A/N: This is like, the last chapter and almost nothing happens in it. MAybe I'll write a sequel later, I'll think about it, if u really want me to, but so far this is it. I'll probably write some other new story if I don't write a sequel, so if you want to give it a try, please add me to your Author Alert, if you already haven't.

"OK! Where's Hitsugaya-taicho!" Ikkaku inquired, rushing inside the house and looking around for a trace of the boy-genius in questions, right after Orihime made the mistake of letting him in.

"Um, Ikkaku-san..?" the girl gave him a quizzical look and put her hands on her hips "Are you sure Hitsugaya-taicho would be happy to see you after that evening?"

Pause. Ikkaku mused for a second, then cleared his throat and stood in the most solemn posture he could master.

"I realized pink-haired people are no different from me and you and I am ready to accept Hitsugaya-taicho's new looks." He announced. Orihime let her hands drop by her sides and giggled gently.

"His hair was an accident, Ikkaku-san." She told him with the trademark of a friendly smile she was famous with "He's all the same now."

Ikkaku exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping with relief.

"Good. I didn't know how I would deal with pink tufts of hair popping out of nowhere all the time in Seireitei."

"So why do you need Hitsugaya-taicho anyway?" Orihime asked, tilting her head slightly to a side as she scanned the bald guy up and down. Ikkaku cracked a sheepish smile, reaching to rub the back of his head with his hand.

"Weeeeeell… It's… uh, you know, personal."

"Personal?"

"Um, y-yeah, that's what I said."

Orihime raised a brow giving him a suspicious look.

"You're not going to leave the guy alone, are you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, reaaaally…"

Pause.

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT SUMMER IS SO DAMN HOT!!" Ikkaku groaned, slumping even more with a slightly guilty childish expression across his face. Orihime sighed, eyeing him with just a little bit of pity.

"C'mon, you're exaggerating. You've simply got it into your head that you can't stand that pretty shiny summer sun and…"

"I'm not exaggerating. If I had hair, it'd have set on fire long ago." He whined, walking into the living room and sitting down with an exhausted exhale "You just don't feel it thanks to Hitsugaya-taicho's ice reitsu. If I'm correct, even when he goes out, its influence keeps its effect over the house for quite some time. But if you look outside you'll see that there's not a single person on the street."

Orihime glanced out for the window only to see an empty, deserted view reveal in front of her.

"Ok, you're right about that but don't you think Hitsugaya-taicho does deserve to have a bit of a shinigami-free time after working so hard without a rest for such a long period of time?" she asked, tilting her head to a side.

Ikkaku gave her a quizzical, confused look, staying completely silent at that illustration and showing no signs of understanding her point. She let out an exhausted sigh.

"Right…"

"So… where's Hitsugaya-taicho after all?"

Orihime seated herself down opposite of him.

"He went out with Rangiku-chan some time ago. They should be back any moment now."

Ikkaku scratched the back of his head, then leaned back some, supporting himself on his hands.

"Do you think something's going on between those two..?" he questioned slowly "Because I have this funny feeling that…"

"No, I don't think so." Orihime cut him off, lifting her hand to examine her fingernails.

"But Momo…"

"Overreacting."

"Hitsugaya's weird behavior?"

"Irrelevant."

"I can't agree."

"I'm living in the same house as those two, don't you think if there was something between them, I'd be the first to know?" Orihime asked, giving him an innocent girlish glance under her beautifully arched brows. In respond the man just blinked, hesitant in what exactly he was supposed to say, then shrugged, murmuring something inarticulate.

Orihime smiled a little to herself. Of course if the taicho-fukutaicho relationship between Hitsugaya and Matsumoto changed in any way, she'd be the first to know. Actually – the presumably taicho-fukutaicho relationship, since it never really existed when it came to those two. She couldn't remember a time when he'd treat Rangiku in any way that showed she was anything less than a very close friend or even something more to him. He would, of course, be the Captain when the situation inquired it, but never, in any way, he'd misuse his authority over her. And when it came to Matsumoto – neglecting her lack of desire to do the paperwork, she'd take care of her taicho. She'd make tea for him, talk him into having a rest when he refused to but needed it badly, make those tiny gestures of attention that brought those rare smiles to his thin lips.

Overall, Orihime believed there had always been sparks flying… along with some objects and snowballs sometimes maybe…

But she wasn't the one to talk about other people's personal deals. When they were ready, they'd share with the others. It seemed like so far they preferred to keep it for themselves. And who was she to judge? Matsumoto was one of her best friends, so close and understandable to her, and as to Toushiro – she had nothing but good to say about him. So she'd respect their choice and help them keep their newly-born affair to themselves as much as they liked… or as much as they could, for Soul Society was such a tattler-breeding farm…

Her thoughts were suddenly cut off when someone knocked on the door, making Ikkaku immediately jump on his feet with such a happy, uncontrollable enthusiasm, that Orihime almost fell backwards, startled to death by the outburst.

"It's them! I can feel their reiatsu! It's them!" he chirped, helping the girl up with more impatience than gallantry behind the action. Before Orihime had time to thank him and head towards the door, he had already started dragging her pretty forcefully towards it, much to her displeasure.

"Ok, ok, I got it, let go…"

As Orihime finally got to answer the door, she found herself facing a box on her eyelevel.

"Did she answer the door? I can't see." The box asked, swaying a bit from side to side for some unknown reason. A small "hm" was heard somewhere from behind it, then Matsumoto peeked over it and grinned at Orihime.

"Yup. Go."

Hitsugaya entered, carrying the box and headed to the living-room, lead mostly by his memories of where it was. As he placed his baggage on the floor, he cracked a few bones and turned around, facing Ikakku without a trace of surprise in his voice.

"Good. You're here." He said flatly "I bet the heat chased you, right?"

"Hitsugaya-taicho!" Madarame gathered the palms of his hands together in a pleading manner "We REALLY need you right now and if you just--"

"Don't worry, your prayers have been heard." The young Captain cut him of, raising his hand to make the other silent "Me and Ra-… er… Matsumoto had a bit of a chat and we decided maybe I was too harsh with you…"

"HITSUGAYA-TAICHO! YOU'RE MERCY KNOWS NO BONDERIES! EVERYBODY WILL…"

"I know!" Toushiro cut him off again, impatient "Let me finish! We decided we'll think of a solution for your "heat" problem and then you can leave us alone so we can have a real holiday."

Pause.

"And?" Ikakku urged "You're gonna share half of the day with us…?"

"No!" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and gestured towards the box in his feet "We bought you and air-conditioner."

4minutes later:

"Have a nice holiday!" Ikkaku shouted as he walked away from the house with the box in his hands and a happy grin on his face. The two heads of the tenth division waved him goodbye until he was gone from their sight. Then they closed the door and let out a sigh of relief.

"Mission completed." Matsumoto announced, looking down at him with a small smile "It's just me and you now…"

"And Orihime." Hitsugaya reminded, glancing at the girl in question, who was already heading towards the kitchen, leaving them all alone (obviously on purpose, considering the sly smirk on her lips) "But the main buggers are all gone. I hope. At least until they break the air-conditioner and need a new one."

Rangiku took his hand, giggling and gently tugged him towards the staircase.

"Let's go to our room." She offered, nodding in the needed direction.

"What are we going to do there…?" Hitsugaya asked rather stupidly, making his girlfriend laugh full-heartedly at the question.

"Just some fun for two. You've come to rest here, right?" she cooed, making a slow blush spread across his cheeks as he started to follow her lead.

"I guess so."

"When we go back to Soul Society, it'll be pretty hard to be together for too long without people noticing. So let's use the time we have now fully."

"Right. Oh! And Matsumoto?"

"Yeah?"

"You do know you'll have to do the paperwork for a month as you promised me you would when you talked me into coming here, right?"

The End (maybe)!

It's been pleasure to write this and I'm very thankful for all of you and the attention you gave me. Especially to those who reviewed. I'd appreciate your final opinion, of course. And one other thing I'd ask you as a friend:

Imagine you have a relationship with a person you have really strong feelings for, but as the time goes, you feel like you need to do something to refresh it. And you need it badly. It might be a good place to go to on a date, or something like that. Please, give me an advice. I'd appriciate if you're precise and not answer with things like "Do something nice for them" or "Take them somewhere romantic". Thank you.

And another thing, some kissing tips, pretty please? French kiss is the thing I need really badly to know about. Precision would be appreciated. Thank you.