A/N: Hello, this is the first chapter in my twenty-chapter GinRan drabble series. These won't be in chronological order and unless I say so they're not directly connected. I hope you all like them.
Word Count: 343
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
"Someone needs to warn me the next time you do this!" Rangiku exclaims, her small face scrunched up in annoyance. "You know Gin, popping up out of nowhere isn't always funny. I should stick bells on you or something."
Wearing his usual smile, Gin just shrugs and plucks a persimmon out of the thin basket in Rangiku's hands, promptly popping it in his mouth. Between bits of fruit, he replies, "It's not that bad. It's been six months since I gave Nakamura-san a heart attack."
Rangiku rolls her eyes. "Only been six months."
As of right now, Gin disappeared some three weeks ago, going wherever it is Gin goes. The first time this happened, Rangiku was frantic, but after a while she started to get used to it, and nowadays whenever Gin gets back from wherever it was he went she treats it as though he just went down the street to get some water from the well.
She can't tell whether Gin likes this or not.
They start off back towards home in companionable silence, Rangiku waving to one of the men sticking his head out of the house and Gin wincing as one of his many "materialization victims" heckles him from a storefront. "I keep telling you, if you weren't half-deaf you'd be able to tell I was coming!" he shouts back, and Rangiku grabs his wrist and walks faster. No need to start a riot.
After a while, Rangiku notices something, and looks at Gin, frowning. "Gin… have you gotten taller?"
When they first met, Gin and Rangiku were about the same height, the former being only a hairsbreadth taller. Now, Rangiku might be wrong but she thinks the height difference might be in inches rather than millimeters.
"Yeah, think I am," Gin replies cheerfully, snatching another persimmon. Ah, the heightened appetite of a growing boy.
Rangiku runs a hand through her hair as she normally does when lost in thought. "You gonna run away when you grow up?"
"Not unless you'll run away with me."
Despite herself, Rangiku smiles.
