Warning: Soul Socieaty is rather conservative. Therefore, it isn't a gay friendls place.

It all had started the day Gin decided to find his fukutaichou a girlfriend.

Not that he minded Izuru being a single too much. It was rather about the rumors that had begin to spread lately. Rumors, that could endanger his position as a captain of the 13 squads.
Personally, he would have waited a little bit more. Maybe they would stop themselves if he didn't pay too much interest. But Aizen-taichou minded them pretty much. They were an unnecessary threat to his plans.
So Gin had given in and started to check out on the girls he knew.

First comes first, and the woman he knew best was his childhood friend Rangiku. Besides, she had pretty big boobies, and that pleased every male, didn't it?
Izuru should be quite happy about his choice... Just he had to persuade her that she wanted to be with the blonde...
Which was rather difficult. (The silver haired man had never before played matchmaker.)
Not to say, impossible. (There had been many boys and men hitting on her, she knew every phrase.)

"But", she grinned, filling the next bit of sake into his cup, "I must admit that most wanted me to date themselves... Not some friend." She put the bottle back to the shelf, turning her back to him. So Gin missed the slightly sad and hurt expression of her face. But he knew, he knew far too well, that she was waiting for him... He had seen it in her eyes , in the way she moved and talked before, about every tie she told him about a proposal she had turned down. That was one of the reasons why he wished for her to have a lover far more desperately than he wished for anyone else, including himself. He wanted her to be happy, and that person could never be him. It would have hurt her even more.

"Maybe... But it's definitely a "no"?"

She shook her head. "Definitely. But," her grin widened. He had seen this face before, and it meant that she was up to plan something funny that would leave both of them in the middle of big trouble. "I could help you a little bit with your quest. How about that?"

He shifted uncomfortably. There was more behind her offer than she had said now... "Plus?"

"What?"

"What's the conditions?"

"Uh, none..." She pouted, pressing her fingertips to her lips. "But it might be useful to ask two more people to help us."

He sighed. Just the two of them would have been fine. Ater all, she was the only person he kind of trusted. (If she wasn't drunk; so there was no use in telling her any secrets. But besides that...) "Whom?"

"First, Kuukaku. She's no proper match for Kira anyway, and has always good ideas for dating and stuff." Ichimaru had twitched at that name. Unlike his friend, who had been quite a good friend with the Shiba girl, who had been kind of a mentor to her, he hadn't that well memories concerning the black haired woman.

"Is she really necessary?"

"Of course she is! ... Uhm... yeah, and Ayasegawa."

"Yumichika?!" he stared. "Why him?"

"He knows how to make your shy little Kira more attractive..."

They both paused for a moment. Izuru apprenticed to the 11th squads 5th seat?

"Rather prettier... If Izuru really adapts to his style of behavior, I won't survive that..."

Some more imagination was employed.

"I guess you're right... But anyway, we need those both to join us. I'll ask them, ok? How about a meeting same place same time in... Let's say, two days?"

"So... who would be appropriate for him?"

They sat around a small, not too clean table in a corner of the same tavern, Matsumoto having some sheets and a pen laid at the wood in front of her. It seemed like a conspiracy, and it actually was... kind of. Rangiku seemed to have much fun with this. She even had thought about a code, but Gin had turned this suggestion down. It was awkward enough the way it just was. He didn't need anything else added to it.

Kuukaku made the first recommendation. "Soi Fong. That girl is a bundle of sexual frustration right now, she'd really need a lover."

Silence. "But... I'm not sure if he'd survive her... Besides, it's not Izuru she wants..."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, BOY?!"

"Uhm... Sempai..." Matsumoto grabbed the shorter womans arm and dragged her back to her seat. "He surely didn't want to insult anyone... " She gave the fox faced captain a "how could you dare to imply that Sempai's best friend was gay with her around?"- look.

"He's just not thinking about what he says, huh?" She seemed to calm down, and the two men relaxed cautiously. The blonde fukutaichou went on to the next possible dates to save the meeting.

"Unohana-taichou is too old. How about Isane?"

"They both are pretty shy, they'd need some help... But it'd be a really cute couple, ne?"

"If Kiyone allows it..."

Matsumoto smiled. "I'll manage that... Hinamori?"

Gin shifted slightly. Neither of them knew, but that girl was to die, and until this, she had to admire and love Aizen-taichou with all her heart... He didn't want to cause Aizen-taichou even more trouble by solving another problem.

"What's up, Silvy?"

"I don't know... Isn't she totally in love with Aizen-taichou?"

"She is... But that might change... Hm... so, last choice if none of the others works out well?"

"... Okay..." Now, it had to work... "You mentioned her before, Rangiku... this 3rd seat, Kotetsu..."

"Might go as well. A little bit rowdy, but that might have a positive effect on Kira... Nanao?"

"Wanna have Izuru killed by Kyouraku-taichou?"

"..."

"That lil' sister of Kuchiki-taichou?"

"Rukia? ... Should be okay with Bya-bou, the Kira house is low ranked, but still noble..."

"..."

"Nemu?"

"... No girl from the 12th division. Especially not her." Who knew what that Mayuri would to to his cute little Izuru.

"... Kusajishi?"

They reconsidered this. Short... noisy... a child... Zaraki's sidekick... "... You're honest?"

"Not really."

"... Anyone else left?"

"Uhm... maybe some lower ranks?"

"Dunno..." Matsumoto sighed. "So let's give it a try with those." Then she ordered some liters of sake. Their planning had to be sealed with alcohol.

Some time later, both women had indulged in alcohol, and Gin and Yumichika had decided to leave them, because neither of them could nor wanted to drink as much as them.

The strolled down the nightly streets in silence, until the shorter man tilted his head and gazed at the silver haired.
"But why Kira?"

"Hm?" The captain tried to clear his head. "What's about Izuru?"

"Why him and not you?"

He twitched. The words had a better effect than tons of cold water to awake him from his muzzy condition. But, having lied since he was born, it wasn't too hard to pretend that the words hadn't alarmed him.
"Again, what 'cha talkin' about?"

"You try to find your fukutaichou a girlfirend. Not yourself."

"Because I don't need one that desperately."

"Nor does he." Fuckin' sharp, this 11th squads mind was. The beautiful – yes, no human (or shinigami... whatsever) being could deny that fact - 5th seat was about as dangerous as the 10th s captain was. "You only do this to end those rumors about him and you being a gay couple, right? Because it could endanger the position of both of you, if Yamamoto-soutaichou believes it..."

Nothing to disclaim here. He gave in. "That's the point of it. So?"

"It would be the same if you found someone yourself... For example Matsumoto, who has been love with you since I know her... It would be much easier, plus, you'd make her happy."

Really sharp, indeed. "I don't know what 'cha want to say... But ye should be careful, Runkongai isn't a very safe place..." So sharp he might cut himself with it one day.

Yumichikas response surprised him. The man chuckled softly. "They are?"

"They are."

"Because you're out here?"

":.. Maybe?"

"Especially for small boys in the outer Runkongai?"

He freezed. Impossible. The man couldn't know. "... Is it?"

"Do you want to live like this for forever?"

Gin gave in. Dead people didn't tell stories, and Ayasegawa had already revealed to much knowledge to let him alive.. And the fox had longed for someone to talk to all the time... Someone to really talk to, someone who wasn't half mad with fear.

"Is there any other way?" His voice had an bitter, sarcastic tone.

Silence. "I bet there is..."

"Yebet? That's a nice thing to do... so ye don'tknow?"

Ayasegawa stopped, bent is head back to look at the stars. He was so vulnerable now... Gin could have killed him easily. But he didn't want to. Not yet. He wanted to hear the answer.

"I know. But it's not the way you handle things, I guess. Just to stay abstinent..."

Gin laughed, harshly, not much the way he did it for normal. "No. definitely not."

"You never touched Kira, did you?"

"Too dangerous. People would find out. You know how Abarai is... And Hinamoris little friend dislikes me, he would love to give me away."

"So you feel that you always have to be together with someone you aren't allowed to touch the way you want?"

For a moment, Ichimaru blinked. How could the other shinigami understand this? And, much more important, what was he driving at? Hesitantly, he responded. "Yes..."

"But it isn't the same, still..."

Yumichika had had the older mans attention before. But now, it wasn't just a full attention. It was... rather desperate.

"It isn't, that you always, always have to be together with someone... Someone you know every single trait, every scar, the way he moves and talks and fights and thinks and... anything... far too well... Someone you have touched and seen so many times and you have told so many things but never, never the things you actually wanted to tell him..."

It took some time for Gin to realize that the issue wasn't he himself anymore. That the subject was still the same, but that Yumichika wasn't talking about the taller man anymore. But about himself.

"It's not that... It's very different... But still..." A nearly- not- there smirk appeared at his lips.

"Yer had ta notice that there was something that we had in common?"

"I did..."

They wouldn't have thought about each other in any other situation. Yumichika was do girlish and intelligent to Gin. Gin was to dreadful (though not really ugly) and intransparent to Yumichika.
But the way things were, the options were limited. And, after all, it could have been worse.

"You're still a virgin?"

Yumichika made a face. "Not really. Ikkaku made me go to... certain places with him...
Have you ever had consensual sex?"

Gin shook his head. "Never..." How could he have?

"Then," the smaller man turned towards him, invitingly smiling, "although I cannot promise that it will be good... How about having a try?"

Gin shoved the thoughts about killing away. He could do that later on anyway... Now he had to jump at this chance of trying something he hadn't done ever before. And maybe wouldn't have the possibility to do ever again. It definitely was worth it.

"Why not?"