A/N: Oh my gosh, I made it. o_o;; A-and, oh my gosh, this chapter is rated K. O_O

This is my Christmas gift for Dimeus, who requested for a GinMatsu fic even though she knows I'm a HitsuMatsu fan. ^_^;;

Anyway, I'm trying my best not to be biased here. O_o;; (which is hard to do, lolXD) I do promise not to make Matsumoto and Gin OoC. Well, as far as this AU can allow, anyway.

Warnings: Aside from the usual 'chumee-updates-according-to-her-OCness', please remember that this is an AU fic, meaning that the characters act like people from the world they (were forced to) live in.

On second thought, please forgive Matsumoto's five year old thoughts, words and actions. XD There are parts when she narrates/speaks as a 20 year old, but I think one could distinguish these parts. Ovo

As Destiny Dictates
(chapter one)
by chumee

If there was one wish Rangiku Matsumoto and Gin Ichimaru wanted so badly to come true, it would be to rid themselves of one another. But the sad, horrible truth is…life isn't that fair to grant everybody's wishes. What happened, you ask?

As they say, it all began quite innocently.

Matsumoto, Rangiku

"Today is the day that I will meet the one who will be with me forever…
I just didn't mean that in a positive sense.
Today is the day that I will know that fairytales are lies…
Except the ones that end in tragedy."

My mom looked positively excited that day, fifteen years ago. She dressed me up in a white dress that I wore once during my aunt's wedding as a flower-girl. She made me wear white school-girl shoes and cutesy socks with strawberry designs in it. And if that's not exaggeration, she also put white ribbons with bells in my hair. Why, my dad even bought short white gloves for me to wear.

I looked like a five year old bride of a river god. It was horrifying. Even as a child, I knew something bad was going to happen. And if I knew what a 'married' and a 'husband' really was, I would've ran until I died.

But I know I could have run away anytime I wanted to. But I didn't. Because, when I met Gin, I couldn't look at anyone else in the same way I looked at him. And when you can't look away, then how the hell can you run away?

I opened the door of my parents' room and saw my mom putting on her pearl earrings. "Mom?"

"Yes, Ran-chan?" my mom answered, smiling at me with her extremely cheerful smile she only wears at occasions like weddings and stuff.

"Why am I dressed like this?" I asked quietly, playing with the ribbons in my hair, secretly wanting to take them off. Why did my mom have to put these on my hair? She said I looked 'gorgeous'. I think that's another word for silly.

She looked pointedly at my dad who just came in the room, fixing his tie. "What?" my dad asked, looking at mom, then at me, then back again.

"I thought you told Ran-chan what the event is." My dad said defensively before my mom could say anything.

What event? And nobody told me anything. "Dad?" I looked at my dad, who merely shrugged and looked at mom. So I turned to look at her, instead.

"Why do you always forget to say the important things?" my mom asked, exasperatedly.

"It's not my duty to tell our daughter she's getting married." My dad said, scowling. "And anyway, I don't wanna lose my only daughter just yet to some—"

"I'm getting married?" I repeated, not understanding the word. What's a married? Carried? Hmm…

"Honey…" my mom began, standing up, crossing the room & patted my hair. She tried to soothe me. But I wasn't angry. I mean, should I be? And what's a married? "Of course not." Then she paused, and added as an afterthought, "Not today, anyway."

"What's a married?" I asked her, my eyebrows drawing themselves together.

She almost laughed. "My dear Rangiku, it is an event when the priest announces you and your best friend to be together forever."

Ah, the old man in the church everybody seems to respect. Yeah, yeah, I knew him. But I don't have anything close to a friend. I mean, I'm always at home, playing with my dolls…

"Can I get married with Coraline?" I asked them. Coraline is the name of my favorite doll. She's my best friend. My next best friend is Caroline. Caroline is Coraline's sister with an overly frilly dress. I like Coraline better because her dress doesn't make my skin itchy.

They looked troubled. I wonder why, though. Don't they like Coraline's dress? Will I have to marry Caroline instead?

"You have to get married to a boy." My dad said, and stood next to my mom.

My face fell. It was as if they told me I wouldn't get desserts. Boys were the short-haired kids that are always sweaty and snot-covered, right? Ew. I'd rather marry Caroline even if her overly frilly dress makes my skin itchy. "A boy? You mean those snot-covered—"

My dad looked pained and my mom looked at me with a stern look. I stopped talking. "The boy you're going to meet today is different, Ran-chan." She told me with a gentle voice. As if she was talking about cakes and chocolate.

Hmm…Maybe that boy really is different. I mean, she only uses that tone when she's talking about me, sweets, dad, flowers, and apparently, this boy.

I just hope he's not snot-covered.

"That boy will be your soon-to-be husband."

"My what?" I asked. "I understand soon-to-be, but what's a husband? Is that another word for butler?"

My dad chuckled, clearly recovering from my 'boys-are-snot-covered-creatures' comment. What's so funny?

"No, my daughter." My dad told me. "That boy will be your best friend for your entire life."

I stared at him. And stared some more. Does that mean I'll have a moving, interactive Coraline for my entire life? A best friend that doesn't require stitching every now and then? A best friend I don't have to carry all the time?

"Wow." was the only thing I managed to say. I mean, if any girl got a doll like that…

So I'm lucky then? That boy Coraline must cost a fortune!

"He's thoughtful, kind, intelligent, and very handsome!" my mom gushed, her eyes sparkling. I just don't remember if I gave her my glitters.

Still, there's still one more question I have to ask. The answer will determine my life and death.

"Is he snot-covered?"

…What? I mean, who cares about those other stuff that mom was going gaga for? I had to make sure. It's a requirement for me that my best friend doesn't have snot.

"No." my parents answered me at the same time.

"Yay!" I immediately brightened by the fact. I can't wait for the rest of my life! Wait, when will the package arrive? Is it today? It's today isn't it? That's why I'm wearing this dress. Oh. Now I see.

"He's coming today?" I wanted to know.

"Yes." My mom told me, clapping her hands. She too, looked excited. Sure, I'll share boy Coraline with her, but she must promise that she won't brush his hair too roughly or, I shuddered at the thought, he'll get split ends!

"Ugh." My dad said. What's an 'ugh'? Maybe it's a yes, too. Don't tell me my dad wants to share my boy Coraline, too! Geez, can't they buy their own boy Coralines?

Oh well, guess I'll have to share my boy Coraline with him, too. But right now, I have to get a good impression! So that my boy Coraline would prefer to play with me, rather than with mom or dad.

"I can't wait!" I told them before I went to my room to fix my ribbons. I heard my dad complain to my mom that my only requirement for a guy is for him not to be snot covered. And then my mom said he was saying nonsense and that Gin-kun is perfect.

Who the bunny is Gin-kun?

And then I heard a car pull up outside our house. For the last time, I checked my reflection. I looked okay. I mean, I look like my everyday self. How else could I look like anyway?

My mom didn't bother knocking and just took my hand and excitedly led me out of the house. Maybe I should remind her later about knocking as a policy.

My dad is already outside, talking to a white-haired man who looked like he was in his early thirties. They were laughing good-naturedly. Then my mom faked a cough and both of them looked at us.

"And this is my cute little daughter I'm telling you about!" my dad told the man. Then he walked towards me and mom. He gestured towards me with a grin.

The man looked at me and smiled. Woah. If my dad looked like a heart-throb hero of an action movie, this guy looks like a model. You know, those mannequin look-alikes on TV?

"How do you do, little girl?" he asked me and gently patted my hair. That's good. At least he's considerate about my ribbons. I don't want to go back to my room and fix them with my boy Coraline in that car.

"I'm fine, uncle. And you?" I told him the standard reply. I looked at his car. Where is my boy Coraline? I thought he will be arriving today.

"Ah, uncle is fine, too." So, he knows the standard reply, too? Darn. Why do adults know everything?

Then he seemed to notice the look I directed to his car. He smiled knowingly. "Ah. Yes. Of course." Then he started to walk towards the car.

My dad laughed embarrassedly. "Excuse our daughter for—"

"Is your wife with you, sir?" interrupted my mom. Why was she so formal? And what's a wife? And why did my dad excuse me? I didn't sneeze.

"Yes, she is." The white haired uncle replied, and opened the back car door. A woman, also with white hair, came out of the car. Now I'm beginning to think they're living in North Pole, with that kind of hair color.

The white-haired woman went forward to meet us. Then she exchanged greetings with my parents. It probably only took them half a minute to talk, but it felt like a long time to me. I was beginning to get worried. Where is my boy Coraline?

The white-haired woman seemed to notice the look on my face. She looked at the direction of the car and at the white-haired uncle who had his head inside the car. What is he doing? Maybe my boy Coraline is too heavy for him to carry. Maybe I should help?

Then, before I took a step forward, the woman looked at me. "Hello, Rangiku-chan." She said, smiling serenely. "What a quiet girl you are."

I returned the smile. She was a pretty nice lady. And she knows my name, too. Hmm…if she lived in the North Pole, maybe she's Santa's daughter? That would explain why she's telepathic.

"You can call me Auntie." She told me, still in her kind voice. Compared to my mother, who is a queen-type, this woman was a fairy-type. Maybe she's an elf, and not Santa's daughter?

"How are you, auntie?" I asked her, and she told me the answer I was expecting.

And then uncle stepped aside and smiled apologetically at us. Auntie smiled, looking relieved. Then I saw a boy, white-haired one, too, but that's expected. He went out of the car and dusted his pants. He was looking down so I couldn't see his face. But somehow, I kind of knew he was my boy Coraline without anyone telling me. Maybe uncle put batteries on him, or something.

And then, the weirdest thing happened. When I took a step forward to meet him and introduce myself, he turned to look at me and smiled. I froze in midstep. I couldn't even remember if I smiled back. But is memory loss supposed to be experienced in this age?

I couldn't believe a boy could actually look like my boy Coraline. Is he even a boy? I mean, he looks like a…a…prince.

The prince started walking towards me, smiling. For a brief moment, I panicked, thinking the delivery service got it wrong, that this package is for someone else. And for that brief moment, too, all the adults around us, uncle's car, our house, and everything except the prince and I disappeared. And along with many things, I didn't know how that happened.

When the prince was only some distance away, the world returned. Wow. That's some weird magic.

"Hi. I'm Gin. Pleased to meet you." The prince greeted me, smiling all the while.

Gin? The Gin-kun my mom was talking about awhile ago? My boy Coraline's name is Gin? Or is that also the name of this prince? How terribly confusing. How many Gins can I meet in a day, anyway?

"I-I'm Rangiku." I told him, still slightly confused. "Nice to…meet you, Gin-kun." I smiled brightly, not knowing if this is the Gin-kun, my boy Coraline or just this prince.

"You're so cute, Ran-chan." He said and reached out to touch the ribbon on my hair. I think my temperature went up. Sheesh. I meet this prince and then I get sick? Once again, sheesh.

"T-thanks." See, I'm stuttering, too! "You look…nice, too."

He smiled even wider. And I didn't speak up, not knowing what to say since he didn't even say 'thanks.'

Thankfully, my father laughed and said, "Ah, why don't we all go inside, then? I'm being awfully rude, not inviting you guys in."

And then Uncle, Auntie, and Gin—the prince, followed after dad. I stood quietly, staring at Gin's back until my mom patted my shoulder.

"Oh my." I heard my mom speak from my right side. From her tone of voice, I knew she was smiling. "Looks like you fell in love."

I couldn't tell her immediately. But I did.

And after many years, I still am.

A/N: Umm…I'm not making excuses but…please do remember as you read this fic that I'm a boyXboy fic writer. ^_^ And that I'm a HitsuMatsu fan writing a fic that was requested by my friend, Dimeus. And that this is my first time writing a het fic since…what, five years ago? Come to think of it, I made that het fic for a friend, too. XD

Anyway, I just don't know if I could write the chapters with Gin's POV. Sigh. Yet another complicated man enters my lifeXD (Hibari is the first one, Gin is the second.) But I mean, does anyone know what they're actually thinking?;;

…Review? ovo/