Chasing Aurora

Disclaimer: Bleach, along with its characters, is owned by Tite Kubo

Author's Note: I wrote the first part back in 2016. Let's see where this goes.

It was Rangiku Matsumoto's first time spending Christmas outside the States. After twenty years of spending it with her mother in a cozy apartment in Brooklyn, she's finally spending it outdoors, in some local Christmas market in Prague. She was alone. Her mother died of old age a few days before her birthday this year and much to her surprise, she was nowhere near devastated. She was actually glad. Her mother had had the last years of her life as a happy old woman, free from the bitterness of divorce and whatnot. It was a peaceful death. She just sat on the side of the bed, holding the hand of the woman who picked her up from the orphanage twenty years ago. "Chase your dreams, my dear," her mother smiled at the young woman she turned out to be. She nodded and shed a tear or two. And the woman she called mother closed her eyes for the final time.

She cried on her birthday, but only for a moment. She scolded herself for not celebrating. After all, it was her mother who told her not to sulk. For death is a part of life, perhaps the meaning of it. She went out with her friends and drank until dawn. She went home in such a mess. And then she had a bizarre idea. She opened her laptop and booked a one way flight to Czech Republic for the holidays. After that, she danced for a while in her living room and all went blank. She always got herself drunk but she always knew what she was doing. But this time, it was an exception.

She woke up with a buzz in her head. Another hangover. She picked herself up and got herself to eat some avocado toast. She went on with her life until she received a text message one day in December. It was about her drunk booking.

"No way!" her eyes popped out of their sockets in horror. She had a lot of questions running in her mind. First was, how the heck did she manage to overlook this in the credit card billing statement? And the next one was, why is it only a one way ticket? Another one is, how on earth and when did she do this? She panicked for a while and called up her boss. He listened to her bizarre story and just sighed in annoyance. "You know what, just go Matsumoto," her young yet white haired boss huffed. "Thank you, Taicho!" she hung up in excitement. She started calling her boss "Taicho" as a joke but it was their norm now.

The weather in Prague was quite similar to that of Brooklyn, just quite cooler, so there was no problem with packing. She hummed in delight as it finally sank in. She was going on a solo trip to Europe and it's going to change her life somehow.

Her girl friends had mixed reactions but most just laughed at the extent of her drunkenness on her birthday night. Rangiku was known to do wild things when drunk. But she was never ashamed of it. She had faith in herself and she always knew what she was doing. When asked about her return flight, she just giggled and shrugged it off. She told them that she'll just figure it out when she gets there. Who knows where she'll go next? Who knows if she's going back home anyway?

And now, here she was, marvelling at the sights in the square.

She was still in awe with this beautiful city even if she arrived a couple of days prior to Christmas. There were a lot of people from different parts of the world speaking different tongues. She only knew English and Japanese. See, she's half-japanese. But she got her baby-blue eyes from whichever of her biological parents was American. And of course, her blonde hair was another indicator that she was a Westerner. A middle-aged woman approached her and asked something in French. She smiled awkwardly and told the woman that she only knew English. The woman nodded and just greeted her a universal Merry Christmas. She hugged herself and walked on.

She bought a cup of hot chocolate due to the cold weather. She was used to it but she was still as giddy as a little child every Christmas. She loved drinking hot chocolate while checking up the sky once in a while, hopelessly waiting for a snowflake to drop on her nose bridge. She got tired of exploring around and just settled for a bench facing the attractions. It was a small fair arranged by the locals. There were lots of games to play and prizes to win. "Shoot and get a prize!" the old man manning a booth shouted. She sipped her drink until the last drop and went to the booth where she had to shoot the balloons in order to pop them. "Want to take your shot, young miss?" the old man asked. "Oh yes please!" Rangiku beamed.

She wanted the prize, a cute stuffed toy that looked like her cat named Haineko. She left Haineko in the possession of her best friend Ise, who was probably reading a book by the window right now. Haineko was moody. Rangiku would give her a belly rub and Haineko would relax. But sometimes, her cat would somehow evade her advances and avoid her for a while.

Rangiku chuckled and took her aim. She was good at this. She brushed her long locks aside and shot the first balloon. "Oh I'm so going to get this," she said out loud. But the silver haired man beside her was way better. See, it was a contest. She looked at him as he shot all the balloons. The grin on the man's face confirmed her defeat. He looked at her and just grinned at her as if this was some petty game. In fact it was just a silly game. Rangiku grumbled in annoyance. That man was way better than her. He shrugged and smiled as she walked off, in utter defeat.

She sighed and just shrugged as she went back to the bench and bit her lip as the couple beside her started making out. She was always in an awkward position. She looked down to her feet and stole glances from the couple devouring each other's soul. The couple must be in their late twenties, enjoying their last moments of youth. It was starting to get more awkward and Rangiku was about to get up and just look for another place to sit, where there were no horny couples around.

"Here," she looked up to be greeted by the Haineko stuffed toy shoved into her face. She took it and got a closer look of the silver haired man she had as a game rival a couple of minutes ago. "I know ya want it, keep it," he put his hands in his pockets, smile not leaving his face. "Thanks," she smirked. The silver haired man didn't move. He just stood there in front of Rangiku, smiling. It kind of creeped Rangiku out but the vibe this man had didn't feel dangerous to her. "Merry Christmas," he opened his slitted eyes. They were teal, quite similar to hers but not that quite. She stared at his eyes longer than she should have. He chuckled. "Merry Christmas too," she blushed and looked away in embarrassment. "Meri Kurisumasu~~" he squatted on the ground, following her gaze. She breathed in, in surprise. He was also Japanese. "I figured out ya were Japanese," he crossed his arms. "How?" she looked doubtingly. "Oh, I just had a hunch," he rocked back and forth, almost losing his balance. She giggled and nodded.

"Those two beside you are my classmates. Sweet aren't they?" He looked at the couple passionately lip locking beside her. She didn't bother to look anymore. "You're a student here?" She asked in curiosity. "Yeah, I'm currently taking up my masters degree in University of New York in Prague," he shrugged and stood up. "New York! I live in New York!" she exclaimed, too proud for her own sake. Although she was having the time of her life here in Prague, she kinda missed home. She missed her cute little boss whom she loved to tease with her big hugs. She missed her cat who has the same energy she has. She missed her girl friends who must be having breakfast together right now.

"My, my, aren't ya a cheery one" he grinned. "Let's take a walk. Seems like my friends over there want to take the bench for themselves." He extended his hand. She didn't take it but she stood up by herself. After all, he was a stranger.

"So, where are you from?" She glanced at him. He threw out his hands into the air and exclaimed, "Tokyo! I live in Tokyo!" he snickered as she made a face. He loved mocking people. She was about to ask the name of the man beside her but she wanted to make this thing some one time meeting cliche from the movies. She was sure she wasn't going to see him after this anyway. "What brings ya to Czech?" he ran to her front and faced her. He walked backwards and she rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you," she proudly exclaimed. "Oh yeah? Try me," he smirked. She then went off, telling her bizarre story of how she ended up in Prague. She started with the moment she was dropped off at her apartment and ended with her flight experience.

"Wow, ya do love drinkin', don't ya?" he chuckled. "More than you could ever imagine, mister," she said, without any hint of shame in her voice. "Then ya came to the perfect continent, miss," he gave a thumbs up. "Ya should've come to Oktoberfest then!" he added. "Oktoberfest?" she raised her brow. "There's this drinkin' festival in Germany. It's a big thing! I'm surprised ya have no idea about it," he looked shocked. "I went to Munich last October to get wasted with my international friends," he mused. He stopped walking backwards and went to walk beside her. "You're a drunkard as well hmm," Rangiku smirked. "Nah, not really. I have low alcohol tolerance," he frowned.

They arrived at the John Lennon Wall a couple of minutes after. She's always wondered how it would look like in real life. It didn't disappoint. She was into art after all. He started humming the tune of Imagine. She looked at him and he still had that signature grin on. Rangiku hummed along. She fixed her scarf and started taking pictures with her mirrorless camera. "Wow! That's a nice cam ya got there," he whistled as he eyed the camera. She took more photos and decided to take selfies with her phone. He chuckled and snatched her phone from her and signalled her to pose in front of the wall. She may be shy and cautious with this silver haired japanese man, but she loved taking pictures and modelling as well. She posed and posed and even did a jump shot. "Ya do love bein' at the center of attention, eh?" he commented. She blushed and looked away.

It was a relief that Rangiku met this man. She was tired of taking selfies. She could use some help. She ran to him and scanned the photos. She felt her hand brush against his as he showed her the shots. She wasn't sure but his hand became stiff for a millisecond there.

He was good. He wasn't the type of person who half-assed taking pictures of strangers. Earlier, she had asked a couple of Americans to take a picture of her at the foot of the Christmas tree in the square and to her dismay, the angle was bad and she wasn't even in the middle of the photo. But this man, he was good. Rangiku wondered if he was a photographer or her just had skills.

She took her phone and scrolled more photos. He leaned in to see. She looked up and made a face to him when she swiped to a photo of his selfie. How sneaky. "Thanks." She kept her camera and phone in her bag.

They walked in silence, never leaving each other's side. They mused at their surroundings. Rangiku indeed loved Christmas and she was relieved she was spending it with this stranger. "What's yer plan tonight?" he asked, hands in his pockets. She didn't have plans. Her trip was a spontaneous one so might as well make it so all throughout. She sure as hell didn't plan on meeting this man. "Well, I don't know actually," she looked down to her boots. "Yer so spontaneous, miss blondie," he laughed. "Say, would ya like to spend it with this stranger?" he extended his palm. She hesitated. "Well I get it if you don't trust me," he withdrew his hand and slid it inside his pocket. She looked at him and saw a trace of embarrassment and defeat. 'Come on girl, have some faith,' she scolded herself. "I'd love to!" Rangiku smiled.

She kind of felt giddy, like when she was asked to prom back in high school. This man was weird but she felt safe and secure with him. She's always wanted to meet and befriend a stranger overseas. It's serendipity. It was a date.

He looked straight while she stole glances at him. He had a defined jawline, messy silver hair and slitted eyes. She couldn't say whether he was muscular or not. After all there were a lot of layers of clothing. But she thought he looked strong. He was taller than her by a foot or so. His face was always the same but she was good with reading people. She somehow notices the slight changes in his expression. He on the other hand had examined her when he first saw her. She was sporting long strawberry blonde hair. Her locks reached her back. She had rosy cheeks and her lips were full. She wore a pink scarf wrapped around her neck. Although she was dressed in layers, he knew her chest was plus sized. He smirked. He found her beautiful, perhaps the prettiest he's ever seen. She had cheerful eyes and looked confident. He knew she was a ball of sunshine. He didn't bother to ask her name. He'd ask her later on.

He'd been in Prague for a couple of months now, Gin Ichimaru. He didn't really plan on taking his masters here in Prague. He had planned to actually take it in London. But UNYP was one of his choices. It was homey here.

He had a high paying job as a data scientist in Tokyo. He's had a steady job for years but he decided to enroll in an international management masters program here. He bid Tokyo goodbye and took a flight months back. When he arrived in Prague, he somehow felt relieved. He's been working for too long under his career driven boss and he grew tired of him. He warmed up to the people of Prague and his fellow university folks swiftly. His playful and teasing nature was an asset to him.

Gin had planned on going back to Tokyo for the holidays. But he cancelled his plans and opted to just explore more of the city of Prague. He was told that this was one of the places to be during the holidays. Indeed, it was a beauty.

So was the strawberry blonde beside him.

The sun had already set and it was getting dark. "Say, do you wanna go to a pub or something?" Gin asked. "Then get drunk? And probably get thrown out to the sidewalk?" Rangiku smirked. "Then freeze until we decide to go somewhere warm and drink hot chocolate?" He added. "Then buy train tickets to a country close by and just live life?" the blonde chimed. Gin chuckled at the thought. The woman beside him was full of energy.

"Why not?" Gin stopped walking. "But first, let's go have a drink." he tugged at her coat and he walked on. She followed him. "Where are we going?" she innocently asked. "Do ya want me to take ya to Bed?" he asked playfully, expecting her to not know about the bar. Her face went red and her eyes went wide. 'What is this man suggesting?' Rangiku thought. She suddenly had a mental image of him naked above her. She shook her head and opened her mouth. Before she could say anything, Gin said, "It's a bar here in Prague." Her face went even more red. Gin suppressed a laugh. The blonde was too cute.

Rangiku felt embarrassed but the look on the silver haired man's face gave away that he intended it. She decided to throw a wrench on him and responded with something unexpected. "Yeah you can take me to bed," she looked up at him with a hint of need. It was his turn to get taken aback. 'Damn this woman knows how to control the situation.'

He coughed and walked on. They walked to the bar and took off their coats. Rangiku then got why it was called The Bed. Instead of usual chairs, they had to sit on beds. Rangiku sat first and then Gin sat beside her. Rangiku let the man order for her first. His treat.

Gin took in the woman sitting beside him. Now that their coats were off, he confirmed that she was indeed voluptuous. She had curves in the right places. He suddenly wondered if she was single which was highly unlikely. Rangiku also observed the man. He was wearing a white dress shirt and his sleeves were now rolled slightly up. She could see that he was lean. She wondered if he was single.

He suddenly laughed discreetly. Rangiku tilted her head and raised her brow. "We're in bed together now," he leaned into her ear and said in a low voice. She blushed. 'This man isn't even drunk yet and he's already flirting with me,' she thought to herself. But oh how she enjoyed his playfulness. She laughed back at him. "Oh what a tease!" she pushed him away.

The drinks came in and little by little the two were reaching their limit. She already leaned towards him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Hey are ya alright?" he looked at her. She felt a jolt of excitement and sat up. "Oh my gosh!" she squealed and got her phone. Gin was surprised and held her arm. He was genuinely worried. Did she miss something important? Did she lose something? What was happening?

It took a few minutes of Rangiku smiling at her phone. The man beside her raised his brow and she wasn't sure if he'd be delighted with what she has done. "Um, are you busy tomorrow and the days after?" she pouted. "Er, not really. Why?" he nervously asked back. She laughed. She must be drunk now. "Don't say no okay?" she tugged his arm.

"What do you think of chasing the Northern Lights?"