Can't sleep

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

It was hot, so he threw away the comforter. But than he was cold, too cold for just a sheet, so he pulled the comforter back. He was hot again. He hated his pillow. It was too hard. He hated his futon, it was itching. Irritated, Ichimaru threw away the cover and got up. He wasn't smiling, he didn't feel like smiling. He didn't know what he was feeling like but it certainly wasn't smiling. Sighing he left his bedroom for the attached garden. The garden was full of persimmon trees, trees he planted after became captain. He loved dried persimmon, as did Rangiku. His lips curved up in his signature smile as he thought of how much the strawberry blond loved the fruit and his smile widened even more when he thought of how much his lieutenant Izuru hated it. When the persimmon was in season Gin's favorite activities included consuming large quantities of the fruit with Rangiku, preferably while she was naked and off her body, and inviting Izuru to tea and watching him dutifully eat the dried persimmon Izuru so loathed just because he, Gin his captain, had asked him to. Izuru was such a devoted and obedient boy. Ichimaru sighed again and absently wondered what both Rangiku and Izuru were doing at that moment. A quick reitsu scan revealed that they were both at the tenth division offices with... Ichimaru's fists clenched Hisagi Shuhei.

Truth be told Ichimaru did not often feel strong emotions both positive and negative. He loved as much as he could love only one person, Matsumoto Rangiku. O he liked Izuru well enough and despite trying rather hard to stay emotionally unattached he had found that he did care for the boy. But love... no that was reserved for Rangiku and Rangiku alone. Which was perhaps fitting that the only person he could say he deeply, deeply disliked was the one person who was a potential threat to his relationship with Rangiku. Hisagi Shuhei like every other man in Gotei 13, including Aizen Sousuke to a certain extent, was enamored with her. However, the difference between every other man and Hisagi was that Hisagi was probably the only man who did have a chance at winning Rangiku's heart... if Ichimaru wasn't occupying almost all of it that is. It wasn't so much that Ichimaru was afraid he would be supplanted in Rangiku's heart by someone like Hisagi... at least... not while Ichimaru was still a member of Gotei 13... An involuntary shiver ran up Ichimaru's spine at the thought of what Rangiku would think, would do when the depth of Aizen Sousuke's treachery and Ichimaru's part in it became public knowledge. But that moment was still decades away. Aizen was not ready to reveal his hand and so for the time being Ichimaru had nothing to fear from Hisagi. But than... why did Hisagi's friendship with Rangiku irk him so much. Ichimaru's grin widened a fraction, he never would have figured himself to be such a jealous, possessive creature. Well to thine own self be true...

As was often the case Kira was the only conscious person left after one of Matsumoto's monthly vice-captains drinking parties. Even Nemu tended to get totally wasted, it was just that she did it so quietly and was in fact generally so quiet that no one noticed when she slumped side ways and passed out. Both Iba and Hisagi had passed out. Hinamori never came to these, Yachiru was too young to be invited, Omaeda who was an over friendly drunk had been thrown out ages ago. Both Kotetsu and Nanao had left while they could still stand on their own. Matsumoto had fallen asleep sometime ago, totally oblivious to the garbage that now littered the Squad Ten office. Kira could have left it and just headed back to his own squad but... since he caused part of it, he didn't feel right about leaving it all for Matsumoto to deal with in the morning. Not that she would deal with it. She would charm some lower ranked soldiers to do it. Kira probably felt more for the rank and file than most vice-captains, having been a rank and file under vice-captain Ichimaru Gin. Not that Ichimaru had picked on Kira or singled him out in anyway but Ichimaru's sense of humor was odd at the best of times and down right sadistic at worst. Ichimaru was in fact a better captain than he had ever been a vice-captain. At least as a captain Ichimaru confined his bullying to the seated officers and left the rank and file alone and Kira went out of his way to ensure that the other seated officers were not passing down their Captains odd treatments down to the rank and file.

Not that Kira was unhappy with his lot. No, he would not have traded his captain for anyone else. He couldn't explain why but he cared for his captain deeply. Kira had never been able to explain why he found the man who was generally regarded as the creepiest captain in all of Gotei 13 to be the most deserving of his loyalty and devotion. He just did. It was one of those things. He doubted that there was another soul in the Gotei 13 who would understand his feelings for Ichimaru Gin. Kira stopped and stole a glance at Matsumoto, well perhaps there was one person who would understand. Kira knew and she had grown up with Ichimaru, had come to the Academy at the same time. What neither he nor any one else was sure of what she and Captain Ichimaru were these days. Some said that she was his only friend, others spread rumors about seeing them in deserted corners of Seireitei doing things that would put them firmly in the category of friends with benefits if not lovers. Most men were painfully aware that Matsumoto was unavailable. Why she was unavailable was never made explicit but most did connect Captain Ichimaru with her unavailable status. Kira himself made a point of not going any where near Ichimaru's room or his office when he sensed Matsumoto's reitsu in squad three quarters. Kira worst nightmare was walking in on them, if only because he had a vague suspicion that Ichimaru would send Shinso at him if he ever saw more of Matsumoto than was allowed. No Kira had no curiosity to find out the exact nature of the relationship between Ichimaru Gin and Matsumoto Rangiku. No somethings were better left vague and...

"Well aren't ya' helpful, Izuru."

Kira jumped, "Captain Ichimaru! Forgive me my tardiness, I..."

Gin laughed, "Ya' scare so easily, Izuru. Relax, I ain't here fer ya'," it was only than that Kira notices that Gin was wearing a sleeping Yakita, "Beside, I am with Captain Eleven on this one. Ya' can work any time, playin' is more important..." Gin's grin widened, "Although, not sure what ya' are do'n... what is it Izuru? Do ya' enjoy pickin' up garbage?"

"Ah! It's not that, Captain! I just... I just didn't want Matsumoto-san to get into trouble with Captain Hitsugaya," explained Izuru.

"Well I am happy than," whispered Gin, a tender note creeping into his voice as his gave fell on Matsumoto, "I wouldn't wan' m' Rangiku in trouble," with that he briskly walked over to Rangiku and gentle picked her up, "Goodnight, Izuru. Don't be late in the mornin' or ya'll get in trouble with me," with that Gin was gone.

Well... he hadn't walked in on them and he certainly didn't have Shinso shot at him but he had found out the exact nature of Gin and Rangiku's relationship. Now Kira knew for sure it was a good idea to stay away from Ichimaru Gin while Matsumoto Rangiku was in his vicinity.

She started to wake up as he flash stepped over rooftops, heading for the Squad 3 barracks. She suffered a moment of disorientation but as soon as it registered whose arms she was in, she relaxed, "Gin?"

Ichimaru looked down at her and smile, a true smile, "I couldn' sleep. The pillow was too hard and I was either too cold or too hot. So I decided to go get the softest pillows I could think of," he gently placed a kiss in between her breasts, "And y're always the right temperature, Rangiku."

Rangiku smiled, "Gin..."

Before long, they were in Gin's room, in Gin's bed, wrapped together in the comfort of familiarity and sleeping the deep sleep of the righteous... even though one of them knew full well that he didn't deserve that sleep or the woman in his arms. But he was glad she was there, so very glad.

Author's note: I got sick of writing about Rangiku being depressed and thought I would write an actual Rangiku x Gin romance. I blame it on listening to Fuyu no Hanabi from Bleach Beat Collections one too many times. Reviews appreciated.