surprise to anyone, but she'd have to play her part.

"Sounds cool. Though it means I can't be there this time either, I suppose."

"You're always welcome when you're invited by the crew." Karin had to laugh at that.

"Seriously, Renji! 'The crew'? Who taught you to say stuff like that?" He blushed. "No, wait, don't tell me. I think I'm better off not knowing"

"Me and Rukia were going to grab a bite later, but I think she'll be dragging your brother along. Feel like joining us?"

"Are you trying to avoid being the third wheel again? I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time." There was the need to practice, swordplay as well as dance, both most definitely in the way.

"You've been pretty busy all last week, Karin-san, but Ikkaku says you've been spending less time training than usual." The question was obvious and she didn't like playing mind games, but their little scheme didn't give her much choice… and dancing with Toushiro was nice enough.

"Yeah, I'm trying to broaden my horizons. Kidou isn't my strong point, so Unohana-taichou and Rukia are giving me pointers. They're both really skilled." That wasn't a complete lie; Unohana-taichou had pointed toward certain similarities in concentrating on dance steps and working with kidou. When Karin had taken the idea to Rukia, they had even elaborated on it.

"That's just a cover though, isn't it?" For a moment, Karin froze, her heart sinking. "You want to spend time with Rukia because she'll be your sister soon enough, I think."

"Yeah, well, don't tell her." Was it even possible for a heart to jumpstart like that?

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Although I'm telling you it's not very secret, the way those two hang around each other."

"Right, right. I've gotta go, though, see you for a drink later?"

"Bring along Ikkaku and Yumichika when you pass by your division, I'll see if Rangiku can sneak away from that taichou of hers." A quick nod and a wave, a few steps, around a corner and finally she could relax a little. That had been close!

This entire, stupid thing was getting on her nerves. Good thing it would only be another three weeks. Three weeks! She groaned at the thought of playing their silly game for that long, but even had she not promised herself to show them, there would have been Toushiro to consider. And he was becoming a pretty good dancer, too, for a man whose body told him that he was approximately sixteen, with added confusion considering his mental and actual age.

* * * * * * * *

"Thank you for inviting me over, Unohana-taichou."

"Please, Jyuushiro, surely we've known each other long enough to be on a first name basis?" The white-haired man smiled.

"Of course, Retsu-san."

"Come, sit down. I've made some hot tea for us. We haven't had the opportunity to talk this last week."

"My condition is what it is," Ukitake admitted, "but your cures make it bearable. You have been rather busy too, or so I hear through Kiyone-chan."

"Ah, of course. My young students wish to excel and so they shall. I'll admit that leaves me with less free hours than usual for my other pastimes, but the dancing practice in particular will only be for a few more weeks, I suspect."

"Then you suspect other things to be more lasting?" They couldn't be straightforward, but there was no need to. Unohana smiled at him.

"Once opened, certain doors can never again be closed. One cannot lock up a compassionate heart forever, if your companions are merely patient and attentive. And one must be very attentive while dancing."

"As they say; love, and a cough, are not concealed." Ukitake's smile was rueful at first, but then his usual subdued cheerfulness returned. "You haven't had this much fun in a long time, had you?"

"No, Jyuushiro-san," she agreed, "these two bring something extra into every lesson. It's certainly never boring."

* * * * * * * *

"Can you avoid stepping on my feet, please?" There was a chill in the air.

"Only if you stop shuffling them around like that, we're dancing waltz, not quickstep!"

"Not what?"

"Quickstep, it's a ballroom dance where you… ah, whatever. Just keep to controlled movements. Think of Kuchiki-taichou or something."

"Why in the name of…"

"Stop chatting and start dancing, Toushiro!"

"I'm not the one sprouting nonsense."

"No, but you are the one whose coordination skills are sub-p… aah!"

"Excellent hold, Hitsugaya-san, you have improved a great deal in just a few days." Unohana Retsu was beaming even as the young prodigy suddenly realised what he was doing and completely lost it.

Not only did she have two quick students, it was practically like having a private show, watching them. Especially when young Karin managed to make her partner so annoyed he tried something extraordinary like this. Even more when it had been instinctive and as soon as his brilliant brain caught up with his emotions, they both fell to the floor with a distinct thud.

"Ow! Where you go I follow and all that, but when you lean me back I still need to be able to balance before you drop me."

"You were leaning too far."

"I couldn't exactly help it; you were swinging me around like I was a sack of potatoes!"

"Indeed?" Icy chill permeated the room.

"Oh, stop being such a princess. If you freeze the place over again we won't be able to practice, so stop that and help me up."

"Hmph."

* * * * * * * *

"Something strange has been going on in the Fourth division lately," the young girl said knowingly, making Hitsugaya's ears perk up though he tried to avoid it. Damn. If he didn't stop being involved with the things being discussed in dark corners, he'd have to give up sitting in this spot and he liked it.

"I know, you told me the other day."

"Don't be a killjoy; nobody knows exactly what it is, so it's really interesting!"

"If her division is up to something strange, don't you think Unohana-taichou would lock them in a sick room until they behave? I've heard she's really scary when she wants something."

"But they say Unohana-taichou is actually part of it!"

"Now that's just a weird rumor. I said she's scary, not a complete nutcase. Can you imagine Unohana-taichou doing anything shady?"

"I suppose not…" Hm. It was good that the party was only a week away. They could probably meet up somewhere else, Unohana-san had already said that all they needed was more practice. Stupid dancing. It was kind of relaxing, though, even though they were constantly nagging each other about one thing or another.

One thing was for sure, though; he'd have to talk to his senpai as soon as possible.

* * * * * * * *

"There's something off about this," Hitsugaya noted as he swept her along in a turn. "Matsumoto hasn't said a word about the party and it's only this weekend." Karin just shrugged and followed effortlessly. They were rather good at this, now. For the last few days they had practiced in an out-of-the-way locale that Unohana-taichou had discreetly pointed them towards.

"She's got some sort of idea, I promise you that much. I was with her and Renji the other day and she was as devious as usual."

"Devious? Matsumoto?"

"When she's up to something, yes." Karin took a breath as he leaned her back for a moment. He hadn't dropped her since that one time when Unohana-taichou startled him. "Don't worry. And once she tries to convince you, don't make it easy for her. You don't want her to suspect that you're coming willingly. She won't give up."

"I'm not stupid. Why are you so disturbingly good at this?"

"Because I'm not stupid, either. I listen, I think." There was a tense silence, broken only by the soft notes of the waltz and the clicking of their shoes against the floor. "Okay, so maybe I don't sleep too well, so I've got a lot of time to come up with ideas."

"You're tensing up again. Relax, you're making this harder."

"Right. Practice. I'm glad I've got this; apart from our meditation classes this is the only time I really can relax."

"Don't get too comfortable with it; you'll need to find your own way of handling pressure once this is over and done with." She stopped dead, ignoring the music.

"I keep forgetting that this is just an annoyance to you."

"Not precisely. As a captain I simply don't have the time to indulge it every day." He pulled lightly at her hand, starting them in a spin to the music again.

"So what does that mean? You actually like dancing?"

"With you, I suppose you could say that. With anyone in particular?"

"Sure, sure, you're the great Hitsugaya-taichou, if you're not picky then who'd have the right to be?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Who cares? Let's just dance."

* * * * * * * *

"I've made sure the tents are up the same way as last time, fukutaichou. Is there anything you'd like changed?"

"Hmm, would you get that one moved to over there?" Matsumoto waved thoughtfully in two unclear directions, but their Fourth division helpers had already lived through that once and actually seemed to be at ease even though the instructions were… ambiguous.

"Matsumoto!"

"Oh, taichou! You're late, you know."

"There shouldn't even be a reason for me to be here!" He had almost started to hope that she might not ask him to show up. Then this!

"But we need you, taichou, you can't back out on us now!" So that had been her plan all along. She had never intended to convince him, she'd just do it the one way he couldn't refuse: the 'you have to' guilt trip. It was all very convenient, he was sure. The only, tiny upside to it all was that he would be allowed to dance with Karin later. That would take his mind off things.

* * * * * * * *

"Matsumoto is amazing." Hisagi watched from behind a tent flap as Hitsugaya scurried about, doing this and that. The poor guy had never even had a chance.

"Mmh," Kira was practically knee-deep in some of the paperwork surrounding the event. "This time there will be more people, though, so his help is welcome."

"I think I saw Kyoraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou hanging around earlier." Somewhere behind the stack Renji was helping out with the paperwork, something Rangiku had cheerfully dumped on them. "They probably won't come early this time, but it seems like Kyoraku-sama at least will be attending later on."

"He'll probably be hiding in the bushes while Kuchiki-taichou does the lead dance, even." The voice had them all jumping a little.

Matsumoto Rangiku, generally known to avoid any and all work-related subjects, had turned into a bloody field officer where her pet project was concerned. They were all used to it, but it was still scary.

"Have you actually managed to convince him to lead the first dance?"

"Hisagi-kun, that's almost offensive. Of course I have. Though," she looked a bit grumpy, "I had been hoping to talk him out of the classic dances and into something a bit more fun."

The idea of Kuchiki Byakuya dancing 'something a bit more fun' had all but Matsumoto laughing nervously.

* * * * * * * *

To see the two Kuchiki siblings dancing was the last thing to finally convince Hitsugaya that this wasn't a completely stupid choice. Perhaps the dark grey suit he was wearing had been the stupid part, but Unohana-san had almost been rabid about him not wearing shikakusho, and when she made up his mind his senpai was not to be gainsaid, so it was the best of a series of lousy options.

Today's greatest blessing was that nobody actually expected him to give in and dance, so Byakuya had been chosen to lead the first one. He was watching Karin out of the corner of his eye, considering whether the next dance would be good timing, when Abarai blocked his view of her.

"Hey Kurosaki, wanna dance?"

"Do I look like I want to dance?"

"Well that dress is pretty wavy. You'd look good out there." Abarai and people skills, really.

"I've got other plans, Renji."

"Well, I'll be here if you need a partner." She looked at him, bewildered, for a few seconds.

"You're serious." It was kind of a question. After all, the stupid man had implied that she might be at the mercy of his goodwill to get anyone to dance with her. A moment longer and Hitsugaya would take him out of that delusion.

"Of course I am! You agreed to come here with me, the best I can do is be a good…"

"Renji, don't take this wrong, but it didn't exactly sound like you were planning a date when you invited me, so don't feel pressured. Go dance with one of the pretty girls from your division instead."

"But you…"

"I'll be fine." The song was starting to play out. While Abarai was looking at the less stubborn girls of the evening, Hitsugaya managed to catch Karin's eye and made a tiny gesture toward the dance floor, getting an even tinier nod in return.

"Nah, I'll pass," Renji said with a sigh as the last notes faded and the next song started. Of all the perfect timings in the world, he recognised a waltz they had practiced with Unohana-taichou. This reeked of meddling, but he didn't mind… this once. "I invited you, after all…"

"Kurosaki." His interruption in the moment of silence made Abarai turn, but they both ignored the fukutaichou. This was what they had come here to do. "A dance?"

"If you wish." She took his outstretched hand. This had better work, considering all the time and effort they'd put into it.

* * * * * * * *

"What are they doing?" Rangiku stared disbelieving at her taichou and his unlikely partner.

"Looks like they're dancing." Shunsui sounded much too amused.

"But… taichou doesn't dance."

"He does now."

"And very well, I might add." Ukitake interjected cheerfully. Of all the meddling schemes in Soul Society, this one had been the best in a while.

* * * * * * * *

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As for my slightly nasty portrayal of poor Momo, I don't hate her. I would never-ever-ever write HitsuHina and I think Momo is a bit on the stupid, thoughtless and stalkerish side, but she's also a sweet and well-meaning girl. So no, I don't hate her. She's useful, too.

Amor tussisque non celantur - Love, and a cough, are not concealed. (Ovid)

For waltz, I was thinking something like these youtube-vids:

.com/watch?v=GW_Kkq3l2lI (good amateur couple)

.com/watch?v=it0kRSYw8Ek (English Waltz)