21 ⊳ ICE
ICE HEART
xxi. ice
❝I WILL STILL PROTECT HER WITH MY OWN LIFE.❞
The scent of sake filled Ayame's nose as she scrunched her face up with disgust and knocked on the door leading into the Squad Eight Office.
"Who is it?" A slurred voice asked from behind the door.
"He's already drunk?" Kōri no Joō sighed.
The petite, blonde-haired female groaned before slamming open the door, resulting in a shriek from the drunken male who was sitting at the other end of the room with bottles of sake surrounding him.
"Are you kidding me, Shunsui?" Ayame growled at the care-free Captain.
"My precious Aya-" He began, but was cut off when the blonde slapped him across the face.
"I thought I already told you that I don't like being called Aya!" She scolded as Shunsui attempted to stop his bleeding nose - failing miserably.
"You're so mean!" Shunsui sulked as he began to fake cry, resulting in an eye roll from the younger Captain.
The blonde gazed around the room and noticed the several stacks of paperwork scattered around the room. She sighed sympathetically as she thought of poor Nanao being forced to complete all of the work. It reminded her of Toshiro and Rangiku, but at a much smaller scale.
"Does Nanao know that you aren't doing your work?" Ayame questioned with an eyebrow raised.
"Of course she doesn't!" He exclaimed with a smile on his face as he sipped his sake.
"Are you asking for a dea-" The small woman began, but was cut off by a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Shunsui questioned.
"It's me, Jushiro." The familiar, kind voice replied.
"Come in." Shunsui smiled slightly as the door opened and revealed the sickly looking man.
"Ayame, what a pleasant surprise." Jushiro grinned lightly.
"Same to you." Ayame nodded.
"Ohhh~! It's my two favorite people in the same place!" Shunsui exclaimed as the female narrowed her eyes at his drunken behavior.
"Is he already drunk?" Jushiro questioned with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes. It doesn't even surprise me anymore." Ayame chuckled.
"You're both so cruel~!" Shunsui whined.
"How was the World of the Living?" Jushiro asked.
"It was quite hectic, but nothing we couldn't handle." The blonde smirked lightly at the white-haired man.
"Tell us more~!" Shunsui ordered.
"You're such a child, Shunsui." Ayame grumbled lightly as Shunsui fake cried. "When we arrived, we went to Ichigo's school and he seemed pretty shocked to see us. We had to explain the different types of Menos to him, and he was quite surprised to hear that there were three types. After this, we had to deal with all the Arrancars."
"That see-" Shunsui began, but was cut off by three hell butterflies entering the room.
"This is a message to the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. A meeting had been called at the First Division meeting hall immediately." The hell butterfly told the group, and serious expressions immediately fell over their faces.
The youngest Captain in the room nodded slightly and helped Shunsui to stand up before flash stepping towards the First Division along with Jushiro and Shunsui.
"What could the Old Man want this time?" Shunsui asked.
"It could have something to do with the human, Orihime Inoue." Ayame informed him.
The three arrived at the First Division and luckily they weren't the last people to arrive. The room was filled with noise and chatter until the Head Captain entered and banged his zanpakutō on the ground.
"The meeting shall now commence." He boomed. "We have been informed that the Substitute Soul Reaper - Ichigo Kurosaki - has gone to Hueco Mondo along with Uryu Ishida and Yasutora Sado to rescue the traitor, Orihime Inoue. It has also appeared that Rukia Kuchiki and Lieutenant of Squad Six - Renji Abarai - have gone through a Senkaimon to return to the World of the Living without permission to support the Substitute Soul Reaper in rescuing Orihime Inoue. To assist Ichigo Kurosaki in rescuing the human - Orihime Inoue - we will be sending some of our own troops. Captain Unohana, Lieutenant Kotetsu, Seventh Seat of the Fourth Division - Hanatoro Yamada, Captain Kuchiki, Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Kusajishi, Captain Kurotsuchi and Lieutenant Kurotsuchi shall be going to Hueco Mondo."
Ayame's blue eyes narrowed slightly and she stepped forward, allowing Yamamoto to notice that she was going to speak up about the situation.
"Head Captain Yamamoto, shouldn't somebody of the fourth division stay behind to keep in charge of it? All of us know that the war could occur any day now, and it would be a disaster if the Captain or the Lieutenant of Squad Four weren't here." The blonde questioned, making an extremely valid point.
"What are you suggesting, Captain Kireina?" Yamamoto questioned.
"I'm suggesting that you send me instead." Ayame replied bluntly, her gaze never leaving his, "I've grown with kidō since you last saw me, and I've mastered every single technique in the book."
At that, Toshiro's eyes widened and his chest tightened. Anxiety and dread bottled up within the male as he hoped that Yamamoto would say no to the female's request. He didn't know why he felt that way, he just didn't want her to leave and get put in harm's way.
"No. Your mission is to protect both worlds from Sosuke Aizen, not to help the Substitute Shinigami." Yamamoto replied as Ayame stepped back into line.
"I understand, Head Captain." She nodded lightly.
"When do we leave?" Kenpachi asked, eager for a fight.
"You'll be leaving tonight, while we prepare for the fight with Aizen. Is that understood?" Yamamoto replied as everybody nodded. "Meeting dismissed."
The Captains began to leave the room and Toshiro quickly flash stepped towards his office, hoping that Rangiku was doing some work for once in her lifetime. The male slammed open the door and set her sights upon the orange-haired Lieutenant passed out on the couch.
"That girl really needs to start doing her work." Toshiro's heart skipped a beat as he heard a familiar voice speak from behind him, "Do you need some help, Toshiro?"
The icy Captain snapped his head around to face the beautiful female and smiled lightly before nodding and approaching his desk. Ayame sat down at Rangiku's desk and began to fill out the endless piles of paperwork which covered her desk.
"Ayame, doesn't your squad have paperwork which needs to be completed?" The male asked her with an eyebrow raised.
"I already completed them all. There wasn't much to do except from Lieutenant Hinamori's condition reports." She replied, and a frown settled on Toshiro's face at the mention of his childhood friend.
"How is she?" He questioned.
"She's recovering. She still doesn't accept me as her Captain, but I understand that." She answered. "Even though Lieutenant Hinamori doesn't respect me as her Captain, I will still protect her with my own life like I would with any of my other comrades."
A small smile appeared on Toshiro's face as he gazed at Ayame. She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice that he was staring at her. That's when it hit him.
"I love this woman." He thought to himself as he turned his attention back to his paperwork, "But how can I love when I have a frozen heart?"
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