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Mile High Club

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It was too early in the morning to deal with this. Rangiku hated flying, but most of all she hated airports. She hated the over-sterilised air that was supposed to be clean, but was probably just recycled bacteria. Disgusting. Wrinkling her nose, she headed over to check in, hoping that her bag wasn't too overweight. She remembered the amount of times she had thrown a fit over limited baggage weight, eventually having to either throw away some of her things or put them into hand carry. Gosh, she hated flying.

Check-in was a breeze and she took out a bright lipstick to reapply. She was excited to be going back to Japan; America just wasn't the same. It was dirty, dangerous and there was a certain lack of convenience.

People were milling about in the airport, lounging in plastic chairs and walking in and out of stores, just on the other side of security. Rangiku stared longingly at Duty Free; her hands were just itching to start buying up some things to take back. Although she wasn't fond of America, she had to admit that she loved shopping there. Clothing and makeup were so much cheaper there than they were in Tokyo, and anyone who knew Rangiku could tell you that she loved shopping.

This was the worst part of flying and being in an airport. Rangiku checked her bag, her heart sinking. Once again she'd forgotten to pack her makeup bag into her main suitcase. Which cream or lipstick would she have to part with this time? It would have been worse if she had nail clippers; security would treat her like she'd committed a federal offense as they confiscated the metallic object. She would argue that anything could be used as a murder weapon if one tried hard enough.

"Hurry up! I haven't got all day, God!" shouted a short woman with a heavy Philadelphian accent at the line of people waiting to go through security.

"Shh, Cecily, you shouldn't say that." giggled the lady next to her as she waved up the next passenger.

"I can say whatever I like! Come on now!" barked the woman at Rangiku, who scowled in return. She handed over her passport and the squat woman called Cecily snatched it from her hand.

"What is this, huh?" she snapped; waving around Rangiku's boarding pass and baggage claim ticket, "What is this garbage?"

Rangiku could feel herself growing hotter with rage, her silver eyes narrowed and brow furrowed deeply. She brought herself up to her full height, inhaling deeply, ready to let the rude woman have it. Flight be damned. She was not going to take customer treatment like this. This would never happen in Japan and she was about to let this woman have a piece of her mind.

"No, excuse me-" she began furiously, jabbing a finger at the woman who looked on unimpressed when a large hand covered hers, interrupting her tirade.

"There ya're sweetheart! I've been looking all over for ya." A cheerful, nonchalant voice reached her ears and she looked up in surprise. A silver-haired man who looked to be in his early twenties or so, smoothly plucked her passport and other documents out of the security woman's hands.

"My girlfriend gets a little stressed over flyin', sorry about that." He gave a large charming grin to the grumpy woman, before whisking Rangiku away.

"Wh-what-wait!" Rangiku nearly tripped as he pushed her into line.

"Shh, jus' play the part." he whispered into her ear before queuing up in the line parallel to hers. She quickly went through the x-ray without a hitch and looked around for the strange man. She found him leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, waiting for her. He tipped an imaginary hat and raised his chin in acknowledgement.

"I didn't ask you to come save me!" she bristled, stomping her way over to him.

"Lady, if I hadn't saved ya, you would not be making your flight and you would have been stuck in questionin' for over three hours. Would ya really have wanted that? Was the argument worth it? Now, play along, they think we're datin', don' they?" And before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand and started marching her off toward the shops.

"..." Rangiku supposed he was right, but… but… she still felt disgruntled about the whole thing. She let him lead her down a long hallway lined with shops and restaurants. A nasally female voice announced boarding flights and called for people over the PA system. The return to normality, watching people walk by without a care, calmed her ruffled feathers enough to introduce herself to her saviour.

"I'm… my name's Rangiku. Thanks for earlier." she said after a few minutes of silence.

"No problem."

"... Isn't this where you're supposed to reply with your name in return?"

"This is true… ya're correct."

"You still haven't told me your name though."

"Here." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small card, handing it to her. Rangiku squinted at the small writing.

"Gin… Ichimaru Gin. And you couldn't have told me this in person, Gin?" she laughed, pocketing the card.

"I was tryna be mysterious." Gin jostled her. "Did it work?"

"Not one bit. Anyway, how did you know my gate is 84?"

"I have ESP. Told ya I'm mysterious."

"No, really."

"Alrigh', alrigh'. I kinda saw when I took your boarding pass back from that ornery lady at security."

"Oh."

"And… as coincidence, I'm also here. At this gate, I mean."

"You're kidding me, right?" Rangiku turned to look at Gin surprised. "Now, you're joking."

He showed her his boarding pass; it was true. He was on the same flight as her.

"Wow… what are the odds?" she murmured handing the ticket back to him, "You sure you're not some secret agent stalking me or something?" she teased.

"Why? Have ya done somethin' bad?" he asked innocently, but the glint in his eyes forced her to pick up his innuendo. "Don' worry, secret agent or not, I'll keep my eye on ya." He winked at her.

"You're so weird," Rangiku giggled pushing him away. She always liked making new friends, and for once it wasn't some sicko pervert hitting on her. Gin was shuffling some of his papers, organising them and she took this time to fully look at her new friend. He looked like he had really soft blonde hair; so blonde it almost looked silver in the light, and his eyes were narrowed to constant slits. It was hard to discern what he was thinking because he constantly acted like everything was a funny joke. That was an interesting way to take on life.

Rangiku was serious most of the time, but in front of her friends she liked to unwind and goof around. Perhaps it would benefit her to stop taking everything so seriously. Wasn't that what nearly got her in trouble at the airport today?

"Ya want ta go shoppin' or somethin'?" he asked, pocketing his passport and boarding pass. "We still have an hour or so till we hafta go."

"I'd love to go shopping, but I'm starving. Who the hell gets a flight at ten am, for goodness sake?" Rangiku grumbled, shouldering her bag more securely. "Want to get breakfast?"

"Sure, I could do with a nice fry up." Gin admitted, "I know a good place."

"Do you fly a lot, then?" Rangiku asked as he led them toward a restaurant. Gin just shrugged. She quickly learned that there were a lot of things that Gin didn't care to elaborate on. She didn't press for details because if he didn't want to tell her, then she definitely was in no position to force him. When Gin joked about being mysterious, she had laughed it off, but when she looked closely, she noticed that he was indeed quite mysterious; not letting on about many things and focusing the conversation on her. What a curious man.

"Gin!" a waitress waved at them excitedly. "I'll have you seated in a second!" The bright green-haired waitress ushered an elderly couple to a booth seat before making her way over to them.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you for so long. And who's this?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him. Gin scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"This is Rangiku, we jus' met."

Rangiku smiled and waved, reading the name tag: Nel. What an interesting name.

"I have just the seat for you. Here," Nel said, placing two menus down and two cups of ice water at a corner table. "I'll be back for your order soon; be good." She winked at them before bustling off to help more customers.

"Well, I guess that answers my previous question." Rangiku said, taking a sip of her water.

"Mmm?"

"The one about flying. You must come here a lot, if she knows you by name, right?"

"Nah, Nel just has great memory." Gin flashed her a smile. "And it depends on your definition of 'flyin' often' righ'?"

"Get out, you're so pedantic." Rangiku grumbled.

"Thanks, I try ta be." he laughed, passing her a menu. "I recommend the English breakfast. It's real fillin'. Ya won't be able to move for hours; which is perfect cause that's what we'll be doin' for sixteen hours anyway."

So Nel came by with her little notepad and they ordered breakfast.

"What are ya doin' in Tokyo?" Gin asked. "Business or pleasure?"

"Neither actually. I live there. What about you?"

"Stop over on the way ta Bangkok, but Tokyo's a nice city ain't it?"

"It's great!" Rangiku enthused and started talking about her favourite locations. Whilst she was in the middle of describing her favourite hang out spots, Nel came back with two hot plates loaded with food and Rangiku took a break from talking to dig in.

Gin was right; the English breakfast was good. The plate was piled high with toast, scrambled eggs, baked beans, bacon and sausages, hash browns, fried tomatoes and mushrooms. Nothing was left out.

"Y'know, America ain't that bad if ya ignore the shit customer service." Gin said, dipping the edge of a crisp hash brown into some ketchup. "If we ever meet again, I'll take ya to all the good parts of New York City."

"I'd love that." she smiled at him. Rangiku knew that she'd probably never see him after this flight, but when Gin started talking about all the places he'd take her and all the sights they'd see if they met again, she began to wonder if she could find a way to see him once more.

"...And you'd definitely love Fifth Avenue, 's great place ta be if ya love art and shoppin'. Did ya know Fifth is the most expensive street in the world?" Gin had almost stopped eating, as he described New York avidly.

Rangiku speared a sausage and munched on it, tuning Gin out, watching him with a little smile. He was being so enthusiastic, trying to persuade her that America wasn't that bad. The whole conversation so far was both of them trying to convince the other that their city was better.

"Flight 370 to Tokyo is now boarding at gate 84. Passengers on board for flight 370, please make your way…"

"We better go." Rangiku said, ears picking up the announcement over the PA system. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and drained the last of her orange juice. Gin dusted himself off and stood up, wallet in hand.

"No wait a second." Rangiku scrambled to her feet alarmed. "Wait, I'll pay."

"It's all taken care of, Ran. Don' ya worry your pretty head about it." Gin said as Nel plucked a folded bill gleefully from Gin's fingers. "Keep the change Nel. Thanks for yer good service."

"Gin!" Rangiku protested as he started to frogmarch her out of the restaurant.

"Shh, let me pay for breakfast, alrigh'? I want ta do this. If I can't take ya out on a date again, then this is the best I can do, righ'?"

"D-date?" Rangiku stuttered, cheeks blushing. "This was a date?"

"If ya want it ta be, then yeah, sure." Gin shrugged.

"I… I, well ok. It's a really weird date though. Who goes on a date at the airport?" Rangiku asked, looping her arm within Gin's tentatively. If this was truly a date, he wouldn't mind, right?

"Weird people, like us? Besides, 'm willin' to bet you've never had a date in an airport before. Jus' somethin' ta tell your friends at home." he said, laughing slightly as they walked over to their gate.

"Gin? Can I see your ticket?" Rangiku asked as they waited in line. He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to her, watching her face fall a little. "Oh…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… it's just, we're not sitting anywhere near each other." Rangiku said disappointedly.

"Aww, d'you miss me already?" Gin teased, earning himself a hard jab to his ribs. "Don' worry about it, I'll come over and talk ta ya durin' the flight if ya get lonely. Quit pokin' me, woman!"

The line was getting shorter and soon Rangiku was handing over her passport and boarding pass.

They walked down the ramp together. At the mouth of the airplane, Gin squeezed her shoulder lightly and let her board the plane first. She turned back to give him a small wave before squeezing past people to get to her seat. As she walked down the cramped aisle, she noticed that not many people were on board. But that could just be because they had just started boarding, but she hoped she'd get an empty seat or two.

She sighed internally when she spotted the two occupants in her aisle. One tired mother and a grizzling baby, who was threatening to spout tears at any moment in time. Rangiku stowed her bag under the seat in front of her, taking out her iPod to listen to during the flight. She was pleased to note that there was in-flight entertainment, so she could drown out the baby's screams with some interesting film. Plucking the shopping magazine from the pouch in front of her, she began flipping through it, seeing if there was anything worth buying.

A stewardess announced that the plane doors would be shutting and that no more passengers would be admitted. She gave into temptation and looked around for Gin. She wasn't honestly paying attention to the magazine in the first place. She found him sitting at the very back of the cabin, he winked at her, giving her a small wave and she quickly whipped her head back to face the front, face going red.

Rangiku gave her hot cheeks a few brief pats, trying to cool them down. Ever since Gin had mentioned that this was some sort of date-like, potential...thing, she couldn't stop tingling all over and feeling giddy. The whole thing felt so surreal and she had to resist the temptation to pinch herself. She'd just gotten out of a relationship but it had been a long time since anyone had made her heart flip like that. But dammit, she discovered she loved the attention and she would milk the sixteen hour flight for all it was worth. Besides, it's not like she'd ever see him again, right? Everything could be on the table and none would be the wiser.

Putting her game face on, she turned back and gave him a sultry grin, waving a couple fingers at him coyly. There. That should tell him that she was interested enough to return his game. All she had to do was wait for him to come over and talk to her like he said he would. There was no way in hell she'd be the one chasing him. Surreptitiously unbuttoning a few buttons on her blouse, she fluffed out her hair and reapplied some lipstick. Oh yes, the game was definitely on.

Well, it would have been on, if he actually started it.

Two hours had passed and the plane was well up in the air. She perused the in-flight magazine completely and had practically memorised the price of every item. She'd finished two drinks already and she could feel annoyance creeping into her mind set. Didn't he say he would come over and talk to her? What was taking him so long!? Right, she'd go to the bathroom and on the way over she'd just happen to take a sneak peek as to what he was actually doing.

Rangiku stood up on wobbly legs and slowly made her way down the narrow aisle, heart in her mouth. She noticed that there weren't many people around toward the back of the cabin, and the scant amount of passengers that did occupy the space, were completely knocked out.

It was only a few more steps till she reached Gin's row and she prepared to use her peripheral vision to spy on him.

…He was completely asleep.

Figures. Disappointment flooded her being and she continued walking until she reached the bathroom. Leaning against the counter, she let out a large sigh, surveying her reflection in the big mirror opposite her. She supposed she had been expecting a little too much. Ever since she was a child, she'd always been enthralled by princess stories and swept away by tales of romance. Rangiku had tucked those feelings away when she got to high school, afraid that people would tease her for being a soppy romantic.

With her rapidly developing body and her bold features, she soon had plenty of boys lining up outside her front door asking to take her out. It had been overwhelming and she was flattered at first… till she realised that most of them had been after her body and nothing else. There were a few boys who had bothered to look past her ample chest and curvy figure, but rare as they were, Rangiku had ended up pouring out her heart and soul, scaring them away instead. Then there was the guy she'd recently broken up with because he had gone and slept with her best friend. Needless to say, she wasn't on speaking terms with either of them.

So at twenty three, she still felt like she hadn't truly had what you would call a real relationship. She poked her cheek and made a face at her reflection.

After splashing some water on her face to freshen up she exited the bathroom. As she walked by Gin's row however, she suddenly felt something grab on to her wrist, pulling her rather abruptly into a seat. An armrest caught her waist painfully and she winced.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"Was beginning ta wonder how long you were gonna spend in the bathroom." Gin said cheekily, slipping his hand into hers before she could say anything.

"You were awake the whole time, weren't you!?" Rangiku exclaimed, "You bastard- I thought you were asleep!" She smacked his thigh lightly.

"I'm pretty mysterious, ain't I? Anyway, how about we continue this date of ours? The flight isn't quite over yet."

"What do you mean?" Rangiku cocked her head to the side. How on Earth were they supposed to continue a date when there was nothing to do?

"Here ya go." Gin handed her a pair of headphones. She took them from him, looking at him expectantly.

"Now, ya see these lovely little screens here in front of us? Select a film and we'll watch it together, side by side, what d'ya think? It'll almost be like watchin' a film in a cinema." Gin grinned at her, twirling his headphones around in his hand.

Rangiku's eyes lit up, the more she thought about it, the more brilliant it had sounded in her head; she hadn't thought of that possibility at all.

"Wait, can I get my bags and then we can we watch something? I'll be right back." She stood up to leave and for a second it felt like Gin wasn't going to let go of her hand, but the feeling passed as soon as it came as she walked quickly down the aisle, reeling with excitement and a bit of turbulence. Her heart was beating so fast and so hard she was sure Gin could hear it, just sitting next to her. Grabbing her bags and iPod quietly as to not wake the sleeping baby, she made her way back to her new seat, giddy with the feeling of anticipation of something bigger to come.

"So," she said breathlessly, "what's next?"

"Choose any film ya want, and I'll watch it with ya."

Rangiku pored through the film selection twice before choosing a chick flick. Gin groaned teasingly and as the film started up, he held his hand out to her. She smiled at him and gently placed her hand within his, feeling their fingers lace together automatically.

Fancy being on a date, 35000 ft above ground.

x

The film started playing with the plot unfolding… and Rangiku's throat began to constrict. It was a simple film about a couple trying a long distance relationship. She had no idea why she felt like crying as she experienced the trials and anguish of a long distance relationship through this silly Hollywood film, but she couldn't help but substitute herself and Gin for the main characters. She tried pushing the ridiculous thoughts out of her head, as they weren't exactly a couple, but then what were they? It was becoming increasingly harder to think of the time when they would have to part at the airport several hours later. She could already tell that saying goodbye would be very difficult. The lump in her throat only became bigger, making it hard to swallow.

They had only just met, but why couldn't she remember a time before Gin? It felt like he'd always been there, in her life. Just lurking behind the corner, a silhouette against a darkened canvas background. Rangiku remembered reading something about people being able to fall in love in under four minutes…

She hadn't realised she was crying until a tear trailed down her cheek. She paused the film using the remote beside her and squeezed Gin's hand to get his attention.

He slipped off his headphones and looked at her.

"... I don't want to watch the film anymore." she said softly.

"Sure." he said easily, "What do ya want ta do instead?"

"Could we just… can we just talk?" she asked hopefully, turning to face him fully.

"Course we can." Gin agreed.

They talked about so many things. Rangiku found out that they both had coincidentally gotten out of a relationship because they both had been cheated on. They had similar taste in music and in food… they had both been interested in plant biology at school. The instantaneous connection together was building up insane chemistry between them, and Rangiku found that the more she talked to Gin, the more she wanted to get to know him.

Gin was a young businessman in a successful company based in New York, but since he was so young he was made to travel around to many countries to meet new potential clients. The company said he had a knack for discerning the kind of people they were looking for as clients and they trusted his judgment, even though he was just a newcomer. Rangiku was impressed but Gin just shrugged it off.

"Ya do what ya have ta do."

"You don't sound exactly happy about your job." Rangiku observed.

"Nah, it's not that. But there's just no thrill in it, ya know? It's not exciting ta me. I do my job cause I'm good at it, nothin' more." Gin fiddled with the wire of his headphones absentmindedly, twisting the cord around his finger. It looked like it was close to cutting off circulation, but either Gin didn't notice or didn't care.

"You know, I really like talking to you." Rangiku said suddenly.

"Yer not too bad yourself." He grinned at her.

Rangiku blushed a little at the comment and turned away. The hum of quiet silence after a lull in their heated conversation allowed them to cool down and remember where they were. They had been so engrossed in each other they hadn't noticed the cabin lights had dimmed considerably. With the window shades pulled down, it was actually quite dark in the cabin.

Rangiku nudged Gin and smiled at him; he returned the smile good naturedly. He had a nice smile; it was a shame he rarely displayed a genuine one.

"Hey, Rangiku." he said suddenly, leaning toward her slightly, chin propped up on his hand.

"Mmm?"

"Have ya ever been spontaneous?"

Rangiku's heartbeat sped up, careening against her ribcage, but she had no idea why. It could be that he was so close… or the fact that she just noticed how blue his eyes really were. They were beautiful eyes, streaked with silver. The intensity of his gaze was unnerving and she felt herself blush and stammer as she tried to keep her cool and think of a coherent answer.

"Y-yeah, I have."

"Oh?"

He was really too close for comfort. She had a feeling she knew what might happen next. Her heart was doing wild flips and she felt dizzy, like she was standing on the very edge of a cliff, arms outstretched, ready to plunge into the unknown… she just needed a slight push to let the adrenaline rush flow over her body, claiming it as its own.

Rangiku's body was already leaning towards Gin's as if they were magnetised. Her eyelids were sliding half shut as her full lips parted slightly.

"Yeah," Her voice had dropped to a deep sultry whisper. There was half a second's pause as they both regarded each other, the friendly, light bantering nature they had vanishing, making way for a deeper, darker, spicier tension that curled around the couple making it harder to breathe.

"Kiss me."

No sooner had the order passed her lips, Gin's mouth had latched on to her own, kissing and sucking on her bottom lip adamantly. Never had she seen anyone move so fast, it was almost like a snake striking prey.

Rangiku was melting inside; she had never ever been kissed so sensually before. She let one hand cup his sharp, angular jaw, feeling him nibble on her lip gently. She let her tongue trace the edge of his lip, asking to take the kiss further and he complied. Their tongues slid against one another, tasting each other. When they angled their heads to deepen the kiss, their teeth clicked, but neither of them noticed; too absorbed in the moment to take in little mistakes. If anything it was a sign of the pent up sexual tension that had transpired between them. Gin's hand was dragging up her side, inquisitive fingers playing with the edge of her bra. She was glad when he didn't delve into her bra and feel her breast straight up, unlike most guys. It made him almost seem more mature when he didn't go for the goods immediately.

She moaned as his mouth left her now swollen lips, in order to attack her throat with vicious, wet, open mouthed kisses. She had such a sensitive neck and she knew there was no return to her senses once he started sucking on the skin there. She hissed as Gin nudged her shirt collar aside to suck at the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Rangiku's eyes slid shut completely as she let out a breathy moan, knowing that he would probably leave an angry red mark on her skin. She couldn't wait to go home and see it; if anything she'd at least have that mark to confirm everything that had happened between them was real. That he was really touching and kissing her, and that his mouth had grazed at her flesh.

When Rangiku tried to move closer however, she was jarred by the armrest that lay between them. It dug into her hip quite painfully. She found out that she could lift it up creating a bench link seating arrangement than the individual original seating plan.

"We shoulda done this earlier." Gin said, delighted at the fact he could pull Rangiku even closer to him without obstruction. "Now where were we…?" He nuzzled her neck with his nose, tongue coming out to lick along her jawline, giving her tiny love bites. Rangiku's hand curled into the soft material of Gin's shirt, unable to let go as he assaulted the delicate skin just under her ear relentlessly. She knew her neck was sensitive, but Gin's talented mouth was quickly redefining what it meant to be sensitive.

She could feel his hand stroking the side of her thigh, moving up slowly. Rangiku could feel herself start to get more impatient as her body longed for more sensual touches. She could only grit her teeth as his fingers played with the edge of her skirt, teasing the sensitive skin there mercilessly with his long fingers, fingernails grazing and coming closer to the part where her thigh connected with hip, leaving her trembling with anticipation.

"Come here." he said, voice cutting through her hazy mind, delirious with his soft touches. She felt herself being tugged and arranged into position, so that she was sitting on his lap facing him. Her hand came up to grip the material of his shirt near his shoulder as Gin's mouth latched onto her neck once more. His long searching fingers came to rest right at the edge of her lacy underwear. He heard Rangiku whine impatiently, eager for him to stop his light teasing, so he boldly dipped past the lacy barriers and there he was met with a surprise.

"What's this?" he asked more to himself than to her as his fingertips met hairless, soft flesh. So soft it felt like velvet and satin altogether. It felt like her skin was almost melting into his touches.

"Sweetheart, d'ya even have any idea what I want ta do to ya?" Gin breathed out, almost reverently, touching her in the most intimate of places.

Instead of replying, Rangiku gripped his wrist, urging him to move faster. Gin ignored the tugging on his wrist as he took his time, stroking and exploring her folds, feeling them become slicker with each pass of his fingers. He took great pleasure in rubbing her sensitive nub, feeling her back arch in a beautiful bow against him, mewling quietly. Only when he felt sharp nails dig into his hand with desperation, did he let his finger slip into her wet heat slowly.

Gin watched Rangiku throw her head back as he prepared to add another finger. Her hips started rising and moving against his fingers, until she was essentially riding his hand. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was parted, allowing for small sighs and sexy moans to pass through before being swallowed up by the drone of the airplane. Through the dim light he saw her cheeks had flushed a nice red colour, her body heating up nicely as she arched against his fingers.

He shook his head in amazement; the incredible surrealistic situation was turning him on further than any porn he'd ever watched. He had never seen or met a girl as… alluring as Rangiku before. Everything about her was maddening; her coy way of speaking, the way she paid rapt attention to him, her silver eyes that flashed and sparkled when she laughed. And of course her damn body that was forcing him to endure the painful constriction of his pants around his hardening cock. He felt some more precum drool out and stain his underwear as he watched Rangiku grit her teeth, grinding down onto his hand, intent on finding satisfaction. Gin curled his fingers within her tight heat, watching her mouth form a small 'o' at the new sensation, as the tips nudged up against a particular bundle of nerves. Her hand came up to grab his shoulder, nails digging into the skin there as she tried her best to contain a large moan from escaping.

Gin felt her shift on his lap and before he could even say anything, one small hand had started stroking his length, rubbing against it insistently from the outside of his pants. He clenched his teeth in an effort not to lose concentration as his hand was still very much buried within her, fingers moving in and out of her. At this point, wetness was running down his hand and probably dripping onto the seat.

It was only when Gin felt her paw at his belt that he slowly pulled his fingers out of her, hearing her whine pitifully at the loss.

"What are you doing?" he asked, feeling a little sheepish at his question, but he wanted to make sure that this was what she wanted to do.

"I want… please." Rangiku was beyond coherence now, the fingering session effectively turning her into a little quivering submissive mess on Gin's lap. She was shaking from the denied completion and the need to feel for more, making it quite impossible for her to undo his belt. Gin unbuckled the snap and watched her bite her puffy lip in concentration, as her mission became easier to complete.

"Don't start anythin' ya don't intend on finishing." he warned quietly as she freed his aching cock from the confines of his pants. He let out a small hiss as the cold air of the plane met the wet, glistening tip of his cock. Gin saw Rangiku lick at her palm, before she wrapped her small dainty hand around him. It was an odd angle to give a handjob, her hand nestled right between their bodies, stroking at an even pace. He let her plant soft kisses all along his neck as he started thrusting into her hand lightly, unable to keep totally still.

Gin opened eyes he never realised he'd closed, when he felt Rangiku let go of his length. He groaned at the loss of friction, he'd been so close to releasing and only to be denied this close to completion was seriously testing his self control. His hands tightened into fists as his cock throbbed in time with his heartbeat, twitching and leaking out copious amounts of precum.

"Wha'…?"

"Shh." Rangiku placed a finger on his lips. She lifted herself up slightly, hovering over him, heart pounding in her chest. She'd never done something like this, especially in public.

Gin's hands reached around to grip her ass, fingers digging into soft flesh as he regarded her.

"Ya really want this?"

Her only response was to lower herself onto him, feeling the tip of his cock enter her tightness, the head pushing past-stretching her insides deliciously.

"...Feels so good… so..." Gin trailed off, kissing her cheek, making his way down her neck, enjoying the feeling of warm skin under his lips.

They both let out soft sighs at the mind-blowing feeling. Rangiku felt so incredibly tight, warm and wet around his cock that Gin's hands tightened on her ass, squeezing almost cruelly, controlling the speed at which he entered her. There was no way he was going to come in her, as much as he wanted to.

Rangiku sank down all the way until he was fully sheathed within her. She couldn't help but let out a shiver at the feeling of being completely full. Instead of moving up and down in a typical fashion, she started rocking against him slowly. Burying her face to the side of his neck, she felt his hands guide her hips to a rhythm that suited them both. Their slow pace made it look like they were barely moving- to any stranger it looked like she was hugging Gin. However the darkness of the cabin allowed for a more shadowy, secluded privacy that couldn't otherwise be achieved in any other public area.

The thrill of being caught in such a compromising position excited Rangiku to no end. Knowing she was doing something incredibly naughty was turning her on so much. Perhaps she was an exhibitionist at heart. She was burning up as she tightened up around him sporadically; she could feel every inch of his thickness within her as she rocked against him, trying to find completion.

The hot, musky smell of sex was starting to surround them and it made Gin's mouth water. He left sloppy open-mouthed kisses along Rangiku's collarbone, as she slowly started to ride him.

The little noises she was emitting, right next to his ear, the soft pants ghosting across his skin like a feathered whisper was making it really hard not to lose control right there and then. Gin could feel her wetness dripping down his cock, as her tightness hugged him like a wet sleeve, seemingly trying to draw him further into her each time she sank down upon him. He let one hand snake up inside her shirt, nudging her bra aside as he pressed down on a pert nipple, teasing it to a hardened nub between his fingers. The treatment had Rangiku tightening like a vice around his cock, and he hissed with the action. The iron-tight hold on his cock was almost making it impossible for him to move within her. Her low moans were steadily getting louder as she bounced on his lap and he prayed to God that no one would walk in on them.

Her thighs were starting to shake with strain and a desperation that only came with the feeling of being so close to release. Knowing that she was so close was making it harder for him to keep himself in check; the need to come starting to press urgently against his groin. He growled, fingers tightening around her ass as he started thrusting into her lightly, grinding into her a little each time he was buried within her fully.

"Come." It was almost a plea as the seconds ticked by; increasing Gin's need to come…the word barely registering in Rangiku's hazy mind as she gripped his shoulders tightly. The combined feeling of his hands squeezing her ass almost painfully, mixed with the feeling of being full and the way Gin's cock was rubbing up inside her in the most delicious way was tipping her dangerously close to the edge, her climax twisting hard in her belly, aching for release.

And then she came; clenching around his cock forcefully, gasping lightly, rocking out her orgasm. Her back arched at an almost painful angle as her legs shook and quivered around him. She was making these little seductive mewls unconsciously as her pussy tightened around his cock with every spasm. Gin buried his face in Rangiku's shoulder, arms wrapping around her body, almost crushing her to his chest as he fought off the instinct to follow her off the brink and release into her, even though her pussy was milking his cock most erotically, beckoning him to spill himself into her in the most sinful way.

Once she had finished and had gone completely lax in his arms, Gin swiftly lifted her off him and placed her on the seat beside him, tucking himself, still very hard, into his trousers simultaneously. He gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be righ' back, sweetheart." he told her; voice barely betraying the strained undertone, but she barely acknowledged him as he quickly stood up. Rangiku's head lolled against the cool cabin wall, eyes closing in post-orgasmic bliss.

He made his way into the bathroom, rapidly locking the door. Once sure that no one would bother him, he pulled himself out of his trousers, hand running over the hot, throbbing flesh. He could still feel the sticky wetness that Rangiku left behind. He groaned; that girl would be the death of him. Leaning against the counter behind him, he started pumping his cock, their activities still fresh in his mind- he still couldn't believe what had just happened. Possibly, the craziest thing in his life. Precum started dribbling over his hand as his strokes became faster and rougher as he guiltily pictured Rangiku in his mind, bending her over and thrusting into her tight heat, unrestrained. The sex had been good, but being prevented by the fact someone could walk in on them anytime along with the tight cramped space- he wanted to explore that hot body thoroughly and see it all with his own eyes. There was absolutely no need for teasing; after what just happened, all Gin wanted to do was just come at this point. It didn't take long and soon, the force of his orgasm had him doubling over, his cock pulsing hard as he felt warm come slip over his hand in time with each hard pulse. He was still coming, his hand not quite catching the entire load. He hissed lightly as some of it dripped to the floor.

Panting slightly, he managed to wipe his hand clean, running his hand under the tap to wash off the remaining excess liquid. Letting out a large sigh, Gin unlocked the door only to be greeted by a shock of strawberry blonde hair.

Rangiku just grinned at him, placed one perfectly manicured hand on his chest and pushed him right against the counter, one hand locking the door behind her.

The plane was due to land in an hour or so, and they sat quietly watching the clouds out of the small window next to them. The sun was shining and warming their lap, creating a comforting and lethargic atmosphere. Rangiku leant against Gin's side, theirs hands laced together, feeling his thumb stroke hers lazily.

The landscape made up of totally white, puffy clouds was really breathtaking. She had seen many photographs and paintings of cloud landscapes, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. It almost looked as if one could step out onto a carpet of cloud; they seemed so solid and textural. Sunshine played off the different angles of the clouds, creating an almost ethereal feel. Rangiku almost wished she had a camera to capture the moment, but she knew deep down that a photograph couldn't do this scene justice.

"Ya see over there?" Gin pointed out suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence, "Those fat clouds over there with a dark underbelly? That means there's a storm brewing underneath."

Rangiku peered over his arm and observed the puffy clouds as the plane hummed by.

"Funny how that is. It's so sunny and beautiful on top- I would never have guessed there was a storm underneath."

"Storms are pretty neat too. Ever stood outside in the pourin' rain in the middle of a storm?"

"I can't say I have, have you?"

"Yeah. It's really somethin' outta this world. Try it next time."

They fell back into silence. The time to say goodbye was drawing even closer and neither of them wanted to acknowledge that fact. They had only been with each other for less than twenty four hours, but to Rangiku it had seemed like so much longer than that. A hard stone settled in her stomach, feeling heavy and lonesome. She shook her head as if trying to clear out the negativity in her mind. Plucking the in-flight magazine from the pouch in front of them, she began rifling through it, attempting to be cheerful as she chattered about the pros and cons of each item to Gin, who listened to her raptly, hanging on to each word.

"We will be landing at Narita Airport in about thirty minutes. This is the last time to use the bathroom before the seatbelt sign will come on. Destination conditions are expected to be around 28 degrees with plenty of sun today. We hope you've enjoyed your flight and once again thank you for choosing Virgin Airlines." a stewardess said into the PA system.

Rangiku excused herself to the bathroom to freshen up before landing.

Her hair was a little mussed, and she quickly pulled down her collar to look at the purple bruise that had formed on the side of her neck, testimony to their dirty activities that had taken place. She let out a little laugh as she traced the mark. She could see the little marks and dents that his teeth had left behind. Rangiku let out a tiny shiver, remembering how good it felt to have Gin's mouth ravish her neck.

She splashed some water onto her face and patted off the excess moisture. After she reapplied some of her lipstick, she deemed herself presentable.

The seatbelt sign came on just as she sat down; buckling up, she shyly placed her hand within Gin's. He squeezed her hand lightly and grinned at her. Looking up at him, she leaned forward slightly and he closed the distance between them.

They shared a soft kiss, full of longing and tinged with a little bit of sadness. The kiss deepened along with their desperation and the feeling to stay connected.

"Y'know, I used to hate flying." Rangiku said breathlessly when they pulled away.

"Did I change that?" Gin asked, moving in to tickle her a little, feeling her squirm away from his fingers.

"What do you think, idiot?" she asked, laughing, slapping his hands away. "I'm going to miss you."

The words had just fallen out of her mouth. She wasn't thinking; she'd simply said what was on her mind, but when Gin's hands stilled against her body, when he just sat still looking at her, her heart started beating hard, worried she had said the wrong thing.

For the longest moment, he sat there looking at her with an unreadable, mixed expression on his face. Then, he pulled her close, face buried into her soft, sweet smelling hair. Rangiku couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could feel his mouth moving against her hair, silent words disappearing into the air. She didn't want to know what he was saying; she could only guess. The subtle desperation that Gin was displaying was resonating against her own feelings, bringing tears to her eyes. It was rare for men to display vulnerability and the simple act of showing her a slice of his true feelings was more intimate than anything they had done together.

They had stayed like that; wrapped around each other, breathing in each other's unique scent, feeling the warmth that their bodies exuded. Relishing in the fact that they were real; what they had was real.

They hadn't noticed that the plane had finally landed until an announcement was made. A flurry of clicks was heard as passengers unbuckled their seatbelts. Rangiku reluctantly disentangled herself from Gin, the corners of her mouth tugging down slightly. Gin squeezed her hand comfortingly; then he smiled at her suddenly.

"Let's go, shall we?" He stood up, stretching a little and held a hand out to her. She returned his smile shakily and accepted his hand.

They walked up the ramp, still holding hands. They were among the last of the passengers to get off the plane; walking slowly, trying to prolong the inevitable moment.

But at last they had passed through customs and Gin accompanied her to baggage claim. They were loitering around the exit of the airport. The tears that had threatened to spill on the plane now welled up in her eyes once more. How cruel it was to meet someone so special yet only to be ripped apart from them hours later.

She buried her face in Gin's chest, letting the soft material of his shirt soak up her tears. She didn't want him to see her crying, but she felt his arms come up to wrap themselves around her frame anyway. He was kissing the top of her head, trying to quell her aching sadness.

"Ran, look at me." he said finally, pushing her away just enough so that he could look down on her tear-stained face. She sniffled wetly before returning his gaze with moist silvery eyes.

"I have a present for ya." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small light blue box.

Looking at him fairly dubiously, she took the box and opened it up, taking great care not to rip the packaging.

"Oh, Gin," she breathed out. "You shouldn't have...How did you know?" she asked, as she slowly pulled out a chain necklace.

"I saw ya lookin' at it longer than any other item in the magazine." he said sheepishly. "I figured it was somethin' you wanted."

"But when did you get it? I never saw you buy it."

"When ya went to the bathroom just before we landed, I called the stewardess over. And no, don't look at me like that. I want ya to keep it. Somethin' to remind you of me. Here, let me put it on ya." He took the necklace from her and placed it over her neck.

It was a simple design; a chain necklace that passed through a ring. Simple but fashionable. It stopped just before her cleavage, accentuating her sensuality perfectly.

"It looks beautiful on ya, Ran. It really does."

Rangiku's eyes filled with tears again.

"Thank you, Gin. Thank you so much…" Her words were muffled as she hugged him. This time, she honestly felt like she would be unable to let go. She lifted her face to his and they kissed for the longest time.

At last they parted and Gin lifted up his bag, saying the dreaded words,

"I have ta go."

Rangiku nodded, unable to say anything. Her throat was so full; she was afraid that if she opened her mouth she wouldn't be able to stop crying. So she pressed her lips together and nodded. She watched him turn, walk away slowly and felt the crushing sadness gripping her heart.

Gin walked a few paces away from her but suddenly he turned around and came back.

Before she could say anything, he pulled her in for one last searing kiss; one that was full of promise and loaded emotion.

"There, ya can't say goodbye without a goodbye kiss, righ'?" He smiled at her quivering lips and her big shiny eyes. "Be good, Ran."

And this time, he truly did walk away and she watched him until he was swallowed up by the milling crowd.

Rangiku let out a shaky breath. It was truly over; the magical, surreal moment of her life was really over. Sometimes, things in life were really too good to be true.

The journey home was a silent, thought-filled journey. It was verging on late afternoon when she got back to her flat in Roppongi. She reached for the keys in her pocket when her fingertips brushed against a card, frowning she pulled it out.

Her eyes went completely wide, all previous sadness evaporating, replaced with an anxious heartbeat. She stared at the name and provided phone number. That was a mobile phone number, wasn't it? With shaky fingers, she typed in the number into her phone and tapped out a quick message. Her thumb paused over the send key for a long minute.

She was still standing outside her front door, in the hallway.

Rangiku sighed and let out a little laugh. What was she so nervous about? She shook her head and sent the message, the tiniest flame of hope rekindling itself in her heart. The possibility of continuing the dream she'd been living in for over twenty four hours.

Hey, it's Rangiku…

A couple hours later, her phone buzzed with a new message.

The End


Epilogue:

Rangiku wrinkled her nose. She could never get used to the smell of airports. She adjusted her large sunglasses that rested on the bridge of her nose and checked her watch impatiently. The flight was a little delayed, but she was feeling antsy nevertheless.

She couldn't help but let her eyes dart towards the arrivals screen, announcing incoming flights, even though it literally hadn't changed for the last five minutes. Floods of people started walking through the gates and she scanned the crowd anxiously. This should be it…

Rangiku turned around, maybe she'd missed him in the crowd that walked by her. That was a possibility as well.

Suddenly a pair of hands descended on her waist and a pair of lips on her neck, making her jump right out of her skin.

"Hey, sweetheart." A familiar, lilting voice reached her ears.

"Gin!" She turned around quickly, "You surprised me! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that? You drive me crazy when you do that."

"I drive ya crazy when I do other things too." he said, raising his eyebrows cheekily. "I missed ya, Ran."

"I missed you too, stupid." She kissed his cheek. "Welcome home, Gin."

Gin grinned at her and linked their hands together, fingers automatically lacing together in a way that was so familiar to them.

The bright morning sunshine winked and reflected off a thin band of gold, and a tiny diamond that was studded right in the middle of it.

.

x

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