Partial to a Grin Chapter 1, a bleach fanfic

-Partial to a Grin-

A/n: There are unfortunately not very many GinXRangiku fics out there. So being a fan of the couple, I decided to be part of the solution rather than the problem. I just wish to warn you first hand that this is au. You may notice some of the characters to be acting ooc, but the change was necessary in order to fill the plot. Last of all the ages have been scrambled around. So here I Go!

Extended Summary: Au. GinXRangiku. After being orphaned, the Hitsugaya family adopted and raised Matsumoto Rangiku. Now she finally has a chance to return the favor when a marriage with the heir of the enemy must unite the two lands of 3rd and 10th territories. What she doesn't know is that the marriage is ploy to gain the 10th territories trust. Ratings WILL Rise.

Standard disclaimer applies.

Chapter rating: T

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Violence happened. That's how the world always went. There was no possible way to stop it. Ichimaru Gin always wondered why that fact always unsettled people. Everybody already knew that it could and would happen, so why were they surprised? People were reduced to nothing but groveling puddles of despair to be walked over. Being witness to such scenes many times, the fox demeanored boy decided long ago…to 'never' let it cause any sort of surprise for him. He trotted on forward.

Gin's thought were interrupted by the boisterous laughter of a from chair man. "How pathetic, the 10th territory 'really' expects us to maintain peace? What fools they are," he spat! The overlord of the 3rd territory interrupted him. "Quiet! The trees have ears," he said. The man instantly obeyed, knowing from experience that this was not a man to be messed with. "Yes, Otoribashi-sama," he complied.

The lord continued, "We must gain their deepest trust, and when we have them in the palms of our hands, damp with anticipation, our plot will be revealed."

For the first time during the whole conversation, the lord directed a comment to him. "Follow my lead, boy. You'll learn a whole lot from this experience." Oh, yes he would. Dawn was beginning to approach and the pace was quickened. The entourage continued through the forest in new brisk pace, not wishing to be late for the peace convention. That would give off a 'terrible' first impression.

Gin simply grinned. Violence did happen a lot after.

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Matsumoto Rangiku awoke very early, as usual. Even without parents, she had been raised up sternly by her Uncle's family. This however wasn't the only reason that Rangiku had over the years adapted to her early morning schedule. She had found the time of day before the sunrise to be quite lovely with its ethereal glow and silence. She enjoyed waking up on time to view it.

This morning however, her pre-morning ritual had been interrupted. All members of the household and servants were already boisterously attending to domestic matters and such. Confusion had battled its way into her thoughts as she slowly preened the shouji screen door open and slid through. Everyone had been in such a rush that the typically meek under spoken orange-headed girl remained particularly overlooked this morning. She solemnly let her head fall as she realized that nobody was willing to grant her enough attention to answer her questions.

Still feeling a tad bit foggy from sleep, Rangiku trudged softly out of the house, passing many people. Even if everyone was already moving about she still planned to witness the morning return. On her way out, a calendar caught her eye. The date was circled, and underneath was an illegible scribble. Rangiku thought she could make out the word '3rd', tilting her head to one side.

The calendar had served to be a memory jog of sorts. Her index finger tapped against her jaw once or twice before it finally came to her with a gasp. Today was the day that the 3rd division would be visiting for a meeting…..the objective was to come in terms with an agreement that would allow peace between the two territories who had been disputing for a while now. Everything was up for negotiation. Borderlines and even her hand in marriage were at stake. Rangiku knew that her uncle would stop nowhere short of some sort of treaty or pact that would guarantee the safety of the 10th territory.

His successor, Toshirou was so young and probably could not fair well with war at this time after all. At the thought of her little cousin, a smile slipped on her lips. Toshirou, though merely the age of ten years, acted much older than his age. He had a keen intelligence, quick wit, and not to mention he kept a composed attitude at nearly all times. She giggled as she thought of a few times when he had lost his 'cool' in her presence. He was still a child at heart, though he would never show it. Not wanting to be anywhere near the chaos that took place, Rangiku left to breath in her daily dose of morning air and soak up a bit of dawnly sun rays. Perhaps things would be less chaotic by then.

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After her wondrous encounter with nature and its many woodland creatures, Rangiku returned to the household. The chaos had persisted even at her return, and her serenity was nearly lost. She was forced to maneuver around the many busy occupants, seeing that otherwise she might have found herself trampled over, or roughed up a bit.

As two burly looking men passed, Rangiku had to remember to bow respectfully, recognizing them as chair members of the 10th territory council. The bow was short lived though, considering that, they too were in a rush, probably to find and speak with her uncle. Even standing off against the wall, she had still found herself to be in the way of someone. A familiar looking maid was dusting around sporadically. She awkwardly stepped out of her way and continued down the hall, almost bumping into another man.

She immediately swirled around to grant him an apology, but her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He looked …peculiar. He had morning stubble and a gentle grin. It was a relief knowing that at least he wasn't angry with her. Particularly though, it was his hat that grabbed all of her attention. She recalled a memory of when Toshirou had once worn a hat indoors. It granted him a swift smack across the head, and a stern scolding. He hadn't worn any headgear of any sort since. Yet, this man could adorn this green and white striped hat, and nobody was attempting to inform him that he couldn't do otherwise. Who could he possibly be?

Noticing her blatant staring and partial disbelief, he cleared his throat to obtain her attention. Snapping out of her trance, she embarrassedly apologized with not only words but also multiple bows, and then hurriedly left the older man's presence. It was a huge relief when she made back to her room. On top of her futon, she sat with her knees neatly folded under herself. She played with the sleeves of her Yukata and listened passed her thin shouji walls as people shuffled about and spoke short greetings to one another.

After a few 'good days' and 'hellos', something managed to catch Rangiku's attention. Two maids seemed to be gossiping about the 3rd division. This was exactly the sort of thing Rangiku was looking for. Though the maids were whispering amongst each other, Rangiku had years of practice listening for the chatter of maids, otherwise, she would be clueless about most of the happenings within her own home.

"It's official now, rather than sending someone to speak for him, Rojuro Otoribashi is to come here himself! He wishes to set an example for his heir," the maid said to her friend. Rangiku furrowed her brow. So the Over Lord himself was coming? "Heir you say? I thought his wife had been unable to bare him a son," the other maid whispered back. After a small pause, the first maid said, "That is true, but in the 10th territory, leadership isn't hereditary. Awhile back, the heir's name was released. He is 'Ichimaru Gin.' Isn't that such a strange name?" The maids giggled for a moment, then compared it to the oddness of Rangiku's name. Throughout the whole affair, Rangiku continued to listen pristinely, albeit with a pout on her lips. Rangiku happened to be a fairly normal name, or so she believed. The maids went back to the topic. "So who else is supposed to be here," the maid asked. "Oh, just some other chair men, and possibly someone else, I'm not quite sure though." With that the maids were discovered doing there idle chatter by the head servant, and were made to scurry off and finish their jobs.

So, the chances of her being married off had risen significantly. This was something that Rangiku had accepted long ago. She happened to be very flexible person. She was being taught 'how to be a lady' for as long as she could remember. She would of course miss the life that she harbored so far, but only a little. This was a wild dance that she had never fit into.

With nothing else to do, Rangiku left her room, lightly assessing the information she had just gathered. This time though, instead of getting in the way, she found a sponge, dropped to her knees and began scrubbing aptly. Someone was probably bound to tell her to do so eventually.

Rangiku assumed that the meeting was to begin soon, when the chaos began to die down exponentially. Since lessons had been cancelled for the day, Rangiku had nothing to do, and disliking having to leave things unfinished, she became determined to finish scrubbing the hallway floor. By the time she finished, her knees were sore and her stomach rumbling from skipped breakfast. Yet she felt the heavy satisfaction of completing something wash over her countenance, causing her to smile.

Her brief glory basking was interrupted, just as nearly everything had been today. The maid who had been dusting burst through the doors, hurriedly running towards her. Rangiku was pulled to her feet by the wrist, and pulled towards the door that the maid had entered from while the maid herself began a rant. She uttered something along the lines of having been searching for Rangiku forever, and being unable to find her.

Rangiku blinked confusedly. Certainly, that couldn't possibly be the case. Since the dusting incident not too long ago, she had encountered this maid at least one or two times. It must have been Rangiku's natural knack for being easily over looked.

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Rangiku found herself being promptly tossed into her aunt's vanity room onto a cushion. Sitting across from her was her aunt. She instantly dropped into a deep respectful bow. This was a woman she would be forever in debt to. After the tragic death of her parents, the sister of Rangiku's father had convinced her husband, the lord of the 10th division to adopt Rangiku into their own family.

Her aunt prompted her to rise, and so she did. She met grey eyes. It was astounding how much her beloved aunt and Toshirou looked alike. Rangiku shook her head, to clear her thoughts. She could revel on the two's similarities later. There was a sharp tension in the air, signifying that whatever was to be said would be paramount.

"Rangiku," the woman softly uttered. In reply, the orange-headed girl nodded her head. "The terms of our treaty are being made. I suspect that you have already taken this into consideration," she asked. Once again, Rangiku enthusiastically nodded. Her aunt always spoke with ardent grace and intelligence. Rangiku would often attempt to mimic it whenever she felt the need to impress someone.

When her aunt's countenance fell forlornly, she instantly knew what had been agreed on. Still she sat up straight and fiddled with her hair, waiting for the news to be physically delivered. "So far we have gotten the terms to where we would like it, but the Overlord Otoribashi is hesitant to sign it. He feels that his territory will not benefit. You are our last chance. If his heir takes a liking to you, then perhaps he will agree after all," she informed Rangiku. "What do you want me to do," Rangiku asked, still confused about the plan. "I want you to deliver a tray of tea," her aunt revealed slyly.

And so, Rangiku agreed to play her part.

The night before, Rangiku had bathed in many fragrant oils, and consequently still smelled rather good. She was dressed as she usually was, in silken layers. Still, she was only to be fourteen soon. The art of 'seduction' had not yet been introduced to her. Her aunt of course had already thought of this, and agreed on her serving tea. If there was one thing that Rangiku could do well, it was serving tea. She was relying on nothing but a set of tea serving tricks she had obtained.

It would feel terrible for her to fail this task.

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Not many took notice to her presence as she entered. That was a large relief on her part. She had feared that everyone's attention would have been put on her upon her arrival. A flash of green brought her attention to the man wearing a striped hat. He was chewing on a dry blade of grass and shifting his position. He moved his arms behind his back and yawned. There was definitely a sharp tension buzzing across the room, yet he seemed unaffected by it, in his little corner.

Her uncle's face possessed a stern expression meant to intimidate. Next to her uncle sat Toshirou, who also kept his countenance firm. She peered across from them and saw the Overlord of the 10th territory. Next to him, sat a silver haired boy who she could only assume was the heir. Between both groups sat a scroll…the treaty. Her uncle eyed the scroll with heavy reverence as he spoke, listing all the advantages that it would grant the 10th territory. Otoribashi remained unmoved, with a slight frown adorning his features. This was not looking good. She had to do her best.

Counting the many faces around the room, she picked up the appropriate amount of teacups, and sat them up across the serving tray. The tinkering of porcelain brought his attention towards her briefly, and once he saw what she was doing, a smug smile hit his lips. Bringing his attention back to the stubborn and typically violent Otoribashi, he finished his sentence with more confidence. The lord in question arched a brow, wondering what else her uncle had up his sleeve.

After his father, Toshirou too took notice of the plot at hand. His initial reaction was confusion, but remembering where he was, he recovered quickly and went back to his original expression. She chose this time to observe Ichimaru Gin for the first time. Like his namesake, he had Silver hair. For his position, his expression was strange. For as long as she had been in the room, he possessed a grin of such intensity, Rangiku wondered if he was trying to hold back a laugh or something. He looked older than she did, but not by much. Rangiku was unable to see his eyes.

She tried to imagine what color they would be as he turned to look at her for the first time. How curious this boy had made her feel! She noticed others giving him untrusting and shifty glances- even a few fleeting looks from his own division. She was unusually intrigued by him. Rangiku didn't know what to make of the guy.

Rangiku shook her head, and concentrated on the task at hand. It was to work her magic. She straightened her posture and began. With immaculate accuracy, she prepared her famous tea. As she worked, the kettle was spun around and gracefully in her fingers. Steam arose from the boiling water and she blew softly into it, causing to waft away into whimsical loops and rings. Her display began to grab the attention of the room's inhabitants.

She took hold of a stirring spoon with a grip that made her fingers appear longer and stirred gently in circles. She began to hum light heartedly. As she stirred each cup, the steam would arise into more elaborate silhouettes and shapes. She had made a very good impression. She finished the last cup with a tap to its side. She carefully handed everyone a cup of tea.

As the tea was tasted, a series of positive hums and compliments followed. It tasted wonderful. Everyone attempted to decipher her secret ingredient unsuccessfully. She only smiled politely to their guesses. She served Ichimaru Gin last. Her eyes originally intended to meet his, but to her chagrin, they were 'still' closed. Had he even 'seen' her trick?

"Oh yes, excuse my manners," her uncle said. "Before we continue, I must introduce you all to my niece. Her name is Matsumoto Rangiku."

Then Uncle Hitsugaya went for the kill.

"Perhaps the young Ichimaru-san is entertained by the idea of taking my dearest niece as a wife?"

An intense silence filled the room, as expected. Rangiku tilted her head to the side questioningly, feigning confusion. He never answered. Instead, Lord Otoribashi did it for him.

"He would be delighted," he said, massaging his beard with thick calloused fingers. Ichimaru Gin's expression never changed. He just kept grinning. Rangiku looked to her uncle as he spoke. "We'd have to no doubt, include this in the treaty, of course. This is another advantage for 3rd territory.

The treaty would be signed after all.

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A/n: Keep in mind that the rating will go up in future chapters.

-and yes, Rojiro Otoribashi actually was the captain of 3rd division preceding Gin…not some random oc….just mentioning that because I had forgotten of his existence before I did some research. :0

Rangiku is portrayed as less fun-loving then the actual bleach Rangiku in the first chapter because I was trying to emphasize the meek little Rangiku that was portrayed in the flashbacks, when she first met Gin. Being a main character and all…she too is going to have to go through some sort of emotional change. To drop a few hints, the lesson is learned that sometimes in life, you can't escape turmoil by accepting it..and when that happens…you have to break a few noses till you get your way. :)

Reviews please?

………………………………Heart---- away…………………………….