*BOOM*
Thunder echoed in the distance, and a certain sliver- haired Captain turned in his sleep, wrapping an arm over the busty orange- haired woman with a beauty mark on her face lying next to him.
Lightning blazed across the sky in blinding flashes of white and yellow, highlighting for a brief moment the dark forest, where a lone figure was stranded.
She could be seen standing among the trees, head tilted up to the sky, the usual shinigami robes of black, and knee- long, golden hair madly swishing back and forth with the force of the wind.
*FLASH*
The lightning briefly illuminated her face. Emerald- blue eyes, gazing with the utmost awe and happiness at the scene unfolding in front of her, shone with delight. Another flash, and you could see the woman lifting her hands up to the air and laughing with joy as the droplets hit her upturned palms. She turned to me and smiled...
*BOOM*
I woke up early. As I glanced out of the window, the storm clouds from yesterday were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a light fog coated the entire 3rd Squads' barracks, maybe even the whole Seireitei. I sighed, sitting up and gently untangling the sheets from myself not to wake Rangiku. She turned slightly, curling herself up underneath them.
*Flashback*
Luscious pale- gold hair, sometimes a gleaming silver, draped across his and her body, covering them both beneath the bedsheets. Her firm bouncy chest pressed to his sculpted body, their legs entwined and his hand wrapped around her waist, her peaceful form beautiful in her sleep. And then as he gazes at her, her eyes flutter open. And she smiles at him...
*Flashback end*
I shook my head, ridding myself of these thoughts, and decided to take a walk. After aimlessly wandering through the Seireitei, I found myself at the exact same spot the dream had happened at. An' I remembered her laugh, her smile again. I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. Why do I keep remembering these things? I'm happy now, I belong with Rangiku, and I've got everything I could possibly want, yet for some reason I keep remembering her... Her...
The way they used to talk, the way they were friends before, the way she mocked him and laughed at the jokes only he could understand, the way she constantly teased him and he her, the way she was all calm and full of love at peaceful times, yet so fiery and passionate on the battlefield... Well, not only on the battlefield... The way they were lovers, but never could have a relationship. The way she was called the Sunlight and he the Moonlight, he the fox and she the kitty... She always was there for him, to listen to his problems, even serve as a sex release of pent- up frustration for him, murmuring soothing words to him and never once turning away. He had been cruel to her, led her sunshine self to the verge of tears. He had toyed with her feelings too, being an asshole most of the times... But no matter what, she would always forgive him, always return to him... In the end, what she had always wanted was for him to be happy, for him to 'truly smile', not grimace the 'foxy face' how she called it. Although she loved that too.
"Giiiiiiiin- tamaaaaaaaa!" Came a yell from somewhere above, as a slim curvy Lieutenant could be seen jumping from a rooftop and glomping the 3rd Squad Captain in midair, making both of them tumble to the floor, her on top of him in a futile attempt to catch her. The Captain's face could be seen peeking out from underneath her bosom. Kira, said captains' lieutenant, just stood there with a sweatdrop and did nothing. By now he was used to Shirayuri (meaning white lily), the second lieutenant of Squad 11 and one of the only female members there glomping his Captain every once in a while.
"Gin- tama, whatcha doin'?" as energetic as ever, the lieutenant bounced back to her feet and pulled up Gin. The captain took his time dusting himself off before replying. "Well, Rayu- chan, I was on the way to ma barracks ta do some paperwork..." Kira stared in disbelief at his captain "Ohhhhhhh, I see... Ya want me to help?" shooting a quizzical look at Gin, the female asked. The captain made a thinking face, and nodded after several minutes. Then, Gin grabbed Shirayuri and shunpoed off with her faster than the eye could follow. Kira was left there with a dumbfounded look on his face and a twitching eye, as the two troublemakers ran off together laughing.
"Rayu- chan, why can't we 'ave a 'normal' relationship?" she turned to him with innocent eyes, perfectly balancing on the banister of central 46. "Gin- tama, you know why... For one, I'm a lieutenant and you're a captain. For another, our personalities just don't fit... You wouldn't be happy with me, that feeling you'd have would be something like happiness but never quite like it. Besides, I'm the emotional and innocent one, you're the trickster who hides his emotions... We aren't a pair, Gin, no matter how you look at it... You need someone strong, someone capable of holding you by their side, not an overly emotional lovesick person..." "But ya'r the only one who sees the good in me." she spun around, jumping off the banister in front of him. "Exactly my point. I see only the good in you and I'd follow you to the ends of the earth. I'd always forgive you for anything. I think.." she tapped her chin "...Yes, I think I'd forgive you even if you stabbed and killed me... Don't you see, Gin? I'm too foolish and too much in love with you for this relationship to be strong... Besi-" She was silenced by the silver- haired captain gently but firmly pressing his lips to hers, and several persimmon- flavored moments later, they broke apart, she blushing crimson and he smiling like always. "Well then, Rayu- chan, why don't we enjoy this while it lasts, m'?" The heavily breathing lieutenant nodded, and the next second she was hoisted up over his shoulder and taken to his private quarters.
I wondered what I liked in her... She was young, yes, had a great body, but that was what any man would've liked... There was something in her, something so bright and cheerful and full of sunlight, that anyone got drawn to her cheery self. Most of the shinigami I know would've given their lives for her, even though they met her only 4-5 times, and some even less. Even I wouldn't have hesitated to shield her from harm with my body. But why? WHY? What could I possibly like in her after all this time? I opened my eyes in irritation that I simply couldn't get her outta my mind.
At that moment icy blue met sapphire green. She was standing there, not so far away from him, and gazing at him curiously with her beryl orbs, a soft smile on her face.
"Miss me much?" Rayu teased, closing her eyes like me and sticking her tongue out. I stood there in slight disbelief, taking in her appearance, noting that she looked slimmer than before and her hair had grown 2-3 inches longer. "Whatcha doin' here, Rayu- chan? Weren't ya supposed ta have left to better worlds?" I slightly mocked her back, remembering her Zanpakuto had the ability to open portals to other dimensions. It truly reflected her inner self: a dreamer who could accomplish the craziest things using the ideas that were thought impossible. "Well..." she tilted her head slightly, sage orbs darkening "I ... I... Missed you..." My eyebrows rose, and in two strides I closed off the distance between us, tilted her chin up and searched for traces of a joke. Finding none, I opened my eyes to fully confirm that, and a shiver ran through her as she looked at me. I smirked, remembering she never could get used to seeing that insane shade of light blue, and that was why she loved it so much. With every step I took to get closer to her back then, she jumped two steps back, knowing what was best for me and wanting me to have what was best... But what she didn't realize is that maybe I didn't want the best. Maybe I wanted HER and nothing more. Maybe SHE was the only one who could ever fill that void in my heart with that smile of hers, and no matter how much better Rangiku suited me, I BELONGED with Shirayuri. Her smile, her laugh, her innocence freed me from the everyday life of boredom I had. The first time I ever glimpsed her was when she was just accepted into Kenpachis' squad and had decided to help Rangiku do her paperwork... She flitted into my barracks like a ray of sunshine which decided to illuminate the slumbering moon. While I was signing Rangiku's paperwork, she joked, chatted, laughed and entertained us. That was when I realized that doing paperwork might not be so boring after all... Not while she was there at least. Over time, surprisingly enough, we grew to be great friends.
Now, as I looked into her hope- filled green eyes and kissed her, inhaling the fresh smell of rain and tasting the sweet taste of honey, I understood something. As those beautiful eyes gazed at me in complete adoration and utter love, I understood. She was something I could never let go of, even if I wanted to, and no matter how much I wanted to. She was something I could never get out of my mind, for my dreams and nightmares would be haunted with images of her. I would see her in my everyday life with flashbacks, or wonder how she would react to the different things I did, all the while wishing I could be with her but never admitting it. She was my sun, my dream, my hope, my love. She looked up at me and murmured "I suppose this is what they call irresistible lure, huh." I softly smiled at her, eyes open, and stroked her hair, savoring the familiar and dear feeling. "I suppose so, Rayu- chan. But for now, and ever-after, lets just enjoy it while it lasts..."
The trees swayed with the breeze, as silhouettes of two lovers in the morning fog could be visible holding each other. And like the tinkling of a bell, her laugh echoed throughout the clearing, mingled with a deeper and slightly more mocking laugh. The laughter of two lovers who had finally found each other.