BRUISE ME PRETTY

Chapter II. Healing Wounds with Infection

Would you kill me, Gin? Would you take my life? I'm not sure anymore.

Orihime had come in at some point during the night to heal up Rangiku's wounds. Deep down, Gin hadn't wanted that. He had wanted to sit at her bedside while she lay there helpless. He wanted the luxury of torturing her and picking at her brain. But Aizen had suggested it, so Gin complied easily. He could still torture her, of course. After all, this was his Ran-chan. She held a special place in his dark heart. And while on the surface it sounded like a lovely thing, it most definitely was not. To be special to Gin Ichimaru meant...being special to Gin Ichimaru. It meant that he wanted to fuck with the person even more. Maybe do some damage in the process. It was how he worked.

Her strawberry blonde hair was still matted with blood and dirty, and she still had her wound wrappings on as substitute clothing. But among all of the dirt, blood, and ripped clothing, she still had a remarkable beauty about her. She was still Rangiku Matsumoto.

The icing to the cake.

Rangiku awoke with dreamy eyes, her lids softly opening as if she had slept a wondrous night. She hadn't. In fact, it had been awful. While she couldn't recall it now, she knew she had endured a nightmare involving Gin amongst other dark things. Her eyes trembled with a transparent hate - in that it wasn't really there. She didn't hate him. Then again, didn't despise and abhor go hand in hand? Perhaps she had grown to hate the fox-faced man. Then again, perhaps she both loathed and loved him. It was possible. Of course it was. Because there were two Gins in her eyes. There was the Gin that she met back in Rukongai, the one who looked out for her, and there was the Gin that betrayed Soul Society and her. Which one was he now? She wasn't sure of anything anymore. Even though he'd betrayed her and everyone else, he saved her like he always had. Was it for his own personal amusement or out of pity? Did he really care about her wellbeing...?

She wasn't about to sit around to find out.

When Rangiku sat up, she didn't feel the ripping pain from her wounds she had previously. Orihime did her work well. Matsumoto wasn't the type of woman to worry about how revealing the wrapping around her chest and entire torso were. She did still feel a bit weak, as if Las Noches itself was draining her reiatsu. The past few days had oddly taken a hefty taxation on her energy. However, she pushed through it all. She stood to her feet and walked over to the door. This is the same one she had tried to crawl to the other night. Placing a hand on the knob, her eyes steadies on the white painted port in front of her. What would be beyond these walls? Who would be there? Was it dangerous? She wouldn't find out, for as soon as the blonde tried turning the handle, she found it to be locked from the outside. Her eyebrows furrowed and she made a tiny grunting noise as she tried to pull on it.

Stepping back, Rangiku glanced around the room. She scanned to try and find something that would aid in her escape. She should have known her captor wouldn't leave such an item in her vicinity, though. Gin was smart. Smarter than Rangiku. And she knew that.

But Rangiku wouldn't sit there and wait for something to happen. She would make something happen. A light humor filled her blue eyes as she walked over to the door again. She knocked lightly, hoping there were some type of guards on the other side.

"Hello there~? I'm so sorry to trouble whoever's there, but... My breasts are just too big for these bandages! The wrapping is too tight and I don't have the strength to remove them! Would anyone mind helping me?"

She was shameless, really. Whenever in doubt, she relied on her feminine wiles to get what she needed (and usually, what she wanted). Even if they were Arrancar, they still had a penis, right? They still got aroused and turned on by big-breasted women, right? She hoped so. The door knob clicked as it unlocked from the other side, and Rangiku smiles slightly to herself. The knob turned and the door opened slowly. That's it, come right inside you dumb boy.

"Rangiku-chan! How nice of'ye to make sucha generous offer!" Gin stepped through the door with his long smile and closed eyes, hands inside the opposite sleeves.

Her eyes widened and she took a slight step back. A miscalculation, her Captain would call it. The silver-haired man strode past her and sat on the bed. He patted the seat next to him, and Rangiku turned around to look down at him. He only smiled up at her, and for some reason she couldn't help but to give in and sit next to him. She knew she needed to put up a bigger fight, but...it was difficult.

"How're ya Ran-chan?"

"Fine."

"Wounds healed up nice 'n good?"

"Yes."

"Ran-chan... Why're you so cold to me Ran-chan?"

Rangiku stared down at her lap with hardened eyes. "Stop."

Gin's eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity and looked over at her.

"Stop calling me that... Stop talking to me like you care about me." Silence passed for a moment. "Why did you bring me here, Gin?"

"You were bleedin' pretty bad. I can't let my Ran-chan jus' lay there 'n-."

"I said stop!" Rangiku voiced in a strong tone. She stood up and stared down at him once more. Tears watered in her eyes as memories flooded through her vision. "Are you doing this because it's amusing to you?"

Gin stood up, slightly towering over her. He stared down at her through closed eyes, his smile only somewhat faded. "I s'ppose it is very amusing, ne...Rangiku? But you shouldn' go yellin' in Las Noches. The fact o' the matter is... Not many people know yer here. 'N I can't be watchin' over ya every second."

"You're avoiding the subject like always..." She paused. "And I don't need you watching over me."

Gin's smile lifted again. "I wonder why... I wonder why I'm the only one that sees this side of ya."

Rangiku's eyes widened, her tears sinking back into her eyes. She stared up at him with mixed emotions, not sure what to make of it all. What was he saying? Was he still toying around with her?

"I'm lockin' the door again. It's for yer safety, so don't try 'n escape..." He leaned down slightly so his mouth was pressed to the hair against her ear. "Though I already know you won't listen. So when y'do try it... Don't try somethin' too foolish, even by yer standards, 'kay?" With that, he walked past her and out the door, locking it behind him. As soon as he started walking down the hall, he was stopped by a figure.

"New chew toy, Gin?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what yer talkin' about," Gin lied through a wide smile.

"Hn. I see." There was humor in the voice. The figure walked around, and Gin continued on his path with his fox-faced gin plastered on his face.

Rangiku turned to stare at the door, eyes narrowing slightly. She knew Gin was serious with his warning, however...

It was something she simply could not abide by.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took so long. No excuses. But the recent Bleach chapters kinda fuck up things... I won't spoil, though, and I'll keep on going as if it never happened. I'd appreciate comments and the like. Sorry the chapter isn't that long.