Ok… now! Before you start pulling out the sporks, and threatening to spoon feed me worms or anything of that nature – I have good news for those of you who read Twilight Circlet and In the Eye of the Hurricane. Chapter Three of Twilight Circlet has already been sent off to Saint so she can work her editing magic on it, and… I now have the will power to update Hurricane. (Everybody cheer!)

Now, the inspiration for this story… actually happened to me at work. The story of what I did at work… I waited to say/type until the end of the chapter – no spoilers today. ;D

This is dedicated to my lovely readers, and thank you so much for putting up with my super long… absence.

Disclaimer: I am not Tite Kubo, therefore I don't own Bleach. It's probably a good thing I don't… because that poor show… would… I shudder to think what I might possibly do to it.

Anyhoo – On to the story.

Cut

It was a normal day in the Soul Society. The sun was shining and the sky was decorated with puffy white marshmallow clouds. It was the perfect temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. The only thing that could ruin this lovely day was-

"NO! I LOVE UKITAKE-TAICHO MORE!" The lovely silence was pierced by a shrill feminine voice, that to some, reminded them of the sound of nails on a chalkboard.

"THAT'S A LIE!" The booming masculine voice countered, his voice reminded people of a freight train bolting down the tracks at lighting speeds, "EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT UKITAKE-TAICHO TRUSTS ME MORE THAN YOU!"

"OH YEAH? WHO'S EVERYBODY – YOU, YOURSELF, AND YOU?" the small statured girl with light brown hair retaliated.

At this, the black haired man's face turned as read as Renji's hair. "WHY YOU LITTLE… YOU LITTLE… YOU LITTLE –"

"WHAT? Don't know what you want to say? Face it Sentaro, I'm much smarter than you – prettier too." The female said with a smug grin.

"I don't know what you are talking about Kiyone," Sentaro replied.

A small girl with ivory skin and elbony hair sighed. That's right – the only thing that could ruin this lovely day was... Division Thirteen's third seat duo with their endless bickering.

So much for a day of peace. It looked like it was going to be a long day. Again. Oh joy!

Not bothering to even enter the room, to which Kiyone and Sentaro stood bickering, the petite shinigami, Rukia Kuchiki, passed by and walked straight to her captain's room, only to find it empty.

Well, of course it was going to be empty. He was at the captain's meeting.

'Well,' she thought, 'might as well catch up on some training. The winter war is coming up, after all…'

They had successfully gotten the issues with their zanpakutous cleared, and were preparing for the full war against Aizen. Rukia was not stupid. She had faced an Espada. She knew they were nothing to play with, after all, Aaroniero Arruruerie nearly succeeded in killing her. She was going to need all the practice she could get. A gentle breeze that ruffled her hair seemed to urge her on to the training grounds.

As she placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, she felt her lips curve up into a small smile. 'We'll fight together.' She felt, rather than heard Sode no Shirayuki's reply – the beautiful ice spirit agreed and held a warm hearted smile that made Rukia proud to have the most beautiful zanpakutou in the Soul Society.

She smiled all the way to the training grounds which were a clearing surrounded by trees.

Glancing around to make sure no one was around, she drew her sword, "Mae, Sode no Shirayuki"

And her ordinary katana changed into the lovely sword of pure white and a long white ribbon streaming from the hilt. Sode no Shirayuki appeared beside her and smiled, "Are you ready, Rukia-sama?"

Rukia nodded, "Whenever you are."

"Let's get started," the spirit replied.

And so, their training began.

If it wasn't one thing it was another for Hitsugaya-taicho.

First, his oh so wonderful lieutenant decided it would be fun to throw a party in his office. Then, as he was leaving his office to go to the Captain's Meeting, the nearly tripped over a pile of paperwork that mysteriously appeared in front of the door. And lastly, much to his dismay, the paperwork that he had left had multiplied like rabbits and the jungle of papers that he had so carefully filed and completed the night before seemed be a waste of time. Just how many trees were killed for all of this paperwork anyway?

With a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose before stifling a loud groan. He was going to need much more tea than he usually drank for this mess. Much more.

His gaze drifted over to the couch where his hard-working lieutenant was passed out drooling in deep sleep lay.

He walked over with the silence only a captain could pull of, and got down by her ear, and… "MATSUMOTO!"

The busty strawberry-blonde nearly flew out of her skin as she screamed.

"Start on this half of the papers. Now," as he pointed to the nearest tower of papers, his cold turquoise stare bore into her very being – figuratively speaking, of course – he meant business, "and when I get back from a walk, you better have at least HALF of that stack done."

That being said, he turned around and walked out the door, slamming it hard behind him. His lieutenant was left sitting on the couch with a confused look on her face.

His head hurt. His head was pulsing with the migraine that had already claimed his head as its next victim. Stupid migraine.

With a sigh he began to walk, not particularly caring where his feet took him. How was it that only in a matter of weeks they would be going to war? Everything was an illusion. The day was too perfect. The calm before the storm. The rising point of the story.

A soft breeze danced through his hair, and caressed his skin. Taking a walk had been a good decision. His thoughts were beginning to organize themselves, and the fresh air did wonders for his mood.

He continued to walk at random, his path unknown to him when something caught his attention. A small shinigami with black hair. He could just make out her figure though the trees that boarded the path he was currently walking on. A crow flew onto a branch near where the young captain was standing.

Sode no Shiryayuki smiled as she dematerialized. "Good sparring session, Rukia-sama. You've improved greatly."

"Thanks," Rukia replied with a smile as she watched the spirit of her zanpakutou fade from view.

Rukia sighed and went to sheath her sword. A crow cawed in the trees surrounding the clearing.

That was when it happened.

She didn't know how it happened or when it happened… but the blade of her sword sliced the flesh of her palm. She hadn't realized it happened until she felt the blood gushing out of her hand, and the fiery sting of a cut.

She hadn't brought any form of cloth, so she would make best due with what she had. The sleeve of her shihakushou would due perfectly. She began to use it to wipe the blood off her hand and applied pressure, hoping to the flow to stop. No such luck. Apparently it was deeper than she thought.

Before she could even take a step, a firm and tanned hand was already on her arm.

"You should really be more careful and pay attention to what you are doing," A husky voice said as he gently wrapped her hand in soft white material.

Rukia looked up and found herself gazing into the turquoise eyes that belonged to Toushiro Hitsugaya.

"Yes sir." She said before glancing down, but not before giving him an once-over.

He was just barely taller than she was… and wearing a shihakushou… but something was different… he was a captain…

Oh.

He had taken off his haori and had used it to wrap her hand.

A faint blush crept to her cheeks. She shouldn't be in this position. She shouldn't have caused the young captain so much trouble. Her blood shouldn't be staining his haori. It was her own foolishness that resulted in her injury.

"It's not as deep as I thought it was," he said it more to himself than to her. "Looks like it's just a bleeder."

She blinked up at him, confused, "Sir?"

He glanced at her but said nothing as he focused on his work. His hands, though rough and callused, were gentle and precise as he used them to exert pressure on the wound to get the blood to stop gushing.

He was powerful, and strong; cold and mysterious – and, as Rukia had just learned, he also had a gentle and nurturing side. A side that he rarely showed. Who would have thought?

With quick precision, but still gentle, he began to unwrap her hand. The blood had stopped, thank goodness, but a long thin red slice was the tell-tale sign of her injury.

Without a word a turquoise glow formed in one of his hands, the other still gently held her wrist. He began to heal her hand.

"My healing powers aren't the best," he said looking her straight in the eyes, "but your wound isn't very deep and it's something I can manage to heal."

"Thank you, sir." She said.

"You're welcome, Kuchiki."

"Rukia," she said meeting his gaze.

He blinked momentarily.

"Please, sir, call me Rukia," she said with a smile.

He nodded. "Ok, Rukia," he said before his eyes returned back to his task. His concentration was completely on healing the young girl's hand.

The sun was going down as they parted ways. Rukia returned to her division to find that Kiyone and Sentaro hadn't moved from their spot at all, and were still in the middle of their argument. She sighed and shook her head before calling her final farewell to the young man who had been her company and healer for the day.

Toushiro, on the other hand returned to his division to fine none of the paperwork done and Matsumoto passed out on the couch, once again. . Even as he rubbed his temple for the migraine that was sure to return, he couldn't help but feel at ease – Rukia's presence seemed to have that effect on him. At the moment, he wouldn't question it; he had more important things to do.

He sighed before glaring in his lieutenant's direction. The temperature began to drop.

"MATSUMOTO!"

The young captain's yell rang out into the twilight of the Seireitei. Some shinigami were so used to hearing it, they were unfazed. Other's flinched before going about their business.

Some things never changed.

The End.

Ok… Kinda short… and sappy… and OH! THE TYPOS… sorry… it's was one in the morning when I finished this… and I was too excited to get this posted… so… maybe, can you forgive me this once?

Well… I tried. Lol anyway… that's all for Cut. Story completed.

Here's what happened to me at work that gave me this idea:

I was making a salad for a customer, and as I was cutting the tomato, my knife jumped and I cut my thumb. Now, sadly, I didn't have a cute shinigami captain coming to my aid – I had to leave work and drive to Wal-Mart to get into my mom's car so I could steal her first aid kit. (With her blessings of course.) We had no Band-Aids at work. It kinda sucked… and my thumb still hurts.

Also, on a side note, be proud of me. I think I deserve a little lollipop… because I was a big girl and I didn't cry after getting an owwie.

Anyhoo… Comments? Critiques? Opinions? Just wanna say hi? Please review.

Lolololololololol – Peace out until next time. (Yeah… seriously, I'm going to bed)