Please check the tagged warnings! This chapter contains drink spiking.
…
New Year's Miss
The holidays arrived quickly.
Midterm exams crept up on Rangiku faster that she was expecting, leading every week in the lead up to be a repetitive blur; classes, studying, SUWA meetings, more classes, more studying. Social events paused as students buckled down. Weekends were irrelevant again. Rangiku's only vice was Saturday afternoons spent watching Toshiro's soccer team play, which seemed to be the only time they got out of the dorms, classrooms and library these days.
Toshiro was focused, extremely so – though Rangiku would probably refer to him as being more stressed than anything. He had tunnel vision for the midterm exams, but humoured her every now and again, mostly when she forced him to take breaks. The guy was buried in his books, even in the ungodly hours of the night. He lived off coffee and dark chocolate. Rangiku lived off coffee too, but mostly in the form of espresso martinis.
Still, the exams eventually passed, and Rangiku scraped by with low range Bs. Toshiro aced everything of course, the damn nerd.
With exams out of the way, the students could take one very quick sigh of relief before they had to pull it together to be ready for Christmas. As it was, Toshiro and Rangiku didn't get home to Junrinan until the night before Christmas Eve. They had decided to go home for the holidays to see their families – well not so much 'families' as the one person they each had. Toshiro stayed with his Oma, and Rangiku went home to her crazy, single mother.
Their recent dating disasters were put on the backburner. No one was trying to start new relationships right before the exams. Well, they weren't – until Nemu had a brilliant idea.
She built a phone app. It was basically Tinder, but for the use of Seireitei University students only. They had to sign up with their S.U. email addresses and verify their details, and once online they could meet other students, either for friendship or dating. Everyone's profiles had their chosen pictures, the name of their course and a personalised bio. The mechanics were familiar; swipe right if you like someone, swipe left if you don't.
It was still in the testing and fine-tuning stage, but Rangiku and a number of others had offered to help. By Christmas, Nemu claimed to have over three hundred students who had downloaded the app and begun using it. Nemu couldn't lie so Rangiku was sure her numbers were accurate and she found herself very impressed.
It was a source of entertainment over the Christmas break, that was for sure. Junrinan would always be her home but it was boring. It was a sleepy little town – certainly had nothing on Paris – and unfortunately, there wasn't much to do there.
Seeing her mother had been great, though she worked most nights.
Rangiku saw Toshiro often, though he hadn't left his Oma's side much over the break. She was getting old, Rangiku noticed that instantly when she saw her. She was becoming frail, but thankfully her mind was still sharp. Rangiku didn't blame Toshiro for wanting to spend as much time with her as possible.
Thus, it left Rangiku with a lot of down time to explore Nemu's dating app.
After only a few days of using it, Rangiku found herself chatting to a student she hadn't met before, Sojiro Kusaka. They clicked quite well over messages. He seemed nice, funny too and perhaps a bit of a nerd. He was studying mathematics. His pictures were… well Rangiku had swiped right for him. The shirtless photo in particular had caught her eye.
Sojiro
When are you coming back to campus? I'd like to meet you in person. Someone so beautiful shouldn't stay behind a screen.
Rangiku had rolled her eyes, though she couldn't fight the blush.
After the disaster with Shuuhei, Rangiku had taken another break from dating. She felt better now, like the date with Shuuhei was but a speed bump reminding her to slow down. She had been speaking to Sojiro for over a week now, and he made her giggle and blush like a teenager. Rangiku had missed that.
Rangiku
I haven't decided yet, maybe after NYE.
Sojiro
:( I was hoping to meet you at the SUMA rooftop party
The Seireitei University Men's Association (SUMA) were planning a rooftop New Year's Eve party. It was to be held at the Pink Kimono, the local uni bar owned by Nanao's uncle. Nanao hated anything SUMA did, but her uncle was making her go – she had been begging for Rangiku to attend so she would have 'someone decent to talk to'. It hadn't sold Rangiku, to be fair, but now maybe being able to meet Sojiro there, it was motivation to go.
Toshiro would be the decider. Well, maybe Oma was the real decision maker.
"She wants me to go back," Toshiro sighed one evening when they were sitting on his grandparents' porch, drinking hot chocolates and eating the last of Oma's gingerbread cookies. "She wants me to 'live my life'."
Rangiku grimaced. It felt like Oma was trying to prepare him for a life without her.
"She wants you to be focused on your future," Rangiku murmured.
"She wants me to get a girlfriend," Toshiro rolled his eyes. "She says she's not going anywhere until she gets a great-grand-baby."
Rangiku snorted, laughing into her hot chocolate. "With your luck, she could be waiting a while."
Toshiro tapped his gingerbread cookie to his temple, like it was his plan all along. "If I don't give her a great-grand-baby, she can't go anywhere."
Dark and morbid, but Rangiku chuckled and shook her head. Toshiro smirked a little, pulling off the leg of his gingerbread Santa and popping it into his mouth.
He stared out at the street and sighed. It was dusk, a purple hue lighting up the horizon stunningly, and the streetlamps had come on. The children that had been playing in the quiet cul-de-sac had returned home for dinner. It was peaceful, like only Junrinan could be. Christmas lights were still up, even three days later, so there was still a hint of that holiday magic in the air.
It was cold, with frost on the ground and on car windshields, but Rangiku was rather content sitting on the porch under the outdoor heater Toshiro's Opa had installed before his passing. She had a large coat on, a scarf, a beret and a blanket over her legs. Toshiro only wore a hoodie, but he didn't seem all that concerned about the cold.
"I guess we'll head back to S.U.," he sighed, chewing a little on his gingerbread. "We could check out that SUMA party."
Rangiku perked up, straightening then.
"Well I don't take you away from Oma if you don't want to leave just yet," she assured Toshiro quickly, "but if we do go back for New Year's Eve, I might just have a date."
Toshiro raised an eyebrow at her.
"Shuuhei again?" he asked. "Or someone from Nemu's app?"
Toshiro hadn't been using it. Between exams and Christmas, and especially his Oma, he hadn't even been thinking about dating.
"The app," Rangiku answered, unlocking her phone and shoving the shirtless picture under Toshiro's nose. "His name is Sojiro-"
"Kusaka," Toshiro cut her off with a deep frown.
"You know him?"
"Went to primary school with him," Toshiro muttered, pushing the phone away so he didn't have to look at the semi-nude picture any longer. "He's two years older and an asshole."
"He seems really nice," Rangiku defended with a pout. "He's a nerd like you!"
Toshiro rolled his eyes.
"Maybe he's matured," he shrugged, "but he was a shit of a kid. He used to steal my books and put them where I couldn't reach them."
Rangiku pursed her lips, unable to help but chuckle a little at that. Toshiro hated when things were out of his reach, which was often since he wasn't exactly the tallest guy around. Especially as a kid he was small, and that's how he had made friends with Ichigo apparently, when the taller boy came to his rescue, reaching his books on top of the cupboards-
Oh, now it made sense why the books were there in the first place.
"I'm sure he's not going to try to steal your books this time," Rangiku smirked. She would have to bring this up with Sojiro when she met him in person.
"No, just my best friend," Toshiro commented dryly and Rangiku shoved him gently.
"Don't be silly," she grinned and Toshiro's lips twitched as he shook his head.
Rangiku turned back to her phone and opened up Sojiro's messages.
Rangiku
I might just be around on NYE after all…
Sojiro's reply was almost instant.
Sojiro
It's a date ;)
Rangiku bit her lip and grinned down at her phone before slipping it back in her coat pocket. Toshiro was zoned out, pensive as he stared into his hot chocolate. Rangiku figured he was thinking about his Oma again so she left him to it, and instead her mind wandered to SUMA's New Year's Eve party.
It was going to be a good night, she could feel it. She felt a little giddy, if she was being honest, like she was a teenager again. She was most excited for midnight – Rangiku wanted that New Years' Kiss as the hour struck over. She wanted to start the New Year on a new leaf, and hey – she hadn't kissed anyone since Gin, save Toshiro (but he didn't count). She wanted to feel the rush of a first kiss again, she wanted to feel her lips tingling with desire. She wanted the kiss to be slow, but her heart to beat fast.
Maybe Sojiro Kusaka was the guy to make the New Year's Eve fireworks go off in her mind.
…
They decided to head back to the university the day before New Year's Eve, since it was a rather long train journey in.
Toshiro decided against looking for a date for the party, claiming to be going solo in solidarity with Ichigo who had been unable to gather the courage to ask Rukia, nor notice Orihime's hints that she might like to be asked. Likewise, Renji was all too obsessed with doing an obscene amount of bicep curls with his dumbbells to notice the drama around him or the fact that Rukia was giving him her best puppy dog eyes to get him to ask her.
Fed up, Rukia and Orihime decided to go on a friends date to the party, and Rangiku wasn't sure what Renji had decided to do – she could only assume it was the dumbbells he was intending to take on a date.
Obviously Ikkaku and Yumichika were each other's disgustingly affectionate dates. Chad, on the other hand, became the third on Rukia and Orihime's friendship date.
By comparison, Nemu had five dates for the evening. Yep, apparently she had lined up five men on her app to meet her at the party, assigning them each an hour's slot to impress her (basically her own personally selected speed dating event), and the one she liked the most she would pick to meet up with at midnight.
Nanao was glad that Rangiku was going to attend, though she was salty to find out Rangiku intended to spend her evening with a date and not her. Rangiku shrugged, grinning at the other girl as they walked across the road to the bar.
"We'll find you a nice boy tonight," Rangiku pinched Nanao's cheek. "Don't you worry, Nanao."
The girl huffed.
Rangiku smirked, nudging her gently. "You look so pretty."
And she did! Her dark hair was down for once, and she had allowed Rangiku to curl it loosely. She was wearing a little black dress, and one of those babies never went astray. Nanao looked hot! She was going to have men buying her drinks left, right and centre… well, only if she remembered to smile at them instead of snarl.
"Nobody does next to you," Nanao grumbled, causing Rangiku to laugh loudly in the street.
Though that was certainly not true, Rangiku did like the look she had pulled together that evening. She was wearing a blood red midriff top that was almost backless, save the criss-crossed straps over the back and shoulders – it was low cut, but most of her shirts were. On the bottom, she wore a black mesh overlay skirt – the top layer was completely see-through, sheer and shimmering under the light and it reached down to her ankles, while the layer underneath was a plain black pencil skirt that stopped mid-thigh. She wore it with strappy black heels and lipstick to match her top.
They reached the bar and were instantly welcomed by Nanao's uncle. He was wearing the famous pink kimono and a large rice hat. He looked like he was well wasted already, despite that fact it was only eight in the evening.
They slipped out of his grasp and towards the stairs that would take them up to the rooftop, though the downstairs bar was packed too, with people staying out of the cold or those who simply didn't care for the novelty of being on a rooftop.
They stepped out onto the roof and Rangiku whistled lowly, impressed. She had to hand it to the SUMA guys; they had done a good job planning this party.
Normally, there was a casual and slightly worn beer garden up on this roof but you wouldn't know it looking at the set up there that evening. The old picnic-style tables had been replaced with tall cocktail tables littered around the sides – they had white cloths over them and silver bows holding the cloths down. Silver confetti had been sprinkled over the tops. Outdoor heaters had been placed around the roof, the gas flames visible inside them – a number of people were gathered around them, drawn to the heat. A huge bar had been set up towards the back, and already was lined with students trying to get to the front to buy drinks. In the middle, a black and white checked dance floor; it was currently empty, but it was still early. Rangiku had faith that the floor would get busy later, and no doubt sticky from all the spilt drinks.
"It must be a crime for you two to come in here looking that good."
Rangiku shot Shuuhei a smirk as he approached, and Nanao bristled, probably at the flirty compliment – or perhaps the legal humour.
Shuuhei had surprisingly become a good friend over the last couple of months. During the lead up to the midterms, he was regularly found joining Rangiku and Nanao's study sessions. He was certainly better company than Toshiro was to study with – Rangiku loved her best friend but the dude was no fun at the study table.
"I'm surprised they let you in here," Nanao told Shuuhei, tone serious, "after that terrible article on plagiarism in the modern world."
Shuuhei grinned at her. "A controversial opinion, but I think my argument was well researched."
Rangiku watched them as they seemed to bicker over whatever article Shuuhei had written in the Seireitei Bulletin that week. It was not an argument she cared to be a part of, so she offered to go get drinks.
Lining up for the bar, the strawberry blonde instead found her eyes wandering, hoping to catch Sojiro's arrival. He was running late, having had to meet a friend first, but he had texted, promising to be there any minute.
Rangiku made it to the front of the bar, ordering the drinks when Toshiro arrived alongside Ichigo.
"You're going to give the guy a nosebleed," Toshiro shook his head at her, a smirk on his face.
"It's a shame you don't have a date," Rangiku teased him. "The poor girl wouldn't know what to do with herself."
In all fairness, he did look good tonight; white button down, dark jeans, his hair the usual chaotic mess. He had a leather-look bomber jacket on too, making him look way cooler than Rangiku knew he actually was. Of course, she had bought the jacket for him.
Toshiro rolled his eyes and helped her carry the drinks back to Shuuhei and Nanao. Ichigo hung back, catching Chad at the bar, and no doubt working his way toward Rukia.
Toshiro and Rangiku returned to Nanao and Shuuhei, but it was clear with the two of them now bickering over the ethics of journalism versus the ethics of law, Toshiro and Rangiku were on their own.
They stood under one of the heaters. Rangiku complained about the cold, but refused to take Toshiro's jacket when he offered, leading him to complain about her complaining.
Still, cold as it was on that winter evening, the party was picking up pace. Rangiku could see Ichigo with Chad, Rukia and Orihime, gathered around another heater across the other side of the dance floor, all well dressed and beautiful. They were drinking and chatting happily – Ichigo was even smiling! She also spotted Renji arriving with Ikkaku and Yumichika, the latter holding nothing back on his feathery outfit tonight. Nemu was with date number two or three already, and looking thoroughly bored of it.
There was a disapproving sigh and Rangiku glanced back at Toshiro to find him frowning and eyeing something behind her.
"The book thief is here," he informed her curtly, eyes narrowing.
Rangiku raised an eyebrow and glanced over her shoulder, seeing Sojiro Kusaka entering the rooftop, looking fine as Hell in tight jeans and an even tighter shirt.
She grinned and made her way over to him. He spotted her approaching and his eyes went wide.
"Damn," Sojiro whistled, impressed. "You look incredibly sexy; I can't take my eyes off you."
Rangiku flushed brightly, not expecting such a bold compliment. He still made her feel like a crushing teenager.
"Thank you," she managed in return. "You look great too."
Sojiro grinned and they gave each other a loose hug and kiss on the cheek in greeting, before they headed back over to the bar. Rangiku took a moment to appreciate Sojiro's appearance – thankfully he looked a lot like his pictures, and he was muscular as anything. He could have given Renji a run for his money, though perhaps he wasn't quite as tall.
She remembered Sojiro texting her from the gym a lot – it seemed he lived there, but Rangiku could hardly complain when his triceps were as wide as her head.
"Cocktail?" Sojiro purred in her ear as they reached the bar, his hand capturing hers. Something about it made Rangiku shiver.
Rangiku nodded quickly. "Yes please. Surprise me."
Sojiro grinned and turned back to the barman. "Two porn star martinis."
"Interesting choice," Rangiku commented with a slight smirk. "I didn't pick you as the sweet drink type."
"I just like the name," Sojiro winked back at her.
…
Sojiro Kusaka was one Hell of a flirt, Rangiku had realised that early on in the night.
It was consistent with his texts, but she had figured he'd be less forward in person. She supposed it was the first date, and he was looking to impress her.
He was fun, Rangiku gave him that – not as shy as she had expected for a nerd of Toshiro's calibre.
As the night wore on, they moved to the dance floor with many others. The other students were starting to get rowdy, as the drinks continued to pour. Rangiku was fairly sober, all things considered. She had only had two drinks since arriving, just finishing her porn star martini by the time she suggested they go out to the dance floor. Those cocktails had always been a touch too sweet for her, so she had sipped on it slowly as she and Sojiro chatted by a heater. Rangiku also didn't fancy getting wasted tonight; she just wanted a nice night that she could remember, and a midnight kiss that wouldn't be sloppy.
Sojiro didn't seem to mind her slower drinking pace, matching her happily.
They danced together now on the checked black and white floor, in between a crowd of people. Sojiro held her while they danced, moving close to her. Rangiku was enjoying the closeness, having always loved to dance this way.
She hadn't seen much of her friends since leaving them to meet Sojiro, but occasionally caught glimpses of them around the party. She noticed Nanao and Shuuhei still chatting in the same spot she'd left them, and smirked realising that there might just be a thing, if she could work her magic on them later.
Sojiro's arms came around her waist and pulled her close, and Rangiku's arms naturally slid around his neck as their hips pressed together. Sojiro grinned at the closeness, moving his hips with her. Rangiku's lips parted slightly, feeling the familiar warmth starting to spread through her – it had been a long time since she had been this close to a man, and a man's thing.
It felt nice – exciting.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Sojiro asked, voice husky and expression suggestive.
Rangiku blinked, taken aback a little, her building arousal shattering instantly. It was a bit early for that kind of suggestion, wasn't it?
"Let's stay here," she answered, smiling encouragingly at him. "We should be here for midnight."
Sojiro hummed and nodded before he rolled his hips against hers. "Maybe later then?"
Another hot flash rolled through Rangiku's body at the stimulation, but she still wasn't convinced.
"Um," Rangiku tilted her head, realising she had to be a bit clearer. "Maybe not tonight? We've just met and I promised my friend we'd leave together."
The second part was a lie, but Rangiku felt like she needed more of an excuse for some reason.
She wanted a midnight kiss, but she didn't want more than that tonight. She was only just getting back into dating!
"Let's relax and see where the night goes," Sojiro shrugged, smiling back at her. "Maybe you'll change your mind."
Rangiku chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. "I'm not promising anything."
"Of course," Sojiro winked at her before he stepped back, his arms leaving her. "Another drink?"
"Sure," Rangiku sighed in relief, glad for a bit of space after that slightly awkward exchange. "Prosecco please."
Kusaka nodded and turned away, heading back to the bar. Rangiku quickly left the dance floor and made her way over to Toshiro, where she spotted him standing at a cocktail table with Orihime.
"How's the date going?" he asked when she appeared at the table.
"Good," Rangiku sighed. "He's a bit keen for us to go home together though."
"Gross," Toshiro muttered. "Red flag."
"It's fine," Rangiku rolled her eyes. "He's just excited. I've slowed things down and he seems pretty understanding of that."
Well, he was still hopeful, but Rangiku figured if she got him off the dance floor and tried to steer him into a more innocent conversational moment, Sojiro would relax. He was likely just nervous and had big expectations for the night.
"And I'm not drinking much tonight," Rangiku added when Toshiro's expression was doubtful. "I won't get carried away. I just want my nice night, and my New Year's Kiss."
Toshiro hummed, unconvinced. "Don't feel pressured. Text me if you need me to create an emergency to get us out of here."
"Appendicitis again?" Rangiku smirked; they'd been each other's 'get out of bad date emergencies' before.
"Food poisoning, I think," Toshiro smirked. "No one wants to be around for that."
Rangiku rolled her eyes playfully. Ew.
She inquired about their nights, and both Toshiro and Orihime told her they were having a nice time, chatting with their friends and catching up on each other's Christmas breaks. Orihime was gearing herself up to ask Ichigo if he wanted to dance, and Toshiro was helping to build her confidence and strategise.
"I'll go ask Rukia to dance," Toshiro suggested, "and you come with me and ask Ichigo."
Rangiku grinned – she loved a good manipulated flirting war plan, but she also had to raise an eyebrow at Toshiro. He had always been mostly impartial to the love square drama. Even though Rangiku knew he wanted Ichigo to get with Orihime in the end, he'd never been one to actually engage in gossip, much less actively participate.
"Prosecco, Gorgeous?"
Rangiku glanced up to see Sojiro beaming down at her, holding out a wine flute. Rangiku grinned and thanked him, as he came to stand beside her at the table. Rangiku felt herself relax as he introduced himself to Orihime; he seemed happy to take a break from dancing to meet her friends.
"Lil Shiro!" Sojiro chortled when he turned to introduce himself to Toshiro and recognised him.
Rangiku covered her smirk by taking a sip of her prosecco; Toshiro hated that name.
"Kusaka," Toshiro greeted coolly. "Always a pleasure."
"Man, we need to go out one night and catch up!" Sojiro suggested enthusiastically. "Bring Ichigo! I've seen him around campus; it would be nice to hang out again."
"Hang out?" Toshiro echoed sceptically, tone unimpressed and that's how Rangiku knew she should probably step in.
"Weren't you going to go dance?" Rangiku sent Toshiro a look. He clenched his jaw and nodded.
He and Orihime left the table as Toshiro mouthed the words 'text me' to remind Rangiku what to do if she wanted to get away from Sojiro for the night. She nodded subtly to him, and watched them make their way over to the other half of the group.
Rangiku smiled, as Toshiro managed to pull Rukia out to the dance floor now that an old party classic song was starting, and Orihime nervously asked Ichigo, who appeared to accept her invitation with a grin of his own.
"Lil Shiro and that girl look good together," Sojiro commented, nodding out to where Toshiro and Rukia were dancing, both as bad as each other.
Rangiku laughed into her prosecco. Toshiro and Rukia were good friends but there was nothing there and everyone knew it; even Ichigo wouldn't have been jealous of them dancing together.
"They're just friends," she explained to her date, "but they do look good together."
They didn't; they were easily the worst dancers on the floor that night, but it was entertaining to watch and Rangiku suspected they knew it.
Sojiro hummed and changed the topic, asking Rangiku about her family and life outside of school. He seemed calmer now, seemingly realising Rangiku wanted to have a more relaxed evening. He listened to her stories and asked follow up questions, and he told her stories of his own, his face full of excitement. He was passionate, and that reminded her of Toshiro.
Sojiro was easy to talk to and that was nice after the stunted conversation on her date with Shuuhei. Rangiku knew she had been the problem that night, so it was calming to know she was doing better with the dating idea this time round.
She finished her prosecco and Sojiro offered to get her another one but Rangiku shook her head and dragged him out onto the dance floor again. A dance break was needed; Rangiku was already starting to feel the effects of the prosecco and she was still intending on taking it slow. Besides, everyone looked like they were having fun! She could keep Sojiro at arm's length if he got too close uninvited.
Sojiro didn't attempt to grind their hips together as they danced but they held hands so he could twirl her.
They were having a great time – until something felt terribly wrong.
In a matter of mere minutes, Rangiku felt something in her change.
Her body suddenly felt very heavy as an odd feeling of nausea and lethargy came over her. Rangiku stopped dancing for a second to take a breath, but as she looked at the floor, it wobbled beneath her. The dizziness was becoming overwhelming but Rangiku didn't understand it – she had only had a few drinks and it was unlike her to react to alcohol like this.
"Are you alright?" Sojiro asked her, tone caring as he came in close. "Want to sit down somewhere quiet? We can get out of here?"
Rangiku shook her head and pushed him gently away. Alarm bells rung in her mind.
"I-I need," she swallowed, shaking her head. Even full sentences were hard now. "Bathroom."
She turned and tried to walk away, feeling Sojiro grab her arm. She stumbled into someone else on the dance floor, but thankfully that someone else was Rukia. She was dancing close by, now with Orihime, and Rangiku held onto her.
"Help," she murmured, though she wasn't sure if she could be heard over the music.
Rukia's expression was confused for a moment, and a little annoyed at being knocked into. Rangiku swallowed and stared at the ground, gripping Rukia tighter as she felt herself sway, the woozy feeling increasing. Suddenly she felt Rukia tugging her along and leading her off the dance floor. She heard Rukia speaking, the girl's tone oddly harsh.
"We're going to the ladies bathroom; you have to wait out here."
"She just needs to sit down" Sojiro's voice followed, he seemed upset. "I'll take her downstairs, away from the crowds."
"No," Rukia replied, and then Rangiku found herself in the bathroom.
She groaned, leaning against the cold tiled wall and sinking to the ground. She doubled over on herself, feeling sick and disoriented.
Oh no, she better not have gotten Toshiro's food poisoning.
"Hey, Rangiku!" Rukia was trying to get her attention and Rangiku felt her shoulder being shaken. "What's going on?"
"Feel sick," Rangiku tried to say, hearing her voice slur. She felt out of it, like it wasn't her operating her own body. "Dizzy."
"How much have you had to drink?"
"Can't remember," Rangiku swallowed, raising her head to see concerned violet eyes boring into her.
"You weren't drinking much, remember?" Orihime's voice came from above. "That's what you told Toshiro at the table only about twenty minutes ago."
Rangiku blinked and frowned, trying to remember that. She vaguely recalled Toshiro's face, and he told her to text her if she needed... something?
Other women in the room came over and offered to help. Rangiku winced and ducked her head again, the bright lights in the bathroom mixing with her nausea were becoming too much, not to mention the vague embarrassment.
This wasn't like her. Rangiku had never felt like this before, something was wrong.
She tried to say that to her friends, with her head between her knees, but her words were becoming more slurred. Her body was becoming so heavy and tired, she felt like she could barely move.
"You don't think..." Rukia drawled, tone worried, "maybe she's had her drink spiked?"
Rangiku's stomach flipped painfully. Had her drink been spiked? She hadn't been careful.
"Yeah, I think so," Orihime's voice was concerned. "I'll get Ichigo, he'll know what to do."
Rangiku shook her head at that. "Toshiro. I-I need Toshiro. I-I have to t-text him, I said I-"
She said she would. If anything went wrong, he'd help her.
"Orihime will get him too," Rukia assured her. "I'll stay with you."
Nodding, because it was about all she could do, Rangiku shifted and slumped tiredly against the bathroom wall. She felt sick and scared, and all she wanted was her best friend, because he would look after her.
…
Opening her eyes, Rangiku immediately winced at the light coming in through from behind the blinds.
Her head was pounding, her body aching, her stomach swimming with nausea. It felt like a hangover, only far worse.
Lifting her head, Rangiku acknowledged three things before she rolled over and curled in on herself. One – she was in her own bedroom, the door open. Two – she was still wearing her clothes from last night, bar her shoes. Three – she was alone.
Her memories from the previous night were broken and confusing.
She remembered most of the party, up until when she noticed something was wrong with her, but after that, it was a vague mess.
The one real memory she had hung onto, was Toshiro lifting her up off a tiled floor.
"You're alright," Toshiro's voice was gently shushing her, and Rangiku became aware of herself crying into his chest, clinging weakly to him. "We're going to get you home."
She felt herself being lifted, her limbs heavy and limp. She felt sedated, unwillingly so.
Her words were so slurred, not even Rangiku knew what she was saying anymore. Toshiro held her tightly.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he told her. "You're safe, I promise."
Rangiku remembered that clearly, her last vivid memory for the night. She remembered it because she had believed it.
And Toshiro had obviously made good on his word. He got her home, and no one had touched her.
Rangiku wished he was there with her now; she needed him to hold her, the only person she would trust to see her so vulnerable. Last night had started so well and gone so wrong, but Rangiku had been one of the lucky ones. She'd had friends there, and she'd made it home.
She reached blindly for her phone and found it on the charger, but checking it was worse. She had a million notifications, messages from everybody all saying the same thing. The rational part of Rangiku's brain was glad she had such caring friends, but the controlling irrational side was telling her she should be embarrassed that so many people knew – embarrassed that it even happened. Rangiku groaned quietly and threw her phone across the bed and curled back in on herself. Feeling emotions well up, Rangiku swallowed and clenched her eyes, breathing deeply. She laid like that for several minutes, until the nausea became too much and she had to get out of bed lest she wanted to throw up in it.
This was the worst she'd ever felt on a physical level. She didn't normally get hangovers, but still she knew this was far worse.
Probably because it wasn't a hangover – it was a comedown.
Happy New Year, Rangiku.
After far too long spent emptying her stomach of its contents, Rangiku forced herself into the shower, stripping off her party clothes with disgust. The warm water was calming and Rangiku found the will to wash her hair and her body. Her face had been cleaned already, courtesy of one of her friends last night she suspected.
Getting out, she wrapped herself in a towel. Her legs still felt shaky as she walked on them, and she moved back to her bedroom. She was passing through the living room when she spotted Toshiro asleep on the couch.
So he hadn't gone far. He'd stayed with her, just out in another room. Perhaps he had kept his distance in case she woke up confused and thought the worse?
Rangiku sighed and entered her bedroom, changing into loose pyjama shorts and a baggy tee. She wrapped her wet hair in her towel, not bothered to deal with it right now, before padding back out to Toshiro.
He'd changed too, into joggers and a t-shirt. Rangiku sat on the couch by his hip, and he stirred the moment he felt her.
Rangiku felt his arms come around her as she leaned over, onto his chest.
"Hey," his voice was groggy from sleep. "How are you feeling?"
"Shit," Rangiku swallowed. "Can you lie down with me?"
Toshiro hummed, squeezing her briefly before she sat up and he followed her back to her bedroom. They climbed into her bed, slipping into their usual sides. Rangiku faced away from him, since she still felt quite ill, but pulled his arm over her. Toshiro came closer and Rangiku hummed when he settled behind her, his chest against her back. There was not a more comforting feeling than that.
For a while they were silent. Rangiku was mentally debating whether she wanted to know the details or not. Eventually she decided she had to know.
"What happened?"
Behind her, Toshiro sighed.
"Your drink was spiked, likely with Rohypnol," he told her quietly. "You were so sedated and out of it… We brought you home and got Isshin on the phone. He said we should take you to the hospital or the clinic if you became unresponsive or started excessively vomiting."
"I guess I didn't then?"
"No," Toshiro answered and she could hear the relief in his tone even now. "You were responsive the whole time, I think I must have annoyed you with the amount of times I asked you to squeeze my hand or answer me."
Rangiku smiled weakly at that. She must have scared him pretty bad.
He went on to explain the story from start to finish. Orihime had caught him and Ichigo at the bar and pulled them into the ladies bathroom where they found Rangiku slumped against the bathroom wall and Rukia trying to keep her awake. Ichigo, the training doctor, had been calm as he began to assess her. Apparently Toshiro had to carry her back to the dorms.
"Didn't know you had it in you," Rangiku tried to tease him, but her voice was hollow.
"I told you, Ichigo had us working out all summer."
Rangiku would have rolled her eyes if she didn't think it would make her feel so sick. Summer had been months ago.
From there, Toshiro told her how they brought her home and put her in her bed, while calling Isshin for further advice.
"Isshin said we can go to the clinic today if you want a blood test to confirm the drug," Toshiro told her. "He said if it's Rohypnol, it can be detected in your bloodstream for twenty-four hours."
Rangiku bit her lip and rolled over to face him.
"That's if I was going to press charges, right?" she asked.
So far they had talked about what had happened from the time the effects started, not how or why she had been drugged in the first place.
"Well, not necessarily," Toshiro sighed. "You might just want to know for your own mind… but if you do want to press charges, the blood test would be evidence of what happened."
Sighing, Rangiku tucked her head under his chin and curled into him. She had barely wrapped her head around the idea of her being drugged, let alone what steps she should take afterwards.
"What happened with Sojiro?" she asked quietly. She vaguely remembered him following them to the bathroom, and Rukia snapping at him.
From under his jaw, Rangiku felt Toshiro clench up.
"Ran off," Toshiro gritted out, "probably when he realised your friends knew what he had done."
He continued, saying after he, Ichigo and Orihime left with her, Rukia had spoken to Nanao, who in turn spoke to her uncle Shunsui who owned the bar. He immediately put a ban on Sojiro from entering the premises again, and informed the security to keep an eye out for him.
"But if I see him, I'll kill him," Toshiro finished, tone far more venomous than Rangiku had ever heard.
She grimaced and curled further into him, her ear over his heart. She honestly wasn't sure yet if she wanted to report the incident, either to the police or the university or to both. On one hand, she was already so humiliated and she had heard too many bad stories of women coming forward only to have their own reputations dragged through the mud, but on the other hand… well, if she didn't report Sojiro, would he try it again? Perhaps on a girl who might not be so lucky.
"We can go to the clinic this afternoon," she decided quietly. "I'm not sure yet if I'll report it."
Toshiro squeezed her again. "I'll be there for whatever you decide."
Rangiku nodded against him. She knew that.
"I wish you had stayed in my bed last night," she admitted. "I'd never have woken up thinking you'd done something to me."
"I'm sorry," Toshiro kissed her forehead. "Orihime thought you would feel safer waking up alone in your own bed with your own clothes on. I started to doubt myself too; you had never been drugged before, so I didn't know if you would wake up panicked or confused. We just… we wanted to make you feel as safe as possible."
Sighing, Rangiku supposed she understood that. She was grateful to Orihime for looking out for her like that, and she wasn't upset about Toshiro's self-doubt given the circumstances. No one but Rangiku could truly know what was best for her in that situation, and she hadn't been able to communicate that to them. It was a shame, because the first thing that Rangiku had wanted when she woke up was her best friend's comfort, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Next time you stay with me," she murmured.
"There won't be a next time," Toshiro countered. "I won't let it happen to you again."
She didn't know at what point Toshiro became her protector. She had always been his. That little boy holding onto his grandmother on their first day of high school would have been eaten alive by bullies if it hadn't been for Rangiku's friendship with him. As they grew closer, Rangiku had learned about the violent parents he no longer lived with, and the years of bullying he had endured at primary school, and she had vowed to protect him. When his Opa died, she had stayed in his bed for a week with him while he cried. Not even Karin had ever seen him like that, and she had dated him for two years.
Rangiku was always so confident and outgoing because he wasn't, but eventually he had caught up to her. He became this fun and confident guy, who could be hilarious on purpose and chat happily with people he didn't know. He could talk to pretty girls without her help!
Now the tables had turned, and he looked after her. It felt like a recent development, like since her break up with Gin, more things had happened. Her anxiety on her date with Shuuhei, and now this – Toshiro had stepped into the protector role, because she needed him to.
It was a dynamic shift she hadn't been expecting, but Rangiku wasn't totally upset about it. In fact she loved that she and Toshiro were close enough that either one of them could break down, and the other would be there to pick up the pieces. It was a relief to be able to trust someone so much.
But still Rangiku swallowed, feeling the humiliation rise again. She felt so stupid; she had been taught to get her own drinks and cover them with her hand, and to never set down her drink or turn away from it. She had dropped her guard last night, and it was frightful how often she did that. She had too much trust; she never thought it would happen to her.
"I'm so stupid," Rangiku sighed, voice wavering. "I should have been paying attention."
"You're not stupid, don't say that," Toshiro told her firmly. "It's not your fault, it's his."
Well Rangiku wanted to agree with that, and she did to a degree, but it was not what she was taught. She was taught to protect herself, and what to do if her friends got spiked, but she had failed to do that.
But she didn't say more on it. She felt exhausted and sick, her thoughts twisting in her mind as much as her stomach was twisting in on itself.
Instead, Rangiku settled down to sleep. She had no energy to do much else.
"Stay with me," she mumbled into Toshiro's neck.
"I will."
…
She woke up again around lunchtime, to a quiet scratching sound. Rangiku lifted her head with a slight frown and watched as Toshiro scratched something into her bedpost.
"What are you doing?" she asked mid-yawn.
"Art," Toshiro smirked. "Something to remind you that I'm always here for you."
Sitting up, Rangiku blinked the sleep from her eyes and focused them on the bedpost. Toshiro's hand and 'art' tool of choice – a blue ballpoint pen from her desk – moved out of the way, revealing a little carving in the wood.
'T+R'
Rangiku grinned and chuckled. "You're such a sap."
"You love it," Toshiro grinned before he reached over to the bedpost to wipe away the excess carvings.
Rangiku hummed and laid back down. Toshiro was too cute; it was ridiculous that he couldn't hold down a girlfriend.
Eventually Rangiku managed to get up and get dressed, and after a brief interlude of being sick again, she convinced herself to eat some plain crackers before they caught the bus down to Isshin's clinic.
Isshin checked her over before taking a small sample of her blood. He told her to keep up her fluids and gave her something for nausea. Apparently it would take a couple days to get the results of the blood test back, and Rangiku would use that time to decide what she wanted to do about it.
Going to see Isshin had been good. He was a great doctor, and he always put everyone at ease. He made Rangiku laugh over the stupidest things, and it was a nice distraction from the real reason they were visiting.
On the way back, Rangiku asked Toshiro to spend the night with her, and he agreed instantly.
They decided they would stay in bed, order pizza and watch movies. Rangiku wasn't sure she was ready to face anyone tonight and she was still exhausted, as was Toshiro who had been up the majority of the night looking after her.
Entering the dorm, Rangiku went for a second shower while Toshiro ordered the pizzas. Just as Rangiku stepped out of the bathroom in a fresh pair of joggers and a clean shirt, Orihime entered the dorm.
"Hey," Orihime's eyes went sympathetic. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Rangiku smiled weakly. "Thanks for helping last night."
Rangiku didn't want to think about what might have happened to her had her friends not been there at that moment.
"It was so scary," Orihime grimaced. "I'm glad you're alright."
Rangiku swallowed and nodded. 'Alright' probably wasn't totally accurate, but she could have been much worse.
"Toshiro is staying tonight," Rangiku told Orihime, when it looked like her roommate was going to speak again. She still wasn't ready to face anyone. "We're just going to watch a movie and then go to sleep."
"Oh good!" Orihime brightened. "Have a nice relaxing night."
Rangiku wished her the same before turning towards her bedroom. She only got one step before Orihime called out her name again.
"Hey Rangiku," she seemed to hesitate as Rangiku glanced over her shoulder at her. "Did I make the right decision keeping Toshiro out of your room last night?"
Rangiku paused, turning slowly around.
"If it was anyone else, I'd say yes," Rangiku answered carefully, "and because you don't know him like Ichigo and I do, I agree that you made the right decision. I know that you were looking out for me, so I really appreciate it."
Orihime frowned slightly. "So you would have wanted him to stay with you?"
Rangiku nodded. "I trust Toshiro with my life, and when he's around I feel safe… and cared for. That's why I want him to stay with me tonight, I just… I need comfort. I need him."
For a moment Orihime's face went thoughtful, and she looked like she wanted to say more, but was hesitating. Rangiku stared at her, hoping to pressure her into saying whatever was on her mind.
"And there's nothing between you?" Orihime asked eventually, her tone cautious. "Like nothing romantic at all?"
That got Rangiku to smile and laugh. People always thought that and to be fair, she and Toshiro were not doing a great job of not looking like a couple, but there was nothing there at all. He was still that little boy trying to hide beside his Oma, even though he had grown into a confident and protective man.
"Totally platonic," Rangiku assured Orihime with a chuckle. "He's my best friend."
Humming, Orihime nodded and backed off. She left it there and wished them a good night, and told Rangiku to let her know if she needed anything. Rangiku returned the offer before she finally slipped back into her bedroom, still chuckling at the thought.
"What's so funny?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow at her as he scrolled on her computer, searching for a movie for them to watch.
"Orihime asked if we're romantic," Rangiku giggled as she crawled over him to get to her side of the bed.
Toshiro rolled his eyes and huffed but said nothing. He hated when people thought that, always complaining that society can't accept that a straight man and woman can be just friends.
"It's fine," Rangiku patted his head. "I set the record straight. Again."
A non-committal hum was all she got in return.
They decided to watch 'The Princess Diaries'. Why? Because Rangiku had seen a meme while scrolling social media and then had the overwhelming urge to watch it. Toshiro put up with it because he was a saint.
The pizzas were delivered and Rangiku was relieved to have her appetite back for them. They ate and they watched the movie, and Rangiku finally started to feel better.
She managed to reply to the friends that had texted her, though she had to decline Shuuhei's offer to be interviewed for an exposé article he wanted to write about the culture of drinking spiking and sexual assault on or around university campuses. She had to talk Rukia down from the idea she had to spike Sojiro's drink with rat poison, and she promised Nanao she would check out all the links she had sent regarding Rangiku's legal options, and Chad's links to counselling services. Renji's offer to 'smash it out' in the gym with him was the most appealing of the lot, but she appreciated everyone's attempts to help.
"At least they care?" Toshiro offered with a wince, glancing over as Rangiku replied to Yumichika's suggestion that she stick to gay clubbing with him and Ikkaku for a while where she will be 'worshipped' for the 'fashion kween' she was.
Rangiku hummed in agreement. Her friends were unique, to put it nicely, but she was forever grateful for them.
"I feel bad that I ruined their nights," Rangiku grimaced. "Apparently they all left after we did."
A lot of the messages said that, particularly from her female friends. They hadn't felt safe when they had heard about Rangiku's drinking being spiked, and the ones that saw her when the drugs hit felt particularly concerned.
"I feel bad that your night was ruined," Toshiro sighed. "All you wanted was a good night that you would remember and a New Years-"
"Kiss!" Rangiku remembered with a whine "At midnight. That's all I wanted."
She groaned. It seemed so stupid now – especially now – but that's what she had been excited for. She sighed in disappointment; she still wanted that kiss. Not with Sojiro, and not drugged out of her mind, but she still wanted that first kiss again – the rush, the tingles, the fireworks.
"I guess there's next year," Rangiku sighed. Honestly, she hoped to be in a relationship by New Year's Eve next year, but that would lose the whole 'first kiss excitement' she had been going for this time.
There was a moment of sad silence that passed over the room, bar the final song for the movie credits that had started rolling up, largely ignored now.
After a moment, Toshiro sighed and leaned forward, reaching for the laptop. He exited Disney+ and opened YouTube. Rangiku frowned slightly in confusion as he brought up a video of the midnight fireworks in Paris. He pressed play before he leaned back and began fiddling with his wrist watch, the one he always wore because it had been his grandfather's.
It clicked as Rangiku watched him wind back the time to just before midnight.
"I know it's not a first kiss," he murmured quietly, "or a rooftop party, or any party at all-"
"Pizza and 'The Princess Diaries' is its own kind of party," Rangiku grinned widely.
Toshiro gave a hum of agreement, as he checked the time on the video, waited a moment to sync the time and then pushed the crown of his watch back in to reactivate it.
He leaned in closer and held up his wrist so Rangiku could see. She wove her fingers between his and watched the time with him, grinning stupidly.
It wasn't a first kiss, or a rooftop party, but it was the person who made her feel more comfortable than anyone else in the world.
"Ten," Toshiro nudged her, "nine, eight…"
Rangiku joined the countdown, feeling her excitement build. It was wild how much exhilaration she could feel inside herself.
They got down to 'one' and the fireworks in Paris went off. Toshiro grinned at her before he closed the gap, connecting their lips.
It was slow, measured – deliberate. Rangiku melted into him as his hand cupped her cheek and his other arm wound around her waist, pulling her closer. Her lips moved with his as he took the lead. Toshiro was gentle with her, but still strong and passionate. He held her firmly, supporting her as he leaned over her a little, swallowing her surprised gasp.
The kisser was familiar, but the kiss was not. It was slow, as per usual, but it was not lazy or subdued. He poured passion into it and even in her baggiest pyjamas with pizza in her lap, Toshiro made her feel like the most special and beautiful person in the room.
It was electrifying, if not romantic. It was a first kiss.
There was a rush, as Rangiku wanted, but it felt different to what she had expected. She had wanted a rush of excitement but what she got was far more intense. It was a rush of longing and addiction she hadn't thought a platonic kiss would ever make her feel.
She felt the tingling on her lips, the ache of desire to continue kissing him, even as he pulled away, a silly smirk on his face.
Fireworks were louder in her mind than they were on the video playing in the background, and Rangiku stilled as she listened to them.
"Happy New Year, Matsumoto," Toshiro murmured, leaning back and resuming his previous position, reclined on the bed, as if nothing had happened.
"Happy New Year," she murmured back, brain turning dumb.
Rangiku touched her fingertips to her lips, feeling the tingle continue as her heart thudded inside her chest.
The slower the kiss, the faster the heartbeat.
…
Please drop a review if you're enjoying this fic so far, I'd really appreciate it! :)