He murdered. He ruined.

Rangiku Matsumoto, standing lieutenant of the Tenth Squad, stared down. It was actually difficult, considering how blurry the tears made her eyes. But she couldn't still clearly see what she was holding.

Matsumoto had known Gin her whole life. Or at least, she thought she had. She knew he was on the shady side, and she very well knew that's what everyone thought. They didn't try to hide it. They didn't hide their fear, wariness, disgust. This somehow, made her even more determine to follow him. He was her friend, what else was she supposed to do? Plus, he wasn't a bad person. Mysterious, maybe slightly sadistic; but not a bad person. Or so she had thought. Matsumoto really, really did think he was.

So why?

At first, she followed her Captain, and did her best to say nothing. Then, Gin had betrayed…no- officially betray the Gotei 13. And still, she tried not to break. Every day the War came closer. And every day she held back tears. Then it had come. She fought, she failed. He smiled. He left.

Of course, Matsumoto wasn't totally thinking clearly. Possibly the only reason she had escaped trouble was because of major blood loss to blame. But she thought her thinking was clear. Because she had planned it out, more or less.

Maybe, had he been a bad guy, it would be easy. But he wasn't. He had tried to kill Aizen. In the end, he was on their side. Her side..

So here Matsumoto stood, three months after the war, crying. A book she had been retrieving for Captain Ukitake was in her left hand, while she stared at what had slipped out of the book, being held in her right. She heard herself sigh. Rangiku Matsumoto, of Tenth Squad. Crying over a picture.

She didn't even know she had had it, or where she had even gotten it. She didn't recall ever getting a picture of Gin. Then again, there were a lot of things she didn't recall from when she was drunk.

Matsumoto bit her lip and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. He was an official criminal and enemy of The Soul Society. Crying over old photos…no. She had to move on- lieutenant after all.

Still, she hesitated as she held the fragile piece of paper over the trash. Then again, maybe….

Whether she would've or not she didn't know, because she jumped to a tight sigh behind her.

"Matsumoto…it's okay. You can keep it." Matsumoto spun around, the picture pressed, rather desperately, against her chest. She breathed out, slowly. She had let her guard down. Possibly, she realized with a start, her Captain even could've already seen it. She just barely suppressed a groan, "Captain! Don't sneak up on me like that…" She whined, rather girlishly.

Captain Hitsugaya said nothing, but grabbed the pile of paper work lying on the desk, and quickly flitting through it to make sure it was complete. Then, he left, without another word. {Though she noted that he silently scooped up the book for Ukitake}

Matsumoto dropped the photo into the trash, and despite herself, watched the photo as it fell. In a way, it was like snow, or a lazy leaf. It almost seemed to be falling in slow motion- as though telling her to reach out, and once again hold it to herself. She turned around, trying to ignore the burning in her eyes return. The prickling of tears as she realized that he was gone. And not coming back. That he, Ichimaru Gin, would always be looked at ion hate to many.

Yes, He murdered. He ruined….He lied. He died. But most of all…

He never said goodbye.

Okay…that did not flow well. Do you think that flowed well? I do not think that flowed well. Either way, I'll admit that I cried when Gin died, and Matsumoto… T_T

Anyway, I really don't think my second story is any better than my first, and I think it was really clumpy. Still, I think you get the point. {Also, does anyone know if there even are picture in the Soul Society?} Please review- I really want help with my writing.