Chapter 6: Some stew for Two

Aizen stepped outside and closed the back door behind him. Cigarette still in hand between his middle and index finger. He picked up the ashtray from its place by the door and walked out into the garden onto the grass. Wondering idly what Gin had planned.

He took another drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke into the air as he sat on the grass. He should really get a little patio table out here, or even just a little bench. Maybe then, when summertime came, he could sit and have tea or even lunch out here with Gin. He could even bring Cherry so she could laze about on the grass.

A smile blossomed on his face at the thought. It was supposed to be a good summer this year, according to the weather experts, so it seemed a grand idea. He'd have to ask Gin about it, though he had a feeling the young man would agree. Especially if it involved Cherry.

He made a note to ask when Gin called him back in. they could talk about it while they ate.

The smile on his face softened the more he pictured it. Yes, we could put a table and chairs right over there...

He tried to envision the scene. A little patio table. A couple of chairs. Him and Gin sharing mugs of tea together in the lovely summer sunshine. Cherry digging holes in the lawn.

It was such a lovely thought. A wonderful little daydream.

Shattered by the dark voice in his head.

Heh. What a nice dream... shame it's fated to die in the pipes. Like all ill fated dreams.

Aizen's insides turned cold. He knew what it meant. Pipedream. It'd only ever be a pipedream. An illusion. A fantasy.

You know it'll never happen, right?

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Kyouka always told him to remember to breathe when this happened. To focus on reality before the thick black tar of his thoughts swallowed him whole and he slipped through the ice. If it were any other day, he might have given in to it. But as it was, Gin was just inside and that was as good a reason as any to not come apart.

Piss off, he snapped back at it. Shoving it away. You ugly little mind flea.

It wanted the satisfaction, but it wasn't gonna happen.

The voice seemed to choke. WHAT?! It spluttered. Mind flea?! How dare you, you insolent peasant. Do you forget it was I who made you? I who put you in the position of power you're in right now? It snarled. I would kill you for such insolence if I weren't trapped in your miserable excuse for a body!

It ranted on in that vein, cursing his name and calling him every dirty word under the sun in both English and his native Spanish. Useless. Worthless ass! Stupid piece of shut! Fucking puta!

But Aizen quickly tuned it out.

Besides. It wasn't like it was anything he hadn't heard before. Or thought about himself, looking at his own reflection in the mirror. His own reflection. Not the monster's. It was all old news, really.

Instead, he let his mind wander back to Gin, and the healthy, filling lunch waiting for him. This only incensed the voice.

Ignoring me yet again, are you? Banishing me to the dark corners of your mindspace again? You insolent maggot! You'll fucking pay for this. When loverboy's gone home, you'll suffer for this...

Aizen sighed and lit up another cigarette. He really should stop smoking, but old habits died hard deaths and addictions were hard to break. More old news. He took a deep, long drag and blew the smoke out equally slowly.

Don't I always?

But by then the voice was long gone, and he was left alone with his thoughts. Until Gin called him in, poking his head out of the door.

"Hey, Sou! Food's ready!"

. . .

The sight of Gin's lovely, bright smile quickly snapped him out of his grim thoughts. Filled his world with colour and light again. Sousuke returned his darling's smile, so glad to see him again, even though it'd only been a few minutes. He stood slowly, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Alright, I'm coming," he called back, catching the little glint of mischief in Gin's smile and those red eyes as he walked back across the garden and back into the house.

. . .

He followed Gin back into the kitchen and he recognised the smell immediately, and all the nostalgia it brought. A massive, frankly iiotic grin spreading across his face as it filled his nostrils.

"Oh, you fucking didn't," said. The swear slipping out of him, a trace of the Rukon boy he'd been. But Gin just grinned over his shoulder at him.

"I did." Gin answered, grabbing the ladle and giving the pot a final few stirs before spooning some into a bowl.

Sousuke stood and watched, arms crossed, still grinning like an absolute idiot. "No, you can't have," he said. "It's impossible."

Gin snickered at that and then turned around and held out the bowl to him. Full of his favourite stew.

Yuki you sly little bitch.

"And yet," Gin smirked. "Here I am. And here it is. Go on. Try it."

He took the bowl carefully from Gin, letting the warmth of it seep into his palms and fingers. Smile still on his face. The wonderful smell filling his nostrils as he inhaled deeply. He just couldn't believe it. Yet here he was holding a bowlful of freshly made Rukon stew. Cooked by none other than his lovely Gin.

He smiled. Was unable to stop smiling. It seemed that boy was full of surprises.. And Yuki, too, since she was the one who'd given Gin the recipe while he wasn't looking. He went to try a spoonful of it, but quickly realised he'd need a spoon for that. As tempting as the warm gravy, vegetables and dumplings were, he didn't want to burn his fingers.

"Uh, Gin..." he began, "I'm going to need a spoon."

Gin blinked. The request registering in his mind after a few moments. "Oh," he gasped. "Oh, right!"

Gin turned and pulled two spoons from the drawer behind him and offered him one. "Here ya go. Sorry, I kinda forgot about it in me excitement. Anyway, try it! I wanna see if it tastes any good. I tried to follow the recipe exactly."

Sousuke smiled and ate a large spoonful of the stew. And oh, it was heavenly!

"Well, how is it?" Gin pried, eyes wide and smile hopeful.

"It's so good," he answered, and at that Gin's smile spread wide with joy.

"Really? That's great!" Gin beamed at him. "I mean, I wasn't sure how it'd turn out, an' I was pretty nervous. But I'm so glad it came out good an' you like it!"

Sousuke smiled at his Gin again, gaze fixed on that face an those lovely flushed cheeks. Just taking it all in. Gin was rambling. He tended to do that when he was nervous of excited. It was very endearing.

"Of course I like it," he told Gin. "After you, you were the one who made it."

He watched Gin's cheeks pinken at that and he chuckled. "Come on, pour yourself a bowl and let's eat together."

Gin's blush faded a little at the request and his smile softened. "Sure," he answered sweetly. "Let's go eat."

. . .

They pulled up two chairs at the table and sat. a bowl of stew for each of them.

"I can't believe you know how to make Rukon stew now," he said to Gin. "Or that Yuki gave you her recipe. I've been trying to pry it out of her for as long as I've known her."

Gin just smirked across at him. "Yeah, well, believe it cuz she did," he said, with just a little touch of smugness. "and now I've got a new recipe card."

Sousuke grinned. "I'd keep that card close to your chest, otherwise you'll have every Rukon citizen queueing down the road outside our door for a bowl of your stew."

Gin laughed a little at that. "Heh, yeah, they'll never leave us alone if they knew. An' I like how it's 'us' and 'our house' now," he gently teased. "Yer makin' it sound like I live here."

Sousuke was quick as always to catch that ball. Raising an eyebrow and smirking a little. "Oh, didn't I tell you? You live here now."

Gin snickered a little and put on an act. "I do?" he gasped, "When did this happen? Oh darn, and here I forgot my keys!"

He waited for Sousuke to continue the joke, but honestly he was laughing too hard to even form a complete sentence at this point.

This was why he liked Gin. He made him laugh.

"Too much?" Gin asked, waiting patiently as he caught his breath and stopped laughing.

"No," he answered when he could breathe again. "Just enough."

Gin's smile turned shy at that, and that nice shade of pink coloured his cheeks again. He lifted another spoonful of stew and spooned it into his mouth. Trying to distract from that fact. But this time Sousuke let it slide by.

"An'way, we should eat 'fore this gets cold," Gin said. "S'best when it's hot."

Sousuke just smiled and agreed.