A/N: I know. I'm supposed to be working on "The Power of Seven" but a plot bunny came to me in a dream. So here you go.

Romance is a possibility later! ;)

Matsumoto was going to be the death of him one day, he thought furiously, a packet of paperwork tucked neatly under his arm. At least the weather was pleasant enough for a walk, the breeze crisp and chilly. Summer was beginning to wane into fall, and within three months winter would come roaring in. Then he'd be happiest - he always had liked the cold better. It gave him a reason to wear scarves despite the fact that he didn't really need them, and he'd always liked the look of a nicely ruffled scarf wrapped around his neck, especially if the color contrasted nicely with his stark white hair.

A smile came to the young teenager's face at the thought, and he readjusted the paperwork under his arm, continuing on to the Twelfth Division with a slight bounce in his step. Hinamori and Matsumoto had wondered at him for some time now, puzzled by his addiction to scarves and his penchant for fawning over them - with restraint, of course, but still fawning. It wasn't really his fault. Scarves were one of the few accessories that men could get away with wearing. Anything else would make people give him funny looks - so he held himself back, despite how annoyed it made him.

That returned his attention to the embarrassing incident not even two days ago. The same incident that Matsumoto had threatened to reveal to Momo if he didn't take the paperwork to the Twelfth himself, even though it was usually her job. She'd cited the weather with a wink, though, saying that he could probably get away with wearing a scarf considering the wind. His face colored a bit at the memory, a sort of helpless, fond exasperation overtaking him. He appreciated the sentiment, and he knew that Matsumoto had just been teasing him, but the thought of that being revealed so suddenly stung.

Besides, the incident had been completely innocent, which made the matter all the more sore when it was brought up in jest - although Matsumoto had only done so once, and then seeing his upset, had curiously stopped her teasing and proceeded to apologize gently (that had been the day of its occurrence, actually). He'd been of the mindset to deliver a case of sweet buns to Matsumoto for her birthday, complete with a small package of persimmons, and had stopped by her house. However, she hadn't been there. Toushiro had resolved to leave the package in her kitchen, and he had done so, unlocking her door with the spare key she'd entrusted to him and laying his package on the counter.

The young captain had turned to leave, Hyourinmaru humming cheerily on his back, when his master had caught sight of the open door of Matsumoto's chaotic bedroom, and the open vanity sitting against the wall. At that, Hitsugaya had guiltily swept around with his senses, concealed his reiatsu a smidge more tightly than was usual for him, and slipped inside. Matsumoto had caught him, of course. He almost thought she'd been lying in wait - that she actually suspected he'd end up looking at (and perhaps - just perhaps - actually trying on) the intensely varied shades of lipstick and eyeshadow that she kept tucked away. He'd been completely mortified; she had appeared calm, almost appraising.

"You like my collection?" she'd asked playfully, smiling, and he'd practically leapt out of his skin and away from his lieutenant's makeup drawers, blushing and rubbing at his face and stammering hasty excuses. She'd laughed.

"Oh, Taicho, you're so cute when you flounder like that!" she'd giggled, taking him firmly by the hand and leading him into her living room. "But wow! I didn't know you liked makeup. Maybe next time we can invite Hinamori-chan over and-"

"NO!" he'd yelped out, twisting himself free of her grip and leaving her standing there, staring at him. His breathing had been heavy and the slightest bit panicked, and almost immediately her face had rounded out in a mysterious kind of understanding.

"...It's alright, Taicho. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. I'm sorry." she'd said, her voice quiet. He'd relaxed almost instantly when he'd heard that. He knew his interests were atypical for men regardless of place, but in Seireitei it was almost unheard of. Ayasagewa Yumichika was the only man he knew of willing to express himself in a similar way to what Hitsugaya covertly longed for.

And then his second had, very calmly and unusually seriously, asked him the million-dollar question.

"Taicho...I've been wondering this for a while now, but...are you questioning?"

He'd blinked.

"...Questioning?" he'd parroted tentatively, trying to compose a satisfactory response, his mind whirling frantically. Matsumoto had clarified, her expression tender.

"Gender-questioning." she'd explained with a smile. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to - but if you do say something, I promise I won't share with anyone else what we say here."

He'd stared at her, reminded himself implicitly that he trusted his vice-captain - his surrogate older sister for the past few decades - and at Hyourinmaru's calm prompting, had inclined his head in a shaky nod. Matsumoto's eyes had filled up and she'd reached out to him, pulled him into an unexpectedly warm hug.

"Oh, Taicho..." she'd chided, her face full of a kindness he'd rarely seen there. "You silly thing, not telling me. From here on out, you're free to come over and look through my vanity all you want, okay? And if you ever need anything, or are confused about anything, let me know so I can try to help, alright?"

He'd been so shocked to find her supportive of his current, discomforted state that he'd agreed before he'd known exactly what he was doing. Shaking himself from the memory, Toushiro looked up to find that he was standing in front of the Twelfth Division, a sigh etched into his face. Matsumoto knew now - knew his secret - and there was no getting around it. At least she didn't think of him differently simply because he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with his current gender.

A pair of scientist-shinigami met him at the gate of the Twelfth and bowed respectfully as he passed through, heading directly for the laboratory where both Kurotsuchi-taicho and his daughter/subordinate worked, intent on returning the forms he'd filled out so neatly the day before. He wound through the Twelfth's myriad hallways with a cold glower on his face, fixed artfully in place by the slanted scowl of his lips, and the members of the Twelfth bowed to him and stood aside for him to sweep past. But finally he reached Kurotsuchi's office. He knocked once, announced his presence through the door, and upon receiving an acknowledging grunt, stepped inside to hand the paperwork to Kurotsuchi.

The mad scientist took the folders from his younger colleague with a disparaging snort.

"Can't you get someone to do this for you?" he sneered, and Hitsugaya raised a thin white eyebrow, playing absent-mindedly with one of the tails of his burnt-red scarf. No, definitely not this color - his skin tone clashed horribly with it.

"I wanted to take a walk, and I thought I might as well get some use out of it." he replied coolly, his temper spiking. "Even though the scenery here is atrocious."

Kurotsuchi leapt to his feet, shaking a finger in his younger colleague's face. He didn't seem upset though, and Hitsugaya instinctively knew that the other man was in one of his pretentious you-are-all-idiots moods.

"You wouldn't say that if you've seen my lab, Hitsugaya-taicho." he snapped, his voice a little creaky. "It's a beautiful sight to behold - provided one has the right mindset, which I doubt you would."

"And don't want to." Hitsugaya said dryly, rolling his eyes disparagingly. Squabbling old men were so tiresome - honestly, who put up with these idiots? "You're the mad scientist, and you've left a rather bad taste in my mouth. If I ever enjoyed the sight of a laboratory, I'd fear I was becoming too like you."

At that Kurotsuchi leaned over the desk, his painted face twisted in anger.

"How dare you come into my Division and insult me!" he raged, and Hitsugaya stared at the man, bored out of his mind by the display.

"It wasn't an insult, merely my own personal opinion." Toushiro interjected crisply, but Kurotsuchi kept shooting him dark looks and complaining under his breath.

"Oh, shut up already." Hitsugaya muttered, turning to go, but just as he reached out to open the door, it slid back of its own accord and Kurotsuchi Nemu stepped through the opening, carefully balancing a tall erlenmeyer flask in her hands. She collided directly with the smaller captain, knocking her back and loosening her grip on the full flask in her gloved grasp. For one crystalline moment, all three of the room's occupants froze, watching the odd purple liquid spill out. And then time resumed, splashing the purple all over the young captain's face and chest.

Nemu let out a shocked gasp and managed to avoid the rest of the purple droplets as the flask shattered on the floor, but Hitsugaya coughed, wiping the violet fluid from his face in irritation. Both Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his daughter stared at him in a curious mix of horror and fascination.

"The hell was that?" the ice-captain spat, realizing that his skin was rapidly absorbing the purple fluid - somehow, as that shouldn't be possible. Kurotsuchi Mayuri licked his lips in anticipation.

"An unfinished invention of Nemu's, I believe." the mad scientist said contemplatively. "Nemu, what did you say that solution was supposed to do?"

Nemu's face was slowly turning white, and she covered her face with one hand.

"It was a gender-change medicine, sir." she said, her voice very small. "It was meant to be temporary, but I had not worked out how to erase the permanence of it, however. So as of right now...the effects are permanent."

Toushiro's cool green eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open.

"Fix it!" he commanded, a panicky growl issuing through his lips. The Twelfth Division Lieutenant, well aware of the dangers of an angry Hitsugaya Toushiro , stepped back a pace before shaking her head.

"I apologize, sir, but I spilled my only batch when I ran into you. It may take me some time to concoct the reversing medicine." she said, her dark, deep teal stare looking anywhere but at the captain standing in front of her. "...It would probably be best if you went to the Fourth Division while the medicine works to take effect."

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya cursed, looking darkly at Kurotsuchi and his daughter. "Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho, notify Unohana of this incident for me so I don't storm in and she's left baffled."

The lieutenant inclined her head, her gaze low, and even Kurotsuchi Sr. appeared suitably uncomfortable at the mention of the Fourth Division Captain's name. Oh, Unohana was going to be pissed off.

"I will accompany you, Hitsugaya-taicho." Nemu said in her blank manner, and with a last glare at the head of the R&D department, Hitsugaya swept outside.

A/N: Review & tell me what you think!

Also, I know the whole makeup thing is super stereotypical, but considering that Seireitei is heavily influenced by a bunch of conservative nobles...I was having trouble coming up with things.