Disclaimer: Not mine, despite black mail, bribery, and attempts to buy Shiro-chan on the black market.

It was not unusual for Hitsugaya and Hyorinmaru to talk. Au contrair, they had regular conversations in which Hyorinmaru pointed out various things that would amuse or embarrass Toshiro, in order to keep himself entertained through out the long day of paperwork and meetings. As such was true, it was not extraordinarily unusual for the tenth division captain to glare back at his zanpakutou whilst talking to you. Anyone particularly close to him got used to it, and it faintly amused Hinamori and Matsumoto.

And while Hyorinmaru's comments were certainly quite annoying at times, they were almost always amusing. (The majority of the time his dragon is just making fun of how stupid shinigami are, or is making witty comments about his and Hinamori's relationship, but still he makes clever observations). His zanpakuto, as infamous as it is, is smart and Hitsugaya knows it. So when Hyorinmaru starts talking in the middle of a joint taicho/fukutaicho meeting, Hitsugaya listens.

'Who are they, those two? The one with the book and glasses and the drunk one in pink.'

'Kyoraku taicho and Ise fukutaicho. What about them?'

'You know they're in love with each other, right?' Hitsugaya's jaw dropped.

'I think you're insane.'

'No, no, just watch them'. Nanao-chan herself chose that moment to whack Shunhei with a book for trying to kiss her, before turning back to what Yamato-soutaicho was saying with a slight smile.

'See? She's blushing!'

'Ise and Shunsui? Oh, you have got to be KIDDING me!' The emerald-eyed captain burst into a sponanious, harsh coughing fit to try and hide his similarly spontanious laughter. THIS was why he wouldn't trade Hyorinmaru for the world. How does he figure out these things? And really, Nanao and Shunhei? Rich.

Meanwhile, to those not privileged enough to converse, inside their heads, with one facetious dragon, it looked like Hitsugaya-taicho was about to cough up a lung. Yamamoto stopped in the middle of a sentence, and immediately Unohana, Ukitake, Matsumoto, and Hinamori were trying to discern what was wrong with him.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, do you have a fever at all?"

"Hitsugaya-taicho, have some candy!"

"Shiro-chan, are you sick?"

"Taicho, maybe we should take the day off!" The aforementioned subject of much attention tucked away his amusement, wiped the smirk off his face, straightened up, and scowled.

"No, I'm fine, Unohana-taicho; no thank you, Ukitake-taicho; it's Hitsugaya-taicho, Hinamori, and NO, MATSUMOTO!" With the glare he leveled at his fukutaicho, one could be assured that all was fine, and Yamato-soutaicho resumed the meeting.

'This is why I put up with you, you know.'

'Glad to be of some use, Shiro-chan'

'Shut up now, Hyorinmaru. Shut up.'