A/N: My friend was messing around on my account and somehow the idiot managed to delete this story. So here it is again!
A frustrated sigh was heard, along with the sound of thick papers hitting wood.
'Ah, this is so boring!' Rangiku leaned back in her chair, glaring at the stack of papers she threw onto her desk. She hated doing paperwork. It was the only thing she regretted about becoming a Vice-Captain. If she knew the stack of work she had to do would be this thick, she wouldn't have tried so hard to show her captain that she was able to become a Vice-Captain in the first place. Speaking of which…
She glanced over at her captains absent desk. Just by looking she could tell his stack wasn't as big as hers. How was that possible? He was never here to actually do it! She should hunt him down and make him suffer along with her. Or better yet…
Rangiku pushed her chair back. She grabbed half of the paperwork off her desk, shuffling through them until she only held barely a fourth of her original stack. She walked to her captains desk, mixing the papers together with the ones already there. Once she was done she brushed her hands together.
"It's not much but cuts time off of my hands." She said.
"Huh? What's this?" A startled shriek escaped Rangiku's lips as she turned to face the door. Gin was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed. The Division 5 Vice-Captain badge on his left arm reflected the light.
"G-Gi-Gin! What are you doing here?" Rangiku placed a hand over racing heart, taking deep breaths to calm it.
Gin ignored her. He walked to the desk, placing his hand on the stack of papers.
"What a sneaky thing ta do. Never thought I'd catch Ran-Chan bein' naughty," Gin sent her a teasing smile. She could feel her face warm from embarrassment.
"It's Captain Shiba's own fault." She said defensively, crossing her arms. "He has to know there are consequences for ditching your work!"
"There's the pot callin' the kettle black. Yer the laziest Vice-Cap'n in the Gotei 13 Ran-Chan." Gin's smile widened as Rangiku huffed in annoyance.
"You still didn't answer my question," She decided to change the subject. "What are you doing here Gin?"
"Can't I come see ya after a long mission?"
A mission. That's right. He'd been away on a mission for almost three weeks. She only knew about it because there was a Vice-Captains meeting the week he left, and Vice-Captain Sasakibe had mentioned it.
"You didn't seem to want to see me when you left," She walked back to her desk. Suddenly she had a strong urge to do paperwork.
"Didn' have time to." He followed, leaning against her desk. "They gave me the assignment and sent me away."
"Is that so?' She muttered, looking through her papers. She could of sworn there was one she had to sign for Division 8 and soon. She blinked as the papers were pulled from her hands.
"Come walk with me," Gin said, placing them back on the desk. "'nd don't say ya have ta do paperwork 'cause I know ya hate it."
Rangiku frowned. She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.
"What if I'm too tired to go for a walk?"
"Then I don't tell ya my news and ya have ta wait 'till tomorrow ta hear it."
Damn him. He knew how much her curiosity could get the better of her. Rangiku sighed.
"Fine, you win," she said. 'As if he didn't already know he would.'
"There's a good girl."
Rangiku stretched her arms before resting them behind her head. The sun warmed her skin as the slight breeze kept her from overheating. The grass felt soft against her back. After being cooped up inside most of the day, this felt like paradise.
"So what did you want to tell me?" She looked up at Gin, who sat beside her. His hand rested on a bent knee while the other supported his weight. The wind blew his silver hair away from his eyes, and she silently wished that they were open so she could see the blue that never failed to take her breath away.
"Had a meetin' with Captain Aizen." Rangiku frowned. Was that all he wanted to tell her?
"So? Everyone has to meet with their Captain after a mission." She said. She closed her as she adjusted her potion, getting more comfortable. Really, she was tempted to just fall asleep here and leave all the paperwork for Captain Shiba to do.
"And with Captain Kyoraku, Captain Ukitake, and the Captain-Commander." She sat up, eyes wide. Her head spun from the quick movement, but she ignored it.
A meeting with three other captains that included the Captain-Commander? But that only meant-
"Gin, don't tell me you…" Her voice trailed off as he turned to look at her.
"Yup. 'mta be the Cap'n of Divion 3 startin' the day after tomorrow," He said.
"But-so you-you mastered your Bankai then?"
"'Course I did."
She couldn't believe it. It was just barley a year ago that she found out he was training to gain Bankai, and he told her that he had been training for awhile already. Now he's mastered it when it should take ten years to? She knew Gin was a prodigy, but to obtain something as powerful as Bankai in just over a year?
She threw herself at Gin, wrapping her arms around his neck. Caught off guard, Gin fell backwards with her on top of him.
"Ow! A lil' warnin' next time," He complained. Rangiku just laughed. She pulled away, her lips pulling up into a delighted smile.
"I'm proud of you Gin! You're going to be a Captain!"
Gin starred at her for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"Ah. So I am," He said it as though the thought hadn't sunk in yet. He tried to sitting up, but couldn't fully since she was still on his lap. "Mind gettin' off'a me?"
Rangiku ignored him. Instead she hugged him again.
"I really am proud of you Gin. I know you've been working hard for this." She did know. When she found out, he had been covered in cuts from performing Jinzen with his Zanpakuto. She doubted that, had she not found him in the middle of training, he would have told her about training for Bankai.
She was about to pull away when she felt Gin's arms wrap around her, returning the embrace.
"Ah. It's thanks to you, Rangiku." He said whispered. His voice was soft, and she almost missed it. Her eyes widened before closing.
When was the last time they spent time together like this? Not at meetings, or with their captains or other Vice-Captains present? Just enjoying each others company, taking comfort in the others presence?
Whenever it was, she couldn't remember it. And the thought of it made her cling to the back of his robes.
Hours later, she found herself standing outside the Division 5 barracks. Her and Gin ended up spending the rest of the afternoon together, even going to one of her favourite place in the Rukongai to eat for dinner.
"Ya sure ya don' want me to walk with ya back to yer place?" Gin asked her.
"Please, I'm a big girl. I can find my way back myself," Rangiku told him.
"Right. Well, G'Night then, Rangiku."
"Hn." She nodded before running towards him, hugging him for the third time that day. "Congrats again, Gin."
She stood on the tips of her toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She pulled away after a few seconds to look into his eyes, which were now fully open. She could see the surprise in them.
"Good night, Gin." she said. She let go of him, and finally left. As she walked, she could feel her smile slip away, a tight feeling forming in her chest.
She wasn't lying when she told Gin she was proud of him. She really was. The boy she grew up with in the Rukongai was about to be promoted to the best rank the Gotei 13 could offer. She didn't think she could form the words to describe how happy she was for him.
But with this promotion, she would see even less of him. She became a Vice-Captain so she could be near him more. Not that it helped much. When he went on long missions she only found out about it at meetings when he wouldn't show. He wouldn't tell her he was leaving, or how long it would be for.
But then, he was always like that. Always walking steps ahead of her, leaving her to wonder where he was going and why.
Becoming a captain…just meant he was another step away.
Gin watched the strawberry-blonde retreat until he could no longer see her before turning to the barracks. His steps were as silent as ever, as was everything around him. Everyone would be asleep by now. Well, almost everyone.
"Welcome back, Gin." He stopped as Aizen appeared in front of him. He was still in his uniform, his Haori almost glowling in the moonlight.
"Cap'n Aizen, surprised ta see yer still up," Immediately the grin was back. How long was Aizen standing there for?
"Did you have fun? You were gone a long time," The brunettes own smile almost covered up the accusing tone. Almost.
"Ah, just havin' some fun. Big promotion means I don' get ta have as much free time on my hands," Gin shrugged. He started to walk forward again. The longer he stayed the more likely he might slip up. He was about to pass Aizen when he spoke, making Gin stop once more.
"Try not to grow too much of an attachment to the girl, Gin." Well, that answered the question of how long he was watching. However, Gin's lips, if possible, pulled up even more.
Attachment? He was beyond attached. He was bound to Rangiku from the moment he set eyes on her all those years ago. The moment she looked at him with those faded blue eyes through her strawberry-blonde locks, he knew he was hooked. If she knew just how deep she had her claws in him, if she ever used that against him, he would never be able to leave her side.
But she didn't know. He made sure of it.
"Attachment? 'Fraid I don' know the meanin' of the word. That would require emotions I just ain't capable of," he said. Aizen gave a low chuckle.
"That's right. A snake without emotions," He said. He placed a hand on Gin's shoulder, and he had to force himself not to tear off the hand, or better yet the whole arm. "Rest up. You have a big day tomorrow, Captain Ichimaru."
Gin watched as Aizen disappeared around the corner. He stood there for a moment, before finally making his way to his own room.
Aizen's words echoed in his mind like a sirens song.
"Try not to grow too much of an attachment to the girl…"
Gin had been selfish today. He allowed himself one day, one moment, to be with Rangiku. He had been good at keeping his distance, at slowly pulling away from her. But today he let himself slip up. Any justification he used earlier was gone.
He was going to be the captain of Division 3. After that, he would no longer be allowed those moments with Rangiku. It would only be more painful for her when the day finally came and he left one last time. He knew when that day came, it would already be hard on her. He wouldn't make it worse if he could avoid it.
Not when he wasn't even sure himself that he would succeed in his mission, and come out of it alive.
'No,' he thought to himself. His eyes opened, glaring straight ahead as he felt his anger boil. Failure was not an option. He would get back what was taken from her.
He had to.
A/N: First time writing GinRan, not sure if I'm 100% happy with it yet.