A/N: Me? Owning Bleach? Hahaha, that's so funny I wanna cry. Like, really really cry….. So this is based on a fan art that I saw. I don't know the artist behind that fan art, but whoever you are I just wanna tell you- You gave me the feels when I saw your art. Like, I wanna die all over again over GinRan ship.
"In secret we met-
In silence I grieve
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears."
Lord Byron
She was in the World of the Living in an unofficial errand to her by her captain to pick up a package from the shop of Urahara Kisuke when her smallest finger, her pinky, started to hurt. It was a mild throb at first, nothing she can't just ignore. But then, when she was in the shopping district and her eyes began to wander and window shop, it increased dramatically. It felt like it was being constricted or something. She held it into the light and saw a light pink ring circling her finger, as if an invisible thread was squeezing it. By now, the pain was something she just can't ignore. It was starting to hurt, damnit!
As if on some game where she was being played upon, her finger was suddenly being pulled in all its aching glory. Being forced into something bewildering but assenting to it all the same for the sake of an intact finger, she trotted to where her pinky was leading her, but not without first clicking open the sheath of her weapon.
Stumbling rather ungracefully, because grace has never been a trait of the strawberry-blond Vice Captain, Rangiku noticed that she was being led into the mall's unoccupied area, lines of unmanned stalls lining the quiet hallway. By this time, she was somewhat unnerved by what's happening but her finger was tugging in a harsher manner this time, as if it was trying to hasten Rangiku in some enigmatic mission.
After her pinky gave one absolutely hard yank, Rangiku knew that another pull and she's going to go berserk and just slash her finger off, she noticed a figure standing in the side of the hallway.
A boy's figure.
He was standing with his back to her but she can see that the kid had white hair, the same shade that just reminded her of . . .
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and approached the figure, because that person is probably the answer to this perplexing event. As far as she can tell of the boy's figure, the kid's probably in the last year of elementary, or starting middle high. She approached the figure with precaution, underestimating the kid may lead to harm after all, when the kid abruptly turned and she saw his face.
It was Gin.
Gin.
Gin.
Ichimaru Gin. Her childhood friend, her protector.
Ichimaru Gin. The traitor, the fallen.
He was standing in front of her in the form of a boy. The same face, the same hair, the same features. Everything, albeit younger.
Her first instinct was to envelop the boy with Gin's face in a tight embrace. Her second instinct was telling her this was a trick, a new way of entrapping shinigamis, that she should unsheathe her weapon and prepare herself.
She did neither.
Surprise froze her in her spot but the sudden wave of nostalgia that threatened to sweep the floor from under her was keeping her from doing anything. Her blank mind drawing nothing but the final moments of Gin, when she saw all the blood- his blood, when the world stopped and all she saw was his face and her tears and she couldn't think of anything but 'Don't die, Gin' and 'Please, no.'
Oh, God . . .
She didn't know what triggered it, but the next moment, she can feel familiar pinpricks in the corner of her eyes then the warm streaks of tears as it ran down her face. A breeze caused her short hair to flutter and in those span of seconds, those seconds when half of her eyes were covered by her strawberry blond locks, she swore that she saw Gin. The real Gin, looking at her. With his character grin and uplift of eyes.
The tears fell harder.
All those things happened while she was standing in front of the boy. She didn't even have the time to be embarrassed when a small handkerchief was very nearly shoved into her face, forcing her out of her daze.
"Hey, lady. Are ya a'right?" asked the kid in a sombre tone, as if the sight of her crying was something he did not particularly like seeing. Yet, it contained not even a sliver of annoyance.
"Boy, what's your name?" she asked, forgetting the kid's question while she dabbed her wet cheeks with the clothed solace. She sank to her knees slowly so as to see the kid eye-to-eye. She needed to know. She had never heard of shinigamis being reincarnated before and if this kid really is the reincarnation of Gin, then… then, what?
She just needed to know, that's all that matters for now.
"Kazuma." He didn't even know what took him. He's always been distrustful of others, yet the moment this lady in front of him started to gaze at him with those emotions in her eyes, he knew she meant no harm. Unconsciously, Kazuma balled the handkerchief in his pocket when the lady started crying, before offering it to her. Crying never bothered him before, but when he saw the woman in front of him, he just knew. He knew that her face was not meant to cry.
"Kazuma? Is that your surname?" she asked.
"No, it's Ichimaru. Ichimaru Kazuma. Why? Who are ya', lady? Do you know me?"
Ichimaru? He's an Ichimaru? Then he must be a descendant of Gin then. She doesn't even know whether to be relieved or be embarrassed or disappointed. Thank god her tears are all finished pouring like waterfalls now. Smacking her head mentally for losing her control over her emotions over a descendant of Gin's, Rangiku quickly thought of a quick excuse to get her out of this mess when something hit her.
The kid has a red thread coming out of his pocket where his hand is. A red thread connected to her pinky.
Red thread of Fate?
Rangiku's eyes unconsciously warmed as she eyed the thread, unbeknown to her a set of eyes locked at her reaction. She looked up and locked eyes with Kazuma, then she smiled. A real smile. The same smile she used to give to Gin all the time.
"Nah, I don't know you, kid. You just reminded me of someone I used to know." Straightening her body, Rangiku buried her hand in the pocket of her garment, concealing the thread and their connection. The kid looked at her confusedly but didn't said anything. Dusting herself consciously, she said,
"Well, Rangiku's the name, kid. Rangiku Matsumoto. Now, don't you go and start saying to everyone that this big sis just bawled her eyes over you, 'kay?"
"Why? Do I look like your boyfriend, Matsumoto-san? Or your ex?"
She noticed that he didn't look that comfortable calling her Matsumoto-san. Like it tasted bitter in his tongue.
"You can call me Ran-nee if you'd like. And, well, he's not really my ex, nor my boyfriend." She smiled.
He's more than that.
Kazuma didn't reply but instead looked at her silently. Sighing inwardly, she decided to say her goodbye. Her captain's still waiting for her after all.
"Now, don't go galloping around all day. Don't you have classes, boy? I'll be going myself. And what happened today is a secret, kay Kazuma-kun?" she said as she placed her index finger to her mouth in a hushing gesture. She ruffled Ichimaru Kazuma's hair and stepped into the boy's back. She flashed step before he even noticed and was gone.
The boy stared wondrously as he turned around, seeing nothing but air. His mouth curved in a grin very like his predecessor and said in an almost audible whisper, "See ya, Rangiku."
Back at Soul Society, Rangiku wandered the halls of 6th squad looking for a drinking buddy when she remembered the memento from earlier. Taking out the handkerchief from her pocket, she smiled at it warmly. Her other hand drifting unconsciously to the piece of jewellery around her neck.
"I'll see you again, Gin."