Chapter Text
Matsumoto Rangiku was the lieutenant of the 10th division. She was proud and confident, teasing and personable. She served under the prodigious Hitsugaya Toshiro, and she was damn proud to do so. He was the youngest captain the gotei had ever seen, and even the veterans like Captain Kyoraku thought her captain would surpass him in another 100 years, which was basically in a week. If anyone asked Rangiku what her captain was like she’d say he was a walking contradiction. He was strong, the strongest ice-snow zanpakto behind him, the dragon appearing after thousands of years, to the point where people thought hyorinmaru was a legend. Only to reappear for a child from Hitsugaya. Her captain was so strong, but he was weak-hearted. On the outside he seemed as cold as his zanpakto, like he was uncaring and above everyone. Inside though, the boy was warm and impossibly caring, weak for his squad and people he held close to his heart. The boy had been burned before, his need to be taken seriously, to prove his worth had resulted in his uncaring nature. The lieutenant knew though, just how much her captain cared about every small thing. It’s something squad 10 had come to realise. At first they all hated the idea of being captained by a child, even if said child was previously the squad’s extremely talented, smart and mature third seat. But they realised that even though the child captain had problems expressing it, not a single request went unattended to, no matter how small. Not a single worry murmured went unaddressed. There wasn’t a single time that the captain had let his squad take the fall for anything, small or big. He was the first to throw himself in front of any danger to protect his squad. Everything that the child captain did was for his squad. Despite him being the complete opposite of the lieutenant, he earnt the respect and love and adoration of the squad. No one else was worthy of the title of being the captain of squad 10 but Hitsugaya Toshiro.
Rangiku would brag about her captain to anyone who would listen. She was proud of him, proud to be his lieutenant. There may have been a time where she believed she would take the captaincy role if something happened to … but as she watched the boy fight tooth and nail, to not let the squad sink, to pick up her slack, to train a bankai too big for his body,watched as he packed away the last vestiges of his childhood for her sake, the squad's sake, she knew. No one was more deserving of that title than Toshiro. She respected him, even back when he was the third seat, they had a more casual relationship. Now, as her captain, she respected him the most, even if at the core their relationship was closer than most captains and lieutenants. Rangiku remembers when Toshiro had first been nominated for the captains exam, by the three longest standing captains no less, rumours had flown. It was the usual passage for the current lieutenant to take the exam and take over the captaincy. People were surprised that the third seat would seemingly one up the lieutenant of his own division, prodigy or not. Her lieutenant friends had drunkenly had her back, in a form of misguided love. All except Momo of course, who chose to stay silent out of her respect for Rangiku, and love for Toshiro, being like an older sister to him. There were the hushed rumours, all targeting Toshiro across all squads, even within their own squad. Rangiku had watched the boy shrink in on himself, watching with a broken heart as people tried to undermine the boy and his strength and his heart and his devotion. People didn’t know. Didn’t know the kid like she did, she was the one to find him after all. People didn’t understand how deeply he cared about everything and everyone. People didn’t know that the boy turned down the captain’s exam opportunity when Captain Ukitake came around the barracks with Captain Kyoraku, informing the boy they planned to nominate him for the captain’s exam. The boy adamantly denied their intentions, eyes flitting to Rangiku. But Rangiku had stepped in, saying the third seat would do it, the two captains giving them those smiles, the ones filled with pity for the lieutenant and the third seat left scrambling with no captain. It’d taken a long night of convincing and talking, reassurances that Rangiku didn’t mind, that she would rather not be captain, that he was much more suited and deserving to lead. That … that Captain Shiba had wanted him to take over when the time came. That topic was still hard for them. Isshin Shiba, Rangiku swears she’d run Haineko through him should he ever show his face again.
They were grieving someone who wasn’t dead. They long realised there was no way he was dead … just …. Had no intention of coming home to them. Knowing the captain, he’d found something or someone he needed to protect and stayed somewhere in the world of the living. Knowing his personality and understanding why he wasn’t coming home didn’t make it hurt any less. Didn’t make her hurt and anger any less especially in the face of Toshiro who’d seen Isshin as a father figure even if he was too embarrassed to say so. If it was just Rangiku on her own, she probably could’ve found it in her to forgive him, but in the face of the white haired child, all she felt was anger. The child was too mature for his age, too selfless. But he was still a child even if he vehemently denied it, even if he was now a captain. And Isshin had been like his dad. He’d always defended Toshiro, comforted him, trained him, cared about him and worried just like a dad. Isshin would openly admit he felt like a dad to Toshiro, even if it was just to see the kid embarrassed, but the sentiment was real and genuine. If you asked Lieutenant Matsumoto about their AWOL ex-captain, she’d tell you that she understood, that that was how Captain Shiba was, strong and with a burning heart like his zanpakto. She’d tell you that she was hurt and upset and a bit betrayed but was more jealous of who had their captain now. But, if you asked Rangiku how she felt about Isshin Shiba, ex captain of squad 10, she’d tell you she despised him, that she was more than furious. How could she not be, if for her own heart than for their child third seat turned captain. Every time she caught Toshiro looking out the office window, eyes thousands of memories away, with a longing so deep and sorrowful, she wanted to use kido on Isshin Shiba. Everytime she saw Toshiro flinch subtly at some unearthed remnants of their old captain, she wanted to use hakuda to punch Isshin Shiba into the next dimension. When she thinks about how hard Toshiro has tried to make up for their old captain’s betrayal, how hard he pushed, how much he tried to save her and their squad’s reputation, every time she watched the teal eyed child shoulder the weight on his shoulders, donning the weight of a tainted haori, she wanted to run Haineko through Isshin Shiba. If you asked Rangiku how she felt about Isshin Shiba, she’d probably tell you she hated him. Hated him for leaving her, for leaving Toshiro, for leaving them, for leaving the squad. For leaving a child to pick up all that weight with his too small hands and too strong zanpakto behind him, desperate to be someone that their squad could rely on, lean on in the face of the ultimate betrayal, desperate to be someone Rangiku wouldn’t have to doubt for a second that he’d run away too. Isshin Shiba had left them devastated, and their squad at the scrutiny of everyone, the pitiful stares of the rest of the gotei, the hushed words and whispers that followed them. Watched as the child she found in Hitsugaya gently pulled her behind him to take the brunt of it all. She knows that at the heart of it, Toshiro picked up that cursed haori for her.
As hard as it was, it was hard for anyone to doubt the once in a lifetime prodigy in the form of Hitsugaya Toshiro, the child prodigy who beat the legacy of Ichimaru Gin. Whose talent and potential was acknowledged by Captain Yamamoto. While people had reservations about his age, no one could doubt his skill, doubt Hyorinmaru. Certainly when Rangiku let out that it was Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake who’d originally backed Toshiro up for the position, with Captain Unohana adding on her own recommendation. With the three most veteran and revered captains throwing their weight behind Toshiro, Captain Aizen, Captain Ichimaru (though Rangiku privately thought he did it for her sake) and Captain Tosen all gave their recommendations. The remaining captains were quick to agree with the recommendations. With the support of every captain in the gotei, even Captain Yamamoto’s, the captain’s proficiency test wasn’t even necessary but Toshiro himself insisted on doing it. Of course that all led to his appointment as the captain of the 10th squad. The youngest captain in the gotei’s history. It was hard to refute his power, his proficiency in every aspect of being a shinigami, with a smart and quick brain to back it all. After all, the fact that he only took one year to graduate from the academy was a widely known fact. With the knowledge that every single captain had recommended him for the position, with the three most revered captains heading the support, everyone immediately acknowledged his skills. It was more the fact that he was a child, slightly cold and intimidating. But Rangiku was proud to have watched him blossom over the years, watched as he warmed up to the squad and vice versa, there isn’t a single second that Rangiku thinks she would’ve been a better captain.
Rangiku remembers after he was officially promoted to the captain of the 10th squad, her lieutenant friends had all tried to rally behind her, sympathetic for her but in the wrong ways, even if they meant well. Saying that she deserved the position and all those stupid things. She’d been drunk and emotions were already running high from the exhausting emotions from the last few months. She’d snapped at them all, sake bottle shattering in her hand. She’d viciously said how none of them understood the boy with a heart too big for his body, talked about how none of them would understand what it felt like to have their captain disappear one day, asked whether they thought for a second their captain would do that to them (though years later, she’d look at Momo, Kira and Shuhei and wish they never understood the betrayal of your captain turning into a traitor). She’d drunkenly lamented about the white haired child who was too selfless and strong, who was holding down the fort of the squad while desperately training his bankai for her, to take the weight off her when she should be stepping up. She must’ve started crying halfway about captains who abandon you and third seats who are holding everything in their too small hands. She says none of them would ever have the honour to understand how complicated Hitsugaya Toshiro was, and how sweet and kind the boy was in the face of betrayal and abandonment. She’d left, doesn’t know how but she must’ve made it back to the squad office. She woke the next morning with a killer headache, the haori (that no one knew they made that small) with the number 10 draped over her, a familiar cozy blue blanket covering the rest of her. Water on the table with pain killers and Toshiro’s manju of the month on a plate. The newly appointed captain asleep at his desk. Well her desk, not that she ever used it. Isshin’s desk still sat untouched, exactly how it was the day he left. Baby steps she thinks, she’d get him to use the desk and then eventually she’d make the boy move into the captain’s quarters. She sat up quietly, Toshiro hadn’t bothered disturbing her the entire day judging by the setting sun, also explained why he was asleep. He’d never slept well and naps were something Isshin had forced him into upon learning of his frankly horrifying sleeping habits, and now he napped everyday at various hours. She looked at her new captain, he was so small. She always knew he was but he was so small, seeing him amongst the other captains was jarring, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to it. But looking at her captain asleep, her pile of paperwork all finished in a neat stack, her resolve hardened even more. Yes, her captain would never have to feel that betrayal ever again. They were in it together, for the rest of their lives. She’d protect her captain from anything or anyone that tried to harm him. She’d protect his heart, that was a promise. Toshiro woke up half an hour later, and for once, said nothing but giving her a small sweet smile. One she didn’t see often at all, one she hadn’t seen since … well since before Isshin abandoned them. But now he gives her that soft, sweet smile that only he and Isshin had ever had the honour to see, she’d never ever betray him. Willing to do anything to protect his smile and him. He gets up padding over, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, bashfully murmuring a thank you as he pulls on his haori saying he had a meeting with Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake, it was no secret that the two old friends had been fond of Toshiro ever since Toshiro was in the academy. Isshin had fought tooth and nail to bring Toshiro to the tenth instead of letting him go to the 13th or the 8th. Well, according to Isshin, every division wanted him, even Captain Yamamoto. Every single squad had offered Toshiro a high ranking seated spot in their squads, every captain hand delivering their offer letters, even Captain Yamamoto. Eventually, Rangiku isn’t sure how Isshin had managed to bring him home to squad 10. Though, according to Isshin, the boy had nearly gone to the 13th with Captain Ukitake. He’d narrowed his choices down to the 8th, 10th and 13th and then to the 10th and 13th. Rangiku isn’t sure how Isshin did it but she thinks that that’s where all her luck went, to having Toshiro. The two captains, who’d also been Isshin’s closest captain friends, had taken Toshiro into their care especially after Isshin upped and left. He’d told Rangiku that the two captains were helping him with his bankai back then. Now, she supposes that the two just wanted to check up on him, either or both of them swung by the office relatively often since Isshin had disappeared and it seemed Toshiro had softened up to them. Toshiro had blushed one time saying often the two just invited him to the 13th for tea and to talk and play games sometimes. Rangiku was glad that Toshiro couldn’t have kinder captains in his corner.
It was only later that all her lieutenant friends had apologised to her about talking badly and not trusting Toshiro but she just smiled and said all was fine. And it was later on that Rangiku found out that it was Nanao who told Captain Kyoraku about the lieutenant’s views of Toshiro becoming captain who then told Toshiro that his lieutenant had berated all her friends in her captain's honour. That must've been why she’d been on the receiving end of that sweet smile and bashful kiss and thanks instead of his usual ire whenever she drank and ignored paperwork. It was hard. No, saying it was hard would be undermining what they'd gone through insane extremes. They’d loved and lost, and they’d paid the price for their loyalty. Isshin Shiba was always going to be a painful spot no matter what. But they were here now. Rangiku served under the prodigious Hitsugaya Toshiro, there was no one more deserving or suited for the role than him. She was proud to be his lieutenant, to be squad 10’s lieutenant. If all the pain and the loss led her to being in this position, she’d do it all over again, every single time.