AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is dedicated to Rangiku's birthday, which was supposed to be done and posted days ago. But my damn computer decided to give me a hard time with viruses and stuff, therefore I needed to fix a few things. So I know it's way past her birthday, but I wanted to post this anyway, as an excuse to make another touching GinxRan moment. Happy Late Birthday, Rangiku! ^.^
Oh, for those who are unfamiliar with most japanese terms you'll find in the story: Taichou means 'Captain', fukutaichou means 'lieutenant', futon is 'japanese floor bed', Soutaichou means 'General Captain', reiastu means' spiritual pressure', gigai is the artifical body that soul reapers use when in the real world, chibi means 'small or tiny', zanpakutou is the soul reaper's spirit sword, Haineko means 'Ash Cat', shunpo is soul reaper movement speed, shinigami means 'death god/soul reaper', and yukata is a thin layer kimono used for sleeping.
That morning when Rangiku Matsumoto opened her eyes, she immediately smiled. For one thing, she had three good reasons to feel happy. She didn't have to do any paperwork, which she always lacked off in doing. She was going to have more fun with her friends, which she regularly did almost every day. More importantly, she was going to have one hell of a great day gulping down more sake that her stomach could handle.
Because it was finally September 29th, Rangiku's birthday.
And she was determined to spend every fun moment while it lasted. Besides Christmas, birthdays of course brought the voluptuous beauty in high spirits. Rangiku knew how to start parties with a twist, as long as there was sake around to use for a toast. Not to mention her sense of fashion never ceased to amaze everyone, particular the men. After all, Rangiku wouldn't be herself if she couldn't reveal her erotic, yet sophisticated side once in a while. She was a proud woman with charm and charisma.
But what everyone loved about her was her good heart and fighting spirit as a fukutaicho. She would put her life on the line to help her friends in any way she can, even the ultimate sacrifice if necessary. So with that, Rangiku couldn't spend her special day in bed. There were many things to do, and her friends awaited her. She was just grateful to have friends that would have fun with her, especially since not everyone was there to celebrate with her. This was the first birthday she had without him around anymore...
But she refused to let misery get the best of her. She has grown better adjusting to the changes in the past few months, so she still wanted to make her birthday a wonderful one. She needed to remember the friends who were there with her, people who would never betray her. With a soft sigh, Rangiku calmly got out of her futon and walked to the window. The morning sun shined down on the lands of Soul Society, everything seeming colorful and prosperous. The gentle wind blew past her long cascading hair, making her golden curls move softly. She then looked at the sky, which matched the color of her soft seductive eyes.
"Heehee, looks like today's gonna be a good one for little old me", Rangiku stated. She then stopped herself and placed a hand on her cheek. "W-what? Oh my, since when did I start thinking of myself as anything related to 'old'? I better stop talking like this…before I know it, I'll start believe in my own lies!". She walked over and kneeled down in front of her mirror set, examining her face. She carefully checked for any mole, any wrinkles, and any pimple. Relieved that her face remained the same, she brushed her wavy hair and smiled. "Well….that's one advantage for being a shinigami; we age very slow, so I have all the time in the world to stay young!".
Rangiku got up to change. She took off her thin white yukata and switched into her regular shinigami attire, the black kimono loose enough to reveal her sexy cleavage. She took out the two items she wore every day-and easily reminded her of him again; a pink scarf wrapped around her neck, along with a delicate chained necklace tucked in her large bosom. Rangiku looked down at the necklace and frowned, her fingers trailing on the silver chain. She quickly snapped out of her train of thought, deciding not to dwell on the past any longer. As soon as she opened her door, she smiled and greeted her familiar scowling captain.
"Ah! Chibi-taichou! How nice of you to be the first to say 'Happy Birthday' to me!", Rangiku exclaimed and hugged Toshiro, smothering him with her enormous breasts. Struggling from her strong hug, Toshiro pushed himself away from her, glaring.
"Again, that's Hitsugaya-taichou to you", he snapped, a nerve vein popping on his forehead. "And yes, happy birthday. I came to give you something".
Rangiku clasped her hands together. "Aww, thanks so much Taichou! You have no idea how much fun I'm looking forward to having all day!"
"Yes…that is after this last set of paperwork that you were supposed to finish two days ago".
Rangiku's beaming face fell into utter shock. "W-what? Oh, come on, Taichou! Today's my birthday! Have you no heart?".
Toshiro glared again. "Don't 'Taichou' me, Matsumoto. This is what happens when you pull off even the simplest stack of work, which you could have easily finished a long time ago. And if I had no heart, you would be in more trouble if Soutaichou finds out. He needs these last set of records. Now come on, let's go".
Rangiku pouted like an immature child and crossed her arms. "Aww, but it's too early for paperwork! So unfair!". Toshiro stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder, giving her one of his 'death warning glares'.
"Matsumoto…..", he warned slowly and venomously.
Rangiku flinched, knowing when not to push her captain's temper any further. "H-Hai! Yes Taichou, right behind ya!", she obeyed. "But after this…can I celebrate? Oh, and what's this gift you said you got me? Will I like it? Oh come on, Taichou, surely you don't mean my gift is filing those annoying ass papers, do ya?". Toshiro sighed at his lazy lieutenant's blabbering while walking. 'This is going to be one hell of a long day…', he thought. 'But, she deserves it. After all, I know she's still sad that he's not here'.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with laughs and bonding. After Rangiku finished all her paperwork (with Toshiro's supervision), everyone from Gotei 13 gathered around and offered her a humble party. She received a gift certificate to her favorite shopping store from Toshiro and Momo, which she was grateful for since she planned on shopping in the Living World later. She then received two lovely kimono dresses and earrings from her best friend, Nanao, and from Isane and Retsu. Yumichika gave Rangiku her favorite perfume products, and Ikkaku gave her a new bikini outfit for next summer, which she surprisingly liked.
Hisagi and Kira bought her a bouquet of flowers, and they were going to join her for a few rounds of sake later. And Yamamoto-Soutaichou raised a toast on behalf of her excellence as a wonderful and brave person. Once everyone raised their drinks and took a sip, Rangiku walked up to Yamamoto and bowed respectfully. She then turned around and bowed to her friends. "Thank you all for everything! I truly appreciate this, and the gifts are great! I'm honored to be a part of such a strong organization filled with the best warriors!". Everyone applauded for Rangiku, who blushed happily from all the attention she was getting.
"And now, it's time for me to head on to the Living World and celebrate there. The first thing I'm doing once I hit the town is shop for the right birthday outfit! Thanks so much Momo and Taicho! This certificate is being useful already!", she winked at Toshiro and Momo, who gave her a hug. Toshiro shifted his head the other way.
"Yeah well, of course it was Momo's idea to pick it out. Does it look like I would pick out that kind of stuff?", he said flatly. Rangiku giggled and smothered Toshiro with another bear hug. Toshiro roughly pushed her away.
"Matsumoto!", he snapped.
She giggled some more and waved. "Alright, I'm leaving. Thanks again, everyone. Hisagi, Kira, meet up with y'all later for the sake competition?". Hisagi smirked and nodded whereas Kira blushed and scratched his nape shyly.
"Yeah. Same place, same time", Hisagi replied. Rangiku nodded, leaving the Captains' meeting room and headed towards the gates of Soul Society to the Living World.
When Rangiku arrived in Karakura Town, she immediately went to Urahara's shop to pick up her gigai. Once she got there, Urahara and his crew gave her a hug and their own presents. She received another gift certificate to her favorite café from Ururu, some new CDs from Jinta, some chocolates from Tensei, and a velvet blue Chinese top with chrysanthemum designs from Urahara. As soon as Rangiku entered her gigai, she thanked and hugged everyone, and went to the shopping center. She found the perfect birthday outfit: a black one-shoulder strapped dress that went above her knees, along with a squared diamond rhinestone on the waistband. She also bought a pair of silver heels and a new purse to match the outfit.
Later that evening, Ichigo and the crew met up with Orihime and Rangiku at the apartment. The boys wore casual clothes, whereas Orihime wore a sexy red dress and Rukia wore a blue tea-length dress. Rangiku, looking stunning in her new outfit, was the first one out the door. "Alright guys, let's party!", she shouted. The group took Rangiku to a karaoke bar that she wanted to check out sometime ago. All the men obviously gazed at her with such lust and bewilderment, making their wives or girlfriends glare daggers at her. Everyone enjoyed themselves with chatting, eating, laughing, and games. And of course, Rangiku took the privilege to entertain the audience with her 'singing talents', after a few drinks. A few hours later, they decided to leave and call in for the night. Besides, Rangiku needed to return to Soul Society for more drinking time with Hisagi and Kira. "I love you guys so much! Thanks for the party, it was a blast!". She hugged her friends and waved goodbye, opening the gate portal to her own world with her zanpakutou, Haineko.
When she returned to Soul Society, she went to her room and changed back into her shinigami outfit. She met up with Hisagi and Kira in a small room, and began their own little party of sake. After five rounds of hardcore drinking, the three called in for the night. Rangiku returned to her room and leaned against the door. She placed her hand over her face. "Oh god, all this drinking really did me in for sure…", she trailed. "All this alcohol will catch up to me and ruin my perfect body...". She walked over to the window, now viewing the beautiful night sky and the glittering stars. She smiled.
"But at least I had everyone who made this day a great one", she said. "I'm so happy to have such friends". Suddenly, her mind traced back to another friend. She frowned and looked out the window longer, as if waiting for someone to show up. She shook her head. "No, stop torturing yourself, girl. Things are different now. He's a traitor, our enemy. Besides, I'm sure he doesn't care about this day anymore. So why keep hoping otherwise?". Sighing, Rangiku walked away and took a warm bath. She then went to her drawer and put on her white yukata and headed for bed. As she stared at the ceiling in her warm covers, her eyes were filled with wonder and sadness. "I guess…things have definitely changed…has it Gin?", she asked. "Guess this time, I don't have to wait for you to come back".
"My oh my, Rangiku. You hurt my feelings", said a charming, calm voice from outside. Rangiku quickly got out of bed and ran to the window, feeling a familiar reiatsu. She looked around, not seeing anyone.
"Must be my imagination", she sighed. She turned around and jumped a little. The man that she thought she'll never see shunpo-ed in her room with a blink of an eye behind her. He had a new appearance. His shiny silver and eerie grin remained the same, but it was his attire that changed. No longer he wore the shinigami robes as third captain, but a white long robe with bell sleeves, a V shape opening at his chest area, and white hakama pants. It was the clothes of an arrancar.
Rangiku stared back at the man with wondering eyes. "G-Gin….", she whispered. Surprisingly, Gin walked up to her. His smile disappeared, now having a serious and longing expression. His slit eyes slightly opened, mysterious crimson orbs staring down at his beautiful friend, who stared back with awe and confusion. A million things ran through her mind while staring at him. She didn't know whether to hug him, get angry and slap him, or just cry. Before she could decide, she found herself swept in the traitor's arms. Gin lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"I know I have no right to be here anymore, but it ain't important", he said genuinely. "Silly Rangiku…I'll always care about this day. After all, I'm the one that give this day to ya, remember?". He lowered his head and pressed his thin lips against hers, tasting her sweet tongue. Rangiku's eyes remained opened with shock, but eventually closed them and surrendered in the intimate moment. Right then and there, she completely forgot what kind of man Gin Ichimaru was. He wasn't the snaky, double-crossing fox that everyone knew, or the creepy man with the frozen smile, or even the traitor who joined Aizen and Tosen in Hueco Mundo. At that moment, he wasn't any of those things. For now, he was just Gin Ichimaru. Her first friend. Her first hero. Her first love.
Temptations kicked in as they embraced harder. Rangiku's arms wrapped around Gin's neck tighter, dominating his tongue in their kiss. Gin pulled her curvy body closer to him, his fingers finding their way to her sash. He slowly untied the sash, breaking their kiss and bending down to kiss her bare shoulder. Rangiku let out a moan, enjoying his tender touch. "Gin…", her voice escaped. Gin's smile returned while hearing her beautiful voice say his name with such passion. Everything else fell into place once Rangiku's hands undressed him, and both were completely naked.
They continued their precious lovemaking, both filled with intoxicating sweat and satisfying pleasure. They savored each moment as if it was the end of days. There would be no tomorrow for them as a couple. After all, Gin went through all the trouble sneaking back without Aizen knowing. Even if they returned as enemies tomorrow, Rangiku didn't care. As long as she was feeling his touch, hearing his face, even seeing that ridiculous smile….her birthday was finally complete. Truthfully, she thanked the stars for making her wish come true anyway. It wasn't a dream at all. And if it was, it was a dream she never wanted to wake up from. Rangiku prayed that he felt the same way.
After they finished, Gin rolled off of her and snuggled closer underneath the sheets. His nose breathed into her lovely scent from her hair as he kissed her neck. Rangiku placed her hands over his own, which rested on her stomach, and their fingers interlocked. Eventually, both fell into a peaceful sleep and dreamed in whatever fantasy they wished to live in forever.
Unfortunately, all things had to come to an end. The next morning when Rangiku woke up, she immediately sensed an absent body beside her. She turned around and found Gin no longer in her bed. She sat up with the sheets covering her upper body and looked around the room, trying to trace at least a faint of his reiastu. But there was nothing. Rangiku's eyes grew sad all over again, sighing regrettably. He was gone. He had gone back to that awful place, to his new master. They were back as enemies. Before she got out of bed, she noticed a small box with silver wrapping paper and a blue bow tied to it next to her. Underneath the box was a tiny piece of paper. Rangiku picked up the paper, reading one short and touching sentence:
I would've been happy if we could hold onto each other a little longer….Happy Birthday, Rangiku. I'm sorry.
Rangiku dropped the paper on the floor, recalling a similar quote he said when they departed. She looked down at the gift box and unwrapped it. Inside was a new silver necklace with a tiny pink chrysanthemum stone at the center. She picked up the necklace and had a good look. Although her heart felt a little sad, it started feeling a small warmth. Perhaps it was from the surprise gift before he left. Perhaps it was from the fact that he still loved her, somehow. Rangiku took off her old necklace and replaced it with the new one. She trailed her fingers on the delicate chain that shined radiantly, and then on the tiny stone. She smiled sadly. "A part of me knew you would disappear by tomorrow morning….that's what I hate about you. But in the end, I'll still be the fool that forgives you". She finally got up to start another regular day. "Thank you for another birthday, Gin".