We're like fireworks, let's not disappear.

Chapter 1

"He's not that little kid anymore." Kyoraku Shunsui lazily spoke from his bottle of sake as Matsumoto Rangiku fumed in her anger, staring after her white haired captain who has just dumped a pile of paperwork on her table before wordlessly stomping out of the office.

"He isn't, is he?" She grated her teeth, pushing the unfinished bottle of sake to the side. "And it seems that with increased age and height his annoying habit of pouring water down everything remotely related to fun has also doubled."

"Well," Kyoraku Shunsui nodded from under his hat and with a smirk said, "I'll leave you to your fun fun paperwork Rangiku chan." Then he jumped out the window and disappeared.

Rangiku groaned and ran her fingers through her hair before sadly eyeing the pile of paper in front of her. Then she let out the loudest sigh.

…

Hitsugaya Toshiro arrived at his office half past 12 at night thinking he could just finish up the paper works that his lazy vice-captain has definitely left for him.

As he slid the door open his large green eyes widen at the sight.

Matsumoto Rangiku sleeping on her desk and in front of her were two separate piles of paper work. One is significantly smaller than the other.

He silently strolled across the room and peeked. To his surprise he recognised that the smaller pile was the unfinished pile after all. He couldn't believe she has actually done all that. He smiled at her sleeping form, slightly snoring on half written report. He didn't think she would have it in her to finish all that after few bottles of sake with Kyoraku Shunsui.

"Matsumoto?" He called her name softly. She didn't move. He didn't expect it anyway.

He sighed and habitually reached out to pick her up to carry her back to her quarter. His hand stoped inches away from her waist and he's suddenly changed his mind. The loving smirk from his lips disappeared and his eye brows showed a prominent frown. He turned around and walked out the office by closing the door behind him softly.

…

"I still don't understand what's up with Taichou." Rangiku lazily gazed at the clouds while half lying next to Izuru Kira. "I stayed up almost all night last night and finished all that paperwork and he's still giving me the cold shoulder."

"Well he is Hitsugaya Taichou. Doesn't he always?"

"Not like this. It was as if he couldn't stand me anywhere near him for the last few days."

"Maybe he's just mad at something?"

"Like what? The summer?"

"Maybe you've unintentionally done something."

"But even if that's the case, he would be shouting at me, not ignoring my presence."

"I imagine that would be hard. You know how you're his vice-captain and all."

"I'm not making it up Kira." Rangiku spoke irritably.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that."

Kira silently sat for few moments. "Want to go back to the sparring?"

"Yeah." She pulled herself up.

She was hot and sweaty after the training and sparring with Kira. Her strawberry blond hair was sticking to her wet flushed skin as she strolled towards her quarter for a shower before dinner. As she turned the corner she bumped on to a hard chest of someone.

"Ouch. Sorry…" She rubbed her nose and looked up to see her captain. Her face lit up with a smile, "it's you Taichou…" She was about to jump and give him a hug.

Hitsugaya stepped back and stopped her from hugging him. She watched how distantly he looked away from her before speaking coldly, "I'll see you later in the office tomorrow Matsumoto."

Then he silently walked past her with no further words.

Rangiku stood there looking confused. He has always been cold and distant but he has never pushed her away like that.

She frowned. What is it that he is so upset about? She decided she'll ask him tomorrow.

…

"You're on time today for a change. I'll have to go and take care of something, could you finish up these forms?" Rangiku was stunned as Hitsugaya Taichou walked past her without giving her a chance to utter a single word.

She looked at another couple of piles of unfinished paperwork with despair. She sat down on the table and pulled a form from the pile.

As she started reading the form, her thoughts instantly wondered elsewhere. She wondered why is her captain is doing everything in his power to keep her locked inside the office. And what is up with the constant temper. She doesn't remember doing anything to him.

She chewed the end of her pen for second before determinedly standing up after pushing the chair back. She's going to find him and confront him.

Hitsugaya Toshiro was leading a group of ten squaders to several tasks for maintenance of the tenth squad buildings when Rangiku stepped behind him. "Taichou."

He spun around and looked at her wide eyed for a second. "Matsumoto?" He then quickly steadied himself and coldly spoke, "What are you doing here? Have you finished the paper works?"

"I came to talk to you, Taichou." She approached him.

He stepped away from her. "I'm in the middle of something."

"Toshiro. What happened?" Rangiku stepped forwards and grabbed his arm persistently. "Why are acting so weird lately."

Hitsugaya flinched at her touch a little and he pushed her away. Rangiku always calls him by his first name when she gets serious.

"It's captain Hitsugaya. And I'm not sure what you're talking about Matsumoto. Now would you please go back to your work?"

Rangiku bit her lips. "Have I done something to you? "

Hitsugaya scowled and turned to face her. "Matsumoto. As your captain I command you to go back to your work and stop wasting my time. If you have time to chitchat you have time to do more work."

He speedily turned around and left her staring at his dust. Rangiku's face heavily laden with worries, she arrived at her office and tried to concentrate on her paperwork without much avail.

She wondered if Hitsugaya will come back to the office. It's odd seeing him away from his precious paperwork for so long.

She thought what might've gone wrong.

When did he start acting so pissed off and distant? She thought to herself.

It was that couple of days ago when he shoved a bunch of boring routine check-ups on personnel on her rather angrily.

She lied down on the couch with her hands under her head. Come to think of it even before that he was acting angry towards her.

She closed her eyes. He was practically yelling at her because she had a small tiny glass of sake during the Wednesday afternoon. He said something along the lines of, she's always drinking and slacking off and he has had enough. She didn't really care about it. He always complains and nags like that. She blew away the strand of hair that was on her face.

Well he doesn't remember doing anything to him before that. Oh wait that was the day after she spilled all that ink on his papers. But then she had fixed them up again before the end of the day. That shouldn't be it.

Rangiku frowned a little while lying on that couch. Hell with it. She's too sleepy to think. She will figure it out later when she wakes. She turned to her side and sunk into a nap.

…

After abandoning the training Hitsugaya Toshiro ran off and arrived at the rooftop of a building that overlooks the valleys and the sunset.

He is in very difficult situation and having a hard time acting normal around her.

But this needs to stop. She doesn't remember anything so it's better to just keep things the way it has always been. The way it always will be.

He sighed and realised the time. He should head back to the office. No matter how hard it is for him to be around her, he will have to deal with it and forget what happened. If he tried hard enough he was sure he will get over it.

He stood up and shunpoed towards the tenth squad.

As he slid the door open and stepped inside the office his eyes fell on the untouched pile of paperwork. A sigh escaped his mouth. He slowly walked towards the table when something caught his attention at the corner of his field of vision.

Matsumoto Rangiku was sleeping peacefully on his couch. He let out another sigh he silently strolled towards her and bend down and softly called her name, "Matsumoto."

She didn't move.

He leaned closer. This time spoke more softly, almost inches from her ears, "Rangiku?"

He thought her eyes twitched a little but she laid unmoving.

He wanted to move away but somehow his hand ignored his command and reached out to her face. With soft touches he moved the strand of hair that sat lazily on her face. His fingers lightly brushed the side of her cheeks.

His cheeks flushed at the softness he felt under his finger. He quickly moved away. He stood there for a second looking at the pile of paperworks and turned to look at sleeping Rangiku.

He softly muttered a tiny curse under her breath and approached her. With one swift motion he picked her up on his arms. She was lighter that she looks, but he knew that.

…

"Umm… Taichou?" Hitsugaya startled as Rangiku stirred on his arms. "Why are you carrying me?"

He stopped and put her down on her feet instantly. "I was about to leave and lock the doors of the office. I can't lock you inside."

She steadied herself and realised how late it's gotten. They were standing in the middle of the street, close to the ten squad living quarters.

"I guess you'll find way to your quarter." To hide the discomfort on his face, he turned around, ready to leave.

Rangiku's brain took few seconds to warm from sleeping, but she quickly jumped and grabbed hold of his haori from the back. "Wait."

He looked down at her with irritation. "What is it?"

"What… did I do?" She looked uncomfortably guilty.

"You fell asleep without even touching the paperworks…."

"No" her voice raised. "Why are you acting like you're mad at me, constantly. What have I done?"

"If you don't remember it, you won't need to remember it" Hitsugaya spun around and disappeared with a shunpo.

"I… don't remember?" her eyes widen a little. "…The night of the party?"

…

To be continued