Two girls there are : within the house
One sits; the other, without.
Daylong a duet of shade and light
Plays between these.
-Sylvia Plath
Since she's been turned into an Arrancar, Gin can't help but think of the only current female Espada. Nel never gave him the time of day anyway, but Halibel…
Halibel is not Matsumoto, he reminds himself.
Halibel is darker (in every sense of the word). Her skin is olive colored, and her attitude is secretive, and she's angry more times than not. Besides, she has no sense of humor(unlike Matsumoto).
And Halibel is stronger.
Its not that Rangiku is weak, thinks Gin. No. She's strong. He would have never saved her otherwise, that day on the road, so many years ago if she was- or continued to come back to her. And Rangiku's gotten stronger since he's been gone they tell him. She's mastered her shikai, Haineko, finally, and is a hair's breath away from bankai.
Halibel is still stronger than Rangiku.
As he lies besides the Arrancar, his eyes closed, the only thing that connects both women is the feel of their bodies under his hands. They are both so very curvaceous.
Gin opens his eyes (just a fraction, but he opens them nonetheless) and is almost surprised to see straight, short, yellowish white hair instead of long, wavy strawberry orange locks. He sees bronze skin instead of Matsumoto's ivory complexion. He sees dull green eyes, and not Ran-chan's bright blue ones. He sees a heap of white clothes instead of a heap of black. He noticed the lack of a mole near her mouth, the lack of a pink scarf, and a chain necklace- the lack of a smile.
Halibel is not Ran-chan
Gin closes his eyes again and breathes. The woman next to him gets up and starts dressing. He does nothing for a moment, until he hears the zip of her not-really-there-jacket; then opens his eyes again. He smiles (but its not a real smile, only the customary one) and calls out.
"Were ya goin' Ha-chan?" Her reply is monosyllabic ("Out"). Not that he expected anything else from her, but still. She closes the door of his room on her way out, and calls him 'Ichimaru', not Gin.
He feels tormented.
Halibel is not Rangiku.
She never will be.