Rangiku giggled as she slid open the front door and stumbled into her home. "I'm home!" she announced loudly. Then she remembered it was after Shiro's bedtime and covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry," she whispered to the dark room, before repeating, "I'm home," in a whisper.

Then she frowned. Why hadn't Gin lit a lamp? The whole house was completely dark. Her eyes scanned the entry and front room. Everything looked completely normal except— "Why are you laying under the table in the dark?" she demanded loudly of her son.

Toshiro, who'd been doing his best to gesture at her to be quiet rolled his eyes.

Gin appeared in the doorway at that moment, a band of black over his eyes. "So you are in here!" he said, grinning.

"It doesn't count!" Toshiro protested as he climbed out from under the table. "Mommy told you! That's cheating."

Gin raised a hand to his head and canceled the kido. "Always cheat if you can manage it, Shiro-chan," he answered. "Just don't get caught. That's worse than losing."

"What are you doing? Playing hide'n'seek in the dark? Why are you using a kido blindfold, and can I play?" Rangiku said very quickly.

"It's not a game," Shiro protested.

"Yes, it is," Gin immediately contradicted. "But it's boys only so you're out of luck, Ran-chan."

"That's not fair!" Rangiku protested. "I can do anything you can!" She tripped at that moment, trying to step out of her sandals, so she wasn't particularly convincing.

"Why can't—" Toshiro started to join her protest but caught a look from his father that shut him up immediately. "I'm still the winner," he said stubbornly.

"Tell your mommy good night and get to bed," Gin told him.

Toshiro glared at his father for a second, but realized he might have a chance with his mother and ran straight to Rangiku, throwing his arms around her legs.

"I missed you, Mommy!" he declared.

Rangiku picked him up and hugged him tightly. "Mommy had to go, sweetie," she told him. "It was a party for Mommy's friend, Auntie Miyako. Didn't you have fun playing games with Daddy?"

"No!" Toshiro protested, "I want Mommy all the time."

"Oh, sweetie, don't say that!" Rangiku protested, glancing over at Gin to see if his feelings were hurt, but he wasn't paying any attention at all.

He was refilling the lamp with oil with his back to them both. As usual, if anything was bothering him, he wasn't letting it show.

"I'm sure you and Daddy had lots and lots of fun together, didn't you, Gin?"

The light came on and Gin stepped back up onto the tatami, carrying the lamp and a bowl of dried persimmons. "Not really," he answered, sitting down at the low table and reaching for a book. "Shiro-chan spent most of the evening whining."

"No, I didn't!" Toshiro protested. "I was good, but Daddy made me work the whole time!"

"Work? What kind of work?" Rangiku asked.

"It's a game, Shiro-chan. It's called hide'n'seek. You play it all the time. You just wanted Mommy," Gin said. Then his eyes went to Rangiku. "Did you have fun celebrating Miyako's promotion?"

"Oh, it was so much fun!" Rangiku gushed. "You should have come! Everyone was there! Except Captain Ukitake-he was sick again-Miya-chan says he coughs up blood. I think I would be terrified if I saw someone cough up blood. I'd have them at Division Four before they had a chance to protest. It seems terribly serious!"

She dropped to her knees beside Gin and reached for a dried persimmon. "What do you think is wrong with Captain Ukitake? No one ever says. Kaien told Miya-chan not to ask.

"And you should see them together! They're so cute! Now they're working together, and they're so totally in sync!" She covered Toshiro's ears and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm sure they're sleeping together!"

Toshiro scowled and tugged at his mother's hands.

"I very much doubt Shiro-chan has any idea what you're talking about, Ran," Gin said. "Speaking of which, why don't you put him to bed already?"

"That's your job," she answered, removing her hands from his ears so she could pass him to Gin. "You should have done it two hours ago. It's all your fault I have to take my bath alone."

Father and son glared at each other.

It was half an hour later when Gin appeared in the doorway of the little bath room. Steam rose from the tub in thick clouds as Rangiku soaked up to her shoulders. Her head leaned back against the side, and her eyes were shut. Her hair hung in red coils over the side, dripping onto the damp tile floor.

Gin took one step into the room.

"I told you I was bathing alone," Rangiku said, without bothering to open her eyes.

"I thought you'd fallen asleep," Gin answered. "Was just going to wake you up."

"What are you making Shiro-chan do?" she asked, suddenly lifting her head and opening her eyes.

"It's just a game," Gin answered.

"He doesn't seem to think so," Rangiku answered. "And I don't see why you'd be playing hide'n'seek blindfolded, unless you're using reiatsu-Toshiro can see reiatsu?"

"A little," Gin admitted.

"And you're teaching him to do it better? Don't you think he's a little young to start training?"

"It's not training," Gin said. "I was bored. I wanted to see what he could do. That's all."

Rangiku moved to the side of the tub and folded her arms over the edge. "Really?"

Gin tilted his head to one side and smiled at her. "Are you sure you want to take that bath alone?"

"Well I certainly don't need a lying husband in here," Rangiku answered, sitting back and folding her arms across her chest.

"You sure?" he asked again. "It's the only kind you've got."

Rangiku rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on then," she said, and she moved over to make some space for him in the deep tub.