The Proposal

Disclaimer: The Proposal and Bleach belong to their rightful owner. I'm just playing around with the plot and characters.

xx

Rangiku's eyes instantly turned into saucers as soon as Ramone began dancing in what Rangiku thought was supposed to be sexy. Or maybe the people here in Alaska are turned on by these gyrating movements. Go figure. Rangiku raised a hand and half-shielded her eyes from Ramone who was busy grabbing a rope and swinging back and front the stage, whooping in exhilaration. Rangiku inclined her head, turned to Gammy and asked helplessly, "What is this guy doing?"

Gammy ignored Rangiku's question and instead began jumping excitedly in her chair yelling, "Work it, Ramone!"

Rangiku stared at Gammy, not believing her ears, and then returned her eyes to the stage again. She stared at the so called Ramone and noticed he had thick black hair and a not-so-handsome face. His body was also slightly overweight. Although, she thought people should probably give the guy credit for still having the courage to become a male stripper. Her thought were viciously interrupted when Yumi rang out loudly,

"Over here, Ramone! Over hereeeeeeee!"

Ramone who was in the middle of tying himself up abruptly stopped what he was doing and walked, or more like strutted, to Rangiku's table. Meanwhile, Yumi, Gammy, and the rest of the girls were busying themselves pushing a very reluctant Rangiku up the stage.

"S-stop pushing me! Oh, no. No, no, n-" Rangiku yelped when she finally realized what her gang as doing.

Ramone waggled his eyebrows suggestively once Rangiku was up and ripped his leotard suit with a flourish, leaving him stark naked except for his matching brief covering his under section. He then strutted back and forth again and wiggled his body to the music much to a certain someone's horror. The crowd of course, went wild and a woman in the far end actually started climbing up to the table, moving her hips to the music.

Rangiku's first thought, which she immediately put into action, was to get down and run away from the stripper. The blonde was halted by Ramone, who pulled her hand and twirled her around, causing Rangiku to lose her footing and land most inelegantly in Ramone's arms. Rangiku then pushed Ramone as hard as she could away from her and stumbled back, her heels tumbling clumsily against the wooden stage.

"Feisty one, aren't you?" Ramone asked teasingly after regaining composure.

Rangiku sighed exasperatedly and mumbled under her breath, "You never stop, do you?"

Out of the blue, Ramone pulled out a chair from behind one of the stage curtains and knelt down, backside facing upwards.

Rangiku gaped outwardly, her eyes round and unbelieving. She couldn't believe whatever Ramone was doing. The spotlight than swiveled back and landed on her brightly.

"Come on, spank him!" Gammy coached excitedly from the audience.

"Oh God. I don't wanna touch it. I don't wan… I'll just, ah…" Rangiku trailed off helplessly with a clear look of discomfort written clearly on her pretty face.

"Oh, my God. Look at her face!" Yumi said, stifling a laugh. "Go on, Rangiku, spank him!" She added before laughing again.

Ramone took out a green bottle of God-knows-what and began lathering himself with the substance, "Coconut oil. You like it? Oh yeah, you do. Touch Ramone now, babe!" He said with a thick accent, waggling his eyebrows again. "This is all for you." He said as he ran his hand sensually on his now slimy body.

Ramone finished by pouring the contents of the bottle all over his upper body, moving like a tiger around the three legged chair, while staring straight ahead at Rangiku's face, probably wondering why Rangiku was acting so weird around him. It wasn't because of the fact Rangiku hadn't seen a male stripper before. It was merely because Rangiku was flabbergasted as to why Ramone was such a hit with the ladies. Also, because Ramone was currently moving his butt sensually in front of her torso area, which was kind of creeping her out.

Rangiku forced a smile, then held out her hand and patted Ramone's behind hesitantly, much to Ramone's joy. Once she done the deed, the club fell silent for a short while, then cheers and wolf-whistles erupted.

"Right, then. Mm. I'm just going to... get down now." Rangiku nodded fervently. She straightened her top and cleared her throat importantly before walking quickly down the stage, and headed towards her table. She then grabbed her half-empty cocktail and gulped the rest of the liquid. After that, she excused herself for some fresh air.

Club backdoor

"Hey, there you are." Tapped a petite redhead.

"Oh! Um, hi. You're uh…" Rangiku racked her brain and was just about to yell out the other woman's name triumphantly when she lost it. "Sorry. I didn't get your name last time." She said referring to the welcoming party just yesterday.

The redhead nodded and smiled, "No biggie. My name's Sara, without an H. I followed you outside, actually. Thought you could do with a friend."

"Thanks." Rangiku said gratefully. "I'm fine. Just working on my, ah, tan." Rangiku continued, motioning to the mercilessly shining sun overhead.

Sara chuckled before talking again. "Yeah, I believe you. But I for one know Toushiro's family can get a little overwhelming sometimes. Just a little." Sara said, as she stopped next to Rangiku. Both women were hanging around a railing which separated them from a sparkling lake across the club.

Rangiku hummed in agreement and leaned her body on the railing.

"It's a little different here than in New York, huh?"

"A little bit." Rangiku admitted and stared at the dancing water. "You ever been?"

"No. That was always Toushiro's dream. To leave Sitka and live in the city." Sara replied.

"So, um, what are you and Shiro, exactly?" Rangiku asked, her curiosity finally getting the best of her.

"That obvious we had history, huh? I'm his ex. We dated in high school and all through college, but… things didn't work out obviously." Sara sighed, running her manicured hand through her auburn tresses.

"And you guys called it off because?" Rangiku asked again. "Sorry for being so blunt."

Sara waved her hand dismissively and shared her story, "Well, the night before we graduated, he proposed to me. Said we should elope and that he wanted to go to New York with me. Start a life there together."

"And I take it you said 'no'?" Rangiku asked rather dazedly. She never knew. How could she, after all.

"Yes, of course I turned him down. You must understand I've never been to anywhere but here. This is home. I wasn't ready." Sara said with a rueful smile. "But you're a lucky girl, Rangiku. Toushiro really is the best, which you must already know." She finished with a light laugh.

"Mm, very much so. Yeah." Rangiku bit her lip and returned staring at the lake.

Sara and Rangiku turned their heads sharply when the club's back door opened and a waitress emerged to take a smoke probably.

"Come on, let's go back. Looks like Ramone's wrapping up. He's actually pretty cool, you know." Sara added with a grin, with Rangiku pretending to puke and make gagging noises. The two women then laughed and walked back inside with linked arms.

Later, Toushiro residence

"I'm so, so tired, but thank you guys again for um, such a great surprise." Rangiku smiled to Gammy, as she trudged up the spiral staircase to her room. "I'm just going to go upstairs, and take a shower. Ramone's coconut body oil is still on me."

Gammy laughed out loud at Rangiku's last comment, "Sure. And you're welcome, Rangiku."

Upstairs, Rangiku & Toushiro's room

Rangiku stepped into the hot bath and let out a contented sigh. She rested her head comfortably on the headrest and closed her eyes. Her nose was inhaling the healing herbal candles' scent. Life it seemed, was good down here in Sitka.

"Ah. Where's the towel? Towel, towel, towel." Rangiku mumbled under her breath as she stepped out of the hot bath, practically a walking lavender plant.

Rangiku fumbled with a cabinet handle, but sighed when nothing but a couple of used soap bottles tumbled out. Rangiku hastily threw them back and closed the cabinet door shut.

She went back to her hunting soon after. Towel, towel, towel, towel, towel.

Rangiku crammed her hand into a promising looking shelf and felt her hand came in contact with a silky thing. She pulled her hand out triumphantly and looked at the fabric in her hand proudly. Rangiku's smile then turned into a frown.

This is all they have for a towel? This is ridiculous. I can't get dry with this.She thought as she looked indignantly at what was supposed to be a hand towel back in New York. After a staring competition at the towel, Rangiku decided to twirl the towel in her hair. She then continued her search for a towel again, but to no avail.

Rangiku poked her head out the bathroom door, "Hello?" She asked loudly.

To which nothing greeted back.

Rangiku glanced around nervously and was just about to make a run for the wardrobe outside; when she caught sight of something moving on the ground. Something green and scaly.

Rangiku let out a little yelp and jumped away from Momo, clutching the door tightly.

"No, no, no, no. Just… let me go get a towel, okay? I need to go get a towel." Rangiku said to Momo, silently shooing her away.

Momo didn't budge, but instead looked up with a blank look at Rangiku.

"I need to just... Hold on." Rangiku eyed a wayward water-shooting shower and spritzed some water at Momo.

"How'd you like that, huh?" She asked with a cooing voice. Momo held her tiny head up, eager for more water. She scampered slowly towards the water direction and Rangiku expertly lured her into the bathroom. Rangiku stopped spritzing and slammed the door shut. Rangiku ran quickly into the room and was just about to turn towards the wardrobe to get her prize, when she was bumped to a side viciously with none other than Hitsugaya Toushiro.

Her hair towel flew to the floor almost comically.

To be Continued..

A/N: This part was hilarious in the movie haha! School's not that demanding yet at the mo, so I'm really trying to produce some chapters before it does. Right.