A/n: For Catsafari because we talked about this and for sailing this ship with me. Well, we'll sail it when it returns home from the war. Can't wait for the day you break my heart with my otp :)

summary: Gin sees through Aizen's clever ruse... literally.

wordcount: 1004. short fic is short.

notes on this: not heirverse by design but can be if you're into that. If you do it's late phase 0.

Double posting today because cwst 7 was a huge mood and I need fluff after that gunshot. Just ouch. Ouch for various reasons.

Aizen's Glasses

Gin crept into the office quietly, his little pet fox Cherry at his heels. He'd tried to get her to stay with Ran at their apartment but she kept sneaking out to follow him. Eventually he just gave up sending her back and let her come along.

"Captain?" he called, but he received no answer. "Sousuke?" he tried again, just in case Aizen was hiding. It happened sometimes. Several of Captain Aizen's crazed fangirls would come just to harass him, but still no answer was forthcoming.

Gin sighed and looked down at his fox. Feeling morose. "Looks like he left withou' me, Che-Che." he said. Cherry just whined, also feeling let down.

"I told him t'wait fer me," Gin said, sighing down at his little white fox pet. "Couldn' he wait five minutes?"

Cherry whined again and nosed his ankle in sympathy.

Gin walked into the vacant office and leant against the large mahogany desk, wondering what to do now. He could go home, but... after being ditched so unceremoniously, he didn't really feel like it. He could go into town, but he didn't feel like doing that either. He frowned. Why couldn't Sousuke have waited an extra five minutes? Gin hadn't been running that late, for goodness sake.

Gin's hand shifted across the polished wood of the desk and landed on something small ad plastic. Upon closer inspection, Gin found they were his captain's glasses.

Huh? Odd he'd just leave these here... Gin mused, picking them up. Realising this was the first time he'd ever actually held them.

"He really does look better without em," Gin thought aloud. "These just make him look like a librarian."

Cherry yipped in agreement, and Gin laughed. "Hm, I wonder..." he said, and beckoned the white fox to leap onto the desk to sit beside him. Once she was sat next to him, Gin unfolded the glasses and gently placed them onto her face.

The fox blinked her large violet eyes, magnified by the lenses, somewhat confused by her new accessory, and Gin chuckled at her. He laughed when she shook her head to get rid of the glasses.

"Yer right, not very you," Gin agreed. "Tho' ya look real cute in em."

Cherry wagged her fluffy tail and puffed out her chest. As if to say 'But of course. I look good in anything!'

Gin picked up the glasses again and studied them for a moment. "Hm, do ya think they'd suit me?"

Cherry gave a whuff that could've been a laugh. Gin smiled devilishly. "Alright, less' see just how bad his eyesight really is!"

Cherry yipped again and Gin put the glasses on. He blinked once, twice, thrice in disbelief. "Hey wait," Gin frowned. "These aint prescription lenses!"

He took the spectacles off and stared at them. "I... I feel cheated. All this time he was jus' fakin' havin' bad eyes... wha's he hiding?!"

"Who's hiding what?

The voice made Gin squeak and nearly jump out of his skin.

"Eh? Sou- Sousuke, you scared me! Thought you'd already gone."

Sousuke studied him, an amused smirk on his face. "Yes, I see that," he said. Gin blushed pink. Wishing for the floor to swallow him whole. He glanced at the floor, willing it, but it wasn't happening. When he heard a light chuckle, Gin risked looking up at the older man, seeing he was smiling warmly.

"So what were you doing?" Gin asked.

"I had to go to the bathroom." Sousuke smiled. "Ah, my glasses, I was looking for those. May I have them?"

Gin handed them over without complaint. "So howcome you have fake lenses, Sou?" he asked while the other man donned his spectacles again, dramatically changing his image. "I told ya, you look so much better without em."

Sousuke laughed gently and held out a hand. Gin took it without hesitation and let Sousuke 'help' him down off the desk.

"Maybe that's why only you've seen me without them," he answered smoothly. Gin couldn't help the answering blush rising in his cheeks that made Sousuke chuckle again. He really needed to work on not blushing everytime the man said something to him.

"I s'ppose that's true," Gin conceded. "But really, why?"

Sousuke smirked. "Well, as you know, I've hoards of admirers after me,so I try to make myself look as bookish and as 'nerdy' if you will, as possible to try and put them off."

Gin smirked. Not buying any of te twisted lemonade the man was selling. Yeah right. I'd believe ya if ya didn't encourage em by playin' around and whatnot pretendin' t'be interested in em.

"Oh yeah?" Gin asked, "An' how's that workin' out?"

Sousuke smirked. "Dreadfully."

"Ya don't hafta sound so happy about it. You do know hubris comes before a fall, right?"

Sousuke laughed. "I know," he said. Though his tone was much softer as they walked out.

"So what's the real reason for the glasses?" Gin pressed, trying his luck again and hoping it would pay off. This time he was rewarded.

"ah, it's all about image, Gin," Sousuke explained as he slung an arm around Gin and pulled him delightfully close. Something Gin couldn't help but smile at. God, was his crush so obvious? He hoped not.

"Image?" he asked, hoping to distract from that.

"Yes. Image. How you present yourself to the world and how the world sees you."

"I aint sure I follow," Gin admitted. How's that relevant to you?

"Oh, you will," Sousuke assured him. "You will. In time. Now come on, I seem to recall I promised you some cake.

Gin's smile brightened considerably at the possibility of cake, and all thoughts of the earlier conversation vanished. At least for now.

"Can I have chocolate cake?" Gin asked.

Sousuke laughed softly, and it was music to Gin's ears. He could get used to that sound. "You can have whatever you want." Sousuke answered.