Summary: A quiet moment in Las Noches where Aizen and Gin look up at the stars and simply enjoy each other's company, completely uninterrupted. Shameless waffly fluff in what is for the most part a series with darker undertones, but Can be read as a standalone piece.

Timeline: phase 3. Sometime before events in Helios, though possibly with some overlap with Helios.

Time a/n: Massive thanks to Wolfie for letting me play in her verse. Tagging with you was a blast.

Wolfy a/n: Time is a gem. Huge thanks to her for tagging with me. It was a blast- like always- and very much needed at the time.

wordcount: 2214.

Notes: Oh look its the title of this collection XD Shameless waffle, softness and sap – but my boys deserve it. There will be a continuation for this scene just because forcing citrus here would take away from this moment and I do not often have softness suitable for all audiences in this series.

Vulpecula

(By TheDrunkenWerewolf and Timewaster123456789)

Gin laid the rug down on the grass ready for them to lay on and smiled at his husband. Who was currently looking around the beautiful garden that had seemingly been hidden away in the bowels of Las Noches grounds.
"See, I told ya there was a garden," Gin grinned. Sitting down on the rug with his arms around his knees with them drawn up to his chest. "S'beaut'ful huh?"

"Like you," Aizen replied smoothly, slinging an arm around Gin. He looked cold. It felt good to relax a bit, he'd had to redouble the old mask for the arrancars and though Gin hadn't said anything and knew why he had to he could see the hurt in his moon's eyes at his facade of cruelty and indifference.

Gin smiled softly, shaking his head slightly at the flattery. Well, it was more of a compliment he knew now. He leant close and offered the older man his body heat. He knew this place got cold. "I know right. S'cold ain't it. We should probably install a sun lamp..." Gin smirked. Then added teasingly, "or better yet an actual sun."

He leant over and pulled something out of the bag he brought the rug in. "Here," He said gently, wrapping his constellation scarf around Aizen's neck. "This'll Keep the chill away."

That stung his continued failure to actually create that sun thrown back in his face, he looked up at the stars as Gin continued talking and he felt the scarf land on him.

This was ridiculous he'd simply wanted to keep Gin warm, physically at least, make up in some tiny way for bringing him here. Still it didn't stop it from feeling good though. It brought a tender smile to his face and he didn't even try to hide it.

"You do that well enough on your own," he said softly. As usual Gin was doing everything right and he...

he could feel the voice stir and shook off the self-pity. It really didn't become a god.

Gin smiled softly at him. "Flatterer," He said gently quietly enjoying the smile bloom on Sousuke's face. It made Gin so happy to see him smile it should be illegal.

...but as quickly as it'd come, it started to fade at the edges.

"Hey ya okay?" Gin nudged him. Scooching closer to him. His lover tended to do that. Drift off into his own little world from time to time. In the beginning he thought the man was just easily distracted. Now he knew better. Now he knew it was the voice.

"Alw..." Aizen shook his head and looked at Gin. "I'm fine now," he whispered and gave in to the urge to pull Gin closer. Anything to keep the darkness at bay. "You?"

Gin let himself be pulled close and wrapped his arms around Aizen. "'m glad." He said. Giving his lover a gentle squeeze. "I'm good. Jus happy t'get some time alone with ya." He grinned wolfishly. He was trying for seductive but... well let's just say he wasn't very good at that yet.

"Same," he said and reached down to select a juniper for 'protection' and a dark geranium for 'melancholy' from the ground by his feet he handed them to Gin.

Gin couldn't help the idiotic smile spreading across his face. It'd been a long time since he'd gotten flowers he didn't know yet, though understanding the context he just knew it would be something sweet. That and the soft adoring look on Aizen's face just said everything.

"Aw thanks," He beamed as he took them. Face feeling hot. He knew he was a bright pink now too. Apparently he was not past this stage of blushing like a schoolgirl with a big crush... which he'd thought passed a long time ago. "I dunno what these mean yet but gimme a minute,"

Gin quickly disentangled from his lover's arms and pulled his flower dictionary from the bag. Looking through it.

"You want geranium and juniper,"Aizen supplied. Gin nodded and looked for them.

Aizen smirked at Gin's blush because well old habits died hard, ridiculously slow deaths, but as Gin turned to focus on the dictionary in the low light he let the tender smile return watching his moon read. All focused and studious like...before...decades ago when they'd met. He quickly moved away from that train of thought before this rendezvous turned even sappier than he intended.

He waited for a snarky remark from Kyouka, but she said nothing. Probably not wanting to ruin the peaceful moment. There were so few and far between. Especially here. In the dark. In the place of nightmares.

Gin kept searching the entries until he found what he was looking for. Once he'd found the meanings he just needed to put them together to make a sentence. A sentiment.
This one was: you give me protection from my melancholy.

"Oh that's..." Gin just smiled. A very happy sound escaping him. He was somewhat at a loss for words. Sousuke was finally opening up. Finally expressing himself. "Oh, is this... how long you felt like this?" He asked, a spark of elated hopefulness in his voice.

He watched in surprise at how happy, almost elated Gin was until Gin spoke. He hesitated a moment tempted to hedge but finally answered honestly. "Since the festival, Rukon stew," he muttered embarrassed.

Gin quieted down a little, smiling tenderly at the memory. There was a flower for that. White Periwinkle: tender recollections. Gin always confused the blue Periwinkle with the white as they were so similar, but they had vastly different meanings. Blue for early friendship. White for pleasant recollections. Gin filed that thought away for later use. He could put that with peppermint...

"That early?" He asked, softly. Smiling very warmly. Choosing to ignore the very slight little blush colouring Aizen's cheeks.

Aizen nodded and looked back at the sky. It was awkward as all hell but he was more worried about killing the mood saying something stupid so he remained silent and took the well deserved amusement on Gin's part. He could see the laughter dancing in the younger man's eyes and it was more than worth the discomfort of it being at his expense.

"So it weren't just me, feeling stuff that day" Gin said, also turning his gaze upwards to the stars. Looking for their constellation, the little fox, Vulpecula, hoping he'd find it here as well. Remembering how that night they talked for hours over the stew, and then spent the night together and then Cherry and then...

"Thought it was just me," Aizen whispered more to himself then Gin. "It's there," he pointed out their fox on the shroud of the night sky, he'd made a point of finding it the night they'd settled in.

"Oh, yer right," Gin smiled. "Just by the edge a that cloud..." He pointed upwards at it. Happy. "There we are."
He smiled wider. Snuggling himself close to his partner. "And it weren't just you."

"Well that's obvious at this point," he teased rolling his eyes, reassuring all the same though. He moved subtly so Gin could get closer.

"No duh, " Gin sassed back. Even though he pressed himself closer. He wanted to be as close as he could possibly get... with clothes on. At least for the moment anyway. There'd be plenty of time for... that... later.

They sat in silence and Aizen found himself reflecting on the past good times, warmer and sunnier at least. Well in a literal sense, he had all the warmth and light he needed as long as Gin was here. He sighed at ease and grateful for the fact that for once thoughts were light-hearted.

Meanwhile Gin's thoughts were on a similar track. His mind was casting back over the years and dipping into the holes in the ice to those warmer softer moments shared together.

Aizen glanced over and saw Gin's contemplative expression he watched with growing concern, "You look sad." What'd I do wrong?

Gin was yanked out of his soothing thoughts by his lovers voice. "Huh?" He blinked. "Not sad. Jus rememberin'." Gin looked at him and saw that familiar subtle edge of anxiety on his lovers face. "'Preciatin some stuff more now I know we was on the same page." He added softly.
"Like Cherry," he added even more softly. "'n the stew."

Aizen nodded imperiously like it was the obvious answer and pulled Gin closer. Echoing the sentiment with actions until he could trust his voice.

Gin just let himself be held, returning the embrace. He knew Sousuke was digesting some things right now and needed some time to gather himself. So he let the silence sit for a while. Sousuke would break it when he was ready.

"Cherry stealing Kaname's visor," Aizen added with a laugh at the memory. A little help from Kyoka had resulted in a rather confused eleventh squad, a bloody ninth squad and an enraged captain commander. Gin and himself off course had gotten of the whole thing squeaky clean and quite amused. It'd been the first time he'd laughed in months and the memory stuck, he'd been absurdly grateful to both of them even if he hadn't openly shown it.

Gin chuckled lightly at the memory. "Oh yeah, that was a fun day." He said. He didn't mention how morose Aizen had seemed before he sent Cherry to take the visor. Or how much he'd enjoyed Aizen's laughter and levity at the whole thing. Particularly at the enraged commander. Gin had never seen the old guy so mad...

Aizen cut a glance at Gin well he had promised himself he'd make things up to him, "Did I ever thank you?"

Gin turned to him and smiled. "Don' remember. Was just nice to see you laugh."

And Gin was just going to let him off the hook? The more suspicious part of him wondered if Gin liked making him feel like the biggest jackass in the world. The part that had decided to steadfastly ignore such thoughts knew that Gin was being honest and that almost made it worse, not that he didn't deserve it but damn.

"Well, thanks," for existing, he added silently. "I should get Cherry a collar too."

Gin smiled. "Anytime, ya know if ya need it I can always start pranking the espada..." he said teasingly. Aizen chuckled and he smiled again.

"Huh, y'know I never really thought about getting Che-Che a collar... I think she'd like that. Plus we get to see 'er smugly prancin about 'n that's always fun." He added. Knowing how Cherry always managed to make them laugh. "Ya gotta get Tsuku one too tho else he'll feel left out..."

"I'd like to think he's above such things, but maybe you're right," Aizen joked still smiling though he hoped Gin got the double meaning.

Gin snickered. Understanding what he meant. "Aint I always?" He answered teasingly. "Sides, he's gotta match 'is mate, ne?"

"Annoyingly often," Aizen replied with a playful glare.

"Not match though, complement," he continued softly. "I'm thinking light blue for Cherry and dark purple for Tsuku?"

Gin chuckled and gave an equally playful smug grin.

"That'll be real nice, good colour choices." He said softly. "They'll look related lovely... ya know we gotta take photos right?" He added with a smile.

"Of course, Ran will want to see it right?" he asked encouraging, knowing how much Gin missed his friend.

"Heh yeah she'd love t'see it." Gin smiled. He did miss Ran... a lot. "I just know she'd smile so much an' coo over how cute they look."

"Vapid," Aizen shook his head, laughing "I will never understand why you associate with the people you do."

"Says you who turned I to a pile a mush when Tsuku came to us..." Gin laughed. "An' hey the people I associate with includes you too ya know" He nudged him playfully.

"Did not," he replied nudging Gin back, "And that one never made sense either, I've simply concluded that you're an idiot, lucky for me."

"Did so," Gin returned, gently pushing him in play. "I saw. You gave 'im a bath and scratched his ears an everythin'" Gin said smugly. "An' it takes an idiot to know an idiot." He added, wrapping his arms around Aizen giving him a gentle affectionate squeeze. "So we're both as bad as each other."

He nodded and returned the embracing smiling broadly and feeling on top of the damn world.

Gin caught his smile and nuzzled himself closer to his lover. Perfectly content for the first time since they'd come here. His sun was simply radiating with happiness and it filled him up with joy. And a part of him wished this night could last forever.

Aizen was ecstatic, drunk on the affection, Gin's closeness. Even Jac's gibbering couldn't cut through his sense of peace and he wished that it could last forever, no war, no voice, no darkness. He suppressed a sigh not wanting to kill the mood. He looked at Gin who looked downright blissful, shrugged mentally, and surrendered to the moment. One moment with his equal and no thought to the future. The future was then, this was now and right now he was happy.