I wandered around the room while she tried her dress out. After some persuasion and a few pictures, Ran decided on a western-style gown, to better show off her splendid figure.
"Gin, how do I look?" She emerged from the dressing room. I turned around.
I smiled warmly. "You look... like the woman of my dreams." I approached her and held her by her waist. "Absolutely gorgeous."
The dressmaker scuttled out, tape measure in hand. She beamed at the fool's grin on my face. "Ah, Ichimaru-san. You are a very, very lucky man."
Smiling, I pressed Ran's fingers to my lips. "I know."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Time flew. Wedding preparations faded into recent memory, and soon I was adjusting my collar as I sat in front of Kyoraku-taichou.
"Nervous?" he teased.
I inhaled against the memory. Instead I smiled brightly. "No."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Nervous?"
"Nervous. Agitated. And now very, very turned on."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
He patted my hand. "That's good. Okay, what you have to do is initial here and here later, and then she will sign here, and here. Then your witness signs on both copies and puts them in this box for you to keep."
"Alright."
Kyoraku-taichou grinned lopsidedly. "You're entering a new world now, kid. Marriage is about trust, about being open to each other."
I laughed lightly. "How would you know, taichou? You're not married."
"I've heard rumors of how it works."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"If you enter, Gin, I will open myself fully to you."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"I will never - never – give you a reason to doubt, Gin. There isn't room for that between us."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
She entered the hall, and all of us got to our feet. Ran was radiant, her face glowing from the inside. And beside her was Aizen-taichou, dignified in his captain's uniform. His warm brown eyes were soft and I swallowed.
Ran sat beside me, and Aizen-taichou took his place on Kyoraku-taichou's left.
"Matsumoto Rangiku, Ichimaru Gin, we are gathered here to witness and bless your wedding. I'm not going to make this a long boring ceremony, so here we go." Ignoring the muted laughter from our friends behind us, Kyoraku-taichou said, "Do you, Matsumoto Rangiku, pledge to love, honor, obey and support Ichimaru Gin, your husband and your other half, from now to forever?"
"I do," her clear voice rang out through the hall. I heard a sigh from some people behind us. My eyes fell on the parchment pieces before us.
Aizen-taichou bowed his head. "Heard and witnessed."
Kyoraku-taichou continued. "And Ichimaru Gin, do you pledge to love, treasure and protect Matsumoto Rangiku, your wife and your other half, from now to forever?"
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Is it love?"
"No. I don't love, Gin. Not even you can plant that human taint into me."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"I do."
Ran squeezed my hand under the table. In my palm she wrote 'I love you', and I smiled.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Thank you. For not loving me. I can't handle love anymore."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Heard and witnessed." He nodded at Kyoraku.
For a second everything seemed to freeze. We exchanged the most minimal of glances, and I signed as quickly as I could. After that the proceedings went past in a blur.
I knew I kissed the bride. I knew I accepted all the congratulations. I also knew he faded from the room and disappeared.
The smile on my face grew bigger and brighter with every passing moment.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Gin, I'm your lover. Can you live with that?"
"Hell yeah."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
When I entered the anteroom after a particularly energetic dance I was surprised to see Aizen-taichou at the bar. He looked bothered by something.
"Oh. Hey."
"Ichimaru," he greeted. He hadn't turned around. "Congratulations."
I felt breathless. He seemed to stand out; everything else just became background to him. His dark hair covered his eyes, and I wanted to push the locks away. "Uh, thanks. For being... for being here."
"You're welcome." He smiled absently. There was a tautness in his jaw.
I grabbed a bottle at random. He then turned to study me, and brushed off my lapel. I gazed into his clear, chocolate-warm eyes.
"Look at you. My fine protege. All grown up and married." Now stroking my cheek, he appeared almost pensive.
"I'm sorry to put you through this," I whispered, cradling his hand against my cheek. Hypnotized by his fiery gaze, I moved towards him.
"You stole my line." His breathing hastened, shallowed. "But you look wonderful. As does she, of course. Absolutely breathtaking."
I was bothered by the glasses, so I took them off. "Breathtaking," I repeated.
"Her wedding dress was beautiful."
"Beautiful," I concurred absently, brushing my lips along his jaw.
He was almost rambling. "And... and she loves you."
"Loves you." I moved my mouth towards his, inhaling his wine-scented breath, feeling intoxicated by his proximity. And then I kissed him, unable to resist. I shifted his left hand to my hip, the hand on my face sliding to the back of my head. My own hands circled his torso and pressed him closer. His broad, muscled back, covered by annoying layers of fabric... his firm shoulders... his muscular legs under his hakama, pressed against mine... his hot, hot mouth, the insistent tongue, the deep, rich, complex taste...
"Oh. Uh, sorry. We weren't, um."
We jumped apart. Aizen-taichou groped for the glasses that I left on the bar counter. I looked at the two men who entered, and fought the fierce flush on my face. They looked embarrassed, but also oddly victorious – like they solved a difficult puzzle.
Aizen-taichou covered his mouth, then licked his lips. I forced myself to make the introductions despite the urge to run.
"This is... this is um. This is Aizen-taichou. I'm under him – I, I mean, I'm in his division. And uh, taichou, this is Madarame Ikkaku and um, Ayasegawa Yumichika. They're from eleventh d-division."
"Hello," said Aizen-taichou politely.
They nodded. "Hi." "Good afternoon."
"I have to go... uh, back to the rest of the guests," I stammered, unusually flustered.
"Yes. Yes you do that."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
As I fled back to the main hall, Ikkaku caught up with me.
"Hey." He looked around. "Come on, we can't talk here."
I bit my upper lip as I smiled tensely. "I'm not going to talk."
"You married someone-" he hushed as some guests wandered by "someone you don't love. It's a mistake."
I turned away from the guests to face him. "What would you have me do, Ikkaku? He's a captain. I could jeopardize his career with, with what happened inside. That wasn't supposed to happen, and yet it did. On my wedding day, Ikkaku, what do you think will happen if I wasn't married?"
He glanced at Ran who was dancing with Kyoraku. "I understand why you chose this path, but it's not fair to her."
"I love her as well, Ikkaku, and she is the one." I swallowed again, feeling dry in the throat.
He shook his head. "You should've just followed the one you love."
"It's not that simple."
"Make it that simple then." He let go. "Congratulations, if you can still stomach it."
