A/N: Hello~! This is dedicated to 4everbrisingr because she is my best friend in the entire world and this is a gift fic for her birthday! So shout out to her because she is lovely! And I hope you all enjoy! Constructive critiscm would be very helpful as I tried to write a decent, long (-er) lemon in this chapter so thanks a ton for reviews! They would help A LOT!

Hidden Affections

It was the middle of the night and Gin couldn't sleep. Well, it was the middle of the night according to Aizen. Strictly speaking, Hueco Mundo didn't have a distinction between "night" and "day." Time blurred together here, always with the crescent moon hanging in the dark sky. Gin rolled onto his side, looking out the window at said moon. It cast its cold light over the desert landscape, the trees throwing strange and twisted shadows. He sighed and shifted onto his back, crossing his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling. His smile brightened a bit as he remembered the times he and Rangiku had lain like this outside when they were young, finding pictures in the clouds.

XxXxXx

"Look there, Gin-kun, it's an elephant," Rangiku gestured to an amorphous shape on their left.

The silver-haired boy on the grass next to her grinned. "Wrong, Ran-chan," he admonished. "That looks nothing like an elephant." The two friends were lying in the cool grass on the outskirts of Rukongai, trying to beat the summer heat. Their heads were touching lightly while their bodies angled away, his silver hair mixing with her blond.

"I agree," came a voice from behind them. "That's definitely not an elephant. Maybe more like a dragon," it added on thoughtfully.

Gin stood up quickly to face the stranger, immediately wary as his upbringing had taught him. Rangiku stood up as well and he slid slightly in front of her, wanting to protect her, but knowing she would resent him for it. Proving him right, she scowled at his back and moved to stand next to him. Sighing, he decided to let it go for now and address the stranger. Who, in retrospect, didn't seem even remotely dangerous. The figure before them was a girl, younger than both Rangiku and himself. She had dark hair that lay tangled over her shoulders and her clothing was a little worse for the wear as well, torn in some places. She was petite in stature with the requisite skinned knees that all children of that age seem to have. Her face was smudged with dirt, but the eyes that peeked out from behind her bangs were intelligent and when she smiled she was indeed more beautiful than any of the rich noble women.

It was that smile and the intelligence in her eyes that made Gin decide he could trust her. "Hello," he said, smiling widely. "I'm Gin and this here's Ran-chan," he continued, gesturing to Rangiku as he spoke her name. "Who're you?"

The girl smiled again; obviously relieved they weren't going to hurt her as she might have surmised from their earlier stance. "I'm Akane," she told them.

"Well, Akane-chan, are ya hungry?" the silver-haired boy asked, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a dried persimmon and offered it to her. She nodded and gratefully murmured her thanks as she took it from him. There was still wariness in her stance as she stood a bit apart from them and Gin found himself approving. Smart girl, he thought. Don't trust anyone…

XxXxXx

Gin frowned uncharacteristically as his thoughts wandered back to the present. He'd forgotten that that was the first time he met Akane. She was such an inconstant presence in his life; always flitting from once place to another and never staying for long even in the winter.

XxXxXx

"How long are ya staying this time Akane-chan?" Gin asked the dark-haired girl. She swallowed her soup before answering. She had stolen the soup from a kitchen a few districts over, though Gin had yet to ask her how she accomplished it.

"A few days maybe," she replied. "I'll be out of your hair once this storm lets up, promise." As she spoke, the wind howled particularly loudly outside, blowing a fresh bunch of snowflakes against the window. He frowned at her answer, turning away so she wouldn't see. He'd never admit it, but he liked having her around. Sure, she was small and could easily maneuver into small spaces, which was useful for getting food, but she was also a fun person to have around. Similar to him in temperament, she was also one of the few people who didn't find his constantly smiling face creepy or discomfiting, Rangiku being the only other. He'd also never admit that he felt protective of her. She was like his little sister in a way and he didn't like the idea of her wandering around in this kind of weather.

Gin sighed, but fixed a smile back on his face as he returned to the conversation Akane and Rangiku were having. He knew no arguments for staying longer would work on her. She was a free spirit and wandered wherever she pleased.

XxXxXx

The ex-taichou brushed his hair impatiently out of his eyes, wondering why tonight, of all nights, his memories consisted of his long ago friend. The last time he had seen her was when he was graduating the Academy after only a year of study. She had somehow managed to sneak into the ceremony and caught up with him afterwards.

XxXxXx

Gin sat on a bench, swinging his legs back and forth. He was bored of the proceedings already and just wanted to leave and find Rangiku so they could cause some mischief together. These shinigami captains were much too uptight.

All of a sudden, there was a tap on his shoulder and he spun around to find Akane standing behind him, a smile on her face and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Hey Gin-kun!" she said excitedly.

As out of place as she looked among all the nicely dressed captains in her worn clothes, Gin didn't think he'd ever been happier to see someone. "Akane-chan! How are ya? Where've ya been; I haven't seen ya in a while?"

She laughed. "Oh, you know, here and there," she answered airily. "I've been doing okay for myself. And obviously you've been doing very well," she gestured around them. "Look at all this, Gin-kun, and after only a year too! I'm impressed."

He smiled widely at her. "Why thank ya verra much, Akane-chan," he gave a mock half-bow in her direction. She giggled and socked him in the shoulder. "By the way, how'd ya even get in here?"

Her eyes sparkled with mirth and her grin rivaled his own as she came to sit beside him on the bench. "That's a very interesting story, Gin-kun. Let me tell you all about it…"

XxXxXx

Gin chuckled. Akane always was like that; popping up unexpectedly. Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep. As amusing as memories of the past could be, they also hurt. He knew Aizen thought him weak for showing human emotions when they were (apparently) so far above everyone else. That was why he tried to hide his relationships from the other man behind his ever present grin. However, he had been relatively unsuccessful in that regard. He was just happy that Rangiku was safe with Tōshirō. As much as he might dislike the petit captain, he knew him to be a strong fighter and a fiercely loyal friend. Aizen could cause her no harm in Soul Society.

He was considerably more successful in hiding his relationship with Akane, but that was mostly due to the fact that he hadn't seen her since his graduation. But even as he thought the words, he knew they weren't true. He had seen her; quite recently, only a few years ago. Gin had managed to keep that memory pushed to the back of his mind to hide it from Aizen. All the other man knew was that there was someone else besides Rangiku who was important in Gin's life and that was the way he wanted to keep it. He couldn't bear it if he caused some kind of harm to come to Akane. But that night, truly, had been the last time he had seen her…

XxXxXx

Rain was falling steadily on Soul Society. The third division grounds were silent, late as it was. The only light came from the captain's office where Gin Ichimaru sat, half-heartedly trying to complete some paperwork. His lieutenant, Izuru Kira, had been so good lately about completing both his and his captain's work that Gin wanted to give him a little break. However, his enthusiasm for the task had long since worn thin. He was just thinking about turning in for the night when he heard a knock on the window.

Curious, he stood up and made his way over to it, keeping one hand on Shinso just in case. Reaching it, he flung the window open to find no one there. Rain came through to drip on the carpet as he stuck his head out. "Hello?" he called.

"Behind you," came the reply and Gin whirled, drawing his sword. The intruder let out a squeak and put its hands up in self-defense.

"Hey! It's me, Gin-kun! Akane! Remember?" she shrieked at him. Wordlessly, he sheathed his sword and stepped closer to the figure. Sure enough, it was Akane; the same dark hair and tattered clothes. She had grown up since he last saw her, however. When she saw him put his sword away, she lowered her hands and smiled. "Hey, Gin-kun, how's it going?"

His grin widened. "I'm good, Akane-chan. And obviously you're doing rather well. I don't know how ya got in here like that. Why, I think ya might give Lady Yoruichi a run fer her money."

She laughed though a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "Thank you. I don't think I'm quite that fast yet, but I might be able to do something about Byakuya-san. Stupid noble," she said with distaste.

"Maybe," he agreed, sitting back down at his desk. She joined him, perching among the stacks of paperwork. They chatted aimlessly for a few minutes about nothing in particular until Gin said: "May I ask what ya are doin' here Akane-chan?"She frowned and slid off the desk to pace the length of the office. He stood up as well, coming around the desk to stand near her. He reached out a hand, as if to stop her movements and force the answers out of her, but in the end he pulled it back. She would come around eventually. She wouldn't have come here if she didn't intend to tell him why.

Sure enough, she stopped pacing and turned to face him. There was a forced grin on her lips as she said "Can't I just come visit my ni-san without any particular reason?"

"I'd rather not be your ni-san anymore," Gin said as he came closer to her, his hands wandering down to her hips. "It's a good thing we were never really related," he grinned suggestively at her.

She slapped his hands away with a grin, but her face soon turned serious again. "I'm leaving soon, Gin-kun." She didn't look at him as she said it.

"Leaving? Where ya goin'? Finally decided to join the Shinigami Academy, have ya? It's not too late, ya know."

Her eyes were still averted. "No, I'm not going there. I'm going somewhere…somewhere better." She looked up at him now and smiled genuinely. "That's why I came tonight. To say goodbye. And to thank you for being such a good friend to me all these years."

"Why?" Gin was still smiling as always, but his voice was cool. "I haven't seen ya since my graduation and now ya only come to say goodbye again?"

She was still smiling, despite the fact that she knew he was less than pleased with her. "But I have been here Gin-kun, you just haven't seen me." And suddenly he remembered all the times when he found a dried persimmon outside the office doors or felt the faintest trace of a familiar-yet-impossible-to-place reiatsu near his quarters when he woke up in the morning. She smiled wider as she saw he understood and then he was hugging her.

"It is I who should be thankin' you, Akane-chan," he whispered in her ear. She hummed in contentment as he kissed her forehead and pulled away. "So this is good-bye then?"

She nodded and her eyes were shinning with unshed tears. "Thank you, Gin-kun," she said and softly kissed him on the cheek. And that's where it should have ended. But as she pulled away, Gin turned his head and roughly crashed his lips onto hers. He kissed her thoroughly, his tongue sweeping over her bottom lip and then inside her mouth as she granted him entrance. He gently ravished her mouth, tasting her. When they finally broke apart, both we breathing heavily.

He picked her up and carried her over to the desk, setting her down on it and standing in front of her. She raised her eyebrows at him. "What are you planning on doing?" she asked, a little breathlessly.

"I'm going to ravish you on my desk," he replied huskily. A little thrill coursed through her at his words causing the muscles in her stomach to tighten.

"What about the paperwork?" she gestured to the stacks covering the surface. Gin carelessly knocked a few to the ground.

"We'll just leave them for 'Zuru to find. I'll tell him I enjoyed my alone time in the office last night." He winked lasciviously at her.

She giggled. "You are so mean to your poor lieutenant."

"Maybe," he consented. "But we can argue later. At the moment, I can think of much better uses for that delightful mouth of yours." She gasped at his choice of words and the sound sent heat coursing through him as he covered her mouth with his. His tongue traced her lower lip, asking for entrance as he did before. She granted it to him quickly, her hands moving around to his shoulders to tug him closer to her. He grinned into the kiss and pulled back. "Impatient, are we?" he chuckled.

"I could say the same about you," Akane countered, grinding her hips against the noticeable bulge in his hakama. He groaned aloud and grabbed her to stop the movement. She grinned at the effect she was having on him. "Okay, so we both agree we're impatient," she said, wriggling around to free herself from the bruising grip he had on her. "How about we do something about it?" He let go of her hips and grinned down widely at her.

"I think I can manage that," he said, swiftly undoing the buttons on her shirt. His fingertips ghosted patterns over the skin of her stomach as she squirmed underneath him, wanting to feel his touch more substantially. He tortured her like this for a few more moments, his fingers exploring every inch of her pale stomach. Then he pulled her up, tugging her shirt off completely, unclasping her bra as he did so.

As she lay back down on the desk, she crossed her arms over her chest, self-consciously. Gin kissed her breathless for a moment and then placed a line of kissed down her jaw and along her neck. He soon found her sensitive spot and as she gasped, he managed to pull her arms away from her body. "Not fair!" she managed to get out before he took her breast in his mouth, his teeth lightly scraping her nipple. She cried out and he grinned, swirling his tongue around her.

As he continued to lavish attention on her chest, her fingers found their way down to tangle in his silver hair, tugging on it whenever he bit down on her. He moved back up to ravish her mouth again and Akane used his distraction to slide his haori off his shoulders. He moved back and let it drop to the floor, divesting himself of the top half of his uniform as well.

He peppered kissed along her neck and shoulders, taking great delight whenever he found a spot that caused her to gasp or cry out. Akane wasn't the only one making noise, however. Her wandering fingers were exploring every inch of toned skin, brushing across his abs in a way that made him shudder. As her hands wandered lower, he caught them and moved them away, kissing her again along her jaw to her ear. "Don't rush things," he admonished, his hot breath washing over the shell of her ear causing her to shiver.

"Why not?" she asked, her breathing ragged.

"Because I enjoy eliciting all these delightful sounds from you," he told her. "For example:" and he took her breast in his mouth again, his tongue swirling around her nipple. His hand came up to her other breast, gently kneading circles from the outside in, until his fingertips tweaked her nipple. She cried out very loudly at this and Gin stopped his ministrations to cover her lips in a bruising kiss. "Shhhh," he said as he pulled back. "You've got ta be quiet and control your reiatsu; otherwise somebody might get suspicious and come see what's goin' on." She blushed bright red at this.

"You're being utterly unfair," she told him. "How am I supposed to concentrate when you're doing that to me?"

He grinned and kissed her again. His mouth moved along her jaw and neck, down her stomach to her belly button. He dipped his tongue in and her hips bucked against him.

He stepped back from her and she sat up, leaning back on her hands. She had lost her self-consciousness, he noticed, as his eyes hungrily devoured the sight of her tousled hair, swollen lips, and bare chest. "What?" she asked.

In answer he simply removed the rest of his clothing and left it in a pile on the floor. He saw her eyes shoot down to his member as he did so, but when she looked back up her expression was carefully guarded. He raised an eyebrow at her as if to say 'Well?' He only response was the lust darkening her eyes that sent heat straight to his groin. She grinned and removed the rest of her clothing as well, lying back on the desk.

He walked slowly over to her, his hands resting with a feather-light touch on her thighs as he noticed her trembling. "Are you sure?" he asked, kissing her stomach.

"Yes," she whispered as her hands found their way back to his abs, brushing across him lower and lower. He got the hint and moved closer to her. He caressed her leg from top to bottom as he hooked her knee around his waist. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder, kissing the skin there.

"This may hurt," he warned as he positioned himself at her entrance. She nodded against him and he felt her fingers dig into his back in preparation. "Relax," he soothed and then he entered her. She cried out, biting his shoulder to muffle the sound. He cried out as well, burying his face in her hair. He waited a bit until she began to make tentative movements against him. That, along with the feeling of being inside her was enough to almost send him over the edge. He gripped her hips tightly and set a pace that had both of them crying out.

She was still clinging tightly to him and he titled back her chin for another kiss. He ran his fingers through her hair and down her back, coming around to cup her breasts. Her fingers were roaming over his stomach and back with similar intensity as they both neared their climax.

She cried out his name as she came, stifling the sound in his shoulder. The feel of her around him set him off as well and he bit her shoulder to stop his yell. He chanted her name as he came down from his high, raining kisses down on her soft hair. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat as it slowed. And they both lay for a moment, sweaty and spent, on the thoroughly messed up desk, wondering if three little words really did make all the difference in the world.

XxXxXx

A knock on the door brought Gin out of his reverie. He had no idea who it could be this late at night, but he went to open it regardless. It wasn't like he was sleeping or anything.

When he opened the door, he saw none other than the focus of his thoughts for the past half-hour. Akane. "What are you doing here?" he asked in complete surprise. What was also surprising was the guilty look on her face. "Akane," the way he spoke her name with no suffixes only solidified the memory he had been reliving. "What is going on here?"

"Can I come in?" she asked softly. He was of half a mind to say no, considering how she left him, but then he remembered Szayel's cameras.

"Quickly," he said. She entered and looked around while he observed her. She was in all white which meant she wasn't in Los Noches by accident. She had to have been brought here. As if sensing his stare, she turned around to face him.

"I can explain," she started. He gestured for her to go ahead. "I didn't know what I was getting into when I agreed to come here."

"Wait, you agreed to come here?" Gin interrupted. She nodded. "Why?"

"As I said, I didn't know where I was going. The man was offering food, shelter, and a job that paid that didn't involve me whoring myself out. What was I supposed to do?" She looked pleadingly at him. "He looked like such a nice man, I didn't think anything bad would happen and I certainly didn't think I'd end up on the traitor's side!" She paused to take a breath.

"What did this man look like?" he asked.

"Um, I don't know, it was awhile ago. But I've seen him around here. Tall-ish, medium-length dark-brown hair has a shark-tooth necklace looking thing. But he has a kind face."

Starrk. Well, that confirmed Gin's suspicions. "I thought ya were leaving," he said as he walked closer to her.

"I did," she said, breathlessly as his arms circled around her. "You were the one that followed me."

Gin chuckled. "I suppose I did," he said. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I never stopped lovin' ya Akane, not once."

"Same here," she whispered back. He straightened up again.

"What do you do here in Los Noches, Akane-chan?"

"I'm in the kitchens. Don't worry; I know what you're thinking. Aizen-sama doesn't know who I am. To him, I'm just another Rukongai rat. He doesn't know that we know each other either." Gin couldn't help his sigh of relief. He took her in his arms again and buried his face in her hair. Pulling back he leaned in until his lips were hovering over hers. "We really shouldn't," she told him, grinning wildly.

"No," Gin agreed as his hands slid down to her waist. "We really shouldn't."

But as their lips crashed together, they knew they would anyway, Aizen be damned.

XxXxXx

A/N: Gods, my face is so red right now. It's awkward to write lemons about your best friend...lol. Pretty Please let me know what you though of it! Even if you think it sucks, at least I'll know! Gods... alright, I'm going to sleep now because it's two o'clock in the morning! Love, IBelongWithTheCullens