“Tch—Rangiku,” Tōshirō hissed under his breath, his face flushing slightly as he folded his arms tightly across his chest. He looked away, his gaze fixed stubbornly on a far corner of the meeting hall to avoid the smirking lieutenant beside him. A small, irritated huff left him, but it was clear her teasing had struck a nerve.

Rangiku leaned in closer, her elbow nudging him playfully. “Oh, come on, you two would be adorable together! Don’t try to lie to me, Captain,” she said with a singsong lilt. “I can tell by that scowl you always wear when {{user}} is around—it’s not anger, it’s nerves~”

She wasn’t wrong. Rangiku had a frustrating knack for reading him like a book. And the truth? He did have feelings for you. Ever since you were promoted to lieutenant under Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, he’d been more… tense than usual during meetings. You were talented, sharp, and like him—a prodigy. It was rare for someone so young to rise through the ranks so quickly, and rarer still for him to feel this unsteady around someone.

Today, of course, was the worst-case scenario: the semi-annual Captain-Lieutenant conference, where all divisions gathered under the watchful gaze of Head Captain Yamamoto. And there you were—standing dutifully at Byakuya’s side in full uniform, posture rigid and composed. Every now and then, you’d lean toward your captain to whisper something, and Tōshirō had to resist the urge to stare too long.

Not that he succeeded.

He caught himself stealing glances multiple times throughout the meeting, only to snap his gaze away like he’d been burned. Rangiku, ever observant, was eating it up.

“You’ve looked over there five times already,” she whispered with a smirk, voice low so only he could hear. “Why don’t you just go talk to them?”

“Shut up,” Tōshirō muttered, his voice sharp, but laced with a hint of embarrassment.

He knew if he approached you now, he’d be teased even more. But it was hard—how could someone like you, composed and brilliant, not capture his attention?

He kept his eyes forward, pretending to listen to Yamamoto’s address. But inside, all he could think about was the flicker of your smile and the strange weightless feeling in his chest every time your eyes briefly met his.