Game of Persuasion

Game of Persuasion

"Oh, come on!"

"No. Absolutely not. You hear me? No."

Matsumoto pouted like a spoiled child, but Hitsugaya would not be dissuaded. Or persuaded. Nope. Not this time. She could pout and whine and bribe and cry all she wanted.

Not gonna happen.

"But Tooooushirooooou...pleeeeeease?"

Hitsugaya ignored that. "I am your commanding officer, the ultimate authority of the Tenth Division, and I do not appreciate your attempts to ignore that."

Matsumoto pouted again, even more pitifully this time, and bowed her head with a jerk that flopped her hair down to cover her lowered face.

"Fine. I apologize, my wonderful, gracious, glorious, generous, fair, handsome, elegant, regal, lordly captain. I humbly request an audience with Your Esteemed Eminence."

The white-haired captain flopped onto his chair with a huff and picked up a pen. "There's work to be done, here. I can't be dealing with such trivial issues right now. You have work begging your attention as well."

Lifting her head again, Matsumoto scowled at her captain. "I'm not doing anything until you say yes. I'm not moving until you say yes."

Hitsugaya groaned and put his head in his hands. "Why do you have to be so difficult? Have you checked the specifics of our ranks? If you look at mine, it says: 'Captain.' You know what that means, right? It means I'm in charge. And your rank is 'Vice-Captain.' That means you're second-in-command. You're the second authority in this division. As in, not first. Know who's first? I'm first. I'm above your station. I'm more powerful than you. My word is law."

Huffing herself, Matsumoto turned her nose up and closed her eyes, clearly not paying attention anymore. Her mind was made up, and there would be no more negotiation on the matter.

Ignoring the fact that there had never been any negotiating in the first place.

"Do I need to go to the First about this? I don't think Yamamoto-soutaichou would appreciate this kind of insubordination."

Usually, the idea of his going to the Commander General with an issue was enough for Matsumoto to grudgingly agree to his word, and so far he hadn't actually needed to speak to Yamamoto about any particular issues regarding Matsumoto's behavior.

This time, however...

Hitsugaya most certainly didn't enjoy the look on his adjutant's face at the moment. In fact, it made him decidedly uncomfortable. As if she were a spider, and he - the prey - had walked cleanly into her web.

"Uh..." he muttered uncertainly, lowering his pen very, very slowly.

Matsumoto sauntered up to her captain's desk, leaning down to look him in the eye, a deviant smirk on her face.

"I wonder how much Yamamoto-soutaichou would appreciate you abusing me on duty...Mister My-Word-is-Law. Shall we see...?"

"W-What? What are you talking about?!"

"You don't remember, Toushirou? My, my, and here I thought you were so meticulous...why, it was just after Gin and Aizen left the living world and went back to Hueco Mundo...you were clearly upset, Toushirou, and you...oh, but it hurts just to remember..."

Here she began to cry, clearly forcing it.

"You...you t-took me...by the scarf and...and...forced me to kiss you! Kiss you! Such slovenly behavior! But what could I do? I'm just a vice-captain, I have to do whatever my commander wants! But...but it hurt me, Toushirou...I thought you were different!"

Hitsugaya's face went as pale white as his hair. "But...b-but...that was...I...you...you didn't...I didn't...you...but..."

Throwing herself back in a flourish, as if acting in a play to which Hitsugaya was the only audience (he half-expected a spotlight to shine on her), Matsumoto continued to cry. "I'm afraid to tell! Who knows what lecherous things you might do to me!"

Hitsugaya continued to stammer incoherently, unable to form a sentence in his near-panic. "Y-You...you...you would...wouldn't...you..."

The tears stopped, and Matsumoto's smirk widened considerably, a sadistic, manic twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, but wouldn't I...?"

"Gah...I...but...ah...?"

"So...shall we head on over to the First Division headquarters...Taichou...?"

"I...but...you...and...fine!! Keep it! I...I don't care anymore!"

Matsumoto let out an inhumanly high-pitched squeal of glee.