Life After You

Chapter 1 ~ First Meeting

Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters belong to Kubo Tite.

Author's Notes: Here we are! I'm officially posting the long awaited first chapter of Life After You! I'm almost finished writing this story and feel that I have enough written to start posting it now. I'd like to dedicated this entire story to my good friend, Dragen Eyez, whose request for a Gin x Rukia fic started all of this! Hope you guys enjoy it!

"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter/As long as I'm laughing with you/I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after
After the life we've been through/'Cause I know there's no life after you" (Life After You, Daughtry)

"Gin, sweetie, you can't keep shutting the world out like this," Rangiku Matsumoto told her childhood friend. She had gone out of her way to visit him since he had been avoiding the world for almost two months.

"What's the point Ran? Ain't got a life no more," Gin Ichimaru sulked from his bed. He had barely moved from it in the weeks that had followed the end of his relationship. When he did leave the confines of his room, anyone who saw him swore they were looking at a ghost. Surely that was all Gin was by that point, a ghost of his former self.

"Nonsense!" snapped Rangiku. Carefully, she sat down on Gin's bed. "You still have me. And all our friends," she added softly.

"They're mostly her friends," he muttered before moving until his head was resting on her lap.

"They're your friends too," Rangiku sighed as she idly ran her hand affectionately through Gin's short, silvery hair.

"I jus' don' know what t'do now, Ran. I love her so much it hurts," Gin admitted, glancing up at his friend.

"I know. It'll get easier, I promise."

"Ya sure?"

Rangiku just nodded and continued to stroke his hair. "I'll be here every step of the way," she told him.

"Thanks, Ran."

Gin Ichimaru was the class troublemaker. He literally thrived on other peoples' discomfort and misery. He was perhaps the most feared person at Karakura High. So it was no surprise when he sauntered into the after school detention room, his usual sly grin on his face.

"Have a seat, Mr. Ichimaru," the teacher in charge said without looking up at Gin.

"Sure, sure," Gin said nonchalantly as his gaze swept over the room, taking in the faces of his fellow troublesome misfits. There was Ikkaku Madarame in the back corner with his boyfriend, Yumichika Ayasegawa, obviously there for fighting. A few seats from them was Shuuhei Hisagi, his best friend's current boy toy. Gin assumed he had been caught lifting skirts or trying to spy on the girls changing after gym class. Hisagi always seemed like he was in trouble for some lewd act or another. Towards the front of the room was Gin's favourite person to play with, Ichigo Kurosaki, and a girl Gin never expected to see in detention in a million years.

"I can't believe I got detention because of you, you moron!" the girl was complaining to Ichigo.

"Your own fault for losing your temper, stupid," Ichigo replied.

"Ain't that our reignin' princess, Rukia Kuchiki?" Gin asked, loud enough to gain the attention of everyone in the room. He grinned as the girl blushed, embarrassed to be seen among the regular delinquents.

"So what? I'm not perfect, you know," she grumbled, looking at her desktop.

Gin's grin widened as he slid into an empty desk next to the girl. "Yer the school's princess! What could a girl like you have done t'get detention?" he asked, watching her intently.

"Ichigo provoked me and my outburst got me detention," she replied, glaring at the boy on the other side of her.

"Whatever," muttered Ichigo as he turned his back to the girl.

Rukia rolled her eyes and turned her back on him as well. "You're Gin Ichimaru, right?" she asked.

"In th'flesh," he replied, grinning.

"Everyone calls you a snake, but you look more like a fox to me," she mused, her eyes roaming over his face.

"I'm sly and cunnin' like a fox, true," he started, "but I'm deadlier'an any snake."

"I see," was all she said.

Gin's grin went from sly to wicked as he leaned closer to Rukia. "Ya better stay close t'me, Princess. I'll keep ya safe from the wolves in th'room," he told her, his voice low.

"Pipe down, Ichimaru. This is detention, not some warped speed dating service," the teacher snapped, glaring at Gin.

"O'course. Was jus' wishin' Princess here luck," Gin replied as he slouched back into his seat.

"Miss Kuchiki doesn't need your taint rubbing off on her," added the annoyed teacher. Gin shrugged in response. The teacher resumed his work and Gin turned back to Rukia, who was laughing quietly at him.

"Do I amuse ya?" Gin asked in a whisper

Rukia nodded and smiled at Gin, a hint of mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Such a devious princess ya are," he told her.

"I told you I'm not perfect," she whispered back.

"Mr. Ichimaru, Miss Kuchiki, that is quite enough!" the teacher snapped again.

Rukia flushed and quieted down while Gin continued to smirk.