Author's Note: Konnichiwa, my loyal fans! Moonie here again, with another crazy Gin/Ran fic. This takes place just before Ichigo and co. come into the Seireitei, so everyone is still holding their current positions. My inspiration this time was my thought: "What if Matsumoto came onto Gin instead?" How would he react? Well, read on to find out! I will tell you though, most of this was written in the wee hours of the morning. If it doesn't make sense, I offer my deepest apologies! And this will be multi-chaptered. Please enjoy!

The King's Game

"Gin, come back and have a drink with me! It'll be fun, I promise," Matsumoto called, waving a half-empty jug of sake in the air as she leaned over the wall. A lock of curly hair was caught in her mouth, her dusky eyes gazing at him hopefully. The silver-haired man stopped in mid-step as she chased after him.

"Maa maa, I think I'll pass," Ichimaru replied. A bead of sweat dripped down his cheek and he wiped his brow. Matsumoto had her hand wrapped around his forearm, dragging him towards the 11th division, which housed the main storage of sake that she liked.

"Na, Rangiku. You've had enough," he insisted, dodging a laughing Yachiru as she swept down the corridor on her pink scooter. Kenpachi was close behind, chasing his lieutenant.

"And you haven't had any at all. It's Friday, so it's time to loosen your himo and let it all hang out!" As they rounded a corner, Ichimaru grabbed the edge of Aizen's office doorway and hung on for dear life. Matsumoto let out a squeal as he pulled her backwards and she ended up dropping her sake bottle, much to her annoyance. He ignored this and managed to slide the door open a few inches.

"Aizen-taichou... I don't suppose you could, ah-" he started, but winced as the young lieutenant crawled between his legs, searching for her alcohol, which had rolled away. Sosuke Aizen came to the door, and smiled politely as he greeted the 3rd division captain.

"Konbanwa, Ichimaru-taichou. Is there a problem?" Aizen said, fingering the calligraphy brush he was holding.

"Ahh, well you see, it's just..." At this moment, Matsumoto parted her way through the middle of Ichimaru's hakama, holding her happily rescued sake bottle.

"Konnnbannnwaaa! Aizen-taichou, can you believe it's the end of the week already?" she asked cheerfully, wiggling her shoulders. Ichimaru stared nervously at the woman between his legs, giving a small gulp. He had quite a view from above.

"It is quite hard to believe, but yes. Now, are you off duty, fukutaichou?"

"Haiiii, and Gin is coming with me to 11th division, isn't that so nice of him?" she gushed, beginning to stand up.

"11th division? Kowaii, ne? They can be a bit rough around the edges. It's a good idea to have Ichimaru-taichou with you," Aizen agreed, smiling at him. Ichimaru laughed anxiously, then stepped backwards as Matsumoto got to her feet. Naturally, she stumbled a bit and he caught her around the shoulders.

"Oh, hello Gin," she said playfully, leaning back against his chest. Ichimaru swore that he heard Aizen chuckle.

"We'll be going along then. Say goodbye, Ran," Ichimaru prompted. The voluptuous woman waved her hand rather slowly, grinning.

"Bye bye," she said. With that, Ichimaru dragged her away. As soon as they were out of sight, he began to walk her through a more secluded area. Division 3 was rather close. They stopped in a small alley way overgrown with weeds.

"We're going the wrong way, Gin. 11th Division is," she raised a finger to the left, "that way."

"Actually, it's that way," he corrected her, guiding her hand in the other direction. They were brought face to face and Matsumoto peered into his eyes. She let her fingers lace into his own and she stood on her tip toes to kiss him. He raised his silver eyebrows in surprise and quickly turned his head, causing her to miss. Just as quickly as her first try, she pushed her body into his own, trying to steal a kiss. Gin couldn't help but blush at her sudden advances, backing up against an ivy-covered wall.

"R-Rangiku, cut it out, na?" he stammered, trying to keep his cool. He could feel his hands begin to shake as he held her off, her light blue eyes lidded heavily under the influence of alcohol. No woman had ever voluntarily come this close to him and he honestly wasn't quite sure how to handle it. Plus, he had known her for so long, ever since he had found her when they were children.

"Oh, come on, just a little one," she pleaded, pressing herself against him. Small bits of ivy leaves rained down upon them and the small thud of her sake bottle dropping in the grass was heard. Rangiku pouted her lips, looking at him quite seductively.

"You're very drunk, you know," he whispered, turning his head away from her.

"I don't care. Kiss me," she told him. Ichimaru tried to grab her shoulders and make her step away from him, but she had other plans. As soon as his hands went to touch her, she pulled apart her gi, letting the black material fall to her elbows. His palm connected with warm, smooth skin, and Matsumoto didn't waste any time in leaning forward to nibble on his neck. Ichimaru was overcome with the heady scent of her lilac shampoo, and he couldn't concentrate as she worked her way up to his earlobe, catching it between her teeth.

"Ran..." he managed to whisper. His heart thumped inside his chest and his mouth went dry the same moment Matsumoto breathed into his ear, clearly letting the alcohol take over her actions. Against his will, he found himself caressing her creamy flesh, making her give a breathy moan along his cheek. It sent a languid shiver down his back.

"Someone could see us," he tried convincing her, and at the same time trying to tug her top back to its original position. The sensation of her bare shoulders and exposed chest was sending his mind places it couldn't quite handle.

"Let 'em see, I don't care," she replied between nibbles, curling her fingers through his hair. She tried kissing him again on the mouth, but he refused her. After a moment, she stopped and pulled away from him, looking hurt. Her face was flushed and ginger locks fell alluringly between her breasts. Still, Ichimaru couldn't make himself look away.

"It's just me, Gin," she said silently, bringing a delicate hand up to play with her silver necklace. He inexplicably followed her movements and had to lean against the solid wall behind him for support.

"I know it's just you. And that's why I can't get carried away, you know?" Matsumoto pulled up the sleeves of her top, covering herself more than usual. There was silence in the alleyway.

"I'm such a fool..." she muttered. The alcohol seemed to be wearing off, making her painfully aware of her actions. She wasn't surprised to find tears running down her face.

"Don't say that... Why would you-?"

"Because!" she shouted, angry that she was allowing her emotions to become overrun. "Because... I fell in love. With you." Ichimaru didn't say anything. She what? Matsumoto kept going.

"Not only that, but I'm still in love. I'm not even sure if this is what love is supposed to feel like, but all I know is that I'm so grateful for you. If you hadn't have been there on that day, and if you hadn't known about my weakened state and why I was suffering... I could've ceased to exist!"

"I remember it all, Rangiku," he replied. She looked up at him with shining blue eyes.

"I know you do... which is why I don't want to spend the rest of my life remembering what was, and instead I want to make more memories with you. Nobody has ever affected me the way you did, and I don't want to lose that."

"You think too much of me, ya know."

"And you," she replied in turn, closing the distance between them until their faces were only a couple inches apart, "don't think of me enough. But I'm going to change that." The slightest shiver rushed through his spine as she placed both of her hands on either side of his body, trapping him between her and the wall. Her soft breasts were flush against his firm chest and her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips. It was all rather obscene and stimulating, to say the least. She closed in...

"Kyaaaahahaha! Can't catch me, Ken-chan. Try and catch me!"

"Get back here with my eye patch, ya little runt!"

Something slightly heavy landed on Ichimaru's head and shrill laughter echoed in the alley. Matsumoto looked up, just as confused as the man in front of her was. Yachiru had appeared from nowhere, running up the wall and bouncing off the Third Division captain's head. As she seemingly flew through the air above them, Matsumoto stared in awe at the black eye patch dangling from her tiny hand. How did she manage to steal...?

"Coming through!" came a loud voice from the opposite direction. Kenpachi Zaraki was just now barreling past the adjacent pathway, along with his immense reiatsu bearing down on everything he crossed. The bells in his stiff hair chimed as he rushed through. Matsumoto turned around and was nearly bowled over by the infuriated 11th Division captain. Ichimaru spun her around so she was against the wall and out of harm's way, shielding her closely. She closed her eyes, waiting for the dust to settle. After a moment, they couldn't hear the bells anymore, and both of them sighed.

"Are you alright, Ran-chan?" he asked her, stepping back so she could move.

"Yes, I am." She laughed. "Those two are really a handful, huh."

"Too much for my tastes," he agreed, smiling at her. Rangiku nodded, then looked down between them on the ground. Her empty sake jug lay there, alone and lacking alcohol. She picked it up and shook it. Not a drop of liquid was left inside.

"Well then, let's go get replenished, shall we?" the ginger-haired woman suggested. She winked at him and he felt his heart skip a beat. This woman... she was pulling him apart at the seams, playing with every thread of his being With a small gulp, he followed her to the 11th Division barracks to go get more sake. They arrived just as the sun began to set behind the horizon.

"Ohayoooo, minna-chan! Matsumoto here, for my favorite Friday night happy hour," she called, waving her sake bottle over her head. As she let herself inside, Ichimaru followed her closely. He didn't interact with this division very much and wasn't quite sure what to expect. From the way the Zaraki-taichou and his miniature fuku-taichou were acting before, he suspected they weren't interested in pastimes like folding origami.

"Come on in, Rangiku," Yumichika waved jubilantly, beckoning her to a large, flat table in the center of the room. "We're just getting started. Did you bring your own supply this time, like you promised?" He and Renji were the only ones in the room at the moment.

"Ah- well, not exactly. I ran out," she explained, putting a hand behind her head. "But guess what I did bring this time."

"I-Ichimaru-taichou!" a man exclaimed from behind her. Ikkaku Madarame was standing in the door frame, looking as if he had come back from some serious training. Fresh sweat ran down his unveiled chest and his head shone with the reflection of a thousand mirrors. "What happened to bringing a drinking partner, eh?" he eyed Matsumoto suspiciously.

"But he IS my drinking partner tonight," she insisted, coming to sit down across from Yumichika, who already began pouring her a cup.

"I am?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," she said sweetly, but the look in her blue eyes held a fire that Ichimaru did not want to go against.

"Fine, let's hope he can keep up with us, ne? We tend to get a little... aggressive, don't we Ikkaku?" Ichimaru grinned, falling back on his never-failing defense.

Without further argument, he quickly came to kneel by her side, smiling politely at the effeminate Yumichika. Out of his peripheral vision, Matsumoto was already drinking her first cup dry, holding it with gentle, lady-like precision, but then slamming it down on the table as if to demand a refill.

"Ahh, that hits the spot," she sighed, a flush already beginning to creep back to her cheeks. "Isn't anyone else coming tonight?"

"Yeah, we sent out the invitation like always," replied Renji, adjusting his headband. "But people like to just take their time getting here, that's all. Whatever, let's have a toast!"

"Already? But it's just us four here," cried Ikkaku, dropping down beside Renji and grabbing a bottle of his own.

"Five, you moron. Can't you even count?"

"Oh yeah, haha."

"Tch... okay, let's toast." Renji held up his cup in the air and opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"What are we toasting?" Ikkaku whispered to Yumichika out of the corner of his mouth. The beautiful man shrugged cheerfully.

"Let's toast... to the end of the week!" Matsumoto said gleefully. A unanimous shout filled the room and everyone tipped their bottles and cups. Everyone except...

"Oh no! Yumichika, you forgot to give Gin his drink!" she scolded, stealing the bottle out from his hands and filling up her own cup. Ichimaru waved his hand back and forth very fast.

"No no, it's alright, Ran-chan," he stammered. But she thrust the drink into his hand in a very insistent manner.

"Come on, it won't hurt you. Now bottoms up!" He stared at the clear liquid in his cup, then back to the stunning woman in front of him. Her lips, just moments ago... were on this cup. His hand began to shake ever so slightly, and without thinking, he tossed the drink in his mouth, swallowing it in one go.

"Yeah, now that's how a man does it!" roared Ikkaku, effectively inhaling the rest of his sake as well. Gin felt his throat burn and promptly hiccupped. He could hear footsteps outside the door.

"Hey, did you all start without us?" came a laid-back male voice. Captains Shunsui and Ukitake, along with Vice Captains Shuuhei and Nanao, came through the doorway, looking disappointed. "You did this last time too. We feel so left out!" Shunsui pouted. Ichimaru could see Nanao tugging on the back of her Captain's pink kimono.

"We don't have time to be doing this, taichou," she scolded hotly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "You didn't do an ounce of work today either!"

"Now, now, don't worry about all that. This is a party, Nanao-chan," he crooned in reply. "Maybe I can get you to finally... let your hair down?" He pulled her further inside the room and stole the hair pin holding her bun together. A massive book slammed down on his wrist and the pin clinked to the floor. While he was stunned, Nanao picked up the pin and swept her hair back in its usual style, clearly annoyed.

"Oh, you're so rough, Nanao-chan!" Ukitake was stifling laughter and brushed past the two of them to join the rest of the group. Shuuhei shook his head and followed.

"So nice of you to join us on this fine evening," Yumichika gushed, passing everyone more drinks.

"Of course. We couldn't turn down such a kind invitation," replied Ukitake, taking his place at the other end of the table. Shuuhei stood still, surveying the scene. Everyone was spread out and the only open space to sit was...

"Shuuhei, over here!" said Matsumoto, patting the space on the left side of her. He could feel his eye begin to twitch as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. With an unbendable will, he made himself sit beside her, and as soon as he could, grabbed a free cup from the center of the table and downed it immediately. Just don't stare at her... don't stare!

"Look at 'im, Hisagi's getting wasted already! His face is blushing like a little girl, haha!" Renji pointed out, and Shuuhei glowered at him.

"Oh yeah? What about you, Abarai? Your face is so red, I can't tell where it begins and your hair ends!" the embarrassed vice captain countered, inconspicuously swallowing more sake.

"Say that again, and I'll make sure nobody can tell where your head begins and your ass--"

"Children, calm down!" Matsumoto chided, effectively ending the argument. "Instead of fighting like idiots, why don't we play a game?"

"A game? What do you have in mind?" asked Shunsui curiously, with a hint of playfulness in his voice. Nanao was trying to pry his hands away from her shoulders, hating how he became so touchy when he got drunk.

"Hopefully something decent," she added wishfully. Matsumoto smiled slyly, then looked over on her right at Ichimaru.

"Gin, do you have any suggestions?" Ichimaru cocked his head in thought, tapping his chin with one finger.

"Hmm, how about--"

"Strip-Shogi! We can have a tournament, one-on-one. And then the last two losers have to kiss each other!" Ikkaku yelled, spilling his drink on Renji's hakama.

"Huh? Why the losers?" asked Nanao.

"Because the losers will be wearing the least amount of clothing," Shunsui said in her ear. Nanao promptly blushed and swatted his hands away once more.

"No no, that's a horrible idea. Besides, where are we going to get enough boards to play? Someone else come up with something," Matsumoto ordered.

"Okay okay, how about Truth or Dare?" Yumichika said happily, tucking his raven hair behind his ear. "I hear it's a game where someone asks you to pick either a 'truth' or a 'dare', and you have a choice to answer whatever question they want honestly, or you have to do something on command without turning it down."

"What happens if you turn it down?" Ukitake wondered.

"You get a penalty, and you have to do something even worse," he answered gleefully.

"Ohh, I like the sound of that. Don't you Ikkaku?" Renji elbowed him hard in the ribs to get the Third Seat's attention.

"No way, my idea was better. Next!" he demanded. Matsumoto frowned. A part of her liked the idea of daring people to do something they didn't want to do.

"Fine, Truth or Dare is scrapped. Maybe next time we'll play it. Any other bright ideas?"

"How about Spin the Bottle?" proposed Ukitake. Suddenly, the room was filled with laughter and the older man was slightly stunned. "What'd I say?" he asked, embarrassed.

"I-ahaha-I haven't played that since I was a kid! Ahahaaa!" Renji laughed out loud, beating the table with his fist. Most of the other agreed unanimously, wiping tears from their eyes.

"Yeah, we're all adults here, come on. What's something really good?"

"The King's Game." Everyone turned their eyes on Ichimaru, uncertain of what he had really said.

"Who's game?" slurred Shuuhei, who had silently been knocking back cup after cup.

"You mean... you've never heard of it? Oh, but it's simply divine!" he declared. A glimmer appeared in his squinted eyes as everyone gave him an equally blank stare.

"Then explain it, if you please," prompted Nanao, slowly sipping on her first cup of the evening.

"Naturally. Usually we all draw straws with a number on it. However, one straw will have the character for King written on it. Whoever is King gets to make the rules. For example, if I were King, I could make an order saying that whoever is number 6 has to crawl on all fours and act like a dog. Or I can say "Number 3 must braid number 8's hair" or something to that effect. Get it now? Of course, the more tipsy one is, the more creative one becomes," he added, grinning widely.

"All in favor?" Matsumoto asked. Everyone rose their hands. Some rose two.

"Okay then, so we're going to need some straws. Whoever's the least drunk get's to go get them!"

"Ahaha, not me... I can see two of you, Yumichika," laughed Ikkaku, pointing a wobbling finger at his fellow officer.

"I see two... um," Shuuhei mumbled. Matsumoto shoved a hand in his face so he would stop staring at her cleavage, something he had been trying to avoid all night. He bumped into Nanao, who effectively tumbled into Shunsui's lap. Before her captain could react, she jumped to her feet.

"I'll get them," she insisted, nearly stepping on Shuuhei's blushing face.

"And you're the least drunk, are you?" Renji questioned.

"Of course I am, I am... I am not," she answered confusingly, turning to walk into the next room. She had to hold out her arms for balance as her feet crossed over one another as she walked.

"What a lightweight," Matsumoto commented, leaning back on Ichimaru's chest.

"Yeah, but she's absolutely adorable, my Nanao-chan is," mused Shunsui, giving a sideways grin. A few minutes later, Nanao arrived with the straws, and had written the appropriate characters on each one.

"My apologies, but all I could find were chopsticks." The young woman sat down shakily, leaning on Shunsui for support.

"That works just fine," Ichimaru said, taking them from her. He held them between his palms and mixed them up, while hiding the numbers from the group. Everyone drew a chopstick, anticipating the King straw. Surprisingly, Ukitake held the winning object.

"So I can tell someone to do anything? Then... let's see, how about number 2 say something nice about number 5."

"I'm number 2... I think," Shuuhei said, squinting his eyes at his chopstick. Two horizontal lines blurred in front of him and he blinked several times, "Yeah, I'm number 2."

"And I'm number 5, heh," Ikkaku revealed.

"I have to say something nice about you? Tch, I was hoping Matsumoto was..." he trailed off.

"Come on, say something nice about Ikkaku," Ukitake encouraged, smiling joyfully. Shuuhei was silent, staring at the 3rd seat of 11th Division for quite a long time. Finally, he came up with something.

"If... if you had a twin, and you guys stood ear to ear..." he began, "then you would be the best shiny, round rack in the Seireitei." Shuuhei suddenly smiled, nodding like a madman. Everyone else snickered, except Matsumoto, who whacked Shuuhei on the back of the head, making him hit his forehead on the table. Ikkaku was dumbstruck and wasn't sure if he was insulted or not.

"Heh... well, we can tell what's on your mind. But nevertheless, I believe that was a compliment. Of sorts." Ukitake smiled in turn. "Okay, now I order number 4 to drink whatever is left in number 1's cup. If there isn't any left, then it must be refilled completely."

"Huh... I'm number 1," declared Renji, waving his chopstick around.

"I'm number 4," came a slightly disappointed voice. Nanao raised her chopstick. "Please tell me you didn't drink all of your sake already," she pleaded.

"Sorry sister, you're out of luck," he replied, shaking his red locks. He tipped his small bottle upside down and not a drop of sake leaked out.

"Yumichika, a refill please! Now, drink up Nanao," Shunsui encouraged her. She was handed Renji's bottle, now brimming with alcohol, and stared at it mournfully.

"Do I have to?" she asked bitterly. She had already had two cups and could feel herself getting tipsy.

"The King's orders are final," Ukitake announced, then added, "Sorry, Nanao." Without a way out, and with everyone staring at her, she latched her lips to the mouth of the bottle and began drinking as fast as she could to get it over with. Shunsui watched in amazement at his vice captain and her hidden drinking abilities.

"If only I was that bottle," he wished. Nanao gave a final swallow and nearly flipped the table when she threw the bottle down on the wooden surface. With a great moan, she lolled her head backwards and Shunsui caught her in his arms. The pins in her hair came loose and her raven locks cascaded down her neck and shoulders, causing the scent of her shampoo to waft in Shunsui's face.

"Careful, Shunsui, we know you don't take advantage of innocent girls," Yumichika joked.

"Oh, I would never... but she's so cute! My Nanao-chan, you may finally become a woman tonigh--AHH!" A large, closed fan appeared in Nanao's fist and she whacked him several times on the wrist as his hand came dangerously close to her chest.

"Off!" she demanded loudly, and he was forced to comply. As she sat up, she had to steady herself by hanging on to the edge of the table.

"Take it easy, girl," Matsumoto giggled.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and several silhouettes could be seen through the rice paper.

"Come in!" sang Yumichika.

"Are we too late for the party?" Vice captains Kira and Nemu stood in front, followed by Captain Zaraki and Rukia Kuchiki. Something white seemed to poke out from Kenpachi's sleeve and Matsumoto began laughing uncontrollably.

"Hitsugaya-taichou?" she cried in surprise. The captain of 10th Division was hanging by his collar in Kenpachi's fist, apparently forced to come to the 11th Division barracks. He had his small arms crossed in front of his chest, looking annoyed as always.

"He refused to stop working, even after everyone else had gone home, so we made a decision to make him come here," explained Kira.

"If work needs to get done, then it needs to get done!" Hitsugaya yelled, struggling to free himself.

"Ahh, but that's what Monday mornin's for!" growled Kenpachi, tossing him inside the room. The small captain stood rigidly, straightening his robes. He curled his upper lip in disgust as the smell of sake filled his nostrils.

"Ugh, how can you stand doing this, Matsumoto?"

"How can you not stand doing it?" she retorted. As Hitsugaya and his vice captain exchanged glares, Nemu and the rest came to sit around the table.

"Shove over," Kenpachi commanded, sitting between Ikkaku and Renji. Nemu sat between Ichimaru and Yumichika, and Rukia settled beside Captain Ukitake. Kira sat by Renji as well, noting that Ichimaru was sitting directly across from him.

"I'm doubling your work load, Matsumoto. This is inexcusable," Hitsugaya said through grit teeth.

"Whaa? That's completely uncalled for, Taichou!"

"I don't want to hear it, now hurry up and finish this ridiculous excuse for a weekend activity."

"Only if you sit down and drink with us," she replied, tossing an unopened bottle at him. He caught it swiftly, then threw it back. Unfortunately, it hit Shuuhei right between the eyes and he fell flat on his back, knocked out. Matsumoto didn't flinch.

"There's no way in Hell I'm getting drunk with you."

"Ah, what a mouth you have today! You're going to need to be taught a lesson." Matsumoto stood and stepped over an unconscious Shuuhei.

"Nanao, dear, can I borrow this?" she asked sweetly, pointing to the fan in Nanao's grip. She nodded rather stiffly, trying to concentrate on something other than her spinning head. Once Matsumoto had the fan, she tapped it threateningly against her palm, coming towards Hitsugaya. His eyes widened with sudden realization.

"You wouldn't dare!" he said incredulously, nearly tripping over Rukia's foot as he stepped backwards.

"It's time for your punishment, Shiro-chan," she cackled, following him around the table. In a fit of desperation, he threw himself behind Ukitake for shelter.

"I command you to stop this instant. Th-that's an order, Matsumoto!"

"Sorry, Taichou, but you're not the King in this game," his fuku-taichou giggled, bearing down on him.

"What game? What are you talking about?" he stammered. Ukitake could feel the other white-haired captain's hands shaking against his haori as he used him for a shield.

"We were all playing a game before you came in, and I am the King. And," he explained, raising his forefinger, "whatever I say goes."

"Then call her off! I mean it, I'm not in the mood for this... this childish pastime!" As Hitsugaya continued to cower, and tried sending his best death glares at Matsumoto, Renji was busy writing something.

"Here, now everyone else can get in on this." The red-head handed Ukitake some more chopsticks, and after mixing them up thoroughly, the latest five people drew their straws, although Hitsugaya refused to draw, so he got the last one left. However, he was relieved that Matsumoto backed off, finding more fun in continuing the game than terrorizing her captain. She found her place beside Ichimaru, looking rather cozy. Toshiro frowned.

"Does everyone have their number?" Everyone nodded, except Shuuhei, for obvious reasons.

"Very good. Now, number...wait, how many do we have now?"

"I count thirteen," said Ikkaku.

"No, there's definitely fourteen people here," argued Yumichika, sipping at his cup.

"Impossible, I counted twice! There's thirteen."

"You forgot to count yourself, dumbass," said Zaraki, "Shit, I know we're not the brightest division, but this is pathetic!"

"Okay, now that that's settled, I order number 12 to tell number 8... that he or she loves him or her. With all sincerity."

"Augh, what if it's two guys, that's disgusting!" protested Renji, pounding the floor with his fist. He realized too late that he had actually punched Zaraki in the thigh. Zaraki gave him a fierce glare that made the redhead's insides shrivel up. Renji quickly muttered an apology.

"That's not necessarily true, Abarai-kun," Kira spoke in a low voice, "There have been all kinds of love throughout history. Including love between men." Ichimaru smirked when he saw his vice captain flush ever so slightly.

"Well you're all in luck, because I, Matsumoto Rangiku, am number 8," she declared proudly, waving her chopstick proudly. Instantly, all of the men perked up, then quickly looked down at their own numbers. One by one, their faces fell with the realization that none of them were the other half of the command.

"Number 12... such a high number must belong to one of the last people to come inside the room," deduced Yumichika, giving a sly smirk. When he said this, Renji and Ikkaku looked at Zaraki.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, kids. It ain't me," he growled.

"Then maybe it's... Kira-kun?" The 3rd Division vice captain jumped at his name, apparently deep in thought.

"No, I'm not, I have a different number," he informed them, shaking his head. Everyone shrugged, then continued going down the line. They all promptly skipped over Hitsugaya.

"Don't ignore me! How do you know I'm not number 12?"

"We know," said Shunsui matter-of-factly, "and besides, if you were number 12, you would've already left the room. Though now that you mention it, are you number 12?"

"No... I'm not. I have a different number," he murmured, looking up at the ceiling. A moment of silence swept the room, as everyone's brains tried working out who was left. Ikkaku suddenly stood up, pumping his fist in the air.

"Guys, if it's not any of those three, then... the only one left is--" He turned his head to the end of the table, and pointed a dramatic finger next to Ukitake.

"Rukia!" Thirteen pairs of eyes landed on the dark-haired girl, who looked perplexed.

"Hm? You want me to tell Matsumoto that I love her?" Every male in the room simultaneously nodded, save for Ichimaru, who was too busy stifling a laugh, and Shuuhei who had just come out of his coma. Rukia grinned and looked at Ukitake.

"I respectfully decline, Juushiro-san." was her answer. Everyone was floored.

"You can't decline it, it's a rule!" shouted Ikkaku, stomping his foot on the floor.

"No, she can decline, but she has to do something else in return... something worse!" The rest of them looked from Rukia to Ukitake, wondering what order he was going to come up with.

"Well then, since you've refused the first order, I'll have to double your sentence," Ukitake told her.

"Sorry but... whatever it is, I decline as well," she replied calmly.

"Y-You can't do that!" Renji sputtered, leaning over the table.

"Sure I can." Her childhood friend sputtered as he tried protesting again, but she interrupted him.

"Sorry to disappoint, but the only reason I can refuse is because... I'm not number 12!" They looked a little stunned, feeling foolish for being lead on. After a moment, Kira asked what everybody was thinking.

"Then who is number 12?" A small cough came from the other end of the table, and their heads whirled to see the small and silent Nemu Kurotsuchi, staring straight forward and holding up her chopstick. A cross with two horizontal lines underneath was clearly visible.

"I am number 12," she stated. "My apologies for not speaking up sooner," she added.

"Whoa... hot damn!" exclaimed Zaraki, rubbing his chin while giving a feral grin.

"Shall I commence with the King's current order?" Nemu asked.

"By all means," said Ukitake, giving her the go ahead. "And remember, it must be sincere."

"Of course." Nemu got up quite gracefully and knelt beside Matsumoto. They looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Matsumoto-san," she proclaimed as sincerely as she was able. Unfortunately, everyone including Matsumoto was less than impressed. As usual, her monotonous voice clearly showed how sheltered she was on matters of emotion. Luckily, Matsumoto knew how to take things in her own hands.

"Come here, girl, and let a pro show you how it's done." She grabbed Nemu's wrist and pulled her so that she was sitting on her lap. Her delicate hand cupped Nemu's cheek, bringing her within inches of her face. All the men held their breath, leaning in as far as they could to get a better look.

"I love you," breathed Matsumoto, hovering her voice between a sensual sigh and a loving moan. Instantly, all the men were sporting prominent nosebleeds and blushing profusely. Even Rukia hid her face behind her two hands, peeking through her fingers at the near-erotic sight.

"J-job well done," Ukitake said, producing a handkerchief to stem the flow of blood from his nose. Everyone else followed suit. Nemu silently stood up and sat back down beside Yumichika, relieved that she had passed.

At this moment, Shuuhei opened his eyes blearily, staring at the ceiling.

"Oww, my head," he moaned, sitting up carefully. He looked around at everyone, noticing their bloody faces and stained handkerchiefs. "What did I miss, you guys?" he asked innocently.

"Only the most amazing display of hot girl-on-girl action in the Seireitei," said Shunsui dreamily. Nanao elbowed him in the ribs and he grunted in pain.

"What do you-" he started, then he caught Matsumoto's gaze. She was grinning as if she had the world's naughtiest secret. He suddenly threw his gaze left, then right. Nemu raised her hand, waving gently at him.

"Allow me to explain. While you were in a comatose state from a recent head injury, Matsumoto-san and myself engaged in some less than reputable activity."

"Agggh, why didn't anyone wake me up?" he shouted to the heavens. "I would've paid to see that..."

"Sorry, we weren't really thinking about it," answered Kira, giving a half-shrug. Shuuhei hung his head, feeling defeated.

"Aw, cheer up, Hisagi-kun," came Ichimaru's voice. "Don't look so down. It's about time to change our numbers, ya know. The first round is over." Everyone gave a collective sigh, tossing their chopsticks towards Ichimaru, glad to have a change of pace.

"Fine then. Maybe this time... I'll be the King," Shuuhei said hopefully.

"I certainly hope not," spoke Hitsugaya from across the table.

"What, do you want to be King, Taichou?" asked Matsumoto. Hitsugaya shot her a teal-colored glare.

"Of course. Then I can order everyone home to end this silly game."

"No way! This is more fun than I've had all week," replied Yumichika. "Don't go spoiling it already."

"Maa, minna-chan, get ready. Here comes round two!" Ichimaru held out the chopsticks, once again hiding the numbers between his thin hands. Everyone drew a stick, anticipating that special symbol that gave them exceptional authority.

"Well, who has it this time?" asked Rukia, looking around the room. One by one, people shook their heads, until one person stood up, looking rather pleased with their results.

"What?! No way!" came a shout. It was--

~Tsuzuke~ (to be continued)

Author's Note: Bwahahaha!! I love cliffhangers, don't you? I wanted to continue it (don't worry, I will) but I wanted to give you--the reader-- a chance to put in your opinion of who should be the next King. I have a couple of definite ideas of who I already want, but please feel free to convince me otherwise by telling me who YOU want to be King. Send me your ideas and I'll try to write them in, okay? And before you ask, this fic does revolve around Matsumoto/Ichimaru, though I wanted to experiment with a lot of character interaction. But holy cow, I don't know how TK does it! So many characters in the same room at the same time... wow. I feel my brain leaking out of my ears.

Oh, also here's a helpful tidbit:

Ukitake Hitsugaya_Ikkaku_Zaraki_Renji_Kira Yumichika

Rukia Shunsui Nanao Shuuhei Matsumoto Gin Nemu

I had to actually make a layout for where everyone was sitting, so I wouldn't get confuzzled, lol. I hope this helps you as well as it did me, in case you were confused on who was sitting by who. Anyway, what did you think?